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The diminutive village chief, small as a child, knelt on a soft cushion, listening attentively to Kaito's explanation.
"I agree," he said, turning to Haganezuka. "Since Master has approved Uchiha-san's plan, I have no objections. Let those swords fulfill their masters' final wishes—it may be their best fate."
"After hearing Uchiha-san's reasons, I have no objections either," Haganezuka responded.
"Then, please escort Uchiha-san to the shrine," the chief instructed.
"Yes, sir."
Haganezuka bowed slightly and stood up.
"Please follow me."
"I'll take my leave for now, then," Kaito said, nodding to the chief before following Haganezuka out of the chief's residence, heading toward the mountains behind the Swordsmith Village.
…
In a forest of ancient, towering trees:
"Haganezuka-san, does the Swordsmith Village also have a shrine?" Kaito asked curiously.
"Ah, it was originally built to enshrine the swords left behind by fallen swordsmen," Haganezuka explained. "Though it's called a shrine, there's no deity enshrined there."
"I see," Kaito nodded, suddenly turning his head toward another direction in the forest. "That's… that kid called Kotetsu, right?"
"That's him. Probably messing with that broken doll again," Haganezuka replied, seeming puzzled as to how Kaito could sense Kotetsu from so far away. He couldn't help but glance back curiously a few times.
"Let's take a look," Kaito said with a smile, changing direction.
"Huh? Uchiha-san?" Haganezuka hurried to keep up, asking, "May I ask what business you have with Kotetsu?"
"I've found a Nichirin Blade that could serve as the keystone to anchor a barrier formation," Kaito answered with interest.
Haganezuka, confused, asked, "A Nichirin Blade? One of the six blades held by Yoriichi Type Zero?"
"No, that blade is hidden inside the doll's body," Kaito said, quickening his pace.
"Uchiha-san, wait for me!" Haganezuka, intrigued by the mention of a hidden Nichirin Blade, eagerly followed.
…
"How can I fully restore you?"
Kotetsu sat on the ground, looking up at the tall doll with six arms and a damaged face.
"Even though it can still fight, its movements aren't as fluid as recorded in our family books. Its combat ability is greatly diminished."
"Ugh," he sighed, propping his face in his hands. "Why don't I have the incredible talent of my ancestors? Not only do I know nothing about doll mechanics, but I can't even master basic forging."
"You're failing at forging because you keep getting distracted by that doll!" Haganezuka's voice suddenly rang out, startling Kotetsu.
'So it really is a doll modeled after Yoriichi Tsugikuni?' Kaito observed the tall doll with keen interest.
"Wah!!!" Kotetsu spun around, furiously pointing at Haganezuka. "Uncle Haganezuka!! Scaring people like that is so rude!!!"
"Cheeky brat," Haganezuka stepped forward and rapped Kotetsu on the head. "There's an honored guest here, so behave yourself."
"Hmph! What guest? More important than the Hashira?" Kotetsu glared at Kaito behind Haganezuka. "He doesn't even look like a strong swordsman—just some noble young master. Doesn't seem like much."
"I'm indeed not a swordsman," Kaito said, smiling as he stepped forward and bent down to meet Kotetsu's eyes behind his mask. "Young man, are you struggling with maintaining this doll? How about we make a deal?"
"Hmph, let's hear it. What kind of deal?" Kotetsu tilted his head defiantly, meeting his gaze without backing down.
"I'd like to trade the detailed schematics of the doll's structure for the Nichirin Blade hidden inside its body," Kaito said earnestly. "What do you think?"
"Wha… what?" Kotetsu's eyes widened, as if he couldn't process Kaito's words.
Kaito nodded affirmatively.
"Don't talk big!" Kotetsu snapped back to his senses. "This is a treasure left by my ancestors! How could you know its structure? And there's no way a Nichirin Blade is hidden inside!"
"Then watch closely," Kaito said with a wink, swiftly moving to stand before the doll.
"What are you doing?" Kotetsu spun around, only to see Kaito place his right hand on Yoriichi Type Zero's forehead.
Kaito glanced back with another smile, and a brilliant spiritual light flared from his hand, blue radiance instantly enveloping the doll's body.
"Wha… what's that? Is that a Blood Demon Art?!" Kotetsu's eyes widened as he drew a short blade from his side, shouting at Haganezuka. "Uncle Haganezuka!! Look what you've done!! You brought a demon into the Swordsmith Village! The chief won't let you off!!!"
"Quiet!" Haganezuka's ears nearly split from the noise, and he promptly rapped Kotetsu's head again. "Look closely, you little punk—Uchiha-san isn't avoiding sunlight!"
"Huh?" Kotetsu focused and saw that, indeed, golden rays of sunlight filtered through the layered branches, falling on the white-robed youth.
"What's going on?" The boy was utterly shocked, his eyes behind the mask growing even wider.
"Watch carefully, young man," Kaito said again, extending his left hand.
In an instant, translucent blue spiritual energy poured from his left palm, forming the outline of a six-armed humanoid figure.
"It's Yoriichi Type Zero!" Kotetsu recognized it immediately.
Then, intricate mechanical parts rapidly filled the translucent figure's interior, quickly occupying the entire structure.
Within the figure's torso, a slightly damaged Nichirin Blade was clearly visible.
"This… this is!!!" Kotetsu's eyes gleamed as he rushed closer, staring in fascination at the translucent spiritual model of the doll, unwilling to even blink.
"Well, young man?" Kaito looked down at him.
Kotetsu remained engrossed, not hearing or responding.
Kaito smiled and withdrew his left hand.
The vision before Kotetsu vanished, and he immediately looked up, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Kaito.
"Sir…"
"Deal?" Kaito asked with a smile.
"Deal!" Kotetsu answered decisively.
"Good," Kaito pulled a blank scroll from his sleeve, unfurled it, and pressed his left hand onto the paper.
Detailed schematics of the doll's mechanisms from various angles instantly appeared on the scroll.
"That's amazing!" Kotetsu shouted in excitement.
"Then, here's my part of the deal, young man," Kaito said, handing the scroll to Kotetsu.
"Thank you!" Kotetsu eagerly took it, clutching it to his chest.
"Now, young man, for your part—will you retrieve it yourself, or shall I do it for you?" Kaito asked.
"Huh?" Kotetsu turned to look at Yoriichi Type Zero, dumbfounded. "Do… do we have to take it apart?"
"With the schematics, you can reassemble it, can't you?" Kaito continued to smile gently.
In that moment, to Kotetsu, his smile seemed positively devilish.