Gekko Hayate

Konoha, a street corner.

"Come out. There's no need to sneak around. We're all ninjas here. Whatever you have to say, we can talk it out..."

Sasuke walked along at an easy pace. At one point, he stopped, tilted his head slightly, and said in a low voice.

Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar, graceful figure suddenly appeared in the distance behind Sasuke.

"So you'd already noticed me. You really are something..."

Hearing this, Su Jian smiled and turned to reply:

"You flatter me, ma'am. My ninja skills are still nothing compared to yours..."

Although Sasuke knew he was the chosen one of this Shinobi World,

he hadn't gotten so carried away that he thought he was invincible before he'd even grown up.

After all, there was a world of difference between a Genin and a mid- or high-ranking ninja.

He didn't know what rank the beautiful kunoichi before him held.

But considering how casually she had dispelled his Great Fireball earlier, she was definitely stronger than him.

Seeing how politely Sasuke spoke, without the sharp tongue he'd had earlier, Uzuki Yugao removed the cat-faced mask standard issue for Anbu and said warmly:

"You know why I came to find you. I'll pay ten times what it's worth. I want the ninja sword you're holding..."

When she took off her mask, Sasuke froze...

He hadn't paid much attention in the shop, but now he looked her over carefully.

Her starry eyes sparkled, her lips were like the morning sun, her nose was high-bridged, and her skin was fair as snow.

She had a pair of long, shapely legs.

Worth mentioning was the long sword strapped to her back. It made her seem even more ethereal and otherworldly, while lending her an elusive air of heroism!

Sasuke swallowed and stared blankly.

"Big sis, I..."

"Fifteen times! That's everything I can afford right now. Could you do me a favor and sell it to me?"

"If you ever run into trouble in Konoha that you can't handle, you can come to me..."

Before Sasuke could refuse, Uzuki Yugao raised her offer.

By then, Sasuke had recovered. He sighed and said:

"Actually, I really don't need the money. In other words, this has nothing to do with the price. Pretty big sis, do you understand?..."

With Sasuke calling her "big sis" and "pretty big sis" over and over, Uzuki Yugao's face flushed faintly. She asked, sounding a little flustered:

"Then... then what do you want?..."

Even Uzuki Yugao found the question awkward as she said it...

Sasuke smiled.

"I see you're carrying a ninja sword, so you must be skilled with one. I'd like you to teach me some proper swordsmanship. If you do, I'll gladly hand over this sword..."

Although Sasuke knew the system had singled out the ninja sword as a treasure, which meant it was no ordinary weapon,

he was in the weaker position here. She was a Jonin, while he was a Genin.

On top of that, this big sis was just too beautiful. He couldn't quite bring himself to be harsh with her.

So, following the principle that it was better to avoid trouble when possible,

he decided to ask for something of comparable value instead. He didn't mind taking a small loss.

"Swordsmanship?..."

At this, hesitation appeared on Uzuki Yugao's face.

After a long while, she seemed to make up her mind. Turning to Sasuke, she said:

"My swordsmanship is very special. I can't decide on my own whether to teach it to you, so if you really want to learn, you'll have to come with me to meet someone..."

"Meet someone?"

"Your father?"

"Mm... Before we leave, wait a moment. It's our first meeting, so I should make a good impression on the old man. By the way, does he like sake?..."

For some reason, Sasuke was a little excited. He suddenly felt like he was meeting the parents...

Hearing this, Uzuki Yugao realized Sasuke had misunderstood and hurriedly waved her hands.

"No, no, my father passed away a long time ago. The person I want you to meet is my senior fellow disciple!..."

"Your senior fellow disciple?..."

Sasuke's spirits instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. So she was taken after all...

But after thinking it over, Sasuke accepted it. It would have been strange if such a beautiful big sis didn't have a partner.

Besides, he was still young, and he was handsome, with plenty of charm. He wasn't worried about ending up alone in the future.

As for Sakura...

He wasn't sure why, perhaps because he'd watched too much anime in his previous life, but he didn't dislike her. He just didn't feel anything for her either...

"Fine, I'll go with you..."

At this point, Sasuke had no way out. He couldn't go back on his word, agreeing one moment and changing his mind the next.

So, resigned, Sasuke followed Uzuki Yugao to meet her mysterious senior fellow disciple.

He'd already prepared for the worst. If things didn't work out, he'd just take the money and leave.

After all, there were only three days left until the Ninja Academy graduation exam, and every minute and second was precious to him.

He couldn't afford to waste any more time...

They were both ninjas, and both places were within Konoha Hidden Village.

So the two of them soon arrived at the place Uzuki Yugao had mentioned.

It was a small residence with an old-fashioned charm.

In front of it was a spacious courtyard. Two cherry trees stood on either side, surrounded by lush flowers and grass, with petals drifting through the air. The view was delightful.

There was a bench in the courtyard.

A man wearing a ninja flak jacket was sprawled leisurely on it, sunbathing.

"You're back. Cough, cough... Who's this child?..."

Hearing the footsteps of Uzuki Yugao and Sasuke approaching, the man sat up and asked.

"Is he her boyfriend?"

"Why does he look so sickly?..."

When the man stood up and looked him over, Sasuke met his gaze without fear and looked him over in return.

The man had brown hair, wore a ninja cap and a tight-fitting outfit, and had on a flak jacket just like Uzuki Yugao's.

At first glance, he really did look like a handsome man.

But on closer inspection, Sasuke noticed something else.

The man's face was unnaturally pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

He coughed from time to time, like a sickly ghost. He looked completely listless...

"So it really is true love..."

The man wasn't bad-looking, but Sasuke still felt that he wasn't quite good enough for the beautiful big sis before him...

Seeing this, Uzuki Yugao hurried over to help the man up. She asked worriedly:

"Hayate, are you all right?"

"Heh, I'm fine. Don't worry about me..."

The man waved a hand. As he spoke, he straightened his back a little.

Seeing this, Uzuki Yugao let out a sigh of relief, then explained to the man:

"I don't know his name, but he got the ninja sword our master lost back then, so..."

Before Uzuki Yugao could finish, the man's pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed:

"What? Our master's ninja sword!..."

The next moment, he realized he'd lost his composure.

Suppressing his excitement, he turned to Sasuke, who had remained silent the whole time, and said eagerly:

"Little brother, that ninja sword is very important to us. Would you be willing to sell it to us? We'll pay whatever you ask!..."

Just a moment ago, he'd called Sasuke a child. Now he was calling him "brother."

Sasuke noticed the change immediately.

Still, he didn't answer the man directly.

Instead, he smiled and respectfully asked in return:

"Are you Gekko Hayate, sir?"