[New Trait: Kenjutsu Initiate!]
Quality: White
Description: No technique—only pure stats!
Effect: Sword strike speed +20%
Upgrade Paths:
Kenjutsu Technique Focus (500 Achievement Points)Nintaijutsu Hybrid Kenjutsu (1000 Achievement Points)
This was the new trait Ayane had unlocked yesterday.
She had trained in blade work with her father since childhood—she had a foundation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left her a ninja blade like Arankiri.
After the two battles in Ma Dam Village—
Perhaps it was accumulated momentum finally breaking through.
In the past few days, her understanding of the sword had deepened continuously, and she had triggered a new kenjutsu trait outright.
Still, just as the description stated—
Her swordsmanship wasn't a refined technique.
It was muscle memory.
Winning through speed and reaction.
Her common moves were simple thrusts and cleaves—little finesse.
Even so, her strength had improved.
At least against someone like Eagle—
She handled her with ease.
"Come on, breakthroughs aren't that easy!"
Eagle huffed. "If you want to tease me, just say so!"
Ayane flashed in front of her, forming a ball of water in her palm.
She held Eagle steady, wiped the mud off her mask, then flicked her forehead.
"Quiet. Do you want a barbecue tonight or not?"
The eagle instantly shut up.
Completely subdued.
Swan was also a girl—
Yet her grilling skills surpassed even Eagle's butcher-department father.
And more importantly—
It was delicious.
Just thinking about it made Eagle drool.
Ayane, unaware of the rich inner drama, struck a classic Itachi pose and tapped Eagle's forehead lightly.
"Let's go. We'll catch dinner—and keep training your Body Flicker."
Training meant—
No tools.
No ninjutsu.
Just pure Body Flicker to catch prey.
From a branch above, Woodpecker watched the two girls interact.
Behind his mask, he smiled faintly.
He knew quite a bit about both their backgrounds.
Ayane—
He had personally escorted her from the Academy into ANBU registration.
She would turn eleven in ten days.
Eagle—
Though her file sat with the captain, she was far too easy to read.
From casual conversation alone, he'd pieced together that she was probably thirteen or fourteen.
If only I had daughters like this…
He couldn't help imagining.
Then my son wouldn't be so lonely. And every time I returned to the village, we wouldn't just glare at each other in silence…
Being a single father these days—
It wasn't easy.
———
Meanwhile,
Dozens of miles away, in the territory of Amegakure's First Recon Squad—
A force of roughly five hundred ninja marched silently.
From the whirlpool insignias on their foreheads and their standardized combat gear—
There was no doubt.
Konoha elite.
"Didn't expect the old man to have the guts to initiate a decisive battle."
"I thought he'd grown soft."
At the head of the formation, a white-haired ninja spoke quietly.
Beside him, another let out a raspy chuckle.
"If Tsunade hadn't cracked Hanzō's poison, the decisive battle wouldn't be coming so soon."
These two—
Commanders of this operation.
Students of the Third Hokage.
Two of the future Legendary Sannin:
Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
At this time, Jiraiya wasn't yet the lecherous old pervert spying on bathhouses.
Nor had he replaced his forehead protector with Mount Myōboku's "Oil" kanji.
But some instincts were already carved into his DNA.
He immediately argued.
"I heard after Sakumo-senpai crushed the Sand forces, Hanzō was already planning a decisive battle!"
"So even if the old man hadn't ordered it, it wouldn't have been delayed long, right?"
Orochimaru sneered.
"You foolish toad. Even if you know that, don't you think Amegakure does too?"
"With the Sand puppet corps defeated, Rain naturally seeks a quick resolution."
"In that regard, Hanzō's decision is logical."
He lifted his gaze toward the distant forest, as if seeing beyond it.
"But allowing such major intelligence to spread before battle…"
"It reveals his level."
"And more importantly—"
"Knowing decisive battle rumors swirl, yet doing nothing. Neither striking nor clarifying."
"Indecision."
"Bold in appearance, timid at heart. Strategizes much, decides little."
"A fitting description for the so-called Demigod."
As his conclusion landed—
The surrounding ninja began murmuring.
Morale visibly surged.
Jiraiya blinked.
…Wait.
We haven't fought yet.
Why does it sound like we've already won?
Before departure, Sensei had specifically instructed the three of them—
Not to defeat Hanzō.
Just to stall him.
You're winning too hard here.
And annoyingly—
Jiraiya couldn't find a flaw in Orochimaru's logic.
For a brief moment, he doubted his own intelligence.
Am I… actually dumb?
But the Great Toad Sages had called him a genius.
Otherwise, why entrust him with finding the Child of Prophecy?
Orochimaru glanced sideways at Jiraiya's darkened expression.
His tongue slid out, licking his lips slightly.
Satisfied.
Of course, this analysis wasn't improvised.
He'd prepared it before departure—
Planning to deploy it mid-march to raise morale.
He hadn't intended to say it yet.
But—
He simply loved displaying intellectual superiority in front of Jiraiya.
He considered himself mature and rational.
Yet whenever Jiraiya stood nearby—
His urge to show off doubled.
———
In the shadows at the flank—
An Amegakure ninja trembled.
What had he just seen?
An entire Konoha elite force—
Here.
Now.
He had to report to Lord Hanzō immediately.
He covered his mouth tightly, waiting until Konoha's forces vanished from sight.
Then—
He vanished down a side path.
He didn't notice—
A small white snake slipped quietly through the grass behind him.
Tracking him without pause.