The Celestial Copy - Chapter 18

I decided to visit Naruto again.

He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of his apartment, his face scrunched up as he did the Leaf Concentration Exercise.

Eighteen… nineteen… twenty.

Just as I reached twenty-one, the leaf fluttered down to join the others scattered on the floor.

For a four-year-old with notoriously poor chakra control, holding it for that long was quite the feat.

“Big bro Kakashi, did you see that?! I did it! I really did it!”

I smiled with my eye. “That you did, Naruto. You must have been working hard while I was gone.”

Naruto puffed out his chest. “Yup, yup! Of course I was! When all the other kids asked me to play Ninja with them, I said no, and did this instead! I can’t be playing games when I’m going to be a real ninja!”

Despite his confident words, that slight tremble in his voice made me suspicious.

Is it possible the other kids are pushing him away? If that’s the case, it’s likely that he’s turning that loneliness into effort. Maybe even justifying that it’s his choice not to play with them rather than everyone else isolating him.

There wasn’t much I could do to help him out on that front. Though I did believe that once he entered the academy, things would change. In canon, he would have acted as a class clown, and wouldn’t make legitimate friends because he faked a personality for attention. Right now, he was already showing the willingness to work hard and learn, and that combined with who he is as a person should cause others to gravitate toward him.

I reached over and ruffled his hair. “I’m glad you’re not giving up. That’s the quality that makes a true shinobi.”

He practically vibrated with happiness at the praise.

Seeing his renewed energy, I picked up a few more leaves. “I believe you’re ready for the next step,” I said, placing a leaf on my forehead, then pulled up my sleeves to stick them in a line along the underside of my arm. “This will make it harder. It requires you to distribute your chakra to multiple points on your body at once, not just one.”

Naruto’s face fell. “Aww, more of this boring training?” he grumbled, kicking at the floor. “Can’t we do something cool now?”

“This boring training,” I said, crouching so that my eye met his, “is more important for you than anyone else in the village. Do you know why?”

He shook his head while still pouting.

I took a piece of paper and a pencil from his table and drew a spiral. I held it up for him to see.

“This is the symbol of your family. The Uzumaki clan.” I paused, turning around to show the red spiral stitched onto the back of my flak jacket and also tapped the two on my sleeves. “We wear it on our uniforms as a sign of the deep bond between our village and your clan.”

His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the drawing and my jacket.

“The Uzumaki were known for their incredible life force and massive amounts of chakra,” I explained. “That’s why you’ve got so much energy. But it also makes your chakra much more difficult to control than anyone else’s. If you can master it, if you can truly master this ‘boring’ training…” I let my eye curve as I continued. “You’ll have the potential to become one of the strongest shinobi this village has ever seen. More powerful than me. Maybe even more powerful than the Old Man Hokage.”

Naruto gained a new light in his eyes. Without another word, he snatched up a handful of leaves and sat back down. He placed them all over his arm and forehead, and they immediately fell.

Maybe too much excitement.

“Naruto, stick to only two. One on each cheek should be fine.”

He nodded and followed my instructions. They only stuck for a few seconds, but he put them right back on.

That was what he needed. A connection. Something to be proud of. A reason to believe in himself that went beyond just pleasing me or training for its own sake.

Maybe I should bring up the other thing the Uzumaki were known for. Although, Fuinjutsu might be even more boring for him, unless he took to it naturally. I’d get him an introductory book later. If he showed interest, I could mention it to Jiraiya and that would give him an actual excuse to start showing up more. For now, getting a foundational skill down was more important.

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[Yugao Uzuki]

Her lungs burned. Her muscles screamed for rest. Physical conditioning used to be something each member handled on their own time, but this morning, Captain Kitsune had decided they would do it as a team. At his pace.

The others fared no better. 

Daisuke’s powerful form was visibly strained, Akito’s usual easy-going attitude was replaced by groans, and even the relentless duo of Anko and Tsura breathed in ragged gasps as they pushed through.

She glanced at their captain. He was moving through the same punishing exercises as they were, yet his breathing was even, his form as flawless as it had been when they started.

This isn’t even his limit.

If this was the level he trained at every day, it was easy to understand how he’d become so far above the rest of them.

After what felt like an eternity, the captain finally called it. As they all collapsed onto the grass, he gathered them, his posture relaxed, as if he’d just finished a stroll in the park.

“Alright. That was a nice warm-up.”

Without a shadow of doubt, Yugao knew he was smiling under that mask.

“Now,” he continued, clapping his hands once, “who wants help with their elemental training?”

