Naruto world: The Rise Of The Sand Village

Following Morioka Nen into the temple, Hardy passed through the chanting and the sound of wooden fish from monks performing their morning prayers, arriving at a small courtyard behind the temple.

In the open space at the center of the courtyard, two boys, about twelve or thirteen years old, were practicing sword techniques with bamboo swords.

"Morioka-sensei!" ×2

The two boys stopped, bowed to Morioka Nen, and curiously sized up Hardy.

"Their names are Akiha Ren and Sagawa Kingen. They are also apprentice swordsmen training in Wind Breathing. Ren, Kingen, this is Hardy-kun. Although he has not officially joined the Demon Slayer Corps or learned Breathing Techniques yet, he has already defeated a demon."

Morioka Nen introduced them to each other.

After exchanging greetings with the two, Morioka Nen let them resume their practice and led Hardy to a room on the other side.

"It was a long journey. Hardy-kun, would you like to rest for a day first, or begin training right away? If you wish to rest, the room on the left has been prepared for you."

Morioka Nen poured tea for both of them and asked.

He spoke to Hardy as an equal, rather than with the airs of a senior or teacher.

Perhaps he had learned something about Hardy's strength, potential, and background from the Ubuyashiki family.

He trusted anyone willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps to fight demons, but young masters from noble families could sometimes be difficult to deal with—especially since the Uesugi family had recently provided the Corps with a large amount of precious supplies.

"Of course, the sooner the better. I've been looking forward to learning the mysterious Breathing Techniques for a long time," Hardy replied.

With chakra, traveling was an easy matter.

"In that case, let me first get a sense of your current abilities," said Morioka Nen, pressing his palms together.

Since Hardy had already defeated a demon without learning Breathing Techniques, he must have some martial skills.

After putting down his pack and taking a short rest, Hardy followed Morioka Nen to the open space in the courtyard.

Akiha Ren and Sagawa Kingen stepped aside, whispering to each other as they watched, bamboo swords in hand.

"Master Morioka, please forgive my offense," Hardy said, twirling his bamboo sword and assuming the starting stance of the Sunagakure sword style.

"No problem," replied Morioka Nen, holding his sword upright before him with the poise of a true master.

"Please—"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hardy lunged forward, delivering a downward slash.

Morioka Nen moved his bamboo sword deftly to deflect the blow, shifted his footwork, and countered with a slash toward Hardy's neck.

"Pa!"

The two bamboo swords collided in midair with a crisp sound.

After just one exchange, Hardy had a general sense of the old monk's skill.

Though aged and physically weaker, his reaction speed, strength, and swordsmanship were all impressive.

Morioka Nen was certainly holding back, but with the perspective Hardy had inherited from his original self, he could roughly gauge the master's level.

Compared to the world of Naruto, Hardy judged that this old man's close-combat ability was at least on par with some of the Chunin from Sunagakure who specialized in swordsmanship.

Considering his age and retired status as a top-ranked swordsman, the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps might possess close-combat abilities comparable to Jonin.

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

The two bamboo swords clashed repeatedly, producing sharp sounds with each swing.

Hardy shifted his stance and pressed the attack, but Morioka Nen handled it with ease.

"Wind Breathing, Fourth Form: Rising Sandstorm!"

Blades of wind shot from Morioka Nen's bamboo sword, spinning like a tornado toward Hardy.

Hardy steadied himself, bracing his stance, and swung his bamboo sword rapidly to block the incoming wind blades.

Just as he finished parrying them and had no time to catch his breath, Morioka Nen had already leapt high into the air, bringing his bamboo sword down in a diagonal slash.

This time, there was only one wind blade, but it was several meters long, spiraling toward Hardy like a dragon.

"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Mountain Wind!"

Can't take that head-on!

Even knowing Morioka Nen would hold back, Hardy dodged to the side and, using all his strength, met the incoming strike with his bamboo sword.

"Crack!"

The bamboo sword broke.

"An exquisite sword technique," Hardy said, stepping back and looking at Morioka Nen.

Morioka Nen had clearly been holding back; only in those last two strikes had he shown some true skill.

"Hardy-kun, you have remarkable strength. No wonder you could defeat a demon without knowing Breathing Techniques," Morioka Nen praised.

In his opinion, Hardy's swordsmanship was rather poor, so he could only compliment his strength.

With his body enhanced by chakra, Hardy's strength and speed far exceeded ordinary people, which to them seemed like natural-born power.

Divine Strength.

"After all, this old monk is getting on in years. I can't swing a sword for long without needing to catch my breath. Plus, with a chunk of flesh missing from my calf, I simply can't keep fighting much longer—so I had to go a bit harder on you. Hardy-kun, you're alright, aren't you?"

Morioka Nian put down his bamboo sword, rubbed his lower back, and addressed Hardy.

Hardy glanced at the slashes on his clothes, cut open by the old monk's wind blades, and shook his head.

In fact, Hardy had already noticed during the match that the old monk's movements relied almost entirely on his left leg, indicating that his right leg was likely injured. Now, it was clear: with a chunk of muscle missing from his calf, his right lower leg had lost almost all explosive power, and his footwork in battle depended solely on his left leg.

Add to that the effects of aging—diminished strength and slower reflexes—and yet he still possessed such skill. This old man truly deserved his reputation as an A-rank swordsman, second only to the Pillars.

"It's nothing, Master Morioka. May I ask if I can begin learning the Breathing Techniques now?"

Morioka Nian chanted a Buddhist prayer and shook his head.

"While Hardy-kun has a certain foundation in swordsmanship, it's not very solid. It might not be wise to rush into learning more advanced techniques. However, you are strong and naturally gifted, so you don't need to build up your strength the way those two do."

"Alright then."

Hardy was a little disappointed, but he understood.

He had only been learning the Sand Concealment Style for a few months, and most of his focus had actually been on puppet techniques and wind release training. It was only natural that his swordsmanship foundation was lacking.

After spending some time together, the old monk realized that Hardy wasn't like those spoiled aristocratic youths he'd imagined. Instead, he was reasonable and easy to get along with, which put the old monk at ease.

"In my opinion, Hardy-kun should focus on filling in these gaps in your sword technique at this stage…"