Chapter 19 – Training and a Swordsmanship Duel
The next morning.
Perhaps the excitement of learning swordsmanship yesterday hadn't faded, because Taichi woke unusually early.
With his short blade strapped to his back, he stepped outside. The sky was only faintly lit, dawn barely brushing the horizon. He headed straight for the training ground by the small river.
The riverside at this hour was hushed and still. Schools of fish glided under the surface, their pale tails scattering the reflected starlight into drifting flecks of silver. From far away, the occasional chirp of insects broke the silence, but could not disturb its serenity.
Taking in the tranquil scene, Taichi felt his chest loosen. He stretched and warmed up, loosening his joints, then reached over his shoulder and drew his short blade.
The newly purchased sword left its scabbard with a flash of cold light. Dew clinging to the spine slid free, dropping into the river and startling several silver fish. Adjusting his grip as described in the Hatake Kenjutsu – Foundations Scroll, he let the red grain of the birch handle settle perfectly against the web of his thumb and forefinger. The key points Kakashi had taught him the night before seemed even clearer in the morning breeze.
His first swings were stiff, the wind-cutting sound more like a blunt tool dragging through cloth. On the thirty-seventh diagonal slash, the blade suddenly sang—a clear, high vibration. Cloud patterns shimmered across the steel in the morning light. With surprise and delight, Taichi felt the weapon's balance flow naturally through his wrist, as if the blade had begun to merge with his own arm.
Sweat rolled down his tense jaw and fell onto the guard, but he kept swinging in a steady rhythm, letting the ache spread from his fingers to his shoulders.
[You have practiced Hatake Kenjutsu. Insight increased!]
[Skill "Hatake Kenjutsu" experience +1]
[Ninja Apprentice exp. +1]
Reflected in the river, his silhouette merged with the swaying reeds. When his thousandth strike landed, the sun pierced the mist and plated the blade in gold. Along the bank, neat cuts marred the grass, a few severed blades trembling in the wind.
Breathing hard but exhilarated, Taichi resisted the urge to keep going—his swordsmanship was just shy of leveling up. Instead, he shifted to ninjutsu training. Time was limited, and he had to divide it between all disciplines.
Every time this happened, he thought about the Shadow Clone Technique. I wonder when I'll get to learn it.
Standing at the water's edge, he began forming seals. Rat–Tiger–Dog–Ox–Hare–Tiger. Six signs in two seconds—not bad, but nowhere near Uchiha Itachi's legendary speed of seven seals in a single second.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
From his mouth, twelve fireballs shot out in groups of three, fanning toward four directions in a diamond pattern. Where they struck the water, steam billowed up in white clouds.
Satisfied with the speed, power, and control, he tried again—this time focusing all the fireballs on one point.
Boom. Boom.
The impact left the water's surface depressed and churning.
One by one, Taichi cycled through the few ninjutsu techniques he knew until his chakra was nearly depleted. He didn't bother with active refining—he let the Chakra Refinement Technique run passively. It was slower, but far less taxing on the body.
This is Konoha. It's peacetime. Safety comes first.
With training done, he sheathed his blade and headed home to wash up and eat before school.
---
Ninja Academy – Classroom
The moment Taichi stepped in, he drew stares. After all, it wasn't every day someone came to class with a sword strapped to their back.
"Taichi, are you learning swordsmanship?" Shizune, seated nearby, pointed at the scabbard in surprise.
Before he could answer, Guy appeared in a green blur, sweat still fresh on his tight-fitting jumpsuit. Clearly, he'd just finished another run around the school.
"Whoa!" His eyes sparkled as he stared at Taichi's sword. "You're planning to carry it everywhere from now on, aren't you?"
Kakashi approached next, giving the weapon a quick, precise glance. From behind his mask came a muffled observation:
"Handle's been adjusted by about five degrees. Better for reverse slashes."
He caught sight of Obito stumbling as the scabbard snagged his foot and allowed himself the faintest curl of amusement.
