Kakashi's eye widened as he watched the water dissipate. For a moment, he stood frozen, processing what he'd just witnessed.
"That's not Water Style: Water Chaos," he said finally, his tone careful.
Meian tilted his head. "I performed it exactly as you taught me. What's the issue?"
Kakashi exhaled slowly, moving closer to examine the scorched earth where the technique had impacted. "Your Water Style: Water Chaos has evolved beyond what I showed you. It's not C-rank anymore—it's solidly B-rank, possibly A-rank. At this rate..." He paused, glancing back at his young student. "We might need to retire that name entirely."
A faint smile crossed Meian's face. "It doesn't matter what we call it, does it? As long as it counters the Great Fireball Technique."
Kakashi remembered their earlier conversation and let out a wry laugh. "You already knew it would, didn't you?" He shook his head with a mixture of admiration and bewilderment. "Yes. It's more than capable of suppressing a Great Fireball now."
"Then today's lesson is done?" Meian asked, already hopeful.
"Not quite," Kakashi replied, crossing his arms. "Your progress is extraordinary. I'd planned to teach you two more ninjutsu—Lightning Style and Earth Style. With four chakra natures under your belt, you'll have a foundation most ninja take years to develop."
Meian's expression brightened. Learning three new techniques in one day was remarkable, even for a prodigy. "I wasn't expecting that."
Kakashi's eye narrowed thoughtfully. "You're advancing too quickly. Sometimes I wonder if you've somehow managed to activate a Sharingan."
Meian sighed with theatrical exasperation. "I wish it were that simple."
"The Sharingan is a kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan alone," Kakashi explained, his tone becoming instructional. "It's impossible for you to possess one naturally. And those who aren't Uchiha suffer tremendous strain trying to use one."
Meian watched as Kakashi's hand unconsciously drifted toward his covered left eye. He knew what was coming.
After a pause, Kakashi spoke quietly. "This Sharingan was given to me by a comrade. He entrusted it to me before he died."
"An Uchiha?" Meian asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes. One of my closest friends." Kakashi's voice had grown distant. The memory of Obito—and everything that followed, including the moment he'd taken Rin's life with his own hands—threatened to overwhelm him. His jaw tightened.
Meian recognized the signs of emotional pain. He quickly pivoted. "I was only joking around, sensei. Besides, whatever strength you have now is exactly what you need. Can we move on to the ninjutsu training?"
The sudden shift pulled Kakashi from his spiraling thoughts. He'd been on the verge of unburdening himself, but Meian's intervention—intentional or not—gave him an escape. He accepted it gratefully.
"Right," Kakashi said, straightening. "Before I teach you Earth Style, let me explain the fundamental theory."
For the next thirty minutes, Kakashi walked Meian through the principles of earth-based chakra manipulation: how to feel the ground beneath you, how to communicate intent through hand seals, how to channel destructive force through stone and soil. Meian absorbed it all with focused intensity.
"The technique I'm teaching you is called Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique," Kakashi announced. "It's a defensive ninjutsu—one of my specialties. Fair warning: it's B-rank. The difficulty is substantial."
Meian's eyes gleamed with interest. A B-rank technique. That was real power.
Kakashi turned to face away from him. "Watch carefully. My chakra reserves are depleted, so I can only demonstrate once."
He didn't mention that he could likely cast multiple B-rank jutsu, or even invoke Raikiri several times over. No need to reveal all his cards to a six-year-old, no matter how talented.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in concentration. His hands moved through the seal sequence with practiced precision. When the final seal locked into place, he drove both palms downward into the earth.
The ground erupted.
A massive wall of solid rock tore upward—over two meters wide, ten meters in length, five meters high. Dust billowed outward as the stone settled into place, a perfect defensive barrier.
Meian stared at it in silence. Then his gaze fixed on the elaborate carved relief covering the entire surface: dog heads. Multiple dog heads, rendered in precise detail across the stone.
"Sensei... why are there dogs on it?" Meian asked, trying to keep the amusement from his voice. "Isn't that wasting chakra?"
Kakashi blinked. "Wasting...? Those are my summons. I thought it looked good."
Meian bit the inside of his cheek to suppress a smile. "Right. Well, let me try."
"It's B-rank," Kakashi reminded him, moving to stand behind the boy. "That requires significant chakra. You just performed a high-level Water Style technique. Don't overextend yourself."
Meian was only six. Even with exceptional chakra reserves for his age, they were still limited by his small frame and physiology.
"I have enough," Meian said confidently.
What he didn't mention was the truth: his chakra was already regenerating at an impossible rate. Minutes after the Water Style technique, his reserves had nearly fully replenished. But if he told Kakashi that, it would raise questions he wasn't prepared to answer.
Quick chakra recovery wasn't normal. Most ninja took hours to recover depleted reserves naturally. That's why soldier pills were essential. Full recovery—including restoration of physical energy—required eight or more hours of rest. Only ninja with exceptional physiques recovered faster.
And Meian had no intention of revealing what his physique truly was. Not yet. Not to anyone.
Kakashi positioned himself behind Meian, ready to act if things went wrong. His body tensed, prepared for intervention.
This time, Meian's expression grew serious. B-rank jutsu operated in an entirely different tier than C-rank techniques. The chakra control required was exponentially more precise.
His hands moved in a rapid blur, fingers interlocking and flowing through the seal sequence like water finding its path.
Meian's face creased with concentration, his brow furrowing slightly. "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique!"
His palms slammed against the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave outward.
Boom! Boom!
Chakra erupted from Meian's core, a visible shimmer of energy radiating across the training field. The earth responded violently, stone tearing upward to form a massive defensive wall—over two meters wide, five meters tall, and stretching dozens of meters in length.
For a moment, Meian felt the drain acutely. The weight of channeling that much chakra pressed against him like a physical force.
He exhaled heavily, legs trembling slightly. "Finally... that's done."
His breathing was ragged. "That jutsu nearly emptied my reserves. I need more power."
At only six years old, Meian possessed chakra reserves comparable to an upper-tier Chūnin. For his age, it was extraordinary. But executing back-to-back B-rank techniques—Water Style followed by Earth Style—had pushed him to his limit. His body ached with the exertion.
Kakashi immediately moved to his side, concern flickering across his face. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"
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