The Celestial Copy - Chapter 16

My eyes were closed, but I could see everything. From the life coursing through the roots of the ancient tree behind me to the insects crawling underground. It was like being connected to the world itself, every living thing within range becoming an extension of my awareness.

And most importantly, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it.

[FEAT ACHIEVED: LEARN SAGE MODE]

[100 CP GRANTED - 350 TOTAL]

It took twenty long days, but I had finally done it.

Naruto would learn this in under a week, but he had an instinctual connection to the art, and a true master to guide him through its intricacies. My path wasn’t as simple. My teacher was a being who loathed the very power I sought, whose knowledge of it was bare-bones and delivered through guttural roars and the threat of death in the event of failure.

Then there was Jiraiya. Even now, after decades of practice, he still couldn’t enter a perfect Sage Mode without Fukasaku and Shima to gather and balance the energy for him. In that sense, I’d say I accomplished a lot in just twenty days.

“YOUR TRAINING IS COMPLETE, BOY,” Kanazuji boomed, shaking me from my thoughts. “YOU HAVE WALKED ON THE EDGE OF SANITY AND DID NOT LOSE YOURSELF.”

I rose to my feet and bowed respectfully in his direction. “Thank you for your guidance, Grand Elder.”

“HMPH. JUST LEAVE MY PLATEAU.”

I walked to a pond at the center, its surface reflecting the sky. This would be my first time actually seeing what my appearance in Sage Mode looked like. I lowered my mask and looked into my reflection. 

My pupils were larger and rounder than before. From the corners of my eyes, two jagged crimson markings streaked down my cheeks before curving back up toward my ears. When I bared my teeth experimentally, I noticed my canines had grown noticeably longer. Even my fingernails were more claw-like.

I sensed Tsukihana approaching from behind.

“You have done it, Gozen Kakashi. You mastered the art that no one thought could be controlled.”

“I have,” I confirmed, pulling my mask back up before turning to face her. “Which means it’s time for me to fulfill my promise. Is there a place where I can get a trace of your father’s scent?”

“His old armor is kept in the clan’s vault. I can bring it to you.”

“That won’t be necessary. I just need to get the scent memorized.” I bit my thumb, ran through a series of hand signs, and slammed my palm to the ground. Seven of my ninken appeared in a cloud of smoke. 

“Yo, Kakashi,” Pakkun said. “You’re finally done training with the big dogs?”

Urushi padded closer, his nose twitching as he took in my new scent. “You’re lookin’ tough, Kakashi! Smell different, too.”

“Boss!” Guruko barked, his tail wagging furiously. “It's been so long since I've been he—oh my god, it’s the Great Granny!” He immediately sat back on his haunches, looking away from Tsukihana.

Biscuit bounced on his paws. “You should invite your teammates to your place more often, they’re real nice!”

“He’s only saying that because he tricked the girl with the cat mask into buying us all extra food,” Uhei grumbled from the back.

I raised an eyebrow. “I thought I packed more than enough for all of you?”

“You did,” Shiba said, rolling his eyes. “Biscuit just wanted to mess around.”

“Oi! Don’t snitch on me!”

Suddenly, I felt the familiar tug on my chakra. A Reverse Summoning. It was Bull calling me home, exactly as I had instructed before I left. I told him that I would summon everyone except for him when I was ready to return since he was the one with the most chakra. 

“Listen up, this is a new mission,” I said, addressing my ninken. Their playful demeanor was instantly replaced by professional focus. “I need you all to memorize a scent for me. I’ll summon you all back to the village in a few hours, so take your time to learn the scent thoroughly.” I turned to Tsukihana. “Elder, please take them to your clan’s vault.”

My ninken nodded in unison.

As Tsukihana led them away, I closed my eyes and accepted the pull. 

A second later, I reappeared in my backyard with Bull sitting in front of me, his tail giving a welcoming thump against the grass. He immediately pushed his massive head against my leg. I reached down and scratched behind his ears, feeling the tension from twenty days of constant training finally start to ease.

It’s good to be home.

Now that I had learned to use Sage Mode, the next step was figuring out what to do with it. Kanazuji had taught me nothing beyond the method of drawing in and balancing nature energy. If I wanted to get the most out of it, I would have to create my own Sage Art techniques from scratch.

The toads of Mount Myoboku had a style, Frog Kumite, which let them use nature energy as an extension of their own bodies to strike an opponent without physical contact. I didn’t remember as much about the techniques of the snakes from Ryuchi Cave, only that it involved manipulating inorganic matter, a far more complex application. 

