Kakashi revealed his Sharingan—no, his Mangekyō Sharingan.
It was entirely different from Sasuke's single tomoe.
Wielding the Executioner's Blade, Kakashi had already charged face-to-face at Zabuza Momochi.
After ten or six intense rounds, the confrontation escalated into a ninjutsu duel.
But Kakashi's ninjutsu was unique.
He could directly copy the opponent's techniques using his Sharingan, and perform them at 55% less chakra cost.
No matter what jutsu his enemy used, no matter how complex the hand seals, Kakashi could replicate them in real time, neutralizing the attack.
Because of this, over the last ten years, his name had spread far and wide through the ninja world.
"Hatake Kakashi, known as Konoha's number one technician!"
"The Copy Ninja…"
"The man who has mastered over a thousand jutsu…"
"And that Sharingan…"
"He received it from Uchiha Obito," Kitahara Hitoshi said, voice calm but informative. "The Sharingan grants him the ability to replicate techniques."
"He also possesses all five chakra natures, so he can duplicate almost any ninjutsu."
"As long as the opponent uses a jutsu in front of him, Kakashi can immediately replicate it."
"Most shinobi only possess one or two chakra natures, which makes Kakashi's compatibility incredibly rare," Hitoshi continued.
"However, since he's not an Uchiha, constantly using the Sharingan actually suppresses his potential."
"And because he's not a blood-born Uchiha, he can't deactivate the Sharingan at will, so it remains permanently active."
"Which means it's constantly draining his chakra," Hitoshi explained.
"Then why doesn't he just remove it?" Sasuke asked. "He's not an Uchiha by blood, and that burden is enormous."
Sasuke, still bearing his newly awakened single tomoe Sharingan, hadn't been of much help to Kakashi during the fight.
Yet even in that short moment, Sasuke had already felt how taxing the eye could be.
He understood—perhaps better than anyone—how painful the Sharingan could be.
"Because that eye was given to him by Obito," Hitoshi said. "He accepted it along with Obito's will."
"It's a symbol of how much he values his comrades."
"A constant reminder of the importance of his companions."
"In a way, it's also his form of self-punishment," Hitoshi added.
Kakashi stood silent.
Although Hitoshi's commentary showed deep insight, it felt a little too much—like his soul had been dissected in public.
Still, Kakashi knew the truth.
Before receiving Obito's Sharingan, he had been considered Konoha's rising genius.
After receiving it, his chakra reserves were constantly drained, and his signature techniques—Raikiri and Chidori—couldn't be used recklessly anymore.
His talents were effectively restrained.
In a sense, inheriting Obito's Sharingan had set him down a different path.
And yet, Kakashi harbored no regrets.
Because Obito had sacrificed his life to instill in him the value of comradeship.
Obito was gone, but Kakashi would live on carrying Obito's will.
Besides, he had failed to protect Rin.
So even if this Sharingan drained him endlessly—like a curse—he would accept that punishment.
Still, Kitahara Hitoshi's monologue continued, dropping more bombshells on the Sharingan's lore.
"Kakashi's incredibly talented, no question," Hitoshi said. "But he's only been using the basic abilities—copying, insight into taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu."
"He hasn't even tapped into the true power of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Kakashi stared.
What?
Apart from copying and perceiving genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, did the Mangekyō Sharingan have even more specialized powers?
He had no idea.
Even so, he continued to copy Zabuza's massive Water Style jutsu while staying sharp.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
This technique was originally developed with 50 hand seals.
Zabuza had refined it down to 44.
Now…
"He's fast," Zabuza thought.
His fingers flew through the seals, but Kakashi's movements mirrored his own.
Initially, Kakashi was trailing by a second.
Now their seals were perfectly synchronized.
Zabuza knew he couldn't stop.
If he halted now, Kakashi's Water Dragon Bullet would strike first and blast him away.
But continuing wasn't ideal either...
"Damn…"
Zabuza had started with the upper hand, but now he was sealing purely on the defensive.
Meanwhile...
"So what's this Water Dragon Bullet jutsu about?" Naruto asked, watching the exchange between Kakashi and Zabuza with intense focus.
He treated it like a live classroom session and tried to absorb every bit of information.
If he wanted to get stronger, he needed to act like a sponge—soak in knowledge and make it his own.
"Water Dragon Bullet?" Hitoshi mused. "I don't know all the details."
"But this isn't how it's supposed to be sealed."
"Is that so?" Naruto blinked.
Even Sasuke was stunned.
If the hand seals weren't correct, then Kakashi, under high Sharingan strain, was copying an outdated or inefficient version?
"The proper hand seals are Rat, Ox, Monkey, Pig, Tiger," Hitoshi said.
"In the library, Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's Water Style archives state that he used only four seals."
"Not 44 like they're doing now."
Kakashi frowned.
Zabuza hesitated slightly.
"What are you even saying? Senju Tobirama was a Mizukage-tier genius!" Zabuza barked. "No one in Kirigakure has ever matched that."
In the distant chat space of the future...
Children and Grandchildren Ninja Chat Group:
Dazhuzi: Haha, Tobirama, they really think you're a Mizukage.
Senju Tobirama: Brother, shut up.
Senju Tobirama: But it's true—I only used four seals for Water Dragon Bullet.
Senju Tobirama: 44 seals? Zabuza's wasting chakra.
Senju Tobirama: Terumi Mei, you're next in line for Mizukage. How many seals do you use?
Terumi Mei: Hmm?
Terumi Mei: Ending seal?
Terumi Mei: Does Water Dragon Bullet even require hand seals?
Senju Tobirama: What?
Tobirama realized something wasn't right.
This future Fifth Mizukage wasn't just strong—she was terrifying.
And then—
Boom!
Just as Kakashi and Zabuza neared the final hand seals, a colossal water dragon burst from the center.
Not only that, water walls surged around them.
Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
It was a flawless fusion of both techniques.
"Ridiculous! Forty-four hand seals for Water Dragon Bullet?" a woman's voice scoffed.
She stood atop the water dragon.
Wearing a blue waterproof suit, she had long orange hair, bright eyes, and a striking single ponytail.
Kitahara Hitoshi stared at the Water Style user in disbelief.
Wasn't that… Terumi Mei?
And in the next second, she dropped gracefully to the boat beside them.
Still confused, Kitahara watched her lift her right hand and point at Zabuza.
"You're not bad. No talent, but I like you."
"Want to come to Kirigakure?"
"I'll recommend you as the next Mizukage," Terumi Mei said casually.
Children and Grandchildren Ninja Chat Group:
Senju Tobirama: Damn it… Now I know why I broke the peace.
Senju Tobirama: The Mizukage used to be all bark.
Senju Tobirama: But this one? She shows up and flexes immediately.
Senju Tobirama: So that's their strategy now.