Chapter 31: Looks Fade, Style is Eternal

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Colt was overjoyed to grasp Kakashi's intentions.

"My dynamic vision is quite acute."

Not long ago, he had finally unlocked the Sharingan after breaking through to 1000 in his spirit stat.

And it manifested directly at the highest three-Tomoe level.

Even without activating the dōjutsu, his visual perception was now greatly enhanced.

Seeing his confidence, Kakashi chose to believe him.

"I'm optimistic then. This technique is relatively straightforward, but has stringent requirements for Nature Transformation proficiency and certain physical adaptations."

Saying so, Kakashi began forming hand seals.

Ox → Rabbit → Monkey.

After completing the three seals, a mass of lightning chakra coalesced in his palm with an intense, chirping buzz.

Like a thousand screeching birds, the crackling scene was quite spectacular.

"This is Chidori. When I wield this technique to cut lightning directly from the heavens, it becomes the S-rank Kinjutsu - Raikiri."

Casually lecturing while wielding the Raikiri - such was Kakashi's signature coolness.

Next, he explained the ninjutsu mechanics and chakra control principles, allowing Colt to attempt it himself.

Unhesitatingly following the Ox → Rabbit → Monkey seal sequence, Colt swiftly replicated the technique.

Under Kakashi's astonished gaze, an identical lightning blade crackled to life in Colt's grasp.

Compared to the original, Colt's Chidori merely emitted a slightly lower-pitched thrum - a sign of minor chakra instability.

"Try striking that tree over there," Kakashi quickly said while indicating a large bark.

Simply generating the technique was not enough - one needed to connect with the target.

In the initial stages, aspiring Lightning users struggled with Chidori's mobility, often needing to make trenches around them just to attack.

But control issues were trivial for Colt.

Without even activating his Sharingan, he blurred into motion.

The high-speed movement posed no hindrance as he deftly evaded obstacles en route.

The Lightning chakra stimulating his cells tripled his baseline velocity.

Boom!

The struck tree collapsed in an eruption of debris and dust.

Kakashi felt a twinge of dissatisfaction.

He hadn't expected to experience such an anticlimax after becoming a sensei.

The learning curve was too blisteringly fast.

It had taken Kakashi a full year under his own master, the Fourth Hokage, to develop the Chidori.

Yet how long did it take Colt to learn it?

Less than ten minutes.

On the other hand, Colt was utterly enamored with this ninjutsu.

The Chidori's versatility was immense, ripe for deriving advanced variant techniques - a true breadwinner jutsu.

Most importantly though, it looked incredibly stylish!

Strength faded with time, but style? Style was eternal.

"Thank you, Kakashi-senpai. I like this ninjutsu."

Watching Colt immediately gain familiarity, flawlessly handling the Chidori on his second try, Kakashi could no longer withstand the assault on his mentoring pride.

"Since you've learned it, my task here is complete. Keep practicing diligently, I have other duties to attend to."

"But I'm sure our paths will cross again soon enough."

Having said his piece, Kakashi swiftly activated the Body Flicker technique to depart.

If he lingered, he feared his psyche might genuinely break down.

Colt did not mind Kakashi's abrupt exit. While he had picked up the basic technique, true mastery would require far more practice.

To reach the zenith of Lightning Transformation, amplifying the ninjutsu's devastation would demand relentless training.

...

Leaving the training grounds, Kakashi made his way unhurriedly to the Hokage's building.

He needed to report today's events to Lord Third - he could not simply stew over this stimulation alone.

Soon, he found the village leader in his office.

"So, how did you find that young man? What were your impressions?"

Eyeing Kakashi's still-damp trousers, the Third chuckled inwardly before pondering for a beat.

"A frighteningly talented kid...with quite the cheeky persona."

The aged Hokage had certainly noticed something amiss with Kakashi's demeanor.

"Tell me exactly what transpired this afternoon."

While a self-professed voyeur, the Third still took his duties seriously - he could hardly ogle Colt all day long.

Kakashi then recounted the day's events in full detail.

Even the Third raised an eyebrow in surprise upon hearing that Kakashi had actually taught the Chidori to Colt.

"You said he learned it in just ten minutes?"

Kakashi smiled wryly. "To be precise, he mastered it in a single demonstration. His dynamic vision is also extremely acute, perfectly suited for this technique."

"If not for his lack of Sharingan, I would have thought him to be an Uchiha."

The Third removed his pipe, expression turning grave.

Colt's prowess far exceeded even his lofty expectations.

According to Kakashi, any ordinary jonin who crossed Colt unprepared would likely be slain.

And that was without deploying his full power.

"Kakashi, were there any other shinobi in the vicinity of the training grounds today?"

His implications were clear.

Kakashi shook his head. "No Lord Third, besides myself and Kamiyo Colt, there were no other ninjas present."

Including from the shadowy Root.

The Third breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Danzō remained unaware...

While Konoha appeared prosperous on the surface, its true military strength was quite depleted - lacking in true powerhouses.

"You must keep all matters regarding Colt an absolute secret. No one else can learn of his prowess."

Kakashi's expression turned appropriately solemn as he agreed wholeheartedly.

The Third sighed with heartfelt emotion. "I truly hope he can reach his full growth soon...this old man can't take much more waiting."

An ordinary self-deprecating remark, yet it gave Kakashi significant pause.

The amount of contextual information conveyed in that single sentence was...immense.

It spoke of future upheavals...

.....

As the sun began to set, Colt remained at the training grounds for some time longer.

In just a few hours, he had gained considerable facility with the Chidori. But certain shortcomings were also exposed.

It was far too loud and blatant - often inappropriate for stealth missions.

He couldn't fathom why Kakashi, an assassination expert, would create such an overt technique.

It practically announced one's presence to the target.

Though the flaw was apparent, Colt felt powerless to address it properly.

That was simply the nature of electrical discharge. Even Einstein and Tesla wouldn't have solutions.

Thus, he still needed to focus on mastering the Rasengan.

Before evolving into a Rasenshuriken, the base Rasengan remained ideal for such covert elimination tasks.

However, with evening falling, further training would have to wait until tomorrow.

Thinking this, Colt also departed the training grounds, making his way towards the Yakiniku Q restaurant.

After an entire afternoon's exertions, he had worked up quite an appetite.

Time to reward himself with some delicious barbecue.