Arc I Chapter 5

I

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Arc I Chapter 5

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Fumes of molten steel permeated the air. Smoke and ash were everywhere as the furnaces burned day and night without respite. The forges never ceased their work as Konoha was always hungry for more steel, for more iron, for more weapons. It was wonderful. It was the comforting smell of industry in the morning, a beautiful sight.

Asami bounced out of joy and explored the foundry area. She visited the workshops, the forges, and she kept asking questions, much to the annoyance of the workers. After all, she was a curious child and curious children asked many annoying questions.    

But it didn't matter. They couldn't do anything. Asami had permission to be here. She was allowed to wander the place as much as her heart desired because the foundry belonged to her family.

As it turned out, she wasn't born into a poor family. Quite the contrary. The name Minami carried weight within Konoha. Her family amassed wealth that was only rivaled by the most prestigious clans.

She was the heiress to not only a vast fortune, but also a large empire that was built by her grandfather and his father. Since the founding of the village by the First Hokage, her family was Konoha's principal steel manufacturer.

They produced the steel Konoha needed to grow. It was their steel Konoha was built upon. It was their steels Konoha's wars were fought with. Kunai, shuriken, swords, armour, it was her family who armed Konoha's shinobi since the First Great War.

Even then, her family were still civilians. Despite being the richest girl in all of Konoha, she was only a civilian, and not part of a clan. She was not a ninja.

The ruling clans might say otherwise, but civilians and ninja were not treated the same. An ever-present barrier separated Konoha's large civilian class from the powerful ninja clans.

It was the major clans that held all political power within the village and made the decisions. The influential ninja clans and their army of bootlickers controlled everything. They controlled the administration, the military, the police, the economy, only too keen on keeping their power.

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Asami tilted her head. “Shigemori, where are we going?“

“Where we were supposed to go before you decided to make a little detour and bother my men. It seems you have a vast interest in metallurgy and metalworking, Asami. That was rather unexpected.“

“Kurano only told me that you were looking for a sword, and that I should accompany you.“ Shigemori smiled.

“Did she?“ Asami raised an eyebrow. Okaa-san was protective as usual, but Asami didn't expect otherwise.

Shigemori was a simple man. He worked for her grandfather for a long time, managing the production of this branch.  

He was her guide, and he was responsible for watching over her. A foundry was after all a dangerous place for a child, and okaa-san didn't want that something happened to her.

They arrived and entered a dimly lit workshop. Two people were present, a man and a boy, most likely his apprentice. The older man evaluated her. His look was stern, cautious.

The boy, on the other hand, was easy to read like an open book. He stared at her, confused, puzzled.

His reaction didn't surprise Asami. It wasn't the first time this type of stare. She was used to them as she got them frequently enough.

She was just a child, an innocent little girl, but the people around her felt that she was ... different. The servants said so, her nursemaid Samako said so, even okaa-san said so.  They all said she was a peculiar child, different from others. And they were right, she was different. Not that they knew why.

Her behaviour, her mannerism, her eerie eyes made others feel ... uncomfortable, uneasy. Asami knew that. Her presence ... frightened people. It happened now. It happened in the past with the children in her neighbourhood.

Okaa-san let her play with them, to find some playmates, to make some friends. It didn't work out, even though she tried her best to be nice and friendly.  

She played with them, but with time they all disappeared. Hidetor, Katzumi, Atasuke, Ayumi, Misaki didn't come anymore to see her. They didn't even say goodbye, or why. They just left. All because they were scared of her. Because she frightened them. It hurt slightly.  

Asami tilted her head, directing her irritation at the still staring boy. She had given him enough time. “My friend, I don't like being stared at.“

The boy diverted his eyes. He remained silent. “ ...“

Shigemori broke the ice and ended the heavy silence. He cleared his throat. “Ahem, Asami, may I introduce to Mitsuzuka. He is our best swordsmith, a master of his craft. I have no doubt you will find here what you need.“

Asami furrowed an eyebrow. “We will see, Shigemori, we will see.“

Asami strode forward. Her gaze lingered on a table with a number of swords and metal bars. "What do we have here?"

