A gentle breeze swept across the ocean surface. On a partially completed bridge stretching from the coast, groups of workers bustled about. Despite the clamor, joyful smiles lit up their faces. With the threat eliminated and the bridge now being built for their own nation, the people of the Land of Waves wore expressions of rare delight.
Among them stood Tazuna, sketching and gesturing as he directed those around him. He looked quite pleased; he no longer needed to labor himself in constructing the bridge.
At that moment, if an ordinary person looked down toward the sea beneath the bridge, they'd be stunned—Asuma Sarutobi and Shikamaru Nara were standing atop the ocean, as if walking on solid ground rather than water.
Team 10 had been assigned to guard Tazuna until the bridge's completion. Although Gato had already been killed, they remained on duty as a precaution—or rather, out of strict adherence to their responsibilities. Whenever Tazuna was on-site, Team 10 ensured at least one of them accompanied him—mostly Shikamaru, since Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi were still training in tree climbing.
While the bridge could also serve as training ground, trees were more fragile than stone and required finer chakra control. Ino and Choji were also quite envious of how effortlessly Shikamaru climbed trees, so they often trained in the forest. Shikamaru, by contrast, trained wherever he pleased. Thus, the job of protecting Tazuna naturally fell to him.
"This isn't going to work," said Asuma, straightening up and frowning as he observed Shikamaru, who mirrored his taijutsu stance—back slightly hunched, both hands gripping kunai in a reverse grip.
"What's wrong, Asuma-sensei?" asked Shikamaru, furrowing his brow and straightening up. "Did I mess up the form somewhere?" While confident in his natural talent, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he'd surpassed a battle-hardened jōnin in understanding taijutsu.
"No," Asuma replied, shaking his head. "It's not your form—it's the weapon."
The kunai's strengths lay in its portability and utility as a throwing weapon. Before chakra became widespread in battle techniques, kunai could also function as climbing tools. But in modern combat, they were more like auxiliary tools—not ideal for head-on combat. Except for unique fighting styles that don't rely heavily on weapon damage, very few ninja now used kunai as their primary weapon.
For example, when blocking bladed attacks, kunai lacked guards to protect the wielder's hands. Unlike katanas or chokutō, which had tsuba, a kunai offered no defense if the opponent countered.
For throwing, shuriken were generally superior. And climbing wasn't a challenge for most genin anymore. Ninjas specializing in taijutsu or close-quarters combat usually chose or even crafted a personal main weapon for direct confrontations.
"Hold on," said Asuma. He rummaged through his ninja pouch and took out his trench knives—Flying Swallow—then slipped them on. "Now, try attacking me with the kunai like it's a sword. Simulate a downward slash."
Shikamaru nodded. Though slightly awkwardly, he gripped the kunai, took a stance with one foot forward, and raised the kunai above his head. With a short lunge, he slashed downward toward Asuma.
Clack! Asuma raised his right hand. The serrated notch on the Flying Swallow caught the kunai mid-swing. With a quick twist, he deflected the attack and forced Shikamaru's center of gravity off balance, exposing him to multiple potential follow-up strikes. Had Shikamaru been wielding a longer blade in real combat, the consequences could've been fatal.
"Again," Asuma said, not counterattacking. Once Shikamaru found his footing, he prepared for another round.
Frustrated, Shikamaru furrowed his brow. He'd been distracted earlier, and while this was just sparring, being so easily disarmed—and leaving himself wide open—stung his pride. This time, he focused fully.
He took a deep breath, then suddenly lunged forward. As he brought the kunai down, he twisted mid-motion, rotating his right arm and bending his elbow, switching to a reverse grip mid-strike.
"Hmm? A twist followed by a reverse elbow cut?" Asuma raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "You really hate to lose."
Though it was still a downward slash, the oblique stance and reverse grip allowed Shikamaru to retract quickly even if blocked, then immediately thrust the kunai forward again. This was a known kenjutsu tactic. Using a smaller and more nimble kunai only made the motion faster. This time, deflecting the attack wouldn't be so easy.
Asuma stepped forward again, using the serrated notch to intercept the kunai. But the moment the weapons touched, a faint blue glow shimmered across the Flying Swallow.
In a flash—and with a sharp crack—Shikamaru's kunai chipped at the point of contact. Tiny fractures spread across its surface. Though not broken yet, it was clearly no longer combat-usable.
"That's… wind-release chakra?" Shikamaru withdrew his damaged kunai in astonishment, examining the cracks. He'd previously dismissed the notches on the trench knives as mere decoration. But he now realized their true function: wind chakra surged through the grooves, slicing into the trapped blade. If Shikamaru had been wielding a longer sword or a specialty ninja blade, it would've been crippled in an instant—leaving him at a severe disadvantage.
"Your chakra nature isn't Wind Release, so you can't replicate this technique," Asuma said, shaking his head in mild disappointment. His taijutsu combined with wind chakra created both devastating offense and superior weapon control—perfect for aggressive melee combat. But Shikamaru wasn't built the same way.
Asuma took off the trench knife and handed it to Shikamaru. "Ninjas who specialize in close combat usually choose or craft a main weapon that suits their fighting style. You should do the same. The kunai isn't fit for you anymore."
He pointed at the Flying Swallow, explaining each component: "These serrations protect my fingers. Combined with wind chakra, they lock onto weapons and break them at the contact point. This is chakra metal—it enhances my wind chakra and produces an extremely sharp chakra blade. Whether used in melee or thrown, it dramatically boosts lethality."
Shikamaru carefully examined the Flying Swallow. Just as Asuma had said, both the material and the design perfectly complemented his fighting style—unlocking greater destructive potential.
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