Later that night, long after the house had gone quiet, Sasuke stepped out into the garden behind Tazuna's home. The air was cool and fresh, tinged with the scent of damp earth. Moonlight spilled over the grass, painting it silver. The mist that had haunted them earlier had thinned, leaving the sky clear enough for stars to shine faintly.
Kakashi was already there.
He stood at the edge of the garden with his hands in his pockets, head tilted up toward the moon. The faint light cast shadows across his face, highlighting the quiet lines of someone who had seen too much.
"Sensei," Sasuke said, his voice just above a whisper.
Kakashi turned slowly, his expression softening. "Couldn't sleep?"
Sasuke walked closer and stopped beside him. "No."
Kakashi didn't ask why. He waited.
"I've been thinking," Sasuke continued after a pause. His voice was low but tight. "I want to get even stronger. I need to."
His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. His brows furrowed, and his gaze was focused on the horizon.
"You've already come far," Kakashi said calmly. "You're around Chūnin-level now, faster, sharper, more focused."
"It's not enough," Sasuke said firmly, shaking his head. "Back during that fight with Zabuza… I realized it. I'm still not strong enough."
His voice cracked slightly, but he didn't falter.
"If I can't protect the people I care about… then all this talk of revenge is pointless. I can't just chase the past and leave the present defenseless."
Kakashi looked at him in silence for a long moment. Then, with a small smile, he reached out and patted Sasuke's head gently, like a father might.
"I understand," Kakashi said softly. "You remind me of myself when I was your age."
Sasuke blinked and looked up at him, surprised. "You?"
"I lost people, too," Kakashi said, his eyes distant. "People I cared about. My Father, Teammates. My sensei. My best friend. They all died. That kind of pain… it lingers. It drives you. But it can also trap you if you let it."
Sasuke didn't know what to say. He'd always seen Kakashi as calm, untouchable, even distant. But now, knowing they shared that same hollow pain, it made something tighten in his chest. A connection.
"Then… will you teach me more?" Sasuke asked, eyes downcast.
"I already planned to," Kakashi replied. "You're my student, my direct disciple. I'll help you grow."
He paused, then added, "But true strength doesn't come overnight. It takes time, patience, and pain. If you rush it, you'll only break."
Sasuke gave a small nod. "I'll wait. I'll endure it."
"There's something else," Kakashi said, his voice quiet. "After this mission, I'm going to work on something special. A new technique… built from scratch using seals."
Sasuke's eyes lit up, curious. "What kind of technique?"
"It's based on natural energy. When it's finished, I plan to give it to you."
Sasuke's jaw tightened in surprise. "Natural energy? You mean like… sage techniques?"
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Yes. Natural energy is powerful, but also volatile. That's why I'm building it carefully. This was based on a defector's cursed mark. And I'm working on it to make it stable and controlled."
Sasuke stared at him in awe. He had read about sage energy, heard rumors, but never imagined Kakashi could tap into something so rare. "I didn't know you could use it."
"I'm still refining it," Kakashi admitted. "But when it's ready, it'll push you far beyond your limits, if you're ready to bear the weight."
"I'm ready," Sasuke said without hesitation.
Kakashi turned to look at him under the moonlight. "Good. Then we'll begin soon. I'll be strict. It'll be painful. But you'll grow."
A small, rare smile tugged at Sasuke's lips. "I'll be ready."
…
The next morning, the house was filled with the smell of breakfast and the soft creaks of wooden floors. Sunlight streamed through the windows, glinting off bowls and chopsticks.
Team 7 was finishing up their meal when Naruto glanced toward the corner of the room. Inari sat by the window again, chin resting on his knees, eyes vacant.
Naruto frowned. "Why are you always moping around?"
Inari didn't even look at him. "You don't get it. You're just a ninja. You have no idea how hard it is to live here."
"I do understand!" Naruto snapped, sitting up straighter. "You just sit there crying like the world owes you something!"
Inari shot up from his seat, face red with anger. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything!"
Naruto fell silent. His fists tightened in his lap. The room felt heavy. Inari stormed away, slamming the door to his room.
Kakashi, who had been quietly sipping tea, finally stood. "Everyone. Come with me."
They obeyed without question. He led them into the nearby woods, just past the house. Trees rustled in the breeze, and sunlight filtered down through the canopy.
"We're doing training today," Kakashi said, turning to face them. "It's time I teach you something important—something that changes the way you fight."
They listened carefully.
"It's called nature transformation," Kakashi explained. "It's how you shape your chakra into one of the five basic elemental forms, fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning."
He gestured toward them.
"Sasuke, you already use fire, and you're aligned with lightning too. We'll work on refining that."
Sasuke nodded, focused.
"Naruto, your chakra nature is wind. It's rare, and very dangerous in the right hands."
"Is it really that rare? I'm awesome!" Naruto said, scratching his head.
Kakashi smiled. "Sakura, yours is water and earth. We'll work on Earth later. Let's focus on Water, Water chakra is incredibly versatile, especially for someone with strong chakra control like you."
Sakura blinked in surprise, then smiled, proud.
"So what do we do now?" Naruto asked, fists already clenched with excitement.
"Now," Kakashi said, stepping forward, "you learn how to control and shape that chakra. It's difficult, but once you master it, you'll be able to create powerful techniques tailored to your nature."
The team looked excited, eager to begin.
"Let's start with you, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Lightning chakra is about speed and precision. You have to make your chakra flow sharply, fast, like electricity. Focus on your hand, and try to form that current."
Sasuke closed his eyes. He inhaled slowly. A moment later, small sparks danced across his palm. The energy fizzled, unstable, but it was there.
"Good. Keep working on that flow until it becomes instinct."
Next, he turned to Naruto. "You need to learn how to slice with your chakra. Wind is sharp. Direct. I want you to cut this leaf in half using only your chakra flow."
He handed Naruto a single leaf.
"Piece of cake!" Naruto grinned.
But after a few seconds of focusing, the leaf merely fluttered in his hand.
"Not that easy, is it?" Kakashi said, chuckling. "Try again. Focus. Make your chakra cut like a blade."
Naruto grumbled and tried again, tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.
Finally, Kakashi approached Sakura.
"Water chakra is smooth, controlled. Try to infuse this cloth with moisture using only chakra, like summoning water from within yourself."
Sakura nodded and held the cloth in both hands, her brows furrowing as she focused.
Kakashi stepped back and watched them silently. They were learning fast, faster than he expected. Each one had potential, and each one was growing in their own way.
But his own thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Last night, during the quiet hours after Sasuke went back inside, he'd had an idea. A powerful one.
A new type of seal. One that wouldn't just borrow power, but expand it.
Using the Formula Reconstruction Technique, he believed he could create a seal that would permanently deepen one's chakra pool. Not a temporary boost. Not a cursed mark. But true growth. Stable. Safe. His own creation.
If it worked, it would be of great use to him.
' I have to keep working too,' Kakashi thought to himself, watching Naruto shout at his leaf, Sasuke crackle with lightning, and Sakura gently wetting the cloth. 'If they're going to surpass their limits… then so will I.'