Chapter 39: Shigure’s First Fame

After Gekkō Hayate left, Shigure dived straight into the pile of swordsmanship scrolls.

"Great Sage, begin analysis immediately."

[Great Sage: Analysis in progress. Estimated time: a few minutes per scroll.]

Each sword scroll took about a minute to process.

Some of the more complex ones might take a little longer.

In other words…

Shigure stared at the mountain of scrolls stacked before him.

"Looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight…"

But that didn't matter.

Once these sword techniques were analyzed, they wouldn't just help enhance his Breathing Style—they might also aid in developing entirely new techniques later on.

It was worth the lost sleep.

With that in mind, Shigure focused and began scanning through the scrolls with unwavering determination.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene through his crystal ball.

He saw Shigure deeply engrossed in the scrolls, never once pausing.

The Third Hokage smiled.

"These are just the kind of things this kid needs."

To most, sword technique scrolls were hardly precious—certainly not compared to ninjutsu.

In the shinobi world, swordplay was a niche art, and such scrolls could often be purchased cheaply.

Konoha had plenty stored away in its archives. Rather than letting them gather dust, it was better to hand them to a true talent like Shigure.

Maybe… he'd surprise them all again.

The rain continued to fall through the night.

By the time Hiruzen finished his paperwork, it was already one or two in the morning.

He glanced at the crystal ball once more, only to find Shigure still reading.

"This little rascal's completely obsessed," he muttered with a shake of his head, but made no move to intervene.

The Next Day

Shigure arrived at the Ninja Academy with dark circles under his eyes.

Last night, he had stayed up until dawn, reading every single swordsmanship scroll.

He managed to snatch just two hours of sleep—but it had been worth it.

[Great Sage: Calculations in progress. Upon completion, the power of the Breathing Sword Technique is projected to increase by 200%–400%.]

Before, his Breathing Style techniques had been infused with chakra-enhanced movement and force.

Now, thanks to these scrolls, his actual swordsmanship was about to receive the same level of improvement.

In the shinobi world, raw ninjutsu alone wasn't enough—taijutsu and kenjutsu were just as important.

And he was about to become a master of both.

According to the Great Sage, the recalibration would be completed before the end of the school day.

Everything was proceeding smoothly—until he stepped onto the Academy grounds.

"Huh?"

The moment he walked in, the air around him shifted.

Students turned to look. Whispers erupted. Then—

"That's him! Gekkō Shigure!"

"The guy who beat hundreds of Genin yesterday!"

"They say his swordsmanship is insane! He didn't even use jutsu—just a blade!"

"I heard even dozens of Chūnin got knocked down!"

"He's still a student and already taking down real ninja! That's crazy!"

It seemed word of yesterday's encounter had spread fast.

Shigure blinked, dazed by the sudden attention.

"Shigure-kun! Good morning!"

A familiar voice called from behind.

He turned to see Ino waving at him.

"Good morning," Shigure replied casually.

Ino jogged up beside him, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Shigure-kun… is it true? Did you really take on hundreds of ninja yesterday by yourself?"

"Ah!"

Shigure didn't deny it.

"I didn't realize you were this strong before," Ino said, her voice tinged with surprise.

At some point, Shikamaru had wandered over too. His usual lazy gaze was now serious as he stared at Shigure with newfound focus.

Chōji chimed in, "Yeah! Shigure-kun, your sword skills were incredible! Why haven't you ever used them before?"

Shigure smiled casually.

"Swordsmanship isn't part of the school's assessment. Why would I show it off?"

It was a reasonable explanation. But there was still something strange.

In the academy's standard taijutsu tests, Shigure had always been mediocre at best.

Could swordsmanship really be that different from taijutsu?

"Did you really defeat hundreds of ninja?"

The skeptical voice belonged to Inuzuka Kiba. Though they weren't strangers, he wasn't as close to Shigure as Shikamaru or Chōji.

Shigure didn't bother responding to the challenge in Kiba's tone.

Standing nearby, Shino adjusted his glasses as his kikaichū buzzed quietly beneath his jacket.

"Rumors can be exaggerated," Shino murmured, "but they often have roots in truth. Shigure-san must be… unique."

Hinata and Sakura also approached.

They didn't say anything, but the way they looked at Shigure had clearly changed.

Curiosity. Respect. Even a bit of awe.

Just then, a loud, familiar voice broke through the crowd.

"Shigure! So you have been hiding your strength!"

Naruto burst out from between the students and grabbed Shigure by the shoulders.

"Damn it! You've got such insane sword skills—teach me! You really beat hundreds of ninja? That's amazing!"

Naruto had always assumed Shigure was like him—hovering at the bottom of the class, just a little ahead.

Now, all of a sudden, the kid he thought of as an underachiever had turned out to be a powerhouse.

That stung.

Shigure hadn't even answered yet when another voice cut in—sharp and cold.

"Tch. So what if he beat a bunch of Genin?"

Sasuke Uchiha had arrived, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed.

"They're just leftover failures who haven't made Chūnin yet. Washed-up nobodies."

He looked directly at Shigure.

"What's so impressive about beating them?"

Sasuke was clearly irritated.

In his mind, if Shigure could do it, then he could too. Probably better.

"Kenjutsu?" Sasuke scoffed. "That's nothing. Just another tool in a shinobi's belt."

He stared at Shigure, waiting—hoping—for him to say something, anything, that could justify a challenge.

But Shigure simply smiled, calm and easy.

"It's nothing," he said lightly. "It's all been blown out of proportion."

"It's not like what you've heard."

Sasuke clicked his tongue and turned away with a huff, disappearing into the crowd.

Seeing this, the rest of the students began to relax.

Maybe the rumors were overblown. Maybe Shigure just defeated a few weak Genin and the story grew wild.

But not everyone was convinced.

Shikamaru, standing in the back, sighed.

If I hadn't been dragged into extra training yesterday, I might've seen it myself at the training grounds…

Still, even without witnessing it, he believed it now.

The calm composure Shigure showed today was a stark contrast to the overwhelming arrogance he had displayed on the battlefield the day before.

And that swordsmanship… Shikamaru didn't even need to fight him to know—if his Shadow Imitation Jutsu failed, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Even one move would be enough for Shigure to end the fight.

Graduation's almost here.

Shigure might keep denying it for now, but it wouldn't be long before everyone understood the truth—

Konoha had a new monster.

And this time, it wasn't Sasuke.

...

TN:

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