Naruto: System of Zoro

Chapter 4 - The Initial Display of Swordsmanship

"And don't worry. Believe me, I won't lose before I become a ninja like my father!"

Kazane turned his gaze toward Hyūga Nami, who had already stepped onto the stage with a composed expression. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the fire in his eyes burning brighter than ever. He had spent countless hours training, refining his skills day after day, and now, with a system in hand, he refused to believe that his efforts would be meaningless.

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked forward with steady, deliberate steps, leaving behind a stunned Yūhi Kurenai.

"Kazane, good luck!" she called out, watching him enter the arena.

A strange certainty settled in her chest. Against all logic, despite knowing that Nami was the worst possible opponent for him, she had a feeling Kazane would win.

Kazane, however, had no illusions about what was happening. The Chūnin instructor had arranged this fight on purpose.

When he first entered the academy, people had expected great things from him. As the eldest son of the White Fang, he was supposed to carry on the glory of the Hatake clan.

Yet the reality was far from what they had envisioned.

His younger brother, Hatake Kakashi, had already reached the rank of Chūnin, while he remained the so-called dead last of his class.

The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

Kazane knew that the instructor standing before him had once been a devoted admirer of his father, Konoha's White Fang. The man had long since retired from the battlefield, but he had projected his admiration onto the two Hatake brothers.

Every combat assessment, the instructor had the same unspoken hope—that Kazane would finally prove himself, that he would show the strength worthy of the Hatake name.

But time and time again, Kazane had failed to meet those expectations.

And now, after watching him fall behind his peers, the instructor had chosen to test him in the cruelest way possible.

"Kazane, do you want to surrender now? It would be bad if you got hurt later."

The instructor's tone was light, almost casual, but the words were chosen with precision. He knew that, as a Hatake, Kazane would never surrender in front of his classmates.

If Kazane truly gave up, then the instructor would take it as proof that he wasn't worth investing in any longer.

After all, if someone gave up on themselves, how could anyone else help them?

But Kazane did not answer.

Instead, he lifted his head and stared directly at the instructor.

A sharp, burning gaze.

The instructor's breath caught for just a moment.

Even though Kazane was the weakest in the class, the sheer intensity in his eyes sent a strange thrill through the instructor's chest.

Kazane turned away, looking at Nami, his voice steady. "No need. Let's begin."

Nami met his gaze, her face unreadable.

Then, as if finding his confidence amusing, she smirked.

Did this fool actually think he had a chance?

The Hyūga were known as the strongest taijutsu specialists in the village, and their Gentle Fist style was designed to shut down the bodies of those who relied on pure hand-to-hand combat.

And yet, here was Hatake Kazane, standing before her, armed only with a wooden sword.

Did he truly believe he could win with that dull stick?

If he was foolish enough to fight, then she would make sure he regretted it. The next time he was matched against a Hyūga, he would surrender without hesitation.

The Chūnin instructor took one last glance at the two students before raising his hand.

"Alright then, let's begin!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Nami activated her Byakugan.

Her eyes, now filled with a pale, otherworldly glow, sharpened as she analyzed Kazane's stance. Without hesitation, she surged forward in a blur of movement, aiming to finish the match as quickly as possible.

The Hyūga's Gentle Fist was the natural counter to taijutsu-based fighters. It targeted the body's chakra points, disrupting the opponent's energy flow and leaving them incapacitated.

Most shinobi, when faced with a Hyūga opponent, would try to maintain distance. They would rely on ninja tools or ninjutsu rather than engaging in close-quarters combat.

But Kazane did not move back.

Instead, his grip tightened around the wooden sword in his hands.

He took a stance—one that was unfamiliar to most of his classmates.

The Iai stance.

Kurenai, watching from the sidelines, felt her breath hitch.

What was Kazane thinking?

Instead of keeping his distance, instead of using kunai or shuriken to hold Nami at bay, he was planning to fight her head-on with a sword?

Her fists clenched as she watched him carefully, anxiety creeping into her chest.

Was he really planning to take on a Hyūga in close combat?

With nothing but a wooden sword.

"One-Sword Style Iai—Lion's song," Kazane whispered in his heart.

The moment Nami entered his range, his blade flashed.

A single, devastating slash.

The movement was so fast that, for a brief moment, it looked as if Kazane hadn't moved at all. Yet the impact was immediate—before Namikaze could even react, the strike had already landed.

