Without the burden of immediate missions, Kakashi's mood had noticeably lightened.
Long-term assignments had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
Over the past three years, Kakashi had completed countless missions of varying difficulty, to the point that even someone as composed as him had begun to feel the weight.
Now, with a rare chance at some time off, he could finally breathe again—something he welcomed with relief.
Instead of going home straight away, Kakashi first made his way to the Anbu Headquarters. He informed the members of Team Six that he'd be on leave for the foreseeable future and gave them instructions on their upcoming responsibilities.
He left the dim corridors of Anbu under the envious gazes of his subordinates.
In Anbu, where most shinobi toiled in the shadows, a long vacation was a rare luxury—almost mythic in value.
After stepping into the sunlight, Kakashi, dressed casually for once, headed to Ichiraku Ramen and indulged in a hearty meal.
He saw the familiar face of Teuchi, the cheerful ramen chef, and his young daughter Ayame, who was still just a little girl at this time.
But Naruto was nowhere to be seen. A pity—Kakashi was curious about what the boy was up to now.
Still, he didn't mind too much. There'd be time to catch up with Naruto later during this break.
Back at the Hatake residence, Kakashi sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, holding a unique kunai in his hand.
This wasn't just any kunai—it had a triple-pronged blade, distinct from the standard design.
It was based on the kunai used by Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, to perform the Flying Thunder God Technique. The only difference was that this kunai didn't bear Minato's personal marking formula.
Kakashi had specially commissioned this weapon at a trusted ninja tools shop in the village—the same one where Minato himself used to place orders. So, in terms of appearance, it closely resembled the one Minato had once gifted Kakashi.
The main reason Kakashi had bought this kunai was to honor his late teacher. Having learned the Fourth Hokage's signature space-time ninjutsu, it felt appropriate to wield a tool so closely tied to his legacy.
"Everything's ready. Let's begin."
Kakashi placed the triple-bladed kunai down in front of him, then began channeling chakra into it, attempting to inscribe his own Flying Thunder God formula.
In mere moments, beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Intricate hand seals and complex chakra patterns started forming around his hand, but none of the marks would adhere to the kunai.
Suddenly, a metallic clang rang out as the chakra control snapped.
Kakashi dropped the kunai, breathing heavily.
"What the hell? I still can't imprint it? That shouldn't be happening…"
Kakashi's mind was clouded with doubt. He had mastered the theory of the Flying Thunder God—everything from the chakra formula to the dimensional perception aspects. So why couldn't he inscribe the mark?
He frowned in confusion. Something wasn't adding up.
"One more time."
This time, instead of attempting to etch the formula into the kunai, Kakashi pressed his palm to the ground, trying to draw the technique directly onto the floor.
He focused, recalling both Minato's teachings and his own understanding of space-time manipulation.
"Drink!"
With a low shout, chakra flowed from Kakashi's right hand in a strange, flowing rhythm, forming the start of a sealing formula.
Kakashi's expression shifted as he watched the black marks begin to take shape.
A sharp pattern emerged—it wasn't Minato's standard Sword of Resilience formula.
His eyes widened.
The mark looked exactly like the pattern of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Before he could analyze it further, the formula collapsed, vanishing into the floor.
Still, Kakashi was stunned.
"What…? Why did the Flying Thunder God technique take the form of my Mangekyō?"
According to what he remembered, Minato's Flying Thunder God formula had been unique to him—elegant, clean, with the stylized sword marking. So why had Kakashi's version manifested as the Mangekyō symbol?
Even worse, it didn't work.
Minato's version of the technique had been a modified evolution of the Second Hokage's original Flying Thunder God. Minato added his own innovations—his personal flair.
Kakashi had learned the technique directly from Minato's notes and personal kunai. So, theoretically, his version should've been identical.
Why wasn't it?
Then a thought occurred to him.
Maybe… maybe his version was never meant to be the same.
Kakashi hadn't just relied on scrolls and notes. He had accessed the jutsu by combining input from Team Genma's study group, his Mangekyō Sharingan, and residual chakra signatures left within Minato's kunai.
Could it be… that the Flying Thunder God formula had subtly changed during that process?
Had his Sharingan reshaped the jutsu?
The more Kakashi considered it, the more plausible it seemed. There was no other logical explanation for why the formula had morphed into the Mangekyō symbol.
"If the altered formula can be explained, then why can't I make it stick?"
That brought him to his next—and most frustrating—problem.
He had studied Flying Thunder God for three years. He had poured his heart into this research. To fail now would be crushing.
Kakashi touched his left eye thoughtfully.
If the seal resembled the Mangekyō, then perhaps… the key was in using the Mangekyō.
Acting on instinct, Kakashi removed the forehead protector covering his left eye.
The seal on the Mangekyō released with a snap, and the black tomoe began to spin rapidly, shifting into the pinwheel-like Mangekyō pattern.
He pressed his hand to the floor once again, chakra surging from his palm.
This time, the technique responded.
Black lines coiled and extended in fluid, perfect motion. The dart-like pattern came into sharp focus.
His Mangekyō spun with growing intensity, feeding the chakra with incredible precision.
The pattern finished forming.
The black seal glowed faintly. This time, it stayed.
Kakashi let out a long sigh and sat back.
It worked.
The eye closed, and the strain eased off his face. He stood, walked to the courtyard, and took a breath.
He activated the seal—disappearing with a crisp pop—and reappeared instantly inside his room.
"Success. I've finally mastered the Flying Thunder God technique."
Though it was still raw and needed polish, the foundation was there.
He could now use space-time ninjutsu. But it came with a catch.
"My version seems tied to the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Kakashi sighed. That limitation could be a problem.
If the jutsu required the Mangekyō for activation, its practicality would drop significantly.
"Still, this is only the beginning. I'll refine it. I'm sure I can separate the technique from the eye eventually."
He hadn't figured it out yet, but Kakashi was confident.
Once unbound from the Sharingan, this new variation of the Flying Thunder God would be his trump card—a terrifying jutsu, uniquely his own.
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