"Every decision carries risk. But rest assured, I won't let Anko get involved unless I'm absolutely sure it's safe," Kagetsu reassured Shisui.
After the three of them finished their tests, they went together to enjoy a meal at Ichiraku Ramen. As they parted ways, Shisui looked back at the quiet ramen shop, lingering for a moment, a trace of confusion crossing his face.
"Is something on your mind?"
Walking side by side down the road, Kagetsu's question snapped Shisui out of his daze.
"No, it's just..." Shisui shook his head instinctively, about to say something but hesitating.
"Are you worried about the upcoming war?" Kagetsu asked directly, noticing the complex, hesitant look on Shisui's face.
"As expected, nothing escapes your keen insight, Kagetsu." Shisui's expression softened slightly at Kagetsu's words.
"Even without specific intel, you can figure it out just by looking at how many merchants have been coming to the village lately, the volume of missions, how long the ninja stay in the village, and how busy Orochimaru-sensei has been. It's easy to piece it together, isn't it?" Kagetsu glanced around; the atmosphere in Konoha during wartime was distinctly different from times of peace.
The ANBU, the elite force directly under the Hokage, had been unusually active in the village recently. While the average villager might not notice, anyone with sensory abilities or special skills could clearly feel the ANBU's presence.
"The Shinobi World barely experienced a few years of peace," Shisui sighed, not fond of war or killing.
Kagetsu simply smiled, choosing not to go into a long lecture to correct Shisui's mindset or explain the roots and nature of war.
Over the years, he had already explained many things to Shisui and Anko, including the issues of war and peace.
At their current level, they weren't strong enough to influence even one village, let alone the entire Shinobi World. So, for Kagetsu, these concerns seemed irrelevant.
Nor did he worry about Shisui or Anko.
Anko wasn't foolish—she just tended to follow orders mindlessly when she was on missions with him and Shisui, relying on their guidance instead of her own thinking.
As for Shisui, he had a kind and gentle nature, but that applied only to the village he loved and his friends. Disliking killing didn't mean he'd go easy on enemies in battle.
When facing enemies on missions, Shisui was often the quickest and most decisive one in their team.
Blinding flashes of electricity, accompanied by a sharp buzzing noise, lit up the depths of the forest.
A figure cloaked in lightning rushed forward, leaving a trail of afterimages as it struck toward Minato Namikaze.
With intense focus, Obito and Rin watched the electric figure approach Minato, only for it to be abruptly stopped. In their eyes, Minato had seized Kakashi Hatake's wrist, forcibly halting the ball of lightning in Kakashi's hand.
"Minato-sensei is amazing! I couldn't even keep up with Kakashi's speed, but he managed to intercept that flash of lightning and grab Kakashi's wrist to stop the jutsu," Obito exclaimed excitedly from the sidelines.
Rin, standing next to him, nodded emphatically, though a hint of worry crossed her face as she glanced at Kakashi, concerned about his condition.
"The aim of your attack was too obvious," Minato advised. "A quick-reacting ninja can easily predict and counter it."
As Kakashi spoke, the lightning in his hand suddenly intensified, spreading out like an expanding web, lighting up in a blaze. The sound of birds chirping grew piercingly loud.
Falling leaves drifted into the range of the electric light and were instantly shredded to ashes.
The moment the lightning flared, Minato let go of Kakashi's wrist, allowing Kakashi to press forward with his lightning technique once more.
The lightning struck empty air. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel fire.net
In an instant, Minato vanished, reappearing behind Kakashi in a flash.
At this point, the lightning around Kakashi surged, as if enveloping his entire body, each stray spark carrying deadly power.
As Kakashi instinctively scanned the area to locate Minato, a sharp kunai was already pressed against his back.
The lightning faded away.
Kakashi slowly turned around.
"That transformation you just used… was it the 'Blood Mode'?" Minato asked, lowering his special kunai with a smile.
"Yes. The Blood Mode boosts physical strength, speed, reflexes, and even enhances the power of jutsu! When you grabbed my wrist, I thought to amplify Chidori's strength, letting its energy spread out," Kakashi replied with a nod.
"Kakashi, your hand!"
Seeing the sparring session end, Obito and Rin hurried over. Rin, noticing the cracked skin on Kakashi's hand from the intense Chidori, gasped and quickly started using medical ninjutsu to heal him—much to Obito's obvious jealousy.
This had happened more than once recently, and each time Obito couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
"It's a clever idea, but you can't sustain the Blood Mode for very long, can you?" Minato noted, observing Kakashi, who was slightly out of breath.
Chidori alone consumed a lot of chakra, and with Kakashi's young body, he couldn't perform it many times.
The Blood Mode forcibly draws out extra chakra by straining the body's chakra pathways. While it increases power and chakra output, it also drains energy quickly, adding even more strain on Kakashi.
"Only able to maintain it for a short time," Kakashi replied honestly.
"During battle, unless absolutely necessary, try to use the Armor Mode. Although its enhancement for the body isn't as much as the Blood Mode, it pairs well with Chidori.
One is offensive, the other defensive. This will make you more composed during battle," Minato explained.
Having mastered both Armor Mode and Blood Mode, Kakashi gave Minato the feeling of facing a weaker version of the Third Raikage's son, Ai.
Once Kakashi became skilled in Armor Mode, even without Chidori, he would be terrifying enough to any ninja below the rank of Jonin just using his swordsmanship.
As a genius, he was quick to learn from battles and adjust his tactics based on the situation.
He had already begun thinking about modifying Chidori into a different jutsu.
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