"Huh?"
"Sage Mode?"
"Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew? You've only known Sage Mode for a couple of days, and now you want to figure out a way for even more people to learn it?"
In the Senju Clan compound, Tsunade scoffed at Kakashi, who had come looking for her.
"It's just a theory. I need a massive amount of material regarding Fūinjutsu."
Kakashi didn't deny Tsunade's accusation; instead, he spoke earnestly.
"Fūinjutsu?"
"The Senju library is right over there. It hasn't been touched."
"But don't come to me with this kind of troublesome stuff."
Flipping through a medical scroll in her hands, Tsunade waved him off with a hint of disdain.
Her hemophobia had been cured the day Hashirama Senju left, so she had essentially resumed her position as the Head of the Konoha Medical Department.
However, in Tsunade's eyes, Shizune's medical skills hadn't quite reached the point where she could fully inherit her legacy. Therefore, Tsunade planned to brush up on her past knowledge, compile her life's work, and pass it down to Shizune.
Furthermore, Shizune had to juggle the affairs of the Medical Department while also mentoring that girl named Sakura Haruno. Tsunade saw all of this, so she planned to personally train the pink-haired girl in a couple of days to relieve some of Shizune's stress.
"I understand."
Kakashi nodded and headed straight for the Senju library without hesitation.
He hadn't expected Tsunade to be of much help anyway. After all, despite being Hashirama Senju's biological granddaughter, she hadn't learned Sage Mode. This made it clear she didn't possess much talent in that area.
Instead, Jiraiya, who was currently out searching for the Stone of Gelel, would be someone Kakashi could discuss this with once he returned.
"If you want to research that, you don't need me."
"Why don't you just go directly to Katsuyu?"
Just as Kakashi was about to leave, Tsunade suddenly spoke up.
Kakashi paused at this, then continued on his way.
Tsunade made a good point. Although Kakashi and Katsuyu were of completely different species, they were both beings capable of using Sage Mode.
Especially considering Katsuyu had single-handedly created the Sage Pool in Shikkotsu Forest, it was obvious she possessed her own unique understanding of the subject.
While he couldn't copy it entirely, her insights could certainly provide him with inspiration.
Moreover, Katsuyu had an incredibly gentle personality. Even if Kakashi treated her like free labor, she probably wouldn't refuse.
Thinking of this, Kakashi, having arrived at the Senju library, immediately formed hand seals and activated the Summoning Jutsu.
With a soft poof, a palm-sized slug appeared in his hand.
"Kakashi-sama, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."
Katsuyu was as gentle as always, her voice soft and squishy.
"Katsuyu-sama, I need your help with something."
Kakashi looked earnestly at the slug resting on his palm.
"Please, Kakashi-sama, just give the order."
Katsuyu nodded.
Kakashi quickly relayed his ideas to her.
"I see. It appears you have already met Hashirama-sama and successfully learned Sage Mode."
"As expected of you, Kakashi-sama."
"However, since you have asked this of me, I naturally won't refuse. I only hope that we will have a pleasant time working together in the days to come."
Katsuyu maintained her considerate demeanor.
Although it felt slightly sycophantic, it had to be said that spending time with Katsuyu was incredibly relaxing.
As he flipped through the Senju Fūinjutsu books, Katsuyu rested quietly by his side, silently watching her young summoner.
Whenever Kakashi had a question, Katsuyu acted as a walking encyclopedia, ready to provide him with answers.
Days passed, and Kakashi spent six full days inside the Senju library.
Had Hayate Gekkō not come looking for him, Kakashi didn't know how much longer he would have stayed.
"Hokage-sama, Commander Tenzō has arrived."
Hayate spoke softly, looking at Kakashi, who was surrounded by massive piles of books.
"Is that so? I understand."
Kakashi tapped his forehead, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
He had more or less figured out a direction for his previous theory regarding Sage Mode.
But he still needed more data.
Once Tenzō's business was settled, Kakashi felt a trip to the Uchiha library would be necessary.
