Shigure stood frozen, staring at the house in front of him.
This was where Gekkō Hayate lived—currently considered the most outstanding member of the Gekkō Clan in Konoha.
Even so, he was only a special jōnin.
"Shigure, looking for Uncle Masano?"
Gekkō Hayate called out from the living room, a plate of breakfast in his hands as he noticed Shigure standing outside the door.
"Yeah!"
"Uncle Masano's out on a mission today. What did you need from him?"
Out on a mission?
Shigure hesitated. He wondered if Hayate himself would be willing to teach him a simple genjutsu. Did Hayate even know genjutsu?
Even if he was just a special jōnin, he shouldn't be completely clueless about basic illusions, right?
Shigure looked at him earnestly. "Brother Hayate, I wanted to ask Uncle Masano if he could teach me a simple illusion technique."
"I'm about to graduate and become a genin, but I haven't learned a single genjutsu. I figured even learning a basic one would help me better understand them—so I won't be helpless when I face an enemy skilled in genjutsu."
Graduating?
Hayate blinked in surprise. Already?
Well, it was that time of year again. And Shigure was indeed the right age.
Hayate set his plate down and thought for a moment. He wasn't particularly close with his younger cousin, but he remembered that Shigure's parents had died during the Nine-Tails' attack on the village.
Since then, Uncle Masano and his family had taken care of him.
Still, the kid's talent for ninjutsu had always seemed… mediocre. Hayate even doubted whether he'd manage to graduate from the Academy at all.
"Come on in."
"Yes!"
Shigure slipped off his shoes and stepped inside. He sat across from Hayate, who casually asked, "Had breakfast yet?"
"I have!"
"Good."
Hayate gave Shigure a once-over. Compared to before, the kid seemed more energetic, more self-assured. The difference wasn't dramatic, but it was noticeable.
Confidence came naturally—especially when you had a system backing you up.
"Looks like your time at the Academy's been good for you."
Shigure didn't react much to the praise.
He had always been good-looking, but now that he carried himself with more confidence, he radiated a vibrant, sunny energy. Hayate couldn't help but think the kid might just be the most handsome one in the entire Gekkō Clan.
Smiling, Hayate said, "Let me see your chakra control. If you want to graduate, your chakra reserves can't be too low."
As far as he remembered, with Shigure's apparent lack of talent, his chakra levels should barely qualify for graduation—if that.
"Yes!"
Shigure closed his eyes and began releasing chakra.
It was a simple test: just allowing chakra to flow from within to the outside.
Whoosh—
A soft breeze stirred the air as Shigure's chakra flared. Hayate's eyes widened slightly.
This wasn't just enough to graduate—it exceeded the average genin level. It was already in the range of a mid-level genin.
If he had this much chakra before even graduating, then in terms of potential, Shigure might be among the top talents in the clan.
Did I misjudge him all this time...?
Shigure noticed the flicker of surprise in Hayate's eyes, though it wasn't overwhelming. He didn't think much of it.
After all, by genius standards, mid-genin chakra levels weren't anything special.
Even Sasuke—whose chakra capacity was said to be lacking—had reached the peak genin level by the time of graduation.
Improving chakra wasn't just about training. It also required physical development, actual combat experience, and time.
But Shigure wasn't in a rush. With his system's passive enhancement, he could continue to grow indefinitely.
It was only a matter of time before he surpassed Sasuke… or even Naruto.
"I didn't expect this. Your chakra level's already beyond most genin, and you haven't even graduated yet."
"It's good to have someone like you in the clan."
Hayate smiled warmly.
The Gekkō Clan might've been small, but if it wanted to remain relevant in Konoha, it needed its younger generation to rise.
"You thinking of becoming a genjutsu specialist?"
Shigure shook his head. "Not really. I don't plan to specialize, I just want to learn one or two basic genjutsu to understand how they work."
"I see."
Hayate nodded thoughtfully. Shigure's reasoning made sense—understanding genjutsu could make it easier to defend against it in the future.
"But… I don't actually know any genjutsu myself."
Shigure froze.
Seriously?
So Hayate really didn't know any illusion techniques. That made things more complicated.
Who was he supposed to ask now?
"But if you're just looking to get familiar with the basics, I can get you a few genjutsu scrolls. You can study them yourself."
That sounded pretty good.
Shigure stood up quickly. "Thank you, Brother Hayate!"
Hayate waved him off. "It's nothing."
"Oh, by the way—do you know swordsmanship?"
Shigure blinked. Swordsmanship? That was an unexpected question.
He shook his head. "No."
"Interested?"
Of course I am!
Shigure nodded without hesitation.
"Alright then. Let me finish breakfast, and we'll head to one of Konoha's training grounds. I'll teach you the basics. If you show promise, I'll teach you the Gekkō Clan's kenjutsu—Konoha-style swordsmanship."
Gekkō Hayate's Konoha-style kenjutsu? Dance of the Crescent Moon, right?
It might not have been a top-tier jutsu, but to Shigure, swordsmanship had its own charm.
And right now, he was very interested.
"Alright!"
Gekkō Hayate quickly finished off his breakfast in just a few bites.
Soon after, he and Shigure made their way to one of Konoha's training grounds.
"Hayate? Out training this early? On your day off, no less?"
A familiar voice called out. A fellow shinobi waved as he spotted Hayate approaching.
Hayate gave a nod and gestured casually to Shigure standing behind him. "Just here to teach my cousin a bit of swordsmanship."
"Cousin? You have a cousin?"
"Yep. This is Shigure."
"Ohh, I see! He's a lively little guy! Looks sharp too. I bet you've got tons of girls chasing you around at the Academy, huh?"
"Uh…"
Shigure scratched his cheek and gave a slightly awkward smile. He might look decent, sure—but falling in love early? That wasn't his thing. Early romance wasn't exactly ideal for a future shinobi.
That said… he did get along pretty well with the girls in his class.
"Well then, I'll leave you two to it! I've got my own training to handle. Good luck teaching your cousin!"
Hayate waved him off with a light smile. "Alright, time to get started. Let's see what you've got."
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TN:
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