The academy was louder than usual, filled with the chaotic energy of students practicing freely. Akihiro stepped onto the mat, two swords strapped to his sides, and immediately, whispers and stifled gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Dual swords?" Shikamaru murmured, raising an eyebrow in skeptical amusement.
"He's going to cut off his own leg!" Naruto yelled, laughter booming across the room.
"So cool!" Hinata whispered, her cheeks flushing as she watched Akihiro, noting how unusually serious he looked today.
Akihiro took a deep breath, gripping the main sword firmly. The second blade remained sheathed, heavy and threatening, a silent warning to anyone who underestimated him.
The first challengers appeared almost instantly: Kiba and Shino, advancing in perfect unison.
"Let's see if this is all talk, swordsman!" Kiba shouted, rushing forward with fists ready, while Shino released a swarm of chakra-infused insects toward Akihiro.
Akihiro pivoted, spinning the primary sword with precise, deliberate movements. Each block, each parry, seemed guided by instinct more than training.
The Byakugan flickered as he unconsciously calculated the flow of chakra around him, translating the Gentle Fist into the edge of the blade.
Kiba lunged, a straight strike aimed at his torso. Akihiro deflected with a clean arc, feeling the flow of Kiba's chakra along the strike line.
Simultaneously, Shino's insects swarmed in from the side. He adjusted, letting the sword cut through the swarm midair, a faint hum of energy vibrating through the steel.
The audience held their breath. For a moment, it seemed like Akihiro was in total control, dodging, blocking, and even redirecting energy with a fluidity that felt almost supernatural.
Then the duo struck together, perfectly synchronized—a coordinated double assault. Akihiro's mind raced.
"Time for the second sword."
He drew the secondary blade with a flourish, the sound sharp in the room. Holding two swords, he felt a thrill, but the thrill quickly curdled into chaos.
"Damn…" he muttered, almost tripping as his foot caught the tatami.
Kiba attacked first. Akihiro's main sword deflected the strike, but the second blade slipped, grazing his own leg and sending him stumbling to his knees. Shino pressed forward with his insect swarm, nearly piercing Akihiro's shoulder.
The crowd erupted into laughter and gasps of shock. Naruto fell back, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard.
" I knew it! Two swords is asking for trouble!"
Akihiro growled, scrambling to regain footing.
"Okay… okay… one sword. One sword is enough… for now."
He sheathed the second blade, centering himself, the main sword steady in both hands. His first few attacks with just one sword were tentative, but as he moved, confidence surged.
He began to anticipate Kiba and Shino's movements more clearly, deflecting Kiba's punches with precise slices and using the sword to push back Shino's insects without even looking directly at them.
The fight became cinematic, almost like a dance. Akihiro spun, dropped to one knee, slid along the mat, and leapt back, every strike calculated to control the battlefield rather than merely attack.
He sliced through the air in arcs that mirrored Gentle Fist sequences, hitting invisible pressure points, redirecting force, and keeping both opponents off balance.
Sweat dripped down his face, the intensity of movement making every breath a challenge.
Yet, each cut, each defensive maneuver felt natural. His body flowed with the sword in a way that was both instinctive and deliberate, as if the steel itself had become part of him.
The crowd leaned forward. Even Shikamaru, usually unimpressed, blinked in disbelief.
"He… he's really good… " Hinata murmured, cheeks bright red, her hands clasped tightly.
Finally, after a flurry of strikes, spins, and parries, Akihiro stood, chest heaving, sword raised. Kiba and Shino stepped back, eyes wide, realizing the fight had shifted entirely. No longer just raw talent or luck—it was control, strategy, and instinct combined.
Akihiro lowered the sword slowly, exhaling, feeling both exhaustion and exhilaration. Sitting down on the tatami, wiping sweat from his brow, he muttered to himself:
"Okay… two swords was insane. But someday… someday I'll use both the way they're meant to be used. And then… I want to see who's laughing last."
A quiet pride flickered in him. The raw, untamed talent was there, ready to be honed.
The path was still long, but tonight had proven one thing: he was more than just a Hyūga branch member.
He was beginning to carve his own destiny—one precise, deadly slice at a time.