Hokage office
After listening intently to the detailed reports concerning Sora's recently completed mission, Hiruzen took a moment to gather his thoughts before seriously and deliberately asking Kakashi a question that had been weighing on his mind.
"What do you think of him?" He asked with a tone that conveyed the gravity of his inquiry.
Kakashi stayed silent for a prolonged moment, carefully formulating his thoughts and considering all aspects of what he had observed, then with absolute certainty and unwavering conviction he answered.
"Sora is an exceptional genius. He is remarkably smart, incredibly efficient, impressively strong, a remarkably quick thinker and possesses many more qualities I cannot fully name or articulate at this very moment. But I can say with complete certainty, Sora will become someone who will either fundamentally change the village for the better or dramatically change it for the worse," he spoke with measured deliberation.
"Better or worse huh? Why do you think that?" Hiruzen pressed, seeking to understand the reasoning behind such a stark assessment.
Kakashi looked straight and unflinchingly into Hiruzen's eyes, preparing to deliver his most critical observation.
"He is someone who doesn't cherish life in the way most shinobi do. I can see it clearly reflected in his eyes. He doesn't care if he dies, showing no fear of his own mortality. But he does have one singular thing he cares about deeply and passionately," Kakashi explained.
Hiruzen knew exactly what he was going to say—the one person who Sora truly cares about above all else.
"The one thing that matters to him is Naruto. I've been carefully watching him for a long time now, observing his behaviors and reactions, and I can say with certainty that if the village were to ever bring harm to her, Sora would most likely turn his back on the village without hesitation and if it were at all possible, he would kill everyone responsible." Kakashi said calmly, his voice steady despite the disturbing nature of his assessment.
Hiruzen nodded slowly in agreement, his expression grave. He had also independently arrived at the same troubling conclusion. Sora was someone that could not be controlled through conventional means, only contained, and that single container—the only thing keeping him loyal—was Naruto.
He knew now with absolute certainty that someone as intelligent and calculating as Sora must already have a comprehensive plan for every conceivable situation. That's precisely why he couldn't afford to lose someone with such exceptional talents and potential.
If it were at all possible, Hiruzen genuinely wanted him to eventually become Hokage or at the very least become the Hokage's second in command, serving in a position of significant authority.
He turned his head slowly toward the window, gazing out at the village he had protected for so many years, his eyes old, weary, and tired from decades of burden. He sincerely hopes that the village won't enter into another devastating war during his current advanced age.
Training ground 4
Sora dedicated himself to training extensively and meticulously with his newly made weapons, which he had specifically commissioned from the village blacksmith before his departure for his recently completed mission. And now, after waiting patiently for their completion, he finally had them in his possession.
The weapons consisted of a pair of braces that appeared completely normal and unassuming to the casual observer, but concealed underneath were retractable claws of exceptional craftsmanship. He balled his fist tightly and deliberately as razor-sharp claws shot out instantly from the braces with a satisfying mechanical sound. He then consciously relaxed his hands and allowed them to rest naturally as the claws smoothly and efficiently returned back into the braces, disappearing from view.
Now that he had finally acquired this unique and specialized weapon, he understood that he needed to develop and create an entirely new fighting style specifically tailored to maximize its effectiveness and potential. Moving his hands methodically from left to right, then from right to left, and from top to bottom in various sequences, he experimented tirelessly. He tried numerous different patterns, combinations, and rhythms in an earnest attempt to discover and develop a combat combination that would perfectly suit and complement his new weapon's capabilities.
On the opposite side of the expansive training ground, his shadow clones were also engaged in their own dedicated training regimens. Two of the clones were intensively training and practicing the body flicker technique, focusing on speed and precision, two others were sitting in meditation while carefully and methodically gathering chakra to build their reserves, and the last remaining one was carefully overseeing and supervising the training session of Naruto and Sasuke, making sure they were practicing correctly.
That's right, Sasuke—the young Uchiha had boldly applied for early graduation from the Academy but had unfortunately failed to meet the requirements. Earlier that very day, when Sasuke had learned through the village grapevine of Sora's return from his mission, he had immediately sought him out and directly asked Sora for personal training and guidance.
He had been remarkably persistent and determined in his request, refusing to take no for an answer, and in the end, after considerable persuasion, Sora had finally agreed to train him, but only on one specific and non-negotiable condition. That particular condition was that Sasuke would have to protect and watch over Naruto whenever Sora himself wasn't there to do so.
Sasuke had immediately agreed without any hesitation whatsoever, clearly seeing that it wasn't a difficult or unreasonable problem to accommodate. Now, true to his word, Sasuke was actively training alongside Naruto, both of them attempting and struggling to successfully run up the trunk of a tree using only their chakra control.
As Sora continued his own training regimen, he noticed that the two shadow clones dedicated to body flicker suddenly puffed into clouds of white smoke, having completely running out of their limited chakra reserves and dispersing automatically.
He in turn immediately dispersed the two remaining clones that had been gathering and accumulating chakra, and upon receiving back the additional chakra they had collected, he promptly summoned four brand new shadow clones and assigned them to continue doing the exact same training exercises and tasks.
