Ikki pulled the sword from his ring—the one given to him by Tatsumo. He began to channel chakra into the blade, letting it flow evenly across the entire sword at first. Then, slowly, he started forcing the chakra to move only to the sharp, cutting edge.
It took about a minute, but eventually, the chakra concentrated on that single edge.
Ikki: "Phew... That takes a toll on me. But the chakra cost is half of what I usually use. If I could do this from the start, it would be around one-fifth of the original chakra requirement."
He took a breath and began transforming the chakra into lightning nature. The edge of the blade started to hum with energy—subtle vibrations, then faint sparks of electricity crackled along the surface.
Ikki: "Let's test this."
He approached another wooden stump and slashed. Oddly, the stump remained intact. Ikki lost his footing slightly—his sword tip struck the ground. It looked like he lost his footing and missed his target.
Five seconds passed.
Hinari: "...Did he miss?"
Kakashi began to sweat, and so did Hayate.
Hayate: "No, he didn't."
He turned to Kakashi.
Hayate: "Can you explain?"
Kakashi: "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
Ikki snapped out of his daze, stood up, and walked to the side of the stump. He placed his hand on the upper half and gently pushed.
Slice.
The upper section of the stump slid off and fell.
Ikki: "The results... are even better than I imagined. Focusing chakra into a specific part of the blade, then applying lightning nature—it's tough to control, but the results are insane. It's like a high-frequency blade."
Kakashi: "High-frequency blade?"
Ikki: "Yeah. A blade that vibrates at high frequency. It's like cutting through butter. But it's really hard to maintain—especially controlling the lightning chakra only on the edge."
Kakashi: "If you can shorten the charging time, it'll be a deadly technique. And it uses less chakra than a full-body flow?"
Ikki: "Exactly. I'll work on it. Let's call this… Lightning Style: Shūhasū (Frequency) Blade. Thanks for the help."
Kakashi: "No problem. If you ever need help again, just ask."
Ikki nodded, exchanged farewells, and Team Orca left the training field.
Ten minutes later, Sasuke and Naruto finally woke up.
As their eyes took in the devastation around them, their jaws dropped.
Naruto: "Who did this?"
Sakura: "Ikki-san."
Sasuke looked stunned.
Sasuke: "He's... just a Genin?"
Kakashi: "This year's Chūnin Exam winner."
Sasuke: "But the exam hasn't even started."
Kakashi: "Yeah… but the result is already confirmed. Now you both understand. He was just toying with you. If he had used his sword, you would've been down before realizing what hit you. He's nearing jōnin level in strength."
Naruto and Sasuke nodded, sobered by the realization.
Kakashi: "Now... let's get back to training."
Back at Orca Training Ground, Team Orca resumed their work. Ikki focused on refining his new technique. Chikako and Hinari practiced with their tantos. Hayate observed them silently.
Ikki (inner monologue):
*This is going to be hard… but I need to master this. It'll be useful in the future. Along with the Frequency Blade, I should finally start training a long-range technique too. The one I always wanted to learn—*First Sword: Tsubame Gaeshi (Flying Swallow).
It's not going to be easy... but with Konoha Crush approaching, I don't have time to waste. I need to be ready. And before that—I need to return "Tsubame" to Jiji. It's time to bring out my real sword... my identity—"Intetsu".
The next day, Ikki visited the orphanage and met with Tatsumo.
Ikki: "I'm returning Tsubame."
Tatsumo: "Why? Why give it back?"
Ikki: "I already have another sword. And this one is yours—I can't keep it."
Tatsumo gently took the sword, his hand brushing the sheath.
Tatsumo (softly): "This was my first sword, given to me by my master. He was a samurai from the Land of Iron. So you understand now why I asked you to return it."
Ikki: "I know. That's why I made sure I brought it back in one piece."
Tatsumo: "Thank you. You took good care of it. So... you got a new sword?"
Ikki: "Yeah. Its name is Intetsu. My legacy."
Ikki pulled Intetsu from the ring.
Tatsumo blinked, stunned by what he saw.
Tatsumo: "Wait... that ring?"
Ikki: "It was part of my necklace since I was a baby. A gift from my parents—though I don't know who they are." (Ikki lied.)
Tatsumo nodded solemnly.
Tatsumo: "May I see it?"
Ikki handed Intetsu over.
Tatsumo examined the blade carefully.
Black and sleek... durable... razor-sharp... A fine blade. Daiki's sword was the same color, but a different style. Still, it's not time yet. He's not ready to know about them…
Tatsumo returned the sword.
Tatsumo: "Take good care of it. It's a fine weapon. Now off you go—prepare for the Chūnin Exams."
Ikki nodded, bowed slightly, and left the orphanage.
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