She forgot her exhaustion, straightening up instantly. “Yes, sir! I’m ready.”

Anko was just as quick. “About time, Captain.”

“Hmm,” Akito hummed, hesitating for a moment before shrugging. “Sure, why not. I’ve hit a wall lately. A new perspective might be just what I need.”

Daisuke and Tenzo simply nodded in agreement. She knew they were the two most proficient with their elements, so they might not necessarily need this training, but they chose to participate as the rest of the team did.

“I’ll sit this one out,” Tsura said, remaining on the ground.

Now that she thought about it, Yugao had never seen her use elemental ninjutsu.

“No problem, Okami. Take a break while I get the others set up.” Kakashi then turned his attention back to the group. “Report. Element and your current stage of mastery.”

“Wind affinity, sir,” Yugao answered immediately. “I’m still working on the waterfall splitting exercise you assigned.”

“Fire,” Anko declared. “I blew past the leaf exercise ages ago, but that’s where my old sensei stopped. What’s the next step?”

“Depends on what your goal is,” the captain said. “Neko’s working on the waterfall cutting exercise because she wants to create a highly offensive blade technique. For that, cutting power is the most relevant area. What aspect of your fire style do you want to enhance, Mumei?”

“Uh, I don’t really know…”

“Take some time to think about it. We can also work on a little bit of everything if you don’t have a preference.”

“I can help with that,” Akito chimed in. “I have fire affinity too. After finishing with the basic leaf exercise, I didn’t put much effort into increasing the raw power and focused mainly on my control, so my training was about guiding my fire after I already released it. I also did some work on maintaining a continuous stream. I never fully mastered either.”

“Tanuki?” their captain prompted.

“Water and Earth,” Tenzo stated. “Both are mastered. They were the primary focus of my development under Lord Danzo.”

“That makes sense. You can’t effectively use Wood Style without a complete mastery of both. I’ll come up with something else for you to do.” He looked to the last member. “Kuma?”

“Earth, Captain. I’ve worked on many defensive aspects over the years: hardening for defense, softening for traps, large-scale manipulation for shaping, and a little bit of mobility too. But like Tori, I feel I’ve reached a plateau and never fully mastered any of them.”

“Alright, we all have places to improve on,” Kakashi said, his gaze sweeping over them. “Mumei, have you made your decision?”

Anko stepped forward with her hands on her hips. “Yeah. I want to focus on power. Make my fire style jutsu even hotter and more dangerous!”

He nodded as if expecting that answer. “I’ll get a special block of heat-resistant metal for you. Your training will be to channel your fire-natured chakra into it until it’s glowing reddish-white and smoking from the extreme heat.” He then moved on to Daisuke and Akito. “Your problem is that you’ve stagnated, a point where simple repetition no longer yields results. For that, we need a different approach. I’m going to place you both under a genjutsu.”

Genjutsu? For elemental training? The idea was bizarre, unlike any training method she had ever heard of.

“Inside that genjutsu,” he continued, “you’ll experience your elements from a different perspective. It will be a painful experience. But you can gain an intuitive understanding that years of conventional training can’t provide.”

Akito let out a low whistle. “No pain, no gain, huh? Sure. I’m in.”

Yugao raised her hand before she could stop herself. “Sir! I want to try it too!”

“Hey!” Anko immediately jumped in, pointing an accusatory finger. “If they’re getting the special treatment, so am I! Don’t leave me out!”

Kakashi thought about it for a moment. “Alright. The illusion won’t be difficult to break out of. Your safety comes first.”

He motioned for them to stand in a line.

She watched with anticipation as he stopped in front of Daisuke, and the large man’s body relaxed, his head slumping slightly forward. Next was Akito, who stiffened for a second before going slack. Then Anko, who merely grunted before falling silent, caught in whatever world the Captain had built for her.

Finally, he stepped in front of her. She’d seen his Sharingan many times during team trainings, but she’d never truly looked at it. Now, standing motionless before him, she was struck by the beauty of that single, crimson eye with a trio of tomoe spinning slowly, a vortex of power and perception that was as entrancing as it was fearsome.

And then the world fell away.

The training ground, her teammates, the very sensation of her own body, they all vanished. She felt a sense of weightlessness. She had no body, no armor, no mask, no familiar weight of the tanto she always carried. She was a single, conscious current of wind, adrift in an endless canyon.

No. It wasn’t empty. She became aware of millions of other currents, an infinite river of air all flowing together in a single direction. She could feel them brushing against her essence, their collective momentum gradually pulling her along with them.

