Under Konoha’s Shadow

Chapter 24: Crescent Moon

The Next Day

Yamamoto Ryusei arrived at the Yamashita family's shop. Inside, only Yamashita Eeko was present, looking bored as she read a novel.

Seeing the nearly empty shop, Ryusei couldn't help but ask with confusion, "Auntie Eeko, how come there's no business in the shop? Is the Gothic Lolita dress not selling well?"

Eeko's eyes lit up when she saw Ryusei. Hearing his question, she replied with some vexation, "No, it's not that. The Gothic Lolita dress sold too well; it sold out in an instant. And now there are already a lot of fakes out there. Those people are so shameless."

Ryusei consoled her, "This kind of business was always meant to make a quick profit. Next time, just make more clothes and print your own logo on them to establish a brand. People will naturally come to you to buy clothes in the future."

"Next time?" Eeko's eyes gleamed. "Ryusei, have you designed new clothes?"

Ryusei took out his design drawings and showed them to her. "Yes. My classmates wanted some too, so I helped them design a few."

"So many," Eeko said, feeling a headache coming on. "How long is this going to take me to make?"

Ryusei thought for a moment and said directly, "You can hire people to do it. Or you could rent a space, hire women who stay at home, draw up contracts, and build a factory. The finished clothes could even be sold in other cities."

"That's right!" Eeko's eyes lit up, then her expression turned serious. "In that case, Ryusei, you must have a stake in this factory. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

Ryusei didn't refuse. "Alright. Then I'll give you new clothing designs every so often. But these few pieces need to be made first. I need them urgently."

Ryusei handed the designs for the clothes he wanted to give to Hashirama and the others to Eeko.

"Wow, these are so beautiful!" Eeko's eyes shone as she flipped through the drawings, pulling out the one for Senju Miyuki. "This one is especially pretty. You can come pick these up the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you." Ryusei immediately took his leave.

He went to his father's blacksmith shop. Yamamoto Shuichi and Nami were both away scouting locations for the hotel, so the shop had been left in the care of Shuichi's eldest disciple, Morita Ryota.

"Ryusei, what brings you here? Is there something you need?" Morita Ryota asked with a pleasant surprise.

"Brother Ryota, I need a sword. Can you help me see which one is the best?"

Morita Ryota took out a sword wrapped in black cloth from the back. "Ryusei, this sword is the best in the shop. It's made of refined steel. I can't say it can cut through iron like mud, but cutting a falling hair is no problem. The only thing is that it can't conduct chakra."

Ryusei took the sword and unwrapped the black cloth. The scabbard and hilt were both black, but the blade itself was a brilliant white.

"This sword is called 'Aurora.' When you swing it, it's as dazzling as the northern lights in the night sky. I hope you will use it well and not let it remain in its scabbard," Morita Ryota advised.

Ryusei sheathed the sword and promised, "Don't worry, Brother Ryota. I will definitely not fail it."

In the Senju Clan's Training Grounds

Only Hashirama Senju was there, watching Ryusei practice his taijutsu. Madara Uchiha hadn't come today. Seeing Hashirama's gloomy expression, Ryusei knew they must have argued again yesterday.

Hashirama looked at Ryusei, who was practicing with the sword on his back. "Ryusei, you want to learn swordsmanship? Don't be too ambitious and spread yourself too thin."

Ryusei explained, "I know, Teacher Hashirama. I'm using a sword to increase my attack range. After all, a kunai is simply too short."

Hashirama nodded. "Then come and attack me. Let me see if your skills have regressed."

Ryusei drew his sword. "Then please, guide me well, Teacher Hashirama."

He used Soru and rushed towards Hashirama, slashing with his sword.

Clang! Hashirama blocked it with a kunai and teased, "Ryusei, you've gotten faster. I almost didn't catch that."

The corner of Ryusei's eye twitched. "Teacher, don't say things like that when you're so relaxed. But I'll make sure you won't have time to talk next." He roared and used Monster Strength to force Hashirama back, then lifted one leg and kicked forward.

"Rankyaku!"

A three-meter-long air slash whistled towards Hashirama, who leaped up to avoid it.