Even though it was only a wooden training sword, it carried enough force to split through wooden stakes with ease. The shockwave of the strike alone sent Namikaze reeling backward. Her body twisted in the air before he crashed onto the ground several meters away.

She didn't get back up.

Silence.

The entire arena fell deathly still.

The students stared in disbelief, eyes darting between Kazane and the fallen Nami. Even the Chūnin instructor, who had been so sure of Kazane's inferiority, was momentarily speechless.

In the instructor's mind, one thought rang out.

Had Kazane been hiding his true strength all along?

Could this be the real power of the Hatake clan's swordsmanship?

The tension in the air broke as the instructor snapped out of his daze and hurriedly called out, "Quick! Take Hyūga Namikaze to the infirmary! Hatake Kazane wins!"

As the words settled over the crowd, the reality of what had just happened sank in.

The so-called dead last had just defeated a Hyūga.

---

At that moment, a familiar mechanical voice chimed in Kazane's mind.

"Congratulations, host! Achievement unlocked: 'First Victory Over an Opponent.' Reward: One-Sword Style – Thirty-Six Troubles Phoenix."

Hearing the system's notification, Kazane's heart surged with excitement.

But before he could even process the reward, another message followed.

"Detected: Host has not yet mastered flying sword slashes. Reward delivery postponed."

His initial excitement faded into frustration.

Sword energy—an ability that separated ordinary swordsmen from true masters. He had barely taken his first steps down the path of the blade. There was no telling how long it would take before he could wield such a technique.

Yet, despite his mixed feelings, this battle had been proof of something crucial.

He wasn't weak.

He wasn't doomed to remain at the bottom.

He just needed time.

---

The entire academy buzzed with speculation.

Hatake Kazane had done the impossible—defeating a Hyūga in direct combat.

Uchiha Makoto watched from the crowd, his sharp eyes filled with interest. He had expected the outcome to be the exact opposite.

The Hyūga's Byakugan wasn't as revered as the Sharingan, but against taijutsu users, it was formidable. There was no reason Kazane should have won.

And yet, he had.

"Interesting," Makoto muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Kazane's classmates pestered him with questions.

"Why didn't you use your sword skills before?"

"Have you been hiding your strength all this time?"

Kazane's answer was simple.

"I've always been training in swordsmanship, but the academy's assessments focused on ninjutsu. I never had a reason to use it before."

It was a reasonable explanation.

After all, the academy placed a heavy emphasis on ninjutsu in its grading system. Even in combat tests, Kazane had only demonstrated basic taijutsu. There had never been an opportunity for him to showcase his true skill with the sword.

Eventually, the initial shock wore off, but one thing had changed.

No one looked at Kazane the same way anymore.

---

**Nightfall – Konoha Village, Hatake Clan Estate**

Despite his victory, Kazane knew it wouldn't be so easy next time.

Namikaze had underestimated him. That was the only reason Kazane had been able to end the fight so quickly. If they faced off again, Namikaze would be ready.

Next time, he wouldn't be able to rely on surprise alone.

If he wanted to continue winning, if he wanted to stand on the battlefield as a true shinobi, he had to train harder.

The path of the sword was long.

And he was just getting started.

"Three thousand three hundred eleven, Three thousand three hundred twelve…"

His breathing was steady, his arms moving in a controlled rhythm. His body ached, but he pushed through the pain.

"Four hundred ninety-eight, four hundred ninety-nine…"

His muscles burned, sweat dripped from his forehead, but he didn't stop.

**Ding!**

"Congratulations, host! Weekly goal achieved: 5,000 Iai draws, 5,000 slashes."

"Reward: Legendary Blade – Wado Ichimonji!"

Kazane's breath hitched.

His first true sword.

"System, extract Wado Ichimonji," he commanded.

A beautiful katana materialized before him, its polished blade gleaming under the moonlight. He ran his fingers along the steel, admiring the intricate craftsmanship.

Eager to test it, Kazane stepped toward a wooden training post and swung downward.

**Slice!**

The post was cleaved cleanly in half in one single strike.

Even though he had expected the sword to be sharp, he hadn't imagined it would be this sharp.

He exhaled slowly, gripping the hilt tighter.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to use Wado Ichimonji in academy battles. The instructors would never allow a real blade in a sparring match.

But that was fine.

One day, when he stepped onto a real battlefield, he would wield it with pride.

**Ding!**

"Congratulations, host! Weekly goal achieved. Next objective: Train Three-Sword Style swordsmanship."

Kazane blinked.

Three-Sword Style…