You're the Most Heaven-Defying Sword Dao Genius I've Ever Seen!

Borrow a sword?

To Gekko Hayate and his partner, these two words were even more grating than asking for money.

Their first thought immediately went to the ninja sword they had traded for using Konoha-Style Swordsmanship.

Could it be, they wondered, that this kid hasn't been able to master Konoha-Style Swordsmanship and is planning to go back on his word, trying to take that ninja sword back?

At this thought, Gekko Hayate's expression grew increasingly unsightly.

Just then, Uzuki Yugao stepped forward, looked at Sasuke, and said, "We are not giving that ninja sword back to you."

"After all, this was something we agreed upon beforehand, and you consented to it at the time."

"Therefore, we cannot undo the trade just because you couldn't learn Konoha-Style Swordsmanship..."

Her attitude was firm, her tone resolute.

However, upon hearing this, Sasuke was slightly taken aback.

A few seconds later, he realized what was happening, waved his hand, and responded with a smile:

"Miss Yugao, look at you, you've misunderstood me, haven't you?..."

"Misunderstood?..."

When Uzuki Yugao heard this, she was also slightly stunned.

Immediately, she asked in disbelief:

"Are you saying you didn't come here today to take back that ninja sword?..."

"Sigh!..."

Sasuke waved his hand dismissively:

"That ninja sword is so important to you two seniors, how could I possibly snatch away what you love?..."

Once these words were out, even Gekko Hayate, who had remained silent until now, was a bit bewildered.

He turned to look at Sasuke, asking in confusion:

"Then didn't you just say you came to borrow a sword?..."

"That's right, but I didn't come to borrow that sword."

"I wanted to borrow a more durable ninja sword from Senior Hayate."

"Durable?..."

Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao spoke in unison, then looked at each other, perfectly in sync.

It was hard to tell if it was because they had been inseparable for so many years, or if the words coming out of Sasuke's mouth were simply too shocking.

"No, if you're looking for a durable ninja sword, why not just go to a ninja tool shop?"

Sasuke understood what Gekko Hayate meant.

Seeing that Gekko Hayate understood his intent, he stopped beating around the bush and said directly:

"It's not that I don't want to go to a ninja tool shop."

"It's just that the quality of the ninja swords there is too poor."

"They simply can't support me when I use the Dance of the Crescent Moon, sigh..."

"What!..."

Sasuke hadn't expected that telling the truth would cause such an intense reaction from the two of them.

Could this be even more explosive than borrowing the ninja sword?

"No, seniors, what are those expressions for?"

"I just want to borrow a sword; it's not like I'm not going to return it. It's just that I have to take Kakashi-sensei's test tomorrow, so..."

Sasuke asked tentatively, but before he could finish his sentence, Gekko Hayate stepped forward, grabbed Sasuke's arms tightly with both hands, and asked excitedly:

"Are you saying that the ordinary ninja swords in the tool shops can't support the power you use for the Dance of the Crescent Moon?..."

Sasuke was a bit frightened by Gekko Hayate's current expression.

Could this guy be planning to drag me back and slice me up for research just because my mastery of the Dance of the Crescent Moon is higher than his? he wondered.

Thinking this, Sasuke couldn't help but shiver, forcing a smile as he said:

"Senior, what are you doing?..."

"Hayate, could he be lying?..."

Uzuki Yugao frowned and leaned in toward Gekko Hayate to ask.

Gekko Hayate shook his head upon hearing this, suppressing the palpitations in his heart as he cautiously responded:

"That's impossible."

"Yugao, don't forget."

"It was our missing master who told us back then that practicing the Dance of the Crescent Moon to a certain level requires a high-grade ninja sword."

"Let alone others, even we haven't reached that realm yet."

"If Sasuke hadn't reached that level through his own training, could it be that our master, who has been missing for years, told him?..."

With his logic sound and grounded, Uzuki Yugao instantly sobered up.

That's right!

In this world, the only people who knew this secret were the two of them and their master, who had been missing for years.

If their master had told Sasuke.

There was no reason for their master to return to Konoha without coming to see them, was there?

Thinking of this, Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate once again turned their gazes toward Sasuke in unison.

The look in their eyes was as if they were staring at a rare, long-extinct animal in Konoha, and they had no intention of looking away for even a second...

"Uh... haha, I'm telling you both the truth, seniors."

"And rest assured, I swear, I have absolutely not leaked even a fraction of the secrets of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, so..."

Sasuke had intended to say that there was really no need for them to silence him...

But before he could finish, he was interrupted once again by Gekko Hayate:

"Sasuke, you don't need to be afraid; we won't hurt you."

"Could you... could you demonstrate your Dance of the Crescent Moon for us? That way, we can confirm whether or not you're lying to us."

"This is truly very important to us..."

Looking at the expectant gazes of Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao.

For some reason, even without activating his Sharingan, Sasuke could sense that there was no malice in them.

All that remained was a sense of pure anticipation.

Thinking this over, Su Jian nodded:

"Alright..."

Gekko Hayate released his grip on Sasuke.

Seeing this, Sasuke did not dawdle.

He stepped back two paces and swept his right hand across his waist.

The next moment, a kunai appeared in the palm of Sasuke's hand.

It shone with a cold, piercing light and was incredibly sharp.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke gripped the kunai tightly and performed a light slash forward!

The next moment, this understated slash was accompanied by a crisp sound of clashing metal that echoed throughout the entire courtyard!

With a "clatter," half of the kunai fell to the ground!

Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, who were staring at this scene, felt their pupils constrict, and they both exclaimed in unison:

"Minor Achievement Wind Slash!..."

Minor Achievement Wind Slash?...

Sasuke pondered to himself:

"The data for Dance of the Crescent Moon: Wind Slash on my system panel is currently: Level 3, 99%."

"According to the metrics provided by the system, this is roughly Chunin-level swordsmanship."

"Could this be what Gekko Hayate refers to as Minor Achievement?..."

Thinking this, Sasuke looked at Gekko Hayate and asked respectfully:

"Senior, by Minor Achievement, do you mean the strange phenomenon where I can shatter ordinary ninja tools the moment I initiate the Dance of the Crescent Moon?..."

There was no answer to Sasuke's question for a long time.

At a certain moment, Gekko Hayate sighed and replied faintly:

"This is the hallmark of the first form of the Dance of the Crescent Moon, Wind Slash, entering the stage of Minor Achievement."

"I truly never imagined that in just a few short days, you would have reached such a realm!..."

"Sasuke, you are the most heaven-defying sword genius I have ever met in my life!..."

"Although it may be abrupt, would you be willing to join the Konoha Anbu with Yugao and me?..."

The question was very direct, and Sasuke could see the burning intensity in the eyes of Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao.

However, he scratched his head and replied somewhat sheepishly:

"I'm sorry, Hayate-senpai."

"It's not that I don't want to, but I've already joined Kakashi-sensei's Team 7."

"And it's precisely because I have to take Kakashi-sensei's Genin test tomorrow."

"That's why I've come to shamelessly ask to borrow your sword..."