The Celestial Copy - Chapter 14

After my victory against Yugito, a part of me was expecting the Raikage to find some shameless excuse to go back on his word. To my surprise, he had stuck to it. I suppose in the end, he was a man who respected power above all else, and I had left no room for doubt about mine. He was ready to agree to our revised treaty, but Hiruzen went out of his way to ease up on some of the more demanding concessions, which I perceived as a gesture of goodwill or a sign that he was satisfied with having won the psychological battle so decisively.

We didn’t return to the Steam Village to officialize the treaty. They had no real authority over either of us. Their Village Head was little more than a witness, someone who could identify the aggressor if conflict broke out. With the matter settled between the Kage, his role was concluded.

Of course, victory came with its own price. That being Jiraiya’s celebratory detour to a hot spring on the journey home. 

He spent the entire time loudly speculating about the dynamics of my ‘ANBU Harem,’ declaring with tears of pride in his eyes that I’d surpassed even Minato in my talent for inspiring ‘beautiful loyalty.’ Hiruzen had puffed on his pipe, pretending to be deaf. I’m convinced the old man sometimes finds my suffering amusing.

Now that I was finally alone in my house while my ninken were out in the yard, I could get to what I’d been waiting for. I had a ton of Celestial Points saved up, and it was time to roll.

[ROLLING...]

Augment - 200 CP

Source: Legends of Runeterra, Chapter: Magitek

Never stop to improve! Every time you successfully improve any form of technology you possess, it also improves its offensive power, even if the upgrade wasn’t aimed to improve direct combat.

Mephistopheles - 400 CP

Source: Dies Irae, Chapter: Control

Before you, no man can stand without bending a knee. No mortal man at least. When people speak of the charisma of the legendary kings of old, the sort of people like Alexander the Great or King Arthur, and describe how they believe they had such a force of personality that it manifested in an aura...they’re describing what you were like the moment you were born. You’ve only grown greater since and now, you’re standing equal with the most charismatic man in the world. With a few minutes long speech, you could talk an enemy army of hundreds of thousands into happily killing themselves to please you. You could convince lifelong enemies of yours, people who you had done atrocious things to, to become loyal allies with just a single conversation. Men and women both, even those who believed themselves to be conquerors in their own right, fall in love with you just from the force of your presence. Your charisma surrounds you like a hurricane, pressing down on the minds and spirits of all those who are near to you even when you do not speak, making it almost unthinkable for those around you to not do as you desire before you even request it. It is not impossible for someone to resist your beguiling words but only the sort of man who could look at the face of God and spit in it could manage such a feat, something that might be beyond even the greatest of heroes or villains.

Call to Home - 100 CP

Source: Dark Souls 3, Chapter: Divination

Although many roads lay ahead of you, the one that leads back home is always the one clearest in your mind. There are many wanderers in this land, and true civilization is all but destroyed; yet, even in this cursed land, you can find a place to rest your weary bones. Essentially, you have a great sense for ‘home’, whatever that might mean to you. Both in finding a new home, knowing how to get back to your home if possible, and when to abandon your home, should that be necessary. This means that you’ll be able to, objectively, assess the quality of your home and the dangers inherent to it. One cannot call home a place they’ve only heard of, but never been. As comfortable as a bed of rot might be, one must lie in it in order to say so for certain, after all.

I read the three golden pages.

Augment had potential. While I didn’t rely on technology now, this perk would make exploring that path worth it. I could improve the standard-issue gear for ANBU. Even simple things like stronger armor or sharper blades would be a force multiplier for the village. 

The only problem was that I had no idea how to actually do any of that. If the Grimoire considered advanced ninjutsu as a form of ‘technology,’ it would be a game-changer. But without that guarantee, it was a risky investment.

My first reaction to the second option was revulsion. The casual mention of talking an army into “happily killing themselves” was disturbing. A few weeks ago, I would have dismissed it based on that alone. 

But after the summit with the Raikage, I'd seen firsthand how negotiations could fail against pure stubbornness. And there are plenty of stubborn people in power. 

Before making a decision, I had to consider the last option.

