Free Labor

After registering, Shin-getsu didn't leave immediately. Instead, he seized the last bit of time to flip through a few more pages of Lightning Release basics.

He only left the archives when time was up.

As soon as he stepped out, a lazy voice came from the side.

"What did you choose?"

Shin-getsu turned his head.

Leaning against the wall, Kakashi stood there, holding a small, racy book.

Silver hair, mask, eyes half-open.

He looked like he was just passing by.

But Shin-getsu certainly didn't believe it.

"Senior Kakashi."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Are you here to spy on me?"

Kakashi closed the book.

"Spy is too harsh a word."

"The Hokage asked me to see if you were causing trouble along the way."

Shin-getsu said calmly, "Does me going to the archives to read count as causing trouble?"

Kakashi thought for a moment.

"If it's you, it might."

The corner of Shin-getsu's mouth twitched.

"Then what did you find out?"

Kakashi walked over, his gaze falling on the scroll in his hand.

"Lightning Release?"

"Mm."

"Earth Flash?"

"Mm."

A hint of surprise flashed in Kakashi's eyes.

"A good choice."

"Not continuing with Fire Style shows you know what you're lacking."

Shin-getsu asked, "Do you know Lightning Release too?"

Kakashi looked at him.

After a second of silence.

"A little."

Shin-getsu scoffed inwardly.

A little?

You developed Chidori, and you call this knowing a little.

However, he didn't show it on the surface, only asking:

"Then can you teach me, Senior Kakashi?"

Kakashi was taken aback.

"You're quite bold."

Shin-getsu said calmly, "Since you were sent by the Hokage to watch me, you can't just stand there and watch."

Kakashi's expression was subtle.

"Are you trying to milk the Hokage for resources?"

Shin-getsu corrected him, "This is making reasonable use of village resources."

Kakashi looked at him.

After a moment, he suddenly smiled.

"You little brat, you're more interesting than the average Uchiha."

"But why should I teach you?"

Shin-getsu said, "Because if I practice Lightning Release myself and get injured by the backlash, the compensation the Hokage gave me will become a new joke."

Kakashi: "..."

That reason was hard to refute.

Shin-getsu continued, "Besides, you teaching me is the perfect way to keep an eye on me."

"Isn't that exactly what the Hokage wants?"

Kakashi fell silent.

This child was far too direct.

So direct that sometimes he didn't even know how to respond.

Yet, every word he spoke was perfectly logical.

The Hokage had asked him to keep watch over Shin-getsu.

If he were to just monitor him from afar, it would only serve to provoke the Uchiha's resentment.

Approaching him under the guise of instruction was, indeed, far more natural.

Furthermore, Kakashi himself was a bit curious.

He wanted to see what this nine-year-old, who had awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and turned a probe from Root into evidence against them, was actually like when training in ninjutsu.

"Fine."

Kakashi tucked his orange book into his ninja pouch.

"But I will only teach you the basics."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"That's enough."

Kakashi glanced at their surroundings.

"This isn't a convenient place. Let's go to Training Ground 3."

Shin-getsu did not refuse.

The two made their way toward Training Ground 3.

Along the way, Shin-getsu could feel several gazes sweeping over them from the shadows.

There were Anbu.

There were also members of the Uchiha Police Force.

And perhaps, even Root.

He did not show any signs of abnormality.

However, Kakashi suddenly spoke up:

"You are being watched by many people right now."

Shin-getsu replied, "I know."

"And you're still this calm knowing that?"

"Does panicking help?"

Kakashi took a look at him.

"It does not."

Shin-getsu said indifferently, "Then I shall not panic."

Kakashi said nothing more.

Training Ground 3.

It was currently deserted.

Kakashi stood in the center of the clearing and held out his right hand.

"Lightning Release is different from Fire Style."

"Fire Style emphasizes the combustion and expulsion of chakra."

"Lightning Release, however, focuses more on the sharpness and activity of nature transformation."

As he spoke, a faint arc of electricity flickered in his palm.

Zzzzt.

Blue-white sparks danced at his fingertips.

"When first learning Lightning Release, it is easy to make two mistakes."

"First, converting chakra too violently, which damages your meridians."

"Second, unstable external projection; you end up shocking yourself numb before the technique is even released."

Shin-getsu listened intently.

