Preparing to Accept a Disciple
Chi Yu spotted Kakashi Hatake among the gathered Academy graduates.
His mind began to turn.
Originally, Chi Yu had no intention of taking on a disciple from a prominent ninja clan. Clan children often came with attachments, expectations, and political baggage. But Kakashi Hatake might be an exception.
Chi Yu remembered—next year, Sakumo Hatake would suffer a mission failure, and despite his heroism, the village would condemn him. The backlash would affect his son deeply. Kakashi's worldview would begin to collapse. Then, Sakumo would take his own life, marking the beginning of Kakashi's descent into loneliness and strict adherence to the rules.
If Chi Yu took Kakashi in before that happened—if he guided him during that critical transition—he might be able to shape him into someone loyal, someone sharp. Someone his.
Besides, the once-renowned Hatake clan was now only Sakumo and Kakashi. By Konoha's standards, Kakashi barely counted as a clan child anymore.
As Chi Yu considered this, the vice-principal of the Academy stood on the podium, reading from a clipboard.
"Now announcing jōnin team leaders and their assigned genin… Jōnin Minato Namikaze will lead Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, and Kakashi Hata—"
"Wait."
Chi Yu's voice interrupted the proceedings.
All eyes turned to him.
He walked calmly through the crowd, stopping in front of Kakashi.
Kakashi looked up, puzzled. He'd just heard the vice-principal list his name—he was supposed to be assigned to Minato Namikaze.
Chi Yu looked him straight in the eye and said plainly, "I want to take you as my disciple. What do you think? Will you accept?"
Kakashi blinked, startled. He hadn't expected such a direct request. He frowned slightly in thought.
He hadn't come to the team assignment ceremony of his own will. It was his father's idea. Sakumo had hoped that by joining a team under a jōnin sensei, Kakashi would learn teamwork and make friends. But Kakashi—already jaded from entering combat far too early—cared little for such things. He only cared about improving his strength and completing missions.
And now this man, whom he'd never met, was suddenly offering to take him on as a personal disciple. That was different from a regular sensei. In the ninja world, disciple relationships were intimate, selective, and carried deep significance. He couldn't agree lightly.
But Chi Yu intrigued him.
How had he noticed Kakashi immediately?
Kakashi asked, "Why me? We've never met. What can you offer to make me stronger?"
Chi Yu pointed at Kakashi's hands—calloused, firm, precise.
"You've trained in Thunder Breathing, haven't you? That technique was introduced to Konoha by me. My Thunder Breathing is the original, perfected form. I studied under Orochimaru of the Sannin. Becoming my disciple would not be beneath you."
Orochimaru? That certainly elevated Chi Yu's credibility.
Still, Kakashi hesitated. The request was too sudden.
Chi Yu, seeing the hesitation, added, "You don't have to decide now. Come see my strength. If you're still interested, then decide. I'll wait for you at the forest east of Konoha. Two hours."
With that, Chi Yu glanced once at Obito Uchiha—who was buzzing with excitement over being placed with Rin and Minato—and walked out of the Academy.
After a brief pause, the vice-principal turned back to Kakashi. "Kakashi, the choice is yours. You may go to Chi Yu now, or stay assigned to Minato Namikaze's team. If you return here within the hour, you'll resume your spot on Minato's team."
Without hesitation, Kakashi replied, "I'm going to find him."
Chi Yu wasn't worried. He knew that for someone like Kakashi, the drive to grow stronger would be irresistible. And Chi Yu had exactly what Kakashi needed.
As soon as Kakashi caught up to him in the eastern forest, he asked, "Thunder Breathing… it's incomplete, isn't it?"
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You noticed?"
Kakashi nodded. "There's a hitch. When I use it, there's a pause. Like something's missing. It's not natural."
Chi Yu smirked. "That's because the version you learned is incomplete. What I gave Konoha was a prototype. I've since perfected it."
"Will you teach it to me?"
"Only if you become my disciple. It's a secret technique now."
Kakashi fell silent, nodding slightly. He wouldn't commit just yet. Not until he saw Chi Yu's strength.
They walked deeper into the forest—Chi Yu's old training ground. The trees had regrown, but the land still bore scars from past battles.
Chi Yu stopped. "Show me your Thunderclap and Flash."
Kakashi adjusted his stance, focusing. "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
He charged lightning chakra into his legs and shot forward, vanishing in a blur, his sword slicing through the bark of a thick tree with a solid, deep cut.
Chi Yu watched calmly.
He had seen Thunder Breathing used in the Land of Hot Water by Konoha shinobi—and most were laughably crude. Kakashi's was the cleanest, by far. But still far from complete.
"It's passable," he said.
Though Kakashi wore a mask, the slump in his shoulders revealed his disappointment.
"Show me yours, then," he asked.
Chi Yu didn't reply. He simply lowered his body into the stance.
Then—lightning erupted.
A deafening burst rang out as the ground cracked beneath his feet.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished. When the dust settled, a tree the width of three men collapsed with a thunderous crash, a single, clean cut cleaving through its base.
Kakashi stared, stunned, mouth slightly agape behind his mask.
This wasn't chakra-enhanced speed.
This was something else.
This was what Thunder Breathing was meant to be.
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