The history of the Gekkō Clan stretches back to the early Warring States period. At their peak, they were a powerful bloodline family, feared for their mastery of swordsmanship and their unique Kekkei Genkai: Transparent Release, which allowed them to become virtually invisible.
In an age when ninjutsu was still in its infancy, the Gekkō were ghostlike warriors who struck from the shadows, their movements unseen and their blades unstoppable.
But with the rise of sensory-type jutsu, the clan's greatest strength began to fade. Those without deep mastery over Transparent Release could be easily detected and ambushed. One by one, their enemies adapted—and retaliated.
In the face of repeated revenge attacks and growing vulnerabilities, the Gekkō Clan declined. Their once-renowned sword techniques were gradually lost in the chaos of retreat and defeat.
By the time Konohagakure was founded, the Gekkō Clan had dwindled to a shadow of its former self—reduced to a single surviving bloodline.
In Konoha Year 14, the current head of the clan, Gekkō Eiichi, was killed on a mission. And with that, the long and proud legacy of the Gekkō name was left to a single surviving child.
Konoha Year 16 – Gekkō Compound
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, a small figure was training alone in the yard, carefully swinging a wooden practice sword with all his might.
He was just a child—five or six years old—with clear eyes, sharp features, and short black hair. Though his clothes were simple, they were clean and neat. Every movement he made was focused, disciplined.
Despite his young age, his sword form was flawless.
Footwork, stance, grip—everything was sharp and precise, like he had been taught by a master. But even so, the effort was clearly draining. Less than two hours into his practice, his hands were trembling so badly he could barely hold the sword.
Just then, a gentle voice called out from the house:
"That's enough for today, Hoshiyomi. Go take a bath and get ready for dinner."
It was his mother, Gekkō Rie.
Panting, Gekkō Hoshiyomi paused for a moment, dazed—then suddenly let out a cheer, dropped the wooden sword, and bolted toward the house with a grin on his face, leaving his mother blinking in surprise.
"He's rarely this excited… What got into him today?"
She shook her head, bent down, and picked up the wooden sword. As she looked at it, her expression softened with pride.
"Back when Hoshiyomi was just a toddler, Eiichi used to worry he had no talent. But now... I think Eiichi underestimated him. Just from what I've seen already, maybe—just maybe—he really can restore the Gekkō name."
While Rie stood outside, lost in thought, the supposedly "calm" Hoshiyomi was in the bath, splashing around like he'd just won the lottery.
"Finally! A whole year in this world—and I've finally broken out of beginner-level swordsmanship!"
That's right—Gekkō Hoshiyomi wasn't originally from this world. A year ago, an accident brought his soul into the Naruto universe, where he awakened in the body of the last heir of the Gekkō Clan.
Judging by the timeline, he suspected he might be the father of Gekkō Hayate—the Konoha swordsman who would one day become a proctor in the Chūnin Exams. Hayate was born around Konoha Year 34, and it was currently Year 16, so the math lined up.
Besides, his "cheap old man" Eiichi had already died before he arrived. No chance of a younger sibling popping up unless something really weird happened. So unless there was a secret neighbor affair—which he strongly doubted—Hayate was probably his future son.
That said, with Hoshiyomi now in control, Hayate likely wouldn't be born—or at least not the same Hayate from the original story. Why?
Because he came with a transmigrator-exclusive cheat code: the Swordheart System.
This system absorbed energy from his daily sword training and converted it into experience points. Just like in a game, once his XP hit 100, he would automatically level up—no natural talent required.
Each breakthrough also granted him a skill draw, providing techniques based on his current level.
His first reward as a beginner had been a passive skill called Weapon Mastery—which greatly accelerated his ability to learn any weapon and granted bonus damage when wielding blades.
Not bad at all, and definitely the reason he could perform textbook-perfect sword forms without a teacher.
After unlocking Weapon Mastery, Hoshiyomi trained like crazy for an entire year—just to max out beginner-level swordsmanship.
Now, in his mind's eye, the system interface displayed:
[Novice Swordsmanship: 0/100]
Below that was the ever-annoying system evaluation:
"Your swordsmanship has reached novice level. You probably won't cut yourself anymore. Congratulations—people might now call you a third-rate amateur."
Hoshiyomi was unfazed. He'd already survived worse insults from the system.
Back at the beginner tier, it had said:
"Your skill is only marginally better than a sewer rat's. DO NOT train with real blades—you will lose fingers. The system cannot help you reattach them."
Honestly, it was a good thing he had a chill personality. If some hot-headed gamer from his old world had been dropped in here, the system's creator might've been hunted down by now.
Ignoring the sarcastic commentary, Hoshiyomi triggered the skill draw. The glowing screen shimmered, and names began flashing by in rapid succession. His heart pounded.
The rotation gradually slowed… and finally stopped on:
Secret Technique: Shadowstrike
Description: The user temporarily enters a state of invisibility. Upon exiting stealth, they unleash a rapid thrusting strike.
As he read the description, Hoshiyomi immediately thought of the Transparent Release inherited from the Gekkō bloodline. The ability to turn invisible… Could this skill be the system unlocking his Kekkei Genkai early?
He was just about to test it out when his mother's voice echoed from outside the bathroom:
"Hoshiyomi, dinner's ready!"
He paused for a moment… then shrugged. There would be time to experiment later.
At the dinner table, Rie eyed her son suspiciously. He was practically glowing with joy, which was… unusual.
"What's gotten into you today?" she asked.
Naturally, Hoshiyomi wasn't about to spill the truth about his system or new technique. He simply grinned and said:
"Just thought of something that made me happy."
Rie tilted her head, then suddenly lit up.
"Wait—don't tell me you heard that the Ninja Academy is starting soon?"
The moment she said "Ninja Academy," Hoshiyomi's eyes sparkled even more.
So it was that time already?
He had passed the entrance assessment two weeks ago. Now it was finally about to begin—his new life as a ninja.
He'd be in the same year as Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. He had been waiting for this moment.
It's time to show them what real swordsmanship looks like.