From his position on a distant wooden bench situated at the edge of the training ground, Kakashi observed carefully and attentively as everything unfolded before him. What Sora was currently doing and accomplishing was completely in line with and matched his prior expectations of the young shinobi's abilities.
He stared with focused intensity at Sora, his visible eye following every single movement. The young ninja was working in real time and at an absolutely astonishing and unprecedented pace, actively creating and developing an entirely new martial art form from scratch. One specifically designed and optimized for his new and unique weapon.
At this point in time, given everything he had already witnessed, Kakashi genuinely wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Sora were to suddenly and spontaneously create an entirely new jutsu technique out of nowhere. Just as he was lost in thought, contemplating these possibilities to himself, he suddenly noticed and realized that Sora had stopped his training and was now looking directly at him with purpose.
Seeing and recognizing the meaningful stare and understanding its implicit message, Kakashi immediately knew exactly what Sora wanted from him. He stood up slowly from the comfortable bench and began walking deliberately toward him, crossing the training ground. Walking the distance between them, he eventually stopped and came to a halt directly in front of Sora.
"Yes?" He asked with genuine curiosity, wondering what the young shinobi wanted to discuss.
Sora looked up at him with a serious expression and deliberately narrowed his eyes in a way that conveyed deep thought. Kakashi, reading the familiar expression, immediately knew and recognized that Sora was planning and scheming something in that brilliant mind of his.
"Do you know any lightning jutsu techniques?" Sora asked directly and without preamble.
Kakashi nodded his head in affirmation, confirming that he did indeed possess such knowledge.
"Teach me one," Sora said simply and matter-of-factly, making it clear this was more than just a casual request.
Kakashi paused momentarily at his direct words, taking a moment to consider. The request itself wasn't particularly unexpected or surprising, but there were plenty of instructional scrolls available in the village library, so why would Sora specifically ask him for personal instruction?
"The scrolls in the library about lightning release techniques are relatively few in number and not particularly versatile in their applications," Sora explained, apparently anticipating the unspoken question.
Kakashi, hearing this reasonable explanation, nodded in complete understanding and empathy. He too had experienced this exact same frustrating problem and limitation at some point during his own development as a shinobi.
"Well, I can't teach you anything too high level or advanced at this stage," Kakashi admitted honestly. "I honestly only have two specific things I could realistically teach you right now," he said while scratching his head somewhat apologetically.
"That's perfectly fine with me," Sora replied without disappointment, seemingly satisfied with whatever knowledge Kakashi could share.
Kakashi nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to demonstrate and show him the two techniques he had in mind.
The first one was classified as a C-rank jutsu technique called Lightning Chain, which Kakashi explained in detail.
The technique would create and manifest a chain constructed entirely out of crackling lightning chakra. The user could potentially make and control multiple chains simultaneously at once, depending on their skill and chakra reserves.
And the other technique was not exactly a traditional jutsu in the conventional sense, but more accurately described as a supplementary technique or method. It involved coating and suffusing the body with a layer of chakra for enhanced performance. It wasn't directly related to lightning release specifically, but Sora's analytical mind immediately found and recognized many potential possibilities and applications for its use.
He turned his attention back to Kakashi with an expression of satisfaction.
"I'm making tonkatsu for dinner tonight," he said somewhat casually and unexpectedly, then turned around and returned to his intensive training without further elaboration.
Though what Sora had said seemed random and completely unrelated to their previous conversation, Kakashi immediately understood the underlying meaning and intention behind it. Sora was extending an invitation to him for dinner at his home. With a noticeably better and more pleasant mood than before, Kakashi returned back to his spot on the bench and resumed his reading of his ever-present book.
Returning back to his dedicated training regimen, he immediately began trying out and experimenting with the new technique he had just been taught by Kakashi—the chakra coating method.
As he attempted the technique for the first time, he found that he was performing remarkably well and progressing smoothly. Since Sora was naturally and inherently a calm and focused individual by nature, maintaining the necessary concentration and mental clarity for this technique came easily and naturally to him. Furthermore, because of his already exceptional and well-developed chakra control abilities, it made the process of learning and practicing this new skill significantly easier and more intuitive for him to master.
He continued diligently practicing and refining this technique for several consecutive hours, working methodically and patiently until he felt genuinely satisfied with his progress and improvement. Every now and then, at regular intervals throughout his extended training session, he would deliberately disperse his existing shadow clones when they ran low on chakra and immediately summon fresh new clones to replace them and continue their assigned tasks.
Once he was feeling comfortable and confident with the basic chakra coating technique, he decided to take the next logical step forward and began the process of adding and incorporating his lightning chakra nature into the coating. However, the process was not entirely smooth, and every now and then, at unpredictable intervals, he would accidentally get shocked by his own lightning chakra as he struggled to maintain proper control. Of course, given his high pain tolerance and physical resilience, he barely felt the minor electrical shocks and they didn't significantly impede his progress.
