Naruto: Can't Use Ninjutsu? I'll Create the Strongest Fighting Style-Chapter 28 - 26: You Call That Not Knowing Swordsmanship

"The barbecue was amazing! Ugh, I swear, after today I'll be dieting for a whole month!"

"Haha, well, it's not like a Jonin treats us to dinner every day. Gotta take advantage of it!"

Tenten scratched her head sheepishly, cheeks still faintly flushed from the heavy meal. Garou let out a quiet sigh, his sharp eyes briefly scanning the twilight-lit village outside the restaurant. "With the kind of physical activity we do every day, unless we eat like this constantly, it balances out. No need to go on a diet."

"For real?"

"Let's get moving," he added,"We passed the test, but let's be honest, our method wasn't exactly clean."

He gave a faint smile.

Tenten pouted slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll train harder."

"I wasn't calling you the weak link," Garou said evenly. "Kakashi-sensei focused on you because he couldn't pin down Kasumi's position. As for me, I countered our strategy too well. So targeting you made the most sense."

His tone turned serious. "You're a capable shinobi, right, Kasumi?"

"Absolutely! All three of us are top-tier!" Kasumi puffed out her chest with confidence, practically glowing with pride.

Tenten twitched at her words and muttered with exasperation, "That... kind of sounds like you're saying we're unbeatable. Like if I teamed up with the First Hokage or something."

"Hey! I contributed too, okay?" Kasumi huffed, crossing her arms.

Garou gave a nod and turned, motioning toward the exit. "All right, let's hit the training hall."

"Yeah!"

Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, Guy reluctantly pulled out his wallet, glaring mournfully at Kakashi across the table.

This meal had turned out far more expensive than he'd anticipated. Had he not already agreed to treat everyone, he would've backed out without hesitation.

"Guy," Kakashi said, unusually serious, "your student's emotional stability might be an issue. Keep an eye on it. It'd be a shame to waste that kind of talent."

Guy stopped caring about the cost instantly, exhaling with a furrowed brow. "Yeah... I've noticed too. I'll monitor him closely."

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"To observe their training. See what teaching methods work best."

Guy chuckled. "Kakashi, having a genius student must be stressful, huh?"

He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Over the last two years, he had watched Garou absorb every bit of taijutsu he'd taught, and then evolve it into something uniquely his own. Training a prodigy like that was often harder on the teacher than the student.

"...Yeah."

"Oh right, while you're training him in ninjutsu, don't forget to keep up his physical conditioning. His taijutsu can't fall behind. Also..."

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Kakashi! You really are my eternal rival!"

---

At the Gekko Clan Estate, It was Garou's first time training in such a professional dojo.

The polished wooden floors gleamed, and the wide space echoed faintly with every movement.

Still, he adapted quickly. Honestly, it wasn't all that different from practicing in the woods, just with more tools and less dirt underfoot.

Like the practice dummies.

Still... they didn't feel as useful as a solid tree trunk.

"Why aren't you training?"

Kasumi tilted her head, brow raised in concern. She'd noticed Garou sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed in still meditation.

"Don't like the space? We can move."

"No, it's not that," Garou replied, eyes opening slowly. "I'm just thinking about how to improve my swordsmanship. I've only recently started learning, and it still feels unrefined."

He offered a calm, almost self-deprecating smile.

Kasumi frowned thoughtfully. Come to think of it, even though he carried a sword, he hadn't drawn it even once during the fight with Kakashi earlier that day.

'Could it be... he's actually bad with a blade?'

'Yes! Finally, something he isn't good at!'

Kasumi cheered internally, barely able to contain her excitement.

For once, Garou seemed more human and relatable. She chirped, "Tell me what's bothering you. I'll teach you!"

"In the past Samurai were known for their Iaijutsu," Garou said. "I've practiced it a few times, but something feels... off."

"Iaijutsu, huh? That's a classic style. I've actually studied it a little myself," Kasumi said, confidence rising.

As she spoke, she casually tossed a wooden block into the air.

Shing!

By the time her sword clicked back into its sheath, the block had been sliced clean into three perfect segments.

"So fast!" Tenten's eyes sparkled with admiration, impressed by the precision.

As expected from a clan known for its swordplay, their technique was leagues ahead.

Garou paused, deep in thought, then nodded slightly. "I see now. I was missing the unique explosive force behind the draw. The method I came up with deviated from that principle."

"Want me to demonstrate it again?" Kasumi asked eagerly.

"No need."

Garou smiled and picked up a chunk of wood.

He tossed it into the air.

Then, a sharp slicing note echoed.

Kasumi blinked. Garou had already resheathed his sword.

A beat later, the wood struck the ground, shattered into seven or eight clean pieces.

Kasumi looked down at the fragments... then up at Garou.

Expressionless, she said, "This is what you meant by not knowing how to use a sword?"

"I didn't know earlier. You just taught me."

"???"

Kasumi stood frozen for a long moment, then slowly turned to leave, sword in hand.

'This guy is too much. It is soul-crushing.'

Tenten gave a nervous chuckle. Garou's learning speed was just... unnatural.

She'd long since gotten used to it.

"One-dimensional speed isn't enough," Garou continued. "You also need power. That's where female shinobi often fall behind. But with proper chakra reinforcement and muscle control, it can be overcome."

He spoke thoughtfully while tossing a kunai into the air.

His blade flashed again. The kunai fell, neatly bisected in two.

Kasumi's jaw dropped.

She stared, stunned, before suddenly dashing over and clinging to his arm. "You genius! Teach me that right now!"

"It's actually not that hard," Garou said calmly. "You concentrate and condense your chakra around the weapon, like a chakra scalpel. Then swing with maximum strength."

He explained slowly, demonstrating with a clear fluidity. He wasn't being stingy.

Sure, Kasumi had only shown him the Iaijutsu once, but that demonstration had saved him weeks of trial and error. Returning the favor felt fair.

Besides... the Gekko clan's sword style lacked killing force. If it had been stronger, Hayate might not have died fighting Baki.

"Wait a second," Kasumi interrupted, "I can manage chakra focus to a degree, not as well as you, but what do you mean by 'maximum strength'?"

Tenten chimed in eagerly. Physical strength had always been a sore spot for female shinobi.

It was why Tsunade was such an icon.

"Everyone has muscle parts that provide peak output," Garou explained. "Find your strongest point of tension. If you can't break it down theoretically, just keep practicing until your body memorizes the sensation."

He beckoned Kasumi over and showed her the difference between a standard slash and one done with full force, his stance, the grip, the way his hips rotated at the final moment of the cut.

Kasumi furrowed her brows in thought.

"That's the same move you used earlier... when you suddenly sped up to block Kakashi?"

She remembered now.

Back during the test, she'd been singled out, almost taken out, until Garou intercepted Kakashi with a burst of unbelievable speed.

"Something like that. I call it 'Limit State'. It's tricky, though. Hard to teach. For now, just focus on using both arms. You two rely on them most."

Garou nodded gently, eyes scanning their movements.

Kasumi and Tenten exchanged a look, a mix of awe and gratitude in their eyes.

This was clearly a secret technique, something most shinobi would guard closely. Yet Garou had offered it without hesitation.

"...We'll keep it to ourselves."

"No need. It's not some secret technique. Just a method. Go ahead, practice. I'll supervise and offer tips."

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