After reading the scroll on swordsmanship, Kakashi carefully put it away. This sword technique was something he definitely wanted to master.
Turning around, his gaze fell on another corner of the room, where a thick layer of dust had settled. However, three words were faintly visible beneath it—words that made his heart race.
Sealing Arts!
Sweeping off the dust, he found three scrolls neatly placed on the bookcase.
Kakashi picked up the first scroll, and his pupils shrank in shock.
"Four Symbols Seal! How is this possible?"
He could hardly believe it. The Four Symbols Seal was a signature technique of the Uzumaki Clan. How did it end up here?
Could it be—was Kakashi a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan?
Had his never-seen mother, the wife of Sakumo Hatake, been an Uzumaki?
No, that shouldn't be possible.
If he really had Uzumaki blood, his chakra reserves should be astronomical. Even if the Sharingan drained his energy, it shouldn't have been to this extent.
Was a single Sharingan truly more of a hindrance than half of the Nine-Tails' chakra?
That couldn't be right.
Perhaps he simply hadn't inherited the Uzumaki's famed vitality and chakra prowess?
(Note: Kakashi is not actually an Uzumaki. This speculation serves to introduce his mother's mysterious origins, but let's not overcomplicate things. Originally, this wasn't planned, but it adds an intriguing layer to his backstory.)
Kakashi shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. For a moment, his mind was a whirlwind of possibilities.
In all his memories, he had never seen his mother, and Sakumo had rarely spoken of her. Could she really have been from the Uzumaki Clan?
No one in Konoha had ever seen her—not even the Third Hokage. All Kakashi knew was that his father once left for a mission, was seriously injured, and returned a year later with a newborn child—him.
Coincidentally, that was around the time the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed.
Kakashi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Could this really be just a coincidence?
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.
What is the truth?
In the original timeline, Kakashi died at Pain's hands and met his father in the afterlife. That state clearly indicated death. Otherwise, how could he have been revived by Nagato's Rinne Rebirth?
But then—why was Sakumo able to speak with him decades after his death?
It felt eerily similar to Minato and Kushina sealing their chakra within Naruto.
Could it be—?
Sakumo Hatake had sealed his soul inside Kakashi?!
Kakashi's heart pounded as another realization struck him.
During the Fourth Shinobi War, many legendary shinobi were reanimated. However, despite his reputation surpassing even the Sannin's, Sakumo was never summoned.
Was he simply overlooked? That was unlikely.
The only logical explanation was that Sakumo's soul had been bound by a powerful sealing technique—perhaps something akin to the Reaper Death Seal.
Had Orochimaru's forces attempted to summon him, only to fail?
After Kakashi's death, the seal on Sakumo's soul might have finally been lifted. But since Orochimaru's forces never tried again, Sakumo never reappeared.
Or perhaps…
Sakumo had already fulfilled his last wish and could no longer be summoned.
This could explain why he was never revived with Edo Tensei.
But why would Sakumo seal his soul inside Kakashi?
The answer was clear—he had wanted to give Kakashi a second chance at life.
Kakashi had died and met his father. But their conversation was calm, almost unhurried, as though Sakumo knew Kakashi would return. He had spoken without panic, and when Kakashi was revived, Sakumo wasn't surprised.
Clearly, he had known there was a technique that could bring Kakashi back to life.
Sakumo had died by his own hand, but as a father, he must have worried about his young son. Using a forbidden technique to safeguard Kakashi's life would have been an understandable decision.
Kakashi's eyes widened as countless doubts seemed to resolve themselves in an instant.
His gaze returned to the Four Symbols Seal on the scroll in his hands. Strangely, it no longer felt foreign—it felt… familiar.
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi forced himself to stay calm.
With this sealing technique, he no longer had to worry about the Sharingan. If it could contain the Nine-Tails, it could certainly regulate the chakra drain of a mere eye.
Unlike the Reaper Death Seal, the Four Symbols Seal didn't require a soul sacrifice.
His first step was complete.
Mastering the technique would take time, but that was fine. He had patience.
Kakashi memorized the seal before carefully destroying the scroll. Its existence was a dangerous liability. He couldn't explain how he had obtained it, and if anyone found out, it could lead to unwanted trouble.
If people later discovered he could use the Four Symbols Seal, he could attribute it to Minato's teachings. But this old scroll's origins were a different matter entirely.
Better to erase it.
With that settled, Kakashi selected a few more Lightning Release techniques and left the basement.
Lying in bed, he slowly pieced together his thoughts.
The souls of two people—his and his father's—were merging. At this rate, the process would be complete within a month. When that happened, Kakashi's spiritual power would experience an explosive growth.
Though he suspected a connection to the Uzumaki bloodline, he clearly lacked their overwhelming chakra reserves. His doubts remained, but for now, he wouldn't dwell on them.
Who exactly was his mother, the woman Sakumo had loved?
She had to have been someone special.
For now, he set that mystery aside. His immediate priority was increasing his chakra reserves.
Chakra was the fusion of physical energy and spiritual power, meaning the best way to strengthen it was through physical training.
And when it came to physical prowess, no one surpassed Might Guy, who would one day master all Eight Gates.
Due to his own nature, Guy had never excelled in chakra control or ninjutsu, yet his raw strength was unrivaled. His sheer talent in taijutsu had elevated him beyond human limits.
The strongest hand-to-hand fighter in the ninja world.
Training with Guy would guarantee significant improvements.
Decision made.
Starting tomorrow, he would begin rigorous physical conditioning alongside Guy.
With their rivalry, there was no doubt that Guy would enthusiastically challenge him, turning every training session into a competition.
And when two determined shinobi trained together, the results were always far greater than training alone.
Especially for two like them—rivals, friends, and comrades.