Call to Home was a practical choice. The ability to objectively assess danger to the village would be an indispensable resource for any leader, and at only 100 CP, its utility-to-cost ratio was excellent. But it was something I already possessed, albeit in a different way. My metaknowledge gave me a clear picture of the greatest threats, such as Pain and Obito, as well as the internal rot of Danzo.

So that brings me back to Mephistopheles. 

It could be the ultimate diplomatic weapon, one that solves an imminent problem. I could meet with the Uchiha and convince them to stop their coup. 

And I had to consider the future. I could stand before the Kage of the world and achieve a true, lasting peace through sheer force of will. The path to a better future, one without the endless cycle of hatred, was laid bare by this terrifying perk.

My personal unease was a small price to pay for that kind of power.

[-400 CP, PURCHASED MEPHISTOPHELES. 200 CP REMAINING]

I still had points left, and I wanted something that felt less morally ambiguous. Hopefully, this next roll would be more palatable.

[ROLLING...]

Call Me Master - 400 CP

Source: Chainsaw Man Chapter: Lore

When it comes to taking apprentices you’re simply unmatched. Any efforts to teach someone will go over much easier, especially if it’s related to combat and the methods are a bit brutal. People are safer and happier under your tutelage. After a training session ends, your students enter an enhanced period of reflection and recovery with a duration depending on how effective the session was. All studying, healing, and introspection will be multiplied in effect during this period. Your students will quickly learn to rely on you and come to appreciate your company, as well. Finally, when someone “graduates” your training and you’ve taught them enough to strike out on their own they gain a greatly weakened version of all your teaching perks, a pinch of plot armor, and a much easier time progressing onwards from there.

Black Separation Crystal - 300 CP

Source: Dark Souls 1, Chapter: Control

A black separation crystal, unique artifact and tool used in regards to beings of alternate worlds. When used, it sends those who are spatially displaced in the nearby area from where they should be back to where they belong. This allows you to banish invading phantoms within your dimension, send summoned allies back to their home or even allow you yourself to go back home if summoned somehow. This crystal will continue to hold power in future worlds, allowing you to banish other types of summons, severing their connection to the current area.

Forces of Evil - 400 CP

Source: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Chapter: Control

And of course, if you’re going to be a Master or Mistress of All Evil, you’re going to need some minions, right? Well, here they are: an army of goblins, orcs, and other monsters, all ready to serve you! They’re not particularly large or strong individually, but they’re great in swarms, and even a knight such as Prince Philip could be captured or killed by them if they ambushed him...assuming he didn’t have the fairies to help him. They’re all loyal to you, though I’ll warn you they’re not the most intelligent bunch. Much like Maleficent’s goons, you’ll need to explain to them that a baby won’t stay a baby forever, or they’ll keep looking for that baby sixteen years later.

[INSUFFICIENT CP DETECTED.]

[DO YOU WISH TO LOCK A PERK? Y/N]

This one was a no-brainer.

Black Separation Crystal was a highly specific countermeasure. It would be useful against Pain’s Animal Path or the Edo Tensei, and if I interpreted its function creatively, it might even work on Obito’s Kamui. But I had my own Kamui for that, and the other threats were still years away. It was a niche tool for a problem I didn't have yet. 

Next was Forces of Evil, which I couldn’t picture being useful to me in any situation.

There was only one real choice here. And it was the one I wanted.

It was as if the Grimoire had read my mind. Call Me Master was a solution to a problem I hadn’t fully articulated until this moment: I was outpacing my comrades. Soon, I’d reach a level where having them accompany me on missions would be more of a liability. With this, I could drag the people around me forward too.

For Team Ro, I could continue to help with Yugao’s training. She could create that new Wind Style technique she’s been working on. I could guide Tenzo to a greater mastery of his Wood Style. Maybe even find a way to help Anko wrestle with the curse mark, though that would be a delicate process. I’d rather wait until I know more about Senjutsu before attempting that. And then there was Tsura, Akito, and Daisuke. I don’t have a specific goal in mind for them, but all-around improvements were always in the books. I could turn my elite squad into a legendary one.

And then there was the next generation. The thought of taking on a genin team was something I reserved for the future. But with this, I could properly guide Ninja Jesus and… Judas? Lucifer? Whatever Sasuke was supposed to be.