"In that case, Kakashi-sama, I will take my leave."
Katsuyu also spoke up softly from his side.
"There's no need, Katsuyu-sama. You're not an outsider."
"Hayate, send Tenzō in."
Kakashi shook his head.
"Yes, sir."
As Hayate exited, Tenzō immediately brought a blindfolded, middle-aged man wearing ordinary linen clothes before Kakashi.
Clearly, this was the target of the mission Kakashi had assigned to Tenzō.
Dotō Kazahana.
"W-who are you people?"
Right now, Dotō was filled with terror and unease.
On an entirely unremarkable night, he had been kidnapped without anyone noticing, and he didn't even know where he was.
"Remove his blindfold."
Kakashi ordered, and Tenzō immediately complied.
As light flooded his eyes once more, Dotō squinted in discomfort, but his pupils shrank upon seeing the man in front of him.
He clearly recognized who this person was.
"Hatake... Kakashi."
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Dotō grit his teeth.
For a Hokage to kidnap the Daimyō of a nation was no small matter.
Hearing him speak like this, Kakashi glanced up at Tenzō in confusion.
"Because Hokage-sama requested him alive and completely unharmed, I refrained from using any other... methods."
Tenzō answered truthfully.
"Since that's the case, go make him behave first. Just remember not to break his mind."
Kakashi waved his hand, signaling Tenzō to take the guy and give him a taste of Anbu methods.
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
Hearing this, Tenzō's expression remained completely unbothered as he dragged Dotō away without hesitation.
"Kakashi, what do you want me to do?!"
"Or what do you want to know?!"
Dotō struggled, desperately trying to break free from Tenzō's grip.
It wasn't hard to deduce from their brief exchange that Kakashi, the Fifth Hokage, definitely had a specific goal in mind to go through the trouble of kidnapping him all the way from the Land of Snow.
Although he was a Daimyō, he was still human.
The desire to survive was human instinct.
"Just ask me!"
"I'll tell you absolutely everything I know!"
Dotō was still trying to spare himself the physical agony.
"You're too damn loud! Can you keep it down for a second?!"
Dotō's screaming provoked an annoyed roar from Tsunade next door.
Seeing this, Tenzō quickly spirited Dotō away.
All of this fell into Katsuyu's line of sight.
"Have you seen another side of me, Katsuyu-sama?"
Seeing that Katsuyu remained unfazed, Kakashi initiated the conversation.
"There is no 'another side,' Kakashi-sama. Any intelligent being possesses multiple facets. If someone can be described by just a single trait, then that existence is merely a deliberate act."
"Please do not trouble yourself over such things."
Kakashi wasn't surprised by Katsuyu's words. If anyone truly treated this millennia-old Sage as a naive, simple-minded creature, they would be the real fools.
Thinking of this, Kakashi chuckled and gently rubbed Katsuyu's squishy head with his finger.
"In that case, let's continue, Katsuyu-sama."
"Of course, Kakashi-sama."
Kakashi already had an idea regarding the simplified application of Sage Mode.
As the saying goes, understand one thing and you'll understand everything. After experiencing exactly what Sage Mode was, its mysteries were no longer a difficult hurdle for him.
Of course, this only applied to ninja who had already mastered Sage Mode.
For those who had never been exposed to it, or those who lacked talent in this area, Sage Mode remained an insurmountable chasm.
And Kakashi's current goal was to lower that chasm as much as possible.
Through the massive amount of Senju Fūinjutsu data, and with Katsuyu acting as an encyclopedia, Kakashi had set his sights on Tsunade's Yin Seal.
It worked by opening up a space for chakra within the body, used to store the excess chakra that would otherwise be wasted during daily life.
It was precisely because of this jutsu that Tsunade had managed to retain her youthful appearance for decades.
But what if this formula was specifically repurposed to store Natural Energy, or Senjutsu Chakra that had already been balanced to a one-to-one ratio?
