Sasuke Refuses to Give Up

"Senior Maruboshi Kosuke, do I need to take you as my master to learn your Konoha-Style Willow Swordsmanship?" Wu Liang wanted to learn it, but if becoming a disciple was required, then forget it. After all, Maruboshi Kosuke was still a genin.

Maruboshi Kosuke was first taken aback by Wu Liang's words, then mocked himself. "No, there's no need. After all, I received this swordsmanship from the Second Hokage, and it is only right that I pass it back to you now. Besides, I am only a genin. If you took me as your master and others found out, it would damage your reputation."

Wu Liang fell silent at Maruboshi Kosuke's self-deprecating words. He had long since stopped caring about reputation. At the Konoha Academy, everyone knew Wu Liang was friends with the demon fox. The entire village hated the demon fox—what good reputation could someone who befriended it possibly have?

"You worry too much, Senior Kosuke. I don't care about such things." Though he had no desire to become a disciple, he still had to say the right things.

"All right, Senju boy. I'll first teach you Konoha Swordsmanship. What I practice is short-blade swordsmanship, while your weapon is a long, straight blade, so there are some differences. You'll need to adjust those yourself." After saying that, Maruboshi Kosuke demonstrated the Konoha Swordsmanship for Wu Liang once before explaining the points that required attention when practicing it.

"The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, pioneered Konoha-Style Swordsmanship. Later, many extraordinarily powerful sword arts emerged in Konoha Village. It could be said that Konoha Village is a shinobi village renowned for its swordsmanship. Afterward, secret arts sprang up one after another in Konoha: the Moonlight Clan's Crescent Moon Dance, the Hatake Clan's Hatake Sword Technique, the White Cloud Clan's Vacuum Blade, the Sarutobi Clan's Flying Swallow Style, and many more.

"Although I have never practiced Crescent Moon Dance, I know how formidable it is. The Moonlight Clan has brought Crescent Moon Dance to perfection. It is a sword art that splits one's consciousness into three parts, allowing the true body and clones to launch swift slashes in coordination. It places great demands on control. There are also Secret Art: Moon Shadow and Secret Art: Hazy Moon Night, both of which are frequently used by the Moonlight Clan.

"The Sarutobi Clan's Flying Swallow Style must be used with the Chakra-conducting Ninja Blade: Flying Swallow. Even if you learned it, it would be useless, since you do not have Flying Swallow.

"The Hatake Clan's blade techniques rely on extreme speed combined with Lightning-nature Chakra. No one can evade the Konoha White Fang's ultimate flash. The saying, 'When the White Fang shines, it becomes the sharp fangs that destroy darkness,' was not spread without reason. Unfortunately, after the White Fang, none of the current Hatake clansmen have mastered it.

"The White Cloud Clan's Vacuum Blade is a Wind Release sword art. Captain Hayama uses it very well, but you do not have Wind-nature Chakra, so you cannot practice it."

Maruboshi Kosuke laid out the secret arts of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship and the clans that used them, then said, "It is not hard to see that the defining feature of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship is speed. As long as you become fast enough and combine that with your own strengths, you can create a secret art school of your own."

After Maruboshi Kosuke finished explaining the key points and precautions for Wu Liang's training, he said, "I'll go report to Lord Hokage first. Come back here tonight, and I'll see how your training has gone."

Wu Liang nodded. Maruboshi Kosuke vanished with a Body Flicker Technique, while Wu Liang sat on the ground and organized the knowledge of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship that Kosuke had taught him. Konoha-Style Swordsmanship had no fixed moves or forms; it consisted entirely of foundational swordsmanship training. According to Maruboshi Kosuke, everyone's Konoha-Style Swordsmanship was different. As long as one mastered the basics, one could cultivate a Konoha-Style Swordsmanship that suited one's own will.

Wu Liang had already mastered the fundamentals of swordsmanship inside and out. Only then did he remember that, despite having been in the Hokage world for so long, he had never practiced Phantom Shadow Swordplay. He mentally ran through Phantom Shadow Swordplay, then compared it with Maruboshi Kosuke's Konoha-Style Willow Swordsmanship. He found that both were sword arts centered on strange and unpredictable strikes. Could he not use Phantom Shadow Swordplay in place of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, then combine it with Maruboshi Kosuke's genjutsu? The only problem was that the old man had not taught him how to combine genjutsu with blade techniques.

Honestly, Konoha-Style Willow Swordsmanship without genjutsu felt terribly awkward. It was not nearly as smooth as his own Phantom Shadow Swordplay. Wu Liang drew Certain Kill and moved through the forest while executing Phantom Shadow Swordplay. After incorporating Seven-Segment Strike as well, Wu Liang felt that the source of his happiness had returned.

"Ahahaha, watch me E forward without fear!"

Wu Liang used Phantom Shadow Swordplay fused with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Seven-Segment Strike, darting and gliding through the woods with incredible agility. His speed grew faster and faster. Then, as he looked at the little river ahead, a flash of insight surged through his mind. Could he use his blade to cast ninjutsu? It did not need to be powerful—so long as it was fast enough. The moment he thought of it, he acted. Wu Liang gathered the Chakra for Water Release: Water Formation Wall in his hand, and as he slid forward, inspiration struck.

"Face the raging wind! Hasa!"

A stream of water flew from Certain Kill. When it landed, it formed a wall of water. "Ahahaha, no, that's wrong. It should be, 'Face the torrent!'"

