The Breath of All Things

A year had passed since Hayashi became the top student, but he felt stuck. The ninja school wasn't challenging him anymore.

He'd already mastered techniques like the Three Basic Techniques and shuriken throwing, and the school's book knowledge and basic skills weren't cutting it.

Three months ago, he achieved a major milestone: mastering the Shadow Clone Technique. That's when he decided to leave school behind and focus on his own training.

Since then, Hayashi had dedicated himself to intense physical training, spending every spare moment honing his skills.

He practiced swordsmanship tirelessly, driven to understand the true essence of the blade and his own path to mastery.

In the past year, his Hawkeye template had progressed to 9.22%. In the spiritual realm, Hawkeye had grown from a child to a teenager, focusing on sword practice and self-discovery rather than combat. Even the occasional battles in the spiritual realm had become rare.

To Hayashi, Hawkeye's sword practice and understanding held more significance than combat. Although Hawkeye rarely fought, Hayashi could feel his strength growing rapidly.

As Hayashi returned to the training area from the spiritual realm, he was struck by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Everything was quiet.

The only sound he could hear was the steady beat of his own heart. But then, he picked up on something else - the soft, rhythmic breathing coming from ahead.

His eyes scanned the area, and his gaze landed on a pile of carved wooden puppets, crafted by skilled woodworkers.

As he realized that the breathing sound was coming from one of the puppets, his eyes widened in disbelief.

The surreal scene remained unchanged even after ten seconds.

Hayashi got to his feet and grabbed a samurai sword he'd bought from a nearby vendor six months ago.

He drew the blade and sliced through one of the puppets.

"Catching!" 

The blade came down smoothly, effortlessly cutting the puppet in two. Moments later, the two halves crashed to the ground.

[Ding! You have successfully embarked on the path of the swordsman. Reward: Beginner's Gift Pack.]

[Ding! You have received a 'Beginner's Gift Pack'. Would you like to open it?]

Hayashi stared at the divided wooden puppet, still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. His mind was racing to make sense of it all.

It wasn't until the second notification chimed that he snapped out of it, responding on autopilot.

"... Yes."

As the notification faded, two objects materialized before his eyes, resting on the tatami mat.

One was a sleek black kimono, and the other was a humble bamboo sword.

Hayashi picked them up, his curiosity piqued.

"No interface, no quests... but it's like a game notification. What's going on?" he muttered to himself, examining the kimono and sword.

As soon as Hayashi touched the kimono and bamboo sword, a flood of unfamiliar information poured into his mind.

The kimono, it turned out, was no ordinary garment. It had unique properties that allowed it to adjust to the wearer's body shape. It was also self-cleaning and could even repair itself using chakra if it got damaged.

While it didn't offer any defensive capabilities like an armor, the kimono's benefits made it perfect for combat. It was a lazy person's dream come true - no more frequent washing and maintenance.

But Hayashi's attention was soon diverted to the other item - the Shigure Kintoki. He recognized it as the weapon wielded by Yamamoto Takeshi, the rain guardian of the Vongola Family in 'Hitman Reborn'.

At first glance, it looked like a simple bamboo sword, but it had an incredible ability - it could transform into an extremely sharp sword when wielded by someone with both courage and talent.

Setting the kimono aside, Hayashi stood up, grasping the bamboo sword. He took a powerful swing at the nearby wooden post.

"Swish!" 

As Shigure Kintoki sliced through the wooden post, it was like cutting through paper. The sword's glow faded, and it transformed back into a simple bamboo sword.

Hayashi held the sword, his eyes narrowing as he examined it.

"Not as legendary as the Yoru, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades," he said, examining the sword, "but still a fine blade."

After testing the sword, Hayashi settled into a cross-legged position on the floor, placing the sword on his lap.

He closed his eyes, took slow, steady breaths, and let his body relax. As he slipped into a meditative state, his mind grew quiet and focused.

This was Mushin, a cherished method among swordsmen for understanding their own path and finding their inner balance. In this peaceful state, Hayashi felt his worries fade away.

The world around him transformed, enveloping him in a sense of calm. Faint whispers of life echoed from every corner, like the gentle pulse of nature itself. Some whispers were his own, while others belonged to the world around him.

After a long meditation, he opened his eyes and let out a sigh of admiration.

"As expected of Hawkeye," he murmured.

"To have developed the ability to sense the Breath of All Things at such a young age... He's very close to becoming a great swordsman."

Hayashi had finally caught a glimpse of the immense strength of Hawkeye's swordsmanship.

Despite the template being only 9.22% complete, Hawkeye had already honed his ability to sense the Breath of All Things.

This skill didn't guarantee the ability to cut through steel, but it brought him closer to achieving that state.

There was a huge gap between a swordsman who couldn't sense the Breath of All Things and one who could. Although Hayashi himself hadn't yet reached the level of cutting steel, he was well on his way to becoming a true swordsman.

However, this journey would be longer and more challenging than becoming a great swordsman.

As for why sensing the Breath of All Things didn't automatically mean being able to cut steel, the explanation was simple: the world was full of objects with different properties, and not all of them could be easily cut through.

In the One Piece World, skilled swordsmen and great swordsmen could cut through mountains and seas because they could sense the Breath of All Things in nature. By tapping into this energy, their blades could treat objects as if they were human opponents to be defeated.

However, even a powerful swordsman like Hawkeye had faced limitations. His attack had been blocked by 'Diamond' Jozu, showing that even the greatest swordsmen couldn't cut through everything.

So, what made Hawkeye the world's greatest swordsman? The answer lay in his unmatched skill and mastery in this area.

But Hawkeye's rise to the top didn't happen overnight; he had carefully honed his abilities over time, as shown by the progress of his template.

Therefore, for Hayashi to replicate the feat of slicing through an iceberg with a single stroke, it would require a significant investment of time and effort.