I Want to Borrow a Sword

A crisp "snap" echoed through the ninja tool shop. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head helplessly as he said, "Shopkeeper, you aren't still holding a grudge over last time, are you? How many swords is this now? Can't you just give me one that won't break?"

Hearing this, the shopkeeper's face turned sour, his tone laced with lingering fear: "Oh, Young Master Sasuke, how could I dare? What you're holding right now is the highest-quality sword in our shop. I swear, I'm really not lying to you..."

Seeing the shopkeeper bowing and nodding repeatedly, Sasuke frowned. He sensed the man wasn't lying, and a dilemma began to stir in his mind. What am I supposed to do now? Without a suitable sword, I can't perform the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Doesn't that mean I'll have sealed away half my strength before even fighting Kakashi?

He looked at the sword snapped into two pieces in his hand and fell into deep thought. His current chakra reserves were not optimistic, and his Taijutsu was nothing out of the ordinary. If he had to name his strongest trump card right now, it would likely be the Dance of the Crescent Moon. But if he couldn't use it because he lacked a compatible sword, he would be frustrated to death.

With this thought, Sasuke took a deep breath and turned back to the shopkeeper, unwilling to give up. "Shopkeeper, you've been in this business for so many years—can't you think of a way to help me? As long as you can solve this for me, money is no object..."

Merchants chase profit, but fortunately, as long as the money is right, their efficiency is beyond reproach. Thus, Sasuke decided to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive and unleashed his ultimate technique: [Money Talks].

Hearing this, the shopkeeper looked troubled. He paused for a moment before slowly replying, "Young Master Sasuke, even if I found someone to custom-make one for you, given your erratic swordsmanship, I doubt a new blade could withstand such abuse. Besides, didn't you say you needed it by tomorrow?" His tone was tactful, but every word was a stinging blow.

After listening patiently, Sasuke felt his heart go cold. After a long silence, he sighed, stood up, and replied, "Forget it, then. I'll find a way myself..."

He hadn't held out much hope, but just as Sasuke reached the door, the shopkeeper suddenly called out to him, "Wait..."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "Is there something else?"

The shopkeeper pursed his lips, looking as if he had something to say but was too afraid to speak, stammering and hesitant. Seeing this, Sasuke frowned, his tone turning displeased: "What is it? Didn't I pay you for those substandard broken swords earlier? Why are you acting like this? Do you have a problem with me?"

Having failed to find a suitable sword, Sasuke was already in a foul mood. Now that the shopkeeper was calling him back only to stammer, his temper flared, and his words began to carry a hint of gunpowder.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper turned green with fright. He hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "No, no, no, Young Master Sasuke, please don't misunderstand. It's just that I suddenly thought of a way to meet your needs, it's just that... it's just that..."

"Just what!?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Sasuke couldn't sit still! Finding a suitable sword was no longer just a necessity for tomorrow's test; it was essential for whether he could use the Dance of the Crescent Moon in the future.

The shopkeeper leaned in close and whispered mysteriously into Sasuke's ear, "You could try looking for that beautiful female ninja who wanted to buy your sword the other day. She's a ninja, and she specializes in using swords."

"We ordinary people have no way, but believe me, as a ninja, she must have a way!..."

"Holy crap..."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke's eyes lit up instantly, and even a curse from before his transmigration slipped out in his excitement:

"Brilliant! If you hadn't reminded me, you sly dog, I would have almost forgotten about that..."

"Many thanks..."

Thwack!

With a wave of his hand, Sasuke tossed a stack of bills onto the counter nearby.

Before the shopkeeper could even react, a puff of white smoke erupted where Sasuke had been standing.

In an instant, nothing remained but a log, leaving the shopkeeper standing there in a daze...

After a long while, the shopkeeper finally snapped out of his stupor.

Yet, his first instinct wasn't to check the money on the counter, but to trot to the doorway and shout into the empty air:

"Young Master! You must never tell that female ninja that it was me who gave you the idea!..."

Sasuke, of course, did not hear the shopkeeper's desperate cry.

By now, he had already zipped his way to the front of Gekko Hayate's house.

As he approached, the scene was as familiar as it had been that day.

The cherry blossom tree, the bench...

But unlike last time, there was a pair of lovers locked in a tight embrace beneath the cherry tree...

Caught off guard by this sudden display of affection, Sasuke twitched his mouth, thinking:

No wonder a dignified elite jonin has such poor physical condition and permanent dark circles...

With the two of you being this clingy, you'll eventually die from exhaustion!...

Thinking this, he moved a little closer without realizing it, finally causing the two lovebirds to notice him.

Gekko Hayate released Uzuki Yugao's fair hand and turned around. Seeing that it was Sasuke, he scratched his head in embarrassment and gave an awkward laugh:

"Sasuke? You're here?..."

"Heh, is there something in Konoha you can't solve on your own that requires my help?..."

The moment he saw Sasuke, he understood.

He had promised Sasuke earlier.

As long as Sasuke burned the scroll after failing to learn Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, he would compensate him by helping him out once.

In his view, it was only natural that Sasuke couldn't master Konoha-Style Swordsmanship.

He just hadn't expected the day he would need to step in to arrive so soon.

Hearing Gekko Hayate's words, Sasuke immediately grasped the man's meaning.

He smiled, stepped forward, and replied respectfully:

"Senior Gekko Hayate, you guessed right. I do have a small matter, and it really does require your help..."

Hearing this, Gekko Hayate laughed and waved his hand heroically:

"No problem, just say what it is. I'm not the type to go back on my word..."

Hearing this, a cunning arc curled at the corner of Sasuke's mouth as he stared at Gekko Hayate:

"You said it yourself!"

"Once I say it, you absolutely cannot go back on your word!..."

Frowning, Gekko Hayate suddenly felt that something was amiss.

A few seconds later, he seemed to realize something.

He scrutinized the Sasuke before him and replied cautiously:

"Sasuke, I'll say this upfront."

"Although I promised to help you once."

"I won't do anything that violates Konoha's regulations."

"That is my integrity as a Konoha ninja, do you understand?..."

"Heh..."

Hearing this, Sasuke chuckled and shook his head:

"Rest assured, Senior, this absolutely does not violate Konoha's regulations, not even by a hair's breadth..."

"Very well, since that is the case, then speak."

Gekko Hayate let out a sigh of relief.

"I want to borrow a sword!..."

"What?..."

As soon as Sasuke uttered those words, Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao both wore expressions of utter shock!