Sora spotted Kakashi among the Genin.
His mind immediately began working.
Initially, Sora had no intention of choosing a ninja from a shinobi clan as his disciple—after all, those from established clans often came with too many entanglements.
However, if it was Hatake Kakashi… perhaps it wasn't impossible.
Next year, Hatake Sakumo would fail a mission and face severe condemnation from the village.
That backlash, including the pressure from public opinion, would undoubtedly affect Kakashi as well.
Ultimately, Sakumo's suicide would mark a critical turning point in Kakashi's life.
Sora realized that if he had taken Kakashi as his disciple now when that moment of confusion arrived, he might have been able to guide Kakashi onto his own path.
Furthermore, the Hatake clan only consisted of Sakumo and Kakashi.
In other words, Kakashi wasn't bound by the same clan politics as other shinobi families.
At that moment, the vice-principal of the Ninja Academy continued announcing the team assignments for the new Genin.
Then came Namikaze Minato's turn.
"Jōnin Namikaze Minato will be leading Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Hatake—"
"Wait."
Sora's sudden interruption silenced the entire training ground.
All eyes turned toward him as he strode forward, stopping directly in front of Kakashi.
Kakashi looked up at Sora, his expression neutral but attentive.
A moment ago, the vice-principal had started saying 'Hatake,' meaning his assigned Jōnin was supposed to be Namikaze Minato.
So, what was Sora doing?
Sora met Kakashi's gaze and asked bluntly, "I want you as my disciple. What do you think? Do you agree?"
Kakashi blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected proposal.
His brows furrowed slightly in thought.
He had come to this team assignment because his father, Hatake Sakumo, had urged him to.
Having participated in the war at an early age, Kakashi had never formed any real friendships. Sakumo hoped that by joining a team, Kakashi would bond with his teammates under the guidance of a Jōnin leader.
But Kakashi himself didn't care.
Friendship, teamwork—none of it mattered to him.
The only thing Kakashi was interested in was completing missions.
Because of that, it didn't matter to him who his Jōnin instructor was.
However, becoming Sora's disciple was different.
In the shinobi world, the master-disciple relationship held significant weight.
Kakashi couldn't simply agree to Sora's request. After all, he didn't know anything about him.
And yet…
Kakashi found himself intrigued.
Sora had picked him out at a glance.
But why?
Kakashi was certain he had never met Sora before.
Kakashi asked, "How can you make me stronger? And… it seems like we're meeting for the first time."
Sora pointed at Kakashi's calloused hands. "You've been practising the Breath of Thunder, haven't you? I was the one who introduced the Breath of Thunder to Konoha. My mastery of it surpasses everyone else's, and my teacher is Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. Becoming my disciple wouldn't be a bad deal for you, would it?"
A disciple of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin? That certainly wasn't a bad deal.
But Kakashi still hesitated.
It was too sudden.
Seeing Kakashi's conflicted expression, Sora continued, "You don't need to give me an answer right now. Watch my strength first, then decide. If you're interested, meet me in the forest east of Konoha. I'll wait for two hours—no more."
With that, Sora glanced briefly at Uchiha Obito, who was excitedly celebrating his team assignment with Nohara Rin, then turned and left the academy.
After Sora departed, the vice-principal turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, do you want to become Sora's disciple, or do you want to remain under Minato? If you choose Sora, go to him now. If you decline, you'll stay in Minato's team as originally planned."
Without hesitation, Kakashi responded, "I'm going to find him now."
Not long after Sora left, Kakashi caught up to him.
Sora wasn't worried about whether Kakashi would come.
As long as he truly wanted to grow stronger, he would seek Sora out. He had nothing to lose.
Kakashi wasted no time and asked directly, "I want to ask about the Breath of Thunder. It's incomplete, isn't it?"
Sora raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. He hadn't expected Kakashi to notice that flaw.
Kakashi continued, "While practising Breath of Thunder, I always feel something is… missing. It's frustrating—like there's a gap that shouldn't be there."
Sora nodded. "The Breath of Thunder that I passed to Konoha is an unfinished version. I've since perfected it, but I won't be sharing that with just anyone."
Kakashi, sharp as ever, instantly understood. "You'll only tell me if I become your disciple?"
Sora nodded. "That's right. It's my personal technique."
Kakashi fell silent, deep in thought.
For now, he wouldn't press further. Instead, he decided to observe Sora's strength before making his final decision.
Kakashi followed Sora to the forest east of Konoha.
This was the same place where Sora had first experimented with the Breath of Thunder using the system's simulation.
Though the years had allowed new growth to cover the area, some of the old scars on the land remained.
Sora turned to Kakashi. "Show me your Thunderbolt Flash first."
Kakashi lowered his stance slightly, preparing himself.
"Breath of Thunder: First Form—Thunderbolt Flash!"
Channeling his lightning-natured chakra into his foot, Kakashi launched himself forward with a burst of speed. A sharp crackle of thunder filled the air as he closed the distance to a nearby tree in an instant, delivering a clean sword strike that left a deep gash in the trunk.
Sora had previously seen Konoha shinobi using the Breath of Thunder during his time in the Land of Hot Water. Their execution had been lacklustre.
Kakashi's technique was the most refined among them, but even so, it was still incomplete.
At its core, it was nothing more than using lightning chakra to stimulate the body for enhanced speed. The so-called thunderclap was merely the sound of chakra surging, not the true roar of thunder tearing through the air with explosive force.
Kakashi looked at Sora expectantly. "How was it?"
Sora's response was brief. "I see."
Even though Kakashi wore a mask, Sora could feel his disappointment.
Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly.
"Can I see your Thunderbolt Flash?" he asked.
Sora nodded slightly. He had planned to showcase his strength to Kakashi anyway.
Lowering himself into position, Sora's body became enveloped in dazzling lightning. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of his chakra.
"Breath of Thunder: First Form—Thunderbolt Flash!"
Sora exploded forward, his speed so overwhelming that he became nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
In an instant, he reappeared a great distance away, his blade completing a single arc.
Behind him, a massive tree—so large that it would take three people to wrap their arms around it—was effortlessly cleaved in half.
Kakashi's eyes widened behind his mask, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at the clean cut in shock.
Sora calmly turned back to face him.
"So," he asked, "do you want to learn the real Breath of Thunder?"
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