In the end, Rin still chose to visit Kakashi’s house.
Obito was one of her closest friends, but so was Kakashi.
Obito had been forced to leave alone, which made Rin feel somewhat guilty.
However, after realizing that her real strength determined the strength of her in-game self, her desire to become stronger had risen to an unprecedented level.
She didn’t want to miss any opportunity to improve.
Therefore, she could only make it up to Obito by spending more time with him in the future.
Rin and Kakashi soon arrived at the Hatake residence.
The Hatake home was very modest, even simpler than Rin’s house.
No one would have guessed from its appearance that one of Konoha’s most prominent shinobi lived there.
At that moment, Sakumo was sitting on the tatami in the living room, meditating with his eyes closed.
When he saw Kakashi and Rin return together, Sakumo opened his eyes and said to Kakashi, “Kakashi, since your good friend has come to visit, you can show our hospitality by preparing dinner tonight.”
Kakashi nodded.
His mother had passed away, and his father, as the commander of the ANBU, was often away on missions.
Therefore, Kakashi had learned to cook and take care of himself from an early age.
He naturally went into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
Only Sakumo and Rin remained in the living room.
Rin bowed slightly and said, “Thank you for having me.”
Sakumo, however, looked at Rin strangely.
“What you used earlier was a form of swordsmanship, wasn’t it? Where did you learn it?”
Rin hadn’t expected Sakumo to ask such a direct question and immediately felt somewhat awkward.
She didn’t know whether she should tell him about the notebook.
After all, it was her personal secret.
Noticing Rin’s hesitation, Sakumo didn’t press her for an answer.
He merely said, “I won’t force you to tell me. However… your footwork resembles the inherited swordsmanship of the Hatake clan.”
Rin was startled.
Her movements resembled the Hatake clan’s swordsmanship?
But the experience she had received was clearly called ANBU Assassination Swordsmanship.
Seeing Rin’s confusion, Sakumo smiled.
“The Hatake clan originated from a samurai family, and our swordsmanship has been passed down through generations. Perhaps you acquired a similar style through some other means.” The source of this chapter is novelping . com.
“Although the swordsmanship you learned resembles the Hatake clan’s style, it has lost the direct, open movements characteristic of samurai swordsmanship. Instead, it has become concealed, precise, and deadly.”
“Rather than traditional samurai swordsmanship, it resembles a shinobi assassination style focused entirely on efficiency. It appears to be a modified form of the Hatake clan’s techniques, adapted for use with a shorter blade.”
Rin was deeply shocked.
The swordsmanship experience she had received was indeed connected to such a style.
Had Lord Sakumo understood it so thoroughly merely by observing her footwork a few times?
Sakumo continued, “Recently, I’ve also been considering simplifying and modifying some of the Hatake clan’s techniques so they can be used during ANBU missions. I intend to teach them to my subordinates and improve their chances of survival.”
“I’ve already chosen a name: ANBU Assassination Swordsmanship. However, I hadn’t found the right approach until now. Seeing your footwork gave me a great deal of inspiration, so I should be thanking you.”
Rin was astonished.
The swordsmanship she had acquired had originated from the Hatake clan’s techniques and the modifications Lord Sakumo would make to them.
However, when she remembered that Lord Sakumo served directly under Lord Hokage and commanded the ANBU, it no longer seemed particularly surprising.
Then was the young Uchiha also connected to the ANBU?
Had he learned this swordsmanship while serving among them?
But he was still young, meaning he couldn’t have been very old.
Despite that, his swordsmanship had reached an extraordinary level.
Just how much of a genius was he?
Rin felt slightly jealous.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but ask:
“Lord Sakumo, is there a young Uchiha serving in the ANBU?”
Sakumo frowned slightly.
“That is classified information. It isn’t something you’re permitted to know.”
Rin froze, suddenly remembering that she had asked about information Konoha needed to keep secret.
She quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
Sakumo shook his head slightly and paused.
“However… I suppose I can tell you this much.”
“Generally, members of the Uchiha clan do not serve in the ANBU, so the young man you’re asking about cannot exist. Many people already know this, but you should still avoid discussing it with your classmates.”
Rin couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
There was no young Uchiha serving in the ANBU.
Then did the young man from the notebook really exist?
Or was he someone from the future who was still a child—or perhaps hadn’t even been born yet?
Rin felt that this possibility couldn’t be dismissed.
Moreover, understanding people’s thoughts wasn’t his specialty.
His expertise lay in…
killing.
To prevent the silence from becoming awkward, Sakumo said, “I can see a powerful desire to become stronger in your eyes. That is usually more common among boys, such as Might Guy, whom you fought earlier.”
“He will accomplish extraordinary things in the future and may even become Kakashi’s lifelong rival. However… after witnessing your performance today, I find you even more surprising than him.”
“You’re still young, yet your posture and movements in battle appear as though they’ve been refined through thousands of repetitions. However, your swordsmanship possesses a light and restrained quality rarely seen even among physically strong boys, and it suits you extremely well.”
“You might be a one-in-a-million swordsmanship prodigy in the shinobi world. If you truly want to become stronger, you can come with me to the backyard while Kakashi prepares dinner. I’ll give you some guidance.”
Rin exclaimed excitedly, “Really?”
After a brief pause, she couldn’t help asking doubtfully, “Also, Lord Sakumo, does my swordsmanship truly have such a light and delicate quality?”
The reward she had received had clearly come from a young man.
Sakumo didn’t answer.
Instead, he stood up, entered the storage room, retrieved two wooden swords, and led Rin into the backyard.
Sakumo tossed one of the wooden swords to Rin and said, “In actual combat, your swordsmanship prioritizes simplicity and efficiency while avoiding direct clashes. It is a style designed to conserve as much stamina as possible.”
“That approach suits someone with less physical strength and a lighter build. However, if a boy fought in the same way, it might suggest that he lacked physical strength.”
“I apologize if my wording sounds inappropriate, but most boys wouldn’t naturally develop their swordsmanship in that direction.”
Rin became even more confused.
Could the young Uchiha have been as physically delicate as a girl, or was he perhaps in poor health?
But he was clearly extremely powerful, capable of instantly killing even Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan.
While Rin was lost in thought, Sakumo raised his wooden sword and said, “True improvement comes through actual combat. Attack me with the wooden sword in your hand.”
Rin snapped back to reality and looked at the wooden sword she was holding.
The name “Kakashi” had been carved into its hilt.
Sakumo explained, “I made this specifically for Kakashi. Since you’re both still young, we won’t use real weapons.”
“Although your style was designed for use with a short blade, it shares its foundations with the Hatake clan’s swordsmanship. Therefore, practicing it with a wooden sword won’t cause any problems.”
Rin nodded.
Since Lord Sakumo had said so, she had nothing to fear.
Holding the wooden sword, Rin’s eyes became determined.
She slowly closed them and carefully focused on the swordsmanship experience she had obtained.
Then she swung the wooden sword and charged at Sakumo!