Kakashi was puzzled by what Sora had said—that in order to unleash the full power of Thunder Breathing, he needed to coordinate his breathing.
As they continued their journey, Sora explained, **"The breathing that synchronizes with thunder is not ordinary breathing. It's a specialized technique known as 'Full Concentration Breathing.'
Its primary function is to enhance heart and lung capacity, allowing the body to absorb a large amount of oxygen in a short period of time. This, in turn, temporarily boosts physical abilities to an extraordinary degree.
Only by combining Thunder Breathing with Full Concentration Breathing can its full power be realized. Without this breathing method, anyone using Thunder Breathing would only be copying its form without understanding its essence—the difference is immense.
Additionally, mastering Full Concentration Breathing sharpens your focus and enhances your vision."
Kakashi frowned slightly and asked, "Is this breathing method really that effective?"
Sora nodded. "Once you learn it, you'll understand. When we arrive in the Land of Grass, I'll begin teaching you the breathing method."
Kakashi still found it hard to believe. He had never encountered such a technique before.
If this method could truly enhance physical abilities in an instant, then it wouldn't just be useful for Thunder Breathing—it could have applications in other areas as well.
The Journey to the Land of Grass
The journey to the Land of Grass was similar in length to the journey to the Land of Hot Water, taking approximately five to six days.
During these days, Sora didn't teach Kakashi anything just yet. Instead, he took the time to assess Kakashi's current strength.
Just like when Orochimaru had once accepted him as a disciple, Sora believed in evaluating his student's capabilities before creating a training plan.
Over the course of these few days, Sora gained a comprehensive understanding of Kakashi's abilities.
There was no doubt—Kakashi was a genius, having become a Chūnin at just six years old.
He was highly skilled in the Hatake clan's kenjutsu and frequently utilized the Body Flicker Technique to launch rapid attacks against his opponents.
His speed was already comparable to Namikaze Minato's during their academy days.
However, his ninjutsu proficiency was only average.
Kakashi's chakra nature was Lightning Release and Earth Release, but he only knew basic elemental techniques.
It seemed that either Kakashi was still too young to have learned advanced techniques or that Sakumo had not yet taught him any high-level jutsu.
Planning Kakashi's Training
Now that he had taken Kakashi as his disciple, Sora felt responsible for his growth.
Moreover, it was very likely that Kakashi would become his companion in the future, walking the same path as him.
The first priority was undoubtedly the breathing method. If Kakashi wanted to improve his combat abilities in the short term, then mastering Thunder Breathing was essential.
Next, his training needed to focus on improving his reaction speed and dynamic vision.
Additionally, he needed to learn more advanced Lightning Release and Earth Release techniques to expand his arsenal.
As for the Sharingan…
Now that Kakashi was his disciple, Sora wasn't certain if he would still end up obtaining Uchiha Obito's Sharingan in the future.
Even if he did, Sora had no intention of allowing Kakashi to transplant it.
In Sora's view, the drawbacks of Kakashi's Sharingan transplant were far too significant.
It was the very reason why Kakashi became the benchmark for measuring low chakra reserves in later years.
Although Kakashi copied thousands of ninjutsu through the Sharingan in the future, was it truly useful?
Not at all.
The Sharingan came with major drawbacks for Kakashi, constantly draining his chakra.
In battle, he was lucky if he could use a handful of jutsu before exhausting himself.
If he used too many, he would run out of chakra almost immediately.
The title of Konoha's No. 1 Technician almost sounded like a joke.
With Kakashi's natural talent, Sora believed that without the burden of the Sharingan, his potential would be far greater.
Especially under his guidance.
Sora was confident that his own strength would continue to grow, and in the future, he would be able to teach Kakashi techniques far more valuable than simply copying a thousand jutsu—only to end up as a "three-second man" in combat.
For someone like Kakashi, who didn't have Uchiha blood, the Sharingan was more of a curse than a blessing.
Whoever wanted it could have it.
Take Orochimaru, for example. He had set his sights on Uchiha Sasuke's body just to obtain the Sharingan.
Did that mean Orochimaru couldn't get a Sharingan by other means?
Of course not. It would have been easy for him to acquire one. But he understood its limitations, which was why he never directly transplanted one into himself.
Even Danzo, who had multiple Sharingan in his possession, had Orochimaru graft them onto a Wood Release-enhanced arm rather than transplanting them into his own body.
Arrival in the Land of Grass
After finalizing Kakashi's training plan, Sora and Kakashi finally arrived in the Land of Grass.
Upon reaching Konoha's base in the region, the two of them headed straight to Hatake Sakumo's quarters to visit him.
Sakumo wasn't surprised to see Sora—he had already received word that Orochimaru's highly active disciple from the Land of Hot Water had been reassigned here.
But seeing Kakashi standing beside him was another matter entirely.
"Kakashi, why are you here?" Sakumo asked, clearly surprised.
"Father, I've accepted Teacher Sora as my master," Kakashi replied.
Sakumo's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Sora.
He had originally sent Kakashi to the academy's team assignments so he could be placed in a three-man squad under a Jōnin leader.
His goal was for Kakashi to build friendships with his teammates.
Instead, Kakashi had come back with a master.
What an unexpected surprise.
Sakumo turned his gaze to Sora.
He didn't know much about him personally, only what he had heard from others.
Of course, most of what he had heard was far from flattering.
But Sakumo had never been one to care about rumours. If anything, he found Sora's achievements impressive.
Despite growing up in a difficult environment, Sora hadn't been crushed by adversity. Instead, he had become even stronger, eventually earning a place as Orochimaru's disciple—one of the legendary Sannin.
In just a few years, he had reached the rank of Jōnin. That alone spoke volumes about his talent.
Sakumo had also reviewed Sora's battle strategies during the campaign in the Land of Hot Water.
His conclusion?
Sora's plans were extremely aggressive—almost reckless to the point of chaos. But at the same time, they were bold and full of potential.
His tactics were the kind that left no room for retreat. Burning the bridge behind you.
If successful, the rewards were moderate at best, while the risks were devastatingly high.
Sakumo had also come to admire Orochimaru for having the nerve to approve such a plan.
Most importantly, as Orochimaru's disciple, Sora was aligned with the Hokage's faction.
Because of this, despite it being their first meeting, Sakumo found himself having a favourable impression of Sora.
Sakumo had no objections to Kakashi's decision to become Sora's disciple.
Sora was more than capable, and despite his poor reputation, he wasn't a bad person.
Sakumo gave Sora a rare smile. "So, Sora, you're Kakashi's master now. I'll be counting on you to look after him."
Given Sakumo's normally serious demeanour, the sudden smile felt a bit awkward.
Sora responded seriously, "Kakashi is extremely talented. I'll do everything I can to guide him, so please don't worry, Sakumo-sama."
Sakumo nodded. "For Kakashi, having you as a teacher is an honour. That puts me at ease."
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