I guess Sakura for the third slot? Or maybe Hinata since it might look bad if I took the Uchiha clan head’s son and not the Hyuga’s daughter. By then I’d be influential enough that it could be considered as the Third Hokage indirectly undermining one of the noble clans.

Whatever, I’ll decide that some other day. Naruto and Sasuke were the two I’m definitely taking.

I locked my choice in without hesitation.

[LOCKED PERK: CALL ME MASTER.]

[PURCHASE WILL BE AUTOMATIC UPON SUFFICIENT CP.]

Two hundred more CP to afford it. And I knew exactly where to get them.

I wanted to take a month-long break to finally learn Senjutsu. Pakkun had confirmed that the Grand Elder of my summoning clan knew the art, but convincing him to teach me would have been a near-impossibility, under normal circumstances at least. With Mephistopheles, that impossibility felt more negotiable.

But before I could do that, I needed official clearance. The request would be unusual for a newly appointed ANBU Captain, especially so soon after a major diplomatic incident. Hiruzen would have every right to refuse. Still, I had to try.

I stepped out of my house, leaving the Jōnin flak jacket on its hook. Assuming all went well, I would immediately leave for Kyojitsu Plateau. Wearing shinobi gear there would start things off on the wrong foot.

Using a Shunshin, I appeared outside the Hokage Administration Building. I made my way through the corridors to the Hokage’s office, then knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

I stepped inside to find Hiruzen surrounded by a mountain of paperwork. No rest for the Hokage, huh? Better not waste his time.

“Lord Hokage, I would like to request one month of personal leave for training outside the village.”

He looked surprised as he set his pipe down. “A full month, Kakashi? Your team is still solidifying. Is now truly the time?”

“The summit revealed the level of threats we will be facing. Although I won my match, it could have easily gone badly. I have reached a limit with my current methods. I need this time to develop new skills to better protect the village and my team.”

I watched as he considered my words. The logical next step would be a series of probing questions.  Instead, his tired expression softened into a warm smile. 

“Very well, Kakashi. You have more than earned it. Your drive to improve is a credit to us all. The village will be waiting for your return.”

He waved me goodbye and picked his pipe back up, already turning his attention back to his paperwork.

A strange feeling settled over me as I left. Did the perk affect him? His acceptance without a single follow-up question about the nature of my training was unusual. Or it could be my actions. me. After all, winning a high-stakes diplomatic gambit for him should be enough to gain his trust.

Before I could meet with the elders of my summoning clan, I had a responsibility to my team. I needed to see them and set things in order.

With another Shunshin, I traveled across the village, reappearing at Team Ro's private training ground.

They were sparring in groups across the field, each testing the other. Yugao’s blade clashed with Daisuke’s staff while Akito supported her with his fire-style ninjutsu. Meanwhile, Tenzo’s wooden pillars blocked a coordinated assault from Anko and Tsura.

One of them would need to become an acting captain while I was gone.

My gaze lingered on Daisuke. He was the logical choice. After myself and Tenzo, he was the strongest on the team, and his decade of experience surpassed everyone else’s. More importantly, he was a reliable anchor for the team’s more volatile personalities.

With my decision made, I dropped from the tree and began walking toward them. I had barely taken five steps before Tsura snapped her head to me mid-parry.

“The Captain’s back!”

The others turned, relaxing their stances.

“Welcome back, Captain,” Akito called. “I thought the summit would drag on longer. Got bored of all the talking?”

I walked closer, hands in my pockets. “It went well. The village got the concessions we wanted from the Raikage. The Cloud shouldn’t be a problem for the foreseeable future.”

“Really? That’s good to hear.”

I nodded, then got straight to the point. “I’ve been granted a month of leave by the Hokage. I’ll be spending most of that time out of the village.”

“A month off, huh?” Anko drawled. “Don’t fall too far behind. We might just promote ourselves while you’re gone. I think I’d look good in the Captain's chair.”

My eyes curved into my usual smile. “I’m sure you would, except I’m also using this time for personal training.” I then turned my attention to Daisuke. “If the team is assigned any missions while I’m gone, you'll be the acting captain, Kuma.”

