Though Richard's words were true, Hayate continued to regard him with open hostility.
After glaring at Richard for several seconds, he continued, "Don't think that teaching Yugao sword techniques means I'll start trusting you. I didn't trust you before, I don't trust you now, and I won't trust you in the future!"
Richard didn't take Hayate's words to heart. Because without any further intervention, Hayate Gekko would die soon.
"I don't need your trust," Richard replied coolly.
With that, he approached the apartment door and knocked gently.
Knock, knock, knock!
Moments later, Uzuki Yugao opened the door, dressed in casual home attire. Her expression shifted to surprise when she saw not only Richard standing at her doorstep but also Hayate holding flowers.
Although Hayate was her actual boyfriend, she hadn't invited him tonight—not because her feelings had changed, but because she knew Hayate would be serving as an examiner for the third round of the Chunin Exam. Though the third round wouldn't begin for another month, as an examiner, Hayate had much more to do than simply appearing as a referee on the day.
This was precisely why she hadn't extended an invitation to him. Nevertheless, when she saw Hayate arriving with flowers, Yugao's face lit up with genuine happiness.
She didn't have many hobbies—to be precise, she had only one: flower viewing. Knowing this, Hayate always brought fresh flowers whenever he visited her.
"You're both here! Come in—dinner will be ready soon," Yugao said to Richard and Hayate.
Neither man spoke; they simply nodded and entered the apartment.
In the living room, Richard and Hayate sat in silence, exchanging tense glances while Yugao busied herself in the kitchen.
Since she hadn't expected Hayate to join them, she'd only prepared dinner for two. With his arrival, she now planned to add two more dishes.
Time ticked by slowly.
After several uncomfortable minutes, Richard broke the silence. "I heard from Yugao that you've developed a secret evasion technique that can conceal your presence during reconnaissance missions," he said to Hayate. "If you have time, I'd like to see it."
Hearing Richard's words, Hayate immediately frowned. He knew Yugao had developed a good relationship with Richard, but he hadn't expected her to share information about his Transparent Escape jutsu.
After a moment of silence, he replied slowly, "I heard from Yugao that you've developed a technique called heat vision that emits high-temperature rays from your eyes. I'd like to see that as well."
"Since we're both interested, let's find time to exchange techniques," Richard said casually.
Although Hayate's Transparent Escape wasn't a bloodline limit but rather a ninjutsu version of invisibility, Richard still found it intriguing. If other superpowers weren't restricted, he would have little interest in the technique, given his own true invisibility power that affected more than just visual perception.
"Why not tonight? We can find a place to spar after dinner," Hayate suggested quickly.
He knew his strength was far inferior to Richard's, but he refused to back down from another confrontation. Even if he couldn't win against Richard, he still wanted to leave a "deep" impression—to discourage any ideas Richard might have about pursuing Yugao.
"No problem," Richard replied easily.
Yugao would never have guessed that Richard and Hayate had suddenly agreed to fight that night.
More than ten minutes later, she finally finished preparing dinner. Like last time, she had made traditional Japanese home-cooked dishes.
Hayate sat beside Yugao while Richard sat across from her. The three ate and conversed as though they were old friends reuniting. Despite his dislike for Richard, Hayate concealed it in Yugao's presence. He didn't want her to think he was easily jealous or petty.
After dinner, Richard and Hayate left Yugao's apartment together.
Though Hayate and Yugao had been dating for some time, they didn't live together. In fact, they hadn't even been intimate yet—something Richard hadn't learned from Yugao. Despite their good relationship, it hadn't progressed that far.
The fact that Yugao was still a virgin was something Richard had discovered himself. With his enhanced vision, he could confirm this with just a glance.
After leaving Yugao's apartment, neither Richard nor Hayate spoke as they walked by unspoken agreement toward a nearby park. To avoid unwanted attention, they chose a park that typically had few visitors at night rather than one crowded with evening pedestrians.
Upon reaching an open area in the park, Hayate wordlessly drew the sword from his back. Seeing this, Richard retrieved a wooden sword from his system inventory.
Unsurprisingly, Hayate's face immediately darkened with anger when he saw Richard planned to fight him with a wooden weapon. In his mind, Richard was mocking him by not using a real blade.
Richard noticed Hayate's anger but had no intention of changing weapons. "Don't waste time," he said calmly. "Yugao mentioned your Konoha-style swordsmanship exceeds even hers. I hope she wasn't exaggerating."
Hayate didn't respond verbally—he lunged forward, his steel blade aimed directly at Richard's neck.
Richard neither dodged nor retreated. He calmly raised his wooden sword and struck the edge of Hayate's blade. Though this was more complicated than simply blocking, he had little choice. Without enhancing the wooden sword with his powers, it couldn't withstand Hayate's metal blade. Even an ordinary steel sword would have cleaved through the wooden one.
After Richard deflected his attack, Hayate didn't withdraw. He pivoted his wrist and continued his assault. Though he wasn't yet employing his Dance of the Crescent Moon or his Secret Sword: Moonlight techniques, he was executing orthodox Konoha swordsmanship with precision.
Even so, his attacks posed no threat to Richard, who stood his ground, casually wielding his wooden sword to effortlessly counter each of Hayate's strikes.
When Richard easily blocked all his attacks, Hayate finally retreated and regarded him seriously. Superficially, they appeared evenly matched—but this was far from true. Throughout the exchange, Richard had remained completely stationary.
