chsdbacks Chapter 18 Buying a Knife and Having a Feast
Chapter 18 Buying a Knife and Having a Feast
The night sky over Konoha was tinged amber by paper lanterns. A few withered leaves floated in the cracks of the cobblestones, crunching softly underfoot as pedestrians wrapped in animal skins stepped on them. A copper wind chime hanging from the eaves swayed, startling a night moth perched atop a lantern; the phosphorescent powder shed from its wingtips shimmered with a deep blue hue in the moonlight.
The bronze fangs hanging above the weapon shop's door clanged together. The pine hinges creaked as the door was pushed open, startling the old cat curled up behind the counter. Twelve rows of ebony shelves fanned out, a thousand needles piled like a thorn bush in a celadon dish, and concealed weapons in the glass cases gleamed with the cold, indigo light characteristic of poison. On the ironwood shelf in the southeast corner, seven katanas were sheathed at an angle, three inches from their sheaths, a speck of silver frost clinging to their blades.
The three stepped into the brightly lit weapon shop. The cold glint of the blades reflected on Taichi's excited face. Kakashi had already taken out a scroll from his ninja tool bag and unrolled it. On the yellowed silk cloth, the key points of selecting a sword for the Hatake-ryu swordsmanship were displayed.
"The spine of the blade should be as straight as a pine tree." Kakashi's fingertips traced across the display shelf, and with a metallic hum, he drew a plain short sword. Taichi's wrist slumped slightly as he took it; the red marks from the birchwood hilt hadn't faded, and now new marks appeared. "A blade weighing over three pounds will affect the swing trajectory." The silver-haired boy placed the sword horizontally in his palm, the tip and hilt perfectly balanced at the base of his thumb. "The center of gravity should ideally be three inches in front of the guard."
Kai leaned closer, marveling at the blade's markings, then suddenly punched the blade. A clear, resonant voice echoed through the shop. "Father said that swords forged with tamahagane mixed in sound like mountain spring water flowing through quartz." Kakashi gestured for Taichi to infuse chakra into the blade, and fine wind-style chakra flowed along the edge, creating a bluish halo. This was a ninja sword infused with a small amount of chakra metal.
The shopkeeper brought over three similarly shaped swords, and Kakashi held them up one by one to test their slashes. When the third sword sliced through the air, the sound of the blade cutting through the air suddenly became denser. "That's it!" Taichi exclaimed with delight, discovering that his shoulder and elbow naturally dropped as he swung the sword, and the trajectory of the blade perfectly matched the angled cut recorded on the scroll. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the cloud pattern on the tsuba (handguard), and a smile flashed in Kakashi's eyes—the weight distribution of this sword was exactly the same as the first practice sword his father had forged for him years ago.
"Boss, how much is this knife?" Taiyi asked without hesitation.
"Cheng Hui, 30000 taels." The shopkeeper said with a smile.
"Boss, can you give me a discount?" Hearing that it would cost 30000 taels, Taiyi couldn't help but feel a little pained, after all, he had been racking his brains about how to make money not long ago.
"Sir, all our prices are clearly marked, and we never haggle." The owner looked determined, clearly confident that he had Taiyi under his wing.
"Alright." Upon hearing this, Taiyi didn't say anything more, as saying more would be disrespectful to the sword.
……
The three walked out of the shop. Taiichi, beaming with joy, stroked the short sword he had just received. He then slung the sword over his back; from now on, he would always carry it, thus getting used to various postures when armed with a sword.
"Kakashi, Guy, come to my house for dinner today. I bought the ingredients first thing this morning."
"Great! It's been a while since I've tasted Taiyi's cooking." Kai was moved to tears.
"Then we need to go back and inform our families." Kakashi readily agreed.
"Then you guys go ahead, I'll go back and cook first, it should be ready by the time you get here."
After saying this, the three of them rushed home.
……
At home, in the kitchen.
Taiichi, wearing a navy blue apron, was busy at the stove. The miso soup in the iron pot was bubbling, and the steam from the steamer carried the sweet aroma of taiyaki, turning the small kitchen a warm yellow. Neatly arranged on the cutting board were marinated teriyaki chicken legs, which he had specially prepared in advance with a sauce made of honey and sake.
"The last dish..." Taichi wiped the sweat from his brow as he plated the tempura. Golden shrimp tails curled up from the batter, and the fried lotus root slices glistened with amber oil. Just then, a knock came from the entrance hall, and Kai's energetic shout could be heard even through the door: "Taichi! We're here!"
The door opened to reveal two figures. Kakashi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, the moonlight casting a frosty glow on his silver hair; Guy was excitedly inhaling the fragrance in the air, his green bodysuit covered in the dust of training. "Excuse me!" they both said in unison, Kakashi's short sword clinking against its holder as he took off his shoes.