Rumble! The slash flew past Hashirama and cut down a swath of trees over twenty meters deep in the forest behind him.

Hashirama looked at the fallen trees and couldn't help but marvel. 'What a dangerous technique. It doesn't feel much weaker than Tobirama's Water Severing Wave.'

Seeing Hashirama looking at the forest, Ryusei sensed an opportunity. He took out his shuriken and threw them.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The thrown shuriken split from one into two, two into four, and four into hundreds, blanketing Hashirama.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Hashirama formed hand seals and blew out a great gust of wind, scattering the shuriken.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Ryusei created two clones, who immediately began forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Sky-Sealing Fire Formation!"

The wind fueled the fire. The Great Fireball, aided by the Great Breakthrough, expanded several times in size, then shattered, forming a sky-covering wall of fire that rushed towards Hashirama.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Hashirama slammed his hands together, and a massive earthen wall shot up from the ground, blocking his path.

The flames slammed into the mud wall and quickly rushed around the sides and over the top, obstructing Hashirama's line of sight.

Ryusei pushed off the ground and leaped into the air. He repeatedly used Rankyaku, kicking out nearly sixty three-meter-long crescent-shaped slashes. The slashes spread out, forming a hollow hemisphere that descended upon Hashirama.

"Waning Crescent!" Ryusei gripped his sword with both hands, channeled all of his chakra into a Monster Strength strike, and unleashed a fifteen-meter-long crescent slash that filled the central void. Together, the slashes fell towards Hashirama.

As the three-meter slashes fell, they converged on the fifteen-meter one. The gaps between the slashes grew smaller and smaller, forming an airtight cage that descended with the force of stars arching around the moon.

Bang!

The crescent slashes tore through the flames and appeared before Hashirama. With no room left to evade, he clasped his hands together.

"Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!"

A row of wooden pillars bent up from the ground, forming an arched stockade that protected him. The crescent slashes descended from the heavens.

BOOM!

A huge cloud of dust, gravel, and wood chips flew into the sky. The wind from the impact blew the still-airborne Ryusei away, making him crash onto the grass. The spot where the Wood Locking Wall had stood sank several meters into the ground. Besides the spiderweb-like cracks, the surrounding earth was also marked with massive fissures from the slashes.

The top of the Wood Locking Wall was completely shattered, and the remaining wood was riddled with dense cracks. Hashirama jumped out from the middle and walked over to Ryusei, who was lying on the grass, completely drained of chakra and stamina. He tapped him on the head. "You little brat. Using such a strong move... were you trying to take my life?"

"How could that be? You're the God of Shinobi! How could a move like that possibly harm you?" Ryusei said with anticipation. "Teacher, what did you think of my move?"

Hashirama looked at the destroyed Wood Locking Wall and the fissured ground and said with some disbelief, "The power is immense. I never thought taijutsu could have such destructive force."

"Hahaha!" Ryusei laughed happily. "This is just the beginning. There will be even stronger techniques in the future."

(Decades later, when Might Guy opens the Eight Gates, all of this would look like a small-scale skirmish.)

Hashirama looked at the young Ryusei and said, "Yes, there will be even stronger techniques in the future. But what are you still doing lying here?"

Ryusei's smile froze instantly. "Uh... I have no strength left. My chakra is also depleted. And when I fell just now, I injured my leg. I can't get up right now."

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Mito Uzumaki, Madara Uchiha, Tobirama Senju, and several ANBU ninjas all arrived at the training ground.

Mito saw the injured Ryusei lying on the grass and immediately went to check on him. "Ryusei, are you alright? Who hurt you? Were you attacked?"

Madara activated his Sharingan, his face grim as he scanned the surroundings, trying to find the attacker.

Seeing the reactions of Mito and Madara, Ryusea's heart couldn't help but feel a little warm.

"Hahaha," Hashirama laughed sheepishly. "There was no attacker. We were just sparring."

Hearing Hashirama's words, Mito's face turned completely black. Tobirama saw his sister-in-law's dark expression and knew that what came next would not be pretty. He immediately dismissed the ANBU ninjas.