Dance of the Threefold Crescent Moon

In the original story, aside from his Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai, Gekko Hayate was also skilled in the Shadow Clone Technique and swordsmanship.

Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon first used the Shadow Clone Technique to summon two shadow clones. Then, the clones and the original would use the Body Flicker Technique to rapidly appear before the enemy and attack their vital points from the left, above, and right.

This technique wasn't difficult.

The key to the first step was dividing one's Chakra evenly into three portions.

Uchiha Ling began trying to replicate the technique, preparing to show off in front of Gekko Hayate and make him lose his composure.

At Gekko Hayate's home.

Gekko Hayate, who had only become an orphan two months ago, was carefully examining the Scroll his father had left behind.

His father hadn't died in the war. He had died from a severe Bloodline Disease.

Before his death, his father had told him to study swordsmanship diligently and not use the Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai unless absolutely necessary. That Kekkei Genkai placed too much strain on the body.

Without a strong constitution, it was impossible to control the technique.

Gekko Hayate had believed him completely and devoted all his energy to practicing swordsmanship.

Then he suddenly remembered the strange look Uchiha Ling had given him today, making him even more anxious.

If Uchiha Ling challenged him, given Teacher Yamano's favoritism toward Uchiha Ling, he wouldn't be able to refuse.

If Uchiha Ling humiliated him with Thousand Years of Death, he wouldn't need his Bloodline Disease to flare up—he'd die of shame first.

According to Nara Saku, Thousand Years of Death was a technique invented by the White Fang of the Leaf. Gekko Hayate suddenly felt that Kakashi's father's image had completely collapsed.

Could someone really have such a twisted sense of humor as to come up with a technique like that?

Gekko Hayate was more inclined to believe that Uchiha Ling had invented Thousand Years of Death himself, only to coincidentally come up with the same idea as the White Fang of the Leaf when he was young.

After studying swordsmanship for a while, Gekko Hayate put down the Scroll and raised his head to look at the crescent moon outside.

The key to the Dance of the Crescent Moon was making the long blade carve out an elegant arc like a crescent moon.

The cool wind brushed against him. Gekko Hayate suddenly felt a headache coming on. Oh no, had he caught a chill?

With a body like this, would he even live until the day his bloodline erupted? Why did he feel as if he could die at any moment?

After spending a month, Gekko Hayate finally mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

When he arrived at the sparring class, Gekko Hayate saw Uchiha Ling looking at him. He didn't retreat; instead, he bravely glared back.

I've mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon. I'm not afraid to spar with you.

Uchiha Ling thought, It looks like the time is right. Gekko Hayate has gotten overconfident.

"Teacher! I want to challenge Uchiha Ling!"

Before the teacher could say anything, various cries of astonishment rang out among the students.

Someone actually wanted to provoke Uchiha Ling?

Uchiha Ling slowly walked onto the Training Ground. Finally, Gekko Hayate had taken the bait.

Gekko Hayate said, "I've watched you challenge our classmates one by one. I'll have to face you sooner or later anyway, so instead of avoiding you, I might as well take the initiative."

"Oh? Whether you stick your head out or keep it tucked in, you'll still get cut. You do have some awareness."

There was no fear of Thousand Years of Death in Gekko Hayate's eyes, only confidence in his swordsmanship.

He drew his long blade and formed a Hand Seal with one hand. Two Shadow Clone Techniques appeared beside him.

This display of the Shadow Clone Technique left everyone especially astonished.

Most people in the class were only at the level of the Clone Technique. No more than five people had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique.

Gekko Hayate had actually created two shadow clones. He was a genius among geniuses.

Ebisu muttered from the side, "What's so impressive about that? I've already mastered the Harem Technique. I can split into two or three shadow clones too..."

Yamano nodded. He hadn't expected that, under the pressure of Early Graduation, Gekko Hayate would actually learn his father's signature technique.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

Three Gekko Hayates charged at Uchiha Ling from three directions.

One curved in from the left, another curved in from the right, both gripping their long blades with both hands. The blades were like crescent moons.

The third leaped up from the front and chopped down.

The one leaping from the front was a shadow clone. It forced Uchiha Ling to dodge, and no matter which direction he chose, he would encounter another long blade.

Uchiha Ling glanced left, right, and above, then jumped backward.

The Gekko Hayate who had leaped from the front missed, but he wasn't anxious.

"Uchiha Ling, don't you run your mouth every day, telling this person to drop out and that person to go home? Why are you dodging?"

At this moment, Gekko Hayate was brimming with satisfaction.

Uchiha Ling drew his short blade and formed the Shadow Clone Technique's Hand Seal with one hand as well.

In the month or so since school had begun, after continuously pressuring his classmates, his Chakra Amount had risen from 2.4 Kā to 2.7 Kā.

Among the students, he was a Stat Monster.

A series of popping sounds rang out, and nine Uchiha Lings appeared on the Training Ground!

Each Uchiha Ling received 0.3 Kā of Chakra Amount.

A Chakra Amount of 0.3 Kā ranked around the middle of the class. It was already quite impressive.

"What did you call your technique again? The Dance of the Crescent Moon? Then I'll call my technique the Threefold Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

The nine Uchiha Lings split into three groups, with three of them dealing with each Gekko Hayate.

Just like Gekko Hayate, one on the left, one on the right, and one above.

The three Gekko Hayates stared in shock as they found themselves surrounded. Only by facing his own technique personally could he understand how powerful it was.

He could only retreat backward.

The scene instantly became chaotic. A one-on-one fight turned into a group brawl.

The three Gekko Hayates were struck by short blades one after another.

Two turned into white smoke, while one took a slash to the arm.

"Oops, why are you bleeding? It's all because I haven't awakened the Sharingan yet. Otherwise, I could have seen which one was the original, and you wouldn't have been hurt."

Gekko Hayate hurriedly covered his arm. Seeing Uchiha Ling comfort him was even more painful than taking a Thousand Years of Death.

Why was Uchiha Ling so strong?

"Such a trivial trick. Don't show off your swordsmanship in front of me again."

Gekko Hayate stared up at the sky, his face filled with grief and indignation.

His father had died of Bloodline Disease. When he died, he had been skin and bones, weighing less than eighty pounds.

He had studied his father's swordsmanship so bitterly because he wanted to revive his father's reputation for assassinating ninja. Yet Uchiha Ling had dismantled his swordsmanship with such ease.

Am I really this weak?

The Threefold Dance of the Crescent Moon sounded like a joke, yet it had perfectly countered his swordsmanship.

[There is a ninja nearby who has lost his composure. The Defense-Breaking System is activating...]

Uchiha Ling dispelled his shadow clones and turned to glance at Hokage Rock.

His Chakra was now less than one-ninth full, and it wasn't recovering quickly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's forbidden technique, Five-Style Great Combo, divided all his Chakra evenly into five portions and used five different nature transformations.

After using the forbidden technique, his original body's Chakra would be less than one-fifth full, perhaps only one-tenth.

But no one had ever heard of Hiruzen Sarutobi entering a weakened state after using Five-Style Great Combo.

It seemed Hiruzen Sarutobi had held something back. Perhaps he had a unique Chakra recovery talent, intentionally replenishing and extracting Chakra rapidly after it fell to one-tenth.

Just like Naruto, who could use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique several times in a single battle, possessing a monstrous Chakra talent.

Let's choose the reward first. I hope it's Transparent Release.