CHAPTER 492: CHAPTER 339: SHRINE AND SWORD DAO_2

Uesugi Sakura nodded lightly to indicate he understood.

"Senior Brother Uesugi, aren’t you curious?" Miyahara Yuji seemed to want to chat more.

"Why would I ask about that?"

Miyahara Yuji, a bit taken aback, said, "Senior Brother Uesugi, you’re going to compete with your seniors."

"Who said that?" Sakura swallowed the sushi in his mouth, "I’m only participating in the singles competition."

The expression on Miyahara Yuji’s face turned to confusion, "Everyone’s saying so."

"It’s just rumors, spreading from one to two to four, and when it spreads everywhere, everyone believes it." Uesugi Sakura didn’t care about these things and continued eating.

The color of the tuna sushi was quite vibrant—freshly made.

Miyahara Yuji said, "It’s not a rumor, Senior Sister Sakihara said so."

Sakihara Shion said that?

Uesugi Sakura immediately stopped his chopsticks.

"Senior Brother Uesugi, where are you going?" Miyahara Yuji watched as Uesugi Sakura stood up.

"I’m going to ask Senior Sister Sakihara."

By coincidence, as Uesugi Sakura pushed open the sliding door, Sakihara Shion was standing at the entrance with several bowls of miso soup.

Miss Sakihara, with a graceful demeanor, stepped aside and said with a gentle smile, "Please, go ahead."

"I’m looking for Senior Sister."

"Looking for me?"

"Yes, I heard people say that I’m supposed to participate in the team competition? But I only signed up for the singles competition."

Miss Sakihara seemed obviously surprised, "Didn’t you sign up yourself, Sakura? You’re going with Kagami and the others."

"No—"

Uesugi Sakura realized what happened as soon as he said it.

That day, when he registered with Uncle Sakihara, he ticked the singles competition option and didn’t pay much attention, heading to the bathroom first...

The problem must have occurred while he was in the bathroom.

Miss Sakihara noticed his expression of realization, "Sakura, did you figure it out?"

Uesugi Sakura chuckled and said, "I did, probably Uncle helped me choose."

"...That’s just like my father... I’m very sorry...."

"It’s no big deal, he chose it, so be it."

Uesugi Sakura shook his head, indicating his helplessness towards his cheap master.

But it’s okay, the team competition is just a bit more troublesome.

He sat back in his seat.

Miyahara Yuji leaned over, "Senior Brother Uesugi, how did it go? Did you find out?"

"It’s Uncle’s good work, he signed me up for the team competition."

"Master?"

"That’s him."

"But why would Master do such a thing?"

"Who knows?"

Seeing the colorful Japanese cuisine in front of him, Uesugi Sakura decided to eat his fill first.

Normally, the dojo wouldn’t have such a good lunch, this only happens once a month.

In the afternoon, still slacking off at the dojo.

Seeing everyone sweating and working hard, it felt quite stuffy.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man walked in from the entrance, greeting at the door, and everyone called him Vice Master.

He saw Uesugi Sakura lounging in the rest area.

"Why aren’t you training?"

"Just warming up is fine."

The middle-aged man rubbed his chin, looked him up and down, and said with a laugh, "You must be Uesugi Sakura that Yishin talked about, right?"

"Yes."

"I heard from Yishin that you once defeated him in a swordsmanship competition?" The middle-aged man with a square face was obviously very curious about him.

"How could that be possible, Master must have gone easy on me."

"What rank are you?"

"Haven’t taken the test, not even first level."

The Sword Dao and Kyudo are quite similar, both start from level one, from the first to the fifth level, and then comes the rank.

The first rank is considered entry-level, and the second and third ranks, the fourth rank is very difficult to pass.

Uesugi Sakura is quite a rare case, the only nationwide champion without a rank in the Kyudo world.

He also let everyone understand what it means that rank doesn’t determine strength.

The middle-aged man examined Uesugi Sakura, seemingly assessing his physique.

"Hmm... as you young ones would say, quite agile."