When the low table was piled high with plates, Kai's eyes widened in surprise. The five-tiered bento box was stacked with rice balls and tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), the crispy skin of the grilled saury was sprinkled with sansho pepper powder, and even the miso soup was topped with carrots carved into maple leaves. Kakashi's nose twitched slightly beneath his mask; years of eating his father's disastrous cooking had made him particularly sensitive to the feast before him.
"Let's dig in!" Kai's chopsticks swept across the table like a whirlwind, picking up a piece of tempura that arced through the air. "This fried shrimp! The batter is so crispy and... so hot!" The boy, scalded by the hot oil, puffed out his cheeks and breathed out, but couldn't bear to spit it out. Kakashi slowly scooped up some tofu, his pupils shrinking the moment the broth entered his mouth—the broth made from kelp and bonito was even more delicious than the signature soup of the Three-Color Dumpling Shop.
Taichi smiled as he poured barley tea for the two of them, the rising steam blurring the ninja posters on the wall. When Kakashi picked up the teriyaki chicken leg for the third time, his perpetually masked face suddenly froze. Guy, his mouth full of rice, mumbled, "Feed Kakashi, no one's going to take it from you!"
The silver-haired boy's ears turned red, and his fingers hovered over the edge of his mask for a moment, hesitating. As the black fabric slipped down, the moonlight illuminated his sauce-stained lips, and Taiichi and Kai were both stunned—neither of them expected that this cold-faced genius would puff out his cheeks like a small animal while eating.
"Regarding swordsmanship instruction..." Taichi broke the silence at the right moment, placing the tail of a grilled fish into Kakashi's bowl, "Today's lesson made me realize the importance of having a good teacher. Swordsmanship training cannot be achieved solely through self-study."
"Thank you so much for today."
Guy suddenly put down his chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Kakashi: "Thank you for teaching me chakra control! Last time you said 'taijutsu-type ninjas need more precise chakra allocation,' and now I can kick rocks without hurting my ankles!"
The chirping of insects outside the window suddenly became clearer. Kakashi's knuckles turned white as he gripped the teacup, and after a long while, he whispered, "I'm the one who should be thanking you." His gaze swept over the new sword on Taichi's back. "I also want a partner to practice swordsmanship with."
Moonlight streamed through the window and onto the low table, casting the shadows of the three boys on the wall. By the time Kai started his fifth bowl of miso soup, Taichi and Kakashi were already resting, rubbing their bellies.
"I'm so full, I can't eat anymore!"
The streets were bathed in starlight as they parted. Kakashi pulled his mask down to his nose, then suddenly turned and tossed out, "Keep studying tomorrow." Guy struck his classic pose in the moonlight: "Tomorrow we're running twenty laps around the Forest of Death! Taichi, wanna bet on who finishes first?"
The moment the door closed, Taichi leaned against his newly bought ninja sword and chuckled softly. The lingering warmth of the hilt reminded him of Kakashi's clasped hands as he demonstrated how to hold the sword, and the slap that sent the tiger's mouth numb when Guy tested it. The lingering aroma of bonito wafted from the kitchen, and the three empty bowls side by side on the low table reflected the moonlight, like some kind of silent vow.
After seeing the two off, I returned to my room. It was already quite late, so I could only practice basic physical exercises and meditation at home for the rest of the day.
Name: Matsushita Taichi
Occupation: Ninja Apprentice Lv6 (926/1000)
Talent: Diligence can compensate for lack of talent; academic star
Age: 6 years old
Physical condition: 13
Power: 15
Agility: 13
Spirit: 20
Chakra: 3100 (5350)
Attribute points: 9
Skill points: 9
Fire attribute transformation Lv2 (66/200)
Wind attribute change level 2 (36/200)
Yang attribute property change Lv2 (18/200)
技能：基础体术Lv8（1213/1400），基础冥想Lv8（1212/1400），查克拉提炼术Lv8（1253/1400），忍具投掷Lv7（687/1200），变身术Lv6（515/1000），分身术Lv7（537/1200），替身术Lv6（853/1000），火遁·炎弹Lv6（353/1000），火遁·凤仙火Lv6（935/1000），风遁·大突破Lv6（712/1000），治癒术Lv6（9231000），旗木刀术Lv1（32/100）
Evaluation: Learning swordsmanship has made up for your weaknesses, but you are still a low-level ninja and cannon fodder.
Watching the data on the panel constantly change, Taiyi was filled with motivation. Cultivation is addictive, and that must be what's happening to Taiyi now. He cultivated until the early hours of the morning before washing up and going to bed.