Shiba POV
[The next day]
I woke up early, the sun barely peeking over the village. After taming Shukaku and summoning erza and Zoro, I knew it was time to focus on another area I had been neglecting for the past half month: martial arts/taijutsu, and swordsmanship and why swordsman ship causes it's very cool and very powerful in anime ever, I mean look at sakumo Hatake he is/was more powerful than the three sanin. I wasn't a complete novice, but compared to legends like Erza and Zoro, I was a newborn baby learning to crawl and speak at the same time.
After a quick breakfast, I met Erza and Zoro in the training grounds behind my mansion. Erza, with her serious presence, stood in her armor, her hand resting on her sword. Zoro leaned against a tree, arms crossed, his iconic three swords hanging from his waist.
"Ready to start, Captain?" Zoro asked, smirking. I could feel the cockiness and mocking in his voice.
"Always," I replied, but inwardly, I was bracing myself. If I could handle taming a bijuu, how hard could this be?
I learned the hard way.
Day 1 was a disaster.
Erza struck with a hard blow that left me winded within seconds, each blow precise and her attacks felt like a semi-truck hitting but only 5x worse. Meanwhile, Zoro… well, Zoro's style was downright terrifying. His use of three swords was unlike anything I'd ever seen and the anime doesn't do him justice. He could attack from directions I didn't even think were possible.
Every time I tried to counter or block, they were already ten steps ahead of me. I was struggling just to stay on my feet.
"You've got potential," Erza said after I lay flat on the ground for the fifth time. "But potential means nothing without the right training."
Zoro scoffed. "Forget potential, he's useless with a sword right now. A stiff breeze could knock him over."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole" I muttered, dragging myself back to my feet.
Frustration settled in fast. To speed things up, I did the only thing that made sense. And is to use Naruto's way of spreading things up. . . . Shadow clones jutsu.
hundreds of shadow clones appeared around me, and I split them between training in taijutsu, swordsmanship, and chakra/bloodline training. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but the beauty of shadow clones was that I'd gain all their experience when they dispelled.
Days passed, and I trained relentlessly. My clones sparred with Erza and Zoro in rotation, each clone learning, failing, and slowly improving. Erza's power was a constant challenge, and Zoro's raw skill and instinct felt like trying to tame a tailed beast. But by the end of the week, I noticed it. Improvement.
On the seventh day, I stood before them both, bruised but determined.
"We've got one condition," Erza said, her expression stern but with a hint of encouragement. "Hit either of us just once, and you win."
I swallowed hard. "Just once, huh?"
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "It's not going to be as easy as you think cap'n. You Ready?"
I nodded, taking a deep breath. The fight began, and it was immediately clear that they weren't holding back. Zoro moved first, charging me with a speed that almost seemed to blur. I blocked with my katana, the force of his strike rattling through my bones, but I held steady.
At that moment, I had a plan. I wouldn't overpower them, but I could outlast them—maybe even outthink them.
Erza came next, her blade flashing in a rapid arc. I ducked under it, barely missing the steel. With the combined experience of my clones, I had grown sharper, and quicker. But the margin for error was still slim. I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead as the fight raged on, the ground beneath our feet kicking up dust as we clashed.
Zoro's three-sword style came at me, the sheer unpredictability of it forcing me to stay on high alert. I felt like I was drowning in strikes, constantly dodging and parrying just to stay alive. But then I saw it—an opening, just for a split second.
Zoro's attack left a slight gap in his stance. I dashed forward, aiming for his torso with a calculated strike. My blade met his flesh for the briefest of moments before he could pull away.
A hit.
Zoro grunted, and a smirk curled on his lips. "Not bad, Captain."
Before I could celebrate, Erza lunged at me from behind, her speed even greater. But I had anticipated it this time. I spun, using a burst of chakra in my legs to push forward, slamming my fist into her armor just as my blade followed.
The sound of steel against steel rang out, and then silence.
"Good," Erza said, nodding with approval as she straightened. "You've come so far in a week master."
And then, there it was. The familiar ding of the system.
[Hidden Mission Complete: Win against Erza and Zoro.]
I blinked in surprise. "What the—"
I checked the notification, and a sense of excitement filled me as I saw the reward.
[Reward: Elder Dragonbone Katana]
The sword materialized in my hands. It was stunning—almost otherworldly. The blade itself was white and made out entirely of bone with veins of gold running through it, and the handle was wrapped in gold and black leather with almost seemed like scales, strong but soft and the feeling of it almost feels like a spine, oh shit it is a spine of a dragon that is so fucking cool.
A system prompt appeared, explaining the lore behind the weapon:
[Elder Dragonbone Katana:
Forged from the bones of a long-extinct Elder Dragon, this katana carries the strength of a beast said to be older than even the shinobi world. It's known for its unmatched durability and ability to channel chakra and many more. Legend has it, those who are worthy to wield this blade power are granted the strength of the dragon itself, making the wielder nearly invincible in battle.]
I could barely contain my excitement. Zoro peered over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "Not bad. But don't think that sword makes you unbeatable."
Erza chuckled. "A powerful weapon is only as strong as the one who wields it."
I grinned, admiring the blade. "Yeah, well, let's see how far I can take this bad boy."
AN: MORE POWER STONES=MORE CHAPTERS