The Celestial Copy - Chapter 15

I sat cross-legged at the base of the ancient tree with my eyes closed. For the past three days, I had remained in this spot, trying to learn how to sense the unseeable. 

The dog clan had nothing like the toad oil of Mount Myoboku to make the process easier. This was a trial of pure concentration. 

Kanazuji never left either, silently judging me the entire time. Tsukihana had come by twice to encourage me to get some rest. I had refused. I wouldn’t give the Grand Elder any opportunity to question my resolve.

Finally, I felt it. 

A current of energy flowing through everything. In the wind brushing against my hair, in the ground beneath me, in the pure air of Kyojitsu Plateau itself, invisible but undeniably present in each of them. A new aspect of reality that had been there all along, just waiting to be noticed. I could even feel a dense concentration of it in the massive tree behind me.

“I can sense it now, Grand Elder.”

“SENSING IT MEANS NOTHING. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHETHER YOUR WILL IS STRONG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN IT WITHOUT SHATTERING. LET IT FLOW THROUGH YOU.”

I opened my eyes and nodded. This was the moment where the real training got started.

“I WILL PLACE MY FANGS UPON YOUR BODY,” Kanazuji continued, lowering his massive head toward me. “I WILL FEEL THE RUSH OF THE WORLD’S POISON AS IT ENTERS YOU. IF YOUR WILL FALTERS AND THE CORRUPTION BEGINS, I WILL PURGE IT FROM YOU. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.”

I took a deep breath and was about to offer my right arm, but his fangs were easily three feet long each, making my arm an impossible target. He continued lowering his head until his jaw closed over my shoulder and collarbone. The upper fang rested against my chest, while the lower fang pressed into the muscles of my upper back. I had to consciously suppress every instinct screaming at me to pull away.

Closing my eyes, I began to draw it in.

The energy rushed from the ancient tree and into me, and all I could feel was absolute ecstasy. It all melted away. The trauma, the loss, the constant strain of being a shinobi, and being a leader who has to worry for my comrades. Everything. I felt boundless, connected to the world itself. The feeling just felt right. My hand started to change, but there was nothing wrong with that. It felt like I was shedding a broken form to become something whole.

Suddenly, a grinding pressure clamped down on my shoulder.

“YOUR HIDE…” Kanazuji grunted, his voice a muffled rumble against my shoulder. “IT IS LIKE CHEWING ON WOOD. TOUGHER THAN ANY HUMAN’S SHOULD BE.”

The pressure intensified into agony as he bit down harder. I cried out as I felt that blissful energy being forcibly siphoned from my body, drained away through his fangs, leaving me feeling hollow.

“IS THIS ALL IT TAKES TO BREAK YOUR GRAND OATH, BOY?! THIS IS MERELY THE PAIN OF MY FANGS! YOU HAVE YET TO FEEL THE PAIN OF YOUR OWN SOUL UNRAVELING! ARE YOU FINISHED?!”

Blood streamed down my chest and back. I looked down at my right hand and saw white fur receding, the joints of my fingers re-forming from what had just been a dog’s paw just a moment before. 

The bite was excruciating, but the realization that I had so eagerly lost myself was far worse. I could always use a Crimson Tear to mend this wound later. For now, I’ll use it as a reminder.

“No,” I wheezed. “Let’s keep going. Like you said, this is just a bit of pain. I can at least endure that much.”

Taking a deep breath, I began the process again.

This time I ignored the welcoming block behind me, only letting a small amount pass through. Even as I started to feel the bliss, I kept my mind on what just happened. 

Coarse hairs started to sprout along my fingers again. Kanazuji’s jaw tensed, but he hadn’t bitten down yet. I was still in control.

I focused, slowing the intake even further, wrestling for control over every drop of energy. I wasn’t sure how much time passed; it felt like an eternity to me.

Then Kanazuji’s fangs pierced my flesh again, expelling the energy from me.

