[send some power stones please]
Hikaru genuinely hadn't expected the outcome of this "breakthrough" meeting to be so mixed.
Minato didn't trust him— Hikaru understood that perfectly.
But he also understood something even more important:
Minato didn't have many options right now.
So, on a foundation of distrust, Minato chose a controlled amount of trust—and decided he would judge Hikaru's real intentions through whatever intelligence Hikaru provided.
Besides, Hikaru came with a stack of "value tags" that Minato could not ignore.
Kakashi's former classmate, now someone Kakashi clearly trusted.
A five-year ANBU veteran who had become a squad captain—low on the surface, but with access to plenty of internal currents.
Those identities mattered. Minato needed them.
And Minato also knew he couldn't directly "solve" the people at the minister level—let alone the division commanders.
Someone like Hikaru was, realistically, the best kind of piece he could move right now.
From weak to strong, step by step—Minato had always planned his path carefully.
And to make continued contact with Hikaru smoother, he even chose to personally teach Hikaru the Flying Thunder God.
Because Minato knew: for a Senju, the written records of Flying Thunder God were not the hard part.
Hikaru's behavior had already proven that.
He knew the technique.
He could even activate the mark.
What he lacked was a crucial piece: sealing technique mastery.
But Minato also judged that teaching only basic sealing would not truly satisfy Hikaru.
Since he had limited choices, he would at least extract the maximum possible gain from the choices he did have.
War had taught Minato plenty. Even if he remained warm and kind, he still knew when to make a calculated decision.
So teaching a complete Flying Thunder God—something that visibly signaled "trust"—was far more valuable than teaching a single sealing lesson.
That logic made sense.
The problem was… Hikaru was still stunned by it.
Because with his "cheat," mastering Flying Thunder God was not the terrifying mountain it would be for a normal shinobi.
What he really wanted was a broader expansion of sealing knowledge.
And now Minato had decided to personally step in.
It made Hikaru's head ache.
And worse—he couldn't refuse Minato's "kindness."
"…Fine. We'll do it that way."
Sitting in the ANBU lounge, Hikaru let out a quiet sigh.
This meeting's result wasn't perfect, but it was far better than most alternatives.
At least Flying Thunder God had a clear path now.
The rest was simple in concept:
Within the next ten months, fully master the technique… and find a way to obtain more sealing knowledge.
Hikaru wasn't worried about whether he could master Flying Thunder God.
With his cheat, he had absolute confidence.
What he needed to watch was something else:
Once he mastered it, how to unleash its full power in real combat.
Anyone who truly grasped Flying Thunder God was never weak.
Just look at the only two confirmed users:
The Second Hokage.
The Fourth Hokage.
Their individual strength aside, the enemies they defeated—even the opponents they killed—proved what kind of ceiling that technique had.
Sealing techniques were the same.
Only, sealing techniques had far more branches than Flying Thunder God.
And in Hikaru's view, the potential of sealing was absolutely not inferior.
"Those rampaging tailed beasts… in the end, weren't they all disciplined into obedience the moment sealing came out?"
Tailed beasts were terrifying—especially to ordinary shinobi, and even to some Kage-level fighters.
But some clans could suppress them completely.
Senju: physical domination.
Uchiha: mental domination through genjutsu.
Uzumaki: sealing that crushed both body and mind.
Strictly speaking, Uzumaki sealing might not surpass Uchiha genjutsu or Senju Wood Release in raw "purity."
But it had a brutal advantage:
Double-layer control.
Locked the body.
Let them see the world.
Denied them freedom anyway.
Hikaru didn't have Wood Release—maybe he simply hadn't found the right "seed" yet.
So he was more than willing to invest time into sealing.
And he certainly didn't believe sealing only mattered against tailed beasts.
It could be deadly against humans too.
The Third Hokage's Reaper Death Seal against Orochimaru was a perfect example: sealing used as a killing move.
Hikaru didn't plan to chase Reaper Death Seal…
But he did consider other applications—
Like directly sealing an enemy's chakra.
"Captain."
A voice came from behind him.
"What are you thinking about?"
"It's Kakashi."
Hikaru turned slightly and smiled.
"Nothing much. Just thinking through some problems."
"I see."
Kakashi didn't press. He simply sat down.
"By the way… my teacher wanted you—"
"He's planning to teach me sealing techniques."
Hikaru didn't bother hiding it.
For him, the fact that Minato would teach—甚至 Flying Thunder God—was a useful banner.
He even had deeper plans.
And he was certain of one thing:
If an ANBU squad captain maintained frequent contact with Minato, the Third Hokage's side would eventually react.
Once there was a reaction, Hikaru could harvest more benefits from it.
Why hide a gift delivered to his doorstep?
"My teacher… personally teaching you sealing?"
Kakashi froze.
Then—shockingly—he smiled.
His eyes narrowed into crescents.
Even without seeing his whole face, Hikaru could tell: Kakashi truly smiled.
"If that's the case…"
Kakashi's voice carried a faint lightness.
"Then we're senior and junior brothers now."
"That's true," Hikaru replied, calm, "but we still have to wait for Hokage-sama to have time."
Kakashi's eyes opened again, his expression returning to its usual quiet flatness.
"By the way—there's something you should know."
"You remember the Second Division's Fifth Squad and Ninth Squad that got wiped out?"
"Of course."
Two of Hikaru's former subordinates had been reassigned to lead rebuilt squads. There was no way he'd forget.
"According to intelligence…" Kakashi said evenly, "they were killed by a single person."
"Oh?" Hikaru's voice stayed gentle, but his attention sharpened instantly. "Who could do that?"
Kakashi paused, then spoke the name with no flourish at all.
"It's connected to us, too."
"The one who killed them…"
"…was Kakuzu."
Hikaru fell silent.
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