"…This is the place."
Bulma landed the helicopter on a clearing in front of the forge.
Uchiha Hikari hopped out of the cabin door first, then turned back to help Bulma and Kikyo carefully descend the steps.
It was obvious.
Totosai wasn't thrilled that she hadn't shown up on time to pick up the blade.
But…
Beauty is justice.
When Hikari, looking like a thirteen-year-old stunner, offered a sincere apology for her tardiness, and Bulma chimed in with her soft, persuasive tone, Totosai's grumpiness melted away. He waved them to the backyard and pulled back a white cloth covering the weapon.
"Here it is."
What caught their eyes was a four-foot-long, slender straight sword.
From hilt to guard to blade, it gleamed silver-gray.
The upper half of the blade was etched with two coiling dragon patterns, twining around the steel like twin dragons guarding a pillar. A thin blood groove ran between them, tracing a perfectly straight line.
Honestly, the sword's design was more refined than Hikari had expected.
Totosai didn't seem to care much about aesthetics—take Inuyasha's Tessaiga from Inuyasha (a Naruto-adjacent anime in spirit). It was kind of ugly at first, only getting cooler later with forms like Red Tessaiga or Meido Tessaiga.
"So, what's special about this blade, old man?" Hikari asked, eyes sparkling with anticipation as she looked at Totosai.
The Dragonbone Spirit was a great demon that once fought Inuyasha's father to a mutual defeat. Even sealed for centuries and weakened, a blade forged from its remains should have unique properties, like Tessaiga's transformative powers.
"This sword was crafted from the Dragonbone Spirit's spine and teeth, tempered with its heart's blood to seal its demonic energy within," Totosai explained, jutting his chin proudly. "It looks ordinary, but awaken it, and it'll show its true edge. Go on, pick it up. First time might sting a bit."
"?"
Sting a bit? What's that supposed to mean? Hikari muttered internally but stepped forward and gripped the hilt.
"Hiss…"
The moment her palm touched the hilt, tiny bone spikes pricked her skin. A stream of crimson blood flowed out, trickling along the dragon patterns and into the blood groove.
A faint red glow flickered to life.
It was like a signal.
The next moment, Hikari felt the sword tremble slightly, as if a long-dead heart had started beating again.
Then…
It came alive!
A dazzling red light erupted.
In mere seconds, the four-foot blade began to grow, stretching and expanding visibly. From a slender straight sword, it transformed into a massive greatsword over two meters long and nearly twenty centimeters wide! Even the hilt morphed, forming a dragon's claw that enveloped Hikari's hand!
During this process, a surge of demonic energy radiated from the blade, cloaking it in a dark red aura. An overwhelming pressure burst forth, blanketing the surrounding dozens of meters.
"This is…" Hikari frowned slightly, glancing at Totosai.
Knowing the old man's character, he wouldn't sabotage a blade he'd agreed to forge.
But…
For a split second, she could've sworn the sword in her hand had morphed into a ferocious dragon, like a miniature Dragonbone Spirit.
"That's its nature," Totosai said smugly. "Think of it as a living blade—or the Dragonbone Spirit sealed into sword form. With spiritual energy, its strength can withstand the Wind Scar. No matter the damage, it regenerates quickly…
It can even condense powerful blade energy, like firing demonic projectiles."
As Totosai spoke, Hikari took a deep breath, gripping the sword with both hands and swinging it casually.
The sight was a bit odd.
At barely five-foot-two, Hikari was dwarfed by the blade's massive length. But then, a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy shot from the blade, tearing through the ground and slicing into a grove dozens of meters away!
Swish!!
Trees as thick as several people fell, and massive boulders shattered into fragments. A half-moon-shaped vacuum zone, dozens of meters long, formed in the air, pulverizing everything in its path!
In theory, Hikari's own Hundred-Eight Stage: Heavy Cannon Slash—a technique inspired by Naruto's chakra-enhanced taijutsu—could achieve even greater destruction.
But…
She hadn't used chakra or ki, only channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into the blade as Totosai suggested.
And that crescent-shaped slash reminded her of something specific:
"…Crescent Moon Rush?"
"Hm?" Totosai turned, pondering. "Is that what you're calling the move? Crescent Moon Rush… sounds pretty fitting."
"But this blade's power goes beyond that," he continued. "Its form and strength depend on the amount and quality of spiritual energy you pour in. More energy, more power. You can also train to adjust the size, shape, density, and number of sword waves. Its potential might rival Tessaiga's, but how much you unlock depends on you."
"Got it…" Hikari slowly withdrew her spiritual energy, and the Dragonbone Blade reverted to its four-foot straight sword form. The bone spikes at the hilt softened, feeling solid yet gentle.
The earlier blood-drawing prick was likely a one-time bonding ritual.
All in all…
Hikari was thrilled.
"No wonder you're the master, Totosai. This is incredible work. Thanks."
Next, Totosai brought out a dozen pieces of armor crafted from dragon scales.
These were simpler, with just two traits: "durability" and "regeneration." Totosai noted they had some shape-shifting ability, so they'd still fit unless her body changed drastically.
Well…
There was a small issue.
At nearly five-foot-two, Hikari's height was likely set as a girl, but her bust size? That was another story. She was still at the "budding lotus" stage, but in a year or two, hitting a B or C cup wasn't out of the question…
No need to worry about that now, though.
Hikari gave the armor a quick once-over, deemed the sizes fine, and handed Totosai the half-box of jewels they'd agreed on.
Then, with Bulma and the others, she found a nearby spot, tossed out a Capsule Corp house, and went inside to try on the gear.