This intensive and focused training session continued uninterrupted and steadily progressed until the bright sun gradually began to set on the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple. Seeing and recognizing that evening was approaching and darkness would soon fall, he made the practical decision to end and conclude his training exercises for today. He then gathered his equipment and belongings before returning home together with Naruto, who had also finished her own training.
Upon arriving back at the modest apartment they shared, he immediately made his way directly to the kitchen area and thoroughly cleaned and washed his hands with soap and water before he started the process of cooking and preparing their evening meal.
He systematically grabbed and gathered all the necessary ingredients he would need, and first reached for a large frying pan which he placed on the stove, then added a generous amount of cooking oil to it and adjusted the heat setting to let it gradually warm up and reach the proper temperature. After that preparation step, he retrieved and grabbed the boneless pork chops from the refrigerator.
He carefully placed each individual pork chop in between two layers of plastic wrap for protection and hygiene, then proceeded to pound them methodically and repeatedly with a heavy meat mallet, working carefully and deliberately until each piece of meat was evenly and uniformly flattened and thickened out to the desired consistency.
After completing that preparation step, he examined each pork chop closely and looked for any visible rim or strip of fat along the edges. Seeing and identifying some excess fat, he took a sharp knife and carefully cut it away and removed it, doing this preventative step before it could cause problems and prevent the cutlet from curling up unattractively while frying in the hot oil.
Then he took the salt and pepper shakers and thoroughly seasoned both sides of each pork chop, ensuring even coverage. He then turned his attention to three separate bowls he had prepared earlier and arranged in a row on the counter. The first bowl contained all-purpose flour, the second bowl contained beaten and whisked eggs, and the third and final bowl contained fine Japanese-style breadcrumbs called panko.
One by one, taking his time with each piece, he methodically coated each individual pork chop by dipping and mixing it with the contents of each bowl in the proper sequence. Then, once each cutlet was properly breaded and coated, he carefully placed them into the heated pan filled with hot oil and began frying them. He made absolutely sure to cook each piece for approximately 4-6 minutes total, and he flipped them over once at the halfway point in between to ensure even cooking and browning on both sides.
After each pork chop was done cooking to a perfect golden brown color, he carefully removed it from the hot oil using tongs and placed it on a wire cooling rack positioned over a plate to effectively drain away any excess oil. After he had successfully finished cooking all of the individual pork chops and allowing sufficient time for draining away the access oil from each piece, he transferred them all onto a large serving plate and carried it over to place it prominently in the center of the kitchen table.
He then proceeded to grab three individual rice bowls from the cupboard and carefully scooped generous portions of freshly steamed white rice into each one. After placing all three filled bowls at their respective spots around the table, he took a breath and called out in a clear voice to announce that the meal was ready.
"Dinner's ready," he announced simply.
Almost immediately, Naruto came running enthusiastically into the kitchen area with obvious excitement, while Kakashi simply and casually strolled in at a more leisurely pace and settled comfortably into his seat. However, somewhat surprisingly and unexpectedly, for some reason that wasn't immediately clear, even the Hokage Hiruzen himself was already present there, seated at the table and waiting.
Sora simply looked directly at Hiruzen with an incredulous and somewhat exasperated expression on his face, clearly recognizing this pattern of behavior, and without saying a single word he extended his open hand out toward the elderly Hokage in a meaningful gesture. Hiruzen, fully understanding the unspoken implication and meaning behind the gesture, reached into his robes without protest or complaint and retrieved his wallet, then counted out and gave Sora exactly 10,000 ryo as payment for the unexpected additional meal.
Sora accepted the money with a brief nod of acknowledgment and passed Hiruzen the rice bowl that had been intended for himself, then left his chair momentarily and walked back to the kitchen area to grab and fill another bowl of rice for himself to replace it.
He returned and sat back down in his original seat at the table, and once settled he gave a small signal with his hand to indicate to everyone present that they could start eating the meal. Getting and understanding the signal clearly, they all immediately started reaching forward eagerly and grabbing as many pieces of tonkatsu as they could possibly fit on their plates, competing with each other, while Sora himself just calmly and quietly took only a few modest pieces for himself and began eating in a peaceful and unhurried manner.
"That's mine!!" Naruto shouted loudly and indignantly, pointing accusingly.
"Hehe, too slow," Kakashi responded with an amused smirk visible even beneath his mask, and he quickly bit into the contested piece of crispy tonkatsu before she could take it back.
Sora simply shook his head slowly from side to side in mild disbelief and quiet exasperation at their childish behavior and playful bickering. Without making a big show of it, he reached over with his chopsticks and grabbed his own remaining piece of tonkatsu from his personal bowl and silently transferred it over and placed it gently into Naruto's bowl instead.
Her face immediately brightened considerably and transformed into a wide, genuine smile full of happiness and appreciation, and she eagerly started eating the gifted tonkatsu with renewed enthusiasm and joy.
"Hehe, you might have gotten that particular piece, but I got something much better—I got the one who actually made it," she laughed quietly to herself with obvious satisfaction and contentment, her eyes sparkling with affection as she glanced at Sora.