The Gekko clan had always been small in number, occupying a modest area with only a few old houses in a relatively secluded location.
Gekko Ryun returned to his room and closed the door tightly.
Spreading his fingers, his palm slightly damp, his pupils reflected a few strands of red hair that seemed to shimmer with light.
His heart remained unsettled for a long time.
As the saying goes, the Ninja World is a grand stage—if you don’t have cheats, don’t bother coming.
From the era of the Ninja Sect to the Warring States period, and then to the era of Hidden Villages, which powerful figure didn’t rely on cheats?
From Senju Hashirama to Uzumaki Naruto, from Uchiha Madara to Uchiha Sasuke—while others were still playing with Five Element Ninjutsu, these individuals were either piloting giant mechas or manipulating Space-Time.
It made the natives of the Ninja World seem like primitive people.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Sage of Six Paths from the Pure Land was transmitting power across dimensions, not even bothering to pretend anymore.
It left Black Zetsu, who had schemed for a thousand years, so angry he went silent.
Gekko Ryun strongly condemned such actions that undermined fairness in the Ninja World.
But then again…
times change.
“If I could also cheat, then forget what I said.”
“Deep Blue…
no, Equipment Slot, give me some points!”
A sci-fi-style light screen unfolded before him.
In the center was a small tripod with three legs and two handles, below which was a row of square slots—twelve in total.
In the upper right corner was an icon resembling a warehouse.
He tapped on the small tripod.
[Equipment Refining/Synthesis]
[Detected equipment materials suitable for refining.
Proceed with refining?]
He took out his personal savings, which amounted to a staggering eighty-one thousand ryo.
“Begin refining!”
The red hair on the table and thirty thousand ryo disappeared simultaneously.
[Refining in progress]
[Estimated time: 10, 9, 8…]
For ten seconds, he stared unblinkingly, nervously watching the countdown end.
Based on the refining cost of thirty thousand ryo per attempt, he speculated that there might be a success rate for refining equipment?
[Estimated time: 3, 2, 1]
His gaze was intense, his mouth dry, and his heartbeat gradually accelerated.
He had never felt ten seconds pass so slowly.
[Refining successful!]
“Success on the first try?
Great!”
Gekko Ryun’s eyes lit up, and he clenched his fist excitedly.
He opened the warehouse, where a piece of equipment had already appeared.
[Kushina Uzumaki’s Red Hair]
[Quality: Green]
[Trait One: Maiden’s Blessing]
[Effect: Slightly increases luck]
[Trait Two: Colossal Strength]
[Effect: Increases strength by 60%]
[Note: He said my red hair was beautiful.]
“Why does the equipment come with a message?”
“Luck…
there’s such a trait?”
Gekko Ryun glanced at the somewhat strange note, then turned his attention to Trait One [Maiden’s Blessing].
Based on his profound gaming wisdom, traits related to charm and luck were likely not simple.
He then looked at the second trait [Colossal Strength], whose effect was straightforward.
“Increases strength by 60%—it’s actually a precious percentage-based bonus!”
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
The value of percentage-based bonuses was something only those in the know would understand.
Whether it was taijutsu or sword techniques, strength and speed were crucial.
Currently, the top swordsman in Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, had earned a fearsome reputation with his ghostly-fast White Fang Sword Style.
Before Minato Namikake rose to prominence, Hatake Sakumo was the one whose name alone could silence crying children at night.
“Equip!”
A red-haired icon appeared in the slot below the small cauldron.
In an instant, a surge of warmth flowed through his limbs and bones, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, making him unable to suppress a soft hum.
A few minutes later, the warmth receded, and the equipment’s effect had already taken hold.
He clenched his fist abruptly, feeling the sensation of newfound strength, and a grin spread across his face.
In the small courtyard.
Standing before the wooden training dummy he had practiced with in the past, he drew the short sword from his waist and casually twirled it in a flourish.
In the next moment, the short sword collided violently with the wooden dummy, and a dull thud erupted.
A deep slash mark was left on the dummy.
One dull thud after another echoed through the courtyard.
Cracks spread like a spiderweb before the dummy exploded with a “bang,” shattering into countless pieces.
Fragments flew everywhere, and the largest piece struck the courtyard wall, embedding itself deeply into it.
The massive tremor caused several leaves to fall, but they paused eerily in mid-air.
“Clang!”
He sheathed his sword, and the leaves, now scattered into disarray, drifted slowly to the ground.
Gekko Ryun looked at his own hand, disbelief flickering in his eyes.
“Hahahahahahahaha!”
An uncontrollable burst of hearty laughter echoed through the courtyard.
“Ryun, you’ve improved again.”
He stopped laughing and turned toward the voice.
Standing outside the gate was a middle-aged man in casual home clothes—his uncle, Gekko Naoto.
The current head of the Gekko clan, the man who would later father “Shippuden.”
“Uncle, I still have a long way to go.”
“No, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it…
With your current strength, no Genin in Konoha is a match for you.”
“Really?”
He wore a strange expression, silently thinking it might not be so certain.
As everyone knew, Konoha was like a monster-spawning ground, where the strongest were often the Genin, with prodigies popping up from time to time.
Not to mention the future Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, even in Konoha now, there was a “Perpetual Genin” named Maruhoshi Kosuke.
“I’m a Tokubetsu Jonin, and I know what I’m talking about.
Your strength has far surpassed the level of a Genin.
To have such power at just nine years old…” Gekko Naoto laughed heartily.
“You have the makings of a Jonin!”
“Uncle, you really shouldn’t say things like that.” Gekko Ryun shuddered.
Gekko Naoto looked at his humble nephew, feeling even more satisfied.
As if remembering something, his eyes held a mix of pride and regret.
“With your current strength, if you could improve your speed, the most suitable style for you would be the White Fang’s sword technique.”
“Uncle, the Konoha Style Swordsmanship is already very good.”
This was the truth.
In the Ninja World, sword techniques and blade techniques were essentially the same.
Comparisons between sword styles usually depended on the level of the masters who practiced them.
In Konoha today, if Hatake Sakumo claimed to be second in sword techniques, no one dared to claim first.
Thus, the status of the White Fang Sword Style rose accordingly.
To put it bluntly, it was the White Fang who was strong, not the sword technique itself.
‘With a few more pieces of equipment, I’ll show the Ninja World what pure numerical superiority can do!’
Gekko Ryun thought with anticipation.
Gekko Naoto looked at his optimistic nephew and sighed inwardly.
Once this child became a ninja, he would understand just how terrifying Konoha’s White Fang was—an insurmountable mountain in the history of sword techniques.
Not wanting to dampen the young man’s enthusiasm, he changed the subject.
“Once you graduate from the Ninja Academy, I’ll give you the sword your father left behind.”
“What?”
Gekko Ryun was puzzled.
He didn’t recall his father from this life leaving behind any sword.
“A blade forged entirely from Chakra Metal.
He hoped you could wield this sword well and become a Jonin.”
“Chakra Metal?”
Gekko Naoto, fearing his nephew might not understand the blade’s value, explained, “It’s an extremely precious metal.
To forge this sword, the Gekko family’s savings were completely exhausted.
A blade like this is a weapon every master swordsman dreams of possessing.”
Gekko Ryun fell silent.
He naturally knew the preciousness of Chakra Metal.
He just never imagined that the Gekko family possessed such an unbelievably valuable sword, and that his uncle, a Tokubetsu Jonin, intended to leave this blade to him.
After a few seconds of shock, his mind began to calculate.
‘Entirely from Chakra Metal?’
‘I wonder if a blade like this counts as equipment material…’