It made more sense to start with a taijutsu style, using the principles of the toads as a baseline before I ever attempted anything more esoteric.

But I couldn’t build a new fighting style in a vacuum. I needed a sparring partner, someone who understood unconventional taijutsu. Tsura would be a good start; her clan’s feral style already tapped into the kind of instinct I would need to channel.

I closed my eyes, sinking back into the calm, sensory state of Sage Mode, focusing on the chakra signatures all around me. I could sense the entire village, every man, woman, and child a unique point of light. 

I searched for the signatures of my team, but found nothing. They weren’t here. They must be on a mission.

Maybe I should visit the Third Hokage instead? As ‘The Professor,’ he might have some knowledge that could help me with my goals. But… When I expanded my senses earlier, there was a particular signature that caught my attention. One that was an inferno of unrestrained energy burning brightly at the sixth training ground.

Can’t believe I forgot about him for even a second.

He was a master who’d pushed the limits of the human body beyond what anyone thought possible, relying on nothing but effort and will. If I wanted to create a new taijutsu style, I had to test it against the ultimate master of the art.

Time to pay my Eternal Rival a visit.

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

[Might Guy]

Sweat ran down his brow as his fist shot forward. Four thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight. Splinters flew from the battered wood as he punched again. Four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. Each hit was a challenge against the limits of his youth.

CRACK. “Five thousand!”

“If I cannot do five thousand kicks, then I will do six thousand punches!” he roared as he kicked the training log, ready to transition to the next part of his routine.

“I’m starting to worry you’ll run out of logs. Maybe I should order more for you?” a familiar voice said from behind him.

He froze mid-kick and spun around, instantly recognizing the presence he couldn’t sense a moment before.

“KAKASHI! MY ETERNAL RIVAL! Even in your return, you’re as hip and cool as ever! Has your training trip been a fruitful one for the flames of your youth?” Guy asked, his own youthful spirit burning brighter at the sight of his rival.

“You could say that,” Kakashi replied dryly. “In fact, what I learned is the reason I’m here. I need your help with something.”

“Of course! A request from my rival is a challenge I will gladly accept. But tell me,” he said, pointing a finger to his rival’s eye, “does this request have something to do with those new crimson markings? They burn with a fiery passion I have not seen on you before!”

Kakashi’s eyes curved into his signature smile. “You’re sharp as ever, Guy. During my training, I learned a new technique, well, it’s more of a state of being. I’ve learned to draw natural energy from the world into my body. It enhances my strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, perception, and durability far beyond my normal limits.”

“Incredible! So, much like my Eight Gates, it grants an increase to all of your physical abilities. Are there similar drawbacks? Does it place the same kind of strain on your body?” 

“It has its own weaknesses during the gathering process,” Kakashi explained, “but no. Once it’s activated, I face no physical backlash like I would when I use the Gates.”

Guy immediately made the connection. That new method was the external path, drawing power from the world itself, while my path was internal, drawing power from the very limits of my life. Two sides of the same truth... It’s fitting for two rivals!

He burst out laughing. “Kakashi, you never cease to amaze me! To find such power without paying a physical price… Our rivalry has just become even more interesting!”

“Right… The issue is that while it’s powerful, my normal taijutsu can’t keep up. The movements I’ve used my entire life now feel inefficient, too slow for what my body can do. I need to learn a style that leverages this new power.” Kakashi paused, taking a step closer to look directly at him. “There’s no one in the world that understands taijutsu better than you. I need your expertise to help me create a new fighting style. One that doesn’t exist yet.” 

The world seemed to stop.

Guy unconsciously dropped his fists to his side and clenched them, his entire body trembling with overwhelming emotion. 

For his entire life, he had walked down the path of unrelenting effort that so many others had dismissed. He had chased the back of a genius to prove that his philosophy of hard work being able to overcome any genius was just as valid.

And now, that very genius, the greatest of their generation, the one he had always sought to surpass, had come to him admitting that his own prodigious skill was insufficient. 

It was the ultimate validation.

A single youthful tear traced a path down his cheek.

He gave his rival a firm thumbs-up, a wink, and a winning smile. He could practically feel his teeth give off a youthful glint. “Yes, of course I will help you, Kakashi! This is the fusion of our youthful spirits! Together, we will create the ultimate taijutsu! It is my duty as your friend, and my honor as your eternal rival!”

“Do you need a minute?”

He dropped the pose. “Of course not, let us begin right away! Do you have a starting point? Anything you want to build on for your style?”

“I do. The nature energy isn’t just an internal enhancement. I can project it outwards, turning it into an extension of my body, meaning attacks don’t have to end where my fist does.”

