Arata didn't dwell too much on Kakashi's intentions.
After returning Naruto and Sasuke safely to Tazuna's home, Kakashi sought him out again.
He wanted to talk — not about victory, but about Naruto.
Earlier, during the Nine-Tails' rampage, Kakashi had been busy fighting Zabuza.
He hadn't seen what truly happened.
Now, under the silver moonlight, the two sat on the balcony, the night air cool and quiet.
"Naruto's seal," Arata began, "has loosened."
Kakashi's single visible eye sharpened.
"This time, during his rampage… two tails appeared."
Arata's tone was calm, but his gaze was serious.
"Even at just two tails, he was already overwhelming. If a third had appeared… I'm not sure I could have stopped him."
It wasn't false modesty. Arata meant every word.
The pressure he had felt — the weight of that crimson chakra — had been immense.
He couldn't imagine what three tails would be like.
Of course, what he didn't realize was that his own power was already beyond what he believed.
Even two tails hadn't truly been his limit.
The Water–Lightning fusion he had used could have subdued three tails just as easily — but Arata was too cautious to see it.
His humility reminded Kakashi of the First Hokage himself.
Powerful, yet completely unaware of how overwhelming he was to others.
Kakashi exhaled slowly.
"That explains it."
He looked toward the moon.
"This is exactly why the Third entrusted Naruto to me. Once he became a shinobi, the risk of him losing control increased dramatically."
There was a heaviness to his voice now.
"After tonight, it's clear that if he ever goes beyond two tails… even I might not be able to stop him."
"You have the Sharingan," Arata said softly.
"Can't you use it to suppress him?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"I'm not of the Uchiha bloodline. The Sharingan helps — but only a true Uchiha can impose real dominance over a tailed beast."
He paused, then smiled faintly at Arata.
"If you hadn't intervened tonight, I doubt I could've brought him back."
Arata looked down, thoughtful.
"When we return to Konoha, you should ask the Hokage to let you study more sealing techniques."
"Since you're responsible for Naruto, the Third would definitely grant you access."
Kakashi let out a dry laugh.
"You make it sound simple."
He leaned back against the wooden railing.
"Ordinary sealing techniques are one thing. But the kind that can restrain a tailed beast? Those are in another league."
"I've tried before," he admitted.
"Back when I was studying under the Fourth Hokage."
His voice carried a rare note of frustration.
"Most of those seals… were derived from the Uzumaki Clan's techniques. Without their bloodline, they're nearly impossible to master."
Arata blinked.
"You mean… even you couldn't learn them?"
Kakashi nodded with a sigh.
"I memorized the theory. But theory and mastery are different things."
He smiled faintly.
"Even Minato-sensei only managed it because his wife, Kushina, was an Uzumaki. Their chakra is… unique."
Arata thought back to the legends — the chains of sealing that once bound even the Nine-Tails itself.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains…" he murmured.
"So it's true — their techniques are tied to bloodline power."
He remembered reading about Kushina restraining the Nine-Tails moments before her death — even then, her seals had been unbreakable.
And Karin Uzumaki's sealing chains in the Fourth War — strong enough to shatter a wooden golem's arm.
The Uzumaki were terrifying in their prime.
No wonder they had been annihilated — their art of sealing was too valuable, too feared.
Kakashi turned toward him again, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
"You know…" he said slowly, "just because I found it difficult doesn't mean you will."
"Huh?"
Kakashi smirked behind his mask.
"You've already rewritten jutsu beyond S-rank. If anyone can grasp sealing arts quickly, it's you."
Arata blinked, caught off guard.
"Wait, are you suggesting I learn Uzumaki sealing arts?"
"Why not?" Kakashi said simply.
"I remember all the core principles Minato-sensei taught me. I can show you the foundations."
Arata frowned.
"But aren't those… restricted techniques? Forbidden, even? Should someone like me — a genin — really be learning that?"
Kakashi waved a hand dismissively.
"Please. I already taught you Chidori, didn't I?"
He chuckled quietly.
"If you can handle that, a few sealing techniques won't kill you."
His tone softened.
"Besides… if you can master them, Naruto's situation will become much easier to manage."
Arata hesitated — not because he doubted himself, but because he understood the weight of what Kakashi was offering.
These weren't simple jutsu.
They were the legacy of an entire clan — a clan that once guarded the balance of the world.
But Kakashi's gaze was steady.
There was trust there — complete and unguarded.
"All right," Arata said finally.
"If you'll teach me, I'll learn."
Kakashi nodded, looking quietly satisfied.
"Good. Tomorrow morning, we'll start. I'll pass down what Minato-sensei once taught me — even the ones I couldn't master."
There was a touch of embarrassment in his voice.
"I may be called a genius, but when it comes to sealing, I'm all thumbs."
Arata smiled faintly.
"Even so, you learned the Flying Thunder God theory, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Kakashi said with a sigh.
"But like a few others who tried… never managed to make it work."
The two of them shared a brief laugh — quiet and genuine under the moonlight.
For a moment, teacher and student sat side by side, their shadows stretching long across the balcony.
A moment of calm, before the next storm in Konoha.
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