Chapter 13: It Was Unnecessary
"Advanced concealment techniques require not only finding the perfect hiding spot but also masking your presence," 'Ryuu' began. "Breathing, chakra fluctuations, and heartbeat. Any one of these can give you away to an experienced enemy ninja. Mastering these three points is crucial!"
"Of course, besides these three main points, there are many other things to consider..."
After showing Kakashi around the Anbu headquarters, 'Ryuu' started teaching him concealment techniques. He explained everything patiently, ensuring Kakashi understood what was required to remain undetected.
"Wolf, do your best. Today, you'll practice hiding techniques, but starting tomorrow, you'll begin missions," 'Ryuu' encouraged Kakashi, patting him on the shoulder before disappearing. He had said all that needed to be said; the rest would come through practical experience during missions.
"Breathing, chakra fluctuations, and heartbeat," Kakashi murmured after 'Ryuu' left. He immediately understood the importance and principles of these points. He wasn't too concerned about the other details, confident he could handle them during missions. The main challenge was mastering these three essentials.
In the Anbu training grounds, Kakashi began practicing controlling his heartbeat, breathing, and chakra fluctuations to achieve adequate concealment without being easily detected by enemies.
He soon realized that controlling his heartbeat and breathing were similar challenges requiring strong mental fortitude and patience. Remaining calm and composed in any situation was essential, as any sudden shock would speed up his heart rate.
"I can control my breathing and heartbeat, but the chakra fluctuations are problematic. The Sharingan constantly drains my chakra, making it difficult to manage," Kakashi grumbled after several attempts. He quickly mastered the first two but struggled with the third due to the constant drain from his Sharingan.
After an hour of frustration, Kakashi still couldn't stabilize his chakra fluctuations, and he was growing increasingly agitated.
"How can I control my chakra when the Sharingan is constantly consuming it?" he cursed internally, feeling discouraged.
But then he recalled, "The original Kakashi managed to do it, so I can too. It's too soon to give up!"
Determined, Kakashi calmed himself and kept trying, experimenting with ways to stabilize his chakra despite the constant drain from the Sharingan.
After half a day of focused practice, he finally succeeded.
"Finally! Got it!" Kakashi muttered triumphantly. He felt a surge of satisfaction; he had lived up to his genius reputation.
"Time to go home and rest. Tomorrow, my real Anbu life begins," he thought, heading out of the Anbu headquarters. After changing his civilian clothes, he grabbed a meal at Ichiraku Ramen before going home.
Back home, instead of going straight to bed, Kakashi headed to the yard to practice ninjutsu and kunai throwing. He aimed to transfer the original Kakashi's combat skills and ninjutsu techniques into his abilities. This required constant practice, but since his body already held the muscle memory for these techniques, it was much easier than learning from scratch.
He trained relentlessly until his chakra was almost depleted and finally collapsed in exhaustion.
"So tired," he panted, lying on the ground. Recalling his intense practice session, he felt he had begun to internalize the original Kakashi's techniques and experiences. It was similar to how Sasuke absorbed Orochimaru's combat experience in the original story—a continuous practice made the skills his own.
As for refining chakra, Kakashi felt it was unnecessary. He had already refined his chakra to the level of a Jonin before he was promoted. His chakra capacity couldn't be increased by further refining; it would only grow with time and physical development.
At 12, having fully refined his body's chakra to its limit, Kakashi indeed was a genius, the youngest Jonin in history.
However, the constant drain from the Sharingan was still a significant problem. It affected his daily life, and he knew he must adapt.
Kakashi wasn't sure how he ended up in bed, but he woke up at 5 AM the next day, ready to start his Anbu career.
"Time to start my real Anbu life. But first, I need to buy a sword. I can't let the Hatake family sword techniques go to waste like in the original story," Kakashi thought as he freshened up. He then headed to the Konoha market, recalling everything he knew about the Hatake family's swordsmanship.
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