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Although Kagaya had no intention of using Izanagi or Izanami, since neither technique required traditional learning—only memorization of the activation method—he still spent a little time committing both to memory.
After that, Kagaya looked at the other techniques. A few others caught his interest: the Eight Gates Released Formation, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, and the Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness.
Biting off more than one can chew is unwise. Kagaya was no ninjutsu genius; he couldn't even handle learning the Flying Thunder God yet, let alone so many other techniques. Therefore, he planned to pick just one to learn.
First, he ruled out Bringer-of-Darkness. While it was powerful, Kagaya, possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan, wasn't lacking in the genjutsu department. Furthermore, he wasn't a genjutsu prodigy, so there was no need for him to learn overly complex illusions.
Next was the Eight Gates Released Formation. Kagaya was quite interested in this one, but it required an excessively long training period. Moreover, for someone like Kagaya, who possessed the dual Mangekyō Sharingan and Susano'o, the benefits of the Eight Gates weren't particularly pronounced. Unless one opened the Eighth Gate, but Kagaya had no death wish. Besides, he didn't even know if he could train himself to the point of opening the Eighth Gate.
Finally, only the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags technique remained. This ninjutsu was also invented by the Second Hokage, Tobirama. It was classified as an S-Rank Forbidden Technique. In principle, it was a type of summoning technique. Using just a single explosive tag, it could infinitely summon more explosive tags to a single point, creating an endless, continuous chain of explosions!
The terror of this technique lay in the word "infinite." Let's be honest, can the power of a single explosive tag kill someone? Even someone with Kagaya's relatively low defense could probably survive a single tag, maybe even clinging to a last breath.
So, the power of an individual explosive tag really isn't that great in the shinobi world. But when you add the word "infinite," everything changes. In the original story, Konan's 600 billion paper bombs forced Obito to use Izanagi just to survive. If it were truly infinite, Obito would likely have been finished right there by Konan.
This was an immensely powerful ninjutsu! Unless the target was completely blown to bits, the technique would keep summoning explosive tags and detonating them endlessly.
The reason this technique was classified as forbidden was due to its excessive power, prolonged duration, and massive area of effect. Once activated, even the user themself would be caught in the explosion with no chance of survival.
For a technique like this, which involved the infinite summoning and detonation of explosive tags, even the current Kagaya wasn't confident he could escape the blast radius in time. Therefore, this technique was essentially a mutual destruction, suicide attack.
It was originally developed to be used in conjunction with the Impure World Reincarnation, as the reanimated bodies fear no death. Thus, this tremendously powerful technique, combined with Impure World Reincarnation, became an utterly terrifying weapon.
However, this technique should also be compatible with another technique – the Flying Thunder God!
Kagaya's current Body Flicker technique might not guarantee escape from the blast radius, but the Flying Thunder God certainly could!
This is the one!
Kagaya had chosen his technique. Once mastered, it would solve Kagaya's problem of lacking offensive power. Even a Tailed Beast would fare poorly under the bombardment of "infinite" explosive tags.
But before starting his training, there was one more thing to do.
"Haku!"
"Hmm? What is it, Kagaya?"
Haku looked at Kagaya curiously. Just moments ago, Kagaya had been engrossed in the Scroll of Seals, so Haku hadn't disturbed him and had been carefully keeping watch on their surroundings.
Kagaya waved Haku over.
"Come here, take a look at this."
"Okay."
Haku obediently walked to Kagaya's side. Kagaya pointed to the "Bringer-of-Darkness" entry on the scroll and spoke to Haku.
"I want you to learn this technique."
Kagaya intended for Haku to master Bringer-of-Darkness. With his Mangekyō, Kagaya wasn't short on genjutsu, but Haku was different; he didn't know any illusions at all. Kagaya felt that having at least one genjutsu in one's arsenal was necessary!
Haku, of course, wouldn't refuse Kagaya's request. He agreed immediately, promising he would definitely learn the technique.
Following that, the two of them began their training right there. After all, neither had pressing matters, and the planned invasion of Konoha hadn't commenced yet.
Although Kagaya knew Konoha would undoubtedly send people to pursue him, and he knew that staying in one place for too long would lead to discovery, did he have any reason to flee?
No, he did not. He was no longer the weak Kagaya of the past. The current him feared no one in the present shinobi world! The reason he had avoided fighting the Third earlier was simply because Kagaya couldn't be bothered to get entangled with him; he wanted to study the contents of the Scroll of Seals as quickly as possible, hence the retreat.
Now that Kagaya had time to practice the techniques from the scroll, he naturally wouldn't waste time running.
If the Third Hokage himself came chasing, Kagaya would, at worst, just shake him off again and find another place to train. This wasn't out of fear of the Third, but primarily because if a fight broke out, Kagaya had no confidence in single-handedly defeating the Third Hokage. In the end, it would be a time-consuming and strenuous effort with little to show for it. What was the point? It was better to just lose the Third from the start and free up time to practice the contents of the Scroll of Seals.
Of course, if ANBU or some regular Jōnin were to track him down, there would be no need to run. Kagaya could simply eliminate them.
However, Kagaya wouldn't have imagined that the person who would soon find him would be that man.
The Third Hokage handed a single kunai to the man before him.
"Kakashi, this is a kunai that Kagaya left behind last night. It should still carry his scent."
Kakashi nodded and quickly formed hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, a small yellow dog wearing a Konoha forehead protector appeared. Kakashi addressed it.
"Pakkun, smell this kunai. Memorize the unfamiliar scent on it, then find him!"
Pakkun looked at the serious expressions on Kakashi's and the Third's faces and understood the gravity of the situation. He trotted over to the kunai and sniffed it.
"Got it. Start looking now?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Yes!"
"Right!"
Pakkun acknowledged and leaped out the window, following the scent trail.
Kakashi walked to the window, about to follow Pakkun, when the Third suddenly spoke.
"Kakashi, I'm counting on you regarding Kagaya. The Scroll of Seals is crucial. But... I failed that child. Please, don't harm him. Just retrieve the scroll!"
Kakashi turned his head slightly. In his memory, the image of that silent young boy reporting to him for the first time surfaced once more. That kid... was his student! The only group of students so far who had passed his test. How could he possibly...
"Lord Third, please rest assured. That child... is my student!"
The Third was slightly taken aback. He noticed something in Kakashi's words – the absence of the word "former."
"He's not... formerly your student?"
Kakashi smiled faintly. That child had truly suffered a bitter lot. His background was, somewhat surprisingly, similar to Kakashi's own.
"He was, he is, and he will be! He will always be my student! A student personally acknowledged by me, Hatake Kakashi!"
In that child, Kakashi seemed to see his former self: the death of his father, the deaths of Obito and Rin (or in Kagaya's case, Daisuke and Genji), and finally, the death of his sensei (Minato for Kakashi, Shisui for Kagaya).
Back then, Kakashi had become the coldest, most ruthless killer in the ANBU. Kagaya, on the other hand, had become a missing-nin. Similar experiences, different outcomes.
But Kakashi knew that such a way of life was painful and wrong. This time...
'I will try my best bring you back to the right path, Kagaya!'
Kakashi hadn't spent much time with Kagaya, but their life experiences were too similar. Because of this, after Shisui's death, Kakashi was perhaps one of the only two people who could understand Kagaya's pain. The other was Itachi.
Only by understanding that pain could one realize how much profound sadness and helplessness, and even immense hatred, lay behind what most people simply saw as an act of betrayal!