The sparks had faded.
Kakashi stood in the clearing, staring at his hand. His fingers were slightly tense, as if trying to remember something that refused to exist.
Ken watched quietly for a moment.
"You're compressing lightning chakra," he said.
"…Yes."
That was all Kakashi offered.
Ken stepped closer.
"Try again."
Kakashi didn't question him. Lightning flickered into existence in his palm—wild, unstable. It crackled violently, lashing outward before collapsing seconds later.
Ken's eyes narrowed.
It's dispersing too fast.
From the palm, he thought.
That was the problem.
"Try releasing it from your fingertips," Ken said.
Kakashi glanced at him.
"…Why?"
Instead of answering, Ken raised his own hand.
A sphere of chakra formed instantly.
Perfect.
Stable.
The Rasengan spun with quiet violence, contained within invisible boundaries.
Kakashi's eyes focused on it.
He had seen it before. Minato had completed it recently—drawing inspiration from Ken's self created technique. Since Ken had played a role in its creation, Minato hadn't hidden it from him.
Ken let the Rasengan disperse.
"It's easier to shape raw chakra," he said. "Nature transformation makes it harder. Much harder."
Kakashi remained silent.
Ken picked up a small twig and pointed toward a nearby rock where dew had gathered.
"Imagine trying to hold water in your palm."
He paused, letting the image settle.
"It spreads. Slips away. Refuses shape."
He dragged the twig downward, drawing a thin vertical line.
"But when water flows downward," he continued, "it naturally forms a column."
He gestured with his hand, mimicking falling motion.
"A waterfall doesn't spread outward randomly. It narrows. It aligns with gravity. It becomes focused—not because you forced it—but because you gave it direction."
Kakashi's eye sharpened slightly.
Ken pointed at his hand.
"Lightning chakra is worse. It doesn't want to stay still. It wants to move."
He tapped Kakashi's fingertips lightly.
"If you release it from your palm, it has too many escape paths."
He lifted his own hand, fingers slightly extended.
"But from your fingertips—it has only one"
Kakashi raised his hand again.
Lightning formed.
He tried to push it outward—
It collapsed instantly.
His fingers twitched slightly.
"…It's harder," Kakashi said.
"Of course," Ken replied. "Your palm has larger, more developed tenketsu. Your fingertips are narrower, less developed, and far less stable."
Kakashi tried again.
Lightning formed in his palm.
This time, he didn't force it.
He guided it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Thin arcs extended from his fingertips.
Unstable.
Violent.
Incomplete.
But they existed.
For nearly two seconds.
Then they vanished.
Kakashi stared at his hand.
"…I see."
Not success.
But progress.
Ken nodded faintly.
"That's enough for now. Techniques like this take years."
Even Minato had needed years to complete Rasengan.
Creation wasn't instant.
Kakashi lowered his hand.
"…Why help me?" he asked suddenly.
Ken frowned, as if the answer were obvious.
"Because you're my comrade."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ken felt internal secondhand embarrassment.
God, that was cheesy.
Kakashi stared at him.
"…Comrade," he repeated quietly.
His expression didn't change.
"…Don't misunderstand," Kakashi said after a moment, turning away. "I didn't ask for help."
Ken snorted.
"Sure."
Kakashi paused briefly.
"…It was useful," he admitted.
Ken grinned.
"Of course it was."
Kakashi glanced at him once more.
Then he turned away.
"…Let's go. The exam starts soon."
He began walking.
Ken followed hiding his relief.
The examination hall was already filled when they arrived.
Genin from across the village sat quietly at their desks.
The atmosphere was tense.
Serious.
Ken took his seat and stared at the paper when it arrived.
History.
Village structure.
Mission protocol.
Political relationships between nations.
Ken exhaled slowly.
He picked up his pen.
And began writing.
The questions weren't easy.
But they weren't impossible either.
Kakashi's notes had covered nearly everything.
Time passed quickly.
When the examiner called the end, Ken set his pen down.
Not confident.
But not afraid either.
The results were announced in the evening.
A crowd had gathered around the board.
Ken and Kakashi approached silently.
Kakashi's name was at the top.
Rank 1.
Of course.
Ken wasn't surprised.
He scanned downward.
Rank 5.
Rank 8.
Rank 12.
Then—
Rank 13.
Ken.
He blinked once.
Thirteen.
Higher than he expected.
Much higher.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally over
Beside him, Kakashi glanced briefly at his rank.
"…You passed."
Ken chuckled.
"Thanks to you."
Kakashi didn't reply.
But he didn't deny it either.
Tomorrow—
Was the real test.
The tournament.
Ken's eyes sharpened slightly.
Finally.
Time to showoff a little.