bookbashuk Chapter 17 Practical Training and Swordsmanship Instruction
Chapter 17 Practical Training and Swordsmanship Instruction
Ninja Academy, classroom.
As soon as Taiichi entered the classroom, he glanced around and spotted Kakashi and Obito vying for dominance, with Rin standing nearby looking helpless.
Taiichi found it amusing. Kakashi always maintained a cool demeanor towards everyone; if you didn't initiate conversation, he might not utter a single word for ages. But with Obito, the two seemed like natural nemesis. Obito would seize any opportunity to retort to Kakashi, and Kakashi, with just a single sentence, could break Obito's guard.
As Taiichi was thinking, he approached the three of them. The two who were bickering hadn't noticed Taiichi yet, but Nohara Rin was the first to notice him.
He watched as Taiyi walked towards him.
"Taiyi, is something the matter?" Lin asked.
"Rin, I'm looking for Kakashi, but it seems he's too busy to talk to me right now," Taiichi said with a smile as he looked at Kakashi.
Lin also covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled.
At this moment, Kakashi also noticed Taiichi. He knew why Taiichi had sought him out, and immediately switched from his "battle mode" to a cool and aloof demeanor. Seeing Kakashi's expression and recalling his earlier thoughts, Taiichi couldn't help but laugh again.
"Excuse me, I was just thinking about something interesting." Realizing his rudeness, Taiichi immediately apologized.
Kakashi was completely bewildered by Taiichi's laughter, but seeing Taiichi's words, he didn't suspect anything else. He simply took a scroll from his ninja tool pouch and handed it to Taiichi.
Taiichi didn't think much of it. After taking the scroll, he was shocked. Could this have been secretly taken out by Kakashi?
Kakashi seemed to see through Tai's thoughts: "Don't overthink it. This is something my father personally asked me to give to you." He then told Tai about his father's philosophy that people are the most important thing.
Upon hearing this, Tai was filled with deep respect. No wonder he was someone who would abandon a mission for his teammates. It seemed that people were the most important thing to him. He now owed them a huge favor; how could he ever repay it? Thinking about the future "White Fang suicide incident," he wondered if he could change anything to prevent White Fang's tragic end.
"Taiichi, what are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought." Kakashi asked when Taiichi remained silent for a long time.
"Oh, I was thinking I must not let Sakumo-senpai down. Kakashi, come with me to buy a sword after training today, you can give me some advice." Taichi put aside his thoughts. There were still 3 years until the White Fang suicide incident, it was too early to think about such things now. He should focus on becoming stronger, otherwise he wouldn't even have the chance to contribute in the future.
"Okay, I can still offer some advice," Kakashi readily agreed.
"Hey, Taichi, do you want to learn swordsmanship? Our Uchiha-style swordsmanship is famous throughout the ninja world!" Obito chimed in, listening to their conversation.
"Idiot, would you pass on your Uchiha swordsmanship to an outsider?" Kakashi couldn't help but retort.
"Ah~ Ah~ Arrogant Kakashi, who are you calling an idiot?" Obito realized that his words were unreliable, so he took the opportunity to back down and stopped talking about the topic.
"Anyone who asks is an idiot." Kakashi was merciless.
This really angered Obito so much that he didn't care that there were other people around and started fighting Kakashi again.
Taiyi, watching from the side, could only sigh helplessly; they were truly a pair of lovable clowns.
"Rin, I'm going now, class is about to start," Taiichi said to Nohara Rin.
"OK."
……
A peaceful day.
Taiichi took some time during break to look through the scroll. It was indeed a comprehensive and basic swordsmanship scroll, but it also emphasized speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, perfectly matching the characteristics of the White Fang Swordsmanship. In terms of basic swordsmanship, it was hard to find a better scroll in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
[Your understanding of Hatake's basic swordsmanship has improved after reading this.]
You have learned the Hatake Sword Technique Lv0 (1/10)
[You are focusing on learning the Hatake sword technique; Ninja Apprentice experience points +1]
Looking at the prompts on the panel, Taiyi felt his pressure increase again. It was another skill that required constant practice, a bittersweet experience.
……
The Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, who was engrossed in spying, was startled by a loud "bang" and quickly hid the crystal ball under the table.
As Tsunade entered the office, she saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's furtive movements and knew what he was up to again. She curled her lip in disdain; if it were Jiraiya, she would have already punched him.
"Tsunade, you should at least show some respect to me as your teacher. I am, after all, the Hokage," Hiruzen Sarutobi said helplessly. To be honest, he felt very guilty towards his student Tsunade. The deaths of Nawaki and Dan still had many suspicious points. It wasn't that the village didn't want to investigate, but rather that they dared not.
This has led to a situation where Tsunade and he are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and Jiraiya has been away from the village for three years under the pretext of gathering intelligence.