I didn’t scream this time. I just braced myself against the pain, ready to continue.

He released his hold and lifted his massive head. “YOUR WILL IS AS STRONG AS YOUR BODY, GOZEN KAKASHI. THAT IS A RARE THING IN A HUMAN. GO. REST. WE WILL CONTINUE TOMORROW”

It almost sounded like grudging respect.

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[Daisuke Akimichi]

The spar started just a few minutes ago and yet it was already in Team Ro’s favor.

Anko’s snakes slithered across the dirt in a constant tide, forcing Team Ha to bunch together into a defensive formation. Tsura prowled at the edge of the circle in her All-Fours Jutsu. Whenever one of them so much as tested a gap, she was there in an instant, pressing them back with a growl. The two of them together kept the other team trapped in a cage.

Daisuke raised his left hand, the signal for the next phase of the plan.

“Alright, Tanuki, it’s showtime!” Akito called out.

Tenzo slammed his palms against the ground, causing wood to burst upward and weave itself into a thick contraption. In moments, a massive catapult loomed over the dirt, aimed squarely at Team Ha’s huddled position.

Daisuke’s reaction when Akito had first proposed this plan had been a firm refusal. Too much could go wrong. If it failed, they would look like a bunch of clowns in front of a veteran squad, as if they were a squad that had no self control when their captain wasn’t present. That embarrassment would reflect badly on Kakashi too. But Anko had been on board the moment she heard it, and even the former foundation agent had admitted the engineering challenge was intriguing. 

So then he asked himself: what would Captain do? Kakashi’s first, unspoken lesson was to always believe in the person standing next to you. 

His job as acting captain wasn’t to second-guess them. 

He took his position in the basket, the wood creaking under his weight. “Ready for the flight, Neko?”

Yugao landed lightly on his broad shoulders, her tanto already drawn. “Of course. Make sure to clear the landing zone for me, Kuma.”

“Guess I don’t have a choice,” he grunted.

The squad’s genjutsu specialist stood beside the wooden war machine. “Firing in three… two… one!” He channeled a precise stream of fire into the base of the structure, causing the wood to snap and propel them forward. 

From way up in the air, Daisuke saw Team Ha tilting their heads up, looking at the two of them. He knew their eyes went wide behind their masks the moment he activated the Expansion Jutsu, making his body swell to a massive size mid-air. Yugao used his enormous shoulders as her launchpad at the peak of their flight, leaping higher into the air above the fray.

Now that she was off, he used the Human Boulder technique, tucking himself into a spinning sphere of unstoppable force.

The earth exploded beneath him as he slammed into Team Ha’s formation, their bodies being thrown aside like rag dolls. The impact sent a massive shockwave outwards, kicking up a cloud of dust and sending the last few defenders stumbling directly out of their defensive stance and into complete disarray.

Yugao descended in that moment of chaos, hitting the stumbling ANBU with the flat part of her tanto, making it clear she could have eliminated them. Then she rested her blade against Captain Karasu’s throat, holding it there for another second before retracting the blade and taking a step back, offering a formal bow to her senior officer.

The spar was over.

Daisuke shrunk back to his normal size, standing amidst the groaning members of Team Ha. The rest of Team Ro fell into a loose formation behind him.

Karasu straightened her uniform, her posture showing no emotion from her defeat. “That was an unorthodox maneuver. One mistake and your team would have been caught in your own attack.”

“Captain Kitsune’s principle is to trust in each other’s strength completely, Captain Karasu,” Daisuke replied. “We simply put that lesson into practice.”

“Interesting,” she mused. “He teaches the very thing he himself struggled to learn for so long. Give him my regards when he returns. It seems he’s corrected his few flaws, and his new methods, unconventional as they may be, are clearly effective.”

Daisuke nodded. “Thank you, Captain. Your team fought well.” 

“Not well enough. We have lessons to learn from today.” Karasu turned to her squad. “Team Ha, regroup. We’re done here.”

