I Had a Condition That Made Me Laugh Whenever I Heard "Gojō"

The air suddenly fell silent.

Looking at Gojō Ryūsen's utterly confident expression, Cangyue felt the corner of his eye twitch involuntarily.

Take me as his student?

He had clearly just tossed out a meme without thinking.

How had this guy taken it to mean he had already seen through his intentions?

Cangyue's thoughts raced. The astonishment on his face lasted only a moment before he regained his composure.

At a time like this, explaining would only look like covering something up.

As long as he admitted nothing, that "Huh?" could have meant any number of things.

Seeing his silence, Gojō Ryūsen's smile deepened.

"So you really did figure it out already."

Cangyue stood with his hands behind his back, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

"I had some inkling."

Since someone had handed him an easy way out, he might as well take it.

Gojō Ryūsen studied the boy before him.

At twelve, his frame had yet to fully develop, and his face still held a hint of childishness.

Yet standing there with two swords on his back, he looked like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath.

His edge remained concealed, but he was impossible to ignore.

Especially just now.

Gojō Ryūsen had blended his presence into the shadows behind the wall, then deliberately used a shadow clone to make a faint noise.

He had wanted to see whether Cangyue was truly as perceptive as the rumors claimed. Instead, he had been exposed the moment he approached.

Even his intentions had been figured out.

"This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Gojō Ryūsen put away his smile, his tone becoming much more serious.

"I saw you fight during an earlier training class."

Cangyue raised an eyebrow slightly.

Gojō Ryūsen lifted a hand and mimed a strike.

"Against that boy who used his age and size to bully his classmates, you didn't use an ounce of unnecessary force or waste a single movement."

"Evade, close in, break his balance, end the fight."

"Simple, but clean."

Cangyue recalled the class bully he had casually dealt with earlier, finally making the connection.

He hadn't expected a Jonin to have seen that.

This guy really has too much time on his hands.

Does he hang around the Ninja Academy every day, picking on beginners?

Gojō Ryūsen continued, "What truly made me decide was that rain at the Riverbank."

A breeze drifted in from outside the classroom.

The Flame and Thunder Swords on Cangyue's back trembled gently, their tassels swaying in the wind.

Gojō Ryūsen's gaze settled on the two swords.

"Sword intent cut off the curtain of rain."

"That isn't something sword-swinging speed alone can accomplish, nor was it ordinary chakra emission."

"You extended your will beyond the edge of your blades and affected your surroundings."

As he said this, a trace of wonder entered his eyes.

As both a Konoha Jonin and a swordsman, he understood what that rainless area meant far better than the Ninja Academy students did.

Many people held a sword their entire lives and learned nothing beyond how to kill with it.

Cangyue, however, had already begun imbuing his swords with his own will.

Leaving such talent at the Ninja Academy to practice the Three Basic Techniques and kunai throwing would be far too wasteful.

"With your current swordsmanship, the Ninja Academy has little left to teach you."

Gojō Ryūsen looked straight at Cangyue.

"That's why I want to take you as my student."

"I may not have much to teach you about swordsmanship, but I can pass on genuine combat experience."

"How to assess intelligence, conserve your strength on missions, face enemies with special ninjutsu, and protect your comrades in complicated environments."

"A swordsman and a ninja are not quite the same, after all."

After hearing him out, Cangyue found himself agreeing to some extent.

He had the swordsmanship insights provided by the system, but he had never carried out an actual ninja mission.

Sparring on a training ground and fighting to the death were entirely different things.

But taking a teacher...

He still needed to keep up his showboating antics.

Suddenly having a teacher over him would be terribly inconvenient if someone stepped in to rein him in every time he stirred up trouble.

Seeing that he hadn't responded, Gojō Ryūsen remained patient.

"Are you concerned about your existing teacher?"

"I looked into your basic records. According to the Ninja Academy's files, you have no formal swordsmanship teacher."

"To have come this far at your age, you must have some other legacy behind you, correct?"

Cangyue's heart tightened.

Here it comes.

Sure enough, the more convincingly he played the master, the more people wanted to know where he had learned it all.

Am I supposed to tell him my teacher is called the system, and its teaching method is topping up and allocating points?

The Third Hokage would probably invite him to his office for tea that very day.

Cangyue fell silent for a moment, then looked out the window.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns across the ground.

"On the Sword Way, there is no first or last. All who perceive its path may discuss the blade."

Gojō Ryūsen froze for a moment.

Having said it, even Cangyue thought the line was remarkably fitting.

He had neither answered the question about his teacher nor rejected the offer outright.

It roughly meant they could exchange ideas, but becoming a student was out of the question.

As for what the other man made of it, that wasn't his problem.

Gojō Ryūsen, however, carefully pondered those words.

On the Sword Way, there is no first or last.

All who perceive its path may discuss the blade.

Cangyue hadn't immediately agreed just because he was a Jonin, nor had his own talent made him look down on others.

In this boy's eyes, rank and age seemed meaningless.

Whether they could perceive each other's Sword Way was what determined whether they could exchange ideas.

