Naruto: I have an attribute panel

Chapter 19 Cultivation and Swordsmanship Battle

Early the next morning.

Perhaps because he was still excited about having just learned swordsmanship, Tai woke up exceptionally early today.

With his short sword slung over his shoulder, Taiyi stepped out of the room. The sky outside was still just beginning to lighten. He strode towards the training ground by the stream. The stream was exceptionally quiet in the early morning. Schools of fish could be seen dragging their pale white tails in the water, churning the reflected starlight into fine silver sand. Occasionally, the chirping of insects could be heard in the distance, but they could not break the tranquility.

Taiyi arrived at the riverbank and was delighted by the serene scenery. He first did some warm-up exercises to loosen up his body, then drew his short sword from behind his back.

The newly purchased short sword flashed with a cold light as it was drawn, and the dew on its spine fell into the river, startling a few silver fish. He adjusted his grip according to the basics of the Hatake swordsmanship scroll, the red marks on the birchwood hilt fitting perfectly between his thumb and forefinger—the key points Kakashi had taught him the night before were even clearer in the morning breeze.

The initial slash of the blade still carried a sluggishness, the sound of it cutting through the air like a blunt object scraping against cotton. With the thirty-seventh diagonal slash, the blade suddenly emitted a clear, resonant vibrato, the cloud-like patterns on the blade swirling in the dawn light. Taiyi was pleasantly surprised to feel his center of gravity shifting naturally with the slight adjustment of his wrist, as if the blade and his arm bones were gradually merging into one. Beads of sweat dripped from his taut chin onto the handguard, yet he mechanically repeated the slashing motion, letting the tingling numbness spread from his knuckles to his shoulder blade.

[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.

[Your focus on practicing the Hatake sword technique has increased your Ninja Apprentice experience by 1.]

……

In the river's reflection, the boy's figure overlapped with the swaying reeds. As he completed his thousandth swing, the dawn broke through the thin mist, gilding the blade with a pale gold. On the bank, amidst the crooked slash marks, a few neatly severed blades of grass trembled gently in the morning breeze.

After a thoroughly enjoyable training session, Taiichi was covered in a fine layer of sweat. Looking at his swordsmanship, which was about to level up, Taiichi suppressed his desire to continue practicing that and instead began practicing ninjutsu. There was no other way; time was limited, and he had to practice everything, so he had to allocate some time to each. At times like this, Taiichi would think of the Shadow Clone Technique, wondering when he would be able to learn it.

Taiyi stood on the riverbank and began to rapidly form hand seals: Zi-Yin-Xu-Chou-Mao-Yin. He completed the six seals in two seconds. This speed was not slow, but compared to Itachi Uchiha's seven seals per second, it was nothing.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique!" Taiyi unleashed twelve fireballs from his mouth in one breath, arranged in groups of three, forming a triangular pattern that shot out in four directions. The fireballs landed on the water in the distance, creating a large cloud of mist.

Looking at the effect of this technique, Taiichi was quite satisfied. Whether in terms of casting speed, power, or control, it exceeded the level of an average genin.

Taiyi formed hand seals again, using the same Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique, but this time the fireballs weren't scattered. Taiyi controlled each fireball to smash into the same spot. A series of muffled booming sounds echoed, and the water surface in that area was continuously dented by the impacts.

……

Taichi then used the few ninjutsu he knew in turn, until his chakra was almost depleted. He didn't consciously refine his chakra, letting the chakra refining technique operate instinctively within his body. Although this meant the chakra recovery speed wasn't as fast as focused refining, it had the advantage of not damaging his body. After all, this was Konoha, not wartime, so safety was relatively guaranteed. A slower chakra recovery didn't matter.

After finishing his morning training, Taiichi slung his short sword back on his back, went home to wash up, eat breakfast, and prepare for school.

Ninja Academy, classroom.

As soon as Taiichi stepped into the classroom, he attracted the attention of many students. After all, Taiichi was carrying a sword to school today, which was very different from his usual appearance.

"Taiichi, are you going to learn swordsmanship?" Shizune, who was nearby, exclaimed in surprise, pointing at the scabbard on Taiichi's back.

Before Taiichi could answer, Kai had already rushed over like a whirlwind. His green bodysuit was still damp with sweat, clearly he'd just finished running around the school again. "Wow!" he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Taiichi, who was carrying a sword. "So you're planning to carry a sword from now on, aren't you?!"

