"Kaori, move a little faster. The essence of Fire Form lies in a continuous flurry of high-speed strikes."
Uchiha Iori parried a sword strike as he spoke to Uzuki Kaori.
"Also, study the swordsmanship notes I gave you. Void Form is the true secret art."
The swordsmanship notes Uchiha Iori had given her came from the sword demon Miyamoto Iori.
One night, they were drinking together in the Hall of Heroes. Halfway through, Miyamoto Iori raised his cup and suddenly proposed a duel.
After being cut down by Tsubame Gaeshi three times in a row, Uchiha Iori flew into a rage and used Susanoo.
He recalled what had happened.
"Do you still want to fight?" Miyamoto Iori's voice was calm as still water, but his gaze was sharp as a blade. "I've figured out your swordsmanship. You have no chance of winning."
Uchiha Iori was a little annoyed and embarrassed. His face reddened as he said, "Again. This time, I'll go all out."
"Very well. Niten Ichiryū, Banri Ikku, Miyamoto Iori Sadatsugu. Please instruct me." Miyamoto Iori assumed his stance and spoke calmly.
"My Style, Uchiha Iori. Please instruct me." Uchiha Iori took a deep breath to steady himself, then activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Void Form: Iai." Miyamoto Iori sheathed his sword and unleashed a flash of iai. Countless blades of sword energy came flying at him like a violent storm.
"Feast your eyes on my mighty Susanoo! Die!" Uchiha Iori grinned recklessly as a colossal giant rose from the ground.
Miyamoto Iori's sword energy struck Susanoo's armor, unable to break through and deal any damage. It only sparked against the surface.
"I've never seen a technique like that. It looks a little like the Gozu Tennō summoned by Ushi Gozen." Miyamoto Iori sounded surprised, but his expression remained calm.
He had fought giant enemies before, but this giant was simply enormous.
"This time, you don't have Takeru's Yamata no Dotō or Ame no Murakumo. Let's see how you handle this!" Uchiha Iori was excited. At last, he could get even.
Six swords swung in succession, whipping up a gale and striking the earth, leaving deep furrows in their wake.
Miyamoto Iori was nimble. Following the flow of the air, he dodged Susanoo's blows one after another, dancing through the wind like a graceful swallow.
"Not necessarily. Sword Art: Shukuchi." Miyamoto Iori flashed into motion and ran up Susanoo's arm, moving as fast as the wind.
Seeing this, Uchiha Iori shook Susanoo, trying to fling Miyamoto Iori off.
Miyamoto Iori leaped, coming level with Uchiha Iori, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"Secret Sword: Tsubame Gaeshi: Winged Pair." Uchiha Iori's vision suddenly went dark. Six streaks of sword light appeared before him at the same instant, as if time itself had stopped.
A peerless sword technique born from combining Ganryū's supreme secret art, Tsubame Gaeshi, with the strengths of Niten Ichiryū. A secret sword that did not exist in orthodox history appeared before him.
Faced with this fearsome swordsmanship, which could produce a phenomenon of multiple layers of distorted dimensions, even Susanoo's defenses could not hold.
The sword light pierced through Susanoo and slashed straight at Uchiha Iori.
Poof. Uchiha Iori turned into a cloud of smoke.
"What!" For the first time, Miyamoto Iori looked shocked. His heart sank.
The Uchiha Iori inside Susanoo had actually been a Shadow Clone. The real one had disappeared long ago.
"Gáe Bolg." From outside Miyamoto Iori's field of vision, Uchiha Iori unleashed his Noble Phantasm and thrust the spear at him.
The spear pierced Miyamoto Iori through the heart from behind. Agonizing pain spread through his body in an instant. The sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
Uchiha Iori smiled. "This time, I was a little stronger."
"I lost. I'm satisfied." Miyamoto Iori's lips curled into a smile.
"Looks like I've made another friend through the sword." He closed his eyes, content.
