Morning came quietly.
Kakashi led Team Seven into a forest not far from Tazuna's house. The air still carried the damp scent of Wave Country.
"Yesterday's attackers are gone," he said, hands in his pockets, voice even. "But our mission hasn't changed. We protect Tazuna until the bridge is finished. And Gatō won't stop just because he's lost a few pawns."
He raised one finger.
"According to Tazuna, the bridge will be completed in seven days. The day it's finished is when Gatō is most likely to strike."
Naruto straightened. Sakura's expression sharpened. Sasuke listened without comment.
"So," Kakashi continued, "for the next seven days, we train. Properly this time."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"The goal is simple. You'll each learn a new technique."
Sakura's eyes lit up instantly. She pulled out her notebook out of habit.
"A new jutsu?" she asked.
Kakashi nodded. "Your chakra control is already solid. Some of you are better at it than I am. Basic drills won't help anymore."
He didn't finish the sentence, but all three understood. Tree climbing and water walking were long behind them.
"This technique demands extremely fine chakra control," Kakashi said. "Watch carefully."
He opened his right palm.
Chakra gathered. Visible. Dense.
It didn't flow straight. It spun, compressed, folded in on itself. In seconds, a pale blue sphere formed in his hand, lines of rotation cutting through it like invisible blades. The air around it trembled.
A Rasengan.
Sakura froze mid-note.
"No hand seals?" she blurted out, then caught herself. Her eyes widened. "Kakashi-sensei… is that the Fourth Hokage's jutsu?"
Naruto leaned in. "Huh? You know this one, Sakura?"
She nodded quickly. "I heard about it from Elder Kosuke. A technique the Fourth created. Chakra compressed and rotated in the palm. It's called the Rasengan."
She glanced at Kakashi. "And since you were his student…"
"That's right," Kakashi said. "This is my teacher's jutsu."
Naruto squinted at the spinning sphere. "It doesn't look that scary."
Sakura smacked him on the head without hesitation. "Idiot. The Fourth Hokage didn't invent weak techniques."
Kakashi sighed lightly and continued before they could escalate.
"The Rasengan took my teacher three years to complete. It's shape manipulation at the highest level. No seals. Massive power. Direct impact disrupts chakra internally."
He turned his head slightly toward Sakura.
"You've practiced the Fourth's Body Flicker. You should already have an idea what kind of combat style he favored."
Sakura nodded, confidence creeping into her voice. "Speed. Absolute speed. 'The Yellow Flash.' A jutsu that activates instantly fits that style perfectly."
She understood now why her own movement technique had felt so different after she learned it.
Naruto scratched his head. "So… how does this help me?"
Kakashi looked at him. "Your spinning taijutsu. The one you use with wind chakra."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. That."
"It's powerful," Kakashi said. "But it has a flaw."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You saw that too?"
Kakashi didn't bother answering. "Your rotation lacks compression. The center is unstable. That's why it collapses."
He let the Rasengan fade.
"Once you master this," Kakashi said calmly, "you can apply compression to your technique. The weak point becomes the strongest point."
Naruto went quiet.
Then his grin spread, slow and bright.
"So that's it," he said. "That's what was missing."
He looked up sharply. "I want to learn it."
Sakura's grip tightened on her notebook. "Me too."
Sasuke hadn't spoken since the demonstration.
But his gaze hadn't left Kakashi's hand even once.
"I'll learn it," he said.
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.
"Good. Then we'll begin."
He raised a finger again.
"First stage. Chakra control in the palm."
The forest fell silent, save for the soft rustle of leaves and the faint hum of spinning chakra.