The mist-nin closed in. Qianyu and Kakashi stood ready.
The enemy charged. All of them. A tide of bodies and blades aimed straight at the two.
Qianyu's voice was a low murmur. "Perfect chance to test that Lightning Release Chakra Mode copied from the Third Raikage."
He exhaled sharply. "Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Electricity crackled to life around him. Blue-white arcs of chakra cloaked his body, snapping and surging. He flexed his fists. A wild grin spread across his face.
"Compatibility's high," he noted, feeling the power thrum through his veins. "Total Concentration Breathing enhances the body… and now this mode pushes my physical activation and nerve conduction speed even further. My Thunder Breathing's speed just jumped another tier."
He glanced at Kakashi beside him. A flicker of regret.
If Kakashi hadn't transplanted that Sharingan… this mode would have been perfect for him. The synergy would have been insane.
But now…
It was a shame. Even if Kakashi learned it, he couldn't use it. He'd pass out the moment he tried.
"Let's go, Kakashi."
Thunder Flash. One moment Qianyu was there. The next, he was in the heart of the enemy formation.
"Thunder Breathing: Sixth Form — Thunderclap and Flash, Rumble!"
A storm erupted from his center. Countless slashes of lightning, jagged and brutal, tore outwards in every direction.
The mist-nin who had rushed him died in an instant. Dozens. In a fifty-meter radius around Qianyu, only he remained standing.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Sensei's speed… got faster again."
His hands flew through seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Two clones popped into existence beside him. In unison, all three—clone and original—thrust their palms forward, a chorus of chirping birds.
"Chidori: Lightning Transmission!"
The lightning from the clones connected, forming a crackling, deadly chain. The two clones charged forward, dragging the razor-wire of pure lightning between them.
Where they passed, mist-nin were severed. Clean cuts. One move, and Kakashi had burned through nearly half his chakra.
He didn't hesitate. Two soldier pills into his mouth. Chew. Swallow.
He pushed his forehead protector up. The crimson Sharingan spun to life. He drew his tantō and plunged into the fray alongside Qianyu.
Qianyu enjoyed the raw power of the Lightning Chakra Mode for a few more moments—a satisfying burst of speed and strength—then settled into the fight. His primary focus shifted. His perception, his Observation Haki, locked onto Kakashi. Watching. Ready.
Kakashi fought with a ferocity that was almost desperate. Blood soaked his clothes. Dripped. Pooled. He was a blur of silver and crimson.
In his mind, faces flashed. Sakumo. Obito. Rin.
The most important people. All gone.
If they'd died in battle… but no. That would have been cleaner. Easier to bear.
Each death was a betrayal. A poison from within. Sakumo, betrayed by his comrades, by the village he loved, choosing his own end. Obito, crushed by the rocks, betrayed by the comrade he'd vouched for, dying to save him. Rin, kidnapped, turned into a weapon with the Three-Tails, executed by her own teammates.
Every slash, every thrust, every burst of Chidori was a release. A scream given form. He was strong—stronger than any twelve-year-old had a right to be—and held his own against the swarm.
But he had the Sharingan. And he was using it. And he was twelve. His body, his chakra reserves, were not yet at their peak.
High-intensity combat? It wasn't sustainable.
Even with Kakashi consciously favoring taijutsu, the drain from the Sharingan was relentless. A constant, heavy pull on his core.
Qianyu tracked it all. Barely twenty minutes into the fight, and Kakashi's chakra was plummeting towards empty.
His stamina… leaves a lot to be desired, Qianyu thought dryly.
Kakashi shot a glance his way. A silent signal. Running on fumes.
The soldier pills were already spent. Taking more now would have diminishing returns. Against this rate of drain, it'd be a drop in the ocean.
Qianyu gave a single, sharp nod.
A part of him was pleased. It meant Kakashi was still thinking. Still coldly aware of his limits, even in the middle of this blood-soaked catharsis.
Seeing the acknowledgment, Kakashi took a deep, centering breath. He lowered his stance, coiling like a spring.
There was a move. One he'd never quite pulled off. But now… he felt it. The alignment. The desperate, final spark.
He gathered every last drop of chakra he had left. Blue electricity erupted from him in a final, brilliant surge.
"Thunder Breathing: Seventh Form — Honoikazuchi no Kami!"
He vanished. Not even a blur. Pure, untraceable speed. A dragon of blue lightning erupted in his wake, carving a devastating path through the massed enemy ranks. Where the dragon passed, life was extinguished.
Qianyu's eyebrow twitched. Down to the dregs of your chakra and you pull out the Seventh Form? Reckless kid.
But… he'd finally done it. After all these years.
Of course, with chakra this low, he couldn't sustain it. Halfway through his divine-speed advance, the lightning dragon flickered and died. Kakashi's chakra hit absolute zero. His legs gave out, buckling beneath him.
The mist-nin saw their chance. They swarmed. A wave of bodies. A hailstorm of kunai and shuriken aimed at the defenseless boy on the ground.
Kakashi didn't flinch. His gaze, behind the mask, was utterly calm.
Whoosh.
Qianyu was there. Between Kakashi and the storm of steel.
"Thunder Breathing: Third Form — Thunder Swarm!"
He became a spinning vortex around Kakashi, leaving a defensive ring of undulating, wave-like lightning in his wake. The electrical waves intercepted every projectile. His blade, moving with the spin, carved through the first ring of attackers.
In one smooth motion, he hoisted Kakashi onto his shoulder and flash-stepped away, leaving the chaotic battlefield behind.
This was a clone. Qianyu's real body was still deep in the enemy ranks, a storm of his own.
The clone set Kakashi down, running a quick diagnostic pulse of chakra over him. "Minor injuries. Some strain on the chakra pathways from forcing the Seventh Form. Nothing critical."
He let out a sigh that was pure exasperation. "I just thought you were being smart, and then you hand me a 'pleasant' surprise. What if I hadn't made it in time? Always leave yourself an out, got it?"
A faint smile tugged under Kakashi's mask. "I believed in you, Qianyu-sensei. You are my out right now." He paused, his voice softer. "Thank you. For everything. Truly."
Qianyu's clone reached out and ruffled Kakashi's silver hair. "Alright. Rest now. I'll handle the rest."
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