This wasn't arrogance.

It was a purity possessed only by a swordsman who had truly set foot on his own path.

Gojō Ryūsen suddenly smiled.

"I see."

Cangyue's gaze shifted slightly.

What have you figured out now?

"I was too attached to the formal relationship of master and student."

Gojō Ryūsen said frankly, "You've already found your own Sword Way. It would indeed be inappropriate for you to follow my path instead."

"Still, you've never truly ventured outside the village."

"If you don't wish to become my student, then let's simply discuss the sword from time to time."

Cangyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That was exactly what he wanted.

He could get a Jonin's mission experience for free without acquiring a teacher.

What a steal.

His expression remained unruffled as he gave a slight nod.

"Agreed."

That single, simple word made Gojō Ryūsen's smile even more pronounced.

He was a full-fledged Jonin who had offered to take a student, yet the boy had neither been overwhelmed by the honor nor immediately accepted. He had simply, calmly offered an opportunity to exchange ideas as equals.

In any other twelve-year-old, such an attitude would have seemed far too arrogant.

But considering the sword intent Cangyue had displayed, it all seemed perfectly natural.

Perhaps Cangyue had known all along that what he lacked was never someone to teach him how to swing a sword.

It was someone who could show him a wider world.

At that thought, Gojō Ryūsen suddenly noticed another issue.

"But why did you call me 'Jailer Gojō' just now?"

Cangyue's expression stiffened.

Oh, no.

He still hasn't let that one go.

He slowly lifted his head, gazing beyond the window as though contemplating something profoundly abstruse.

After several breaths, Cangyue said softly, "A jail is a place of firmness."

"A sword heart that never wavers, as firm as prison walls."

"It was a compliment."

Gojō Ryūsen repeated quietly, "A jail is a place of firmness..."

Cangyue nodded without batting an eye.

I can't exactly tell him I was just making a meme reference.

I have a condition that makes me want to laugh whenever I hear the name Gojō.

After a moment's thought, Gojō Ryūsen actually accepted the explanation with solemn sincerity.

"Interesting."

"It seems you not only saw through my intentions, but also recognized that my Sword Way favors defense and containment."

Cangyue said nothing.

He feared that if he spoke again, the man would imagine even more things.

[Valor Points +20]

Watching the notification flash before his eyes, Cangyue immediately felt at peace.

Whether this was a misunderstanding really didn't matter that much.

Anyone who contributed valor points was a good teacher.

Just then, Naruto's powerful shout suddenly rang out from the distant training ground.

"Watch closely, everyone!"

"Now behold the fruits of my Dream Training!"

His voice carried across half the campus, startling a flock of birds from a tree.

Only then did Cangyue remember that he apparently still had an outdoor training class to attend.

And Naruto had been clamoring earlier about showing everyone what Konoha's second Dream Training practitioner could do.

He glanced up at the sun, then at the empty classroom.

It seemed the class bell had rung a while ago.

"Excuse me."

Cangyue turned and headed toward the training ground.

He walked at an unhurried pace, the Flame and Thunder Swords on his back swaying gently with his steps.

Gojō Ryūsen remained where he was, not immediately following.

As he watched Cangyue's retreating figure, his gaze gradually grew serious.

From the end of their conversation to the moment he turned away, Cangyue had seemed casual, yet his body had maintained a peculiar balance throughout.

His shoulders were relaxed, his steps loose, and even the back of his neck was completely exposed.

Yet after simulating several surprise attacks in his mind, Gojō Ryūsen found that no matter which angle he approached from, he would enter the ideal counterattack range of the two swords before his strike could land.

That wasn't a deliberately adopted defensive stance.

It was a habit his body had naturally developed through long use of the sword.

Even with his back turned to a Jonin, he had left no genuine opening.

"Jailer Gojō."

Having reached the doorway, Cangyue suddenly stopped.

Gojō Ryūsen snapped out of his thoughts.

Without turning around, Cangyue said mildly, "If you wish to discuss the sword, come along."

With that, he continued toward the training ground.

Gojō Ryūsen raised his eyebrows slightly, then stepped forward to follow.

He was curious too.

Just what had Naruto Uzumaki, who had always ranked dead last at the Ninja Academy, learned from Cangyue?

By the time the two reached the edge of the training ground, the students had already gathered around a large tree.

Naruto stood in the center. He had yet to put on his Forehead Protector, but he was already brimming with confidence.

Kiba stood off to one side with Akamaru in his arms, skepticism written all over his face.

Sakura looked up at the tree, unsure what Naruto was up to this time.

Shikamaru stood with his hands in his pockets, looking as though this was all a bother, yet his eyes rested on Naruto's feet.

Sasuke stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression calm, his gaze more intent than anyone else's.

Iruka stood with his arms folded, clearly having already been held up by Naruto for quite some time.

Naruto's eyes lit up when he saw Cangyue arrive.

"Cangyue, you're finally here!"

He turned and pointed at the large tree behind him, flashing everyone around him a broad grin.

"Today, you'll all see for yourselves!"

"The results of my Dream Training!"