Chapter 69: The 'Gentleman' Blade — Retreating to Advance
In the backyard of the Hatake residence, Sakumo Hatake stepped into the open training space, gripping a wooden bokken in his hand. Calm and composed, he called out, "Come, Tonan."
Uchiha Tonan, standing opposite him, gave no sign of hesitation or emotion. Slowly, he drew a chakra-infused tanto from his back, its subtle glow marking it as a shinobi weapon far beyond an ordinary blade. With solemn gravity, he declared, "White Fang-sama, prepare yourself. This is an honorable duel between two samurai clans. Today, if you don't die, then I will not live."
Sakumo's eyes widened, caught off guard by Tonan's fierce declaration. For a long moment, he simply stared at the shimmering tanto in Tonan's hands, his mind drifting. Then, a faint smile crept across his lips. Bowing respectfully, he replied, "Very well, Tonan. Thank you for your resolve."
He gently set down the wooden sword in a corner, then retreated into his room. There, instead of immediately retrieving a weapon, he crumpled an old, dusty will lying on the table and tossed it into the trash. With deliberate care, he penned a new will. Next, he tied a pristine white headband around his forehead—a symbol of resolve and honor. Finally, gripping his own chakra tanto, he returned to the backyard and faced Tonan squarely.
Drawing the tanto with deliberate slowness, Sakumo said with quiet pride, "This blade is named White Fang. What do you call your weapon?"
Tonan's lips curled in a small smile as he stroked the blade's smooth surface, responding, "Gentleman."
Sakumo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Gentleman?"
Tonan's gaze was steady and clear. "The benevolent do not worry, the wise are never confused, and the brave know no fear. This is my samurai spirit, the core virtue I live by. Thus, I named my blade Gentleman."
Sakumo was visibly moved. Nodding thoughtfully, he said with admiration, "A fine name, indeed."
Without warning, Tonan's eyes snapped open, revealing the crimson glow of the Sharingan. "White Fang-sama, shall we begin?"
Sakumo's expression turned solemn. "Come at me."
In an instant, Tonan vanished—his speed so great he seemed to dissolve into thin air. When he reappeared, Sakumo spotted not one but three identical Tonans rushing in from different directions.
"Profound Meaning — Flicker Clone Technique."
The clash of steel rang sharply in the air.
Sakumo stood his ground, the White Fang moving with practiced precision as he parried the three synchronized strikes.
As the battle unfolded, Sakumo's respect for Tonan's skill grew steadily. He recalled watching Tonan train alongside Kakashi—always brimming with boundless energy. Yet, he hadn't expected Tonan's progress to be this rapid. The young Uchiha was approaching jonin-level prowess.
"This kind of talent… Kakashi, I fear you won't be able to keep pace with Tonan for much longer."
Sakumo's keen eyes caught a subtle flaw in one of Tonan's attacks. With a swift arc of the White Fang, he deflected the strike, then withdrew his tanto to block another, and delivered a solid kick to the third attacker.
Bang!
Tonan was flung backward, hitting the ground hard. He rolled, recovered quickly, and charged forward with renewed fury.
"So, this must be the real one. The others are clones," Sakumo mused.
He sidestepped what he believed was Tonan's main assault, then maneuvered behind a 'clone' and swung his tanto in a decisive strike.
The figure stiffened, startled, but immediately vanished in a flash using the Body Flicker Technique.
Puchi!
A spatter of blood sprayed as a deep slash appeared across the clone's arm.
Sakumo's pupils narrowed in shock. "That's not a shadow clone… they're all real?"
The revelation hit him hard—Tonan had mastered a powerful multi-body ninjutsu beyond his expectation.
Unable to identify the original, Sakumo ceased his offensive, fearing he might wound Tonan. Instead, he shifted to a purely defensive stance, blocking and dodging with calculated restraint.
He would only exploit a flaw to push Tonan back, careful not to inflict injury.
Tonan, however, showed no mercy. Today, he would give everything to earn Sakumo's respect. If he succeeded, he vowed to end Sakumo's suffering swiftly, as the elder wished. If he failed, he planned to beat him within an inch of his life—and offer some hard-earned advice.
Prepared for any outcome, Tonan's ninja pouch was stocked with medicinal pills and bandages to staunch wounds.
As long as Sakumo could resist his darkest urges, Tonan could still protect his reputation—perhaps even turn the tide of public opinion in his favor.
Though Tonan appeared powerless in the open, he had countless tricks to outmaneuver the shallow villagers behind the scenes. The simplest strategy: retreat to advance.
Sakumo needed to make a public apology—professing love for the village and his comrades, admitting his failure to watch them die helplessly.
After that, winning the villagers' hearts would be easy.
The key was winning over the ninja. Konoha was a ninja village, and their influence far outweighed that of civilians.
Time passed swiftly, and the duel settled into a tense stalemate.
Meanwhile, reports filtered in, and Konoha's guards rushed toward the Hatake estate.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also received the news but remained unperturbed—he had long expected Tonan to seek training at the Hatake household.
At this moment, Tonan's Byakugan was activated, his eyes scanning Sakumo's chakra flow and muscle movements with keen precision. This sensory ninjutsu let him anticipate Sakumo's next strike—but even then, breaking through his defense proved impossible.
Sakumo, meanwhile, grew increasingly amazed.
"This overwhelming pressure… sensory ninjutsu? Tonan has surpassed Kakashi by far."
"Tonan, let's see what you're really made of."
With that, Sakumo doubled his speed.
Tonan, with the advantage of Byakugan insight and the three-tomoe Sharingan's dynamic vision, could clearly trace Sakumo's attack patterns.
Utilizing Body Flicker Technique without regard for chakra consumption, he barely managed to block or evade the strikes.
And this wasn't even Sakumo's full strength.
Tonan realized Sakumo hadn't used any ninjutsu in the fight—not a trace of chakra manipulation. It was pure taijutsu and kenjutsu clashing.
Is this the true power of Konoha's White Fang?
In this samurai duel, ninjutsu was forbidden—so Tonan prepared to unleash his ultimate Sanbo Style sword technique.
He dispersed his clones, gripped his chakra tanto tightly, locked eyes with Sakumo, and said, "White Fang-sama, prepare yourself."
Sakumo knew Tonan was about to unleash a decisive strike but didn't flinch.
He simply stood ready, calm and patient.
Tonan's eyes narrowed. With a powerful leap, he raised the chakra tanto high above his head.
The blade instantly shimmered with crackling white chakra, extending into a long radiant blade of light.
"Sanbo Gale Slash!"
Tonan roared, slashing downward with overwhelming force at Sakumo.