"Every hammer strike is a ripple through time — and time always listens."
[Scene: Taiki's Forge by the River – Dawn]
Morning mist curled lazily around the forge as Taiki worked.For three days, he'd labored in silence, testing the limits of his newfound Origin Flame Resonance.
Every metal he touched now hummed differently —iron sang of earth and burden, steel whispered of discipline, and chakra-conductive alloys pulsed faintly with… memory.
He raised a small dagger from the coals. Its surface rippled faintly with blue lines — runes that shimmered before fading, as if breathing.
[Soulforge Reading:]Runic Imprint Detected – "World Echo Fragment"Energy Pattern: Unknown Realm Signature.
Taiki frowned. "So the forges really are connected… But why me?"
He examined the dagger — its edge sharp, yet soft in its presence. He could feel something inside it watching him, curious but silent.
He sighed. "If I keep staring at you like this, I'll start naming you."
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[New Sub-Quest: Name a Forged Creation – Reward: Enhanced Sentience Transfer Rate.]
He chuckled. "So even the System's encouraging sentimentality now? Fine…"
He looked toward the river, its reflection shimmering. "You're made of echoes, so… Nami will do. The Wave that Listens."
The dagger glowed faintly, almost like it understood.
[Scene: A Sudden Visitor]
The crack of a twig.Taiki's hammer hand stopped mid-swing.
From the treeline stepped a figure — a woman in worn battle garb, her flak jacket half torn, the insignia of Iwagakure still visible on her shoulder. Her amber eyes glinted with suspicion and exhaustion.
"Blacksmith," she said evenly. "You've been making a lot of noise. The kind that draws attention."
Taiki tilted his head. "And you are?"
"Katsura Rei. Tokubetsu Jōnin, Iwa's recon corps… or what's left of it."Her voice cracked slightly. "Our supply lines are gone. Our weapons — all melted from overuse. I came following rumors."
Taiki set down his hammer, dusting his hands off. "Rumors?"
She nodded. "They say there's a man who forges blades that… heal. That whisper. That glow with intent."She stared him down. "You're him, aren't you?"
Taiki didn't answer immediately. He looked past her — saw the faint tremor in her stance, the dried blood beneath her armor.
"Bring your weapons," he said at last. "If they can still remember war, they can remember purpose."
[Scene: Repair Under Fire]
As Taiki worked, Rei watched — cautious but fascinated.Each strike of his hammer released a small burst of chakra, glowing symbols briefly floating in the air before sinking into the weapon.
"Those markings…" Rei whispered. "That's not any sealing script I've seen."
"It's not," Taiki replied simply. "It's something older. Something that doesn't seal… it listens."
"Listens?"
"To what the steel wants to be."
Rei frowned. "Steel doesn't want anything."
Taiki smiled faintly. "Then you've never truly heard it."
The forge flared — a sudden blue flash burst outward, forcing Rei to shield her eyes.When the light dimmed, the once-shattered blade lay on the anvil — seamless, whole again, its surface faintly etched with luminous patterns like rippling sand.
Taiki exhaled. "Done."
Rei reached for it cautiously. The moment her fingers brushed the hilt — she gasped.A wave of warmth surged through her — not physical heat, but resolve.Her chakra flared, steady and strong again.
"This blade…" she whispered. "It feels alive."
"It remembers what you fought for," Taiki said quietly. "That's enough."
[System Notification:]Quest Completed: Repair a Weapon with Emotional Residue.Reward: Skill — "Echo Bind" (Allows resonance tracking between linked weapons).
[Scene: The Warning]
Rei stared into the fire, her usual Iwa discipline momentarily gone. "You could change everything, you know that? If word of this spreads, every village will hunt you. Konoha, Iwa, Suna — they'd all want your craft."
Taiki shrugged. "Then they'll come. I've faced war before. I won't forge for it again."
Her eyes softened. "You're not like any shinobi I've met."
"I'm not one," he replied. "I'm just the man who sharpens their mistakes."
Silence. Only the crackle of flame.
Rei stood, sheathing her renewed sword. "If you ever head north, find me. I'll make sure you're not hunted."
As she turned to leave, Taiki spoke again — almost to himself.
"Rei of Iwa… the Wave and the Flame remember you."
Rei looked back — but the blacksmith was already lost in his work, eyes fixed on the dancing light of his forge.
[Scene: Distant Shadows]
Far from the river, deep beneath the mountains of the Land of Iron, a dark chamber stirred.An ancient man sat cross-legged before a fractured blade — one half of a Kusanagi prototype.
The fragment pulsed faintly — and for the first time in centuries, it resonated.
"So… another flame has awakened."
His lips curled into a smile. "It seems the heir to the True Flame walks this era.Let's see what kind of world he intends to forge."
End of Chapter 7 – Echoes of the Flame (Part I)