The Uchiha compound was located on the eastern side of Konoha Village.
As Might Guy followed Obito through several increasingly secluded streets, the scenery around them gradually changed. The ordinary residential houses slowly disappeared, replaced by traditional Japanese-style mansions with enclosed courtyards and high wooden walls. From time to time, the red-and-white Uchiha fan crest could be seen hanging from gates or carved into walls, carrying a quiet sense of pride unique to one of Konoha's most prestigious clans.
"Your clan is pretty huge," Guy remarked while glancing around curiously.
Obito curled his lips in annoyance.
"What's the use of being huge? I still get scolded every single day."
Guy turned his head slightly.
"Who scolds you?"
"The clan elders, obviously." Obito rolled his eyes dramatically before kicking a pebble along the road. "They keep saying I'm a disgrace to the Uchiha Clan, that I'm the dead last among dead lasts, and that I'll never amount to anything in the future..."
As he spoke, his voice gradually grew quieter.
Guy glanced toward him and noticed that Obito had already lowered his head while staring at the ground beneath his feet. Even his pace had slowed noticeably compared to before.
Without saying much, Guy simply reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
"It's fine."
Obito looked up blankly.
Guy immediately flashed a bright grin before giving a thumbs-up.
"When I become Hokage in the future, you can just tell everyone you're the Hokage's brother. Let's see who still dares to scold you then."
Obito froze completely.
A faint redness instantly appeared around his eyes.
However, he quickly lowered his head again and rubbed his eyes fiercely with the back of his sleeve. By the time he looked up again, he had already returned to his usual loudmouthed self.
"Tch! Who wants to be your brother?! I'm obviously going to become Hokage myself!"
Guy burst out laughing.
"Fine, fine, fine. You become Hokage then."
The two continued forward while bickering casually. After turning through several winding alleys, they finally stopped in front of an old wooden gate with chipped paint. Hanging crookedly above the entrance was a worn wooden signboard with several roughly carved words on it.
[Uchiha Forge]
Obito immediately pushed the door open before sticking his head inside.
"Second Uncle! Second Uncle, are you here?!"
The loud metallic sounds of hammering echoed continuously from deeper inside the courtyard.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
However, nobody answered him.
Obito turned toward Guy and waved casually.
"Come in."
The two stepped through the gate into a small courtyard.
In the center stood a blacksmithing shed, where blazing flames illuminated the surroundings bright orange. Inside the shed, a shirtless middle-aged man continuously swung a heavy iron hammer downward onto a glowing red iron billet.
Sweat rolled down his dark muscular back before dripping onto the ground with sizzling sounds.
"Second Uncle!" Obito shouted again.
Only after several more strikes did the man finally stop.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
After completing the final strike, he picked up the iron billet with metal tongs, flipped it over, and plunged it into a water bucket.
Hissss—
White steam instantly exploded upward.
Only then did he slowly lift his head.
The man had thick eyebrows, a face covered in rough stubble, and fierce eyes that somewhat resembled Obito's, except far rougher and more intimidating.
"This is my second uncle, Uchiha Taoye," Obito whispered quietly beside Guy.
Uchiha Taoye glanced toward them before speaking in a rough voice that sounded like stones grinding together.
"What are you doing here, brat? Did you cause trouble again?"
Obito immediately protested.
"I didn't cause trouble this time! I brought my classmate here!"
"Classmate?"
Uchiha Taoye's gaze shifted toward Guy.
He slowly looked him up and down.
Green training suit.
Thick eyebrows.
A strange hairstyle.
His expression gradually shifted from confusion to visible disdain.
"The son of that Eternal Genin?"
Guy paused slightly.
Obito's face immediately reddened.
"Second Uncle!"
Taoye waved dismissively before tossing the towel onto a nearby rack.
"Alright, alright. Everyone in the village already knows. So why are you here?"
Guy stepped forward calmly and stood upright.
"Senior, I want to work here."
Taoye's towel-wiping motion stopped midway.
He looked at Guy strangely.
"Work? You?"
"Yes."
