With the creation of the Clone Kunai complete, Ren immediately picked up the crude tool, examining it carefully. After all, it was the first ninja tool he had ever forged, and the craftsmanship could only be described as rough. In terms of overall quality, it simply couldn't compare to the kunai imported from the Land of Iron sold in his family's weapon shop.
However, the function of this particular kunai was anything but ordinary. The moment he completed its creation, information about its use flooded into his mind:
[Clone Kunai: Injecting chakra can instantly form a material clone. The material clone can attack and defend.]
The clone created by this kunai was unlike typical clones. The Clone Jutsu (Bunshin no Jutsu), one of the basic three-body techniques, created an illusion—a phantom identical to the user, refined from chakra. While useful for confusing enemies, it had no physical substance or offensive capability.
A material clone, however, was different from a phantom clone. Material clones were generally condensed by elemental escape techniques, such as Water Clones, Earth Clones, or Crow Clones, and possessed physical substance. While the amount of chakra required to create a material clone was small, the user didn't gain experience from them upon their dispersal. A material clone could be understood as a lifelike puppet controlled by the user's consciousness. This type of ninjutsu was incredibly practical in battle!
Ren injected his own chakra into the kunai, then projected it forward. As expected, two meters in front of him, a clone that looked exactly like him solidified.
"That's incredible!" Ren's eyes lit up. The moment he understood the power of this clone, many possibilities flashed through his mind. The weapons he forged... they were comparable to actual ninjutsu! He only needed to inject chakra into the Clone Kunai to achieve the effect of a material clone technique. And compared to elemental escape ninjutsu, he didn't even need hand signs; he could create it instantly! Used in actual combat, this would grant him an immense advantage! This was definitely a huge breakthrough!
With this effect, every weapon he made would be extraordinary!
Ren opened his system properties panel again. There had been some changes:
[Host: Ren]
[Age: 6 years old]
[Forging Level: Beginner]
Unlocked Weapon: Clone Kunai (7%)]
[Self-Created Weapons: None]
"7 percent?" What did that mean? Could it be that the Clone Kunai hadn't been fully unlocked yet? The system seemed to sense Ren's question and immediately provided an answer:
[The host's proficiency in creating a Clone Kunai is only 7%. The probability and speed of successful weapon creation will increase with the increase of proficiency.]
Upon hearing the system's explanation, Ren understood. It turned out that even with the Avatar Kunai blueprint, his success rate for making the weapon wasn't 100%; it was tied to his proficiency. In that case, his first successful forging had indeed been good luck!
After that initial success, Ren was now bursting with energy! "Continue forging!" His eyes shone brightly as he picked up another piece of crude iron, placed it on the anvil, and began to swing the hammer again.
Clang!Clang!Clang!
The rhythmic whoosh of the bellows filled the shed as flames danced in the charcoal furnace. The glowing red crude iron lump rang out with a crisp sound each time the hammer struck. Under Ren's continuous forging, the shape of a kunai gradually took form.
However, he didn't succeed every time. If the forging failed, the resulting kunai wouldn't have the material clone effect and would be no different from an ordinary kunai.
[Ding! Forging failed. Forging result: Ordinary Kunai]
[Ding! Forging failed. Forging result: Ordinary Kunai]
[Ding! Forging success! Forging result: Clone Kunai 1!]
[Ding! Forging failed. Forging result: Ordinary Kunai]
...
The night passed quietly. As darkness faded and the distant sky turned pale with the first hint of dawn, "Haaah—" Ren finally ended his forging practice, which had lasted for several hours. His arms, used to wielding the hammer, were sore and weak, barely able to lift. Even after repeated cycles of physical exhaustion, recovery, consumption, and recovery, he had reached the limit of his body's endurance.
Slowly letting out a sigh, Ren looked at the three kunai lying quietly in his hands, each glowing with a cold, black sheen. A hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. In one night, he had created a total of three Clone Kunai! Moreover, his proficiency in forging the Clone Kunai had increased from the original 7% to 25%. It was a great harvest!
After collecting the three kunai, he finally left the forging room with satisfaction. It was then that Ren noticed his clothes were drenched in sweat. This night of forging had been a very difficult training process for a six-year-old. Successfully creating a kunai wasn't as simple as just picking up a hammer and hitting a rough iron billet. While forging the crude iron, he also had to continuously infuse his chakra into it. Thus, the forging process demanded immense amounts of both physical strength and chakra from Ren. After hours of forging, his physical strength had been depleted many times, and his clothes were repeatedly soaked with sweat, smelling predictably.
Ren dragged his exhausted body to the bathroom to rinse off. Only then did he finally relax, collapsing onto his bed and falling into a deep sleep the moment his eyes closed.
When Ren woke up again, it was already noon. TenTen had left him a few rice balls for lunch, having gone to the ninja shop to help look after it. Ren was the only one left at home. He quickly finished the rice balls, filling his stomach, then rushed back into the forging shed to continue his practice.
In a blink of an eye, three days passed. For Ren, the forging process wasn't just about creating kunai; it was also a form of exercise for his physical muscle strength. Now, he felt that his body had become stronger. What surprised Ren even more was that he also became increasingly proficient at absorbing chakra from his body, and the amount of chakra he absorbed was slightly more than before. This refinement of chakra exercise was far superior to the secret techniques of the ninja clans in the village. It could be said that after this forging practice, his starting point on the path of a ninja was no lower than anyone else's!