Arata thought for a moment.
Kakashi was right — his sensory ability had become far stronger than he'd realized.
But to him, it no longer felt special. He'd grown used to it.
"Fighting purely by sensing chakra… that'll take some getting used to," he admitted.
Though Arata's perception was extraordinary, he'd never relied on it as his main weapon — only as an auxiliary tool while using the Chidori.
And now that he'd refined Chidori Sharp Spear and Chidori Senbon, the base Chidori no longer felt practical.
Close-quarters attacks were inefficient and risky — one mistake, and the enemy could counter before he struck.
Kakashi crossed his arms.
"Then train it. You've got a gift, Arata — it'd be a waste not to refine it."
Arata considered this carefully.
If he was ever to face monsters wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan or even the Rinnegan, mastering perception could be the key to survival.
The Sharingan was, after all, one of this world's most powerful bloodline limits — the eye that had shaped entire wars.
The Fourth Great Ninja War itself had been caused by those who possessed the Sharingan, the Rinnegan, and even the Rinne-Sharingan.
Arata had no such eyes, and never would.
His path had to be different — like Naruto's: through sheer chakra, instinct, and mastery of ninjutsu.
He didn't have the Sage of Six Paths' power.
But he believed that when that time came, he would not stand beneath Naruto — only beside him.
He trusted his system.
"I will, Sensei," Arata said at last. "But for now, keep teaching me more elemental techniques."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask.
"That's what I like about you — no pointless attitude, no wild detours. Just steady focus."
And so they trained beside the lake until night fell.
For hours, the clearing echoed with bursts of wind, flame, and water.
By the end, Kakashi's chakra was nearly depleted.
Some of the techniques demanded demonstrations, and Arata's learning speed was nothing short of terrifying — he grasped every principle on the first explanation, sometimes after a single display.
In just a few hours, he had mastered over a dozen A- and B-rank elemental jutsu.
Had Kakashi been forced to demonstrate them all, he'd have collapsed halfway through; even a jonin's reserves couldn't handle that.
Yet when they finally packed up and started walking home, Arata looked perfectly fine.
"You're not tired at all?" Kakashi asked incredulously.
Arata smiled.
"Not really."
"You just fired off more than ten high-level jutsu. That should've drained most of your chakra."
Arata shook his head.
"Didn't use much. My chakra recovers quickly."
That was an understatement.
It was one of his greatest hidden strengths — his extraordinary recovery speed.
Unlike most shinobi, his chakra wasn't drawn only from his own body.
He could absorb it directly from the natural energy around him.
The air itself replenished him.
True, the surrounding energy wasn't infinite — but to sustain Arata's current Kage-level reserves, the world had more than enough to give.
After all, even Naruto had once absorbed enough natural energy to match Sasuke, who had stolen power from eight tailed beasts.
Compared to that, Arata's absorption was almost gentle.
And since natural energy constantly renewed itself, his supply was essentially endless.
The only limit was his body — it could currently contain only so much power before breaking down.
For now, that ceiling was the level of a top-tier Kage.
But that was temporary.
Because his body was growing stronger every day.
Kakashi, unaware of any of this, blinked in disbelief.
"You recover that fast?"
"Yeah," Arata replied lightly. "Even after using those three Lightning Release techniques earlier, my chakra was back before long."
Kakashi frowned, opening his Sharingan to check.
The crimson eye glowed faintly — and what he saw made him freeze.
"What the— your chakra's already at eighty percent?"
He couldn't help but mutter under his breath:
"You just unleashed more jutsu than most jonin use in a week, and it looks like you didn't even try to recover…"
Arata shrugged with an innocent smile.
"Guess I just recover quickly."
Kakashi groaned softly.
"Unbelievable… your chakra's not only greater than mine, it restores faster — and your techniques hit harder."
He sighed theatrically.
"At this rate, I'm starting to wonder who's the teacher here."
Arata chuckled.
"If a student can't surpass his teacher, Sensei… then what's the point of being a student?"
Kakashi froze, then laughed quietly.
"Heh… you've got me there."
"You're right. A teacher's job is to be surpassed. Otherwise, I'd be the one failing."
His voice softened, a note of genuine pride beneath the weariness.
"Still… it's not just anyone who could say that and mean it."
It wasn't arrogance — Kakashi was a prodigy in his own right.
If not for the trauma and years of emotional drift, he would've been far stronger than he was now.
Even so, Kage-class shinobi were rare.
Most ninja never even reached elite jōnin.
For many, chūnin was the end of their journey.
But Arata — Arata was different.
His growth wasn't just talent. It was inevitability.
Kakashi could already see it: Arata was a storm waiting to rise.
And that thought didn't make him jealous — it made him proud.
"You're right, Arata," he said softly. "Maybe it's not about comparison. It's about continuation."
Arata grinned.
"Still, I'm lucky to have a teacher like you. You've set the bar high, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi shook his head but couldn't hide the warmth in his voice.
"Flattery from your own student hits different, you know that?"
Arata laughed.
"Come on," Kakashi said after a moment, glancing toward the forest. "Let's check on Naruto and Sasuke's progress."
"Their potential's enormous — both of them carry incredible power inside."
Arata nodded.
"Yeah. Once they learn to control it, their growth will explode."
Kakashi's single visible eye curved into a knowing smile.
"Exactly. Sakura's chakra control is excellent, but her reserves are limited. Naruto and Sasuke, though — their chakra is colossal. Once they master it…"
He trailed off.
"Their paths will be unstoppable — even if they eventually diverge."
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