Without another word, her squad gathered themselves and filed out of the training ground, leaving Team Ro alone.

Akito let out a groan as he stretched his arm over his head. “Well, that’s enough training for one afternoon. My duty is done, and I’m officially calling it a day.”

“You barely even did anything!” Anko shot back, propping her hands on her hips. “How are you already tapping out? C’mon, don’t be a wuss!”

“Hey, strategic command is mentally exhausting. Without the captain here, all the thinking falls to me. You wouldn’t understand the pressures of being the brains of the operation.”

“The only thing you commanded was the fire,” Tenzo cut in dryly. “I was the one who actually made it work.”

Akito sputtered for a second before waving a hand. “Let’s not sweat the details. The vision was mine, and that’s what matters in the end! I’m off for lunch since I’m not a training maniac like the rest of you. Try not to miss me too much!” 

With a final chuckle, he flickered away.

Tsura turned to Daisuke. “Kuma, have we received any new missions from the Hokage? It’s been quiet these past two weeks, ever since the captain left.”

“Lord Third’s orders haven’t changed,” he confirmed. “Our standing duty is to continue training and remain on standby.”

Yugao stepped forward, her posture formal despite the casual attitude of the team. “Kuma, I’ve been practicing as Captain Kitsune instructed before he left. I can consistently split the leaf now. If it’s alright, I’d like to move on to the next stage of training, the waterfall cutting.”

“You’ve been working hard,” the wood-style user said with an approving nod. “I’ll set it up for you.”

Daisuke crossed his arms, considering for a moment before he also nodded. “Alright, team. Good work today. We’re relocating to our private training ground. Okami, Mumei, if you’re not done for the day, we could run a two versus two after Tanuki and I set up the waterfall for Neko’s training.”

“Hell yeah! Unlike some people, I’m not done for the day!” Anko exclaimed as she cracked her knuckles.

Tsura crossed her arms. “I’ll join, just put us on different teams.”

“You’re going down, Wolf-girl! I’m taking Tanuki as my teammate.”

He let out a rumble of laughter from their familiar dynamic. “Alright then. Let’s get to it.” He turned and led the way toward their private training ground, the rest of the team following.

Once they arrived, Daisuke formed the tiger seal then slammed his palms on the ground, raising a thirty-foot earth wall. Tenzo leaped to the top and used the Waterfall Basin Jutsu, causing a torrent of water to cascade down, creating their artificial waterfall. As a final touch, he grew a wooden platform right beside the waterfall for Yugao to stand on.

“Your stage, Neko.”

She climbed onto the platform and brought her hands to the waterfall then released a blast of wind chakra. Even though it was barely a splash, she wasn’t discouraged and kept going.

Meanwhile, Anko and Tsura were warming up against each other on the far side of the field.

He and Tenzo started walking over, ready to join them, but were stopped by a frantic shout.

“WAIT! EVERYONE, GET OVER HERE! YOU ARE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS!”

Akito came sprinting back to them while waving a small book in his hand.

“What’s the matter, Tori?” Anko drawled. “Couldn’t stand being away from us? Or did you get winded thinking too hard on your way out?”

“Forget that! One of my friends from Ni handed me the new Bingo Book. Check out who got a new entry!” 

He flipped the book open and turned it around, his thumb holding a specific page.

The team gathered around to look.

There, on the page, was a photograph of their captain. But the infamous moniker that had followed him for years was gone.

KAKASHI HATAKE - THE COPY NINJA 

Affiliation: Jōnin of the Hidden Leaf Village

Threat Level: S-RANK

Fighting Style: Adaptable all-rounder particularly proficient in ninjutsu and taijutsu. Uses the Sharingan dōjutsu to replicate elite level techniques.

Known Elements: Lightning, Water, Earth

Additional Notes:

Student of the Fourth Hokage.

Confirmed user of the Eight Gates technique, demonstrating mastery up to the Fourth Gate.