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
Taoye suddenly laughed loudly, though his laughter carried more disbelief than amusement.
"A seven-year-old kid wants to work in a forge?" He pointed around the shed while speaking. "Do you even know what this place is? This is a blacksmith shop, not some playground for children pretending to be adults."
He casually tossed the towel aside before continuing.
"The work here involves swinging hammers, operating bellows, moving iron ingots, and forging weapons. Which one of those things can you actually do?"
Guy remained silent.
Taoye snorted.
"Your father is that Eternal Genin, right? He probably struggles enough already just feeding you."
His tone softened slightly afterward.
"Wanting to earn money isn't a bad thing. But kids should know their limits. Wait until you're older and stronger before thinking about things like this."
"I can do it," Guy interrupted calmly.
Taoye froze briefly.
Without another word, Guy walked toward the stack of iron ingots piled beside the shed.
Each iron ingot was nearly half his height and thick enough to require an adult's full strength to move comfortably.
Guy looked back toward Taoye.
"Where should I move them?"
Taoye raised one eyebrow before casually pointing toward an empty rack nearby.
"Over there. Move them all one by one, then we'll talk afterward."
Guy nodded before crouching beside the first ingot. He wrapped both arms around it before exerting force.
The heavy iron ingot rose directly off the ground.
Guy straightened his back, turned around naturally, walked to the empty rack, and set the ingot down smoothly.
The entire process took less than ten seconds.
His breathing remained steady.
His expression did not even change.
Taoye's eyes widened slightly.
Guy had already returned for the second ingot.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
Within less than two minutes, all ten iron ingots had been neatly transferred across the courtyard.
Afterward, Guy casually clapped the dust from his hands before walking back over.
"I'm done."
Taoye stared blankly at the neatly arranged ingots before slowly looking back toward Guy again.
This kid...
Was he really only seven years old?
Meanwhile, Obito stood nearby grinning proudly with a smug expression that practically screamed, "See? I told you so."
Taoye coughed awkwardly before crossing his arms.
"Fine. You've got some strength."
"But running a forge isn't only about brute force." He pointed toward the furnace as he spoke. "You need to understand heat control, bellows timing, coal management, and forging rhythm."
"I can learn," Guy replied immediately.
Taoye suddenly felt another headache coming on.
Why was this kid so stubborn?
"Fine, fine. You can learn. But do you know how to forge weapons?"
Guy shook his head honestly.
"No."
"Then that's the problem!" Taoye waved his hand impatiently. "You know absolutely nothing. Why would I hire you? This is wartime. Orders for ninja tools are endless already. I'm busy enough as it is. Where would I find time to teach a child?"
Guy remained silent briefly before speaking again.
"I don't need wages."
Taoye blinked.
"What?"
"I said I don't need wages," Guy repeated calmly. "As long as I get one meal, that's enough."
Taoye stared at him suspiciously.
There was actually someone willing to work for food only?
However, after thinking about it further, he still shook his head.
"Even then, it's still troublesome. If you don't know anything, you'll only get in the way. When I'm busy, you can't help me. When I'm free, teaching you wastes my time. A meal still costs money, so why should I..."
"Let me try for one day first," Guy interrupted calmly again. "If I do badly, I'll leave on my own. You don't even need to feed me."
Taoye stared at him silently.
This kid really was determined.
He turned toward Obito.
Obito immediately raised both hands helplessly.
"Don't look at me. He insisted on coming."
Taoye glanced once more toward the stack of iron ingots Guy had moved earlier.
The kid definitely had strength.
And not just a little.
After thinking for several moments, Taoye finally pointed toward the giant bellows beside the furnace.
"Fine. You operate that bellows for one hour straight without stopping. We'll talk afterward."
Guy nodded immediately before walking over.
He crouched beside the bellows and grabbed the wooden handles.
Whoosh—
Inhale—
Whoosh—
Inhale—
The bellows immediately began operating smoothly, causing the furnace flames to brighten and dim rhythmically.
Taoye stood nearby silently observing.
