The Second Sword Master

The chunin teacher at the Ninja Academy gave them a full month to learn how to walk on water, and during this time, many students who hadn't qualified for the training snuck over to watch.

It was at this moment that the cruel side of the Kirigakure Ninja Academy was laid bare.

Those students who had earned the right to learn water-walking as victors naturally stepped forward to defend their rights as winners; they joined forces to beat those who dared to sneak over until they were bruised and battered, even issuing warnings that no one was allowed to teach them in secret, or they would be beaten as well!

One could say this showcased the "unity and friendship" of Kirigakure to the fullest extent.

However, Araki was unaware of these events, because after spending three days fully mastering water-walking, he stopped going to that beach.

Compared to training with everyone else, he was more accustomed to practicing alone.

Moreover, feeling that he had completely digested Asuna's swordsmanship, Araki was somewhat impatient to learn new sword techniques.

Still in the empty, deep, and pitch-black space of his consciousness, Araki flipped the page and first noticed that his information had changed once again.

[Name]: Araki (Yachiru)
[Realm]: Swordsmanship Mastery
[Sword Techniques]: Combo Skill (Max Eight-Hit Combo: Stardust Splash), Dash Skill (Flash Thrust)
[Others]: Chakra Refinement Technique, Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique

"Ah, Swordsmanship Mastery—this realm sounds much better!"

Araki nodded, evaluating it with a serious expression.

"Alright, let me see who the second master swordsman is!"

He used his consciousness to flip the page and saw the image of a swordsman dressed in a rather classical kimono.

The man had long, brownish-red hair tied in a ponytail, a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, and his brownish-red pupils seemed to reflect a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Himura Kenshin! No, that's not right—this killing intent, this is Battosai the Manslayer!"

Araki's pupils constricted sharply; he had recognized the identity of the person before him.

Himura Kenshin, the fourteenth successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, had once joined the Kiheitai, a group specializing in assassination, and had killed countless people. Because he was a master of the iaijutsu (quick-draw) style, he was known as "Battosai the Manslayer." Later, due to the establishment of a new era, he resolved never to kill again and became a wandering swordsman, his skill with the blade growing ever more profound.

After Himura Kenshin was manifested, he did not give Araki much time to think.

"Bet your sword and your heart, and complete a life of battle!"

The swordsman in the red and white kimono held the scabbard in one hand and the hilt in the other, rushing toward Araki at high speed with his blade still sheathed.

"Hmph, iaijutsu, is it? Then let me see what you've got!"

Araki held his sword in one hand, pushed off the ground, and launched a charge at a speed that was not inferior to his opponent's.

"Flash Thrust!"

When the two were about five meters apart, Araki exerted force again, his speed suddenly increasing. Man and sword seemed to transform into a streak of light, carrying the momentum to pierce through everything as he thrust directly at Himura Kenshin's chest.

Facing this high-speed strike, Himura Kenshin's expression remained as calm as ever. His footsteps suddenly shifted, as if ignoring the inertia of his forward charge; his body twisted significantly, dodging Araki's blade by a hair's breadth, and then, utilizing the rotational force of his body, he drew his blade!

"Dragon Coil Flash: Whirl!"

This slash seemed to perfectly convert the kinetic energy he had accumulated during his charge; it was powerful and heavy, as if a whirlwind had truly been unleashed from the scabbard.

However, the current Araki was no longer the novice swordsman who would be instantly killed by Asuna.

The moment [Flash Thrust] missed, Araki flicked his wrist and followed up with [Stardust Splash]!

The sword shadow, which had previously been like a streak of light, instantly split into thousands; eight sword shadows appeared simultaneously, once again shrouding all of Himura Kenshin's vital points.

Himura Kenshin swept his blade horizontally, but he only managed to extinguish three of the sword shadows, leaving him no choice but to continue parrying.

"Dragon Coil Flash: Wind Bind!"

"Dragon Coil Flash: Storm!"

It took a full set of three Dragon Coil strikes to completely block Araki's eight sword shadows.

But just then, Araki whispered silently:

"It's not over yet!"

[Stardust Splash] was not just a combo of eight sword shadows; it had a final, most powerful piercing attack that followed—that was the truly lethal strike!

He suddenly accelerated his hand movements, seizing the gap after Himura Kenshin had unleashed three strikes, and thrust the winning sword!

Clang!

Just as Araki saw the dawn of victory, a faint ringing of a blade suddenly entered his ears.

This sound was not particularly loud or piercing, but it felt as if it had struck a vital nerve, causing Araki's cochlea to ache instantly, and then he felt his entire body lose control.

"No, it's not that I can't control my body, it's that I seem to have lost my sense of balance—I don't know how to control my body anymore!"

Although Araki calmly analyzed his current situation, it was already too late.

Himura Kenshin, having sheathed his sword, drew it again with god-like speed, unleashing a gust of air that pulled Araki's body toward him before he delivered a second slash without a single opening!

"Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!"

Araki opened his eyes and rubbed his ears with some annoyance, muttering to himself:

"That's really cheating—we agreed on a sword fight, and you used sound to interfere!"

"However, the power of that sword hum was simply too great; it instantly shattered the semicircular canals in my ears, causing me to lose all control over my body's balance."

"And to top it off, he had to show off by finishing me with an ultimate move."

"Hmph, if I hadn't lost control of my body at that moment, I wouldn't have been afraid of Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki at all. A simple Substitution Technique would have dodged it easily!"

After muttering to himself for a long time, Araki finally sighed:

"It seems that until I find a way to counter that [Dragon Cry Flash], I'm doomed to be one-sidedly abused again? But it feels a bit better than last time. Aside from Dragon Cry Flash, it seems Kenshin and I are evenly matched? If I could also learn Dragon Cry Flash..."

Araki looked at the longsword in his hand, his expression turning bitter:

"Why is it that the swords in Kirigakure basically don't have scabbards!"

In fact, this was true, and it wasn't just Kirigakure; there were very few swords in the entire Naruto World that came with scabbards. From what he could recall, only Sasuke and Killer B carried their blades with scabbards, while other ninjas who used swords...

Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword had a scabbard that was his own mouth; the Second Hokage's Sword of the Thunder God didn't have a scabbard either. Others seemed to just carry their swords on their backs, where having a scabbard or not made no difference, as they couldn't be drawn during combat anyway.

"Could it be that I have to go to the Land of Iron to find a good sword that comes with a scabbard?"

Araki patted his forehead. "Forget it, the sound of a sword hum isn't only produced when sheathing a blade. I'd better try flicking the blade first!"

New book, please add to your library and vote for recommendations~