Instinctively, she rebelled, trying to push against the currents beside her, to carve out her own path, to find an exit from this group. The other winds offered little resistance, parting easily to let her pass. 

A sharp pain immediately filled her existence. She felt herself disperse, her consciousness scattering. She was fighting the very nature of what she currently was.

She stopped pushing, ceasing her struggle. The pain receded. Allowing the greater flow to guide her, she started to understand. She learned to flow smoothly with the others, to navigate the sudden turns of the canyon by yielding instead of resisting. She felt the path of least resistance, the effortless grace of moving in perfect conjunction with the world around her.

They approached a narrow passage. The others compressed, squeezing through the tight space, but their collective force did not disappear. She witnessed how this compressed form held its cohesion, slicing through the open air beyond the passage for a great distance before finally relaxing and rejoining the main flow.

The insight finally struck her.

A projected slash isn’t about forcing as much chakra as possible through a blade with brute force. I have to compress the wind into a cohesive form, just like in the narrow pass, so it can hold its shape long after it leaves the blade. The flow has to stay unified. It needs to be part of a greater whole.

She could release the illusion now, but perhaps there were more possibilities. She continued to follow the other currents.

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I watched for a second longer as my teammates stood motionless, lost in the illusions I put them under. It was only possible to create those elemental worlds because I had learned Senjutsu. As a result of that training, I had gained a deeper connection to the world itself, and I had simply extended what I could sense into the genjutsu.

I looked at Tenzo. There really wasn’t much I could help him with when it came to his elemental ninjutsu. His mastery of water and earth already surpassed my own. There was the possibility of Sage Mode, but that would take a couple more years of preparation. In the meantime, I could offer actual techniques. Kakuzu’s Iron Skin jutsu came to mind. It was a useful B-rank defensive technique that would serve him well. I could also teach it to Daisuke since it would stack with his clan’s techniques, making him an even more formidable wall to protect the team.

Yeah, that doesn’t sound bad. I’ll teach the two of them together once Daisuke comes out of the illusion.

“For now, continue with your physical training and add some meditation to your routine,” I told Tenzo. “There’s a specific art I intend to teach you, one that will complement your Wood Style. But the entry requirement is an immense chakra reserve, far beyond what you currently possess. Though, once you’re ready, you’ll easily reach the level of a Kage.”

My words made him go still. A moment later he gave a firm nod and moved to another part of the field to begin his own training, leaving me alone with Tsura.

I wasn’t sure what to do. She relied entirely on her clan’s techniques and a few basic supplementary jutsu. She was an excellent tracker, but that wouldn’t help her much in a direct fight.

“Okami,” I began, “is there any area you want to work on right now? Any way I can help?”

“One-on-one sparring,” she immediately replied.

Fair enough. Ever since I obtained Call Me Master, my approach to training Team Ro had been unconventional for an ANBU captain, more akin to a sensei nurturing a Genin team than a commander drilling his subordinates. There was nothing wrong with Tsura wanting to improve the traditional way.

“Go as hard as you’d like.”

She dropped to the ground on all fours, her hands and feet digging into the dirt as she slowly circled me. I remained at ease, letting her take as much time as she needed to set her pace. After a few more rounds, she lunged while right behind me, her clawed hand aiming for my ankle.

I hopped back, letting her swipe pass through empty air.

Her momentum carried her into a spin, and her other hand sliced upward toward my chest.

Those movements were similar to the principles Guy and I had discussed for my new taijutsu style. However, mine relied on the overwhelming physical power and durability of Sage Mode to function, allowing me to go on the offense without a thought for defense. Tsura didn’t have that luxury.

I took a single step inside her attack and delivered a kick to her side. She ignored the blow, already committed to continuing her assault. I used my forearm to deflect her wrist while pushing her attacking shoulder. The block and push combined with her own forward momentum sent her stumbling past me.

The rest of the spar followed a similar pattern. Her style was all about feral aggression, where she’d tried to create openings through nonstop pressure while minimizing the damage she took. In turn, I met her attacks with standard taijutsu, parrying her strikes and using my superior footwork to control the pace. She wasn’t weak by any means, but you’d need to be an elite among elites to give me a real challenge at this point.

After a few more exchanges, I saw my opening. I swept her legs out from under her, putting her on her back with my fist hovering an inch above her mask. “Match.”

I offered her a hand. She took it without hesitation, breathing heavily but showing no sign of frustration.

“Your physical strength and speed are your greatest assets, Okami,” I said. “Would you like to learn how to unlock the Eight Inner Gates?”

Her head snapped up. “Isn’t that a forbidden technique?”