Has replicated Lightning Chakra Mode.

Anko let out a low whistle. “Damn. Always knew he was a monster, but now it’s official. Knew I picked the right team.”

“This edition is from the Cloud. Something must have happened during the summit,” Tsura noted.

Akito jabbed a finger at the line at the bottom. “It says here that he replicated Lightning Chakra Mode. Oh my god, I think he actually used it right in front of the Raikage!”

“I can’t believe he swung his dick around and secured us a peace treaty in the process,” Anko said with a crude laugh.

“It only lists three elements,” Tenzo pointed out. “But I’ve seen him use Fire and Wind as well.”

Yugao stared at the page, her hair dripping water on the page. “He’s outpacing the record keepers, too... The rest of us need to keep working hard so he doesn’t do the same to us.”

Akito sighed. “Yeah, guess I have no choice but to continue training.”

Daisuke’s lips curled up as he looked at the new title again. He couldn’t help but feel that it fit much more. 

The Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. A name that will be known by all.

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[FEAT ACHIEVED: BECOME AN S-RANK SHINOBI "THE COPY NINJA"]

[50 CP GRANTED - 250 TOTAL]

So, the Raikage actually named me the Copy Ninja. A gesture of respect, maybe? Or more likely, a warning to his own shinobi to stay the hell away from me.

The connotation behind the title was different this time around. Canon Kakashi earned it through years of nonstop missions, during which he copied a thousand jutsu and was one of the only people in the world with a Sharingan. I earned it in a single moment by showing off my ability to copy the Raikage’s prized jutsu right in front of him.

This new status would change things. 

It might make some of my undercover ANBU work more complicated now that my face is in every major village’s Bingo Book. Before, while my appearance was quite distinct, it would only matter to those who already knew me. Not many from other villages would care, after all, a random B-rank isn’t worth memorizing. But every competent shinobi memorizes the faces of the S-ranks. You don’t mess with them.  

The same applies for inside the village. I was now the youngest S-rank in the Hidden Leaf. With that, I have a better place to stand on for village politics. It sounds tedious, but I’ll have to get involved anyway.

At least it won’t change anything with my team. They had already witnessed me defeat a foreign S-rank before their eyes.

Anyway, only 150 CP more until Call Me Master is mine. 

I already had a few ideas on how to help every member of my team with it. And during the quiet moments of my Senjutsu training over the past few days, a new idea came to mind, one specifically for Tenzo. It was far more ambitious than my initial plan of helping him improve his mastery of Wood Style.

Hashirama Senju’s unparalleled strength was a combination of several key factors: his Wood Style, his immense chakra reserves and life force, a potent healing factor, and a unique Sage Mode that tied it all together. Of course, the most important factor of his strength was being a reincarnation of Ashura, something no one could replicate. 

Creating a new Hashirama would be impossible. However, I could use him as a guide for the best way to elevate Tenzo.

The foundation was just waiting to be built on. Tenzo already had Wood Style. The rest could be achieved through teaching him Senjutsu. Sage Mode allows the user to draw on the boundless energy of nature itself, which could supplement his chakra reserves and life force. I was fairly confident it also granted a boost to healing and recovery. In theory, it was the key to unlocking his true power.

The only problem was the entry requirement. According to Jiraiya, I had only barely met the minimum chakra reserves needed to even attempt the training, and Tenzo’s were smaller than mine.

That left two options. I could wait, hoping to roll a perk that could solve the problem for me, or I could take the old-fashioned path of relentless physical and mental conditioning. 

If a perk appeared, I’d take it. But I should be proactive about this rather than relying on chance. Tenzo was only fourteen right now, still at an age where his body and chakra coils could be expanded through the right training. That development window wouldn’t stay open forever.

The first step was getting the remaining points I needed. Learning Sage Mode should be a feat worthy of covering most of that requirement. Time to get back to training.

