บท 91: Chapter 91: Swordsmanship and Enemy Tracks

However, Natsuro's idea soon faded—not because he had given up on learning swordsmanship, but because he found it impossible to find a suitable teacher.

During the rest periods of the convoy, he observed the samurai in the group closely.

He soon realized that these samurai were rather disappointing, with most of them lacking skill but having an inflated ego.

Moreover, he noticed that these samurai were constantly antagonizing the four visible Konoha ninjas. This made him frown; these samurai were clearly not what he was looking for.

Instead of learning swordsmanship from these "Samurai," Natsuro figured it would be better to use the achievements he accumulated from his missions in the Anbu to exchange for some sword techniques when he returned to Konoha.

Reflecting on the samurai he remembered, it wasn't necessarily a problem with samurai as a profession but rather with these specific individuals. There are always some bad apples in any profession.

As for Konoha's sword techniques, he couldn't recall many. It seemed that few people used swords, and there was one short-lived practitioner? The Dance of the Crescent Moon? However, Natsuro remembered that it wasn't very impressive compared to the Yagura's Return of the Swallow from his memory.

Then there was the swordsmanship of the Hatake clan, but unfortunately, that was probably not something he could obtain at the moment.

So, for now, he decided to temporarily set aside swordsmanship and instead focus on studying the combination of ninjutsu and sword techniques. Natsuro reluctantly accepted this, feeling that learning swordsmanship first would have been better.

Since there was no one to teach him, he simply took down the long sword and held its hilt in his hand.

This action startled Master Blacksmith, who asked, "Ink, is there an enemy approaching?"

"No, I need to practice to maintain my feel for the sword," Natsuro replied briefly.

"Oh, but this space…" Master Blacksmith hesitated, as although this carriage was the largest, the space was still insufficient for swordplay.

"Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion," Natsuro reassured him.

"Alright, then I won't disturb you," Master Blacksmith said, feeling relieved.

Tetsuya, meanwhile, looked at the sword in Natsuro's hand with curiosity. Soon, his interest waned, and he said, "It's just an ordinary sword. I thought ninja weapons would be special, but it seems not as good as what I've forged."

Natsuro was taken aback but said nothing. The sword was one he was accustomed to using, specifically chosen for him by the Third Hokage. Yet, Tetsuya's background gave him the right to make such comments.

He wondered how the Third Hokage would react to this assessment—would he think he lacked discernment?

At this moment, Tetsuya said something else…

"If you have time someday, come to the Land of Iron, and I'll forge a better sword for you."

Natsuro's gaze immediately fixed on Tetsuya. Although Tetsuya probably just said this offhandedly, he smiled and said, "You said it. I'll bring the materials and find you later."

Tetsuya was taken aback. He had said it casually, but since the words were out, he couldn't backtrack without losing face. He could only stubbornly agree.

"Then take this and don't lose it," Natsuro said, handing Tetsuya a kunai with the Flying Thunder God seal.

Tetsuya curiously took it and began examining it. Soon, he showed a look of disdain, noting the rough craftsmanship.

When Tetsuya was about to say something more, he was interrupted by Master Blacksmith, who sternly said, "Tetsuya, take good care of it and don't lose it."

Tetsuya was slightly stunned, seeming to understand something, and then nodded.

As time passed, the convoy went several days without encountering any danger, which eased the nerves of many people in the convoy.

Tetsuya, feeling restless in the carriage, wanted to get out and stretch, but each time was stopped by Master Blacksmith. When he tried to sneak out, Natsuro would hold him back.

By now, Tetsuya was somewhat resigned, wondering why they needed to be so tense with no enemies around…

Natsuro, on the other hand, was content with the lack of enemies. It meant fewer problems, and over these days, he had quickly integrated his attributes with sword techniques.

In fact, it was quite simple; it was just that he hadn't thought of it before. Now that he did, given his current mastery of form and nature transformation, it was not difficult.

Of course, integration was easy, but practical application required testing in actual combat. The methods and timing of usage needed to be refined.

"Ink, please let me sneak out for a walk. It's late, and no one will notice. I promise I'll forge a great sword for you in the future!" Tetsuya whispered to Natsuro as he saw his grandfather resting nearby.

"No," Natsuro replied while chewing on his rations.

Tetsuya's head drooped in disappointment. With his strict grandfather and now a stubborn peer…

However, the next moment, Natsuro's voice changed, and Tetsuya's expression turned serious.

"Wake your grandfather. Something's happened," Natsuro said, his face slightly shifting as he looked at the thickening night. It seemed like the attack was well-prepared.

Tetsuya's forehead soon beaded with cold sweat as he stumbled towards his grandfather.

Natsuro couldn't determine exactly how many people were out there. There were probably about a dozen ninjas, and the rest were not ninjas and thus more numerous. Without chakra, he couldn't differentiate them but knew there were quite a few.

Natsuro decided to take out the wooden signaling device, pressing the button and tossing it into the air above the convoy.

The next moment, a long, piercing alarm sounded above the convoy.

This alarm not only woke and alarmed the people in the transport team but also startled those hiding in the dark who were preparing to ambush the convoy.

Had they been exposed? How had it happened? What they didn't know was that if they had been more cautious, they might have evaded Natsuro's detection. However, carrying ninjas and their chakra made it almost impossible to avoid detection.

The Tenzo team was not surprised, as they had already detected the approaching threat. They had been ready to sound the alarm but were caught off guard by Natsuro's early warning.

They could only comment…

"Indeed, as expected of Ink. His perception is astonishing every time."

In the next moment, the convoy was illuminated, and those who had been hiding and saw their ambush fail decided to act during the ensuing chaos. They charged out, and the Tenzo team began their counter-action...

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