Kakashi glanced at him.

"You have the Sharingan, so you can observe the flow of chakra."

"Activate it."

Shin-getsu did not hesitate.

His Two-Tomoe Sharingan emerged.

Within the scarlet pupils, two tomoe slowly rotated.

Seeing those eyes, Kakashi felt a complex mix of emotions.

The Sharingan beneath his own left eye had been a gift from Obito.

Yet, the eyes of this Uchiha child before him had been forced out by the constant threat of death.

In a sense, their fates had both been altered by these very eyes.

"Watch my hand."

Kakashi said.

Shin-getsu stared at his palm.

Through the vision of his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, the flow of Kakashi's chakra became clear.

Chakra flowed from the meridians of his arm into his palm.

Then, it split into tiny, active currents at his fingertips.

The intensity of every arc was controlled with extreme stability.

There was no excess leakage.

There was no backlash.

It was like a precisely woven net of lightning.

Kakashi asked, "Did you see it clearly?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

"The chakra is concentrated first, then split into fine streams."

"It isn't a single, explosive burst."

A flash of approval crossed Kakashi's eyes.

"Not bad."

"Many beginners couldn't see that even after watching ten times."

Shin-getsu said calmly, "I have the Sharingan."

Kakashi replied, "The Sharingan is merely a tool."

"Whether you can understand it is a different matter."

He retracted the arc from his palm.

"You try."

Shin-getsu extended his right hand.

He did not rush to form hand seals, but instead began to mobilize the chakra within his body.

Fire Style chakra felt more natural to him.

Lightning Release, however, felt like a sharper, more restless power.

The moment he guided it to his palm, a slight stinging sensation pricked his fingertips.

Shin-getsu frowned slightly.

Kakashi reminded him, "Don't rush."

"Lightning Release cannot be pushed out in one breath like Fire Style."

"First, let the chakra become active."

Shin-getsu nodded.

He closed his eyes and, utilizing the [Chakra Control] trait, compressed the chakra in his palm.

A sliver of blue-white arc slowly appeared.

It was very thin.

Like a thread about to snap.

But it had appeared.

Kakashi's eyes flickered.

He could manifest a Lightning Release arc on his first attempt?

This talent was truly impressive.

However, the next second, the arc in Shin-getsu's palm suddenly began to jump erratically.

Zzzzt!

His right hand went violently numb.

The chakra dispersed instantly.

Shin-getsu's face paled slightly.

Kakashi spoke, "You felt it?"

"The Lightning Release is disobedient."

Shin-getsu looked at his own palm.

His fingertips were still a little numb.

"Again."

Kakashi nodded.

"Go ahead."

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Shin-getsu repeatedly tried to condense lightning-attribute chakra.

Failure.

Loss of control.

Numbness.

Failure again.

Readjustment.

Kakashi didn't rush to correct too much.

He could see that Shin-getsu's learning speed was very fast.

After each failure, he would immediately correct a small mistake.

This self-correction ability was more terrifying than mere talent.

Half an hour later, a small ball of electric arcs finally appeared stably in Shin-getsu's palm.

It was weak, but stable.

Kakashi nodded.

"That's all for today."

Shin-getsu looked up.

"I can continue."

Kakashi refused directly.

"No."

"Your body hasn't recovered yet."

"If you keep training, your meridians will be damaged."

Shin-getsu fell silent for a moment and withdrew his hand.

He wasn't reckless.

Sometimes, pushing oneself to the limit was necessary.

But meaningless overexertion would only affect future growth.

Seeing that he wasn't forcing himself, Kakashi's eyes showed a bit more approval.

"You're more rational than I imagined."

Shin-getsu said, "Only by living can one become stronger."

Kakashi said softly, "Many people realize this too late."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Are you talking about yourself?"

Kakashi paused.

His gaze became somewhat heavy for an instant.

But it quickly returned to its usual lazy demeanor.

"You little brat, you ask too many questions."

Shin-getsu didn't press further.

He knew Kakashi bore too many scars.

White Fang.

Obito.

Rin.

Minato.

The Nine-Tails Incident.

The current Kakashi might appear lethargic, but in reality, he had long been suffocated by the weight of his past.

It was not that such a person could not be influenced.

It was simply that the time was not yet right.

To rush and poke at his wounds now would only prove counterproductive.