If things were going as they should, Kakashi would be joining the Anbu around now.
The pull of the old world is still there in this timeline.
But it's only on the surface. Deep down, everything has changed so much it's unrecognizable.
Kakashi wants to join the Anbu for a good reason.
He wants to become stronger so that what happened to Obito never happens again.
Young Kakashi is already a Jonin.
That means his fighting ability is as good as Yuhi Kurenai's was as an adult in the original story.
Kurenai was only strong enough to guard the gates, so to speak.
So, it's fair to say Kakashi is as strong as one Kurenai right now.
That level of power might even impress Sarutobi Ryo.
"Mm."
Sarutobi Ryo nodded, agreeing to let Kakashi join the Anbu for now.
He'll watch him for a while, and if he does well, he'll give him a permanent spot.
Kakashi was thrilled to hear this.
Sarutobi Ryo then asked Kakashi about his training.
Kakashi is definitely talented enough to create the S-rank Raikiri. He's good with Lightning Release.
After experimenting, he's even figured out the basics of something like the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Right now, Kakashi can use Lightning Release Chakra to boost his nerves, making his vision and reactions faster.
It's like a weaker version of what the Raikage can do.
Because of Obito's "sacrifice" and his own blindness, Kakashi has faced death and felt great sorrow. He understands the heart of Lightning Release now.
If only I had realized this sooner...
Kakashi shook his head hard.
Obito is gone.
All he can do is look ahead and protect his other friends!
Since he didn't inherit Obito's eyes, Kakashi isn't as gloomy as he was in the original story, always thinking about Obito because of his transplanted Sharingan.
In the original story, Kakashi's Sharingan opened up a whole new world for Danzo and Orochimaru.
The legend of the eyes really began there.
Because Kakashi was successful, Danzo and Orochimaru started their crazy research on the Sharingan.
But that didn't happen in this timeline, so Danzo and Orochimaru didn't have such wild ideas.
After Kakashi explained what he'd figured out, Sarutobi Ryo understood the key to making the Lightning Release Chakra Mode more common.
Time passed slowly.
Kakashi received advice from Sarutobi Ryo.
The weather outside seemed to be getting colder.
Kakashi glanced at the sky.
Is the weather changing?
----
...
Several days later.
Sarutobi Ryo organized the information he had on the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, making sure it was correct.
After studying and practicing, and using Kakashi and Ai's arm as examples, Sarutobi Ryo was sure he knew how the Lightning Release Chakra Mode worked.
He looked at the notes on the scroll, organizing them in his mind. Sarutobi Ryo believed he could learn this technique.
Unlike Kakashi and others who don't have much Chakra, the Raikage clan has Chakra reserves like the Tailed Beasts.
Sarutobi Ryo doesn't have that much Chakra, but he still has a lot.
Much more than Kakashi and others.
That much Chakra, combined with the Eight Gates Formation, would let the powerful Chakra burst out of his body when the Eight Gates are opened.
That would increase the quality and amount of Chakra.
Using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode in the Eight Gates Formation state would then be a reasonable choice.
Sarutobi Ryo looked at the scroll in his hand, thinking that maybe... a brand new technique was about to be born from him.
----
...
While Sarutobi Ryo was busy with his research, things were changing on the Kumogakure Battlefield.
Black flames burned, turning a large area of forest into ashes.
The Uchiha Stronghold has belonged to the Uchiha clan since the Warring States Period.
After Konoha was created, this became an important place to defend against Kumogakure.
The fortress, surrounded by forests, was easy to defend and hard to attack.
Using the terrain, Konoha had stopped many Kumogakure invasions.
But now, the Uchiha clan's stronghold was gone, consumed by black flames.
This seemed to show that someone had fallen.
And that person was Uchiha Fugaku.
No one knows what happened.
After Hatake Sakumo cut off Ai's arm, Kumogakure was quiet for a while.
Everyone knew that was the calm before the storm.
After the new year, the Third Raikage personally led an attack to get revenge for his son.
The Third Raikage led his troops to break through Konoha's defenses.
They took back the territory they had lost and pushed all the way to the main camp on this front line... the Uchiha Stronghold.
Beyond that was the Land of Fire Territory.
This was a fortress that couldn't be beaten.
The Uchiha clan should have defended this place to the death.
And that's what happened.
Uchiha Fugaku told his subordinates to leave, telling them to stay away.
Then, he faced the Third Raikage alone.
The black flames started as small sparks.
But soon, they became a black ocean.
Trees, metal, even things made by people, and even stones and water, started to burn.
Nothing could put out the black flames.
In the raging fire, a figure covered in black became the winner.
He slowly walked out, almost 2 meters tall.
The crowd stared in shock.
The people on the Kumogakure side cheered.
While the people of Konoha were afraid.
The Third Raikage... known as the strongest shield and the strongest spear.
It's said he can fight Tailed Beasts with his bare hands.
Now that he came out of the black ocean of flames, did that mean...Captain Fugaku was defeated?
But the people of Konoha didn't grieve for long, and the cheers of Kumogakure stopped too.
Because both sides saw at the same time that the Third Raikage, covered in black fire, was standing there quietly, being burned away bit by bit by the black fire.
In the end, nothing was left.
When the Third Raikage was completely gone, the black flames kept burning.
The fire burned for three days and three nights before slowly dying down.
The Reconnaissance Squad searched again and again and confirmed that Captain Uchiha Fugaku, who was in charge of the front line, was probably... definitely dead.
The news that the Third Raikage and Captain Uchiha Fugaku had died together spread back to Konoha like the wind.
Everyone in Konoha was speechless with shock.
But the Konoha Upper Echelon looked the most worried.
Because, according to the information from the scene, it was clearly the legendary Amaterasu... written in the Uchiha secrets by the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama... an Eye Technique called the Mangekyo Sharingan!
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[T/N:
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 150 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
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]