Currently, this plan was strictly theoretical. As it stood, Senjutsu Chakra could only be utilized by fusing one's own chakra with Natural Energy on the spot.
Senjutsu Chakra balanced by Kakashi could not be used by anyone else.
Therefore, he needed to research and develop a kind of formula that could merge Natural Energy with a person's own chakra. This mark would be carved onto the user, acting as a substitute for the process of perceiving Natural Energy and automatically balancing it in a one-to-one ratio with their own chakra.
This would eliminate the need to perceive Natural Energy, control the ratio of one's chakra to Natural Energy, and stabilize the Senjutsu Chakra—effectively bypassing the entire process.
The function of this formula would be exactly like the role of the Two Great Toad Sages when Jiraiya entered Sage Mode.
But at the same time, it meant that users accessing Sage Mode in this way would have a hard limit.
The capacity of the formula would become the user's maximum limit.
If they overused their Senjutsu Chakra, the moment their own reserves couldn't keep up with the one-to-one fusion with Natural Energy, they would be forced out of the state.
And it carried the risk of severe backlash from the Natural Energy.
Once the Natural Energy triggered a backlash, if the formula wasn't deactivated, the user would very likely be in mortal danger.
As night fell outside, Kakashi set down his pen under the lamplight, frowning silently at the intricate formula designs he had been mapping out.
To use the Yin Seal as a reference and engineer an entirely new jutsu formula was an incredibly monumental workload.
Furthermore, it required a vast breadth of knowledge. If Kakashi were to attempt it alone, it would take an extremely long time.
"Looks like I have no choice but to wait for Jiraiya's return."
Looking at the ambiguous formula in his hands, which only existed as a vague concept, Kakashi sighed.
"After all, you are only one person, Kakashi-sama. You need companions."
"You must trust in others."
"The power of a single individual is limited, you know."
Katsuyu comforted him softly from the side.
"That's true. I've really troubled you during this time, Katsuyu-sama."
Kakashi smiled, not minding her input at all.
"I am very happy to be of assistance. It's rare to have such an interesting time."
Katsuyu replied quietly.
"Alright, it's getting late. I should head out. It's been a while since I went home."
Kakashi stood up, intending to leave the Senju library and check on his house first.
After all, he had been away for so long. Even if Hikari didn't say anything, she was definitely worried about him.
"In that case, until next time, Kakashi-sama."
Katsuyu said tenderly. A puff of smoke rose, and with a soft poof, she disappeared.
Looking at the spot where Katsuyu had vanished, Kakashi smiled, then made his way home under the moonlight.
Land of Water
Hidden Mist Village
Mizukage Building
Late into the night, the lights in the Mizukage's office were still on.
Obito Uchiha sat on the Mizukage's throne, reading the intelligence report White Zetsu had gathered.
Naturally, the movements in the Land of Fire couldn't be hidden from him.
Although he was surprised that Kakashi had usurped the authority of the Fire Daimyō—a transgression far beyond a ninja's bottom line—Obito didn't actually care.
His views aligned perfectly with Kakashi's.
Daimyō?
What exactly was that?
Instead, it was Kakashi's subsequent actions that made him suspicious.
Why vigorously develop industries completely unrelated to ninja?
Obito was obviously aware of this thing called "technology," but in his eyes, so-called technology was nothing more than tools ordinary people used to fight other ordinary people.
Against a ninja, it couldn't withstand a single blow.
Rather than focusing on improving his own strength or fortifying Konoha's military power, what benefit was there in doing this?
As expected...
Trash will always be trash.
Does he still not understand that personal strength is everything?
Obito tossed the intelligence report aside and leaned back into the Mizukage's seat.
He already had his answer.
Since Kakashi had stolen the Daimyō's authority, he naturally had to fulfill the Daimyō's obligations.
Eliminating violence, ensuring peace, and protecting the citizens.
In Obito's view, Konoha ninja ruthlessly hunting down wandering rogue ninja, bandits, and thieves across the country was simply fulfilling those obligations.
