A Stunning Slash

"Did you understand?"

"I think I understand, but I also think I don't..."

Uchiha Izuna said weakly.

Tanaka Ichiro was about to cry.

I understand everything. How do you still not get it...

"Then I'll demonstrate it again."

And so, Tanaka Ichiro had no idea how he made it through the next fifty minutes.

He only knew that when they were over, he felt as if his soul had been sucked out. His eyes were vacant, his hands trembled, and his Ninja Blade had long since been thrown somewhere out of sight.

"This is the essence of swordsmanship, but it's only the surface."

Uchiha Kei sheathed his sword and stood upright, as though he had been possessed by a god.

"Then, teacher, what does it look like at a deeper level?"

Uchiha Izuna had watched with shining eyes. He could feel a path unlike any he had known slowly unfolding before him!

"As for the deeper level, you can't comprehend it yet. But you can take a look. It won't hurt."

Uchiha Kei slowly reached for the hilt. An aura, restrained to the utmost, began to rise.

"Clang!"

The crisp sound of the blade leaving its sheath drew everyone's attention.

"Swish."

The blade slid free, and both hands slowly closed around the hilt.

He raised the sword, brought it down, and sheathed it.

The movement flowed as one, without the slightest hesitation.

"Vmmm!"

It was as if a hum rang out between heaven and earth.

As everyone stared in disbelief, a blade of light appeared out of thin air and shot toward Tanaka Ichiro.

The blade of light tore through the air and cleaved through the barriers of space. It gleamed a dazzling white and struck the frozen Tanaka Ichiro with unstoppable force.

"Boom!"

The tremendous roar reached everyone's ears as billowing dust shrouded every corner of the valley.

As the dust gradually settled, the people could see nothing else. Their eyes were fixed on the lone figure standing straight, and on the stunning blade of light from moments ago.

That's right. The blade of light hadn't faded.

The pure-white blade gleamed like a solid object, translucent and crystalline, standing upright in the middle of a vast crater.

As for Tanaka Ichiro, the blade's might had already reduced him to dust.

"Did you see what happened?"

Uchiha Kei turned back to Uchiha Izuna, his expression calm.

"Gulp."

Uchiha Izuna struggled to swallow.

Understand...

Understand what?

Draw the sword, raise it, slash...

Then vmmm...

And then boom...

What else was there?

"Take your time. The way of the sword is no less profound than the way of the shinobi."

In truth, this was the first time Uchiha Kei had used his swordsmanship at full strength.

Although most of the power behind that slash came from the boost he got from Uhijini,

what mattered most in swordsmanship was one's understanding of the way of the sword.

Uchiha Kei turned his head and looked toward the battlefield.

While he had been toying with Tanaka Ichiro, Uchiha Madara and the other two had wiped out the rampaging members of the Tanaka Clan.

Only the people known as the White Bone Clan remained on the battlefield.

"Benefactor, thank you for saving the White Bone Clan!"

White Bone Momotao knelt on the ground, and the surviving members of her clan knelt behind her.

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

Uchiha Kei waved his hand.

With the help of Uchiha Kei and the others, the White Bone Clan tearfully buried their fallen kin.

After a long while, White Bone Momotao respectfully invited the five of them into a wooden house.

"Benefactor, thank you again for saving the White Bone Clan."

"It's fine. It's good for these kids to get some exercise."

Uchiha Kei looked at Madara and the other three.

Nothing spurred growth like surviving a battle. Everyone except Uchiha Izuna had changed noticeably after this fight.

Even the kindhearted Hashirama couldn't hide the hostility in his eyes.

White Bone Momotao hesitated for a moment, then steeled herself and excused herself before hurrying out of the wooden house.

"Madara, what did you think of this battle?"

"Teacher, it's only made me more certain of my belief. The strong prey on the weak. Only by becoming as powerful as you can I put an end to the slaughter between clans."

Madara had killed more people than anyone else. His words now were filled with barely restrained bloodlust.

"Tobirama, what about you?"

Senju Tobirama thought for a while, then looked up at Hashirama before answering, "I think... I think Uchiha Madara has a point."

Uchiha Kei had expected that answer from Senju Tobirama.

Though they were enemies, Uchiha Madara and Senju Tobirama held essentially the same view of peace.

They would stop killing only by killing until no one dared disobey their orders.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Uchiha Kei lightly tapped the tabletop and looked at Bowl-Cut Hashirama.

"What about you, Hashirama?"

Hashirama looked up in confusion, then lowered his head again.

"Teacher, I don't know what to say."

"When I saw the White Bone Clan being slaughtered, I saw the people who died at the hands of the Tanaka Clan. They included the elderly, children, and women."

"To invaders, gender and age mean nothing. All they care about is slaughter."

"If this happened to the Senju Clan, what would you do?"

Uchiha Kei was frustrated with him for failing to understand.

After Senju Hashirama died, the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars followed. The Shinobi World was every bit as chaotic as it had been during the Warring States Period.

That was the legacy of Senju Hashirama's benevolent rule.

While he was alive, his title as the God of Shinobi had kept every Ninja Village in check.

But once he was gone, every pent-up conflict erupted at once, becoming even worse than before!

Hashirama shuddered, a vision of the Senju Clan engulfed in flames filling his mind.

Blood, severed limbs, screams...

One familiar face after another fell.

And he was powerless to do anything.

"No! This will never happen to the Senju Clan! Never!"

"Then what you have to do is kill!"

A killing intent as palpable as a physical presence suddenly enveloped Uchiha Kei. He stared coldly at Hashirama.

"Fight to end fighting, and you can achieve peace; kill to end killing, and you can stop the slaughter!"

"Fight to end fighting... kill to end killing..."

Hashirama fell deep in thought.

Uchiha Kei turned his gaze to Madara and Tobirama. "You two are different from him. He's too kindhearted, while your killing intent is too strong."

"Wouldn't stronger killing intent be more effective at preventing war?"

Madara sounded unconvinced.

"Everything has its limits. Go beyond them, and you'll get the opposite result."

The two of them fell into thought as well.

"As for you..."

Uchiha Izuna hadn't heard a word of their conversation. He was completely absorbed in that slash.

"Forget it. There's no point explaining it to you."

Uchiha Kei shook his head.

A moment later, White Bone Momotao walked in carrying a box.

"Benefactor, we can never repay you for saving our clan. All we can do is offer you the most precious treasure we possess."

"Though it may not mean much to someone as powerful as you, it could be useful to them."

She set the box on the table. It was antique-looking, with a wooden seal affixed to the lid.

"This must be what the Tanaka Clan was after, right?"

"Yes, it's our White Bone Clan's secret technique."

Uchiha Kei was curious. "Judging by how desperate the Tanaka Clan was to get it, this secret technique must be powerful. So why doesn't the White Bone Clan seem to have many strong shinobi?"

White Bone Momotao's expression darkened, grief appearing on her face.

"Benefactor, I won't hide the truth from you. This secret technique is indeed incredibly powerful. It can allow a Genin to reach Kage Level in a short time."

"Unfortunately, it has a limitation: only men can practice it, and our White Bone Clan..."

Uchiha Kei understood. From what he'd seen, the White Bone Clan seemed to have far more women than men. He hadn't seen a single male shinobi.

He had assumed the Tanaka Clan had killed them, but apparently that wasn't the case.