Hayate Gekko vs. Sunagakure Jonin

Su Bai frowned slightly but did not argue.

He steered the conversation toward his true purpose. "Uncle, I want to spend more time with you lately. Is that okay?"

Hayate was somewhat surprised, but he quickly smiled and nodded in agreement.

He had no idea that behind this seemingly simple request lay a carefully planned effort by his nephew to protect him.

Su Bai planned to rest during the day and stand guard at night, preventing any mishap should Hayate go out alone.

However, putting the plan into practice was no easy task.

Su Bai lay quietly on his bed, his eyes half-closed, yet sleep refused to come.

Sunlight streamed through gaps in the curtains, casting a golden glow over everything in the room.

He could hear the sounds of ninjas training in the distant practice grounds and smell the fresh grass scent unique to Konoha Village carried in by the breeze.

These familiar sensations, which he usually paid no mind to, now became distractions that kept him from resting.

Su Bai's thoughts were like a restless bird, endlessly circling through every possible dangerous scenario.

He imagined every threat his uncle might encounter: enemies lurking in the shadows, sudden attacks, even traps stumbled into by accident.

Each image felt so real that his muscles tensed unconsciously, ready to spring into action at any moment.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the anxiety in his heart.

Stay calm, Su Bai, he silently repeated. The most important thing right now is to conserve your strength.

But whenever he was about to fall asleep, a sudden surge of vigilance would jolt him awake.

He sighed softly, opened his eyes, and decided to make use of the time another way.

"Since I can't sleep, I might as well find something to do."

To earn experience points, Su Bai thought of his old method.

That was to spar with his uncle.

He could gain both combat experience and system experience.

It would also let him see whether his current strength was enough to defeat him.

Su Bai gently slid open the door and stepped into the sunlit courtyard.

He saw his uncle, Hayate, practicing a complex sequence of ninja hand seals.

Su Bai stopped and waited for his uncle to finish the sequence.

When Hayate lowered his hands, Su Bai spoke calmly. "Uncle, how about we spar?"

Hayate turned around, anticipation showing on his face.

"Sure. I've been wanting to see how much you've improved lately too. Cough, cough."

He readily agreed and immediately took up a fighting stance.

The two exchanged a glance, and an intense duel erupted in an instant.

Su Bai launched the first attack. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, every move of Intermediate Swordsmanship brought to its fullest potential.

The wooden sword in his hand sliced through the air with sharp whistles.

Hayate did not back down. His body moved nimbly as he continuously evaded Su Bai's attacks.

However, he quickly realized that his nephew's strength far exceeded his expectations.

Su Bai cleverly fused swordsmanship with Hand-to-Hand Combat, creating a unique fighting style.

The rhythm of his attacks was impossible to predict—sometimes swift as lightning, sometimes steady as a mountain.

When one slash missed, he seamlessly followed with a knifehand strike;

when a kick failed to connect, he instantly shifted into an elbow strike.

Every movement was precisely calculated, displaying superb skill without losing any elegance or composure.

Hayate was astonished to find himself gradually being suppressed.

As the battle reached its climax, Su Bai suddenly used Intermediate Flash Step, leaving several afterimages around Hayate.

Hayate warily scanned his surroundings, only to lose sight of Su Bai in an instant.

Then Su Bai appeared behind Hayate and swiftly unleashed an exquisite combination attack.

His wooden sword swept across, forcing Hayate backward;

a whip kick followed, breaking through Hayate's defense;

finally, Su Bai closed in, his knifehand aimed directly at Hayate's throat, stopping just an inch from his skin.

The entire sequence flowed without the slightest pause, fast as lightning.

Hayate did not even have time to react before he had fallen into a hopeless position.

Su Bai slowly withdrew his hand, took a step back, and respectfully bowed to his uncle. "Thank you for letting me win, Uncle."

Hayate stood where he was, breathing lightly, a complicated gleam in his eyes.

He stared at the young nephew before him, momentarily dazed.

Is this really the Su Bai who was still at the Ninja Academy not long ago?

Hayate thought to himself.

He recalled what Su Bai had been like when he first enrolled. Though he had been gifted, Hayate could not connect that boy with the calm, collected youth standing before him now.

Surprise surged through Hayate's heart.

Su Bai's rate of improvement had far exceeded his expectations—far beyond all reason.

Those fluid movements, that control precise to the smallest detail, and that thoroughly integrated fighting style all left Hayate shaken.

I actually lost!

Yet after the shock came a surge of heartfelt pride and relief.

As his uncle, Hayate felt incomparably proud to witness such astonishing growth in his nephew.

He thought of his sister, Su Bai's mother, and silently said, Sister, do you see this? Su Bai has grown up, and he's become so outstanding.

The corners of Hayate's mouth rose unconsciously, and tears of gratification glimmered in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, calmed his excitement, and smiled. "Su Bai, your progress is truly remarkable."

Deep pride filled his voice, as if he were saying that this was the pride of their Moonlight Clan.

Hayate stepped forward and patted Su Bai lightly on the shoulder, his gaze full of expectation and encouragement. "Keep it up. I believe that one day, you'll become an outstanding ninja."

Being able to defeat Hayate was within Su Bai's expectations.

In truth, Su Bai had not used his full strength just now. He had probably only used sixty or seventy percent of it.

If he could not even surpass his uncle, how could he talk about protecting him?

After moving around for a while and confirming that he was stronger than Hayate, Su Bai finally relaxed.

Not long after lying down on his bed, he fell asleep.

He slept exceptionally well.

As time passed, Su Bai gradually adapted to his nocturnal routine.

His vigilance did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, it became even sharper under this unconventional schedule.

One day, Hayate returned from an outing with a somewhat grave expression.

He said to Su Bai, "I received a mission."

Hearing this, Su Bai's heart tightened as he realized that the critical moment might be approaching.

That night, Su Bai quietly followed Hayate's figure.

His movements were as light as a cat's, his breathing steady and faint. With the aid of Intermediate Flash Step, he perfectly concealed his presence.

In a secluded corner of the village, Su Bai discovered a scene that was expected yet still deeply unsettling:

A Sunagakure jonin was speaking quietly with Yakushi Kabuto, both wearing serious expressions.

Just as the Sunagakure jonin and Yakushi Kabuto were talking, a breeze passed by, carrying Hayate's somewhat sickly scent.

Yakushi Kabuto immediately became alert. After exchanging a glance with the jonin, he turned toward Hayate's location.

Hayate realized that his presence had been exposed and inwardly cried out in alarm.

Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly left.

A cold gleam flashed in the Sunagakure jonin's eyes, and he immediately pursued him.

Yakushi Kabuto remained where he was, thinking for a moment.

According to my intelligence, Hayate Gekko isn't very strong. That jonin should be able to handle him alone.

But why do I feel so uneasy?

Afterward, Yakushi Kabuto decided to follow them.

However, he did not catch up to the jonin. Instead, he chose to trail them from a great distance.

That way, he could provide support at any time if the Sunagakure jonin encountered danger.

And if danger arose, he could also slip away without a sound.

Hayate Gekko was fast, but he knew the pursuer behind him was even more troublesome.

He darted through the village's narrow alleys, trying to shake his opponent, but every time he looked back, he saw that inescapable figure.

In the end, Hayate arrived at a broad training ground.

The area was open on all sides, without any cover.

He stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly turned around.

Since he could not escape, then he would face him head-on.

The Sunagakure jonin approached at an unhurried pace, a contemptuous smile on his face.

"I never thought even a Moonlight Clan jonin could end up in such a sorry state."

"No matter what scheme you have, I won't let you succeed."

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and the tension between the two instantly became razor-sharp.