Kakashi: Godless Ascension

"Good," Kakashi said, watching carefully. "Focus on maintaining the chakra flow."

Lightning crackled around Sasuke's hand, wild at first, but gradually tightening into a sharper, more controlled form. The sound of chirping birds echoed faintly through the field.

They spent the entire morning refining the Chidori. Kakashi corrected Sasuke's posture, helped him adjust his chakra flow, and explained the timing again and again. By midday, the shape of the Chidori was forming more consistently, stably, and deadly.

"You're making excellent progress," Kakashi said, folding his arms as he watched the latest attempt. "At this pace, you'll master it soon."

"I won't let you down," Sasuke replied, eyes burning with determination.

Kakashi gave him a small nod. He believed him.

After Sasuke had a solid grasp of the technique, their training didn't slow down, instead, it shifted focus. Kakashi began emphasizing speed, precision, and reading movement in close combat.

"Your strength won't matter if you can't land a hit," Kakashi told him. "You need to be faster. Sharper."

He introduced Sasuke to advanced taijutsu movements, refined versions of the Gai-style drills, combined with swift footwork and reaction-based counters. They sparred every day, sometimes for hours.

"Again," Kakashi would say as Sasuke missed a strike or fell into a bad stance.

Sasuke didn't complain. He learned and improved at a fast speed.

Alongside this, Kakashi taught him more about the Sharingan.

"The real strength of the Sharingan isn't just copying techniques," Kakashi explained one afternoon. "It's a prediction. Timing. Seeing the next move before it happens."

Under this guidance, Sasuke learned to anticipate his opponent, react in milliseconds, and begin relying more on instinct than brute force. His control over Sharingan matured with each spar.

Day by day, the Chidori became more powerful. Sasuke's strikes grew faster, cleaner. His control sharpened. And every time Kakashi saw that silent fire in his eyes, he knew the boy wasn't just chasing strength,he was chasing something deeper.

"Use your power wisely," Kakashi said one evening, as training came to a close. "Don't forget what it's for."

Sasuke didn't answer, but his silence said everything.

…

Elsewhere, Naruto's training was no less intense.

"Quickly Kakashi-sensei! Teach me the Rasengan," he asked, his eyes wide with excitement. "That's the Fourth Hokage's technique!"

Kakashi nodded. "It was his signature move. It doesn't need hand signs, but it does need precise chakra control. That's what makes it difficult."

He broke the Rasengan training into three steps: rotation, power, and containment.

The first step had Naruto rotating his chakra inside a water balloon until it burst from within.

"This teaches you how to spin your chakra," Kakashi explained, handing Naruto another balloon.

"Got it!" Naruto shouted, gripping it tightly.

Pop.

"Too much pressure," Kakashi sighed. "Again."

Naruto tried and failed. And failed again. Water soaked the ground. His hands were numb. But he didn't quit.

"Come on, Naruto," he muttered to himself. "You can do this…"

Eventually, he moved to step two, rotating his chakra with more force using a rubber ball.

The increased durability made it much harder.

"Ugh! This thing's impossible!" Naruto groaned, lying flat on the grass after yet another failure.

"You'll get it," Kakashi said simply. "But you need help."

He taught Naruto to use shadow clones, one clone would focus on spinning the chakra, the other on shaping it. With this two-pronged method, Naruto's progress began to speed up.

Little by little, the Rasengan began to take form in his hands.

"Yeah!" he shouted, holding a swirling orb of chakra that finally held together. "I did it!"

"Not bad," Kakashi smiled. "Now try it without the clones."

Naruto groaned again. "You're evil, Kakashi-sensei!"

…

Meanwhile, Sakura's training followed a different path.

"You have excellent chakra control," Kakashi told her early on. "Let's build on that."

He introduced her to water-style jutsu, first simple water streams, then controlling small currents. It started slow. Just bending droplets. Then thin whips. Then small waves.

Sakura practiced with steady discipline. And Kakashi was impressed.

But that wasn't all.

"You also need physical strength," he said one morning, handing her a heavy training log.

"What is this for?" Sakura asked warily.

"Carrying. Uphill. Five times."

She groaned. "Seriously?"

"Go on." Kakashi just tilted his head.

He built a strict physical regimen: push-ups, sprints, balance drills, and leg strengthening. More than once, Sakura collapsed in exhaustion.

"This is brutal…" she muttered, clutching her knees. But she got back up every time.

She wanted to be strong, not just smart. She didn't want to be left behind. She had seen Naruto's and Sasuke's progress and she was scared of being the weak link.

One afternoon, during a break, Sakura sat on a bench and sighed.

"I think I'm gaining weight with all this… muscle. Maybe I should start dieting."

Kakashi lazily turned around, his eyes half-lidded.

"Sakura."

"Huh?"

"You're training like a ninja. You need strength. You need fuel. Not a diet."

Sakura blinked.

"I don't care if you want to impress Sasuke," he said casually. "But don't be stupid."

Her face turned bright red. "I wasn't—!"

"Yes, you were."

Kakashi handed her a bottle of water. "Eat well. Train smart. That's how you become strong."

"…Thanks," she mumbled, looking away.

…

A week later, Kakashi sat against a tree, watching Team 7 rest after another long session. He sipped from a bottle of cold tea.

Just then, Kurenai arrived, her own team dismissed from a successful mission. And they went to play with the resting Team 7.

"Phew, those weeks were tough," Kakashi said, not moving from his spot.

"I heard," Kurenai said, placing her hands on her hips. "You've been pushing them hard."

"They can take it."

After a brief rest, Kurenai made her way over to him. The two sat close, exchanging stories quietly while watching their students in the distance.

Not far away, both Team 7 and Team 8 noticed.

"Are… are they cuddling?" Naruto asked, pointing.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I guess so?"

Kiba made a face. Shino as always stayed silent and shrugged. While Hinata blushed.

Naruto turned to Sakura with a mischievous grin. "Hey! Want to go on a date, too?"

Sakura ignored him completely, inching closer to Sasuke, who pretended not to notice.

Naruto's face darkened.

"That's it!" he snapped. "Sasuke!"

"What?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Naruto puffed out his chest. "Fight me!"

But just before he could charge, Kakashi's voice rang out from across the field.

"Team 7, gather!"

Naruto froze. "Saved by the Kakashi-sensei…"

Kakashi stood now, brushing grass off his pants and sighing as he reluctantly stepped away from Kurenai.

"We've got missions today," he said.

The three Genin stood in front of him, waiting for orders.

"I've booked 16 D-rank missions for today. Fourteen tomorrow. And fifteen the day after."

He gave them a bright, cheerful smile.

"Excited?"

Naruto stared at him in horror. "You want to work us to death!"

Kakashi tilted his head. "They're just D-rank missions, Naruto. But if you're not up for it…"

"I can do it," Sasuke said, cutting in with his usual calm. "Just leave it to me, this loser can't do it."

"What'd you say!?" Naruto snapped, fists clenched.

"It's okay," Kakashi added with mock sympathy. "If it's too hard, you can sit them out."

"Hard? I'll do one hundred D-rank missions!"

Sakura, looking nervous, glanced between the two boys.

She didn't want to fall behind either.

"I'll do them too," she said with a deep breath. "I won't be the weak link."

Sasuke smirked.

Naruto rolled up his sleeves. "Let's go! I'll outwork all of you!"