Hatake Sword Style

"Hatake Sanyu, what do you think of this blade?" Shiyu asked, lifting the Meteorite Blade - Shiyu from his waist and tossing it to him.

Sanyu reacted swiftly and caught the Meteorite Blade - Shiyu in one hand.

"I heard Nao say that his teammate Shiyu got a meteorite blade forged from iron that fell from the heavens. So this must be it." Hatake Sanyu examined it closely for a long moment, then drew it from its scabbard.

"What a fine blade!" Even Sanyu couldn't help praising it.

"It's hard yet resilient, incredibly sharp, and beautifully crafted. The delicate patterns carved into it are so exquisite! It's truly a peerless work of art. I can even feel a cool sensation coming from the hilt."

"It's as if the blade is breathing. That cool sensation seems to clear the mind, too! What a fine blade!" An expert could tell at a glance. Sanyu's assessment was objective, confirming that the Meteorite Blade was indeed a rare treasure.

"Hatake Sanyu, even with such a fine blade, it would be a real shame not to have a sword style to match!" Shiyu sighed deliberately, looking dejected.

"Haha! You little rascal, you want to learn swordsmanship from me, don't you? Even the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan can't copy my sword style. Do you know why?" Hatake Sanyu asked.

"It can't copy it? Why not?" Shiyu was a little puzzled. As far as he knew, there wasn't a ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu he couldn't copy, except for Kekkei Genkai.

"It's simple. The Sharingan can only copy movements. My movements, my blade, my sword style—those are suited to me personally."

"My weapon, Gray Fang, is a short sword, suited to charges, ambushes, and assassination. But your Meteorite Blade is as long as a sword. If you just try to imitate my techniques, you'll die horribly in battle."

Shiyu was quick to catch on that Hatake Sanyu was trying to guide him, so he replied humbly, "I see. You mean I need to find a sword style that suits me, as well as a blade that suits me, so I can use my swordsmanship to its fullest?"

Hatake Sanyu laughed. "Ha! You certainly have talent, but you're wrong."

"It's not that you find a sword style and blade suited to you. It's that they find the person suited to them." Hatake Sanyu's words were profound, and lingered in the mind.

"So you're putting sword styles and blades above people? Then is the person wielding the blade, or is the blade borrowing the person?" Hyuga Hiashi asked, sounding a little argumentative.

"What is a blade? What is swordsmanship? What does it mean to become one with your blade? The blade and its wielder must be in balance. There's no question of one controlling the other. If you don't understand, then stop talking nonsense!" Hatake Sanyu had a fiery temper, and he gave Hiashi a sharp retort because he disliked him.

Hiashi was embarrassed. He snorted and fell silent.

Shiyu nodded, only half understanding.

"Perhaps it's too soon to talk about all that. Let me ask you something else: do you know which swordsmanship masters Konoha has?" Hatake Sanyu asked again.

Shiyu thought for a moment. "The Hatake Clan. White Fang and Gray Fang made their names in Konoha through their swordsmanship. They're definitely masters."

"Mm. Go on." Hatake Sanyu seemed quite pleased.

Shiyu thought again. "The Uchiha Clan has a long tradition of swordsmanship. I've heard that Uchiha Shisui was already skilled with a blade at a very young age."

"Mm. But the Uchiha's swordsmanship has fallen into decline. In less than ten years, it will disappear altogether," Hatake Sanyu predicted.

Shiyu knew the fate of the Uchiha Clan. In ten years, it wouldn't just be their swordsmanship that disappeared—the entire clan would be wiped out.

"I can't think of anyone else. There don't seem to be any other clans in Konoha with strong sword styles, right?" Shiyu genuinely couldn't think of any.

"As I thought. You don't know." Sanyu nodded. "The Second, Tobirama Senju, created the Konoha Style Sword Technique. And at present, it's the best sword style for fighting head-on."

"If the Third Hokage hadn't begged me, I wouldn't have taught you my improved version of the Konoha Style Sword Technique." Hatake Sanyu spoke with a hint of smugness.

"Seriously? The Hokage begged you?" Hiashi immediately questioned him.

"I wasn't talking to you. Don't interrupt me." Hatake Sanyu snapped back at him again.

Shiyu figured that even if the Third Hokage hadn't begged him, just putting in a good word beforehand was enough to move him.

"But I like you, kid. If it were certain other people, I wouldn't say a word to them even if they begged me." Hatake Sanyu glared at Hiashi, who pretended not to notice.

"You said the Second created the Konoha Style Sword Technique. What do you mean when you say you improved it?" Shiyu asked curiously.

"The full name of my clan's sword style is the Hatake One-Sword Style. The Hatake Sword Style suits the Hatake Clan's build. Gray Fang and White Fang are both very short blades, so they're suited to surprise attacks, assassination, and striking the enemy quickly."

"Speed and quickness are its strengths, but naturally, every strength comes with a weakness."

"The Konoha Style Sword Technique, on the other hand, is suited to direct combat and prolonged battles. Its reach, power, and lethality are all much greater."

"Your Meteorite Blade is a tachi. This kind of blade has its advantages and disadvantages in battle. The Second divided stances into high, middle, and low. He believed the high stance was too cumbersome, while the low stance lacked killing power, so he preferred the middle stance. Combined with his Flying Thunder God Technique, he could thrust forward—his Flying Thunder God Slash—to strike his enemies."

"But I believe everything has its purpose. The high stance has the greatest killing power, while the low stance is the fastest. So I used the essence of our Hatake Sword Style to improve Tobirama-sama's Konoha Style Sword Technique, making it both offensive and defensive! That's why it can be called the Hatake-Konoha Style Sword Technique." Hatake Sanyu explained in great detail.

Shiyu was astonished. He would never have guessed that Hatake Nao's father, Hatake Sanyu, was such a genius with the sword! Shiyu might not be suited to learning the Hatake Sword Style, but if he mastered Hatake Sanyu's improved Konoha Style Sword Technique, he would be learning the essence of both styles.

"So, kid, I'll say it again: the blade and its wielder should be equals. Only when you become one with your blade will your swordsmanship reach its highest level," Hatake Sanyu said.

"If you have time, come to the Hatake Clan compound. I'll teach you my improved Konoha Style Sword Technique." Hatake Sanyu then added at once, "But—"

"Don't forget what you promised me. This time, you have to make Kakashi eat humble pie! And you two had better pass the selection and become Chunin." The two he meant were, naturally, his son Nao and Uchiha Shiyu.

"Did you forget about me?" A woman's voice came from inside the Hyuga Branch Family building.