Until He Could Cut Through Everything!

As Iruka announced the two opponents on the training field, a subtle shift came over the atmosphere.

Everyone's eyes settled on the two students stepping out of the crowd.

On one side stood Ye Chuan, tall and straight-backed, with handsome features. Though he always wore an expressionless face and kept others at arm's length, he was still one of the boys who drew the most attention from the girls in class.

On the other stood Hinata Hyuga, the young lady of the Hyuga Main Family, one of Konoha's oldest prestigious clans. With short hair reaching her eyebrows and loose-fitting clothes, she looked rather timid.

When Hinata saw that her opponent was Ye Chuan, her fair little face flushed bright red. Her eyes darted about in panic, afraid to meet his gaze, and she unconsciously pressed her index fingers together, looking utterly at a loss.

Just as I thought... Understanding dawned on Ye Chuan when he saw her reaction.

He could roughly guess why Hinata was reacting this way.

Not long ago, on his way home from school, he had happened upon three troublemaking upperclassmen bullying Hinata.

Ye Chuan had not thought much of it at the time. He had simply found them an eyesore and casually thrown a few small stones with precise aim, scattering them.

Hinata had seemed very grateful then, stammering as she tried to thank him, but he had walked away without acknowledging her.

He had not expected that this small gesture would seemingly cause this introverted, shy young lady to develop some inexplicable feelings for him.

What a nuisance. The thought flashed through Ye Chuan's mind, but his face remained expressionless.

Whether it was a crush or gratitude, it had nothing to do with him. All he cared about was the sparring match itself.

"Both sides, get ready!" Iruka raised a hand from the sidelines. "Begin!"

As Iruka's hand swept down, Hinata took a deep breath, trying hard to steady herself, and assumed the opening stance of the Hyuga Style Gentle Fist.

Though her movements were still somewhat awkward and her eyes held hesitation, her stance was reasonably correct.

She seemed to want to attack first, but she hesitated, shifting her feet slightly without making a move.

Ye Chuan stood quietly where he was, making no attempt to attack first.

He shook his head slightly at Hinata's obvious lack of confidence.

There had been little doubt about the outcome of this match from the very beginning.

He had no interest in revealing too much on an occasion like this, nor did he intend to actually hurt her.

Let's finish this quickly-and as gently as possible.

Just as Hinata finally gathered her courage, took a tentative step, and thrust her small hand forward in a Gentle Fist stance, Ye Chuan moved.

His movement was not fast, but his timing was exquisite, as though he had foreseen the path of Hinata's attack.

With a simple turn to the side, he easily let Hinata's attack pass through empty air.

Immediately afterward, Ye Chuan closed in like a phantom. Bringing his right index and middle fingers together, he lightly tapped a spot below the side of Hinata's neck at the instant her missed attack left her open.

It was not a fatal weak point, but a strike with just the right force was enough to make someone instantly lose their balance and leave their body numb.

"Ugh..."

Hinata felt her neck go numb and her vision blur. Her strength suddenly deserted her, and she staggered back two steps, nearly falling.

"That's enough!"

Iruka immediately called an end to the match, giving Ye Chuan a somewhat surprised look.

That instantaneous dodge and counterattack had been clean and decisive, nothing like what a student who had enrolled just three months ago should have been capable of. The precise strike to a pressure point had particularly impressed him.

Still, Ye Chuan had immediately withdrawn his hand without following up, which complied with the rule of stopping short of causing harm.

"Ye Chuan wins!"

Blushing, Hinata lowered her head and murmured something, then retreated to one side, looking somewhat dejected.

Ye Chuan returned expressionlessly to a corner of the crowd, while his classmates' gazes had grown considerably more complicated.

There was surprise and curiosity, and some boys who had paid little attention to him before now looked wary.

The combat sparring class soon ended.

By the time Iruka dismissed them, it was already getting late.

The intense training had left Ye Chuan's stomach empty, and fierce hunger swept over him.

He felt the little survivor's allowance money in his pocket and decided to treat himself a little today.

He went to the village's most famous noodle shop-Ichiraku Ramen.

As he lifted the entrance curtain, the rich aroma of pork bone broth washed over him.

There were few customers inside, and Uncle Teuchi and Ayame were busy working.

Ye Chuan found a seat in a corner and ordered a bowl of the most basic pork bone ramen.

His luck seemed good today. The blond kid who shouted every time he came for ramen was actually absent.

Soon, a steaming bowl of ramen was set before him.

Ye Chuan ate quietly, savoring the satisfaction of warm food sliding into his stomach.

He needed to replenish his energy as quickly as possible, because two more arduous daily tasks awaited him at home.

After finishing his ramen and paying, Ye Chuan wasted no time and hurried straight home.

He had to complete 1,000 sword swings and a ten-kilometer run before the tasks reset at midnight.

When Ye Chuan dragged his body, which felt almost ready to fall apart, through the final task and collapsed in the clearing, the midnight chimes seemed about to ring.

[Daily task: Swing a sword 1,000 times (1,000/1,000). Completed.]

[Daily task: Run 10 kilometers each day (10/10). Completed.]

[Inheritance experience gained +2]

Along with the notification sound, a familiar warmth flowed into his body, and his mind instantly sank into Hawkeye's inheritance space.

When the insights ended, his consciousness returned to reality.

Ye Chuan lay on the ground, but thoughts about higher realms of swordsmanship surfaced involuntarily in his mind.

He vaguely remembered something Koshiro, Zoro's first teacher in the world of the Pirate King, had once said.

"The things a swordsman can cut, and the things he cannot cut... In this world, there are swordsmen who can cut through steel, yet cannot cut through paper..."

Hawkeye could not have become the world's greatest through strength and technique alone. He must also have possessed a profound understanding of the concept of cutting.

A thought suddenly came to him.

He struggled to his feet, went back inside, and found a sheet of paper.

Then he picked up the wooden sword he had used for over three months and took a deep breath.

He imagined the paper's breathing, imagined the line that could be cut.

Then-he swung!

The wooden sword descended with a rush of air.

The result...

The wooden sword's blunt edge merely pushed the paper aside a little, leaving it completely undamaged.

"Just as I thought... I'm still far too lacking." Ye Chuan looked at the intact sheet of paper and gave a self-deprecating smile.

At present, even his most basic strength and speed were still far from sufficient, let alone enough to pursue that realm of "cutting through everything."

"But at least this gives me a direction."

Keep swinging, keep running, keep getting stronger.

Until one day, when I truly understand what it means to cut, I'll surely be able to cut through steel too!