“No problem, Captain. Go do what you need to do. We’ll be ready when you get back.”

No one objected to the decision.

Yugao stepped forward, her posture attentive. “Captain, are there any specific wind-style exercises you want me to focus on in your absence?”

“How far along are you with the leaf splitting exercise?”

“I think I'm close. I’d say I can complete it before the month is over.”

“In that case, stick with it. Once you finish, you’ll move on to the next step.” I looked around the group. “Does anyone know Earth Style: Rampart of Flowing Soil or Water Style: Waterfall Basin Jutsu? I’d demonstrate, but my reserves are still low from the summit.”

“I know both,” Tenzo immediately answered.

Daisuke grunted his affirmation. “I’ve got the earth style one down.”

“Alright. When Neko is ready, I want you two to create an artificial waterfall for her. The next step of wind nature training is cutting the flow itself. You do that by pressing your hands to the flowing water and severing the stream with a focused burst of wind chakra.”

Anko nudged Yugao with her elbow. “You’re getting personal training? C’mon Captain, don’t forget about the rest of us! I want a turn too.”

“When I’m back, I’ll make sure to help you too. All of you,” I promised.

And I meant it. Even with my new perk, I didn’t see a difference in their behavior. That meant they must have already had an enormous amount of respect for me. 

I won’t leave them behind.

[Tsukihana]

Tsukihana sat at the edge of Kyojitsu Plateau. The air was eternally clear. In her entire life, she had never seen haze, fog, or any veil that could obscure sight. Illusions could find no purchase here, because there was no falseness they could take root in. It was the sacred ground of her clan, a place where they could perceive the world in its truest form.

It had been a long time since a human had signed their blood in the clan’s summoning scroll. The rare shadow-folk who dared to appear in their realm were invariably cut down. They were not worthy, their lives as fleeting and dishonest as their oaths. And she would rather not think of the only exception.

But looking across the vast expanse, she couldn’t help but remember the times she had laughed with her friend on this very spot. Tomoe Gozen had been a samurai of peerless skill, and more importantly, she was as honest as the plateau itself.

Then the memory soured. She remembered the scent that clung to Tomoe in her final years. The smell of broken promises, a taint that had consumed her. A noble spirit corrupted by the fleeting shadows she had chosen to trust. 

Part of Tsukihana would always blame herself. If I had disagreed harder, spoken more fiercely against the blight’s allure, perhaps she would not have strayed.

A new scent on the wind disturbed her reverie. It was one of the outcasts, Pakkun. And with him was another. 

She lifted her head, flaring her nostrils. What? The second scent should be impossible! She inhaled a second time just to make sure, but it was the same. How could one carry the acrid stench of the liars yet also smell of such unwavering loyalty? 

Pakkun came into view with a young man right behind. He was dressed in a simple black undershirt and pants, his face completely bare except for a strip of cloth covering his left eye. He was the spitting image of the silver-haired shadow who had stolen her sun, but the intensity in his eye was all Tomoe.

The young man stepped forward and bowed his head. “It is an honor to meet you again, Elder Tsukihana. I am Kakashi Gozen.”

Tsukihana’s heart ached. 

He used his mother’s name. Hope ignited within her, perhaps it was finally time he had come to embrace his nobler half. 

The honorable scent that seemed to surround him, making the shinobi stain somehow palatable, urged her to believe it.

“I have come seeking knowledge,” Kakashi continued. “I wish to learn Senjutsu from the clan.”

The art of the sages was the ultimate heresy, an uncontrollable power that blurred the line between man and beast, a path the Grand Elder had forbidden ever since…

She pushed the memory away. “That is not a path for our kind, young Gozen,” she said carefully. “To walk it is to lose oneself to the world itself. It would not be wise.”

She told herself she was protecting Tomoe’s son, but a deeper fear coiled in her gut. This ambition for a forbidden power proved the shinobi stain on him was deeper than she wanted to believe.

“With respect, Elder Tsukihana, wisdom is gained by treading those paths. The world holds threats that respect no traditions. To protect what is dear to me, I must be ready.” 

Protect. That word left a better taste in her mouth. It was what the White Tooth said when he dragged the brightest light into the darkness with him.

