In Kakashi's understanding, only two shinobi are truly renowned for their mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique—Second Hokage Tobirama Senju and his own sensei, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.
However, within Konohagakure, there are a few others capable of using a derivative form of the technique, such as the Hokage's personal bodyguards during Minato's tenure. While their individual prowess is far below that of Minato, they have mastered the Flying Thunder Formation Jutsu, which allows coordinated teleportation when performed by three or more users.
Although this method can achieve spatial movement, it is impractical for combat. The necessary preparation time—ranging from several seconds to a few minutes—is far too long in battle, where every moment is critical.
Yet, as Kakashi examined the scroll in his hands, certain details caught his attention, reminding him of Minato-sensei. The intelligence within the document confirmed the sender's identity.
It was Naruto Uzumaki—Minato-sensei's son—who had left the village and independently founded his own shinobi village.
Naruto had shared a wealth of information with him, offering various suggestions regarding Konoha's current situation. These included uniting the younger generation of shinobi to pressure the village elders, using political leverage against the Fire Daimyō, and even assassinating Danzō Shimura.
While some of these ideas could indeed change Konoha's stagnant condition, others felt more like reckless provocations.
If such drastic measures were implemented without careful planning, Konoha might collapse from within before any meaningful reform could take place.
But what confused Kakashi most was why Naruto, despite having so many ideas for change, had chosen to leave the village instead of staying to fix it.
Naruto's lineage made his eventual path to Hokage almost inevitable. Could it be that he had given up entirely on Konoha?
After considering the matter, Kakashi could only conclude that Naruto had lost all faith in the system. Though Kakashi himself had grievances against Konoha's leadership, particularly the Third Hokage and his council, his discontent was focused on the individuals in power rather than the village as a whole.
With comrades like Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai—who truly loved Konoha—there was still warmth in the village.
He also wanted to use Obito's eye to witness a thriving Konoha, as Obito had once envisioned.
After copying the coordinates from the intelligence scroll with his Sharingan, Kakashi used a Fire Release technique to incinerate it completely.
With that done, he headed toward the Hokage's Office.
Upon entering, he addressed Hiruzen Sarutobi with a concerned tone:
"Sandaime-sama, I just spoke with Jiraiya-sama. Something seems off about him."
Hiruzen, ever composed, responded with a faint smile—his demeanor as Hokage unwavering.
"Jiraiya has his own worries. Let him be for now."
Kakashi maintained his facade, replying, "If that's the case, I'll rest assured. I was worried something might have happened to Jiraiya-sama. If even he were to leave, Konoha would lose all three Sannin."
The Third Hokage sighed at the thought before shifting the conversation.
"Kakashi, was there something else?"
Kakashi nodded. "Hokage-sama, I would like to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique. The state of the shinobi world is becoming increasingly unstable, and I fear for the village's safety."
Hiruzen did not object. With Kakashi's contributions to Konoha, he had earned the right to access nearly any jutsu in the village's archives.
If Kakashi could truly master the Flying Thunder God Technique, it would be a significant asset to Konoha—particularly against the masked man who manipulated the Nine-Tails years ago. Among the younger generation, only Kakashi possessed the talent to wield such a technique effectively.
"I will personally take you to retrieve the Flying Thunder God scroll later… But, Kakashi, you have been inactive for over half a year. Do you have any plans moving forward? Gai has approached me multiple times, hoping to pull you out of your darkness."
Recalling Gai's usual enthusiasm—his blinding grin and dramatic thumbs-up—Kakashi chuckled before shaking his head.
"I do want to keep busy, but I'm not sure what to do. Do you have any recommendations, Hokage-sama?"
A glint appeared in Hiruzen's eyes as he suggested:
"You should become a jōnin-sensei. Training fresh graduates might help you reconnect with the village. Many young jōnin take this path. During your time as an instructor, you can also focus on mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Becoming a jōnin-sensei…" Kakashi rubbed his chin before remarking, "I'll be strict. If they don't meet my standards, I won't accept them."
Hiruzen smiled knowingly. "If they fail your test, they'll simply return to the Academy for more training. A little extra time in school won't harm them."
Kakashi smirked. "Since you put it that way, I suppose I can't refuse. It might not be bad to train the next generation. Hopefully, some of them will grow into exceptional shinobi."
Then, as if remembering something, Kakashi's expression turned serious again.
"Sandaime-sama, has Anbu located Naruto yet? He's been gone for nearly two years now."
Hiruzen hesitated before responding. "Did Jiraiya not tell you? He recently returned to the village after tracking Naruto's movements."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Where is Naruto now? Didn't Jiraiya bring him back?"
The Third Hokage seemed to deliberate before speaking. "Naruto's situation is… complicated. He cannot return just yet, but everything is being handled appropriately. Would you like to see him?"
Kakashi remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I trust you to take care of him, Hokage-sama… I'll wait until he's ready to return. But his friends constantly ask me about his whereabouts."
Hiruzen nodded solemnly. "I'll address their concerns."
After a few more exchanges, Kakashi departed the Hokage's Office, taking the Flying Thunder God scroll with him. He went to a secluded training ground to begin his studies.
Mastering the technique proved exceedingly difficult. Even after days of relentless training, he could only grasp the basics.
It would take months of dedicated effort—and a lifetime of refinement—to utilize the Flying Thunder God in real combat.
However, even if he couldn't yet teleport people over long distances, he could at least use it to send messages.
That was enough. He had learned it for one purpose: to establish communication with Naruto.
Returning home, Kakashi took out a pen and parchment, preparing to write a letter.
There were countless questions he wanted to ask—about the Akatsuki's members, Konoha's potential future, and even Minato-sensei's current state in the afterlife.
After filling an entire page, he hesitated, then tore it up.
Starting anew, he kept the message brief. He simply conveyed that he, along with Naruto's friends, missed him.
Finally, he shared his and Jiraiya's intentions for the future.
Once finished, Kakashi layered the parchment with a sealing technique, binding it to a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God formula.
With the coordinates provided by Naruto, he activated the jutsu. The kunai vanished into space.
Now, all he could do was wait—wondering if Naruto would receive the letter… or if he would even reply at all.
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