It was early in the morning. The sun had barely risen over the trees when Kakashi stood alone in his training ground.
The air was cold, but he didn't mind. His hands moved quickly, drawing seals into the dirt with chakra-infused fingers.
"It's nearly complete," Kakashi said to himself.
For the past two days, he had been working on a new version of Orochimaru's cursed seal. Using his Formula Reconstruction Technique, he broke down the original seal and rebuilt it from scratch.
His version was better. It was safe. It wouldn't harm the user, and more importantly, Kakashi could remove it without causing damage.
But there was still something missing. Enzymes. Chakra-rich enzymes from a creature that uses senjutsu.
He bit his thumb and made a quick sign.
"Summoning Jutsu," Kakashi said.
A small red snake appeared, no bigger than a lizard. It looked up at him.
"Go to Garaga," Kakashi said. "Tell him I need to speak with him. It's urgent."
The little snake hissed and vanished in smoke.
Kakashi didn't have to wait long. Within a minute, a puff of smoke appeared, and he was pulled away by reverse summoning.
When his feet touched the stone floor of Ryuchi Cave, he looked around. It was dark and quiet and the massive red form of Garaga lay curled in the shadows.
"Took you long enough," Garaga said with a bored voice, though one eye peeked open.
"I need your help," Kakashi said calmly. He couldn't do the seal without the enzymes.
Garaga lifted his head.
"You, asking for help? You said you don't need help huh?" Garaga asked with an annoyed expression on his face.
The last time Kakash visited him he told him that he had a battle with two powerful Ninjas and he was annoyed that he didn't call him.
Kakashi didn't flinch. "I recreated a cursed seal Orochimaru had created. But I fixed it. It can now be placed without pain and removed without harm. It only needs one thing to be finished chakra enzymes from a senjutsu creature."
"And you came here for mine." Garaga narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Kakashi said. "Your chakra is strong. Your blood carries senjutsu chakra. I just need a little."
"Hmph. I knew this would happen," Garaga said, turning his head. "The moment you got it right, you'd come to me for blood."
"I didn't come to you for power," Kakashi said. "I came because you're my partner, and I trust you."
Garaga stayed silent for a long moment. Then, with a low growl, he turned and bit into his tail. A thick trail of dark red blood poured into the small vials Kakashi had placed on the ground.
"There. Take it," Garaga said. "But don't use my power on weaklings."
"I won't. Thank you." Kakashi nodded.
"Hmph," Garaga muttered, curling back into the shadows. "Now go back and let me sleep."
With a smile, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke, holding several vials of senjutsu blood tightly in his hand.
….
Kakashi sat on a large flat rock in the middle of his training ground. His scroll was open in front of him, full of symbols and sealing patterns.
The area was quiet as Anko and Kurenai were asleep and he was the only one here. He took a deep breath.
"Let's begin," he said.
He took out a small vial filled with Garaga's blood. The deep red liquid swirled slowly. It wasn't just blood, it held senjutsu enzymes, the kind only powerful snake summons from Ryuchi Cave had. Kakashi placed the vial next to the scroll.
He opened his palm and used his Formula Reconstruction Technique. Blue chakra flowed from his fingers and into the scroll. Slowly, the seal started forming. It was shaped like a wide circle with several rings inside it. Around the edges, Kakashi drew three snake fangs. In the center, a swirl that connected all the lines.
"This part will carry the chakra," Kakashi said.
Next, he made a new section in the seal. He called it the "conversion ring." This was where the senjutsu enzyme would go.
He placed a drop of Garaga's blood inside the ring. It sizzled but didn't burn. Kakashi then added a second ring around it that would keep the power stable.
"The senjutsu chakra is wild," Kakashi whispered. "So I'll filter it."
He used chakra threads to guide the blood into the seal, mixing it with special ink made from medicinal herbs and chakra metal dust. As the blood mixed, the ring glowed slightly.
"Perfect." Kakashi smiled.
The seal was now complete. It had four parts:
One was the outer ring absorbs chakra from the user or from an enemy.
The second ring stored it and purified it slowly.
The third ring mixed senjutsu enzymes from Garaga's blood into it. This gave it healing and body-enhancing effects.
The inner swirl acted as the release trigger. When the user activates it, the seal spreads power across the body.
He summoned a small red snake wrapped a note around its body and told it the directions to find Sasuke.
It didn't take long. Sasuke arrived shortly after, looking serious as always.
"You called, sensei?" Sasuke said his mind was still on the little snake that brought him the letter earlier.
"I've been working on something. A seal. And I made one for you too." Kakashi nodded at him and said. He didn't need this seal, he had something greater in mind for himself, so he decided to give it to Sasuke.
He and Anko were the most suitable for this seal.
"A seal?" Sasuke blinked in surprise. He knew his teacher was talented with the seals. As the last seal he showed at the Land of Waves is still vivid in his mind
Kakashi smiled gently.
"It's something I created using my own technique. I want to help you grow stronger not just as a ninja, but as my disciple whom I trust."