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A/N: Enjoy the chapter everyone.
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LET THE CHAPTER BEGIN.
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"Byakugan." Aki activated his ocular prowess to detect any nearby ninja—or Jiraiya.. The old man would be easy to spot in his infrared vision.
Indeed, Jiraiya would be easy to spot if he were in the vicinity. But to Aki's luck, there were no signs of the old man.
Aki decided to get himself a mask. He did not need to go far; he spotted a mask shop almost immediately.
The small store was tucked between a weapon smith and a tea house, its wooden sign swinging gently in the breeze. Inside, an assortment of masks hung from the ceiling and lined the walls—some crafted with bright colors for festivals, others ominous and plain for more serious uses.
Aki pushed open the door. A faint chime sounded, and an old man behind the counter glanced up from his workbench. His hands were busy carving details into a half-finished fox mask.
"Looking for something, kid?" the old man asked without pausing his work.
"I need a mask," Aki said calmly. He already knew exactly what he wanted. Something fierce and with dangerous vibes.
"What kind?" the shopkeeper asked, setting down his tools.
"A skull mask," Aki said firmly. "But not just any skull. I want it custom-made."
The old man's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Custom work's not cheap. And it'll take time."
Aki pulled out a small pouch and dropped it on the counter. The clink of coins inside was heavy enough to make the shopkeeper's hand twitch.
"I can pay," Aki said. "And I can wait... a little."
The shopkeeper chuckled dryly, then nodded. "Alright, kid. Tell me exactly what you have in mind."
Aki took the scroll he spent hours on from his storage scroll. Unfurling it revealed a sketch of the skull mask he envisioned for himself.
"That's a dangerous—and impressive—drawing," the old man commented, carefully unrolling the scroll across the counter.
Aki gave a small nod. "I made it myself." Training in the art of sealing had sharpened his hands, you could even say, Aki was now a great artist.
As the shopkeeper studied the design, Aki's mind wandered, tugged backward through the folds of memory.
He hadn't always been someone who thought about skulls and danger. In his previous life, he had been just Brian — an ordinary boy who hadn't even planned to go to the Halloween party that night.
He could almost see it now: Sam and Ethan pounding on his front door, Lily laughing behind them, and Anna standing there with a mischievous grin.
Brian had been full of excuses, too busy with homework to celebrate. But Anna had pulled a mask out of her bag — a skull mask, meant for her younger brother who decided not to come — and shoved it into his hands.
"Come on," she had said, bright eyes sparkling. "Ghost squad's not complete without its quiet reaper."
He had worn it that night. Not because he felt brave, but because he wanted to stand beside them. Because Anna had given it to him.
Aki tightened his hand into a fist at his side. The skull would forever remind him of the first ever thing he received from her hands.
This mask wasn't just a tool for hiding. It was a piece of the person he used to be — and a silent promise to never let fear control him again.
"How long will it take?" Aki asked, snapping back to the present.
The shopkeeper chuckled. "A few days. Come back then. It'll be ready, down to every last crack and shadow."
Aki gave a small bow. "Thank you."
With that he stepped back outside. The wind stirred around him, carrying the faint scent of steel, tea, and the bustling life of the village.
With that, Aki decided to dive into the hot springs and enjoy some quality time before he would take on the entire world alongside Akatsuki.
It would be an interesting organization without one of its big 4: Itachi.
Days passed in the blink of an eye, today was the day of the promise. The day to receive his mask.
Aki stepped into the shop, and the owner greeted him with a smile."Your mask looked great, so I went ahead and made it metallic."
Saying these words, the craftsman pulled the cloth he used to cover the object, surprising Aki. He was expecting a mask in the same materials as Itachi and Obito's mask, but metal was indeed a surprise.
But there was a slight issue with a metallic mask. Aki was a lightning user and metal could make him hurt himself.
"A problem easily solvable by Fūinjutsu," Aki thought to himself as he left the shop.
Aki changed into a full black ninja outfit, one suitable for a jonin. Now no one would be able to associate himself to the adapted son of Raikage.
'Next goal is to reach the rain village, but as a swordsman.' Aki thought to himself, as he had yet to become a proper swordsman.
Aki trained in kenjutsu as part of his Bukijutsu training, so he knew the basics and how to swing a sword, but nothing more, really. At the moment, he could do more damage with a kunai than with a sword.
He would use the journey to refine himself. His greatest assets were his speed and the memories of a life he'd lived before this one.
'My current best jutsu for damage is Rasengan, so I need to develop a jutsu based on Rasengan for swords, something that increases its ability to cut.'
"I'm learning the sword," Aki muttered, stretching his arms, "so I should probably take it a bit more seriously."
He gave the blade a testing swing. It wasn't unfamiliar—his bukijutsu training had taught him how to move with weapons—but it wasn't perfect either. These were standard-issue ninja swords, balanced for general combat, not for someone aiming to cut through stone or chakra-enhanced armor.
