Whether it was the Suburi earlier or the Iaijutsu just now, Mr. Chokata watched and felt that Aoto's actions were beyond what a beginner could accomplish.
Even seasoned practitioners of Swordsmanship might not be able to perform such beautiful moves.
However, during the match between Aoto and Suzuki that he just witnessed, Aoto's extremely clumsy sword swings clearly told him—this young junior was indeed a newcomer who hadn't had much exposure to Swordsmanship before…
—If… if he truly hasn't received any formal training in Swordsmanship before… then his talent…
Chokata's gaze gradually grew serious… no, it should be said that it became strange and "frightening."
Feeling uncomfortable under Chokata's intense gaze, Aoto couldn't help but ask:
"Uh… Mr. Chokata?"
"Ah." Chokata, as if awakening from a dream, let out a laugh, "Sorry, I was a bit distracted just now."
"Your movements just now were impressive. It's quite rare for a beginner to perform at such a level."
"However, there were still some details you didn't execute properly earlier."
Chokata stepped forward and carefully explained to Aoto what details he hadn't done properly before.
After Chokata's corrections, and after Aoto practiced a few more times by himself, Chokata nodded.
"For the remaining time, focus on practicing Iaijutsu and its completion." Chokata instructed, "Let's start with 40 repetitions. Remember to execute the movements correctly during practice and do not sacrifice precision for speed to complete the set number of practices."
After assigning the new practice tasks to Aoto, Chokata took his bamboo sword and went off to supervise and check on the practice of others.
After Chokata left, Aoto started to follow his instructions and focused on practicing Iaijutsu and the completion moves.
Just then—Uehara, who had been practicing Suburi under Chokata's command all this while, finally completed the series of practice tasks assigned and sat beside Aoto to rest, drenched in sweat.
While massaging the muscles of his arms, he casually spoke to Aoto:
"Wow, you're really something. It's my first time seeing Mr. Chokata being so kind and gentle when instructing Swordsmanship."
Both Uehara's appearance and voice exuded a hearty vigor.
"Hey, where are you from? Which place are you serving at?"
"I'm a local from Edo." Aoto replied, "Currently serving at the Edo North Guard Station, as a Dōshin in the Edo North Guard Station Patrol District."
After briefly introducing himself to Uehara, Aoto noticed that Uehara's eyes suddenly lit up.
"So you're a 'Three Times' Samurai!"
With an eager tone, Uehara hurriedly questioned Aoto:
"Since you're a 'Three Times' Samurai, could I ask you something?"
"Hmm? Please, go ahead."
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Uehara leaned his torso towards Aoto, his breathing becoming slightly heavy.
"I've heard—that the Cat Monk, who recently stirred up quite the uproar in Edo, is actually a Female Ninja proficient in Ninjutsu. Is this true?"
Aoto's hands, practicing Iaijutsu and its completion, involuntarily stopped.
"Huh?" Aoto tilted his head at Uehara, "Cat Monk? Female Ninja?"
Having inherited all the memories of the "Original Tachibana Aoto," Aoto naturally knew who the Cat Monk was.
About 3 months ago, an exceptionally skilled thief, who only appeared at night, emerged in Edo.
Normally, thieves would target the wealth of rich households.
But this thief was different.
The thief only stole from Edo's Yakuza or from those notorious for their evil deeds.
His actions were bold and lively. Within just three months, the number of villains or evil forces that had their wealth stolen by this thief was no less than what could be counted on both hands. The total amount stolen was conservatively estimated at several thousand gold ryō.
This type of thief who only targeted villains and did not harm the common people was always well-liked by the populace.
After all, people liked stories of heroes avenging them and standing up to villains.
According to Aoto's knowledge—with the vibrant activities of this thief, he currently enjoyed a high level of popularity among the townspeople of Edo, with some storytellers even composing narratives about him.
Though this thief's actions could be considered as removing pests for the people, a thief was still a thief, and the authorities could not just stand by idly.
Thus, after the thief's reputation soared, the South and North Guard Stations of Edo quickly filed a case and launched an investigation.
Even though the authorities acted rapidly, the investigation results… were dismal to say the least…
Through careful examination and intelligence reports, the "Three Times" of Edo had successfully located him several times at the scenes of his crimes.
But each time, without exception—he managed to escape.
This thief's body technique was astonishingly agile!
Whether it was the top of a fence only as wide as a foot or the steep roof of a house, this thief could traverse them as if they were flat ground.
Every capture mission ended similarly—after finally spotting this thief, he would "whoosh" up to a nearby rooftop or some other place, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye…
Since the thief could move swiftly like a cat across rooftops, walls, and other complex terrains, the authorities gave him the nickname—Cat Monk.
One has to admit, this nickname was truly fitting.
The thief's movements were indeed as nimble as a cat's.