Afterward, the essence of both Niten Ichiryū and Ganryū, which Miyamoto Iori had possessed, entered Uchiha Iori's mind.
He organized those memories into notes and gave them to Uzuki Kaori, hoping she could learn some of the techniques' finer points.
After several days of personal instruction, Uzuki Kaori's swordsmanship improved greatly, and she mastered three of the five forms: Earth, Water, and Fire.
Iori hoped she could master Niten Ichiryū and become a Kage Level fighter.
Iori also gave a copy of the same notes to Gekko Nobuhiko, repaying him for his past guidance and protection.
Iori was never stingy when it came to giving to his benefactors and friends.
He sincerely hoped his friends would have better lives.
Returning to the present, Iori decided to demonstrate the secret art of Niten Ichiryū, giving Uzuki Kaori a clear goal to strive for.
Uchiha Iori dropped the sword in his hand and projected two wooden swords, one long and one short.
"Kaori, watch closely. This is the secret art of Niten Ichiryū: Void Form: Iai."
"Yes." Uzuki Kaori answered solemnly, focusing her attention on Iori's swords.
Uzuki Kaori sheathed her short sword and assumed the stance of Earth Form.
"Void Form: Iai." Iori sheathed his sword and unleashed a flash of iai. Countless blades of sword energy flew toward Uzuki Kaori.
Uzuki Kaori swung her swords in a tight, unbroken flurry, but she still couldn't defend against the strikes.
"There are only two ways to defend against this move: dodge, or have defenses strong enough that it can't break through," Iori told her.
Iori's sword energy only grazed her, leaving her completely unharmed. His swordsmanship had reached a supernatural level, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Building on the foundations of Uchiha Style and Konoha Style, he had absorbed the traits of Emiya Style swordsmanship and Ancient Irish Swordsmanship and spear techniques, then combined them with the essence of Niten Ichiryū and Ganryū. Uchiha Iori's swordsmanship was now every bit as good as a Type-Moon Sword Saint's.
"That's terrifying swordsmanship. The unending attacks come crashing down like waves, leaving no way to defend against them."
Uzuki Kaori marveled at the sharpness and power of Iori's swordsmanship.
"Your control is truly peerless. Your attacks are so dense, yet every one of them passes right by me without landing a single hit."
"That's the foundation of swordsmanship. Anyone who can't control their own sword is nothing but its slave."
Iori looked at her somewhat sternly.
"Lord Iori, Lord Jiraiya wishes to see you about something." A ninja appeared beside Iori with the Body Flicker Technique, knelt on one knee, and delivered the message.
"Understood. I'll go right away." Iori nodded to him, and the ninja left.
"Kaori, I'll be going now. Keep practicing."
"Okay." Uzuki Kaori picked up her two swords again, ready to continue training.
Iori used the Body Flicker Technique to leave for the command tent.
The five forms of Niten Ichiryū: the single-sword Earth Form, suited to defense; the dual-sword Water Form, suited to fighting multiple opponents; the single-sword Wind Form, which combined with Magecraft for exorcism; the dual-sword Fire Form, suited to powerful assaults; and Niten Ichiryū's secret art, the lightning-fast iai of Void Form.
Secret Sword: Tsubame Gaeshi
A killing sword that slashed through the opponent's guard and went straight for their head with blades approaching from three directions "simultaneously." Strictly speaking, it was neither a Noble Phantasm nor a phenomenon brought about by Magecraft. It had originally been developed as a technique for cutting down swallows in flight.
A single flash from the real world, followed by two more slashes that ignored the concept of time and space and overlapped with it in perfect simultaneity, producing attacks from three directions. It was a "multiple-dimensional refraction phenomenon (Kischur Zelretch)" that surpassed factors such as speed, precision, and feints. Though limited, it had reached the lofty heights of the "Second Magic."
Secret Sword: Tsubame Gaeshi: Winged Pair
A secret dual-sword technique, an unparalleled art created by combining the strengths of "Niten Ichiryū" and "Ganryū." It unleashed six slashes at once with two swords.