Chapter 27: The Edge of a Blade
A gust of wind finally lifted the leaf from the ground, sending it twirling into the air.
In that same instant, a surge of electricity, faint and controlled, coursed through Takumi's right arm, invigorating the muscle cells. His hand became a blur. He drew the short, second-hand daitō from its scabbard in a single, fluid motion, the blade slicing through the space where the leaf danced.
A clean, almost invisible line appeared across the leaf's surface before it fluttered apart, its two halves drifting separately to the earth.
Takumi slowly shifted his stance from the draw to resheathing the blade, the faint glint of polished steel the only evidence of its movement.
"So it truly is all about speed," he murmured to himself.
His Sharingan-enhanced vision could easily track the leaf's lazy spiral. The limitation wasn't his sight, but his body's ability to react with matching precision and accuracy. His training with the blade had been too brief to achieve perfect, first-strike mastery. But raw, overwhelming speed could compensate for a lack of finesse. One cut missed? A second would follow before an opponent could blink. A third, if necessary. To a less perceptive shinobi, the movement would be a mere blur—a draw, a flicker, and the target falling apart.
[Entry: Novice Swordsman (Novice) - ACQUIRED.]
[Effect: Your rate of progression in swordsmanship training is increased by 10%.]
[Note: This skill is capable of further evolution.]
Before acquiring the proper kodachi, Takumi had resorted to whittling a branch into a crude sword-shape with a kitchen knife, practicing the forms of the Kumo-ryu style. After five days of relentless drilling, he had finally executed the 'Cloud-Style Kenjutsu: Swift Swallow' with enough proficiency to trigger the entry. Now, his path to swordsmanship mastery would be 10% swifter than any ordinary person's.
"This puts me roughly on par with an average genin's combat level," Takumi assessed, setting the sword down and heading inside for a drink of water.
The term "genin" covered a vast spectrum of power. There were legends like "Eternal Genin" Might Duy's son, Guy, or the enigmatic Kosuke Maruboshi, whose true skill rivaled jonin. And then there were the civilian-born graduates, for whom the Academy Three Jutsu represented the pinnacle of their abilities. Simply mastering those fundamentals and possessing basic field knowledge was enough to earn the forehead protector.
"I need to graduate early," Takumi decided, placing the empty cup down. The entry for a robust physique felt imminent, likely within the week. Once he integrated it, he could synthesize the [Lightning Release Specialist] entry. Remaining at the Academy was becoming an inefficient use of his time. For others, early graduation meant being thrown into the grinder sooner. For him, it meant access to a wider world, more opportunities to trigger his system's conditions, and a faster, more direct path to power.
Ninja Academy
The curriculum wasn't solely physical. Today's lesson focused on shurikenjutsu, a shinobi's essential ranged weapon and last line of defense.
"Pay close attention!" instructed Chunin-sensei Kyohei Fujimoto. "When your chakra is depleted and ninjutsu is no longer an option, a well-thrown shuriken can be the difference between life and death." He held up various types of shuriken for identification—the large, intimidating Fuma Shuriken, the sharp-angled varieties, and the curved designs. The Uchiha clan was famously proficient in this art.
"Takumi-kun, how is your shurikenjutsu?" Kurenai asked quietly. As a transfer student, he had missed the foundational lessons from the previous semester. She was curious about the skill level of someone from Lightning, and an Uchiha to boot.
"I haven't practiced much," Takumi admitted truthfully. A shinobi's energy was finite. His priority had been building a powerful physical foundation to support greater chakra reserves and more complex ninjutsu.
From a few rows back, Asuma Sarutobi watched their interaction, a frown etched on his face. The easy way Kurenai spoke with Takumi grated on him. He wanted to apologize for his earlier gaffe, but couldn't find the right opening without looking even more foolish.
"Asuma, you look troubled," Inuzuka Tsume commented, nudging him.
"Me? No, I'm fine," Asuma waved her off, adopting a mask of nonchalance. As the Hokage's son, he was constantly under scrutiny; showing weakness was not an option.
"Alright, everyone, begin individual practice!" Fujimoto-sensei announced, distributing the Academy's well-worn, blunted practice shuriken. Twenty wooden training dummies were set up across the field.
"Hey, where's Kakashi?" Obito asked, looking around. He hadn't seen his rival all day.
"Sensei said Kakashi was absent this morning. Weren't you listening, Obito?" Rin said, returning to the practice area with her allotted shuriken.
"Uh, hehe, must have missed that," Obito grinned sheepishly.
"But Takumi-kun is quite popular, isn't he?" Rin observed softly. "It didn't take him long to get to know so many people." She noted how he now seemed on good terms with Kurenai, one of the class's top students.
"Hmph, it's just because he's a foreigner. Everyone's curious, that's all," Obito retorted. He was sure that once the novelty wore off, things would return to normal.
He glanced over and saw Takumi, shuriken in hand, walking towards Rin with Kurenai following closely behind.
"Has Kakashi been gone all day?" Takumi asked, cutting straight to the point. He'd been so focused on his physical training, anticipating his new entry, that he hadn't noticed the prodigy's absence until now.
"Yes, maybe something came up," Rin offered.
"That guy? He's probably training in secret at home!" Obito declared, his voice laced with suspicion. He refused to believe Kakashi's genius was natural; it had to be the result of hidden, obsessive effort.
"Obito, Kakashi isn't like that," Rin chided, a slight frown on her face.
Takumi didn't pay attention to their ensuing debate. A cold, logical conclusion had already formed in his mind, pushing all other thoughts aside.
In all likelihood... Konoha's White Fang had returned.
And he had returned a failure.
(End of Chapter)
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