“Hm, not really. The drawbacks make it similar to a kinjutsu, but it isn’t officially forbidden. I’d say opening just the first gate is manageable with the right training and guidance. It would provide a significant boost to your physical abilities when active.”

“Should we start with it right now?” she eagerly asked.

I shook my head. “You’ll need a few more weeks of dedicated physical conditioning before you’re ready to attempt opening the first gate. Also, that’s where you’ll stop. Progressing to the higher gates would require a lifetime of single-minded dedication, and at that point, it wouldn’t be worth it for you.”

Or require you to cheat like I do with my perk.

“Understood, sir.” 

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[Obito Uchiha]

His secret hideout was located in an abandoned mine in a mountainous region located at the north-most region of land between the Village Hidden by a Waterfall and the Village Hidden by Sound. A place few patrols bothered to cross and fewer would ever look at. It was perfect.

The half-black, half-white form of Zetsu emerged from the cavern floor.

“There is a complication,” Black Zetsu said with his deep voice. “One of the individuals we were considering for recruitment has been killed.”

“Yup. It was Kakuzu!” White Zetsu chirped, his higher-pitch a jarring contrast to his counterpart. “And get this, the one who did it was Kakashi Hatake! Can you believe it? Little Kakashi, all grown up and killing S-ranks! Did you know he stopped visiting your graves? It seems like he’s moved on!”

Moved on?

That grief was all they had left, the last connection they had! Even if it wasn’t his fault that Rin died, how could he just move on?! 

No. It’s fine.

It didn’t matter if he found his peace now. That was always the end goal, after all. Everyone living in paradise once the Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast.

“An unfortunate turn of events,” Obito said without any emotion.

“This setback is made worse by Nagato’s activities. He’s spending too much time solidifying his rule as ‘Pain’ in the Hidden Rain instead of focusing on the more important goals.”

Obito waved it off. “Letting a child play with his toys to distract him is no problem. Right now, we need to find other members. With Kakuzu dead, that brings the number of candidates down to two. I wanted to have at least four before making Nagato recruit them.”

“Sasori of the Red Sand remains a prime asset. As does Juzo Biwa, the wielder of the Executioner’s Blade.”

 “Ooh, ooh, speaking of swordsmen,” White Zetsu interrupted, bouncing with excitement, “what about that kid? The one who just joined the Seven Swordsman and mastered all the blades on his first try! The prodigy!”

“Mangetsu Hozuki,” Black Zetsu supplied. “He’s not a bad choice. The Bloodline Purge continues under Yagura’s hand. We could simply extend it to the Hozuki clan and let Mangetsu escape with a few swords, then declare him an S-rank rogue and put a bounty on him.”

White Zetsu clapped his hands. “And then we swoop in and save the day! He’ll owe us everything.”

“A sound strategy,” Obito agreed. “I’ll deal with that.”

“We can do the same to the leader of the revolutionary faction. She has two bloodlines and is strong enough for the Akatsuki. I can find the location of their main base, and you can direct Yagura to it, allowing him to annihilate them, leaving only Mei Terumi alive. A tragic hero with nothing left but vengeance in her heart.”

“No.”

End the civil war? Never. That village, the Hidden Mist, was the reason for everything. It was the village that turned Rin into a weapon, the village that forced Kakashi’s hand. It would choke on its own blood and water until nothing, and no one, was left. That was its punishment for its sin.

“Yeah, what’re you thinking? That would be three members from the Mist! We gotta try and get one from each of the great villages, right? Like collecting the whole set!” White Zetsu said, oblivious to the real reasons.

“Of course,” Black Zetsu conceded. “We should also reconsider the order of Jinchūriki capture. Kakashi Hatake has been spending time with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Leaving that one for later would be best. The same goes for the Cloud’s Jinchurikis. The Raikage keeps a close eye on them. An early attempt would draw too much unwanted attention. We should begin with the isolated ones, like the Four or Five-Tails from the Stone.”

“Or the Fourth Kazekage’s son!” White Zetsu added enthusiastically. “They really hate him there in the Sand. We could just take the kid for a few days and after we extract the One-Tails, we can return the body and make it look like someone from their own village assassinated him!”

Obito let the idea hang for a moment and then swept it away. It was far too early to begin with the actual extraction of the Tailed Beasts.

“Keep searching the villages for more options,” he ordered. “I will deal with Mangetsu Hozuki. We will discuss the Jinchuriki again when the Akatsuki’s ranks are filled.”

The Zetsu pair folded up into themselves and sank back through the cracked stone, leaving him alone.

Soon, none of this would matter. In the perfect world of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, they would all be together again.