Chidori Current had originally been the name of Kakashi's technique.
Although the one who truly named and popularized it hadn't even been born yet.
But Natsuhiko obviously didn't care about that.
Techniques were dead; people were alive.
He was merely offering a suggestion.
Whether Kakashi chose to use it was none of his concern.
An opinion wasn't the same as a command.
Still, Kakashi seemed quite taken with the name Natsuhiko suggested.
Natsuhiko figured the technique's name probably wouldn't change.
But that was a minor matter.
Both he and Kakashi had more important things to deal with.
For example, Kakashi clearly understood that their mission allowed more than half a month to complete.
If it turned out to be troublesome, they could even extend the time a bit.
As it stood, they had finished in less than a week.
With so much time remaining, why not use it to refine his new technique?
As for Natsuhiko, he needed time even more.
The summoning beast he had just subdued couldn't immediately become combat power.
It required communication—negotiation.
How long that would take, Kakashi had no idea.
After all, summoning beasts had never caused him trouble.
His own summons were ninja hounds.
They excelled at reconnaissance, but didn't offer much direct assistance in battle.
Perhaps that was why he had a good relationship with them.
There were no conflicts.
Natsuhiko's case was clearly different.
A summoning beast subdued through force?
It would be strange if it obediently behaved.
I hope Captain can settle that trouble smoothly, Kakashi thought.
As for Natsuhiko, he didn't think communicating with Lizardmaru would be overly difficult.
But he also had no intention of returning too soon.
After all, handling this properly required time.
And beyond that—
He was waiting for his "seed" to mature further.
After a week, the maturity of his sealing technique seed had reached about 22 percent.
If he could drag this out for half a month—or even slightly longer—
He was confident it could exceed 50 percent.
Beginner-level seeds didn't take too long to grow.
Especially if he focused on cultivating them.
But once they reached intermediate level, the required time increased geometrically.
One might be manageable.
Several at once would be overwhelming.
And as for high-level seeds—
Well, looking at himself now was proof enough.
If only this mission had a full month… Natsuhiko thought to himself.
But that was just wishful thinking.
ANBU had strict operational rules.
As a veteran with more than five years of service, he had no intention of violating them.
Besides—
They had caused an enormous commotion.
An entire towering castle had vanished without a trace.
And this had happened within the Land of Fire.
If Konoha's ninja didn't investigate, that would be far more unbelievable.
...
"Chidori Current!"
In the forest, Kakashi clasped his left hand over his right wrist.
His right hand pointed downward.
Brilliant blue lightning arcs burst continuously from his palm.
As he poured chakra into it, the arcs extended further and further—
Spreading more than ten meters away.
Natsuhiko stood on a nearby tree branch, watching.
He couldn't help but nod.
Kakashi's talent was truly unparalleled.
How long had it been? At most, a week since he had first used it accidentally.
And he had already mastered it to this extent?
For a moment, Natsuhiko even wondered—
Did Kakashi also have some kind of cheat ability like his own?
Use it once and fully master it—
Then deliberately take some time to make it look reasonable?
That was Natsuhiko's real situation—he had always done things this way.
Seeing Kakashi now gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Not bad," Natsuhiko said, shaking his head to clear away his wandering thoughts. He maintained a gentle smile as he jumped down from the tree. "Congratulations. You've obtained an offensive-and-defensive integrated ninjutsu—at least S-rank."
"Thanks." Kakashi's eyes curved into crescents. "If it hadn't been for that critical moment, I wouldn't have thought of using it that way. Honestly, Captain, this is partly thanks to you."
"Oh, cut it out." Natsuhiko laughed and lightly punched Kakashi's shoulder.
"Forget about me," Kakashi shrugged. "Captain, how's it going with your summoning beast?"
"Lizardmaru?" Natsuhiko's mouth twitched slightly at the name before he smiled. "You've seen it already, haven't you?"
Kakashi fell silent at that.
Seen it? Yes.
But Lizardmaru's attitude at the time had been… rather unpleasant.
A few days ago, Natsuhiko had summoned Lizardmaru, and Kakashi had been watching from the side.
The giant lizard's behavior, at least in Kakashi's eyes, was downright hostile.
It had immediately launched an attack—at him.
It didn't dare attack Natsuhiko due to the contract.
But Kakashi had no such protection.
Natsuhiko had taken advantage of the moment to leap onto the lizard's head, which only enraged it further.
The creature then bounded off into the distance in a frenzy.
Kakashi hadn't followed.
He had no intention of chasing after a potentially rampaging giant lizard.
Natsuhiko returned only in the evening.
And his expression hadn't looked great.
It was obvious—even to Kakashi—that his first attempt at negotiation had failed.
Over the next few days, Natsuhiko left early and returned late.
Occasionally, faint tremors could be felt in the distance.
Clearly, things hadn't gone smoothly.
Natsuhiko had indeed realized he had underestimated just how temperamental the lizard was.
His earlier analysis had to be reconsidered.
Fortunately, although Lizardmaru was ill-tempered, it did not dare harm its contractor.
That gave Natsuhiko considerable room to maneuver.
With safety guaranteed, he could deal with the big fellow properly.
To avoid causing trouble for nearby towns and residents, he always chose remote locations for their "talks."
Thankfully, the lizard at least honored the contract—
Even if Natsuhiko's method of signing it could only be described as shameless.
After considerable effort, the giant lizard had finally fallen in line.
With its recognition secured, Natsuhiko had added a deadly weapon to his arsenal.
But that wasn't all.
He had also discovered that the lizard clan possessed a rather useful ability.
By resonating his chakra with smaller lizards, he could understand animal speech.
While directly controlling animals might not be possible—
Being able to communicate with inconspicuous creatures was practically a nuclear weapon for intelligence gathering.
"Well, after some effort, I've reached an understanding with Lizardmaru," Natsuhiko said softly with a sigh. "You could say I've gained a reliable ally."
"In that case, congratulations, Captain," Kakashi smiled.
"Save the congratulations. I couldn't have done it without your help." Natsuhiko shook his head and patted Kakashi's shoulder.
But soon, his brows furrowed.
His gaze shifted toward the distance.
Something was coming.