Though reluctant to admit it, Hayate had to acknowledge that Richard's swordsmanship was formidable, far superior to his own. As Hayate reached this conclusion, Richard confirmed that Hayate's Konoha-style swordsmanship indeed surpassed Yugao's considerably.
Realizing ordinary attacks wouldn't affect Richard at all, Hayate began to execute the secret Konoha technique: Dance of the Crescent Moon.
Under Richard's watchful gaze, he first summoned two shadow clones. Then, both the original body and the clones converged on Richard simultaneously.
Hayate and his two shadow clones attacked from three different angles, attempting to overwhelm Richard with the Dance of the Crescent Moon.
But Hayate quickly discovered he had overestimated his chances. Before he and his clones could reach Richard, crimson light flashed in Richard's eyes.
Heat vision!
Bang! Bang!
The searing beams struck Hayate's shadow clones, easily destroying them and dismantling his Dance of the Crescent Moon before it could be completed.
"Didn't Yugao tell you I can easily distinguish between the original body and shadow clones?" Richard asked.
He had deliberately avoided targeting Hayate's real body with his heat vision—not because he couldn't identify it, but because he was intentionally holding back. Hayate hadn't yet demonstrated the Transparent Escape technique. If Hayate suffered serious injury now, Richard wouldn't be able to "copy" the technique.
Though Richard lacked the Sharingan, with his enhanced vision and perception, he could "copy" the Transparent Escape as long as Hayate performed it. Even if he couldn't execute it immediately, he could study it later and master it thoroughly.
"Yugao isn't as talkative as you imagine. She rarely mentions you to me," Hayate replied sharply.
"Really?" Richard countered. "Yet she told you about my heat vision."
Hayate didn't respond, weighing whether to use his Transparent Escape immediately. Now that Richard had easily countered his Dance of the Crescent Moon, his only remaining trump cards were the Transparent Escape and Secret Sword: Moonlight.
The Secret Sword: Moonlight created several realistic afterimages when he moved at lightning speed, making it difficult to distinguish between the real body and the illusions. While the enemy was distracted, he would deliver a fatal strike with blinding speed.
Although Secret Sword: Moonlight and Dance of the Crescent Moon were completely different techniques, the former wasn't as powerful as the latter. At least the Dance of the Crescent Moon employed actual shadow clones to attack.
The afterimages created by Secret Sword: Moonlight served only to distract opponents. Since Richard could easily identify shadow clones, he would have even less trouble seeing through these afterimages.
Hayate didn't deliberate long. He quickly made his decision and, under Richard's watchful gaze, performed the Transparent Escape.
In just seconds, Hayate vanished as if becoming invisible—but he didn't disappear from Richard's sight.
So that's how it works!
As Hayate executed the Transparent Escape, Richard immediately recorded the chakra flow pattern and hand signs.
The Transparent Escape had two effects: concealing one's presence and rendering oneself transparent. Despite these dual functions, the principle wasn't complex.
Essentially, the technique involved completely enveloping oneself with chakra. Like general chakra cloaking, the chakra used provided optical invisibility, giving the user a transparent effect.
As for concealing one's presence, the principle was even simpler. Because the body was wrapped in visibility-altering chakra, the user's aura was naturally hidden.
Though the Transparent Escape wasn't complicated in principle, the fact that Hayate had developed it demonstrated considerable skill.
After employing his technique, Hayate slipped behind Richard, attempting to deliver a fatal blow. However, before his sword could descend, Richard pivoted and thrust his wooden sword forward, striking Hayate in the chest.
Thud!
Though Richard hadn't used much force, he easily knocked Hayate backward. Hayate fell heavily to the ground, his transparency effect immediately dissipating.
"You lose," Richard stated, turning to face the fallen shinobi.
Hayate looked at Richard with astonishment. "You..." He began to ask how Richard had seen through his technique but suppressed the urge.
Feeling as though he'd been struck by a charging bison, Hayate struggled to his feet. Without another word or backward glance, he departed from the park, heading toward his apartment.
Five days later, Richard learned of Hayate's murder from Yugao.
At the Konoha Hospital morgue, Uzuki Yugao gazed at Hayate's body on the metal table, her expression filled with grief. Though she was a ninja and understood that death could claim them at any moment during missions, she couldn't control her tears.
Richard stood silently beside her. He knew that Baki, a Jonin from Sunagakure, had killed Hayate, but he had no intention of avenging him. Unless Baki provoked him directly, Richard wouldn't intervene because of Hayate's death.
After spending more than ten minutes in the morgue, Richard and Yugao left the hospital.
Outside, Yugao turned to Richard. "I really need a drink right now. Will you come with me?"
"Of course," Richard replied without hesitation.
Hearing his answer, Yugao immediately used the Body Flicker Technique. Soon, they arrived at an izakaya not far from her apartment.
Inside, Yugao went straight to the bar. "Give me your strongest sake," she told the bartender.
Though it was obvious Yugao was in a poor emotional state, the bartender said nothing. He simply retrieved a bottle of sake and two cups from the cabinet, placing them before Richard and Yugao.
As the bartender began to ask if they wanted any food, Richard intervened. "We'll call you if we need anything else."
The bartender nodded and moved away to attend to other customers.
By then, Yugao had already poured the sake and handed one cup to Richard. As soon as he accepted it, she tilted her head back like a swan and drained her cup in one swallow.
Within moments, her cheeks—unaccustomed to alcohol—flushed crimson.