She locked eyes with him. “Then I must ask you, son of Tomoe. When you speak of what is dear to you, which legacy do you seek to protect? The honor of the Gozen name your mother was born to? Or the empty bonds of the village your father died for?”

“Legacy? I don’t know enough about my mother to claim her legacy. And my father’s failure was not in choosing his village over a mission. It was in believing he had to bear the shame of that choice alone.”

Kakashi met her gaze, and she saw Tomoe looking back at her, but the conviction in it was entirely his own. “I will not make the same mistake. What is dear to me are the lives of my friends. And I will not stand by while they are in danger.”

His answer was not what she had expected either. She wanted to see what side he would pick, yet he rejected the premise entirely. Even without knowledge of his mother, he took a piece of her loyalty and created a creed of his own. 

The righteous scent clinging to him intensified, growing warmer and more compelling. It carried such profound conviction that it made disagreeing with him feel wrong.

The only way forward was to absolve herself of the final decision.

Tsukihana rose to her feet. “Your will is strong. Perhaps stronger than your wisdom.” She turned toward the opposite edge of the plateau, where the oldest and most powerful of their kind rested. “I do not have the authority to teach you this art, nor would I. Only one here holds that power. I will take you to the Grand Elder. You may make your request to him directly. But be warned, young Gozen. His hatred for the art you seek runs deeper than any canyon.”

This will serve as a test. His spirit will be measured against the deepest hatred of the clan. If the shinobi stain within him was too deep, Kanazuji would break him. But if that righteousness was true, then perhaps he could withstand even the Grand Elder’s judgment.

We walked across Kyojitsu Plateau, approaching a colossal tree that dwarfed even the Hokage Mountain back home.

This was going far easier than I had expected. Tsukihana’s willingness to even bring me here was proof that Mephistopheles was worth it. Or maybe I was actually that convincing?

Right as we reached the massive trunk, a voice boomed.

“MY EYES MAY FAIL ME, BUT MY NOSE DOES NOT! TSUKIHANA, HOW DARE YOU BRING A FOREIGN HUMAN INTO MY TERRITORY!”

The ground trembled as a figure wearing pieces of cracked samurai armor emerged from the other side of the tree. He was easily sixty feet tall, at least three times larger than Tsukihana. His thick, white fur was dirty and he had a crescent-moon kabuto helmet perched atop his massive head. Though the image of an almost dignified warrior leader was ruined by the foam bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

As he fixed his bloodshot eyes on me, A Shred of Self Preservation blared in the back of my mind, warning me that the pressure radiating from him was on the same level as the Two-Tails, maybe even greater.

Tsukihana bowed her head. “Grand Elder, this is—”

“SILENCE!” Kanazuji slammed a paw the size of a boulder onto the ground. “LET THE HUMAN SPEAK FOR ITSELF. OR DOES IT NOT HAVE A MOUTH WITH TONGUE AND TEETH?”

Without flinching, I tilted my head up to meet his gaze. “I am Kakashi, son of Gozen Tomoe, sir.”

“SON OF TOMOE, YOU SAY?” He lowered his head until his snout was a foot away from my face. He inhaled a deep sniff that pulled at my clothes, then moved his head back. “HN… YES. YOU DO INDEED SMELL BORN OF GOZEN’S BLOOD. I ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WORDS AS HONEST ONES, GOZEN KAKASHI… HOWEVER!” His voice rose to a thundering roar. “STRONGER THAN THIS BLOOD, YOU STINK OF THE STENCH OF THE WHITE RABBIT’S SON!”

White Rabbit? He must mean my father, the White Fang. That dismissive title, reducing a legendary shinobi to mere prey, caused a surge of anger to rise in me. But I forced it down. Getting angry wouldn’t get me what I came for.

“I have come here to learn Senjutsu,” I stated, my voice calm.

Kanazuji’s entire body lurched forward, his teeth snapping inches from my face.

