Lightning Cutter

is an enhanced and concentrated form of the Chidori with the same effects and drawbacks. According to Might Guy, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the Chidori is already powerful on its own, the Lightning Cutter requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The Chidori appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the Lightning Cutter is more focused (and blue in the anime). The Raikiri costs much more chakra than Chidori as well and since Kakashi needs Sharingan to use it effectively, the great chakra required to keep the eye active greatly hampered Kakashi's ability to use it to the point that he is limited to using it four times in one day, but by Part II, his greatly increased chakra reserves can use it at least six times in one day.

Kakashi has shown different ways of forming and using the Lightning Cutter. During his confrontation with Orochimaru in Part I, he creates it without using hand seals. In Part II, he is able to form a Lightning Cutter in both of his hands to counteract Kakuzu's Lightning Release: False Darkness.

Kakashi later demonstrated the ability to imbue a projectile weapon, such as a kunai, with his Lightning Cutter, granting the technique long-range capabilities. In this instance, the kunai was capable of piercing through multiple large rocks with ease, without any loss of momentum or change in trajectory.

In Naruto Shippūden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire, when this technique was copied by Hiruko, he used the electrical energy to surge around the area, increasing the range of damage, allowing him to attack Naruto's clones at a mid-range distance.

Trivia

 * The name Raikiri comes from a story about famous samurai (22 April 1513–2 November 1585). Tachibana was in possession of a famous sword called . One day, while he was still a young man, he was taking shelter under a tree, as it was raining. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck him. However, Tachibana used his Chidori to cut the Thunder God inside the lightning bolt, allowing him to survive. After this incident, he renamed his Chidori to.