Kakashi walked over from the side, carefully examining Taiichi. A muffled comment came from beneath his mask: "The grip angle has been adjusted by 5 degrees, making it more suitable for backhand slashes." He noticed Obito stumble when he squeezed into the crowd, tripping over the scabbard, and a slight smile crept onto his lips. What a pair of clowns.

"What's so great about that!" Obito steadied himself by gripping his headband. "Our Uchiha-style swordsmanship is far superior to this!" He deliberately tossed the kunai into the air, letting it spin three times before catching it. "See? This is the real deal..."

"Idiot," Kakashi chimed in casually. "You stabbed yourself in the headband while practicing shuriken last week, remember?"

Rin quickly smoothed things over, "Obito is really strong too. Didn't he miss three targets with his Fireball Jutsu?" She then turned to Taiichi, took out some medicine from her medical kit, and shook it in her hand. "Practicing with a sword on your back can easily strain your shoulder muscles. Do you need me to teach you how to use herbal hot compresses?"

"Thank you, but no need. I also know some medical ninjutsu," Taichi replied with a smile.

Even Kakashi was shocked. He wondered when Kakashi had learned medical ninjutsu without anyone noticing. Everyone else looked like they'd seen a ghost.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Kai exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. "Taiyi must be working so hard behind the scenes. My passion is burning!"

"Hey! Is this the point?" Asuma poked his head out from the back row, half a French fry dangling from his mouth. "I heard the Hatake-ryu sword technique's Iaijutsu can split a waterfall? When are you going to show us what you've got?"

Kurenai Yuhi, who had just walked over, tugged at Asuma's sleeve: "Idiot! True swordsmanship requires coordination with chakra flow to unleash its full power. Do you think this is some kind of juggling? Besides, Taichi has only just begun learning!"

"It was my fault," Asuma quickly apologized.

Taiyi looked at the two people suspiciously. When did they become so close? But then he didn't think about it too much, since it had little to do with him.

"Actually..." Taiichi gently stroked the cloud pattern on the hilt of his sword, the coolness of the metal seeping into his fingertips, "When I was learning the basics yesterday, I even got blisters on the back of my hand." He smiled gratefully at Kakashi, "Thanks to someone tapping my kunai handle to correct my posture."

Kai suddenly slammed his hands on the table, the loud noise startling everyone. "It's decided! Tonight, when we spar, I'll use my newly learned Leaf Whirlwind against your new swordsmanship!" His thick, dark eyebrows almost flew off his hairline. "Burn, my youth!"

Everyone broke out in a cold sweat!

"Count me in!" Obito couldn't resist joining in the fun. He jumped onto the desk and pointed at Kakashi, saying, "I want to have a match with Kakashi."

"If you're so willing to lose again, I have no objection," Kakashi said casually.

Laughter erupted in the classroom, and the morning light gilded the boys through the windows. Taiichi gripped the hilt of his sword, the metal gradually warming with his body heat, much like the warmth provided by his boisterous companions.

With the ringing of a bell, the day's classes officially began.

As exams approach, the number of theoretical classes at school has decreased significantly, with a greater emphasis on practical courses. Activities like ninja tool throwing and combat drills have seen a marked increase. This has made the differences between students even more pronounced: some have family traditions, some don't; some train diligently, some slack off.

This explains why Kakashi was able to enroll at age 5 and graduate at age 6, while others had to study for a full 6 years to graduate.

……

After school, a few friends who had agreed to have a competition went to the grove.

Upon arriving here, it was Obito who was the first to back down. The more imposing he had been that morning, the more he hesitated now. However, he couldn't resist everyone's encouragement, and in the end, Obito still fought Kakashi.

Obito launched the first attack with a powerful fireball, significantly more powerful than before. However, Kakashi remained calm and didn't use any ninjutsu. Instead, he quickly ran to the side, avoiding the fireball's area of ​​effect, and then swiftly advanced, engaging Obito in close combat. Obito, already slightly distracted by the release of his ninjutsu, was caught off guard by Kakashi's close-range attack and quickly overpowered him, eventually being defeated.

Meanwhile, Taiichi and Guy also started fighting. At first, Taiichi wanted to duel Guy with swordsmanship, but after only a couple of moves, he had to abandon the sword and switch to his fists. After all, his swordsmanship was only at a beginner level after just one day of learning, and using a sword actually hindered his performance. Sure enough, Taiichi, who abandoned the sword, quickly turned the tide and narrowly defeated Might Guy with a final hook punch.

After the battle, Taiichi picked up the sword he had just discarded and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I still need to practice more if I want to fight with a sword!"

The other children also laughed heartily.