Inherited Sword Technique!

"Let me try it quickly."

Young Kiyohara looked like a chain-smoker who hadn't had a cigarette in ten days catching sight of a pack of Furongwang.

Kiyohara understood and relaxed his control over his body.

The next moment, the consciousness of young Kiyohara poured in like flowing water, temporarily taking over his arm. Young Kiyohara reached out and gripped the brand-new hilt.

It was cold and solid, yet carried a sense of familiarity.

Young Kiyohara manipulated Kiyohara's arm and gave the ninja sword a light swing.

The blade sliced through the air, emitting a faint whistling sound.

He attempted to inject a trace of Chakra into it.

Hum!

The pale blue ripples on the blade seemed to come alive, glowing slightly as the Chakra flowed smoothly through the steel.

The resistance to conduction was extremely low, a completely different sensation compared to channeling it into other ninja tools.

"Good blade!"

Young Kiyohara couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"The Chakra conductivity... is excellent. If only I had a sword like this back in the day..."

His words were laced with regret.

"Then why didn't you make a good ninja sword?"

Kiyohara was curious about what this future version of himself was thinking.

With his strength, he could have easily afforded one.

"Because I felt that strength shouldn't rely on external objects. I believed I should reach a level where I could take on enemies even with a mere tree branch."

"..."

Kiyohara felt that this future self was a bit too arrogant.

Even Madara Uchiha in his Six Paths form could be sliced in half by Sasuke's enchanted Kusanagi Sword without the blade even chipping.

In the ninja world, having a good weapon and not having one were two completely different concepts, unless one's combat style didn't involve weapons at all.

"Then what about your extra money?"

Kiyohara continued to ask.

"Most of my mission rewards were spent on buying various so-called sword technique scrolls circulating on the market. You know, although Maruboshi Kosuke-sensei is a master of swordsmanship, his repertoire is limited. I longed to absorb the strengths of a hundred schools and forge my own path...

Unfortunately, nine out of ten scrolls on the market were fakes or incomplete fragments meant to swindle people. I wasted countless amounts of money and time; truly valuable ones were few and far between."

Young Kiyohara said.

"So he's a swordsmanship fanatic, and the kind that's easily scammed..."

Kiyohara realized this in his heart, feeling somewhat speechless.

It seemed this future self had taken quite a few detours on the path of pursuing the way of the sword.

However, the next moment, a ball of light emerged from within young Kiyohara's body.

The light ball quickly merged into Kiyohara's body, making him feel that his talent had changed once again.

His "spiritual energy" had been solidified and increased once more, and his perception had also improved slightly.

This was clearly a gift from the swordsman's will and mental strength that young Kiyohara had honed through countless trials.

Immediately following this, a warm and vigorous surge of life energy flowed through his limbs and bones like a hot spring, nourishing his meridians and muscles.

"This is... the manifestation of the Yang-style talent!"

Kiyohara immediately understood the source of this warm current.

Young Kiyohara possessed the Yang-style talent, and this portion of his talent was now being superimposed onto Kiyohara.

It was stacking with the negligible Yang-style talent Kiyohara originally possessed.

This meant that it would be much easier for Kiyohara to practice medical ninjutsu in the future.

Finally, and most importantly, was the insight regarding the "sword."

A massive amount of technique and experience regarding basic sword force, footwork, distance control, and the fundamental application of Chakra in sword strikes flooded into his brain all at once.

Although he hadn't immediately mastered the advanced Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Willow, his foundation and understanding of swordsmanship had been elevated to a brand-new height!

Many previously obscure and difficult-to-understand force-exertion techniques and sword theories were now as clear as clouds parting to reveal the sun!

This was the foundation young Kiyohara had built over twenty years!

Kiyohara felt very satisfied; although he hadn't fully integrated everything, beating his past self in a sword fight would be no problem at all.

He couldn't wait to test out his current state.

Griping the new sword, he moved his mind, and the speed of his hand seals seemed to have quickened by a fraction.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Current Technique!"

Crackle!

Almost the moment the hand seals were completed, pale blue electric arcs rapidly climbed onto the blade, emitting a piercing sound.

Kiyohara swung the blade a few times, executing some of the most basic Konoha-style swordsmanship moves he had just integrated into his instincts, such as diagonal slashes, straight thrusts, and upward strikes.

His movements still appeared somewhat unrefined, as muscle memory would take time to develop, but the way he exerted force had already changed.

With every swing, he could clearly feel the complete chain of power traveling from the soles of his feet, through his waist and hips, and into his arms; the blade moved with his body, heavy and powerful.

True unity of waist and stance!

The shopkeeper standing to the side felt a flash of surprise in his eyes and couldn't help but praise:

"The guest's swordsmanship is truly excellent; it is rare to see such a solid foundation."

Although his words contained a hint of flattery, he had indeed noticed that Kiyohara's swordsmanship was much stronger than it had been in the past.

The electric arcs on the blade gradually dissipated, and Kiyohara sheathed his sword and stood tall, hanging the scabbard at his waist.

He offered only a faint smile to the shopkeeper's praise, offering no explanation.

He efficiently paid the remaining balance, thanked the shopkeeper once more, and left the shop with the ninja sword.

Now that one dying wish was fulfilled, he had to find a way to complete the second one.

He needed to improve his strength as much as possible before Uchiha Madara began executing his plans.

Therefore, Kiyohara still felt a sense of urgency in his heart.

Watching Kiyohara's departing back, the shopkeeper stroked his chin and muttered to himself:

"A ninja sword forged from Chakra Metal, combined with such a solid foundation in swordsmanship—one can tell at a glance that he has spent years in diligent, step-by-step training..."

The shopkeeper felt that Kiyohara was no simple person; despite his youthful appearance, he possessed a level of swordsmanship that didn't match his age. Perhaps he was a genius in the way of the sword.

This reminded him of Konoha White Fang; who could say what Kiyohara's future achievements might be?

"I hope I can see him again next time."

The shopkeeper shook his head, knowing that only by staying alive could anything be possible; if one died, then there was nothing left.

Not long after Kiyohara returned to the base, new mission orders were issued. This time, it was a reconnaissance mission.

They were to head to an area where Kirigakure ninjas might have infiltrated to ascertain their movements and troop deployments, and to gather as much relevant intelligence as possible.

When Kiyohara received the mission, his heart stirred.

This was the perfect opportunity to test the changes after inheriting his legacy, as well as the power of his new blade.

Moreover... the area where Kirigakure was active was also a place where the Kirigakure ninja Ao might appear.

This would increase his chances of completing the second dying wish.

The team composition for this mission had changed. In addition to Kiyohara, Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and Genma Shiranui, two members of the Hyuga clan had been added to the team.

It was said that the higher-ups had specifically assigned them to strengthen their reconnaissance capabilities.

Of these two Hyuga clansmen, one was a slightly older male, about twenty years old, named Hyuga Nobuhiko.

The other was a young woman who looked to be eighteen or nineteen, named Hyuga Ginka.

Thinking of their sensitive status as members of the main branch, Kiyohara felt that something was wrong.

Oh no, the Byakugan that the Kirigakure ninja Ao steals wouldn't be theirs, would it!