Kakashi stood in the center of his basement lab again, arms folded, eyes calm. The scroll labeled 'Chimera Technique: Synthesis Core Seal-Final Prototype' sat open before him.
Everything he had worked on, Kabuto's medical notes, Orochimaru's early blueprints, his own refinements, had led to this.
But this time, he wasn't testing on a fragment of a bloodline.
This time, he would once again test it on the healing enzyme extracted from Katsuyu, Tsunade's own summon, and see how it would go.
He glanced down at his right palm. A small ritual circle drawn in black ink lay ready. The sealing script around it shimmered slightly, responding to his chakra.
"This is it," Kakashi said softly.
He placed the vial at the center of the circle. It contained Katsuyu's purified healing enzyme, an essence of vitality and regeneration.
With a slow breath, he activated the Synthesis Seal for the first time.
Red chakra pulsed beneath his skin.
Symbols flared to life on the scroll. His body reacted at once, and something shifted deep inside him. From the base of his palm, a sharp burning sensation spread. The chakra carved itself into his skin, spiky, angular, like a jagged diamond.
A crimson mark, deep, precise, and alive, etched itself into the skin of his palm. It glowed red as if it were forged in flame.
He hissed slightly at the pain but didn't stop.
Soon, the Chimera Technique was activated.
The diamond rotated.
The enzyme floated into the seal and began to dissolve. Not violently but it looked like it was being welcomed. Kakashi's chakra wrapped around it, breaking it down, examining every particle, every genetic code.
Then it flowed into him.
He staggered back as warmth spread through his chest. His muscles tightened, then relaxed. The aches in his joints faded. His chakra surged, not wildly, but steadily like a river widening its path. He didn't just feel stronger, he felt… clearer.
His cells were healing faster. His breath was deeper. Every wound, even the small scars on his hand from years of kunai or sword practice, began to fade.
It worked.
No side effects. No pain. No mental disruption.
He looked down at the red diamond seal in his palm. It rotated slowly, glowing faintly.
He had succeeded.
For a few minutes, Kakashi stood in silence. He flexed his hand. The chakra in his body moved cleaner than ever. When he focused, he could feel the Katsuyu traits now part of him, cellular regeneration, vitality storage, and enhanced chakra recovery.
He moved upstairs.
Anko was tossing a kunai in the air while Tsunade sat at the table with Kurenai, drinking tea. When they saw him, all three women froze.
"…You good?" Anko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You used the seal, didn't you?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
Kakashi nodded and raised his hand.
The red, spiky diamond spun once and glowed lightly.
"Whoa…" Anko stood up slowly.
"That wasn't there before. What is it?" Kurenai walked over, taking his hand gently.
"The perfected Chimera Seal," Kakashi answered. "It's alive now. Rotates when I activate it. First test… successful."
"You used Katsuyu's enzyme?" Tsunade stood up slowly and walked to him.
"Yes. Full synthesis," Kakashi said. "No side effects. My healing rate increased, chakra recovery enhanced, and I could feel the regenerative ability flowing into my natural reserves. It's permanent."
She looked stunned.
"You did it." Kurenai smiled.
"I… really did," he whispered.
"You branded yourself with it?" Anko leaned in, peering at the glowing seal.
"It formed on its own during the activation. A living seal now. Part of me." Kakashi said.
"Then it's not a curse mark. It's a masterpiece." Tsunade finally let herself smile.
Kakashi exhaled and walked over to the scroll he'd left on the table.
"I'm going to rename it," he said. "It's no longer the Chimera Technique. That was Hiruko's version. This is something else."
"What will you call it?" Kurenai asked.
He looked down at the red diamond pulsing in his palm.
"…The Genesis Seal."
…..
Over the next few days, the news remained a secret among the four of them.
Kakashi tested his new body in private.
He would cut his hand lightly and watch the wound close within seconds. He would meditate and notice his chakra recovering twice as fast. Sleep no longer exhausted him like before. The healing enzymes were now fully active in his system.
But the most surprising part was his chakra control.
With every passing hour, it became sharper, like the body was adjusting to the new balance. His precision with seals improved, and his stamina during jutsu surged.
He even tried activating the Genesis Seal again.
When he focused, the red diamond rotated fast, and he could feel the regenerative chakra layer burst to life. He imagined that if he ever added more bloodline traits, the seal would evolve again, growing stronger with each synthesis.
The design wasn't just powerful. It was scalable.
Tsunade joined him in the lab one evening.
She crossed her arms, watching him train with one hand glowing red.
"You created something insane," she said. "You sure it won't break you one day?"
Kakashi shook his head. "It's not like Hiruko's. I designed it to balance the chakra, not corrupt it. If I go too far, the seal will shut itself down. I made sure."
"Still… no more solo testing. We're with you now. All of us." Tsunade said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
He smiled and nodded.
That night, Kurenai made dinner for all four of them. Anko brought sake. Tsunade made sure Kakashi didn't sneak back into the lab.
They talked, laughed, and celebrated.
Kakashi smiled as he looked at the three women around him, his partners, his team, his family. As for the other five brats that had made his home theirs, they had gone out to eat.
Sasuke's pockets were becoming thinner due to Naruto dragging him out to eat, and making him pay for all of it.