"Shinnosuke! Over here!"
As soon as he got off the train, Shinnosuke heard a call. Kenta, who was waiting not far from the platform, immediately approached him with quick steps.
"Long time no see, you've grown so tall! I never thought that little potato kid would become such a cool guy!"
Although Shinnosuke's change was huge, Kenta still recognized his student at a glance. He approached Shinnosuke and patted his shoulder.
"Sensei, it's been a long time."
The Kenta in front of him looked older and more mature, having become a middle-aged man.
His long hair and thick beard made him look more like a swordsman with an aura.
His clothes were also no longer as worn as before. It seemed that after choosing to inherit his father's dojo, his finances had improved.
Kenta was one of the few people who truly valued Shinnosuke from the bottom of his heart. He pursued kendo and had an honest and kind personality, making it hard not to like him.
"It has indeed been a long time. Since we parted, I've been constantly searching for the ultimate secret of kendo. It will definitely surprise you later!"
"You hurriedly called me here, something unexpected must have happened, right?"
Shinnosuke understood everything. Kenta's ideology about kendo was very different from his father's. He had left home long ago to find his own kendo and create his own kendo style.
Now that he suddenly returned, it was most likely that his father had health problems. Kenta returned to inherit the dojo, and it must be difficult to convince everyone, so he asked for help from Shinnosuke, his only student.
But what help could he provide?
"You, still mature beyond your years. Let's talk while walking."
Seeing the once cunning and stubborn little potato kid grow into what he was now, Kenta felt very moved.
"I probably shouldn't have told you yet, the sword style inherited by my family's dojo belongs to the Kyoshin Meichi Ryu style, but I don't agree with the ideology of Kyoshin Meichi Ryu, that's why I left to find my own kendo and create my own kendo style."
"…"
Shinnosuke looked at the disheveled and listless Kenta in front of him, who looked like an uncle, and couldn't help but comment.
"Could it be that you fought with your father because your room was too messy?"
Kenta's expression stiffened. This kid, still so spot on!
Kyoshin Meichi Ryu, the requirement for kendo is just one word – "stance." In the process of fighting with a sword, every movement must be full of artistic value, pursuing beauty and elegance in the fighting process.
And Kenta clearly didn't fit with these beautiful and elegant words. It was natural that he didn't agree with the ideology of Kyoshin Meichi Ryu.
"Those things in the past are not important. What's important is that my father, due to health problems, can no longer manage the dojo."
"This time I came back also because my father and I have a bet."
While saying this, Kenta looked at Shinnosuke.
"The competition between dojos is very fierce. Back in the bakufu era, Kyoshin Meichi Ryu was indeed a style that combined art and practical combat, but after being inherited until now, it emphasizes art too much and neglects practical combat."
"It's precisely because of this that, although Kyoshin Meichi Ryu has many students and is very popular among the wealthy, it has never ranked well in kendo competitions in recent years."
"If my father retires, the dojo's influence will decline drastically."
"And my bet with him is that in the tournament a few months later, my student will win the championship and improve the dojo's reputation!"
While saying this, Kenta suddenly realized that Shinnosuke beside him had disappeared without him noticing.
He turned his head and saw him walking away without looking back.
"Wait a minute! Shinnosuke!"
"I also had no other choice, that's why I agreed to this bet. You are my only student!"
After catching up with Shinnosuke, Kenta was already in tears.
"Shinnosuke, you don't want me to go back to being homeless on the streets, do you? All these years I've been trying to understand a cool ultimate move, I've suffered too much!"
"Besides, I also want to prove to my father the true essence of kendo!"
Reluctantly stopping, Shinnosuke knew that Kenta had no malicious intentions, nor was he emotionally blackmailing him.
"I haven't practiced kendo for a long time, how could I possibly win in a tournament? If I'm not mistaken, there are only a few months left, right?"
"Ah, my father is indeed sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. He said it was a bet, but he actually just wants to see my student. As for the tournament, there's no need to think about it."
"Turns out father and son are both not straightforward people."
A stubborn father raised a stubborn son. The two were very different, their ideologies were also different, the only similarity was probably their pursuit of kendo. Was that how the plot went?
Shinnosuke's spot-on comment made Kenta's expression even more awkward.
"Let's go. I might as well tell you, it was hard for me to live alone, I want to be busy enjoying my youth, I don't have much time to practice."
"Shinnosuke, your talent is the best I've ever seen in my life. If it's you, you can definitely become the greatest swordsman of this era!"
Looking at the words "Natural Swordsman" in his system's passive skills column, Shinnosuke was a little confused.
'Swordsman? I already am one.'
Following behind Kenta, Shinnosuke listened to Kenta recount his experiences after they parted ways.
After they separated, Kenta continued to search for the kendo he dreamed of, wandering everywhere in search of inspiration, wanting to train his own ultimate move.
This world highly valued kendo. There were many kendo masters in Japan, but their skill levels varied.
How strong was a so-called swordsman? Shinnosuke wasn't sure, nor was he very confident in his own kendo skills.
When he practiced kendo with Kenta back then, he was still very young, but even then, he could cut falling leaves in the air with chopsticks from a distance.
As time passed after his system awakened, he had long realized that his physical condition far surpassed ordinary people.
"We're here, cheer up! If I don't have any children in the future, you must inherit this dojo!"
"Huh?"
Shinnosuke's expression was disgusted.
"Spare me."
"What do you know! Our dojo is very influential! It's the most influential Kyoshin Meichi Ryu style dojo right now."
"Many large families and capital will donate and have their names listed in the dojo. The annual income is terrifying! And the status of a kendo master is not low!"
Kenta patiently tried to convince Shinnosuke to inherit the dojo in the future.
"Sensei, it seems you've never dated, have you? Could it be that you can't greet girls at all, feel like you'll be alone for the rest of your life, so you want me to inherit the dojo?"
Kenta's expression stiffened, once again his heart was pierced by Shinnosuke's words.
"I am a kendo master, how could I not be able to greet people? And for me, kendo is the most important thing, what's the use of women?"