Wobbling atop the Grass Long Sword, Kusanagi Blade for quite a while, Hoshiyomi finally managed to stabilize himself. Roughly gauging the sword's "battery level," he quickly noticed that with his weight on it, the sword's chakra consumption had increased significantly.
Normally, controlling the Kusanagi Sword in midair according to his will would let it fly for about ten minutes at a decent speed. But now, with Hoshiyomi standing on it, the sword could last at most two minutes.
That didn't mean he was limited to only two minutes of flight, though—because while standing on the sword, Hoshiyomi could continuously channel chakra into it.
After testing, he found that his chakra output and the sword's consumption while flying balanced out about fifty-fifty. In other words, as long as Hoshiyomi's reserves were plentiful, he might not be able to fly indefinitely, but he could sustain flight for a very long time.
With that in mind, Hoshiyomi steadied himself and began ascending. When he had risen to around a hundred meters, he stopped climbing. That seemed to be about the limit—any higher, and the sword's chakra reserves wouldn't be enough.
Once stable at that height, Hoshiyomi urged the sword forward. Because of the added weight, the flying speed dropped noticeably. By his estimate, it was about the same as a normal jōnin running at full speed—slower than Hoshiyomi himself at top speed.
But in the air, Hoshiyomi's path of travel faced no detours or obstacles, so in practical terms, the speed was roughly equivalent to rushing across the ground.
And the chakra consumption wasn't nearly as bad as he had feared. With reserves far exceeding those of most Kage-level shinobi, Hoshiyomi realized he could keep flying like this for nearly an entire day without exhausting himself.
All in all, this was an extremely practical ability—something that could be applied in actual combat.
Circling Konoha from above, feeling the cold wind brushing across his face, Hoshiyomi couldn't stop grinning. This was sword flight.
Just like sword beams, this was every man's dream.
Looking cool was what mattered, period.
After circling the skies above Konoha, Hoshiyomi had essentially mastered the technique. It wasn't all that difficult anyway—the Kusanagi Sword did most of the work. All Hoshiyomi had to do was stand on it and keep his balance.
With practice, he began experimenting with tricks—circling, diving, soaring back up into the sky. In short, he was having fun like a 200-pound child let loose in a playground.
But while Hoshiyomi was enjoying himself, Konoha's Sealing Corps nearly had their souls scared out of them.
Their sensory barriers had picked up an unidentified flying object breaching Konoha's aerial seals. From their readings, it looked nothing like a bird.
Terrified, some members nearly rushed to report an enemy attack to the Hokage's office.
As more and more sealing squad members poured out to investigate this "enemy," Hoshiyomi calmly descended on the sword and said to them:
"Don't worry—it's just me practicing a new technique."
With that, he carved a smooth semicircle in the sky on the sword and vanished once more into the distance, leaving the sealing squad staring blankly, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
"Am I dreaming…? Hoshiyomi-sama was flying on a sword?"
"This is Hoshiyomi-sama for you. Truly incredible."
After showing off in the sky for quite a while, Hoshiyomi finally landed, thoroughly satisfied. Instead of heading home right away, he made his way to Konoha's largest ninja tool shop—Mantendō.
Yes, the very same shop that, in the future, would have the Six Paths Sage's tools displayed on the counter when Tenten became the proprietress.
Before entering, Hoshiyomi shortened the Kusanagi Sword to a normal size—roughly the same length as Mikazuki Munechika. Carrying the shortened sword, he walked into Mantendō and said directly to the shop owner—who might have been Tenten's father, or maybe her uncle:
"Boss, I want a custom scabbard made for this sword."
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as soon as Hoshiyomi entered, and when he caught sight of the sword in his hand, he couldn't look away.
"Does Hoshiyomi-sama have any special requirements for the scabbard?"
Hoshiyomi didn't hesitate:
"I want to carry this sword on my back, you understand? Like the ANBU style. Don't worry about the blade's length, the important part is that it fits snugly against my back and doesn't interfere with movement. As for materials—durability first. And don't make it too tight; a little room is better. No need for anything flashy, just keep it practical, durable, and functional… Ah, I mean—mainly durable."
The shopkeeper was puzzled at first, but seeing how the sword was clearly no ordinary weapon, he quickly came to terms with it. Of course, only a divine weapon with special abilities would suit Hoshiyomi-sama.
After taking some measurements of Hoshiyomi's back width with a ruler, the shopkeeper soon calculated the right scabbard length. Accepting the sword from Hoshiyomi and admiring it with a sigh, he swiftly sketched out a detailed model. Once the specifications were confirmed, he said with full confidence:
"Rest assured, Hoshiyomi-sama. Give me three days, and I'll craft you a scabbard you'll be absolutely satisfied with."
Indeed, once Hoshiyomi had decided to use the sword for flying, he no longer intended to rely on the "store into the body" ability. Sword flight had to look good—and having it on his back had far more presence.
Three days later, Hoshiyomi returned to Mantendō right on schedule. The shopkeeper's craftsmanship did not disappoint; no wonder he had held the title of Konoha's number one ninja tool maker for so many years.
The custom scabbard fit Hoshiyomi's back perfectly. It caused no discomfort, didn't hinder his movements, and matched the sword's blade precisely. Even better, the design suited Hoshiyomi's "low-key luxury" aesthetic—simple yet full of flair.
Extremely satisfied, Hoshiyomi paid and left. With the Kusanagi Sword strapped to his back, he leapt onto a nearby rooftop in a few quick motions. Standing on the eaves with a lofty, immortal-like air, he raised his left hand in a sword gesture and flicked it upward.
The sword on his back immediately flew from its scabbard, drawing a semicircle through the air before hovering steadily before him.
With a light tap of his toes, Hoshiyomi leapt onto the blade. At his command of "Rise," the sword ascended, carrying him off toward the Senju compound.
In the air, Hoshiyomi carried himself with effortless elegance—though in truth, it was all for show.
Riding the sword upon the wind, to vanquish demons across the land—Gekko. Drunken Sword Immortal. Hoshiyomi, makes his entrance!