The history of the Gekkō Clan traces back to the tumultuous Sengoku period, long before the establishment of the Hidden Villages. At that time, the Gekkō were a prominent bloodline family renowned for their unique Transparency Release—a chakra-based technique that allowed them to blend into their surroundings—and their elegant, yet lethal, swordsmanship. In an age when ninjutsu was still in its infancy, these elusive warriors inspired both awe and fear on the battlefield.
However, with the development of Sensory Ninjutsu, their advantage waned. Gekkō Clan members who hadn't deeply awakened their bloodline ability became increasingly vulnerable to detection. Over time, they were hunted by enemy clans who had long harbored grudges against their once-unassailable power.
Beset by losses and scattered by war, the Gekkō Clan gradually declined. Even their signature kenjutsu techniques—handed down for generations—were lost in the chaos of constant retreat and defeat.
By the time Konohagakure was founded, the proud Gekkō Clan had become a shadow of its former self: a minor clan with only one remaining lineage.
Konoha Year 16 – Gekkō Clan Compound
Under the amber glow of the setting sun, a lone figure trained with determination in a quiet courtyard.
A boy, barely five or six years old, swung a wooden bokken with crisp precision. His features were delicate, his black hair neatly trimmed, and though his clothes were simple, they were immaculately clean.
Each movement he made—his stance, footwork, and grip—was textbook-perfect, almost unnaturally so for his age. But young as he was, the strain of training soon showed. His small hands trembled with fatigue, the wooden blade nearly slipping from his fingers.
A gentle voice called out, "That's enough for today, Hoshiyomi. Go take a bath—dinner's almost ready."
It was his mother, Gekkō Rie, watching him from the porch with a smile.
Still panting, Gekkō Hoshiyomi froze, then suddenly lit up with excitement. Dropping the wooden sword, he bolted toward the house like a gust of wind.
Rie blinked, startled. "Hoshiyomi... excited?" she murmured. "That's rare."
As her son vanished inside, Rie shook her head and walked over to retrieve the bokken. As she examined it, her expression softened with pride.
"When he was three, Ronge said he lacked talent and would never amount to much. But seeing him now… maybe he'll truly restore the Gekkō name one day."
Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Hoshiyomi was grinning ear to ear.
"Damn, finally! A whole year, and I've finally broken through novice-level swordsmanship!"
That's right—Hoshiyomi's soul didn't originate from this world. A year ago, he was reincarnated into the Naruto universe by accident, possessing the body of the last surviving member of the Gekkō Clan.
Based on his deductions, the timeline placed him in Konoha Year 16, meaning Gekkō Hayate—a canon character born around Konoha Year 34 and a contemporary of Kakashi—had not yet been born. Given that his body's previous occupant, Gekkō Ryoichi, had died on a mission, Hoshiyomi figured he must be Hayate's father.
Assuming no awkward 'Milkman no Jutsu' situations, Hayate would be born through him. But things were bound to change.
Because in this life, Hoshiyomi had a transmigrator's advantage—the Sword Heart System.
The Sword Heart System worked like a game: every swing of the blade gained him experience. Once his EXP bar filled, he'd automatically level up, bypassing natural talent limitations.
More importantly, with every level gained, he'd draw a skill from a randomized swordsmanship pool.
His first reward at the novice level was the passive ability Weapon Mastery. This skill accelerated his ability to learn any melee weapon and added a minor bonus to all blade-based attacks. Though not flashy, it laid the foundation for his rapid improvement and textbook-perfect basics.
Thanks to Weapon Mastery, Hoshiyomi had spent an entire year grinding diligently, steadily reaching the threshold of novice-level swordsmanship.
And now, at long last, the translucent system interface hovered in his mind, flashing:
Beginner Swordsmanship: 0/100
Just beneath it was the system's customary deadpan evaluation:
"Your swordsmanship has reached the beginner level. You should no longer accidentally cut yourself. Congratulations. You are now a 'three-legged cat' among martial artists."
Hoshiyomi grinned. "Whatever, sarcastic system. Call me a cat all you want—this cat's going to become a tiger."
Hoshiyomi was already used to the system's biting sarcasm. After all, its previous evaluations had been even worse. He still remembered the first one he got after attempting novice-level swordsmanship:
"Your level is barely above a rat scurrying in a sewer. At this rate, do not, under any circumstances, wield a real blade during practice — the system does not offer finger reattachment services."
Fortunately, Hoshiyomi wasn't hot-tempered. If someone like a reckless rogue-nin from the Land of Iron had received that review, the system's virtual parents might have been in serious danger.
Ignoring the sarcasm, Hoshiyomi eagerly activated the skill draw function. The translucent screen before him began to flicker rapidly, cycling through technique names. His breath caught with anticipation as the pace gradually slowed, finally stopping on a name glowing faintly:
Secret Technique: Assault
Description: Grants the user temporary invisibility. Once the effect ends, the user performs a high-speed thrust attack.
Hoshiyomi's eyes widened as he read the description. Invisibility? It instantly reminded him of the Transparency Release (Tōmei Tonjutsu) — a rare chakra-based technique that rendered the user visually undetectable. It was said to be the specialty of certain clans from the Warring States era, though it had nearly died out by the time of modern shinobi villages.
Could the system be awakening a dormant kekkei genkai in his bloodline?
Just as he was about to test the new skill, his mother, Rie, called from outside the bathroom:
"Hoshi, dinner's ready!"
Hoshiyomi hesitated for a second, then sighed and dismissed the interface. There would be plenty of time to explore his new ability — no need to rush.
At the dinner table, his mother watched him curiously. Her son had been grinning like a fool ever since he returned from training.
"What's gotten into you today?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hoshiyomi quickly suppressed his smile. Of course, he couldn't talk about the system or the new skill. He tried to play it off with a casual shrug.
"I just remembered something funny, that's all."
Rie thought for a moment, then her face lit up with realization.
"Ah, I know! Is it because Ninja Academy starts in two days?"
The moment she mentioned it, Hoshiyomi's mood soared even higher.
Right — the Academy!
He'd passed the entrance evaluation weeks ago, but the official classes were only now about to begin. What's more, this year's incoming class was legendary. He would be starting alongside Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru — the future Sannin of Konoha.
Hoshiyomi's fists tightened with resolve.
It's time to show them what I can do.