2 The Realm of the Swordsman
Time flew by, and before he knew it, seven days had passed. Hayashi barely left his house during that time, only going out for meals.
He felt more comfortable within his own four walls, surrounded by familiar things. His neighbors would glance at him with pity, noticing the change in him.
The kids in the neighborhood would play ninja games in the streets, laughing and shouting.
But Hayashi's house remained quiet. The neighbors remembered the energetic boy who used to live there, always full of life. Now, he seemed like a shadow of his former self.
The sudden change didn't go unnoticed. Even Umino Iruka, a Chunin instructor at the Ninja Academy, took notice and grew concerned.
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The Ninja Academy was founded to uphold the Will of Fire, a legacy established by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Its mission was to instill values of loyalty and teamwork in the next generation of shinobi.
Every family, as well as orphans, had the opportunity to enroll in the academy. In fact, the Hokage personally tasked teachers with ensuring that orphans were informed and enrolled on time.
However, getting accepted didn't mean you were guaranteed a spot. The real challenge began after enrollment.
The path to becoming a Genin was straightforward: enrollment, basic training, field exercises, practical application, and finally, graduation.
It all started with a tough entrance exam, which only allowed those who passed to move on to learn the fundamental skills of ninjutsu and become trainee ninjas.
Even someone as talented as Guy struggled to get in, as shown in the original series.
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Iruka spotted Hayashi in the hallway of the academy and approached him.
"Are you enrolled?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes," Hayashi nodded, "I'm enrolled."
After saying goodbye to Iruka, Hayashi gazed down at the crumpled admission notice in his hand.
Suddenly, the faces of the Konoha 12 flashed through his mind, especially the two destined to shape the ninja world's future: Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
Though they were just kids now, Hayashi knew that in eleven years, they'd become the saviors of the ninja world. A month ago, he might have tried to tag along with them to get ahead. But not anymore.
"I'll walk my own path," Hayashi said to himself. He took a deep breath, and walked towards the training ground.
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Five days later, he entered the Ninja Academy. He was part of the new batch of students who had aced the entrance exam with ease.
The entrance test was mainly a test of physical fitness, but it was just the beginning. The real challenge lay in mastering chakra, the heart of ninja training.
As the son of a ninja family, Hayashi had a head start. He'd already honed his chakra skills from a young age.
On his first day of class, Hayashi woke up early, feeling energized. After his morning routine, he stood in front of the mirror to take a look at himself.
With his silver hair framing his face and his piercing yellow eyes, he looked sharp. His round face hinted at a future filled with charm and charisma.
Once dressed, he headed out the door, ready to start his journey.
On the way to the Ninja Academy, Hayashi mentally reviewed his template.
[Your template of Dracule Mihawk has been unlocked to 0.94%]
In just 12 days, he'd swung his sword 12,000 times. With each swing, he edged closer to a 1% progression in Hawkeye's template.
It might seem like a small gain, but it made a huge difference for him.
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In the spiritual realm, Hayashi had become one with Hawkeye, surpassing all his peers. As he trained day and night, Hawkeye's skills with the sword began to take shape.
The Template System was his secret to success, helping him master the art of swordsmanship. Yet, despite his growth, he had only scratched the surface - less than 1% of his potential realized.
In the original One Piece story, Hawkeye was 43 and had spent over 30 years honing his swordsmanship. His childhood was just the starting point, barely scratching the surface.
It wasn't until he set sail on the high seas that his strength really took off.
As he worked towards becoming the world's strongest swordsman, Hawkeye faced countless sword masters. Each battle was a valuable lesson.
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When Hayashi walked into the classroom, he noticed he wasn't the first to arrive. About a dozen other students, all around his age, were already seated.
As he took his seat, he caught the attention of his classmates. Ino, sitting across from him, couldn't help but stare.
"Wow, he's really cute," she whispered to herself, her eyes fixed on Hayashi's face.
Shikamaru, sitting next to Choji, rolled his eyes in boredom.
"Is this what they mean by 'kids these days'?" he muttered under his breath.
Ino shot him a glare.
"You're one to talk, Mr. Sleepyhead," she said, annoyed.
Shikamaru let out a yawn, unfazed.
"Ugh, I'm just not a morning person," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Ignoring the exchange between Shikamaru and Ino, Hayashi sat quietly, his eyes gazing out the window.
He didn't see the point of attending the Ninja Academy, especially since he could train alone.
In a year or two, he'd have enough chakra to use the Shadow Clone Technique.
And as for theoretical studies, he could just delegate those to his own shadow clone.
Instead of wasting his time in school, Hayashi believed it was better to focus on honing his swordsmanship skills and developing his ability to sense the Breath of All Things as soon as possible.
In the world of One Piece, swordsmen are categorized into three tiers: swordsman, sword master, and great swordsman.
A swordsman's skills may be impressive, but they'll always remain at that level.
To take the next step and become a sword master, a swordsman needs to experience the Breath of All Things.
This is a crucial step, as it allows them to tap into the 'steel cutting' realm, where they can literally cut through steel.
Reaching this level is the key to unleashing a powerful flying slash.
