I Have Already Learned

The night wind blew cold and shrill, bringing with it an inexplicable chill.

Qin Yu did not return directly to the Cave to rest; instead, he turned and headed toward the dense forest not far away, coming to a sudden halt.

"You've followed me for long enough. It's time to show yourselves."

Two figures flashed out from the darkness in response.

Under the dappled moonlight, they were revealed to be Gekko Kuro Yoru and Gekko Hayate.

"Truly, the student has surpassed the master. To think you could detect my presence even with this." Gekko Kuro Yoru possessed the Transparent Release.

With this rare Kekkei Genkai, he had become the most formidable silent killer in Konoha.

He had expected to gain the upper hand with it, never imagining that Qin Yu would see through it in an instant.

"You were currying favor with me in public earlier, and now you're tailing me. You must have something on your mind." Qin Yu glanced back at Gekko Hayate.

"Your Gekko Clan's Transparent Release is decent, but with this dead weight in tow, how could you possibly hope to evade my notice?"

Gekko Kuro Yoru offered a helpless smile.

He was hailed as one of the Eight Colors of Konoha, but compared to him, Gekko Hayate was indeed lacking.

Moreover, compared to the terrifying youth before them, the gap was as vast as heaven and earth.

"Qin Yu, please don't misunderstand. I followed you this time to resolve the grudge between you and Gekko Hayate," Gekko Kuro Yoru said, getting straight to the point.

"Our Gekko Clan, aside from our Kekkei Genkai, excels in swordsmanship. The Dance of the Crescent Moon is our family's ultimate technique."

"The reason the outside world mentions me in the same breath as the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, is precisely because of this swordsmanship."

Qin Yu was somewhat surprised by Gekko Kuro Yoru's actions.

However, having acquired Samehada and the Thunder Blade, Qin Yu had indeed considered learning some sword techniques.

Otherwise, it would be a disgrace for such legendary blades to fall into his hands only to be used for simple hacking and slashing.

Qin Yu had originally planned to find Hatake Kakashi after returning to Konoha to see if there was any way to obtain Hatake Sakumo's swordsmanship.

He never expected someone to deliver it to his doorstep.

"Qin Yu, I ask for nothing else. As long as you can protect Gekko Hayate at a critical moment, the previous incident will be wiped clean. I will pass the Dance of the Crescent Moon on to you," Gekko Kuro Yoru said urgently.

Qin Yu frowned, glanced at the visibly nervous Gekko Hayate, and said, "Forget it. I have no interest in trading for something by using a brat as a hostage."

Watching Qin Yu turn to leave after dropping those words, Gekko Kuro Yoru froze, then hurriedly called out, "Qin Yu, don't misunderstand! I intended to pass this technique to you from the very beginning."

Seeing him use the Body Flicker Technique to appear before him, and observing the desperation on Gekko Kuro Yoru's face, it was the first time Qin Yu realized the greatness of a father's love.

To settle such a trivial matter, he was even willing to give away his family's ultimate technique.

However, this played right into Qin Yu's hands.

"Qin Yu, please accept it, otherwise Hayate will never have peace of mind," Gekko Kuro Yoru pleaded.

There are only two ways to deal with a grudge against a powerhouse.

First, kill the powerhouse.

Second, live in constant fear, worrying that one day the powerhouse might be in a bad mood, remember the incident, and decide to kill you.

Furthermore, when facing Qin Yu, it was clear that Gekko Hayate only had the first option left.

"It would be a waste not to take what's delivered to my door. I shall accept your offer," Qin Yu said, unfolding the scroll with a backhand motion.

As he looked at the contents recorded within, a system prompt echoed in his mind.

Detected S-rank swordsmanship: Dance of the Crescent Moon. Does the host wish to master it instantly?

"Master it immediately." Qin Yu did not hesitate in the slightest.

Ding!

Congratulations to the host, Dance of the Crescent Moon has reached maximum level.

Feeling the surge of memories regarding the Dance of the Crescent Moon flooding his mind, Qin Yu closed the scroll and handed it back to Gekko Kuro Yoru.

"Qin Yu, what's wrong?" Gekko Kuro Yoru was taken aback.

In his eyes, only a minute or two had passed since Qin Yu took the scroll.

"You don't think this scroll is fake, do you?"

When someone takes the initiative to flatter another, their greatest fear is being misunderstood.

Gekko Kuro Yoru was currently gripped by this exact sentiment.

He had given away his family's ultimate treasure; if he were still suspected, it would be utterly stifling.

"No, I have already learned it. I have no use for the scroll," Qin Yu said indifferently.

Looking at the dead-serious Qin Yu, Gekko Kuro Yoru and Gekko Hayate were left completely stunned.

As a successor of the Gekko Clan, Gekko Kuro Yoru, with his exceptional talent, had spent an entire year to master the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

Gekko Hayate's talent was slightly lacking, yet it still took him over two years to master it.

However, the two of them were hailed as the most gifted successors since the clan patriarch who first created the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

As one of the Eight Colors of Konoha, Gekko Kuro Yoru was even renowned as the one who carried forward and popularized the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

All this time, they had taken great pride in the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

Yet now, Qin Yu opened his mouth and told them he had learned the Dance of the Crescent Moon in just two minutes.

This was simply too hard to believe.

"You don't believe me?" Qin Yu said with a faint smile.

Gekko Kuro Yoru was stunned for a moment, then braced himself and nodded in agreement.

He had taught the Dance of the Crescent Moon to Qin Yu solely to resolve their grudge and, incidentally, to sow a seed of goodwill.

If Qin Yu hadn't actually learned it, all his efforts would have been in vain.

Gekko Kuro Yoru did not want to provoke Qin Yu, but under these circumstances, he had no choice but to bite the bullet.

"To avoid hurting anyone, let's use tree branches instead." Qin Yu reached out with his right hand through the air.

Two three-foot-long branches landed directly in their hands.

"Chakra thread manipulation—this is the foundation of a puppeteer!" Gekko Kuro Yoru's expression shifted slightly.

He was once again astonished by Qin Yu's powerful chakra control.

"Stop when you hit the mark; let's begin." Qin Yu didn't pay it any mind.

The moment he looked at Gekko Kuro Yoru, he took a step forward.

"Moon Shadow?" Gekko Kuro Yoru's expression changed abruptly.

With no time to think, he hurriedly turned and thrust his hand backward.

Puchi!

Although the object in Gekko Kuro Yoru's hand was merely an ordinary branch, in his grip, it felt like a sharp blade.

As the sound of air being torn apart rose, chakra surged forth.

Whistling winds wrapped around the branch, enhancing its cutting power significantly.

At the same time, the branch pierced directly into Qin Yu's body.

However, there was no spray of blood; the Qin Yu who had appeared behind him gradually twisted and turned illusory.

"I am behind you." The familiar voice rang out once more.

Gekko Kuro Yoru's face changed drastically.

"Sun-Moon Returning Shadow Strike!"

This was a move from the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

It utilized afterimages and clones to confuse the enemy and seize the initiative.

Once a mistake was made and a false target was attacked, it would invite a fatal blow.

Initially, Gekko Kuro Yoru had thought Qin Yu was joking.

But now, seeing that Qin Yu could not only perform Moon Shadow but also the Sun-Moon Returning Shadow Strike, it completely exceeded his understanding.