Minato understood this eagerness to prove oneself and the hunger for power; after all, he had also experienced a stage of desperate need for strength when he learned that Kushina would take on the heavy responsibility of being the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
But he knew even better that this kind of unbalanced obsession, driven by anxiety and a certain self-denial, was like a bowstring drawn too tight. It might burst with incredible tension in the short term, but it was extremely prone to snapping suddenly at an unforeseen moment, causing self-injury or even leading one astray.
Minato Namikaze looked at Kakashi's current state and knew that this student had already locked himself into a narrow cage called "becoming stronger."
Minato sighed softly in his heart and suddenly spoke, his tone still level. "Kakashi, I've noticed you've been trying to develop a new Lightning Release Ninjutsu lately, haven't you?"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, not denying it.
These days, whenever there was a brief moment of respite between missions, he would walk to a slightly distant place alone, open his palm, and try to condense, compress, and give the Lightning-natured Chakra a specific form and oscillating frequency.
That piercing, noisy prototype sound, like a thousand birds chirping together—the members of Team Ten had more or less seen or heard it, so there was nothing to hide.
The conception of this Ninjutsu didn't just start this month.
As early as the beginning of last year, when he heard that Higashino Shinichi had demonstrated his independently developed, hand-seal-less A-rank Ninjutsu, the Rasengan, in front of the entire faculty, student body, and the Third Hokage at the Ninja Academy's opening ceremony.
A strong sense of unwillingness and competitiveness grew wildly in his heart like weeds.
That guy who had once defeated him in a practical combat session at the Ninja Academy not only surpassed him in Taijutsu and Kenjutsu but had even reached such a cutting-edge level in Ninjutsu development?
The refusal to lose, along with the thirst for great power, prompted an idea—he would also develop a powerful Ninjutsu of his own, one that would absolutely not be inferior to the Rasengan!
Over the past year, in the gaps between missions and during late-night solitary cultivation, this thought had never been extinguished. There were countless conceptions, attempts, failures, and readjustments... but the progress was always unsatisfactory, and he always seemed to be separated from completion by a thin, unbreakable layer of paper.
Seeing Kakashi admit it, Minato took two steps closer. His voice remained gentle but carried a bit more seriousness. "Although I'm not particularly specialized in Lightning Release, as an observer, I can roughly see the direction of your technique. It's meant to stimulate and envelop the meridians and cells of the arms and even the legs through highly condensed and activated Lightning-natured Chakra. Theoretically, once this technique is successful, it will grant the user extreme charging speed and piercing power, right?"
Kakashi's eyes flickered slightly as he nodded, though he was incredibly surprised in his heart.
Minato-sensei was actually able to deduce the core principles of the technique almost perfectly just by observing his scattered practice sessions.
"It's a very impressive idea, utilizing the activation and stimulation characteristics of Lightning Release to the extreme, pursuing ultimate speed and penetration." Minato first gave his affirmation, but then his tone shifted, becoming exceptionally serious. "However, Kakashi, have you considered this? This kind of technique that pushes speed to the limit is an extremely dangerous double-edged sword. The first and biggest problem it brings is not the Fusion of Shape Transformation or Nature Transformation—I believe that with your talent, you can solve those given time. Its true difficulty lies in..."
He paused and said word by word, "Can your Reflexes keep up with that kind of speed? Can your Dynamic Vision and Battlefield Insight still accurately lock onto targets, distinguish friend from foe, and avoid obstacles at such high speeds?"
"Otherwise, even if you successfully perform this technique and possess speed beyond the enemy's reaction limit, what might the result be? The enemy indeed won't be able to react, but you might not be able to react either."
"You will be like a Kunai that has been thrown but is out of control, unable to make precise tactical choices in the blink of an eye. The result could very well be mutual destruction with the enemy, or crashing headlong into a lethal trap or accidentally injuring a companion."
These words were like cold water being poured over his head, causing Kakashi, who was immersed in the pursuit of ultimate "speed" and "penetration," to shudder.
It wasn't that Kakashi hadn't realized this problem before, but it was far from being analyzed as clearly and directly as Minato had done, striking right at the core issue.
He had been obsessing over how to make the Lightning Release more condensed, more violent, the speed faster, and the penetration stronger, but he had ignored whether he could handle that speed.
Seeing the realization and solemnity flashing in Kakashi's eyes, that reassuringly gentle smile reappeared on Minato's face. He pointed to his own eyes.
"Coincidentally, Kakashi, regarding reflex speed, Dynamic Vision capture, and situational awareness in high-speed combat, I, your teacher, have accumulated a bit of insight and experience."
"So, how about this? Kakashi."
Minato continued naturally, as if merely proposing a simple suggestion.
"When we gather for the meal later, we can eat and talk about your technique, as well as the topics of reaction and control. Perhaps you'll find your direction faster than practicing alone in silence."
After saying that, Minato spoke no more, just quietly watching Kakashi, patiently waiting for his decision.
Beside them, Rin Nohara clasped her hands in front of her, a gentle expectation on her face. She carefully observed Kakashi's reaction, afraid to make a sound and disturb this delicate atmosphere. Although Uchiha Obito still looked a bit huffy, he also uncharacteristically kept his mouth shut.
Time seemed to stretch for a few seconds.
Kakashi could feel the gazes of the three on him. There was concern, expectation, and perhaps some of that guy Obito's lingering annoyance, but more than anything, there was Minato-sensei's calm waiting.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze finally meeting Minato Namikaze's blue eyes, which seemed capable of encompassing everything yet remained clear and firm.
In that gaze, he saw no pressure or lecturing, only a profound understanding and support.
Seemingly touched by this gaze, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"I understand, Minato-sensei."
Naturally, under Minato Namikaze's clever and subtle guidance, the entire Team Seven finally walked into the now bustling Aji no Takumi Restaurant together.
As the protagonist mentioned by Team Seven, Higashino Shinichi had no idea that because of his existence and actions, Kakashi had the idea of developing Chidori early, much less that Minato Namikaze was also involved.
At this time, he was learning what Tsunade had taught him—Monstrous Strength!