Still, the weight felt decent in his grip. He drew the second blade and gave it a spin. Dual-wielding didn't feel strange—in fact, it felt right. "More natural than single or triple," he muttered. "Maybe Kirito had a point."
These weren't his final weapons. Just the beginning. One day, he'd forge blades that matched his chakra, his style, his will. But for now, these would do.
"Let's build the basics first. A few hundred swings to sync up with these… then I'll map out the real goals. Like I did with Rasengan."
His mind wandered as he adjusted his stance.
"There aren't many swordsmen in anime who really talk about how to train… Bleach, Naruto, even Demon Slayer—great swordsmen, but not much about how they got there. Except for Zoro. Or really, Zoro's flashbacks with his old teacher."
The memory of those old episodes brought a faint grin to his face.
"The essence of swordsmanship is the ability to cut what needs cutting. And Zoro… Zoro had the clearest path to that."
But Aki wasn't copying moves—his style was dual-wielded, made for speed, misdirection, and chakra flow. He'd need his own path.
He placed a finger to his forehead, brows furrowed in thought. His mind whirred like a strategist planning for war. After a few moments, he reached into his scroll storage and pulled out a blank one. Unfurling it with practiced grace, he dipped a brush into ink and began to write.
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Contents of the swordsmanship scroll.
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⚔️ Swordsmanship Progression: From Novice to Supreme Swordsman
🌱 Level 1: Foundation – Feeling the Blade
Learning to connect with the sword physically and mentally.
- Sense the Weight and Flow – Perform 1,000 basic swings until his arms move on instinct.
- Cut Falling Leaves – Slice through individual leaves in motion without breaking the flow.
- Split a Kunai in Midair – Cut a thrown kunai or shuriken clean in two without deflecting it.
- Silent Draw Technique – Draw the sword and return it without making a sound.
🌿 Level 2: Precision – Cutting What Should Be Cut
Refining the ability to control where and how the blade strikes.
- Carve a Leaf Without Tearing It – Cut only the veins of a leaf while keeping the rest intact.
- Clean Cut Through Logs – Cut cleanly through stacked wooden blocks without splinters.
- Shave a Hair Midair – Use a controlled slash to cut a single strand of hair as it falls.
- Byakugan + Blade Precision Drill – Strike exact points (e.g., tenketsu) on a wooden dummy.
⚙️ Level 3: Power – Cutting What Cannot Be Cut
Building the raw cutting strength to handle chakra-enhanced and armored targets.
- Cut Through Forged Steel – Cleanly slice a standard ninja sword or helmet.
- Slice Rock with a Single Slash – Use chakra flow to cut a stone block without chipping it.
- Channel Chakra into Blade – Learn to flow chakra like Asuma's trench knives.
- Slice a Chakra-Reinforced Object – Cut through a Wind Style-enhanced wall or armor.
🌪️ Level 4: Range and Flow – Turning Chakra Into Cutting Force
Advancing beyond contact strikes into ranged and elemental swordplay.
- Create a Chakra Blade Extension – Form an energy blade from the sword using chakra.
- Cut a Target From Afar – Send a chakra slash 5–10 meters and cleanly split a target.
- Cut Through a Moving Jutsu – Slice through a Water Dragon or Fireball without dispersing.
- Combine Rasengan Principles – Begin developing a "Rasengan Blade" — rotating chakra edge.
🧭 Level 5: Control – Cutting Only What You Choose
True mastery begins: will dictates the cut, not instinct.
- Strike Through a Cloak Without Cutting It – Cut a thread within cloth without harming the fabric.
- Slash Between Allies in Battle – Engage multiple enemies without leaving a scratch on allies.
- Leave a Single Leaf Untouched on a Tree You Cleave – A test of chakra control and intent.
- Cut an Enemy's Bandage Without Hurting the Skin Beneath – Combat finesse.
⚡ Level 6: Mastery – Cut Everything. Or Cut Nothing.
The sword becomes an extension of will. Destruction and restraint coexist.
- Cut Through a Mountain Range (Symbolically) – Unleash a slash that severs the earth.
- Fight for Days Without Drawing Blood – Full control in war.
- Cut Through Dimensions or Seals – Break through dimensional seals or space-jutsu using blade and chakra precision.
The Final Goal: "My Sword Cuts Only What I Choose."
Whether it's atoms or entire storms, the blade follows no rule but Aki's will.
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"I need to reach the point where I can cut steel without using chakra—just like Zoro did without Haki," Aki thought, then smirked. "If my enemies think I'm weak, they're in for a nasty surprise."
He tapped the scroll once, sealing the ink with a bit of chakra.
"Honestly... this much should be enough to get by," he muttered. Then his eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "Come to think of it... the ability to cut everything, or nothing, with pure will—that might be what those protagonists of cultivation novels call sword intent."
He paused. "Still no idea what the hell Sword Heart is supposed to be. Or how everything can be a sword is even a thing," he added with a half-shrug. "Guess I'll figure it out when I get there."
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Do I even need them… when I can cut anything I want to cut?"
Sigh,
"Anyway. Time to train and move."