Uesugi Sakura: "Actually, I’m strength-type. I haven’t got your name yet!"

"Me?" the middle-aged man smiled and said, "I’m called Sakihara Nishin, the position at this dojo is Vice Master."

"Really?"

Uesugi Sakura was skeptical, the name Sakihara Nishin sounded too random.

"Fake."

"..."

Uesugi Sakura guessed this real Vice Master was probably as cheeky as Uncle.

"Then Vice Master is?"

"Sakihara Matsue, Yishin’s younger brother." Sakihara Matsue patted him on the shoulder, "Kid, I heard during my absence, everyone calls you the Vice Master, haha, seems I can retire."

This Sakihara Matsue looked older than Uncle but had a youthful spirit.

Uesugi Sakura humbly said, "Yes."

"Several senior brothers are very interested in you, the younger junior, although it’s unclear why Yishin wanted to put you in the competition team, it’s probably recognition of your strength, however—"

Clearly, it was just Uncle’s insistence, nothing about recognizing strength.

Uesugi Sakura wished his cheap master wouldn’t recognize him, so he could leisurely participate in the singles competition.

"Gather up!"

Sakihara Matsue suddenly turned and directly interrupted everyone’s practice with a commanding voice.

This aura was quite significant.

The dojo disciples cooperatively stood together, their backs straight.

Facing everyone, he suddenly pointed behind him to Uesugi Sakura and said sternly:

"This guy, really doesn’t like you all! Thinks you’re all trash!"

"Just now he boasted, claiming he could single-handedly challenge everyone here! As the Vice Master, I’m injured and can’t personally teach this arrogant disciple a lesson. Is there anyone willing to challenge him?"

The disciples exchanged glances.

"..."

Surprisingly—not a sound... weren’t they all prideful before?

Sakihara Matsue raised an eyebrow and continued to ask, "No one wants to take on a solo match?"

"..."

Uesugi Sakura stood behind him, the dojo atmosphere remained quiet.

"... " Sakihara Matsue calmed himself and continued, "Then let’s do as he said, stand-off!"

"..."

But even in a one-versus-many deathmatch-style stand-off, it seemed no one was particularly eager.

Strange.

Seeing the atmosphere still so quiet, Sakihara Matsue felt perplexed, glancing back at Uesugi Sakura.

Finally, a disciple spoke up, "Vice Master, previously, we already had a stand-off with Senior Brother Uesugi."

"You did? Did you win?"

Another collective silence, after a while they replied:

"We lost."

...

Should have known it was like this, better not have asked.

Sakihara Matsue’s intention was to test Uesugi Sakura’s strength, as he had only heard about this disciple while he was in the hospital.

Seeing the disciples so cowardly, Sakihara Matsue wasn’t sure what exactly they feared, waving them off:

"Forget it, just keep training."

Uesugi Sakura watched as Sakihara Matsue walked back to him, "Vice Master, there was really no need to do that."

"It’s simpler this way, easier to create friction and they put more heart into the competition."

Sakihara Matsue wasn’t concerned about what just happened, just angry at how cowardly everyone was. How could you be cowardly in swordsmanship?

"This afternoon, I’m just here to observe. I’ll just call you Sakura then. Sakura, I need to remind you, your senior brothers are proud and competitive, none of them accept being placed under another. You’ve been arranged by your master to be in the top position, and they won’t accept you as the junior brother."

"... So complicated?"

"That’s how complicated it is."

"... Can’t we just quietly compete?"

Sakihara Matsue calmly explained:

"For them, the national qualification competition is a must-win, and they have every confidence in determining the outcome. They were champions in the past two national competitions, this year aiming for a third consecutive victory. They just returned from Kansai this morning.

"But because of your sudden insertion, the original team has to drop someone, especially from the vital General position, discontent is sure to arise."

What kind of situation is this?

Since Bushin Hall completely has the strength and hope to win the national championship, what is the point of his cheap master inserting him into the competition?

Sakihara Matsue hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I think Yishin has a reason for doing this, but I don’t know why he put you in as a scapegoat."