Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

Hatake Sakumo was initially reluctant to teach a foreigner the swordsmanship of the Hatake family. If the person in question were his disciple, he might have accepted it begrudgingly. However, this was Uchiha Chiba—a mere acquaintance whom he had only met twice before. Their first meeting had been during the delivery of the Flying Thunder God training methods.

Yet, it was a direct order from the Hokage.

Could he refuse?

The answer was no.

Fortunately, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a greedy man. As compensation, he allowed Hatake Sakumo to choose a forbidden technique from the Book of Sealings.

"It's you. Thank you very much for last time," Chiba said, recognizing the familiar white hair and Anbu's special battle suit.

Now certain that the man before him was Hatake Sakumo, the same person who had previously delivered the Flying Thunder God technique, Chiba was pleased. Although he was unsure of what Senju Sousuke had said to Sarutobi Hiruzen, the outcome was in his favor—Hatake Sakumo would be his swordsmanship instructor.

"You don't need to thank me. I was simply following Lord Hokage's orders," Hatake Sakumo replied. Chiba's friendly demeanor slightly improved his impression of the young Uchiha.

"Alright, let's not waste time. Since Lord Hokage has entrusted me with teaching you swordsmanship, you must be prepared. I am very strict, understood?"

"Don't worry. I am also very strict with myself," Chiba assured him with a nod.

"Good. To avoid wasting time, let's begin immediately," Hatake Sakumo said with satisfaction.

The two then sat on the ground, and Sakumo looked at Chiba seriously. "Since I am teaching you swordsmanship, let me ask—what do you think of swords?"

This was not a difficult question for Chiba. "To me, a sword is nothing more than a tool—a means to kill an enemy more efficiently."

"You are correct. A sword exists to kill," Hatake Sakumo nodded in agreement. He then glanced at Chiba. "But before we go further, you need a sword."

With that, Sakumo removed the short sword from his back. "This is my sword, passed down through generations of the Hatake clan."

Noticing that Chiba had not brought a weapon, Sakumo continued, "For today, I will teach you the basics of swordsmanship. However, you should obtain a sword of your own soon."

"Understood," Chiba nodded.

...

Half an hour later, after finishing his explanation of the basics, Hatake Sakumo asked, "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I've memorized everything you said."

Satisfied, Hatake Sakumo nodded. It seemed the rumors of Chiba's genius were not unfounded.

"Good. Since you have no issues, let's begin practice."

Standing up, Sakumo scanned the surroundings and soon spotted a wooden stick. Picking it up, he handed it to Chiba. "Use this for now."

"Alright," Chiba accepted without hesitation.

Under Sakumo's guidance, Chiba began practicing swordsmanship. As time passed, Sakumo grew increasingly shocked—Chiba's talent in swordsmanship was on par with his own. Despite learning only the basics, techniques that would take most people two to three days to grasp, Chiba had mastered them in a single afternoon.

Before his father passed, he had once told him that he was the greatest swordsmanship prodigy the Hatake clan had seen in a century. And yet, Chiba was progressing at an astonishing rate.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Sakumo said, glancing at the horizon where the sun was setting.

Hearing this, Chiba put down the wooden stick.

"Tomorrow, same time, same place. Don't be late."

"Got it. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Sakumo turned to leave, Chiba suddenly called out, "My name is Uchiha Chiba. What's yours?"

Although Chiba already knew who he was, he had to pretend otherwise.

Without looking back, Sakumo waved his hand. "Hatake Sakumo."

...

On his way home, Chiba contemplated how to obtain a suitable sword. The so-called swords of the ninja world were, in his eyes, more like katana than traditional swords.

"Should I buy one or have one custom-made?" he murmured to himself.

Buying one would only provide an ordinary weapon, which he had little interest in. Customization, on the other hand…

Chiba calculated his current funds.

For his first mission, Orochimaru had paid him 50,000 taels. His most recent mission, which was more difficult, had a total reward of 200,000 taels. After deductions, he had received 150,000 taels. Orochimaru had given him the larger portion since Chiba had completed the mission alone while Senju Naoki had merely assisted.

Adding in his previous savings, Chiba had more than 200,000 taels.

With this in mind, he decided to visit a blacksmith shop to inquire about the cost of a custom-made sword.

...

The sound of hammering rang through the air as he approached the blacksmith shop.

Stepping inside, Chiba found a muscular man hard at work, focused entirely on forging a weapon on the anvil. He hadn't even noticed Chiba's arrival.

Looking around, Chiba saw an array of weapons, including kunai and shuriken.

"Excuse me, are you the owner?" he called out over the clanging noise.

The man halted his work and looked up at him. "Yes, I'm the owner. What can I do for you?"

"I want to know the cost of a custom-made sword."

Upon hearing this, the previously stoic blacksmith's expression brightened.

"That depends on the material you choose. An ordinary steel sword costs 50,000 taels. If you want one with chakra metal, it's 100,000 taels."

"Of course, if you want a sword made entirely of chakra metal, that's possible—but it will be expensive."

"Oh? How much for a full chakra metal sword?" Chiba asked, intrigued.

The blacksmith raised two fingers. "200,000 taels."

"I see."

"So, what will it be?" the blacksmith asked, awaiting Chiba's decision.