Araki's thinking was very clear.
Pure swordsmanship, without any additional enhancement, would not get far in this world.
So it had to adapt to local conditions and merge with ninjutsu.
But the hierarchy between the two had to be clear.
This time, it was using the sword to command techniques.
To put it exaggeratedly, a single sword gave rise to countless arts!
That was why he had the current members of the [Blood Blade Unit] undergo basic swordsmanship training.
Because ninjas, especially Mist Village ninjas who had to face killing from a very young age, simply did not have much time to solidify their taijutsu foundations.
It was impossible for them to do what Might Duy and his son did—run hundreds of laps around the village every day from childhood, then do push-ups, squats, leg kicks, and all kinds of other exercises.
Did they think becoming a lifelong genin meant they could avoid slaughter and spend every day in the village doing D-rank missions like finding cats and dogs?
Dream on!
Kirigakure had no missions like that at all!
All their training took place in the gaps between missions, or even during missions themselves. Through nonstop real combat, they corrected their past bad habits and streamlined their movements.
If they could not do that, they could only die.
And once their strength reached a certain level, when survival was no longer an immediate concern, the gains those basic exercises could bring them became too small.
The deeply ingrained, highly utilitarian training habits they had developed since childhood made them unwilling to do things where the rewards did not match the effort.
From another perspective, it was somewhat like the difference between orthodox cultivation and demonic cultivation.
Orthodox cultivation was balanced and steady. Progress was slow while laying the foundation in