Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 184: Kakashi Visits, and the Nine-Tails Comes Knocking!

Haneda spread out the scroll on his desk, sitting down to study it carefully. Minato's notes on the Four Symbols Seal were densely packed with small, intricate writing. But despite the complexity, the explanations were clear, and Haneda quickly understood concepts that had previously eluded him.

The Four Symbols Seal, as Minato described, involved the use of four energies to seal away malevolent forces. It was suitable for sealing powerful enemies and creatures. To Haneda, it all boiled down to one thing: chakra sealing. Both the Nine-Tails and the Dragon Vein were massive chakra sources, and the Four Symbols Seal was Minato's go-to technique for containment. That's why Haneda chose to start his sealing studies with this technique.

Above the Four Symbols Seal was the Eight Trigrams Seal, essentially a double Four Symbols Seal, which was why it had managed to keep the Nine-Tails imprisoned within Naruto for so many years. The only downside was that the Four Symbols Seal weakened over time, requiring periodic maintenance—though Haneda found it more than sufficient for his purposes.

About half an hour later, Kakashi showed up. He instinctively tried to enter through the window, only to find Haneda watching him, an amused look on his face.

"Ah… fancy meeting you here, Haneda," Kakashi said, a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, and you've got great timing—you're stepping on the seal notes I was studying," Haneda replied.

Kakashi quickly moved his foot, hopping down from the windowsill. "Ah, habit…"

As he glanced over the scroll, the familiar symbols and Minato's handwriting caught his eye. This was the Four Symbols Seal annotation he'd asked Minato for!

Kakashi laughed and said, "You know, Haneda, that might be my scroll you've got there."

"Your scroll?" Haneda grinned mischievously. "If I got it first, it's mine."

After a brief "battle" in the study, Kakashi won, managing to snatch the scroll from Haneda. However, he handed it back, smiling.

"Here, it's yours. Honestly, I'm not all that interested in sealing techniques right now," he said.

"It's fine; I copied it with my Sharingan anyway," Haneda laughed. "Come on, I'm hungry. How about we grab something to eat?"

"Sure," Kakashi nodded, a bit nostalgic as he followed Haneda out. Memories surfaced of the old days when they'd eat together, with one certain "trailing idiot" tagging along. Kakashi touched his left eye, pushing those thoughts aside. No matter what the future held, he'd carry Obito's eye with him and keep moving forward with Haneda.

They headed to Ichiraku Ramen, a favorite spot for both of them and the Minato couple.

"Two bowls of pork-bone ramen, please!" Haneda called out to Teuchi, the ramen chef.

As they sat down, Haneda turned to Kakashi. "Been busy training lately?"

"Yeah, it's like you've disappeared from the village. Only saw you at the last Jonin meeting."

Kakashi nodded. "After the war, I realized that certain things require strength to protect…"

He looked at Haneda, and for a brief moment, he saw his father's figure standing behind him. "If I knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, everything could have been different. And… I'd be able to protect you too."

Haneda activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and said, "That's unnecessary. I'm not who I used to be."

Kakashi's eyes drifted to Haneda's eyes, noticing the sun-like pattern within them. Momentarily dazed, he mumbled, "A Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Haneda nodded. "Yes. You know the price of unlocking this power, don't you?"

"Extreme grief," Kakashi replied solemnly.

"No. It's love," Haneda corrected, though he offered no further explanation.

Haneda's true plans were beyond Kakashi's knowledge for now. He was determined not to expose his friend to danger, especially while Black Zetsu was lurking in the shadows, capable of manipulating even the mightiest. For now, he'd keep his dreams and secrets to himself, revolutionizing the shinobi world step by step, while preparing to confront Black Zetsu.

Just then, Teuchi brought over their ramen. "Here you go, two pork-bone ramens!" Haneda broke from his thoughts, looking over at Kakashi with a grin. "Alright—let's dig in!"

...

After dinner, Haneda went back home and copied the annotations on the Four Symbols Seal from memory, immersing himself in study for the rest of the night. By morning, he had a rudimentary grasp of the sealing technique, though he still felt he was only halfway there.

He had planned to visit Kushina the next day to ask for guidance, but to his surprise, she came knocking instead.

Knock knock!

Just as dawn was breaking, a knock echoed at his door. Because of his enhanced stamina from the transplanted First Hokage cells, Haneda typically slept in until around eight. Half-asleep, he stumbled downstairs to answer the door.

"Coming…"

Opening the door, he was met with a familiar head of red hair.

"Kushina-sister! You're here for Minato's notes, right? I already gave them to Kakashi," he explained, assuming she was there about the Four Symbols Seal.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind.

"Uchiha Haneda… I came to see you."

Haneda looked up into Kushina's eyes, startled to realize it was the Nine-Tails speaking directly to him!