That character from the game in his previous life used wind swordsmanship, but Wu Liang had no Wind-nature Chakra and could only substitute Water-nature Chakra. Fortunately, it worked. Water Formation Wall was even more imposing than a wind wall.

"Then Seven-Segment Strike should be changed into Lunge Slash. Fine, I'll change it! Whenever Phantom Shadow Swordplay strikes, it'll be Steel Fang Flash. Hehehe, I'm such a genius. And my Lunge Slash doesn't even need minions—it only consumes a little stamina. Before a Sage Body, that's nothing. Hahaha!" Wu Liang thought smugly.

For the next half hour, Wu Liang trained happily.

"Lunge Slash! Lunge Slash! Lunge Slash!"

"Water Barrier! Water Barrier! Water Barrier!"

Water walls repeatedly rose from the river, making the once tranquil water increasingly turbulent.

"Pant, pant, pant... I'm exhausted."

After continuously using Lunge Slash and water walls for so long, even Wu Liang's powerful physique was beginning to give out. With no concern for appearances, he sprawled across a large tree branch, intending to rest for a while before heading to the Ninja Academy for class.

At that moment, a small figure suddenly emerged not far away. It was Uchiha Sasuke.

Uchiha Sasuke came beneath Wu Liang's tree, raised his head, and glared at him resentfully. "I finally found you, bastard! You were hiding here and made me search for so long! Did you think I wouldn't find you just because you hid from me?"

Looking at Uchiha Sasuke beneath the tree, Wu Liang picked at his earwax and replied speechlessly, "I've been training here the whole time. Why were you looking for me? Is something wrong?"

"I came to wash away my humiliation, bastard! Take this seriously! Come on, let's fight again! This time, I definitely won't lose to you!" Seeing Wu Liang act so casually, Sasuke's pride was wounded once more. He immediately formed hand seals: Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

"That hand seal... are you kidding me? What the hell, you're using your ultimate move right away?" Seeing Sasuke form seals, Wu Liang swiftly leaped down from the tree. The instant he landed, he drew Certain Kill from his waist and swung it, calling out at the same time:

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

The two ninjutsu collided. Water and fire intertwined, and steam filled the area, blocking both of their vision.

"Pant, pant, pant..."

After using the Great Fireball Technique, Sasuke's breathing was already unsteady. With his current amount of Chakra, fully casting this Fire Release ninjutsu was still rather strenuous.

But just as the steam was about to disperse, Wu Liang moved.

"Lunge Slash! Steel Fang Flash! Lunge Slash! Steel Fang Flash! Lunge Slash! Steel Fang Flash!"

After a rapid barrage, Wu Liang used the back of his sword to launch Sasuke into the air. Then, just as Sasuke was about to fall, he flashed beside him with Lunge Slash and sent him flying again with Steel Fang Flash, striking with the sword's flat. He kept at it until Sasuke hurt everywhere except his face, all while cursing, "I'll teach you to show off! I'll teach you to sneak attack me! I'll teach you to challenge me! Let's see if I don't teach you how to behave, so you won't have to get beaten down by society once you step into it!"

After that barrage, Sasuke lay on the ground in pain, his entire body aching. The exposed skin on his arms and legs was covered in sword marks, each one left by the back of Wu Liang's sword.

Seeing Sasuke's miserable state, Wu Liang crouched beside him and muttered, "Was that a little too harsh? Forget it. At worst, I'll help him heal."

Sasuke looked miserably at the figure crouching in front of him. His heart was collapsing. Why had he, an Uchiha prodigy praised since childhood, been beaten so badly? He had not even been able to fight back.

In the end, Sasuke finally gave in. Looking at Wu Liang, he asked, "Why are we clearly about the same age, but our strengths are so far apart?"

Wu Liang was stunned by Sasuke's question. Pulling at the clan crest on his back, he said, "You don't understand what the clan crest on my back represents? You're actually asking such a stupid question? Are you really from the Uchiha Clan?"

Hearing Wu Liang say that, Sasuke looked at the clan crest on his back. It seemed a little familiar, but no one had ever told him about it. How was he supposed to know? Sasuke said awkwardly, "I really don't know what that clan crest of yours means. No one ever told me."

Seeing Sasuke like this, Wu Liang came to a realization. Sasuke had been very young when his clan was massacred, and no one had explained these things to him. That was why he did not know. Wu Liang sighed and said, "Even if you don't know that clan crest, you should have heard of the Senju Clan, right?"

Sasuke shook his head blankly, indicating that he had never heard of it.

Thinking about it, Wu Liang found that reasonable. The village's memory of the Senju Clan likely only remained from when Tsunade was still around. When Tsunade left the village, Sasuke had probably been like the other children of the village, completely unaware of what the Senju Clan represented.

Wu Liang looked at Sasuke and slowly said, "The Senju Clan is the clan of the First Hokage and the Second Hokage. The First Hokage was called Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage was called Tobirama Senju. One of the Three Legendary Sannin, Konoha's Princess, is called Tsunade Senju. Now do you understand what the surname Senju means?"

At Wu Liang's words, Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly. "Then why have I never heard about any of this in Konoha Village?"

"It's complicated. It has something to do with both the First and Second Hokage. In any case, it is an indisputable fact that the Senju Clan has disappeared from Konoha. Besides, the glory of one's ancestors belongs to one's ancestors, and oneself is oneself. I do not want to live under my ancestors' name either. I'll tell you why I'm so strong: it is because of my Sage Body. Our clan has always been like the Uzumaki Clan, renowned for enormous Chakra reserves and powerful physical constitutions. What you've seen is only the tip of the iceberg."