Naruto: Getting Stronger by Drinking

Swordsmen could roughly be divided into three realms.

Swordsman! Master Swordsman! Great Swordsman!

A Swordsman could only wield a blade and slash, dealing damage to enemies at close range.

But to unleash a flying slash, one had to be able to hear "The Sound of All Things Breathing."

That was the realm of "Steel Cutter"!

As the name implied, the realm of "Steel Cutter" meant being able to hear steel breathing and cut through it!

This was merely a general term.

In truth, exceptionally powerful Master Swordsmen could even cut through waterfalls and flames!

Because they could hear the breathing of water and fire!

Once a Swordsman learned to listen to "The Sound of All Things Breathing," he could be considered to have truly stepped onto the path of the sword.

He had gained a ticket to becoming a Master Swordsman!

An ordinary Swordsman, even if he heard "The Sound of All Things Breathing" for the first time,

would still need long periods of practice before he could skillfully unleash flying slashes.

But Yuu was different!

With the system's help, Yuu had already become incomparably proficient at listening to "The Sound of All Things Breathing"!

"Crescent Moon, Sky Rush!"

Yuu casually came up with a name and shouted it grandly.

He raised Shusui in his right hand, then brought it down fiercely.

"Is he... cutting the air?"

Shisui watched Yuu from the side, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Kakashi was still so far away, yet Yuu had simply swung his blade down.

It seemed this genius really was a little drunk.

Just as Shisui was about to stop Kakashi from continuing his attack, an unexpected change erupted the next second!

Whoosh—

As Shusui fell, a pitch-black streak roared out from before Yuu.

The pitch-black streak transformed into a Dark Purple Slash in an instant, the same color as Shusui's blade.

Like a ferocious beast breaking free of its restraints, the slash tore through the air as it flew toward Kakashi.

"What?!"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the Dark Purple Slash flying toward him.

Though utterly shocked, Kakashi's battle instincts from all those years made him shift his body to the side.

Splurt!

The Dark Purple Slash grazed Kakashi's cheek, drawing a streak of blood.

The Dark Purple Slash did not stop. It continued flying and, in the next instant, slammed into a towering Great Tree not far away.

Screech—Boom!

The Great Tree was pierced by the Dark Purple Slash. After swaying for a moment, it split cleanly down the middle and crashed to the ground!

The crack through the middle of the Great Tree was incomparably smooth, without even the slightest rough edge.

One could imagine just how sharp that slash had been.

Boom—

The Great Tree fell, kicking up thick clouds of dust and leaving everyone stunned.

"A flying slash?!"

Shisui, who had been about to speak up and stop Kakashi, nearly bit his tongue off, his face full of disbelief.

But the wound on Kakashi's face and the severed Great Tree both proved that this was no illusion!

"This, this is...?!"

Kakashi wiped the wound on his cheek. His usually impassive face now held nothing but shock.