Naruto:Ten Skill Bar

"Alright, let's get started," said Gekkō Hayate as he tossed a wooden sword toward Gekkō Ishisaki.

Ishisaki caught the sword, excitement coursing through him.

"Let me teach you the most basic sword skills first," Hayate said, stepping into a stance. "Follow my movements."

"Got it!" Ishisaki nodded, gripping the wooden sword tightly.

---

Hayate demonstrated the fundamentals of swordsmanship: stabbing, slashing, thrusting, parrying, and other basic moves. On the surface, these techniques seemed simple, but as Ishisaki quickly discovered, mastering them required more than just mimicking Hayate's motions.

Even the seemingly straightforward act of stabbing required precise coordination between the wrist, palm, and arms. The tip of the sword had to remain steady and pointed at a fixed target, and the joints of the body needed to move in perfect harmony. Any misstep disrupted the flow of the motion.

Ishisaki's initial attempts were clumsy. His arm wobbled, the tip of the sword veered off course, and his balance faltered. It was painfully clear that he had no foundation in swordsmanship.

Hayate sighed as he observed Ishisaki's awkward movements. "Just as I thought," he muttered to himself. "No talent for the sword at all."

Despite his disappointment, Hayate didn't voice his thoughts. What did I expect? The Gekkō Clan isn't exactly known for producing prodigies. Even with a year of practice, this kid would only manage to scratch the surface of basic swordsmanship, let alone master Konoha-ryu.

As Hayate lamented internally, Ishisaki noticed his cousin's disheartened expression. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Hayate was unimpressed.

Well, that's fine, Ishisaki thought. I only need to learn the basics. Once I convert it into a skill, my passive skill bar will take care of the rest.

But there was a problem. Before the system could recognize swordsmanship as a skill, Ishisaki needed to reach a certain level of proficiency on his own.

He gritted his teeth. No choice but to push through.

---

[Detection]

[Host is learning a new skill. Active Skill 3: Unknown ※ attempting activation.]

Ishisaki froze. Active skills?

He had all but forgotten about his three mysterious active skills, which had been deemed "damaged" by the system.

"Still active?" Ishisaki muttered under his breath.

[Active Skill 3: Unknown ※ requesting activation. Allow?]

The prompt made him pause. An active skill requesting permission to activate on its own? Just how "active" is this thing?

There was no description, no details about its effect. The name, "Daxian," was the only thing legible amid the garbled text.

After a moment of hesitation, Ishisaki made his decision. Activate.

[Active Skill 3: Unknown ※ activated.]

[Warning: Skill functionality reduced to 30% due to damage. System is accelerating repairs.]

---

Ishisaki's skepticism deepened. "Thirty percent? What's even left at that point?"

Before he could dwell on his disappointment, the system buzzed again.

[Analyzing new skill.]

[10%... 20%... 50%... 99%...]

[Analysis complete. Congratulations! Host has learned a new skill: Basic Swordsmanship.]

"What?" Ishisaki's jaw dropped. In mere seconds, the system had fully analyzed and mastered the skill he had been struggling to learn.

Suddenly, his body moved on its own. Memories of proper stances and precise movements flooded his mind. His muscles, which had been clumsy and uncoordinated moments ago, now acted with perfect confidence.

---

Hayate, meanwhile, was lost in his thoughts. At best, Ishisaki might manage to reach the level of a mediocre Chūnin with this level of talent. Poor kid inherited average abilities from his parents—hardly surprising.

As he mused, Hayate glanced up and froze. Ishisaki had begun to move.

The wooden sword in Ishisaki's hands was no longer wobbling. His grip was firm, his posture steady. When he executed a stab, the sword shot forward with precision, the tip unwavering.

From Hayate's perspective, the wooden sword seemed to dominate his field of vision, obscuring everything else. The simplicity of the move was deceptive; the control and focus it required were astounding.

---

Hayate's eyes widened as Ishisaki transitioned smoothly into a series of slashes and thrusts. Each motion was clean, efficient, and controlled. The wooden sword sliced through the air with enough speed to produce a faint whistle.

What the—?!

Hayate stepped back, stunned. "This… this is…"

The boy who had been a complete novice just moments ago was now performing basic sword techniques with a level of mastery Hayate couldn't fault.

"How is this possible?" Hayate muttered to himself. "Ishisaki… Are you some kind of natural-born swordsman?"

For a moment, Hayate could only stare in disbelief. The movements, though simple, were executed with such perfection that they rivaled the precision of seasoned swordsmen. Hayate couldn't detect a single flaw.

---

Ishisaki, meanwhile, was equally bewildered. He hadn't expected such a dramatic change. The movements felt instinctive, almost effortless. It was as if his body had been conditioned to execute these techniques over years of training.

Is this the effect of Active Skill 3? Ishisaki wondered. If this is only 30% of its potential, what would it be like at 100%?

Hayate suddenly let out a booming laugh, snapping Ishisaki out of his thoughts.

"This is incredible!" Hayate exclaimed, stepping forward and gripping Ishisaki's shoulders. "Ishisaki, you're a genius! No… you're more than that. You're born for the sword."

Ishisaki blinked in confusion. "Uh… I wouldn't go that far…"

"You mastered the basics after seeing them once," Hayate continued, his voice filled with excitement. "And not just mastered—you perfected them! This kind of talent hasn't been seen since Konoha's White Fang!"

"White Fang?" Ishisaki repeated, startled by the comparison.

Hayate's enthusiasm was infectious. "If you continue training, the Gekkō Clan might finally rise again! Ishisaki, you're our future."

---

Konoha-ryu Swordsmanship

"Now that you've mastered the basics, it's time for the real thing," Hayate declared, stepping back. "Watch carefully. I'll demonstrate the ten core moves of Konoha-ryu swordsmanship."

As Hayate began his demonstration, Ishisaki's system buzzed again.

[Detection: Host is learning a new skill. Active Skill 3: Unknown ※ requesting activation.]

Ishisaki's lips curled into a confident smile. This time, I know exactly what's coming. Let's do this.

"Activate."

The future of the Gekkō Clan—and perhaps Konoha itself—was about to change forever.

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