“SENJUTSU?! YOU DARE SPEAK OF THAT ACCURSED ART HERE?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT POISON DOES TO ONE OF OUR KIND?! IT CORRUPTS US! IT UNRAVELS THE SPIRIT FROM THE FLESH, TWISTING OUR INSIDES AND PROLONGING OUR LIVES UNTIL WE ARE NO LONGER DOGS, BUT MONSTERS! HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU THINK I HAVE LIVED, GOZEN? ALL BECAUSE I WAS DECEIVED BY A SAGE SO MANY YEARS IN THE PAST! NATURAL ENERGY IS THE SOURCE OF ALL DEFORMATION!”

“Grand Elder,” Tsukihana interjected. “You are the one who raised us with the way of all dogs: Loyalty, honesty, sincerity, and honor until death! Will you invalidate the lives and deaths of all your progeny without hearing the boy out?”

Kanazuji’s head snapped toward her, lips peeling back until froth dripped from his fangs. “HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE SOUND OF YOUR FATHER’S HOWL, TSUKIHANA?! THE ONE THAT WAS NO LONGER THE HOWL OF THE ONE WHO SHOULD LEAD, BUT A SCREAM OF A DOZEN VOICES!”

Tsukihana's ears flattened, her entire body tensing as if struck.

“HE SOUGHT THAT POWER, JUST LIKE THIS HUMAN! HE BELIEVED HE COULD CONTROL IT! BUT IT CONSUMED HIM! IT BURNED AWAY HIS NAME, HIS HONOR, UNTIL ALL THAT REMAINED OF MY SON WAS A MULTI-HEADED MOCKERY OF OUR FORM! A MINDLESS BEAST OF RAGE WHOSE MISERABLE HOWL I STILL HEAR ON THE WIND BECAUSE I, HIS FATHER, LACKED THE WILL TO GRANT HIM PEACE!”

This was escalating far faster than I could have imagined. 

I pulled away the cloth covering my left eye in case this turned into a fight. I almost staggered the moment my Sharingan focused on him. His entire body was leaking an unstable swirl of nature energy that he’d been holding at bay, constantly at war with himself.

So that’s why he hates it so much. 

A father losing their son should never be easy. And from the sound of it, his son is still roaming the world. Kanazuji lived all these years fighting the same nightmare over and over again, trapped by the memory of his loss.

And here I was, asking him to teach me the same power that destroyed his family.

I felt sympathy for the ancient creature before me. But that sympathy only clarified the direction I had to take. His problem was the unresolved agony, the failure to act when it mattered most. 

Taking a step forward, I cut through his heavy breathing. “Let me be the one who proves that this power that turned your son into a monster can be mastered. Let my will be the answer to your son’s failure. And I am offering you the closure you were denied. This time, you will have control over the outcome.” 

Kanazuji's furious growling subsided to a dangerous rumble, his massive head tilting as he studied me.

“If I am consumed by it, then you will have the chance to strike down the monster you could not before. You can grant me the honorable death your son was denied. I am not your son, Grand Elder. You have no connection to me. There will be no sentiment to stay your hand.”

“Gozen, no!” Tsukihana protested as she moved to stand between us, her expression one of frantic desperation. “You cannot offer your life so lightly! Your mother also made a promise, and it led her to ruin in the arms of a shinobi! And here you are making an even more dangerous promise! Do not trade your life for this curse!”

I addressed her without taking my eyes off Kanazuji. “Elder Tsukihana, my mother chose love, leading to a life of happiness. I am making an oath for strength. Maybe you don’t believe me, but I swear that I won’t fail.”

She stepped out of the way.

“AN OATH SEALED BY DEATH… A WARRIOR'S PROMISE. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I HAVE HEARD SUCH WORDS FROM A HUMAN AND SEEN THE WILL TO BACK THEM.” Kanazuji lifted his head. “FINE. YOUR ARROGANCE HAS EARNED YOU A CHANCE TO DIE PROVING IT. YOUR TRAINING BEGINS AT DAWN. I WILL BE THE ONE TO WATCH YOU FALL.”

------------------------------

Author's Note: So, I do have plans to give Kakashi a genin team. As I stated in this chapter when Kakashi rolled his teaching perk, I'm going to have Naruto/Sasuke on it. I don't really have a preference for the 3rd member, so I figured you guys can give me your opinions and I'll decide later. (Not doing an official vote cause it's WAY down the line)