And the development of those irrelevant industries was merely to provide ordinary people with employment opportunities.
As for what they ultimately produced?
It was just a pile of iron lumps. A single squad of ninja could effortlessly destroy them.
The investment and the return were completely disproportionate.
Although a subconscious thought nagged at him—suggesting these "iron lumps" might have another purpose—Obito didn't take it to heart.
Right now, he only wanted to increase his own strength as quickly as possible.
His brief clash with Kakashi last time had birthed a sense of urgency in his heart.
Compared to the Night of the Nine-Tails seven years ago, his strength hadn't grown at all.
Conversely, after losing the Sharingan, Kakashi's power had skyrocketed at a terrifying pace.
This made Obito extremely resentful.
The way he saw it, Kakashi only achieved his massive reputation because of the eye he had given him.
But looking at it now, was his Sharingan actually holding Kakashi back all this time?
The indignation and resentment in his heart, coupled with Kakashi's explosive growth in power, drove Obito to seek out any and all methods to boost his own strength.
Beyond that...
A dark shadow pooled in Obito's eyes.
The eye that had replaced his own.
It made him exceptionally uncomfortable.
Every time he had met its gaze during their last fight, Obito had felt a strange sensation wash over him.
It made him want to gouge out Kakashi's new eye.
"What are you thinking about?"
A voice echoed from behind him.
It was Zetsu.
Obito had long grown accustomed to Zetsu's elusive appearances.
"What else? That guy Kakashi is neglecting his true calling. Naturally, I won't make the same mistake."
"How is the task I gave you?"
Obito's words stirred a slight sense of unease within Zetsu.
Tracking the actions of the newly appointed Fifth Hokage revealed that everything Kakashi did carried an incredibly strong purpose.
Zetsu absolutely refused to believe that everything Kakashi was doing in the Land of Fire right now was purely for fun.
But looking at Obito, who was desperately searching for any way to grow stronger, Zetsu could only suppress his anxiety. He reached out and handed Obito a scroll.
"This is the Second Mizukage's Steaming Danger Tyranny. Once you master this jutsu, you can use it to attack enemies even while your body is intangible."
Accepting the scroll, Obito looked very satisfied.
Possessing Wood Style, he naturally had both Water Style and Earth Style chakra.
And this Steaming Danger Tyranny was the famous signature Water Style of the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki.
Known for its infinite explosions.
"Although Gengetsu Hōzuki's technique can cover your inability to attack while intangible, the water-and-oil clone created by your Steaming Danger Tyranny will never possess the same level of destructive power as Gengetsu's."
Hearing Zetsu's words, Obito felt a flash of displeasure.
What did he mean, 'never possess the same level as Gengetsu Hōzuki'?
He was 'Madara Uchiha'!
"Gengetsu Hōzuki used it in coordination with the Giant Clam. The mirages created by the Giant Clam not only concealed his actual body but also hid the water-and-oil clone."
"Without the mirage, the Steaming Danger Tyranny clone runs the risk of being unraveled by the enemy."
Obito frowned slightly at Zetsu's explanation.
So, Gengetsu Hōzuki's Giant Clam was the core of it all?
"Then what should I do?"
Obito stared at the Steaming Danger Tyranny scroll in his hands, feeling conflicted.
"You should still practice it. At worst, we'll just have to find another way to further enhance your strength."
Zetsu offered a helpful reminder.
However, Obito was entirely unsatisfied with Zetsu's words.
From the moment he awakened Kamui, his strength had practically shot straight into the heavens.
Relying on Kamui's power, he could effortlessly crush ninety-eight percent of the Shinobi World.
Obito wanted a faster, more effortless way to grow stronger.
Not this method of painstakingly mastering a brand-new jutsu, little by little, like an ordinary ninja.
Otherwise, wouldn't he, someone who possessed Kamui, be no different from that bowl-cut idiot, Might Guy?
————
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