Konoha-Style Swordsmanship

"Do you know me?..."

Gekko Hayate was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then his heart surged with wild joy as he asked excitedly.

Sasuke nodded, then immediately shook his head and replied:

"I was actually just guessing earlier."

"I saw that you were addressed as Hayate, and you were using a ninja sword, so I took the liberty of making a guess. I didn't expect to actually get it right, hehe..."

As he spoke, he pointed to a ninja sword leaning against a chair not far away.

Sasuke began to act well-behaved.

It was Gekko Hayate!

Regardless of how lackluster his combat record might be among the jonin, the title of Konoha Special Jonin wasn't just for show!

At the very least, he was much more impressive than Sasuke was right now!

"Knowing me is enough, that's good..."

Seeing Sasuke's naive and easygoing demeanor, Gekko Hayate breathed a sigh of relief.

He then put on a gentle smile and asked again:

"Little brother, could you sell us that ninja sword in your hand? That item is truly very important to us..."

This time, before Sasuke could speak, Uzuki Yugao, who was standing to the side, spoke up first:

"Hayate, this is the reason I brought him to find you."

"What?..."

Hearing this, Gekko Hayate turned to look at Uzuki Yugao behind him, his face full of confusion.

"What is your name?"

Without answering Gekko Hayate directly, Uzuki Yugao looked at Sasuke and asked.

"You can just call me Sasuke."

Sasuke was concise and to the point; he wasn't about to reveal his full name.

After all, the Uchiha clan's annihilation was no longer a secret.

He didn't want to find himself in the spotlight overnight.

Hearing this, Uzuki Yugao turned her gaze back to Gekko Hayate and said:

"Sasuke wants to trade for it with Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, which is why I brought him here."

"Trade with swordsmanship?..."

Uzuki Yugao's few words instantly sent Gekko Hayate into deep thought, his brows furrowed in silence.

The three people present fell into a sudden, heavy silence.

Konoha-Style Swordsmanship? It sounds pretty badass...

Sasuke pondered to himself.

To be honest, hearing such a high-sounding name for a sword style, he was a bit tempted...

To be able to use "Konoha" as the name of the school, this swordsmanship definitely wasn't simple!

But Gekko Hayate couldn't even handle Baki, so could this swordsmanship be all flash and no substance?...

Sasuke rubbed the tip of his nose.

He knew very well what he needed to do next.

Although he really wanted to learn this "Konoha-Style Swordsmanship" that sounded so badass, he still had to give the Special Jonin some face.

After all, the situation was stronger than the person; if he kept holding onto their weak point, and they got desperate, it wouldn't end well...

However, just as Sasuke was lost in thought, calculating his next move.

Gekko Hayate, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly sighed and spoke slowly:

"Forget it, forget it..."

"Perhaps, all of this was arranged by the heavens."

"Sasuke found my master's ninja sword, and now we must bring out Konoha-Style Swordsmanship to trade for it."

"Heaven's will cannot be defied..."

Seeing Gekko Hayate sighing and lamenting, Uzuki Yugao, who was standing nearby, urged:

"Hayate, if it's not possible, we can try to persuade him again. Perhaps there is still hope..."

She didn't want to see her lover wearing such a conflicted expression, as if he were unwilling to miss out on the long-lost ninja sword.

"There is no need..."

Gekko Hayate waved his hand, then took a scroll from his bosom, handed it over, and looked at Sasuke:

"This is a transcript of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship."

"It contains two peerless sword techniques hidden within."

"If you go back and find you cannot understand it, there is no need to return it; just burn it..."

Listening to Gekko Hayate's words and observing his indifferent expression, Su Jian immediately frowned.

What did he mean by that?

Burn it if I can't understand it?

Could the swordsmanship recorded in this scroll be some cheap knockoff?

After a moment of thought, Sasuke looked up at Gekko Hayate and asked:

"Senior, may I ask, since you told me to destroy the transcript if I cannot understand it, does that mean you have already mastered both sword techniques inside?..."

Sasuke had his own little ulterior motive in asking this.

After all, the name sounded so impressive! "Konoha-Style Swordsmanship."

No matter how awesome Gekko Hayate was, he only looked to be in his early twenties.

It was impossible for someone so young to have fully grasped an entire school of swordsmanship.

If he answered "yes" without hesitation, then Sasuke wouldn't want this scroll.

Because if that were the case, the scroll must be fake.

Or, Gekko Hayate was telling the truth, and the swordsmanship was simply full of hot air...

Gekko Hayate did not disappoint Sasuke; he shook his head without a second thought.

Then, as if mocking himself, he murmured with a bitter smile:

"How profound and obscure is the Konoha-Style Swordsmanship?"

"Do not be fooled by the fact that it only contains two techniques; they are like the stars and moon in the sky—ever-changing and exceptionally fierce."

"Although I have practiced this swordsmanship since I was a child, due to my dull aptitude, I have only just caught a glimpse of the threshold..."

"Caught a glimpse of the threshold!..."

Sasuke's eyes widened, his face filled with shock.

Although Gekko Hayate's combat power was not particularly outstanding in his memory, he was still a Special Jonin!

Therefore, there was no need to elaborate on his talent.

Yet, even for a person like him, it had taken over a decade to only reach the threshold of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship?

If Gekko Hayate wasn't lying, then just how strong was this swordsmanship!

"Hiss!~ I've struck gold!..."

At this thought, Sasuke drew a sharp breath.

Regarding this kind of close-quarters taijutsu, he had only heard of the Eight Inner Gates, and that the sword skills of Kakashi's father, Konoha White Fang, were also quite good.

Other than that, he truly hadn't noticed that Konoha actually harbored such a terrifying sword legacy.

Suppressing the agitation in his heart, Sasuke unhooked the ninja sword from his waist and handed it over without hesitation.

At the same time, he grabbed the scroll from Gekko Hayate's hand and, without even looking at it, tucked it directly into his ninja pouch!

"Sasuke, remember my words: if you cannot understand it, destroy it immediately to prevent it from falling into the hands of enemy villages, cough cough..."

Taking the ninja sword, Gekko Hayate did not show the excitement he had before.

Instead, he coughed twice and reminded him again with a serious expression.

Having received the goods, Sasuke did not want to stay for even another second.

Hearing this, he smiled and replied:

"Don't worry, Senior. Whether I understand it or not, I will destroy it immediately after memorizing all its contents."

"So, you don't have to worry about the danger of it falling into the hands of enemy villages..."

Seeing Sasuke say this, Gekko Hayate's eyes brightened, and for the first time, he revealed a relaxed smile:

"That is good... Sasuke, we can be considered fated. If you encounter any difficult problems in Konoha in the future, you can come find me and Yugao."

"As long as it does not violate my principles, I will offer my assistance..."

Sasuke understood what Gekko Hayate meant.

Although he didn't say it explicitly, the expression on his face made it perfectly clear to Sasuke.

Sasuke knew that Gekko Hayate did not believe he could successfully master Konoha-Style Swordsmanship.

But he did not know.

Sasuke's true trump card was not his talent, but the Cheat System!

With a system, why would I need to train?

Who are you looking down on?

After a brief farewell to Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao.

Sasuke returned to the Valley of the End.

But just as he landed and prepared to open the scroll for Konoha-Style Swordsmanship to study it, a notification from the system suddenly rang out in his mind:

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Konoha-Style Swordsmanship - Dance of the Crescent Moon]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Konoha-Style Swordsmanship - Hazy Moonlit Night]