Both he and Tsunade knew perfectly well that this matter was most likely related to Danzo, but what could they do? He was truly reluctant to deal with Danzo, not only because of personal feelings, but also because of the current political landscape of Konoha.
He lacked the immense strength and prestige of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. He couldn't subdue the entire Hidden Leaf Village through his personal abilities; he could only secure his position as Hokage in the early stages through this system of checks and balances. Now, however, any change would require major surgery, a decision he simply couldn't make.
Tsunade didn't waste any words with him and directly handed Sarutobi an internship certificate to sign. Of course, she couldn't let Taiichi actually go to Konoha Hospital to help out; that would be too embarrassing for her, Tsunade. She had to at least give Taiichi a permanent position. Thus, this internship certificate was created—the kind that pays a salary.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the document, glanced at it, and asked in surprise, "Are you going to take on an apprentice?"
It's no wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi thought that way. Who would do this for someone who's not related to them, and even involve the Hokage in the matter?
"I don't have that idea. What can I teach him in my current condition?" Tsunade said helplessly, thinking of her hemophobia.
"He's a promising talent. I've tested him; his medical ninjutsu and knowledge are solid. What he lacks now is practical experience. Let him train at the hospital; he can improve even more."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened, and he stopped thinking about it.
"Since you've put him through the test, I won't say any more. Matsushita Taichi is indeed a good kid. I've been watching him for a long time. Let him go to the hospital to find Biwako later."
Although Tsunade says she's not taking on any more disciples, judging from how much she's going out of her way for Matsushita Taichi, their relationship must be quite close. After all, it was Tsunade who helped introduce that special medicine before.
Now, as long as Tsunade can get things done and build relationships with the villagers instead of spending her days gambling or getting drunk, he's happy. Ultimately, this is a teacher making amends to her student.
Tsunade received the signed internship certificate and left the Hokage's office without saying a word.
As he stepped outside, looking at the certificate in his hand, he thought, "I didn't eat your food for nothing. Now that I've gotten you this, let's see how you thank me." With that thought, he tucked the certificate into his pocket.
……
Wood Leaf Grove
After school, the three of them gathered together to train again.
Kai was practicing his straight punches against a big tree. The tree trembled with each punch he threw. He loudly counted each punch, and he had already reached 583 punches.
"Today we're going to throw 2000 punches. If we don't get enough, we'll run five laps around Konoha!" The passionate shouts never stopped.
On the other side, Kakashi was teaching Taichi basic sword techniques.
Kakashi stood on the bluestone, gripping his short sword. The glint of light reflecting off the blade brushed past Taichi's taut fingertips as he awkwardly held the hilt, sweat dripping from his chin onto the handguard. The sword in his hand was a practice sword Kakashi had brought from home.
"Your thumb should be pressing down on the hilt of the sword, with your hand gripping it." Kakashi's kunai handle suddenly tapped against Tai's white knuckles. "Grip it too tightly and you'll lose your dexterity; grip it too loose and your opponent will send you flying." Tai adjusted his grip as if electrocuted, discovering that the diamond pattern on the hilt perfectly matched the curve of his five fingers. In the distance came the thud of Gai striking a wooden stake, its sound intertwining with the whistling of the blade cutting through the air to create a unique rhythm.
"Now try a diagonal slash." Kakashi took three steps back. As Taichi swung his sword, the silver-haired boy suddenly threw out three shuriken. The moment the blade collided with the hidden weapons, Taichi felt a numbness in his hand—his adjusted grip had evenly distributed the impact force across his entire palm.
As dusk deepened, Kakashi picked up a twig and traced lines in the mud: "There are seven variations of the Hatake-ryu swordsmanship grip; this is the most basic of the basics." The mud-drawn hand lines gradually evolved into the shape of a human holding a sword. "Remember, the sword is an extension of your limbs; when holding the sword, your center of gravity should flow naturally like your breathing."
As Kakashi continued to teach, the panel provided continuous prompts.
[Your practice of the Hatake sword technique has improved your understanding of it!]
Your skill "Hatake Sword Technique" has been upgraded; experience points increased by 1.
Congratulations! Your skill, Hatake Sword Technique, has been upgraded to Lv1 (0/100)
[Your focus on practicing the Hatake sword technique has increased your Ninja Apprentice experience by 1.]
With his skills upgraded, a profound understanding of the Hatake sword technique was integrated into Taiichi's entire being.
Taiichi stared at the red marks on his palm from the hilt of the sword, then suddenly flicked his wrist and twirled the blade. Kakashi's eyes flashed with surprise; this move, which should have taken three weeks of practice, had been mastered by Taiichi on his own through his understanding of balance. The evening breeze swirled up the fallen maple leaves, and the afterimages of the two long swords gradually overlapped amidst the fluttering red leaves.