Chapter 95: The First Lesson
Kakashi stood utterly still, his mind struggling to process the demonstration he had just witnessed. The sheer, overwhelming power and speed of Kagenori's Thunderclap and Flash made his own version feel like a child's clumsy imitation. There was no comparison. More importantly, he had seen no hint of the awkward frustration that plagued his own execution; Kagenori's movement had been a single, fluid, and devastatingly perfect action.
A disturbing thought crossed his mind. Had he been learning a flawed, perhaps even fake, version of the art all along?
Kagenori walked back, the lightning around him dissipating. "Well? Does it meet your standards?"
Kakashi could only press his lips together in a thin line behind his mask. Meet his standards? It was in a completely different league.
"What you perceive as the limitation of Thunderclap and Flash," Kagenori continued, as if reading his thoughts, "I have already overcome. I developed a variant: Thunderclap and Flash, God Speed. It allows for multiple directional changes using the terrain and is significantly faster than the base form. It's not yet fully perfected, but even the incomplete version is several times faster than what you just saw me do."
"Several times… faster?" Kakashi breathed, his analytical mind reeling. "How could your eyes possibly keep up with that?"
In response, Kagenori's eyes shifted, the pupils bleeding into a vibrant crimson, three tomoe swirling around them. "Mine can. Because I have the Sharingan."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, a flicker of distaste crossing his features. The Uchiha. He had a… complicated relationship with the clan. His self-proclaimed rival, Uchiha Obito, was an outlier—a kind, if chronically late and talentless, fool who was shunned by his own clansmen. But the Uchiha clan as a whole, with their arrogance and pride, were another matter entirely.
Noting the boy's reaction, Kagenori clarified, his voice flat. "Possessing the Sharingan does not make me an Uchiha. You've likely heard my name. It lacks their clan name for a reason."
He let that sink in before pressing his offer. "If you become my disciple, I will not only teach you the complete Thunder Breathing but also design a training regimen for you. While your eyes may not be a bloodline limit, it is possible to enhance your dynamic vision through rigorous training to compensate for extreme speed. Beyond that, I am proficient in multiple chakra natures beyond Wind Release. You would have much to learn. So, what is your choice?"
Kakashi pondered for a long moment, the silence broken only by the rustle of leaves. His final question was the most critical one. "Why me?"
Why had this powerful, enigmatic Jonin singled him out from an entire class?
"Because your talent is not wasted on mediocrity," Kagenori replied, his answer brutally pragmatic. "I have neither the time nor the patience to sculpt clay. I take a disciple for a reason, or I take none at all. If you refuse, you may return to the academy. I am sure Namikaze would still have you."
The choice was laid bare: a path of guaranteed, unparalleled power with a mysterious master, or the safer, more conventional route with the celebrated Yellow Flash. For Kakashi, a boy driven solely by the need to excel and fulfill his father's legacy, the decision was clear.
He looked up, meeting Kagenori's crimson gaze. "Sensei," he said, the title feeling foreign but decisive on his tongue. "I will be your disciple."
A faint, approving smile touched Kagenori's lips. "Good. Then I will fulfill my responsibilities as your master. Return to the academy now. Inform them of your decision and have your name removed from the team assignments. Then, gather your gear. Meet me at the main gate of Konoha tomorrow morning. We depart for the Land of Grass. I believe true skill is forged in combat, not in a training ground."
"The Land of Grass?" Kakashi's eye widened in surprise.
Kagenori nodded. "My transfer orders are for that front. Isn't your father, Lord Sakumo, the commanding officer there?"
A surge of unexpected joy rushed through Kakashi. He had thought it would be months before he saw his father again. Now, he was being taken directly to him. "Understood! I'll go now!"
Kakashi offered a quick bow before turning and sprinting back towards the academy.
By the time he returned, the team assignments were nearly complete. Only Minato Namikaze and his two new Genin, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, remained, waiting for his final answer.
"Kakashi!" Obito shouted, unable to contain himself. "Well? Are you coming with us or not?"
"I have accepted Kagenori-sensei as my master," Kakashi stated, his tone matter-of-fact. He then turned to Minato. "My apologies, Minato-sensei."
Minato simply smiled, his expression warm and understanding. "It's quite alright, Kakashi. Kagenori is a formidable shinobi. This is a great opportunity for you."
"What?!" Obito yelled, his face scrunching up in disappointment. "You're not coming? Fine! It's better this way! You'd probably just hold us back anyway!"
Nohara Rin looked down, a clear expression of disappointment on her face.
Kakashi ignored Obito's outburst. "We leave for the Land of Grass tomorrow. Goodbye." With that, he was gone, leaving the newly-formed team of three—soon to be assigned a replacement member—behind.
...
The next morning, Kagenori finished his final preparations. Uzumaki Kushina was still on her mission, so he left a brief, reassuring letter for her before shouldering his pack and heading for the village gates.
Kakashi was already there, waiting with a traveler's pack of his own. Eager not to be late, he had arrived before dawn.
"Kagenori-sensei!" he called out, trotting over.
"Are you ready?" Kagenori asked.
"Yes, sensei!"
"Then we move."
They passed through the great gates of Konoha, setting a brisk pace for the border of the Land of Grass. It wasn't long before Kakashi's curiosity overpowered his disciplined silence.
"Sensei," he began, "the perfected Thunder Breathing. What is the key?"
Kagenori glanced at his new disciple. "To unlock its true potential, you must synchronize your breathing with the technique."
Kakashi stopped in his tracks, his mind blank for a moment. He had run through a dozen possibilities—esoteric chakra control methods, hidden physical stances, secret hand seals. But breathing? It was so simple, so fundamental, that it seemed absurd. Apart from the basic rhythmic breathing used in all physical conditioning, he had never heard of a ninjutsu or taijutsu that relied so fundamentally on something so… mundane.
"Synchronize… my breathing?" he repeated, disbelief warring with intrigue. "That's it? That's the secret?"