Mitsuzuka wore an insincere smile.  "This is a collection of my finest products. After all, I am not considered without reason one of Konoha's best swordsmiths, albeit I doubt my services are needed.“

“Why do you need a sword? If you want a toy, you should get some dolls instead, and not a sword."

Asami clenched her fist, suppressing her anger. Did Mitsuzuka really think she wouldn't notice? She wasn't blind. And she had dealt with types like him before.

Mitsuzuka looked down on her, and he didn't even bother to hide his disdain. In his eyes, she was a little girl, a little rich Ojou-san that had never left her comfortable fortress. He underestimated her because of her appearance and her origin. He didn't take her seriously, a mistake. She would make Mitsuzuka pay.

Asami grinned with evil intent, and Mitsuzuka stiffened. Oh my, was that fear she detected? Her inner sadist was pleased.

Asami giggled amused. "Dolls? Yes, Mitsuzuska, I already have a little collection. Okaa-san gifted me them, and they are quite cute."

“But I am not here for more dolls. I am here for a sword, and I won't leave without one. So any recommendations?“

Mitsuzuka bit his lips. “Who do you think you are ...“

Asami grabbed one of the swords on the table. They were lying in front of her, just waiting for her.

The grip was as needed. The sword was well-balanced. The blade didn't show any sign of impurities. The quality of the steel, however, left to be desired. The durability and hardness were adequate. The elasticity satisfactory.

Asami stared at the blade. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. And good enough met  her requirements for the time being. She was still too young, too weak to wield a sword properly anyway.

Shigemori and Mitsuzuka held their breath. Their eyes went wide and they began to sweat. They didn't fear her, but they feared the wrath of an extremely overprotective okaa-san. A legitimate fear. If she hurt herself under their supervision, their heads would roll, and not only figuratively.

Asami practised a few swings and that was the moment Shigemori decided to intervene.  He intervened before anything bad happened. Because it was them who were responsible for her well-being and an injured Ojou-san would be a very troublesome Ojou-san. They would need to explain themselves.

Shigemori didn't get far. Asami tightened her grip and sliced a nearby pillar in half. Her strike was fast, extremly fast. Imbued with chakra, her sword went through hardened steel like nothing.

The pillar fell apart and the upper half hit the ground. Mitsuzuka and Shigemori froze.

Heavy silence reigned. Nobody uttered even a single word. Now Mitsuzuka didn't laugh anymore, didn't he? It was her who laughed last.

Asami grinned. “Mitsuzuka, you seem to be awfully quiet. Why that? Where did all your enthusiasm go? Didn't you want to say something? As far as I remember, it was something about dolls and how little girl aren't supposed to play with swords.“

“Do you still think so, Mitsuzuka?  Or have you changed your opinion? I am curious.“ Asami tilted her head.

Mitsuzuka inspected the pillar. A diagonal cut right through the middle section. Her cut was clean, with a degree of perfection he hadn't thought possible in this day and age. He had seen many swordsmen in recent years.

He all found them lacking in skill and dedication. They were all a disappointment, wasting his time and his blades alike. At least, they paid well.

Mitsuzuka eyed Asami carefully. But this girl was different. “I stand by my words, swords are no toys and nothing for children, but I think I can make an exception in your case.“

Asami smiled. “Excellent, excellent. See, was this so difficult. Mitsuzuka?“

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After a long day, it was time for Asami to return home. Okaa-san probably already worried about her, and a worried okaa-san wasn't good. The diligent nursemaid Samako was, she waited outside the foundry. She picked her up, taking her by her tiny hand.

Samako beamed. ”And how was it? I hope you had some fun!”

A happy Asami nodded. ” Yes, I had.” Terrorising other people was always fun.

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