Konoha Style Teacher · Gekko Hayate

The next day.

Before the sky had even brightened, Arata Uchiha opened his eyes.

The clock on the wall was stopped at 5:30, not a minute more or less; this was a biological clock carved into his bones, consistent for years on end.

Dressing, washing, and swallowing a Military Ration Pill to replace breakfast, he sat before the foyer to begin strapping on his weights. The entire sequence of movements was as rigid as a machine, without a single pause.

However, when his palm landed on the doorknob to leave, his actions slowed with uncharacteristic hesitation, and his gaze involuntarily turned back to rest upon the living room, which could be taken in at a single glance.

The table had already been tidied, leaving only a few bright red apples sitting there quietly.

But in Arata's eyes, a different scene played out:

"What is this?"

The girl held a snowflake-shaped hairpin, her eyes filled with confusion.

"So sweet."

She looked at the Three-Color Dango in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed; after putting it down several times, she finally finished it in small bites. It seemed that girls were always hard-pressed to escape the temptation of sweets.

However, that was as far as it went.

Throughout the entire evening, Yuki-onna had only spoken those two sentences, after which the room returned to silence.

Yet, this was enough to make Arata feel happy.

Perhaps everything would, as Izumi had said, slowly get better.

A ten-kilometer weighted run was the easiest part of Arata's daily routine; he simply had to circle the perimeter of the Uchiha compound.

By the time the sky was barely light, he had already finished it.

At this hour, the early-rising elders were already on the streets. Whenever Arata passed by, they would always offer a few words of praise, saying that there were few young people like him left in the clan, and how wonderful it would be if their own children were just like him.

Arata would habitually respond with politeness, sometimes lending a hand to carry things when the elders were in need.

Afterward, it was time to head to the clan's exclusive training ground for swordsmanship practice.

This was the most grueling part of his daily routine.

Compared to the tranquility of meditation or the clear objectives of the weighted run, the repetitive act of swinging a sword was the most monotonous.

Fortunately, Arata was fully capable of enduring such monotony, even coming to enjoy the sensation of every swing and the experience of his strength increasing.

"Three hundred forty-five."

"Three hundred forty-six."

"Three hund—"

Arata, training with mechanical precision, suddenly stopped, his gaze shifting to a spot behind a giant tree.

Someone was coming.

Even though the field of vision remained still and there was nothing unusual, he was certain.

The intruder possessed impressive concealment skills.

However, when it came to movement techniques, he was no slouch himself.

Two Shuriken slid quietly into his left hand. Including the Wakizashi and Katana, these ninja tools had been provided by Yashiro and were custom-made to suit Arata's condition.

He did not launch an attack immediately; after all, this was the Uchiha compound, and there were few who could bypass the guards and enter so brazenly.

Perhaps it was just some clansman wanting to play a joke on him.

But, was there anyone in the clan capable of completely concealing their presence?

No!

Wait.

Yes!

Obito Uchiha!

Was it him? Did Itachi let him in?

Arata's nerves tightened instantly, and his Single-Tomoe Sharingan manifested.

One had to know, he had just asked Yashiro yesterday to help him arrange a spar with that guy!

If he were facing the current Itachi, he might still have a sliver of a chance at victory, or even killing him, but if it were Obito, he would have no chance at all.

The Mangekyō was a chasm of strength that was simply impossible to cross!

Most importantly, the training ground in the early morning was usually occupied by him alone!

"Cough, cough."

However, just as he was frantically contemplating how to escape, a soft cough broke the silence of the training ground.

Simultaneously, a weak, listless question followed: "Are you Arata?"

At the source of the sound, ripples appeared in the space—or more accurately, ripples generated by the interplay of light and shadow—and within his field of vision, a thin, gaunt figure gradually manifested.

The newcomer wore the dark green flak jacket that symbolized a Jonin, with a ninja cap pulled low over his brown hair and a headband tied across his forehead, marking him as a ninja of Konoha.

Yet, what drew the most attention was his face; though he appeared quite young, his complexion was as pale as paper, and thick dark circles hung beneath his eyes, giving him a sickly, frail appearance.

"Gekko Hayate."

Arata immediately identified the man.

A Special Jonin of Konoha affiliated with the Anbu, he was particularly renowned for his mastery of Konoha-Style Kenjutsu.

The concealment technique used just moments ago must have been his signature ability, Transparent Escape; the Sharingan had failed to copy it, though it was unclear if that was due to insufficient ocular power or because the technique was a Kekkei Genkai.

"Yes."

Arata responded neither servilely nor overbearingly. His taut nerves relaxed slightly, and the Shuriken concealed in his left hand vanished from sight, though his Sharingan remained active.

This man must be the teacher Yashiro had found for him, though he had not expected him to arrive so soon.

"You cannot yet learn my swordsmanship."

"Give it up, cough, cough."

Gekko Hayate had arrived long ago and had been observing from a distance for some time.

The fact that the boy could come to the training ground at the crack of dawn to practice was enough to show his diligence.

But diligence alone was not enough; one should learn what is appropriate for their age, and to skip levels, one required a solid foundation.

As for his own presence being detected, he merely attributed it to the effects of the Sharingan, especially since he had not been hiding with any real seriousness.

This time, Arata did not answer.

If the man's swordsmanship was tied to Transparent Escape, then it would indeed be difficult for him to learn.

However, in his memories, did Uzuki Yugao not also know the Dance of the Crescent Moon of the Konoha-Style Kenjutsu?

"Shadow Clone is the prerequisite; it is worlds apart from the Clone Technique you used in your graduation exam."

Seeing the silent little fellow, Gekko Hayate spoke again.

Shadow Clone was a B-rank ninjutsu, something that only a ninja of at least Chunin level could master.

For a fledgling rookie who had just graduated, being able to perform one or two C-rank ninjutsu was already quite impressive.

"Shadow Clone?"

"Not Transparent Escape?"

Arata felt a weight lift from his heart.

Just as the man turned to leave, Arata moved. He crossed his index and middle fingers, and a single word fell softly: "Ren."

"Poof, poof."

Accompanied by the rising smoke, two figures identical to him appeared on either side.

Gekko Hayate was right; Shadow Clone and the Clone Technique were two concepts worlds apart—the former was B-rank, while the latter was merely an entry-level E-rank.

During his graduation exam, he could easily manifest dozens of clones, but he could only maintain two Shadow Clones.

After all, not everyone possessed the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, and there was only one Nine-Tails to pay the rent.

"Are two enough?"

Arata raised his eyes and asked.

Gekko Hayate fell silent.

His body, halfway through a turn, froze in place.

When had he learned the Shadow Clone technique?

He had somewhat forgotten.

But even if he had mastered the Shadow Clone, it did not mean this little fellow could learn his swordsmanship.

One had to know that techniques like the Konoha-Style Dance of the Crescent Moon and Moon Shadow were things that even in the Anbu, few could master as well as he did; it was a matter of talent.

However, when Gekko Hayate met those scarlet eyes, he fell silent once more.

The Copy Wheel Eye!

It could be said that one-third of the ninjutsu in Konoha's archives had been copied by the Uchiha Clan on the battlefield!

"Begin."

There was a hint of bitterness in Gekko Hayate's voice.