Stubborn Bronze

Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.

In a small backyard, 7-year-old Gekko Hayate (he) dumbfoundedly gripped a wooden sword about thirty centimeters long. His feet were planted awkwardly, and his free left hand didn't know where to go. He looked around, the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward.

"Sighed."

Standing not far away, Gekko Hoshino (he) sighed with a look of dejection. "As expected, I was too naive. Hayate, let's stop here."

Hayate, however, seemed not to hear him and continued to observe his surroundings.

So, I've come to the Naruto World now?

But I didn't do anything in my previous life, just played games collecting wolf corpses. How did I transmigrate for no reason?

Hayate? My name is... Gekko Hayate? Memories churned in his mind, causing Hayate's head to ache slightly. "I've never heard of him. I only remember an extra named Gekko Hayate, who was a sickly guy. Could he be my brother?"

Hayate looked at the handsome, tall, yet dejected Gekko Hoshino (he) beside him. This person... is my Dad (he)? He doesn't look very happy.

Hayate (he) lowered his head and looked at the wooden sword in his hand, inexplicably feeling a pang of guilt.

"Hoshino, Feng-chan (he), it's time to eat."

A gentle voice from inside the house broke the awkwardness in the backyard.

It was Gekko Hayate's (he) Mom, Gekko Keiko (she).

Hayate (he), new to this place, understood the importance of speaking and acting cautiously. He put down the wooden sword in his hand and followed Gekko Hoshino (he) into the house, step by step.

Gekko Keiko (she), dressed in ordinary home clothes, asked with a smile on her oval face, "Hoshino, how was it?"

"Still no good. Hayate's talent is too poor."

Gekko Hoshino (he) shook his head and sighed. "I had hoped our clan could rely on Konoha-Style Kenjutsu to become a prominent family comparable to the Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, or even the Hyuga and Uchiha. I even thought of a clan emblem, but I was too naive. The cultivation difficulty of Konoha-Style Kenjutsu is too great; even the basics are not something ordinary people can cultivate."

Hayate (he) stood by, head lowered, silently collecting information.

Konoha-Style Kenjutsu was developed by the Second Hokage (he). It was said to be very powerful, but correspondingly, its cultivation difficulty was also very high. And he, it seemed, had very poor talent.

Gekko Keiko (she) showed a look of disappointment, but then she rallied. "It's alright, Hoshino. Your younger brother's child, Hayate, has talent for sword training, doesn't he? He will surely be able to inherit Konoha-Style Kenjutsu and carry forward the Gekko name."

Gekko Hayate!

Hayate's (he) eyes lit up. He and Gekko Hayate (he) were indeed brothers!

At this moment, Gekko Hoshino (he) gave a wry smile. "Among the children of Hayate's generation, only Hayate has hope of inheriting Konoha-Style Kenjutsu. But Hayate's talent is actually also... alas."

With that, the family of three sat at the dining table and ate, each lost in their own melancholy.

Hayate (he) ate absentmindedly, while diligently searching the memories of Gekko Hayate (he) in his mind.

He is the child of the Hayate Clan head, Gekko Hoshino. He is 7 years old this year and entered the Ninja Academy last year. After the summer holiday, he will be in his Second Grade. As for his ninja talent, it can only be said to be average, barely better than nothing.

Therefore, in the past year at the Ninja Academy, Hanfu basically didn't put much effort into studying, just fooling around with his classmates.

It is worth mentioning that his classmates are all 'famous and named'. Umino Iruka, Mitarashi Anko, Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane, and from the Inuzuka Clan, Inuzuka Sa, and from the Aburame Clan, Aburame Yui. However, the latter two did not appear in the Original Work and are probably Extras. Of course, even Iruka, Anko, Hagane, and Kamizuki are just Extras in the Naruto World.

Compared to the kings of Naruto and Sasuke's generation, Hanfu's generation of students are Bronze!

As for Hanfu, he is Stubborn Bronze!

My head is really hard.

Hanfu touched his head, but at this moment, a small ball of green light suddenly surged from the depths of Hanfu's mind, completely engulfing Hanfu's consciousness!

When he came back to his senses, his Dad, Gekko Hoshino, had already disappeared without a trace. Keiko was sitting beside him, staring blankly at Hanfu.

"I'm full."

Hanfu blinked twice, then put down his bowl and chopsticks, and ran to the backyard with an excited expression.

