It took Hoshiyomi quite a while to convince his mom that he wasn't trying to end his own life. Only after a long explanation did she finally return to the kitchen—though she kept glancing back every few steps. After that, Hoshiyomi didn't dare try out Crescent Moon Flash again at home.
It wasn't until after school the next day that he finally had a chance to train freely on the wide practice grounds.
This time, there was no need to worry about crashing into any walls. After wrapping up sparring with Sakumo, Hoshiyomi stayed behind to practice Crescent Moon Flash alone.
The moment he activated the technique, the explosive speed boost launched him forward nearly ten meters in an instant.
His wooden sword, now glowing with a faint silver light, carved a brilliant arc through the air—like a sliver of moonlight slicing down from the heavens.
Elegant. Mysterious. Powerful.
As his dash came to an end, Hoshiyomi fluidly swung the glowing blade, striking a nearby tree trunk about as thick as a bowl.
To his astonishment, the wooden sword left a deep gash in the solid bark.
"This move's actually legit," he muttered, eyes on the fading silver sheen of the blade. He swung again.
This time, the strike didn't leave a mark, but he could clearly feel his swing was faster. That must've been the technique's attack speed boost at work.
After 30 seconds, the silver glow fully vanished, and his speed returned to normal.
Hoshiyomi paused to rest and regulate his chakra. For an adult shinobi, the chakra cost of this jutsu wouldn't be much—but for a six-year-old like him, it was another story entirely.
Compared to his peers, his chakra reserves were already impressive. Two months of Permeation training had put him well ahead of kids like Jiraiya or even Sakumo.
In the future, he wouldn't be as crippled as "Mr. Fifty-Fifty" (Kakashi), but for now, his young body still limited how much chakra he could draw on.
By his estimation, he could probably use Crescent Moon Flash twice, max. Forcing a third use would likely land him in the hospital.
After catching his breath, he activated the technique a second time. The first test was just to measure range and power—this time, he was after something more specific:
Could it turn mid-dash?
The ability to change direction was crucial. A dash that only went straight was useless in real combat—what if you were indoors and slammed headfirst into a wall like yesterday?
That wouldn't just be embarrassing—it could be fatal.
Hoshiyomi took a deep breath and activated the skill again. Midway through the dash, he willed his body to turn.
And—it worked beautifully.
Yesterday's crash had been entirely due to his own carelessness. This time, with his focus locked in, he curved around smoothly.
Crescent Moon Flash reminded him a bit of Chidori—it relied on the user's reflexes to control direction. But unlike Chidori, this move was silent, and didn't need a Sharingan to guide it.
In a way, the system itself was his targeting mechanism. As long as he focused his intent, the movement adjusted automatically—no fear of losing control due to excessive speed.
Just as he was about to sheath his blade with satisfaction, Hoshiyomi turned—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
Sakumo had returned.
He must've doubled back, and now he stood a few feet away, staring wide-eyed. Hoshiyomi had never seen him look like this.
Without a word, Sakumo grabbed his shoulders, eyes intense, breath quickened.
"That technique just now—what's it called? It's incredible! I've never seen such a brilliant sword skill before. Hoshiyomi, can you teach it to me?!"
To someone as obsessed with swordsmanship as Sakumo, seeing such a refined technique that wasn't his own was practically torture.
Still, he quickly realized he'd overstepped. Letting go, he stammered awkwardly:
"Wait—I didn't mean to pressure you. What I meant was—if you're willing—I'd trade you anything from the Hatake sword style. I just… I really love that move."
Hoshiyomi chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder to calm him down.
"Relax, Sakumo. Let me explain."
As Sakumo's excitement eased a little, Hoshiyomi racked his brain for a way to dodge the truth. After all, Crescent Moon Flash was a system skill—he didn't even know how he'd learned it, let alone how to teach it.
But if he told Sakumo outright that it was unteachable, his friend would definitely spiral into a sulk. Maybe not cut ties, but definitely go into "emo mode" for a while.
And protecting a friend's mental health was important.
So, with that in mind, Hoshiyomi carefully chose his words.
"That technique is actually a secret art passed down in the Gekkō Clan. It requires our clan's unique chakra trait to fully activate…"
Sure enough, Sakumo's face instantly fell, turning pale. Hoshiyomi swore he could almost see a tiny soul drifting in and out of Sakumo's mouth.
Startled, he rushed to add, "But! That doesn't mean it's impossible to learn. I can explain the theory behind it—you'll just have to develop it yourself from there."
Sakumo stared in silence for a second, then suddenly came back to life. Grabbing Hoshiyomi's shoulder again, he nodded fervently.
"Please! Tell me the theory—I'll figure the rest out on my own!"
With no other choice, Hoshiyomi dove into full-on nonsense mode. He couldn't explain how Crescent Moon Flash worked, but he could fake it with some half-truths borrowed from other jutsu.
Take Chidori, for example—Kakashi's original jutsu. That'd do nicely.
Clearing his throat, Hoshiyomi launched into the explanation:
"Uh, the technique's called Crescent Moon Flash. It's a high-speed dash paired with a sword strike. The silver glow you saw was chakra from my bloodline limit, coating the blade.
"It's actually pretty simple in concept. My clan's unique chakra stimulates rapid cell activation, giving me a short burst of speed. Pair that with a chakra-imbued strike, and that's basically it."
"If you can find a chakra attribute to replace my clan's special chakra, I'm sure you can replicate the jutsu."
Sakumo's eyes lit up like two hundred-watt bulbs.
He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Hoshiyomi. For you to share something like this with me… you really are my best friend. If I ever develop a new jutsu, I'll make sure you're the first to know!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin