The Next Day.
"Minato-senpai."
At the training field, Kagetsu looked at Namikaze Minato, who had already arrived, along with his team—two unfamiliar faces and one familiar white-haired one.
"Sorry to trouble you, Kagetsu," Minato said with a slightly embarrassed smile, introducing them. "This is Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara."
"You've become a team leader too?" Kagetsu glanced at the group, confirming his suspicions.
"Yes, during the war, nearly every jōnin is tasked with leading and training students." Minato didn't hide the truth.
"These three are all talented, especially Kakashi. The Third Hokage holds him in high regard, so he reassigned him from the ANBU to join my team. This time, I'm here to ask for your help specifically because of him."
Kagetsu and Kakashi exchanged a quick glance. They hadn't seen each other much since the establishment of the Technology Development Department.
Although Kagetsu hadn't followed Kakashi's progress closely, he had heard that Kakashi had softened some of his previously extreme methods in missions.
Still, he was somewhat irritating.
"Kakashi developed a jutsu, but it has a significant flaw. I wanted to check if your Technology Development Department could help us resolve it." Minato put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, pulling him a bit closer as he spoke to Kagetsu.
"Even you can't fix it?" Kagetsu speculated, glancing at Kakashi, who looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Though I provided some guidance, Kakashi mostly developed this jutsu on his own. It's very powerful, but the flaw is just as obvious." Minato shook his head. "It's a human limitation."
"Could you show it to me?" Kagetsu requested.
Instead of answering, Minato looked over at Kakashi for confirmation.
Kakashi nodded.
Everyone stepped back, leaving Kakashi alone in the center of the field.
Under the watchful eyes of his teammates, Kakashi's fingers began weaving through hand signs at high speed. A blinding spark of electricity gathered in his palm, causing a noise like a thousand birds chirping to erupt around him. In an impressive display, he crouched low and launched himself toward the training field's target.
The intense electric glow extended from his outstretched hand, piercing directly into the center of the target. The momentum from his dash added an extra layer of piercing power to the lightning.
One target, then another.
With each shift in direction, Kakashi shattered a new target under the blinding light. This pinpoint destructive force made Obito and Rin, standing next to Minato, widen their eyes in awe.
As the light faded and the noise died down, Kakashi stood in the field, catching his breath slightly, looking at Kagetsu with a hint of anticipation in his gaze.
"Wow, what an impressive jutsu!" Rin Nohara praised instinctively.
"Hmph! Just wait until I unlock my Sharingan—I'll be able to do it just as well!" Obito, also captivated by the technique's elegance and power, which fit the Uchiha clan's style perfectly, felt a pang of envy at Rin's words. He gritted his teeth and replied with a proud tone.
"Yes, yes, Obito, you're amazing too," Rin responded, trying to soothe him.
Seeing Obito's face light up with a smile, Kagetsu subtly moved a bit farther away. Teams selected personally by the Third Hokage all seemed to follow a similar pattern—a dead last, a highly talented one, and one from a civilian family with some talent.
"That's an interesting technique," Kagetsu commented after a pause, noticing Minato Namikaze's curious look aimed his way.
"Just interesting?" Kakashi, who had rejoined the group, couldn't help but speak up, hearing Kagetsu's assessment.
Kakashi had mixed feelings about Kagetsu. Although Kagetsu had once harshly revealed a bitter truth to him, shaking his view of the village leaders, it had also helped him confront some of his own inner struggles.
Now, Kakashi was no longer obsessed with placing missions above everything else; instead, he found himself torn between his duty and his comrades.
Even though they hadn't crossed paths since then, Kakashi had kept an eye on Kagetsu's activities, knowing he'd developed several unique jutsu and had a natural gift for research.
Still, Kakashi couldn't fully accept Kagetsu's blunt evaluation of his new technique.
"Kakashi!" Minato placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "A technique is only as successful as its effectiveness on the battlefield. If it's difficult to execute and puts you at risk, then it's one that should be used sparingly or even sealed away."
"I understand, Sensei," Kakashi replied, lowering his head.
"Kagetsu, you've noticed the technique's weaknesses, haven't you?" Minato asked confidently.
Minato, having worked with Kagetsu, was well aware of his talent for analyzing jutsu. Without a deep understanding of a technique, one couldn't create practical jutsu like Kagetsu had.
"As you said, Minato-senpai, it's a powerful technique, but Kakashi's body can't fully support it. In truth, this technique would be ideally suited for an Uchiha with the Sharingan or a member of the Hyuga clan who's activated the Byakugan," Kagetsu explained calmly.
"Though Kakashi's speed increases significantly with the Lightning Release, his body can't keep up with the speed when he strikes a second target. This leaves a gap between attacks.
"If an enemy spots this opening, Kakashi won't have time to react, leaving him vulnerable to serious injury or even death."
Hearing the same evaluation from both Kagetsu and Minato, Kakashi's face showed a flicker of disappointment.
"Haha! Well, Kakashi, why don't you hand this technique over to me? I'll make sure it shines!" Obito, who'd been listening to Kagetsu's analysis, perked up instantly.
Kakashi's technique looked so flashy—if he could master it, Rin's gaze would surely be fixed on him all the time!
"Idiot!" Kakashi shot back at Obito's daydreaming with a quick and dismissive remark.
"What do you mean, jerk?!" Obito glared angrily at Kakashi, feeling provoked by his disdainful gaze.
"This is my technique!" Kakashi turned his head away, ignoring Obito. "Besides, what Kagetsu said applies to Uchiha clan members who have activated their Sharingan. It has nothing to do with you, who don't even have your Sharingan unlocked."
"You jerk! I will unlock my Sharingan sooner or later!"
****
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