Kakashi retreated a full hundred meters before stopping.
Arata walked calmly to the edge of the lake.
If he lost control again like before, the water here would at least soften the explosion.
He inhaled deeply — then stepped onto the surface of the water.
Ripples spread beneath his feet.
And then — the air itself began to crackle.
Arata focused every ounce of chakra in his body toward his right hand.
Blue sparks flashed — then erupted into a cascade of golden lightning.
"Zzzt—!"
"Crack—!"
Brilliant arcs of electricity burst from his palm, swirling violently around his arm like living serpents.
Dozens of shimmering lightning threads spiraled outward, illuminating the entire lakeside in radiant gold.
The air shimmered. The ground trembled.
Even though it was midday, the blinding golden light made it seem as if a second sun had ignited over the lake.
A hundred meters away, Kakashi's single eye widened.
"Even though I've seen this before…" he whispered, his throat tight, "it's still unbelievable every single time."
This wasn't just Chidori.
It was something beyond — a perfected, condensed storm of energy.
"The chakra density… the lightning morphology… this is no longer an ordinary technique. It's on another level entirely."
Out of habit, Kakashi's Sharingan flared open.
He didn't want to miss a single detail.
The lightning around Arata thickened, dancing wildly for several seconds before all of it began to converge — spiraling back into his hand, pulled by invisible force.
The surrounding golden glow faded away, revealing Arata's calm expression amid the faint hum of thunder.
He gathered every stray chakra particle into one focal point… Kakashi thought, stunned.
Even I can't control chakra that precisely.
The technique was now compact, silent — and terrifying.
The Chidori in Arata's hand had shrunk in size, but its power had increased severalfold.
It pulsed like a compressed sun, each tremor radiating lethal intensity.
Arata glanced at Kakashi in the distance.
Their eyes met — and Kakashi suddenly got a bad feeling.
"…Wait. What are you—"
Too late.
Arata smiled faintly, bent his knees, and launched himself skyward like a cannon shell.
The earth beneath him cracked and splintered, webbing outward for ten meters.
He soared tens of meters above the lake — a gleaming streak of gold against the blue sky.
Then, with his arm raised high, Arata dove.
"Lightning Release — Chidori!"
The world exploded.
"CRACK—!!!"
A thunderclap tore through the valley.
In the blink of an eye, a pillar of light engulfed the lake, vaporizing the water into steam.
The resulting blast carved a massive crater in the center of the lake — nearly a hundred meters across.
For several seconds, the entire area trembled under the echo of thunder.
The lake's waters surged, collapsing back inward with a violent roar as steam rose high into the air.
By the time it settled, Arata was already back on the shore.
Tiny arcs of golden electricity still flickered around his fingertips.
He exhaled slowly, gazing at the lake that now looked as if a meteor had struck it.
"So, Kakashi-sensei," he said with a faint smile, "how's that for power?"
Kakashi stepped up beside him, looking between Arata's sparking hand and the devastated lake.
His mouth twitched.
"…Tell me," he said dryly, "is that what you call my Chidori?"
Arata chuckled. "Of course. Just… refined a little."
"Refined," Kakashi repeated, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That thing could vaporize a mountain. Even my Raikiri doesn't hit that hard."
His Sharingan flickered briefly before fading.
"That technique you just used… its power is easily S-rank."
Arata blinked. "S-rank? Seriously?"
He genuinely hadn't thought of it that way.
Sure, it felt powerful — but to match the level of jutsu used by Kage-level shinobi?
Kakashi nodded firmly. "Without a doubt. My Raikiri is S-rank because of its destructive potential. Yours… exceeds it."
Arata scratched his head. "Well… I was thinking of modifying it. Maybe make it more versatile — something long-range, maybe."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Long-range? As in…?"
Arata's eyes gleamed.
"I have an idea. What if the Chidori's lightning could extend outward — form into a piercing spear or scatter into multiple projectiles? Kind of like—"
Kakashi's mind flashed with recognition.
"—Chidori Eisō (Chidori Spear) and Chidori Senbon."
Arata smiled. "Exactly."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "That's possible. But you'd lose some power in the conversion."
"I know," Arata replied. "But for me, that's acceptable. My chakra reserves are high enough that even a reduced version would still hit hard."
Kakashi studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly beneath his mask.
"…You're not wrong. For you, that trade-off might actually be an advantage."
The two spoke for a while longer — discussing shape manipulation, chakra flow, and how to control the intensity of lightning release at distance.
Then Arata stepped back toward the lake, ready to try.
This time, Kakashi didn't move away.
He no longer feared an explosion — not from Arata.
The boy had proven he could control his chakra perfectly.
Watching him now, Kakashi felt something between pride and disbelief.
His progress is terrifying, he thought quietly.
At this rate, I'll have nothing left to teach him.
Lightning sparked again in Arata's hand — the same golden brilliance as before, sharp and pure.
Kakashi could feel the energy vibrating in the air, making the hairs on his arms stand.
So this is Arata's true strength…
As the thunder hummed softly, Kakashi smiled under his mask.
He's already surpassed what I once was.
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