With the movements of the armed factions of various countries, the village of Konoha began preparing for war, and many high-ranking ninjas were sent out to gather intelligence.
Only the elites from the various clans were resting, making preparations for the future war.
The Hatake family's dojo was large and grand.
In the center of the dojo, two figures were exchanging blows, and in the blink of an eye, they had clashed dozens of times.
Two flashes of lightning passed, and one figure was sent flying, sliding across the ground for several meters before coming to a halt.
"Brother, you're no match for me!"
With a boastful laugh, the person who spoke was Hatake Keiji.
He was holding an eight-faced Chinese sword, which was also a high-grade chakra weapon, the blade still crackling with lightning.
Hatake Sakujo stood up, patting his backside, ignoring his younger brother's mocking.
He had gotten used to it; his younger brother hadn't won a match since he was ten years old, and even as the older brother, Sakujo didn't have much pride in martial arts.
His chakra emitted a white light again, and his figure flashed. In an instant, he appeared right before Keiji, the short blade aimed directly at his throat.
Keiji's face grew serious as he raised his sword to block.
After Sakujo's attack missed, he quickly retreated, standing a few meters away from Keiji.
The Hatake family emphasized a one-hit kill style of fighting. From their samurai origins to their transition into ninja techniques, weapons were their most trusted companions.
"A streak of lightning."
Keiji bent his left leg slightly, placing his eight-faced Chinese sword at his waist, chakra flickering in his feet, making a "crackle-crackle" sound.
He pushed with his right leg, and with an immense force, he disappeared without a trace, blocking Sakujo's path in the next moment.
This technique had been seen many times before, but Sakujo was still amazed. Combining lightning chakra with a sword strike was relatively simple.
However, the speed and power Keiji had achieved were nearly unstoppable; the only way to overcome martial arts was through speed.
It was too late to dodge; Sakujo could only raise his chakra dagger to block the strike, unsure how much longer his ancestral dagger would hold up.
A crisp sound echoed as the dagger broke. In that instant, Keiji's eight-faced sword stopped at his throat, and Sakujo could already feel the cold, sharp blade.
"Brother, don't blame me."
"Go find your old friend and fight him. We don't need this little money."
The voice still echoed in the dojo, but Keiji had already reached the door, feeling guilty for what he'd done, escaping faster than a rabbit.
"This is the ancestral sword!"
"Keiji, you little brat, come back here!"
Sakujo snapped out of his shock, tossing the broken blade aside, standing helplessly and angrily as Keiji had vanished.
Keiji, not knowing where to go, kicked an innocent pebble as he walked, stumbling his way to the Kiichi Weapons Workshop.
As he entered the shop, the attendants bowed and greeted him, calling him "Second Young Master."
Keiji nodded; by now, he had gotten used to this identity.
His father had died in the mission, and his mother passed away during childbirth, leaving only him and his brother, who was obsessed with missionary work. Fortunately, the family's business was large enough, or the two children would have starved.
To improve the family's financial situation and for a better life, Keiji used modern knowledge to improve the forging furnace.
This allowed the blacksmiths to create higher-quality materials, and they built Konoha's largest weapon workshop.
Today, the Hatake family was one of the wealthiest clans in Konoha.
Now, on the eve of war, business was booming.
Entering the forge, a wave of heat hit him, causing him to furrow his brow.
A burly man in his forties, shirtless, walked over, greeting him with a smile: "Second Young Master, what brings you here today?"
This was the blacksmith, Old Iron, who had been "invited" by the Iron Country with high prices and force.
Due to the good forging conditions and excellent salary, he was happy to serve the Hatake family.
"I beat White Fang."
"Go give my brother a good thrashing."
Keiji said calmly.
Old Iron's mouth dropped open in shock, almost large enough to fit an egg. He knew how much Keiji cherished this ancestral dagger and had never seen it broken.
"Stop standing there. Use the best materials. It won't be worse than my sword."
"Otherwise, next time I'll break it for real. What a hassle."
Keiji didn't pity his brother; he simply felt the quality of weapons affected their matches.
"Don't worry about my craftsmanship. I'll do my best. After all, making a sword that rivals your eight-faced Chinese sword is no easy task."
When talking about his profession, Old Iron seemed like a different person, full of energy and spirit.
"It's fine, it's not useless."
"Alright, I don't have anything else to do. You can get back to work."
Keiji waved his hand, signaling for his friend to leave. He then relaxed and leisurely left the workshop.
In a good mood, Keiji looked at the guests around him, but then realized they weren't really guests; they were just piles of money.
Since his brother was still angry, he decided to go find Tsunade.
Keiji walked towards the Senju Clan's residence. The Senju Clan had integrated with the common people, and Tsunade still lived in her house in Konoha.
He remembered she had an unfortunate younger brother, Senju Shomoku, a poor child who would sacrifice himself on the battlefield in the upcoming Second Great Ninja War.
Thinking of this, Keiji felt that he had to protect his brother-in-law's life.
This was his first time visiting the Senju Clan's estate, and as expected, it was grand, the gates imposing.
After knocking, Keiji stood at the door, quietly waiting.
After a while, the door opened, and an old woman appeared in front of him.
"What do you want with the Senju Clan?"
The old woman seemed to be just a servant, but her tone was not humble at all. In front of the prime minister, Keiji wasn't concerned with her rank as a seventh-grade official.
"I'm Hatake Keiji, here to see Tsunade. Please tell her."
Keiji maintained his usual politeness and a warm smile.
"Ah, it's Lord Keiji. Please come in, Lady Tsunade has given instructions."
Keiji was surprised; he hadn't expected Tsunade to have informed her family.
Following the old woman, she didn't take him inside but instead led him to the training grounds.
Tsunade was teaching her younger brother martial arts.
Seeing Keiji arrive, he smiled brightly and raised his hand to block Shomoku's attack.
"You can practice on your own for now. Someone will come looking for me."
Tsunade put down Shomoku's legs and walked towards Keiji.
"I didn't expect you to visit me today."
"I was planning to visit the Hatake family at a later time."
Tsunade wasn't wearing her usual battle outfit, the memory of her gambling clothes now replaced with casual attire, perfectly showcasing her curvaceous figure.
Keiji was entranced, his mind swirling with thoughts of neutrons, electrons, and—
"Ah, I came here to avoid disaster, you see. I didn't even have time to change my clothes."
Keiji, carrying his eight-faced Chinese sword, was dressed in full battle gear, a stark contrast to Tsunade's relaxed appearance.
"How's that?"
Tsunade's curiosity was piqued, wondering what disaster he was hiding from.
Keiji sighed and told her about breaking the ancestral sword, which made his brother furious.
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh. She never expected that Hatake Sakujo's famous weapon would be damaged by his younger brother.
"I can't just hide here. I don't know if you have time to have a drink with me."
Keiji's gaze was intense as he looked at Tsunade.
"Let's leave later, we can have lunch and drink together."
Tsunade hadn't had a drink yet this morning and invited Keiji to have lunch together.
"Then I won't be polite."
"Since you're free, how about I give Shomoku some guidance?"
Keiji quickly assessed Shomoku's strength. At eleven or twelve, he was barely at the Genin level.
Keiji had to admit that this kid was wasting his talent. Was he the grandson of a legendary master?
Tsunade was a complete doting sister, showing no fierce intent during training.
Clearly, she hadn't heard the famous saying, "Sweat more in training, bleed less in battle."
"This is Shomoku's honor."
Tsunade certainly didn't reject the offer. If Keiji could break his older brother's sword, his strength was definitely not as weak as the rumors suggested.
Besides, she knew her own shortcomings, and having someone guide her was always a good thing.