The Forgemage of Konoha

Water Release!!!

When Shirō returned to the inn, only Shikamaru was present; Nakamura and Taichi hadn't come back yet.

To be honest, Shirō really envied the Nara Clan. Sure, they were lazy, but their intelligence was off the charts.

It was like that one saying was made just for them: "My IQ is 200 not because that's all I have, but because the limit is only 200!"

Of course, no Nara ever actually said that out loud—but still, Shirō couldn't help but think that the Nara Clan had been born into the wrong world. In a world ruled by the Ōtsutsuki Clan's chaos and inherited bloodlines, intelligence alone didn't determine strength. In this world, blood mattered more than brains.

Even someone as brilliant as Orochimaru, despite his countless forbidden techniques and body-hopping immortality tricks, was ultimately outclassed in terms of raw power by those blessed with better lineage. In the grand scheme of things, he was barely a third-tier fighter by the later stages of the story.

Hmm? Shirō suddenly paused, a thought hitting him.

Could that be why the Nara were always so lazy?

Maybe they saw through the truth of this world early on and decided not to bother. That would explain everything.

Well, that was just Shirō's random speculation. Whether it was true or not... depended on whether the author wanted this story to go completely off the rails.

Still, the Nara Clan's talents were undeniable. Even with their slacker attitude, they achieved greatness. If they ever got serious, who knows—maybe they would ascend to heaven.

Seeing Shikamaru fast asleep, Shirō decided not to disturb him. He quietly returned to his room and began to cultivate.

But this time, he didn't focus on Reinforcement Magic. Instead, he practiced Projection Magic.

Ever since he gained the ability to project Noble Phantasms, he'd been practicing in private. However, this was the first time he'd used Projection Magic in a real battle. Maybe it was just psychological, but Shirō felt like he'd made a breakthrough during that last fight.

He hadn't had the chance to confirm it yet—he'd expended too much chakra during the battle and had only managed one rough recovery. Now was the time to test it properly.

> "Projection, start!

Appraise the creation concept!

Conceive the basic structure!

Replicate the constituent materials!

Imitate the production techniques!

Sympathize with the growth experience!

Reproduce the accumulated time!

Surpass the original—complete the process!"

A flash of white light burst from his hand, and a red, demonic spear appeared in his grasp.

Shirō clenched the Bloodthirsty Demoness, a grin spreading across his face—not because of the weapon itself, but because of how fast he had managed to project it.

The speed was drastically faster than before. He might now be capable of normally projecting C-rank Noble Phantasms, without the severe strain from earlier. Still, it was just a hunch. He'd need to test it to be sure.

Shirō took a deep breath and calmed himself. He dispelled the projection, patted his cheeks, and sat down cross-legged.

> "Projection, start!"

This time, he attempted to recreate Ruler Breaker—the cursed dagger once wielded by Medea, the Witch of Betrayal. He had barely succeeded in projecting it during his last fight, so he had some familiarity with it.

More importantly, it contained invaluable magical knowledge—especially regarding Reinforcement Magic. Medea was a powerful Magus from the Age of Gods, with mastery over many forms of magecraft. Her application of Reinforcement Magic, like the time she enhanced Kuzuki Soichiro, had been terrifyingly effective. With her buffs and his martial skills, Kuzuki nearly defeated Saber, despite Saber's overwhelming natural abilities.

Of course, Saber had been running low on magical energy at the time, but still—how many modern magi could go toe-to-toe with a Servant, even indirectly?

Unfortunately, Shirō had overlooked one thing: he'd already used up a lot of chakra projecting the Bloodthirsty Demoness. He didn't have enough left for a second projection.

"..."

> "I'm so stupid. I'm really an idiot…"

Grumbling, Shirō began to refine more chakra. After several cycles of focus and recovery, he finally succeeded in the afternoon.

When he finally projected Ruler Breaker, there was no excitement this time. He simply sat still, holding the cursed dagger and absorbing the intricate knowledge contained within it.

Despite his progress in Projection Magic, C-rank Noble Phantasms still consumed too much chakra to be maintained for long. But even a short duration was enough for him to absorb valuable magical insight.

By then, Nakamura and Taichi had returned. Seeing Shirō still cultivating, they hadn't disturbed him.

When Shirō finally stepped out of his room, Nakamura waved at him.

"You're just in time. We were about to grab something to eat. If you didn't show, we were thinking of what to bring back."

"Hmph. Like I'd miss something as important as food," Shirō said confidently. "I still remember the food allowance the captain promised."

"Haha, don't worry. You'll get your cut, kid. This meal's on me," Nakamura chuckled.

"Huh? Seriously, Nakamura-sensei?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Then let's go get BBQ! I saw a good place down the street, but it looked expensive, so I didn't go in. Perfect timing!"

"..." Nakamura gave Taichi a sidelong glance. "Aren't you an Uchiha? You telling me you're that broke?"

"That's my personal money. It hurts to spend it."

"..."

Nakamura was speechless at the sincerity in Taichi's tone.

Meanwhile, Shirō eyed Taichi suspiciously. Something had been bugging him.

"Taichi... do you know someone named Obito?"

"Yeah, he's my cousin. We're not really close though. Why?"

"...No reason."

Confirmed. This guy's another secretly pervy loner pretending to be cool.

The Naruto World was amazing. Apparently, personality could also be inherited.

"Oh—where's Shikamaru?" Shirō asked.

"Still asleep," Nakamura sighed, rubbing his forehead. "He's been sleeping all day. I seriously don't know how he does it."

"Ugh, such a hassle," Taichi said. "How about you guys go ahead? Bring me something back. I'll just eat military rations otherwise."

"Alright, let's go," Nakamura said. "Think of it as a change of scenery."

---

A short while later, the group arrived at the BBQ spot Taichi had mentioned. The place was packed, a clear sign the food was popular. Considering the war had just ended, a restaurant with this much business spoke volumes.

Of course, in Shirō's opinion, it still didn't compare to Yakiniku Q in Konoha—but that was understandable. The Land of Fire had greater national resources and stability than the Land of Rivers, and thus could focus more on culinary arts.

Still, the regional flavor was unique, and it definitely sparked Shirō's appetite.

...Though, Nakamura footing the bill might have helped too. Just a little.

Despite their appetite, none of them ate too heavily. Still, the price was steep enough that Nakamura's wallet took a hit. In the past, this kind of money would've fed them four or five times.

That reminded Shirō of something important: he absolutely couldn't afford to treat anyone to a meal when they got back. Not until he was ready to live off dirt.

---

After dinner, the group returned to the inn to rest.

They would resume traveling tomorrow—and Shirō planned to train as usual along the way. Better to conserve his strength and keep his body in top form.

For now, he'd rest. As always, after completing his daily Reinforcement Magic regimen.