Chapter 53 (Patreon)

The first time he crossed blades with a Kage-level opponent, Nerona Mihawk felt the difference more deeply than ever.

Kage-level strength was not something an elite jonin could be compared to.

When he fought Momochi Zabuza, Mihawk had been able to see plenty of openings in his movements.

Uchiha Itachi, however, was different.

There were no obvious flaws.

Their fighting styles were completely different, but this was also Mihawk’s first time truly facing the Sharingan. Only now did he feel the pressure that those eyes could bring.

Was Mihawk’s sword slow?

Not at all.

Even so, Itachi saw through it and evaded with ease.

Against Mihawk’s slash, despite having never seen that kind of swordsmanship before, Itachi had only used the most basic D-rank Clone Technique to avoid the Ranged Slash.

Vision, physical ability, battle judgment, mental composure… Uchiha Itachi was first-rate in every aspect.

And even while fighting, because of Mihawk’s age and identity, Itachi had clearly held back.

The force behind his kick had been moderate.

He had even allowed Mihawk to strike him.

He had not used the Mangekyō Sharingan either.

Of course, Mihawk had not gone all out either. Against Itachi in his normal state, Mihawk did not believe he would lose.

But if it became a true life-and-death battle, the danger Mihawk faced would rise sharply.

Not at all because his swordsmanship was inferior.

It was because, at this stage, Itachi’s Mangekyō abilities were too troublesome.

Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were both extremely dangerous to Mihawk right now.

Then there was Susanoo, along with the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror—abilities that were practically unreasonable in battle.

Before he stepped into the realm of a Great Swordsman, Mihawk felt that his slashes would most likely be blocked by the Yata Mirror. And if he was caught even slightly by Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, or the Totsuka Blade, the result would be either death or severe injury.

There were also Izanagi and Izanami.

“Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi… the three most troublesome figures of the Uchiha clan really do live up to their names.”

Mihawk sighed quietly in his heart, his mood becoming a little heavier.

Still, this was only for now.

Once he awakened Advanced Armament Haki or even Conqueror’s Haki, even abilities like those would no longer be impossible to resist. At the very least, he would be able to suppress or partially negate some of their effects.

But right now, it was still not enough.

When fighting elite jonin, he had not noticed the issue clearly. But after facing a Kage-level opponent with more hidden cards, the weakness of relying solely on swordsmanship had been exposed.

He had to let the Breath of All Things reach the level of a Great Swordsman as soon as possible.

He also needed to strengthen both types of Haki.

“Kakashi, are you all right?”

While Mihawk was lost in thought, Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi had already gone over to check on Kakashi, who had fallen to the ground.

“Yeah… I’m fine.” Kakashi pushed himself up. Though he looked a little battered, he did not seem seriously injured. “I didn’t expect Itachi’s visual prowess to be that terrifying.”

Mihawk looked at the three of them for a moment, then walked over and said to Kurenai, “Kurenai-sensei, I’ll head back first.”

“Mm.”

Kurenai nodded, then smiled at him with relief. “Mihawk, we were lucky you were here this time.”

“It was nothing. I only happened to pass by.”

Mihawk shook his head. Then he gave Kakashi and Asuma a slight nod before turning to leave.

Watching his back, Kakashi sighed softly.

“He really is exceptional.”

“His strength is already no weaker than ours,” Asuma commented.

Kurenai nodded in agreement.

“The day after graduation, he defeated me easily during the survival exercise. Later, during a C-rank mission, he killed the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, without a single injury.”

Then she paused slightly before continuing.

“And during the Chunin Exams, he released a Ranged Slash with power comparable to an S-rank ninjutsu… At this point, he already has the beginnings... that of a Kage.”

————

Mihawk did not know what the three of them were saying about him.

After leaving, he went to a small valley he had once discovered.

By afternoon, the sun was hanging high in the sky.

Golden light poured down from above, shining over two figures standing on the water—one tall, one small.

Looking at Hanabi, who had mastered both tree climbing and water walking in just one morning, Mihawk could not help sighing.

“Hinata, your Hyuga clan really does have a unique advantage when it comes to controlling chakra.”

It had taken Mihawk a week to learn how to climb trees with chakra, and half a month to learn how to walk on water.

Hinata had only taken two days.

Hanabi had taken less than half a day.

Hearing Mihawk’s words, Hinata, who stood on the shore, covered her lips and smiled softly.

Hanabi, soaked from head to toe, looked at Mihawk with bright, expectant eyes.

“Hey, Mihawk-nii, does this mean I succeeded?”

Mihawk nodded and praised her without hesitation.

“Yeah. You completed the first stage perfectly.”

“Great!”

A brilliant smile immediately bloomed across Hanabi’s adorable face.

Then she looked up at Mihawk with burning enthusiasm.

“Mihawk-nii, what’s the second stage of training?”

Mihawk reached out and gently brushed away a strand of wet hair stuck to the side of Hanabi’s nose. Then he rubbed her head with a faint smile.

“Don’t rush. You’ve only just learned how to walk on water. Once you’re fully used to it, we’ll begin the second stage.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Hanabi nodded eagerly, like a little chick pecking at rice. She had no resistance at all to her idol’s suggestion.

After calming her impatient heart, Hanabi’s expression became serious again. Carefully, she took one step forward.

Her small, bare foot stepped lightly onto the clear water, sending a small circle of ripples spreading outward.

The cool sensation beneath her feet made Hanabi fall in love with the feeling almost immediately.

Although she had been born into the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga had only taught her the Gentle Fist and chakra-point techniques.

Even the Ninja Academy did not teach students tree climbing and water walking during their six years of study.

So the first time Hanabi experienced the feeling of walking on water, she immediately became absorbed in it.

While Hanabi focused on practicing, Mihawk walked back to the shore.

He glanced at Hanabi behind him, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a smile.

Hinata immediately understood the meaning behind that smile, and her cheeks turned red.

She took a step back.

Then another.

Before she knew it, her back touched the trunk of a tree.

Hinata raised her head. Her pale eyes were misty, and her voice became soft and flustered.

“Mi-Mihawk-kun… not here. Hanabi is still…”

Before she could finish speaking, Mihawk sealed her lips with his.

After walking on the water for a while, Hanabi gradually went from careful steps to running.

When she finally managed to jump lightly across the surface, she turned around with a bright smile, wanting to show Mihawk what she could do.

But the scene beneath the tree made her freeze in place.

Her eyes widened.

She subconsciously covered her mouth with one hand and covered her eyes with the other.

A moment later, however, a small gap opened between her fingers.

With a shy and confused gaze, she secretly peeked at the two people beneath the tree, who seemed to have forgotten everything around them.

Her cheeks grew warmer and warmer.

The chakra she had just managed to control perfectly began to waver from her embarrassment.

“Splash!”

The sound of something falling heavily into the water instantly woke the two people on the shore.