Konoha-Style Swordsmanship

"Do you know me?..."

Gekko Hayate was taken aback at first. Then delight surged through him, and he asked excitedly.

Sasuke nodded, then immediately shook his head. "I was only guessing just now."

"I saw that you were called Hayate and used a ninja sword, so I took a chance and guessed. I can't believe I actually got it right. Heh..."

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

Sasuke began acting well-behaved.

Gekko Hayate!

Never mind that his record among the Jonin was unimpressive. The title of Special Jōnin of Konoha wasn't for nothing!

At the very least, he was a lot stronger than Sasuke was now!

"Good, good. At least you know who I am..."

Seeing Sasuke's ingenuous, easygoing manner, Gekko Hayate breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, with a warm smile, he asked again, "Young man, would you be willing to sell us the ninja sword you're holding? It's truly important to us..."

Before Sasuke could answer, Uzuki Yugao spoke up from beside him.

"Hayate, that's why I brought him to see you."

"What?..."

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

"What's your name?"

Instead of answering Gekko Hayate, Uzuki Yugao looked at Sasuke and asked.

"Just call me Sasuke."

Sasuke kept his answer brief. There was no way he'd give his full name.

After all, the Uchiha clan's destruction was no secret.

He didn't want to suddenly find himself at the center of attention.

At that, Uzuki Yugao turned her gaze back to Gekko Hayate. "Sasuke wants to trade the sword for Konoha-Style Swordsmanship. That's why I brought him here."

"Trade it for swordsmanship?..."

Uzuki Yugao's few words sent Gekko Hayate into deep thought. He furrowed his brow and fell silent.

The three of them stood in silence, and the room fell still.

"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship? Sounds pretty awesome..."

Sasuke mused to himself.

Honestly, hearing a sword style with such an impressive name had made him a little tempted...

If Konoha's name was attached to the style, it had to be something special!

But Gekko Hayate couldn't even beat Baki. Could this swordsmanship be all show and no substance?...

Sasuke rubbed the tip of his nose.

He knew exactly what he had to do next.

He really wanted to learn this supposedly awesome Konoha-Style Swordsmanship.

But he still had to show a Special Jōnin some respect.

After all, Hayate was stronger than he was. If Sasuke kept holding this over him, Hayate might lose his temper, and then things could get ugly...

Just as Sasuke stood there, lost in thought and weighing his options, Gekko Hayate finally let out a sigh and spoke.

"Forget it. Let it be..."

"Perhaps all of this was destined."

"Sasuke found my master's ninja sword, and now we're supposed to offer him Konoha-Style Swordsmanship in exchange."

"Fate cannot be defied..."

Seeing Gekko Hayate sighing, Uzuki Yugao tried to reassure him.

"Hayate, if you don't want to, we can keep trying to talk him into it. There may still be hope..."

She didn't want to see her lover so torn. She felt the same way about the long-lost ninja sword she didn't want to miss out on.

"There's no need..."

Gekko Hayate waved a hand, then took a scroll from inside his robe and held it out to Sasuke.

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

"It contains two peerless sword techniques."

"If you go back and can't understand them, there's no need to bring it back. Just burn it..."

Hearing Gekko Hayate's words and seeing his calm expression, Su Jian frowned.

What did he mean?

Burn it if Sasuke couldn't understand it?

Was the swordsmanship recorded in the scroll some cheap knockoff?

After thinking it over, Sasuke looked up at Gekko Hayate.

"May I ask, if you're telling me to destroy the copy if I can't understand it, does that mean you've already mastered both techniques?"

Sasuke had a little ulterior motive in asking.

The name was so impressive—"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship."

Even if Gekko Hayate was exceptionally talented, he looked no older than twenty-something.

There was no way he could have mastered an entire sword tradition at such a young age.

If Hayate answered yes without hesitation, Sasuke wouldn't take the scroll.

Because then it would have to be a fake.

Or perhaps Gekko Hayate was telling the truth, and the swordsmanship was just wildly overhyped...

Gekko Hayate didn't disappoint Sasuke. He shook his head without a moment's thought.

Then he gave a self-deprecating chuckle and murmured, "How profound and abstruse is Konoha-Style Swordsmanship?"

"Though it contains only two techniques, they're as unpredictable as the stars and moon in the sky, and incredibly swift and deadly."

"I've practiced this style since I was a child, but my talent is mediocre. Even now, I've only just begun to grasp its basics..."

"Just begun to grasp the basics!..."

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

Gekko Hayate might not have been particularly impressive in Sasuke's memory.

But he was still a Special Jōnin!

There was no need to say more about his talent.

And yet, even someone like him had only managed to grasp the basics of Konoha-Style Swordsmanship after more than a decade of training?

If Gekko Hayate wasn't lying...

Just how powerful was this sword style?

"Gasp! I've struck gold!..."

At the thought, Sasuke drew in a sharp breath.

When it came to close-quarters fighting, he'd only heard of the Eight Inner Gates. He'd also heard that Kakashi's father, Konoha White Fang, had been skilled with a blade.

He'd never paid much attention to the fact that Konoha had such a terrifying sword tradition hidden away!

Suppressing his excitement, Sasuke unfastened the ninja sword at his waist and handed it over without hesitation.

At the same time, he snatched the scroll from Gekko Hayate and slipped it into his ninja pouch without even looking at it!

"Sasuke, remember what I said. If you can't understand it, destroy it immediately, so it doesn't fall into the hands of an enemy village. Cough, cough..."

After taking the sword, Gekko Hayate didn't look as excited as before.

He coughed twice and reminded Sasuke again, his expression serious.

Now that he had what he came for, Sasuke didn't want to stay another second.

He smiled and replied, "Don't worry, sir. Whether I understand it or not, I'll memorize everything in it and then destroy it."

"So you don't need to worry about it falling into the hands of an enemy village..."

Hearing this, Gekko Hayate's eyes lit up. For the first time, he smiled with relief.

"Good... Sasuke, it seems we were fated to meet. If you ever run into a problem in Konoha that you can't solve, come to me and Yugao."

"As long as it doesn't go against my principles, I'll help you..."

Sasuke understood what Gekko Hayate meant.

He hadn't said it outright.

But Sasuke could read it clearly from his expression.

Sasuke knew Gekko Hayate didn't think he could successfully learn Konoha-Style Swordsmanship.

What he didn't know was that Sasuke's real trump card wasn't his talent, but his Cheat System!

Why would I need to train with a system?

Who do you think you're 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 was about to open the scroll and study Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, the system's notification suddenly rang in his mind.

[ Ding! Congratulations, host. You obtained: Konoha Style Kenjutsu: Dance of the Crescent Moon ]

[ Ding! Congratulations, host. You obtained: Konoha-Style Swordsmanship: Hazy Moonlit Night ]