Initially, he simply waited for the child to complain about exhaustion.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Then thirty.
Guy's movements remained perfectly stable throughout.
His rhythm never faltered once.
His breathing stayed steady.
His expression remained calm.
He did not even blink much.
Gradually, Taoye's expression changed.
His earlier amusement disappeared completely, replaced first by surprise, then by genuine seriousness.
Finally, he walked over before crouching beside Guy.
He extended his hand toward the furnace heat.
The airflow was perfect.
The temperature was perfect.
This level of heat control was already better than several of his apprentice workers.
"You kid..." Taoye muttered slowly. "Have you practiced before?"
Guy continued operating the bellows while turning his head slightly.
"I train every day."
"Train what exactly?"
"Taijutsu. Kicking, push-ups, weighted running."
Taoye fell silent.
He naturally knew what Taijutsu training was.
Every Ninja Academy student practiced Taijutsu.
But training to this level?
That was completely different.
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Guy's arms.
Solid muscle.
Dense muscle.
Not the body of a normal seven-year-old child at all.
Then he observed Guy's breathing once more.
Calm and steady.
Almost like someone sleeping peacefully.
This kid was absolutely not ordinary.
After one full hour passed, Guy finally released the bellows handles before standing up.
His legs felt slightly numb, but after moving them around briefly, he recovered quickly.
Then he looked toward Taoye.
"How was it?"
Taoye did not answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward the furnace before grabbing another glowing iron billet with metal tongs and placing it onto the anvil.
Then he picked up a hammer.
"Watch carefully."
Clang!
The hammer struck heavily downward.
"Forging isn't just about strength. You need to understand where to strike, when to strike, and how much force to use."
Clang!
Clang!
As he continued speaking, the glowing billet gradually changed shape beneath his hammer strikes.
His movements were not particularly flashy, but every strike landed precisely where it needed to.
Eventually, the rough shape of a kunai slowly emerged.
Finally, Taoye grabbed the billet with tongs before plunging it into water.
Hissss—
White steam rose upward again.
Then he tossed the unfinished kunai billet toward Guy's feet.
"Follow this shape and make ten more. When you're done, we'll talk again."
Guy lowered his head toward the billet before looking toward the hammers leaning nearby.
"Which hammer should I use?"
Taoye pointed casually toward the rack.
"Choose one yourself."
Guy walked over and picked up the smallest hammer first.
Too light.
He switched to another.
Still too light.
Then another.
Finally, after picking up the fourth hammer and testing its weight briefly, he nodded slightly.
This one felt about right.
Taoye's eyelids twitched violently.
That hammer was usually used by adult apprentices.
Could this kid really handle it?
Guy walked calmly to the anvil before clamping another glowing billet into place.
He raised the hammer.
Clang!
The first strike landed crookedly.
Clang!
The second strike pushed the billet even more off-center.
Taoye frowned slightly.
Clang!
The third strike missed the proper angle completely.
He was just about to scold the boy
Then Guy suddenly stopped.
He lowered his head and stared at the twisted billet silently for several seconds.
Then he calmly grabbed another heated billet.
Placed it properly.
Raised the hammer again.
Clang!
This time, the billet did not shift.
Clang!
The second strike landed perfectly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The rhythm rapidly became smoother and smoother.
Taoye slowly closed his mouth.
He stared fixedly at Guy's hands.
Initially, his grip posture had been completely wrong.
Yet with every strike, he adjusted naturally.
Three strikes.
Five strikes.
Ten strikes.
By the fifteenth strike, his posture already resembled someone who had practiced for years.
Under Guy's hammer, the billet gradually transformed.
The shape slowly became identical to the kunai billet Taoye forged earlier.
Finally
Clang!
The last strike landed.
Guy picked up the billet with tongs before plunging it into water.
Hissss
White steam exploded upward again.
Then he tossed the finished billet down beside Taoye's own sample.
The two billets lay side by side.
Practically identical.
Taoye slowly lowered his head toward them before raising his eyes toward Guy again.
He remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"You kid..."
"...is this really your first time forging?"