Naruto: Blacksmith

After the battle, Kuro calmly returned to the tree.

Sitting down, he opened his book and immersed himself in reading as if nothing had happened.

Iruka watched him for a moment but said nothing.

Although he was only a Chūnin, his experience allowed him to sense certain things.

Kuro's reaction, strength, and skills in the previous fight were far beyond the level of a first-year student.

At that moment, Iruka realized something important:

Kuro wasn't skipping practice out of laziness.

The academy's basic lessons simply weren't a challenge for him. Instead of wasting time, he used them for other purposes.

Order and method—nothing was improvised.

Iruka sighed, picked up the roster, and continued organizing pair battles.

However, the students had lost interest in the subsequent matches.

Everyone was still discussing the fight between Sasuke and Kuro.

To them, Kuro had always been "the nerd," someone who preferred books over training.

He had never stood out nor failed, simply blending into the background. Most assumed he was weak and could be easily beaten by anyone in the class.

But now…

Sasuke, an Uchiha with outstanding performance, known for outperforming his classmates during practice, had been defeated with ease.

The contrast between Kuro's previous image as a "nerd" and what they had just witnessed was too stark.

While Naruto, Ino, and other friends were happy for Kuro, they were also stunned. None of them had expected Kuro to actually win.

Only Shikamaru seemed unfazed, as if he had anticipated it.

From Kuro's words and subtle gestures, Shikamaru had long suspected his strength.

Though I didn't think he was this strong, defeating Sasuke was within expectations.

Meanwhile, Kuro remained oblivious to everyone else's reactions.

He was once again absorbed in his book.

"The Land of Earth is filled with mountains and rocks. Most formations are fragile, making them natural traps. When undertaking missions there, always pay attention to ground contact."

"In the deep desert of the Land of Wind, sandstorms are frequent. It's vital to predict the weather before traveling."

"The Land of Rivers…"

It was a geography book about the various countries on the continent, and Kuro was utterly fascinated by its content.

When he finally looked up, the school bell had already rung.

"All done!" he said, standing up, stretching his arms, and packing his book.

After saying goodbye to his friends at the school gate, he decided not to visit the training ground that day. Instead, he headed straight home.

---

At home, he carefully locked the door and drew out a strand of hair he had guarded closely. That's when the voice he had been waiting for echoed.

[Special materials detected: "Incomplete Immortal Hair" - "Residual Power of Indra."

Using these materials, you can forge the special accessory:

"Degraded Fairy Crystal."

Do you wish to proceed with the forging?]

Wait...

A Degraded Fairy Crystal?

Kuro frowned, clearly surprised.

Why isn't it a complete crystal like the one I got from Naruto?

The strand of hair came from Sasuke, plucked during their recent battle. In theory, it should have allowed him to forge a complete crystal, just like Naruto's.

Kuro rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of it.

!

Wait

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

In the battle between Indra and Ashura, the Sage of Six Paths had bestowed his power upon Ashura, granting him the powers of the Six Paths, but not Indra.

Could that be the reason?

He wasn't entirely sure, but it was the only logical explanation he could think of at the moment.

Looks like I'll have to take this step by step and see what happens.

Forge

He murmured silently, and a dark reddish-purple crystal the size of a thumb appeared in his hand.

[Special item "Degraded Fairy Crystal" detected. (Status: Upgradeable)

Effect: Upon consuming this crystal, the user's blood will transform, awakening the "Degraded Eyes of Saṃsāra."

Note: If the user possesses the power of the Six Paths, the eyes will evolve into the complete "Eyes of Saṃsāra" over an extended period.]

"Just as expected...."

Kuro nodded to himself.

In the anime, Indra never possessed the Rinnegan. Sasuke awakened it only because the Sage of Six Paths granted him half of his power.

Now, without the power of the Six Paths, neither Sasuke nor Indra could produce a crystal capable of awakening the complete Rinnegan.

The system quickly confirmed his theory.

[The Host has consumed the "Fairy Crystal" and acquired a perfect body containing the power of the Six Paths.

Effect: Upon consuming the "Degraded Fairy Crystal," the Host's eyes will begin evolving independently, slowly advancing toward the complete "Eyes of Saṃsāra."]

[The Host possesses a significant quantity of "Degraded Fairy Crystals." These can be enhanced by fusing with other "Degraded Fairy Crystals," significantly reducing the time needed for the evolution of the Eyes of Saṃsāra.]

"So, it's possible…"

He recalled how Madara had bitten Hashirama's flesh to obtain Ashura's Chakra, dedicating decades to guiding that power to evolve his eyes into the Rinnegan.

His situation was similar, but he had a significant advantage: he already possessed the power of the Six Paths. He didn't need to guide the Chakra, drastically shortening the evolution time.

However, he still didn't know exactly how long it would take.

Without hesitation, he took out the "Degraded Fairy Crystal" from Itachi and fused it.

The system didn't show changes in the information, but the resulting crystal shone more intensely.

One by one, Kuro brought out all the Uchiha crystals he had forged and fused them.

The final crystal took on a deep purple hue, much darker and more powerful, radiating an energy that seemed irresistibly attractive.

"If this is to awaken the Mangekyō, it must be the strongest."

With a calm smile, he swallowed it in one gulp.

The crystal slid down his throat, transforming into a reddish-purple energy that coursed through his body.

As the energy flowed, tiny particles of purple light traveled to his brain, filling him with a sense of absolute clarity.

The process lasted ten minutes.

When it was over, Kuro removed his contact lenses and glasses, looking at his reflection.

His dark eyes had transformed into Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan from the future.

But the world...

The world before his eyes had completely changed.

Everything was clearer, every detail sharper. He could see dust particles, even microbes that were previously invisible.

"Is this Sasuke's Mangekyō?"

He looked at his hands, feeling the power in his eyes.

Amaterasu, Flame Control, Tsukuyomi, Susanoo…

The ocular power perfectly combined Sasuke's abilities with Itachi's, surpassing even the "Red Lens," where he had fused Itachi and Shisui's powers.

Moreover, the power continued to grow, slowly but steadily. Though the change was subtle, it was lasting.

With that certainty, Kuro smiled.

In about eight years, I could experience a qualitative change and evolve into the Rinnegan.

Perfect Sage Body. Eternal Mangekyō.

Even without training, his body and power would continue to grow over time.

Kakashi became a Jōnin at thirteen. Itachi was named an Anbu Captain at that age. If things continue like this, I can't imagine what I'll achieve by then.

He stored the contact lenses in the system space and put his "Study Glasses" back on.

His red eyes returned to their normal tone.

Facing the mirror, he smiled confidently.

"Let's grow slowly."

---

The Next Day.

The sun shone brightly in the sky.

Kuro arrived at school early. After briefly greeting some close friends, he sat down and opened a book, diving into his reading.

The chatter and conversations of his classmates faded into the background.

For him, the outside world was of no concern.

________

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