The Land of Iron.
A nation composed of samurai.
The samurai here were an anomaly in the shinobi world, still clinging to their own ideals.
They rejected shinobi yet wielded chakra and ninjutsu.
They remained neutral, abstaining from shinobi conflicts.
But wasn't that just another way of declaring themselves as shinobi?
Moreover, unlike other nations, the daimyo of the Land of Iron held immense authority.
The samurai existed solely to serve the daimyo.
Even opposing the daimyo was considered treason.
"So why this route?"
Uchiha Kin, following behind White Fang, was utterly baffled.
Going through the Land of Iron to reach the Land of Lightning was clearly a detour.
"Don't you want to see the samurai here for yourself?" White Fang countered.
"Not even slightly interested."
Kin's expression was lifeless as he fiddled with something in his hands.
Multitasking was second nature to him.
He had once been intrigued by the secret techniques of various hidden villages, but as time passed and the Foundation Internal Energy Technique became widespread, those secrets would inevitably fall into his hands.
But the Land of Iron held no appeal for him.
"A bunch of outdated relics left in the dust. Nothing worth anticipating."
Kin spoke bluntly, his volume unchecked as his attention remained fixed on the object in his hands.
His words drew angry glares from passersby.
White Fang scratched his head awkwardly and quickly pulled Kin away, disappearing into the crowd.
Only when they were out of sight did he let out a sigh of relief.
"You could've at least kept your voice down."
Even quieter than usual.
After all, those words were far too offensive in the Land of Iron.
"The Land of Iron is actually quite formidable."
Kin's face twisted into a look of disagreement at White Fang's remark.
They were just a group calling themselves samurai while still relying on ninjutsu and chakra—essentially shinobi in disguise.
Their techniques were even fewer than those of minor villages, relying entirely on swordsmanship to compensate.
As for their so-called strength, it was merely a result of their larger population base.
Other hidden villages selected shinobi from their own residents, with outsiders having no chance.
The Land of Iron, in contrast, drew from cities across the entire nation, naturally amassing considerable power.
Yet even so, they remained a second-rate force, a clear testament to their mediocrity.
And when it came to chakra-based swordsmanship, many hidden villages possessed techniques far superior to theirs.
For instance, the swordsmanship of the Hatake clan could easily overpower anything the Land of Iron had to offer.
Shinobi were tools forged for killing, and their swordsmanship reflected that singular purpose.
The samurai, however, were far more complicated.
They were little more than a holdout for those who refused to accept reality.
No progress in ninjutsu, no innovation in chakra.
For a researcher like Kin, it was anything but appealing.
Naturally, he had no interest.
"Given that you developed such a swordsmanship technique, I thought you'd like the Land of Iron."
White Fang sighed.
He had only brought Kin here to broaden his horizons.
"So this is basically a taxpayer-funded vacation for you?"
Kin stared at White Fang in disbelief. Who would've thought this straight-laced guy would dare to exploit public funds for leisure?
"You could say that. The situation in Kumogakure isn't urgent."
White Fang scratched his cheek.
The issue with Kumogakure stemmed from their overexertion in the First Shinobi World War, leaving them with a shortage of capable shinobi.
Their participation in the Second War was highly unlikely.
Though their mission was reconnaissance, the outposts would handle intelligence gathering.
White Fang only needed to make a round through Kumogakure.
If the village was planning any major moves, he wouldn't be able to uncover them—covert operations weren't so easily detected.
His real role was to stay close to Konoha's outposts.
Ready to assume the role of frontline commander at any moment.
As for the reconnaissance mission, there was no need to visit the outposts directly.
His presence was merely a deterrent.
Though Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision to recall him from the Land of Rivers' frontline had caused some discontent.
For instance, Sunagakure had resumed its attacks, only to be halted by Tsunade.
Now,
White Fang's whereabouts were unknown, amplifying his effect.
A White Fang whose movements no hidden village could track.
This alone was enough to keep them on edge.
He had no intention of stirring up major trouble.
"Still, I've been curious for a while."
White Fang stroked his chin, eyeing the object Kin was tinkering with—a shape resembling a raised thumb and forefinger.
"What exactly are you making?"
"This?"
Kin shook the object in his hand—a pistol-like device, though its inner mechanisms were exposed due to the missing outer casing, and its stock was unusually bulky.
Aiming the gun-like contraption at White Fang, Kin pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
White Fang tilted his head slightly as a shuriken whizzed past. His eyes flicked to the projectile, noting the chakra coiled around it.
"A Shuriken Gun. More or less a toy."
At best, it was highly effective against genin, but its lethality against chūnin was limited.
Designed to launch shuriken, its power could be enhanced by infusing more chakra.
Unfortunately, material constraints capped its potential.
With numerous self-created jutsu already demanding his attention, Kin simply didn't have the bandwidth to develop more.
So he pivoted to crafting tools.
After all, usable equipment could provide an immediate power boost.
What he truly wanted to develop were artifact refining and pill alchemy.
The shinobi world already had foundations for these—many ninja tools were essentially magical artifacts, and soldier pills, along with certain clan's secret medicines, offered a starting point.
But as things stood, only Tsunade and Orochimaru, among those who had learned his Foundation Internal Energy Technique, were researchers.
Everyone else was solely focused on strength.
Skilled toolmakers were exceedingly rare, and even fewer dabbled in secret medicines.
As for renowned ninja tools, their crafting methods had been lost to time—not even Uchiha Madara knew them.
Kin had no choice but to start from scratch.
"This is hardly just a toy."
White Fang's brow furrowed deeply as he examined the Shuriken Gun. In the hands of an average shinobi, it might be unremarkable.
But if wielded by civilians…
Well, it still wouldn't be much.
He could tell the device still required chakra to operate.
Yet if mass-produced, it could significantly enhance the combat capabilities of genin.
And he had watched Kin assemble it from start to finish.
The materials were all commonplace.
Just as White Fang was about to press for details, his tool pouch vibrated.
Frowning, he bit his thumb and pressed it to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted, revealing a gray wolf-dog clutching a scroll in its jaws.
It placed the scroll on the ground, then vanished in another cloud of smoke.
White Fang snatched up the scroll and scanned its contents.
"What's going on?!"
Kin's curiosity got the better of him.
Please don't let it be some dangerous mission.
Preferably not.
White Fang's frown deepened as he finished reading.
"Kirigakure has declared war."
...
Read 50 advance at patreon.com/CNBLUE
(End of Chapter)