Amado was still waiting for his alarm clock. If this thing truly worked, mass production could be considered. If successful, it would be a blessing to the entire ninja world.
Torifu had no idea what was happening outside, but to save time, he still used the Chakra Concealment Technique. Standing at his doorstep, looking at the bustling street with no one noticing him, he smiled. Then he strode towards the blacksmith shop. Since no villagers would notice Torifu's presence, he was incredibly relaxed at this moment, able to pay more attention to things he usually overlooked due to rushing.
Torifu was still thinking about the Land of Lightning. In this war, although Konoha had utterly annihilated all of Kumogakure's ninjas with overwhelming power, Kumogakure was, after all, the aggressor! Konoha absolutely needed an explanation, and a hefty compensation fee was unavoidable.
With Tobirama's methods, this compensation would surely leave Kumogakure gasping for air for the next decade or so. Perhaps they would even withdraw from the ninja world stage, becoming a ninja village existing only in history. This was truly a case of "the thief attempting to steal chicken only to be killed." Kumogakure had brought this upon themselves. Torifu had no sympathy for them whatsoever. If people came to invade his home, and he still spoke up for them, wouldn't that make him a ninja traitor?!
Not long after, Torifu arrived at the blacksmith shop run by the Tsuchigumo brothers. Just like last time, Torifu suddenly deactivated his Chakra Concealment Technique again, startling the blacksmiths out of their wits. After regaining their composure, they shouted, "Torifu-sama! You truly are our hero of Konoha!"
Torifu looked at their fervent expressions, unknowingly displaying a bewildered face. What on earth? He was a Konoha hero now? Such a huge title just slapped onto him?
Seeing Torifu's puzzled expression, the foreman blacksmith was also confused. "Torifu-sama, you don't know yet? The news of your slaughter of Kumogakure's invaders has already spread throughout Konoha!" He added, "The villagers are all talking about you!"
Torifu couldn't help but gasp! Good heavens! Those two old geezers actually backstabbed me! Why did they leak this out? Torifu, still unwilling to believe it, asked again, "Who...who spread it?"
The foreman clapped his hands and said cheerfully, "Hokage-sama! If it weren't for Hokage-sama, how could we know such confidential news?" He then described the situation at the bulletin board this morning to Torifu—it was packed to the gills!
Torifu couldn't help but slap his forehead. He truly didn't understand what those two geezers were trying to do. The villagers were already enthusiastic enough, forcing him to learn the Chakra Concealment Technique. Just when things were getting good for a few days, this kind of news suddenly broke out again. It truly left Torifu feeling helpless.
Fortunately, most of the villagers were currently gathered at the bulletin board, watching the commotion and chatting. There weren't many people on the blacksmith shop's street. Sigh, seeing that the matter was already common knowledge, there was no good way to salvage it now; it would just have to be this way.
The foreman looked at Torifu. "Torifu-sama, why do you seem unhappy?"
Torifu glanced at him. "Can you imagine the pain of walking two hours from my house to yours?"
The foreman blacksmith shook his head.
Torifu waved his hand helplessly. "Never mind, never mind, let's not talk about that. By the way, how are the parts I asked you to forge last time?"
The foreman immediately perked up at the mention. "Heh, Torifu-sama, you wouldn't believe it, we actually finished them a few days early. I'll go get them for you right away."
Torifu nodded. After waiting a minute or two, the foreman blacksmith ran out from inside the shop, holding a wooden box filled with various messy parts: small screws, gears, pointers, metal sheets, and so on.
"Torifu-sama, take a look, are you satisfied? If not, we can adjust them."
Torifu took the box and inspected the parts. Although many areas were still a bit rough, for handmade items, they could be considered master-level. In Konohagakure during this period, this craftsmanship was already very good. It was just a pity that if they could forge chakra weapons, this blacksmith shop would instantly become famous throughout Konoha.
Torifu tossed a gear back into the box. "Very good, I'm very satisfied." He then asked, "How much does it cost?"
The foreman chuckled. "Your satisfaction is enough, Torifu-sama. Just pay what you think is fair. Although the blueprints looked difficult, it was actually quite manageable."
Torifu nodded, then pulled out two thousand ryo and handed them to the foreman. "Is this enough?"
The foreman took out one note. "It doesn't need this much, Torifu-sama. One thousand ryo is enough."
Torifu waved his hand, then placed the remaining one thousand ryo on the table. "This is hard-earned money. The extra is for the brothers to have a drink." The foreman, seeing this, no longer refused and happily accepted the money.
"If I may be so bold, Torifu-sama, what is this thing used for? My brothers and I have never seen anything like it."
This wasn't a secret topic, so Torifu didn't hide it. "You can call it an alarm clock. It has many uses, but its main function is to clearly tell time."
The foreman still didn't quite understand. How could these small metal pieces and tiny springs create something that tells time? Torifu smiled at his puzzled expression. "I'll give you one if I get the chance, then you'll understand." The foreman didn't care if Torifu was serious about giving him one or just being polite; he happily agreed anyway.
After chatting idly with Torifu for a while, he prepared to head home. At this time, villagers were gradually heading home to prepare dinner, and this street was no longer 'safe.'
"I'll be going now. If this is successful, I'll probably have to bother you again."
The blacksmiths clapped their chests heartily. "Then we look forward to your next visit, Torifu-sama."
Torifu nodded, then activated his Chakra Concealment Technique. Although he was still in front of the blacksmiths, the technique concealed Torifu's presence, making him very inconspicuous. Amidst the blacksmiths' exclamations, Torifu left. Sometimes, he wondered why these blacksmiths, despite being brawny, were such cowards.
On his way back, Torifu paid special attention to the conversations of the surrounding villagers, discovering that they were indeed discussing the ninja war from yesterday and his triumphant rampage. "Brave and Fearless Young Man" seemed to have become Torifu's new label. But there was nothing he could do; he couldn't possibly muzzle the villagers, could he? Since he couldn't, he might as well let them chat freely.
Upon returning home, he found Amado already standing in the courtyard, inspecting his new house.