Three Anbu attacked head-on, while three more cut in from the flanks, unleashing three consecutive jutsu in an instant.
"Using genjutsu in front of an Uchiha? I wonder if that's confidence or stupidity."
Uchiha Shisui's lips curled upward as his Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated.
Genjutsu Reversal!
The Anbu who had cast the genjutsu was instantly trapped by his own Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.
One of his Anbu teammates thought Shisui had been controlled and sprang out to ambush him with Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu. But the moment he popped his head aboveground, he found himself staring into a pair of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Another Anbu used a Water Release jutsu to extinguish Shisui's Great Fireball Technique.
Of the six Anbu, Shisui had already tied up three as soon as they made their move.
That alone showed part of Shisui's strength.
"I'm stealing the kill!"
Baiyu had been lying low for a long time, waiting for just such an opportunity.
He rushed first toward the Anbu trapped in the genjutsu. When the man finally broke free, a blade was waiting for him.
"Defeated an elite jonin. Received 5,000 Draw-Sword Technique rewards."
"The reward for drawing my sword has gone down. Is it because I've gotten stronger?"
The Mist Ninja Anbu had rewarded him with 10,000 last time.
Or were these Anbu simply weaker than his previous opponents?
Seeing the system message, Baiyu furrowed his brow, his mind filling with questions.
Five thousand for killing an elite jonin? That was less than he got from a morning of training.
Baiyu pondered it, but his hands never stopped moving.
"Advanced Iaijutsu!"
After acquiring the full set of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sword techniques, Baiyu had excitedly tried out the ultimate technique, Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, and promptly forgotten about Advanced Iaijutsu.
Now that a new enemy had appeared, it was the perfect chance to test its power.
Godspeed!
The light, nimble footwork of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
Baiyu's figure appeared beside the Anbu who had been casting a jutsu.
A flash of cold steel.
The Anbu died without feeling a thing. For an instant, he only felt time freeze. Even as he lost consciousness, he had no idea what had happened.
"His speed doubled, enough to land four strikes in a second! But my chakra and body can't handle the strain of moving this fast. I need to strengthen my physique as soon as possible and keep up with my swordsmanship."
The system's rewards had brought rapid progress, but he still needed the training to match.
This time, as he drew his sword, he felt a tearing sensation in his body for the first time.
And this still wasn't the fastest speed of Iai Style: Advanced Iaijutsu.
"Ding-dong. Completed task count: 18024/1000000."
Baiyu returned the Kusanagi Sword to its sheath.
The sword and sheath didn't fit well together, and the friction between them slowed his draw.
Judging by the wear, the sheath would fall apart after three or four more uses of Iaijutsu at most.
Once he strengthened his physique, used the Breathing Style specific to his sword techniques, and replaced the sheath with one that fit, his speed would increase and his attacks would hit harder!
Baiyu couldn't steal the kill from beneath Uchiha Shisui's feet.
Before he could reach them, Shisui had already slit the Anbu's throat with his short sword.
The three Anbu who had cut in from the flanks saw how strong the pair were and promptly abandoned their mission, fleeing instead.
They ran much faster than they had attacked.
Shisui didn't pursue them. Instead, he began dealing with the battlefield.
He seemed to know the Anbu's objective.
Baiyu noticed Shisui's expression. Had the Uchiha received some new intelligence? The Root ninja who knew the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique had been sent after them. Their target was the Uchiha clan members...
Without a word, he walked over to the two of them and saw a familiar gleam in Itachi's eyes.
Could the kid be looking up to me?
A thought suddenly crossed Baiyu's mind.
"A little fangirl would be fine, but a little fanboy? No thanks."
Baiyu shook his head.
In his eyes, Uchiha Itachi was just a rebellious brat, maybe even a little chuunibyou.
He hadn't become like Uchiha Shisui yet, constantly thinking about the clan and world peace.
He was turning him down because of his gender.
Shisui, on the other hand, looked out for his young successor. He taught Itachi all sorts of jutsu and shared his training experience with him.
He slipped in plenty of his own opinions, and didn't bother hiding them from Baiyu as he explained.
Baiyu wasn't interested. The path of ninjutsu was just another way to grow stronger.
But swordsmanship let him improve faster—and it was fun.
What could matter more than having fun?
"Your swordsmanship has improved again!"
Uchiha Shisui sighed. When he had first seen Baiyu's swordsmanship, he had been impressed. Now it was enough to leave him shocked.