"What's so special about that!" Obito straightened his forehead protector. "The Uchiha style of swordsmanship is way stronger!" He tossed a kunai into the air, spinning it three times before catching it. "See? Now that's real—"
"Idiot," Kakashi cut in without missing a beat. "Last week you threw a shuriken into your own forehead protector. Remember?"
Rin quickly tried to smooth things over. "Obito's good too! Didn't he just scorch three targets with a Great Fireball last time?" She turned to Taichi, pulling out a small medicine jar from her pouch.
"If you train with a sword on your back, your shoulder muscles can strain easily. Want me to teach you how to use herbal compresses?"
"Thanks, but no need," Taichi replied with a smile. "I know a bit of medical ninjutsu myself."
Even Kakashi was stunned. When had Taichi quietly learned medical ninjutsu without anyone noticing? Everyone else wore the same "I just saw a ghost" expression.
"That's amazing!" Guy's eyes brimmed with tears. "Taichi must be training hard in places we can't see. My youth… it's burning!"
"Hey, hey! Is that really the main point here?" Asuma leaned forward from the back row, a half-eaten fry dangling from his lips. "I heard the Hatake-Style Iaido can slice clean through a waterfall. Taichi, when are you going to show us a demo?"
Kurenai, walking past, gave Asuma's sleeve a sharp tug. "Idiot! True swordsmanship needs to be combined with chakra flow to unleash its full power. You think this is just some circus trick? Besides, Taichi only started learning yesterday!"
"My bad," Asuma muttered quickly.
Taichi eyed the two of them curiously—when had they gotten so chummy?—but let the thought go. Not really his business.
"Actually…" He traced a finger over the cloud pattern on his sword's tsuba, the metal cool against his skin. "When I first started practicing yesterday, I ended up with blisters on my palm." He shot Kakashi a grateful smile. "Good thing someone was there, tapping me with his kunai handle to correct my grip."
Suddenly, Guy slammed both hands on his desk, the bang making everyone jump. "It's decided! Tonight, when we spar, I'll use my newly mastered Leaf Whirlwind against your new sword technique!" His thick eyebrows nearly launched off his forehead. "Burn, my youth!"
Everyone could only sweatdrop in unison.
"Count me in!" Obito, never one to miss a chance for chaos, hopped onto a desk and jabbed a finger at Kakashi. "I'm challenging you next!"
"If you don't mind losing again, I have no objections," Kakashi replied casually.
The classroom erupted in laughter. Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden edges on the faces of the young ninja. Taichi gripped his sword, the metal gradually warming in his hand—like the warmth of these noisy, ridiculous friends.
The bell rang, and class officially began.
With exams approaching, theory lessons had noticeably decreased, replaced by more hands-on practice. Weapon throwing, combat drills—the emphasis was now on real-world application. The differences between students became stark: those with clan training versus those without, the hard workers versus the slackers.
This was why Kakashi could enter at five and graduate at six, while others needed the full six years to make it out.
---
After school, the little group of sparring partners headed for the small grove.
Ironically, Obito—who had been all bravado that morning—was now the first to hesitate. But under relentless teasing, he eventually faced off against Kakashi.
Obito opened with a massive Great Fireball, its power clearly stronger than last time. But Kakashi didn't panic. Without even using ninjutsu, he darted sideways out of the blast's range and closed in fast. Obito's momentary pause after casting the jutsu gave Kakashi his opening, and within moments, the Uchiha boy was flat on the ground.
On the other side, Taichi and Guy were already trading blows. At first, Taichi tried to match Guy with sword techniques, but after only a couple of exchanges, he gave it up—he'd only been practicing for a day, and the blade was slowing him down. Switching to fists, he quickly turned the tide, finally winning with a sharp hook that barely edged out Guy.
Picking up his discarded sword, Taichi chuckled wryly. "Looks like I've got a lot more training to do before I can win with this thing."
The others answered with warm, good-natured laughter.