Naruto: Blacksmith

He extended his hand and touched the blood on Shisui's cheek.

[Forging material detected: "Incomplete Immortal Blood." These materials allow the creation of two special items: "Broken Fairy Crystal" and "Red Lenses." Do you wish to proceed with forging?]

Two!?

Kuro's mouth opened in surprise.

It was the first time he had found a material that could forge two objects.

Or was it?

Perhaps this wasn't the first time it had happened, but the system hadn't activated before.

Materials like Kurama's hair, the Hokage Mountain rocks, and Rock Lee's blood, based on their own characteristics, should only be capable of forging one type of equipment.

But Naruto's blood and Choza's hair…

Naruto's blood contained traces of the Fourth Hokage's and Kushina's chakra, while Choza's hair had the ability to convert fat into chakra.

So why had the system only given him one item in those cases?

He reflected for a moment, but in the end, he could only conclude that it was due to the lack of sufficient material samples.

Naruto's blood had been barely a drop, and Choza's hair was as long as a finger.

Although this might not necessarily be the case, Kuro couldn't think of any other explanation.

Next time he saw Naruto, he'd steal a bit more blood.

Having figured out the key, he focused on the system's message and chose "yes."

The next second, a thumb-sized red crystal emitting a faint fluorescent glow and a pair of transparent contact lenses appeared in his hands.

[Special Item: "Broken Fairy Crystal" detected. (Status: Upgradable)

Effect: By consuming this crystal, the user's brain undergoes a transformation, granting "Degraded Saṃsāra Eyes."]

[Special Item: "Red Lenses" detected. (Status: Upgradable)

Effect: These lenses are a degraded version of the Saṃsāra Eyes. They allow the user to access and utilize Sharingan abilities.]

Kuro observed the two items in silence.

The Fairy Crystal and the Broken Fairy Crystal were essentially the same. One transformed the body into a perfect Sage Body, while the other altered the brain, turning the eyes into degraded Saṃsāra Eyes, essentially the Sharingan.

It seemed to lack Indra's power to complete it.

As for the Red Lenses,

They were essentially a portable Sharingan with no side effects.

And yes, they contained Shisui's Sharingan.

As for the crystal…

He decided not to use it.

According to his calculations, if he consumed the crystal, he would gain Uchiha blood, the Sharingan directly, and, over time, could evolve it to the level of the Mangekyō Sharingan or even Shisui's Mangekyō.

However, he had no plans to use it.

Not only because of the existence of the Red Lenses, but because he was already planning to steal Sasuke's blood to forge a complete Fairy Crystal.

Once obtained, it would grant him perfect Saṃsāra Eyes, which were obviously superior to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Although Kotoamatsukami was an incredibly powerful ability and his physique could counter the Mangekyō's side effects, there was one major issue.

Itachi had once mentioned that ocular techniques weaken significantly when confronted with more advanced techniques and, in some cases, lose their effect entirely.

The Mangekyō Sharingan was an impressive trap, but the Rinnegan was even more so.

That's why Kuro didn't want to risk using the Broken Fairy Crystal.

He didn't know if his body might react in conflict with the complete Fairy Crystal he planned to create with Sasuke's blood. As long as that possibility existed, he preferred to play it safe.

Besides, he had the Red Lenses.

These lenses granted him all of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities without side effects. As long as he wore them and supplied chakra, he could use them at will.

Why take the risk?

Moreover, he could save the crystal to give it to a subordinate or someone important who deserved it in the future.

With that decision made, he stored the crystal in the system's space and placed the Red Lenses in his eyes to test them.

"…"

He slowly closed his eyes, calming his mind as he directed chakra into them.

!!

Suddenly, he opened them, and his dark pupils transformed into an intense red, with three black tomoe spinning within.

It was as if he were wearing cosmetic lenses, but the visual effect was identical to the Sharingan.

Although his physical eyes remained the same, the Red Lenses gave them the exact appearance of Uchiha eyes.

But most importantly, they now possessed the Sharingan's abilities.

"So this is the visual effect of the Sharingan…" he murmured, lifting his hands in front of his eyes.

Immediately, he noticed his vision had sharpened incredibly.

Every tiny line on his hands was now clearly visible, and he could distinguish even the faintest marks on the ground, like the trails of passing ants.

"Kuaa!"

An eagle cried out from the sky, flying swiftly through the clouds.

With his normal vision, Kuro would have barely been able to see its shadow as it passed. But now, he could clearly see the bird's trajectory, even the details of the feathers fluttering on its wings.

This…

"AMAZING!"

"Let's try the Mangekyō now!"

The excitement he felt at that moment was indescribable. He couldn't contain himself any longer and immediately funneled more chakra into his eyes, trying to force the transformation into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Swish!

But just as he was about to succeed, a sharp sound came from the nearby forest.

Something was moving at high speed…

Kuro reacted instinctively, withdrawing chakra from his eyes. The next second, four figures dressed in black emerged from the trees, surrounding him.

"ANBU!?"

Looking at the intruders, Kuro exclaimed.

The four wore animal masks and black robes that completely covered their bodies, making any attempt to identify their features impossible.

However, it wasn't their appearance that made him shiver.

An intense killing intent emanated from them, enveloping the area in a suffocating chill that made his body tense automatically.

He adopted a defensive stance, ready to counterattack if necessary.

But when he caught sight of Shisui's corpse out of the corner of his eye, everything suddenly clicked.

Of course… they were here for him.

He quickly raised both hands, trying to explain. "I have nothing to do with this! I was training here and saw the body floating down the river. I pulled it out, but I don't know anything else. I've been practicing in this spot for months; anyone in the village can confirm that."

"This kid isn't lying. I've seen him training here several times. He always seems focused on his practice," one of the ANBU said in a deep voice.

Then, he turned to the man wearing the civet mask, their captain.

"Captain, how should we proceed?"

The captain observed the scene for a moment before responding.

"This must not come to light. No one must know, especially the villagers."

Turning to Kuro, he continued coldly, "I'm sorry, kid. Perhaps one day you might have become a pillar of the village with such effort, but for the sake of Konoha, we must sacrifice you here."

"Move!"

The order fell like a death sentence.

The ANBU behind Kuro drew his longsword in one swift motion and, with a flash step, appeared before him, aiming the blade at his neck.

The captain, foreseeing the end, averted his gaze. He didn't want to witness the murder of an innocent villager.

As for Shisui's body, his men would take care of it.

However, the unexpected happened.

Boom!

The sound of impact resonated, accompanied by the noise of something shattering, like glass.

A piercing scream echoed and it didn't come from the boy.

The ANBU captain turned sharply, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

The child he had assumed defenseless was now enveloped in golden chakra, wrapping around him like armor.

His eyes, which had been dark moments ago, now glowed a vivid blood-red, with a black shuriken-like pattern spinning at the center of each pupil.

But what shocked the captain the most wasn't his eyes it was the boy's expression.

All traces of panic or fear had vanished. What remained was pure indifference and a cold, almost inhuman gaze.

"Why…?"

"WHY ARE YOU FORCING ME!?"