Chapter 158: The Evil Uchiha Brats
Asano Sakajin's talent exceeded even Natsuya's expectations.
In just a single week, he had mastered the foundational breathing rhythm. And
that was without skipping his regular classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. By the
second week, after Natsuya custom-crafted a personalized Breathing Style for
him, Asano had practically stumbled across the threshold of Total Concentration.
His physical conditioning was only just beginning, but his mastery of the
Breathing itself was effectively entry-level.
The only thing lagging behind was his actual swordsmanship.
Natsuya hadn't taught him a traditional Japanese katana. Knowing that Asano was
neither a Demon Slayer nor a local, and that he would eventually return to Yan,
the katana simply wasn't a practical weapon for him.
Instead, Natsuya had taught him the fundamentals of Wing Chun butterfly swords.
During his downtime between grinding stats, Natsuya had personally forged a pair
for him. Utilizing his Hashira privileges, he had even mixed a small amount of
Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand into the steel alloy.
The result was a pair of wide, heavy short-swords. Combined, they resembled a
pair of wings.
[Butterfly Twin Blades, also known as the Eight-Cut Knives.]
In a crowded urban environment, short weapons were vastly superior—easy to
conceal, unassuming, and devastatingly fast at close quarters.
As for the techniques, Natsuya simply imported his own muscle memory from
thousands of hours in martial arts simulators. While mastering the breathing was
one thing, physical technique required real-world reps. Even so, Asano was
learning at a pace that left ordinary Slayers in the dust.
Within three days, Asano could use his breathing-enhanced butterfly swords to
shatter solid rock.
While it didn't match the terrifying destructive power of Urokodaki's graduates
slicing two-meter boulders in half, it was more than enough to turn
a 30-centimeter thick slab of granite into gravel. In this era, no standard
firearm could pierce a stone wall like that.
Natsuya figured that in another two months, Asano would likely have his Total
Concentration completely dialed in.
It was around this time, just as spring flowers began to bloom across the north,
that two familiar young faces arrived at the Karakura Pavilion in Sendai to
visit Natsuya.
They were old acquaintances from Mt. Sagiri: the pink-haired Kaji Sabito and the
black-haired Tomioka Giyu.
Compared to months prior, both boys carried an aura that was far more grounded.
They had grown taller, too.
Seiko, who happened to be nearby, couldn't help but stare at them for a few
seconds.
Are those two... already training for Constant?
As a fellow Water Breathing user, she could easily read the quality of their
rhythm. They were definitely no longer rookies.
Natsuya spotted them instantly.
Walking in front was Sabito, wearing his standard uniform with a yellow-green
haori draped over his shoulders, carrying his travel pack with a bright,
welcoming smile.
And walking right behind him was...
Natsuya's eyebrow twitched slightly.
The black-haired boy in the red haori had a clear, composed face—and a faint,
unmistakable smile playing at the corners of his lips. He was casually taking in
the architecture of the dojo, looking entirely at peace with the world.
Wait. Where did you hide the real Giyu?
"It's been a while, Kokonoe-senior," Sabito called out cheerfully, raising a
hand in greeting.
Giyu followed up with a formal bow. "Sabito, it's Lord Hashira now."
"There's no need to be that stiff," Sabito laughed, though he corrected himself.
"Ah, right. My apologies, Senior."
Meanwhile, Giyu's gaze had drifted downward, landing right on the belt beneath
Natsuya's white haori.
Tucked into the leather was a faded, worn rope knot.
It was the exact charm he and Seiko had woven together and gifted to Natsuya the
day they parted ways in Yokohama.
He's actually still wearing it, Senior-aniki...
A genuine, warm wave of happiness washed over Giyu's face.
Natsuya, however, was staring at him like he was looking at an alien species.
Giyu is smiling? And not in a creepy way? Has the Uchiha clan finally broken
their curse of perpetual teenage depression?
"What did you do to Giyu?" Natsuya asked Sabito, pointing a finger at the
black-haired boy. "Did you kidnap him? Is this a doppelgänger?"
Sabito blinked, then burst into a warm, understanding laugh. He patted Giyu on
the shoulder.
"He's the real Giyu, Senior. Ever since we completed our first real demon hunts
and survived, he's slowly climbed out of his shell. He's finally living for
himself now, aren't you, Giyu?"
"Yeah," Giyu nodded softly. He looked at Natsuya, his expression awkward but
entirely sincere. "I... I'll still call you Luminary Hashira-sama if it's
protocol, but..."
"Whatever. Just call me Natsuya," the boy sighed, waving it off. "It's too
exhausting pretending to be an imposing boss figure all day."
[Kaji Sabito (Power Level: 87)] — Water Breathing LV.4 [Tomioka Giyu (Power
Level: 72)] — Water Breathing LV.4
Natsuya's HUD silently logged their stats.
Compared to when they had last met at Mt. Fujikasane, their numbers had spiked
dramatically. If they kept grinding at this rate, they would easily hit the
Level 100 threshold soon—which meant more Achievement Points for Natsuya's
[Mentorship] account.
My investments are finally paying dividends, Natsuya grinned inwardly.
"Alright, since you're here, make yourselves at home," Natsuya announced,
gesturing toward the courtyard. "My dojo might not be a five-star hotel, but the
food is guaranteed to be top-tier. I'll make sure you're fed well."
"And more importantly—I'll make sure your training schedule is fully optimized."
Sabito and Giyu exchanged a look. There was a subtle trace of dread hidden
beneath their smiles. Ah... right. The 'Demon Instructor' boot camp.
Just as they were settling in, Sabito unbuckled his travel pack and pulled out a
few carefully wrapped packages.
"Master Urokodaki sent these. He had us bring some cloud-patterned fabric—he
heard you picked up sewing recently and thought you might want material for your
tailoring."
"And this..."
Sabito pulled out a paper-wrapped parcel. "Giyu and I picked these up at a sweet
shop in a town we passed through. We remembered you liked eating those persimmon
pastries back at Sagiri, so we bought a bunch."
"Not sure if they'll match your taste, though."
Natsuya took the gifts, a genuine flicker of warmth touching his heart. NPCs
remembering a throwaway dialogue line from months ago? The AI writing in this
game is genuinely impressive.
"Thanks. Put them in the kitchen."
Natsuya turned to the boys. "Alright, get changed. Afternoon training starts in
ten minutes. Today's session is going to feature a heavy focus on—"
He stopped.
He suddenly remembered a very specific detail.
Wait a second.
Sabito and Giyu brought persimmon pastries... because they 'remembered' I liked
them.
Who else loves persimmon pastries? Seiko. Who bought Seiko persimmons during her
recovery? Me. Who did Seiko send persimmons to when she wrote her love-letter...
I mean, her 'comrade' letter? Me.
Natsuya's brain connected the dots with terrifying speed.
The Uchiha brats visited my room at Mt. Sagiri. And they definitely went through
my desk. They read Seiko's letter.
Across the courtyard, Seiko—who had been quietly listening to the conversation
while holding a watering can—suddenly froze.
Her face, which had been calm a moment ago, drained of color.
Wait. The persimmon pastries... Sabito and Giyu bought them because they read my
letter to Natsuya-kun?!
A cold sweat broke out across the girl's entire body.
My secret romantic confession / deep emotional letter... Was read by the two
biggest gossips in the Corps?!
☆☆☆
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