Kakashi's jaw dropped when he saw Sora performing Thunderbolt Flash.
The power of this Thunderbolt Flash was completely incomparable to his own.
And from the way Sora executed it, Kakashi noticed that there were no setbacks—it was incredibly smooth.
For a moment, Kakashi even doubted whether he had been practising Thunder Breathing correctly.
'Could it be fake?'
Sora returned to Kakashi and asked, "How was it? Was it okay?"
Kakashi pursed his lips.
'What's okay? It's too perfect.'
Sora continued, **"I think you already know the shortcomings of Thunderbolt Flash. Based on that, I developed Thunderbolt Flash: God Speed, which allows the user to utilize the surrounding terrain to change direction multiple times, making it even faster than the original.
Right now, it's not fully developed yet, but even the semi-finished version of Thunderbolt Flash: God Speed is already several times faster than the ordinary one."**
Kakashi was shocked. "Several times faster? Can the eyes even keep up?"
Sora activated his Sharingan. "I can keep up because I have the Sharingan."
Kakashi frowned upon seeing Sora's Sharingan.
He hadn't expected Sora to be from the Uchiha clan.
Although Kakashi considered Uchiha Obito a friend, he didn't have a good impression of the Uchiha clan as a whole.
The reason he and Obito could be regarded as friends was that Obito was different from the rest of his clan.
Unlike most Uchiha, Obito was kind and warm-hearted. He was often late because he stopped to help others.
However, Obito's talent had been mediocre, causing him to be looked down upon by his classmates. Some had even called him the "dead last" of the Uchiha clan. Even the other Uchiha had shown little respect for him.
Back in the Academy, Obito had considered Kakashi his rival, always challenging him to duels—though he never won.
Seeing Kakashi's frown, Sora clarified, "Just because I have the Sharingan doesn't mean I'm a Uchiha. You must have noticed that no one calls me by the Uchiha name."
Then, Sora continued, **"Become my disciple. In addition to teaching you Thunder Breathing, I'll also create a training plan for you. While extreme speed might be difficult for the eyes to follow, through specialized training, you can enhance your dynamic vision to keep up.
Aside from Wind Release, I'm also proficient in other natural transformations. If you become my disciple, you'll be able to learn a lot from me.
So, what's your decision?"**
Kakashi remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he looked at Sora and asked, "Why me?"
He still couldn't understand why Sora had suddenly chosen him.
Sora replied, **"Because you have talent. I chose you. I don't have the time or energy to teach someone mediocre. If it weren't for certain circumstances forcing me to take on a disciple, I wouldn't have accepted one at all.
If you don't want to, it doesn't matter. You can return to the ninja academy now—they should still assign you to a Jōnin leader."**
Kakashi thought for a moment before making his decision. "Teacher, I want to be your disciple!"
Sora smiled. **"Very good. Since you've become my disciple, I'll take on the responsibility of being your master. First, return to the academy, inform them of your decision, and have them remove your name from the allocation list.
Then, go home, pack your things, and wait for me at Konoha's main gate tomorrow morning. You and I will be heading to the Land of Grass. I prefer teaching through real combat rather than letting you train on your own."**
Kakashi was surprised. "We're going to the Land of Grass?"
Sora nodded. "Yes. I returned to Konoha this time to receive my transfer order to the Land of Grass. Isn't your father, Lord Sakumo, the commander there?"
Kakashi's eyes lit up with excitement. He had thought it would be a long time before he could see his father again, but now, after such a long journey, he was finally going back.
Overcome with joy, Kakashi said, "Okay! I'll go right away!"
He quickly bid farewell to Sora and headed straight to the ninja academy.
By the time he arrived, the Jōnin assignments had long been completed, and the remaining Genin were now being assigned to Chūnin squads.
However, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin were still there. Their team was still missing one member.
Since Kakashi had not yet explicitly stated his choice to follow Sora, they had been waiting for his decision.
Upon seeing Kakashi return, Obito immediately asked, "Kakashi, are you going with that guy or with us?"
Kakashi answered plainly, "I've already accepted Teacher Sorav as my master. I'm sorry."
He wasn't apologizing to Obito but to Namikaze Minato.
Minato smiled gently. "It's okay. Sora is very strong. Becoming his disciple is a great opportunity for you."
Obito, however, was less understanding. "What? Kakashi, why aren't you coming with us? Not that it matters—you'd just hold us back anyway!"
Nohara Rin, on the other hand, looked a little disappointed when she heard that Kakashi wouldn't be on their team.
Ignoring Obito's taunt, Kakashi said, "I'm leaving for the Land of Grass with Teacher Sora tomorrow. Goodbye."
With that, he turned and left the academy.
After he was gone, the vice principal turned to Minato. "It can't be helped, Minato. I'll assign another Genin to your team."
Minato nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Eventually, Minato's team received a replacement—another Genin from a civilian background, but still among the more talented ones.
Meanwhile, Sora returned home.
Uzumaki Kushina had left on a mission that would take two days, and since Sora was leaving tomorrow, they wouldn't have a chance to see each other.
So, Sora picked up a pen and paper, wrote a letter, and left it behind.
The Next Day
After waking up and getting ready, Sora picked up his backpack and left his home, heading to Konoha's main gate.
Kakashi was already there, waiting.
Since Sora had only told him they would leave in the morning—without specifying a time—Kakashi had arrived before dawn just to be safe.
When he saw Sora, he trotted over and greeted him. "Teacher Sora!"
Sora asked, "Are you ready?"
Kakashi nodded. "Everything's prepared!"
"Then let's go."
With that, the two of them left Konoha, setting out for the Land of Grass.
On the Road
As they travelled, Kakashi's curiosity got the better of him. He couldn't wait to understand the secret behind Sora's perfected Thunder Breathing.
Sora explained, "To fully unleash the power of Thunder Breathing, you need to coordinate your breathing."
Kakashi was stunned.
That wasn't what he had expected at all.
He had considered several possibilities—Chakra control, precise movements, or perhaps specific stance techniques.
But breathing?
Aside from Taijutsu, he had never heard of breathing techniques being a crucial factor in combat.
'Can Thunder Breathing really become that powerful just by coordinating breathing?'
Was this real—or just some kind of trick?
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