I pushed myself to my feet and started walking back toward the ancient tree, ready to subject myself to another torturous session with Kanazuji's fangs.

Just as I was getting close, Tsukihana moved into my path, her body positioned to block the way. She held her head high, but her tail hung low.

“That is enough for one day, Gozen Kakashi,” she said firmly. “Even a will as strong as yours has its limits. Pushing yourself beyond what your body and spirit can handle will only lead to ruin.”

Her worry was unnecessary. Thanks to the Crimson Tear, the punctures from this morning’s session had already healed completely. My body was more than ready for another round.

But her eyes… they held a pain deeper than simple concern, the same as Grand Elder’s was when I asked to learn Senjutsu. 

I want to understand more about this clan.

“Thank you for your concern, Elder Tsukihana. It’s clear to me that this clan has a painful history with Senjutsu. I have a small idea of why, thanks to the Grand Elder, but would you be willing to teach me more?”

She looked away toward the endless horizon. “My father’s name was Gintoki. The others called him The Silver Inevitability, for it seemed he stood outside the flow of time itself, his timing in battle peerless. He believed, just as you do, that Senjutsu was a power that could be mastered.”

“Right,” I said gently. “The Grand Elder mentioned he was consumed by it.”

“At first, it seemed like he was actually going to master it. His power grew so vast that even grandfather admitted pride in him. But the changes… I could never forget them.” She closed her eyes as if she was seeing it at this very moment. “It happened when I was young. His pure silver fur dulled to an earthen brown. His voice fractured, sometimes it was his, sometimes something else’s. There were too many moments when his eyes didn’t seem to see us at all. He grew restless. The honor and patience that had defined him began giving way to a primal ferocity. The guardian I admired was disappearing, replaced by something else.”

A corrupting energy that twists the body and mind…

It was the same fundamental principle as Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal of Heaven, which was a combination of nature energy and a piece of his own consciousness. Anko had the prototype version of it, the one made before he added Jugo's abilities to stabilize it. 

Tsukihana’s trembling breath brought me out of my thoughts. 

“It all came to a head three hundred years ago when grandfather realized he was losing himself and tried to stop him. They fought across this very plateau. Grandfather hoped he could absorb the corruption and bring him back, but,” her voice broke. “Father’s body split in two, then in four, then again and again, each new head screaming with its own unique agony.”

Her ears flattened against her head. “That moment when he was fragmented was the only chance to deliver a merciful end, but grandfather couldn’t do it. In that hesitation, each of the smaller bodies merged and became the same size as grandfather, but with eight heads. Grandfather says I imagined it, but for just a second before he fled from the valley, I swear I saw my father crying at me. Ever since, he’s lived in the human world as a mindless beast.”

I looked at her sorrowful expression. The ending of that story felt familiar. A father who couldn’t stand before his son and disappeared. A father who was turning into a monster and left his daughter behind.

Could it be possible to reverse that transformation? Kanazuji tried to remove the influence of nature energy from Gintoki, but it sounds like he couldn’t get a good grip.

If I understood Senjutsu well enough, I could possibly purge it the same way Kanazuji drained it from me during training.

I looked at Tsukihana and made my decision. Even if I couldn’t reverse Gintoki’s transformation, I would give this clan closure.

“Your father doesn’t deserve to exist in his current state. When my training here is complete and I return to my duties, I will make it a personal mission to find him. I give you my word that I will release him from his fate and bring him back to the plateau, so he can finally rest with his ancestors.”

“You would do that? For a clan that is not your own? For a man you never knew?” She bowed her head deeply. “I cannot ask such a thing of you, Gozen Kakashi. That is a burden our clan must bear. But… should your path cross his… the gratitude of my family, and my own, would be eternal.”

Of course I would do it. It was the least I could do since they trained me. Plus, I’d benefit from it too. The knowledge I’d gain from trying would be invaluable for helping Anko.

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Author’s Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, my writers block had me in a stranglehold.