After a quick tidy-up of the yard, Hatake Kusuo had already given up on Shuriken training, which wasn't helping him much.
Now.
Hatake Kusuo had a better option.
With Yoriichi Tsugikuni's template, he had made up his mind to specialize in swordsmanship!
In the future… why couldn't he use Sun Breathing to cut off Uchiha Madara's head with a single strike?
Returning to his small home, an inheritance left to him by his deceased parents, it was located next to Kakashi's house.
Hatake Kusuo carefully took out a sword from a precious wooden stand.
This sword was the ancestral treasure of the Hatake clan for his generation.
Its appearance was simple and unadorned, yet it was incredibly sharp. His father had once used it to slay many enemies on the battlefield.
Now, it was perfectly sufficient for his training.
The sword felt cold to the touch, heavy and ancient, and the sensation of a killing weapon instantly captivated Hatake Kusuo.
He adapted quickly.
As if born with it, he seemed to have unparalleled control over the sword in his hand.
Taking a deep breath.
"Hoo~ Chii!"
"Hoo~ Chii~~!"
Hatake Kusuo entered a state, his entire body falling into a peculiar realm. Yoriichi Tsugikuni's astonishing talent led him to instinctively seek that unique Breathing Method feeling.
Feeling the flowing wind.
Slowly…
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host, for comprehending the basics of the Breathing Method! By using breathing to adjust the cellular energy throughout your body, you are rewarded with Total Concentration Breathing!"
The system's voice rang out at the opportune moment.
Hatake Kusuo's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected that merely by attempting to use the Breathing Method, the system would immediately reward him with Total Concentration Breathing!
"Check acting proficiency."
"Current acting proficiency: 1%!"
A virtual panel appeared before him, and a phantom swordsman stood silently in front of him.
Walking into the courtyard.
Hatake Kusuo approached an adult-sized wooden stake, staring at it intently.
Bend knees, gather strength, leap, strike!
His posture was very skilled.
A series of fluid movements were performed by Hatake Kusuo; the smooth, magnificent feeling was simply unlike something a five-year-old child could accomplish.
Instead, it looked more like the work of a swordsman who had been immersed in swordsmanship for more than ten years!
One sword strike.
A cold gleam cut through the air.
Clatter.
The adult-sized wooden stake was directly split into four pieces from the bottom left, top right, and middle!
The cuts were smooth and neat, as if slicing through tofu.
"Whew~"
He let out a long breath.
Hatake Kusuo excitedly looked at the sword in his hand; he was very satisfied with the result before him.
Total Concentration Breathing could greatly enhance the body's abilities, leading to a qualitative leap in reaction time, speed, and strength!
"Judging by the current results, I now have at least the strength approaching a Genin!"
"Heh, what if I can't use Ninjutsu? If an enemy dares to invade, I'll instantly kill them with a single sword strike!"
He was full of confidence now, his still-immature face beaming with smiles.
"Oh right! Since it's acting, then every aspect should be as similar as possible."
"I'll go back and change my clothes!"
With that, Hatake Kusuo scurried back home. When he reappeared, he seemed like a different person!
Though his body was young, with a crimson robe, sun earrings, and a high ponytail.
A handsome young man was born.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for increasing acting proficiency. Current acting proficiency: 10%! Rewarding Breathing Method: Sun Breathing First Form!"
The system's voice appeared again.
Hatake Kusuo's face showed an 'as expected' expression.
"It seems that as long as I can fulfill the system's requirements and constantly strive towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni's direction, one day I will achieve 100% acting proficiency!"
"I can't wait to test the power of Sun Breathing now!"
This time, Hatake Kusuo's eyes rarely showed a nervous expression.
For no other reason than to test what level of combat power he could achieve in the future.
Therefore.
The next part was extremely important!
After a day of training, the sky had already grown dark.
Hatake Kusuo stared ahead with a resolute gaze, his eyes young yet firm.
Wisps of white mist escaped his lips as he clenched his teeth, swinging the sword from his waist with force!
Swish!
A fierce sword light.
A crescent-shaped slash appeared instantly, and a roaring fire dragon galloped along the sword blade!
"Sun Breathing—First Form, Dance!"
The massive fire dragon slash rotated once, striking towards the courtyard. The entire small yard was illuminated by the firelight.
Boom!
The ground vibrated violently.
...
What's going on?
Why was there such a huge commotion next door?
Kakashi, holding a short sword, was at home studying the sword techniques left by his father when he suddenly felt the ground shake violently, and at the same time, saw a flash of fire outside.
"Oh no! Kusuo's place must be on fire!"
Believing Hatake Kusuo's house was on fire, he quickly got up and rushed out the door, wanting to rescue his cousin.
After a Shunshin, he arrived outside Hatake Kusuo's yard, separated by a single wall, but was so shocked by the sight before him that his mouth hung open!
"This..."
Facing the sunken patch of grass before him, and the various training wooden stakes and dummies shattered into two halves, it was clear that these were all cut in a single go.
And in the yard.
There was only his young cousin, Hatake Kusuo, alone.
Still holding a sword.
On the sword's blade, unextinguished flames still flickered, their light reflecting on Hatake Kusuo's small face, making him appear like a god!
Somehow, the sight of him in the crimson robe had a profound impact on Kakashi Hatake.
He now knew.
This scene.
It was all caused by his young cousin?
He, who prided himself as a genius, for the first time realized that he now had to re-evaluate his cousin, Hatake Kusuo!.