'Unexpectedly, when I transmigrated, I actually brought the Collection Technique from the game!'

Hanfu was surprised and delighted.

That ball of green light was Hanfu's Golden Finger: Collection Technique!

And according to the information fed back by the green light in his mind, Hanfu's Collection Technique can directly collect the opponent's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and even Kekkei Genkai. Of course, the target being collected will not lose these abilities, so this is an extremely devious Golden Finger!

And according to the information from the green light, Hanfu can use the Collection Technique three times a day!

Talent for swordsmanship?

There's no need to care about that at all.

Konoha-Style Kenjutsu?

With my Collection Technique, I can get it all!

I collect three Ninjutsu a day, over a thousand in a year, and over ten thousand in ten years. Hmph, when I grow up, let's see who dares to mess with me?

If you piss me off, I'll kill you!

Hanfu felt like he was floating as he ran!

When he excitedly ran to the backyard, he saw his Dad practicing Iaijutsu on a wooden stake as thick as a thigh. Although he was using a wooden sword, every time the wooden sword was drawn, it made the wooden stake clang. In the sunshine, layers of Wood Splinters fell from the wooden stake.

Hanfu stammered: Collect!

The green light in his mind shifted.

Then...

Collection Failed.

Nani?!

Hanfu's face changed drastically: There's actually a failure!?

Hanfu didn't believe it: Collect! Collect!!

Hanfu gritted his teeth and issued two commands in one breath, but both failed!

Then he saw over ten thousand ninjutsu scatter like a wisp of light smoke, going to places he couldn't reach.

Frustrating.

What kind of Golden Finger is this, it's too disgusting.

Hanfu had almost floated to the moon just now, but now he directly fell back to rock bottom.

But what could he do? He could only wait for the Collection Technique to cool down tomorrow before continuing to collect.

But at this moment, a ninja wearing black, carrying a long sword on his back, and a white Animal Mask suddenly appeared on the backyard wall: "Gekko Hoshino, Lord Hokage summons you!"

"Yes, I understand."

Gekko Hoshino squinted his eyes, then directly stuck his Wooden Sword into the grass, and disappeared from the backyard in an instant with a Body Flicker Technique.

When Hanfu looked up again, the mottled wall was empty, and the ninja above had also disappeared at some point.

It's Anbu, right?

Lord Hokage?

Is it the Third Hokage?

To have Anbu come find his own Dad, it must be something unusual.

Hanfu squinted his eyes, suddenly remembering that this year is Konoha Year 43!

If it's Konoha Year 43...

"Feng-chan, what are you doing? Huh? Where's your Dad?"

Keiko walked into the backyard after washing the dishes, but couldn't see Gekko Hoshino.

"That..."

Hanfu turned around, looked at Keiko, who was in her early thirties, and opened his mouth with some difficulty, "Mom..."

"Hmm?"

Keiko's eyes narrowed, a hint of danger flashing in her pupils. "Mom? Has Mom really gotten that old? Feng-chan~?"

A cold sweat dripped down Hanfu's forehead. His powerful survival instinct instantly made him forget his psychological age. "No, Mom is still very young and beautiful!"

Only then did Keiko show a satisfied smile and say gently, "Then Feng-chan, where did your father go?"

"Dad was ambushed, am..."

The word "Anbu" almost slipped out. Fortunately, Hanfu was resourceful at the last moment and changed his words. "He was called away by a strange ninja hiding in the shadows. They said Lord Hokage was looking for him."

Anbu was a secret unit of Konoha. In the original work, Naruto only learned about the existence of the Anbu from various hidden villages from Kakashi when he graduated from the Ninja Academy and encountered Zabuza and Haku on his first mission. And Hanfu was only seven years old now!

"Lord Hokage? Could it be Anbu?"

Keiko's expression turned a little grim. "It wouldn't be..."

A month ago, several border cities in the Land of Fire were successively attacked by Sunagakure Ninja. Especially Kikyo Castle and the nearby Mount Kikyo, which were directly occupied by Sunagakure Ninja. A large number of Land of Fire civilians were captured. Konoha had sent people to negotiate several times, but there were no results. As the scope of the Sunagakure Ninja invasion expanded, the situation on the border of the Land of Fire gradually got out of control, and the shadow of war was rapidly casting over Konoha.