The speed Baiyu had just shown was on par with the Body Flicker Technique.
Before, Baiyu had only been fast with his blade. Now his body speed was close to that of the Body Flicker Technique...
He had improved at a rate Shisui had never heard of.
Baiyu shook his head and said nothing.
He knew better than anyone how far he still had to go.
As he sailed across the vast ocean of swordsmanship, Baiyu had glimpsed just one corner of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
After using Advanced Iaijutsu once, he realized that Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki was actually a variation of Iaijutsu. The ultimate technique of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu was a super-high-speed draw.
What about the other styles?
What place did the Iai Slash hold among the sword techniques of other styles?
Ever since Baiyu had become a master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, this was the first time he had independently considered the connections between sword techniques. He had begun to touch the truth of the Way of the Sword.
The Iai Style he had started with was one of Japan's ancient schools of swordsmanship, combining the essence of many sword styles.
A sword master's movements were simple: training began when the sword left its sheath and ended when it returned.
A complete draw!
The swordsman filled in all the empty spaces along the way with killing moves. Those moves were sword techniques.
Drawing the sword was the beginning of swordsmanship; returning it to its sheath was the end.
After each draw, every movement apart from returning the sword to its sheath was a sword technique...
The combination of individual techniques formed a school of swordsmanship.
Having acquired Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Baiyu experienced an epiphany for the first time.
A conversation among the techniques of different schools, and between sword techniques and the world around him, flashed wildly through his mind.
It was as if he were standing in a world full of flying swords!
Countless divine swords circled around him, each one tracing a flawless path.
The divine swords seemed to perform a dance made entirely of sword techniques, directing and starring in it themselves.
Baiyu desperately tried to get closer, but only found himself drifting farther away.
Just as he began to despair, two blue blades came hurtling toward him, one sharp on one side, the other on the opposite side.
This was—Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
Memories passed down through generations surfaced once more.
The divine sword seemed almost human. It spoke:
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu originated in the early days of the shogunate. At first, its unique sword techniques were primarily defensive.
"Over time, the sword masters of this school developed it into a distinctive style of swordsmanship known for its speed and ferocity.
"Among its techniques, the most famous is the ultimate technique, a super-high-speed draw. It evolved from Iai Style: Iaijutsu.
"From easiest to most difficult, the techniques of this style are Ryuso Sen, Doryu Sen, Ryukan Sen, Ryutsui Sen, Ryusho Sen, Soryu Sen, Hiryu Sen, Ryumei Sen, Kuzuryu Sen, and the ultimate technique, Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki.
"They say that after breaking through the Sword Master realm, there is an even stronger technique beyond the ultimate one."
The moment the voice fell silent, the scene shattered.
The twin blades representing Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu merged into his body.
In that instant, Baiyu recalled everything from his Iai Style Iaijutsu to Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's ultimate technique, as well as every predicament and problem he had faced in the Naruto World.
Enlightenment came in a single moment.
Nothing in the outside world could distract him from pursuing the Way of the Sword!
At last, Baiyu faced the goal in his heart and believed in it with unwavering certainty.
"Do as you please, and listen to the wind!"
Baiyu smiled faintly.
Follow the Way of the Sword, and live a free and unrestrained life.
When the sword heart is lost, the laws lose their spirit.
Where the heart leads, the Way of the Sword reaches the divine!
```
"Ding-dong. Congratulations, host! You have advanced to the Sword Master realm. Reward: one draw."
"Ding-dong. Congratulations, host, on entering the Sword Master realm! You have grasped the Sword Heart for the first time: Wanderer. Reward: Wind-Riding Sword Technique! Note: A wanderer presses ever onward, lives in the face of death, and begins again."
"Ding-dong. The Wind-Riding Sword Technique is the style passed down by Yasuo the Unforgiven, the Wind-Chasing Sword Master. You must comprehend the wind's path to truly wield it. Go with the wind, but remember to keep an eye on what lies behind you. —Yasuo!"
"Ding-dong. Since the host has grasped the first level of the Sword Heart, the advancement quest, Path of the Great Swordsman, is now available. Master three or more Sword Hearts. (1/3)"
"Ding-dong. You have comprehended the Sword Master's exclusive skill, Mind's Eye. Sense all emotional fluctuations within a hundred meters. Note: Look into your own heart, and let the sword follow."
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