To demonstrate, Kakashi stood before the battered training log and threw a punch. His fist veered to the side and missed the log by a few inches. Yet a chunk of the wood exploded anyway.

Guy brought his head closer to the split surface, running his fingers along it. This opened up incredible tactical applications. An enemy couldn’t read the true range of his attacks. They’d think they were safe, only to be struck from what appeared to be empty air. But there was room for further improvements.

“What about open-handed strikes like finger jabs or palm strikes?” he thought aloud. “Think of the Hyuga Clan’s Gentle Fist, except your attacks already have a lot of force behind them, so you wouldn’t have to target tenketsu.”

Kakashi turned back to the log, this time with his hand open. There was a dull thud as his palm connected squarely with the wood, and for a second, nothing happened. Suddenly, the entire center of the log seemed to implode, bursting outwards as a shower of splinters.

“Great! Now focus your power into a single, piercing point.” Guy instructed, feeling a sense of satisfaction from having someone learn something from him as well as having a genius learn from him.

Kakashi followed his instructions and moved on to the next attack. When he jabbed, his fingers sank into the solid wood up to his knuckle. He pulled his hand back, leaving a perfectly formed hole, then repeated the motion a few more times, refining the technique with each attempt. 

I should become a sensei for a genin team someday.

Just as he was finding his rhythm, the crimson markings around his eyes vanished.

“That’s the time limit,” Kakashi explained. “It’s one of the downsides. I can maintain it for about five minutes before I need to gather more natural energy.”

Five minutes. Guy filed that information away; it meant whatever style they developed needed to be devastatingly effective within that window.

“Hah! A limit is just a challenge waiting to be conquered! It is no problem, we can focus on a principle that requires no special state. The very foundation of power… FEEL THE YOUTHFUL EARTH BENEATH YOUR FEET, KAKASHI!” he declared, stomping his foot for emphasis. “Every attack begins here. Root yourself, twist from the hip, channel the full, explosive power of your entire body into every strike! It’s the core of my Strong Fist, the base of all true taijutsu!”

He demonstrated a slow punch that was a masterpiece of body mechanics. 

Kakashi watched, lifting his headband to reveal his spinning crimson Sharingan. 

Guy figured he should let the newly named Copy Ninja do his copying and demonstrated the movement one more time for him, then he mirrored the movement flawlessly. He already had a strong foundation from their years of sparring.

“Excellent! Now, for the final step, movement! With this new power, you do not need to worry about defense. You can devote all your attacks into a continuous assault. A missed punch is the beginning of a spinning kick! A missed spin-kick is the beginning of a sliding kick! And that is the beginning of a launchpad for an upward strike!” He moved to leap around on the trees of the nearby forest. “Every surface is a weapon in your arsenal because there are no wasted movements!”

After making his point, he landed lightly on the ground in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi slowly nodded. “I understand. I have an idea now of what this style needs to be. But theory is useless without practice. Guy, I need a serious spar to see how this functions against a real opponent so I can figure out what modifications are needed. I’ll be using Sage Mode for this.”

A challenge to end off the day? This is quite the youthful development! 

“I’ll need a few minutes to gather the energy,” Kakashi added.

“Take all the time you need, my rival. The flames of my youth will only burn hotter in anticipation!” Guy declared, striking a ready pose and holding it while Kakashi sat cross-legged on the ground. 

After precisely five minutes, Kakashi rose as the crimson markings from earlier reappeared around his eyes. “Ready.” 

With a burst of speed, Guy opened with his signature kick, the Dynamic Entry. But Kakashi didn’t dodge it, choosing to meet the high-speed kick with an open palm, effortlessly redirecting the force.

“This won’t be enough, Guy,” Kakashi stated flatly. “You’ll need to take this seriously. Start with the Fourth Gate.”

Guy felt himself getting more and more excited. This was the most intense their spars had ever been. In the past, he’d never gone beyond the Third Gate for a simple training match.

“As you wish, my rival! GATE OF PAIN… OPEN!”

His body blurred as he appeared beside Kakashi, unleashing a lateral kick aimed at his head, only for Kakashi to effortlessly duck beneath it.

Guy pivoted instantly, following up with a straight punch. This time, his rival took the hit square on his shoulder, but before Guy could retract his fist, Kakashi delivered an open palm strike to his chest, forcing the air from his lungs and sending him flying backwards.

Kakashi rubbed his shoulder. “It still hurts when you’re the attacker. But I assume most shinobi won’t have your raw strength. My enhanced durability should be more than enough to ignore their attacks.”

Following one of his earlier lessons, Kakashi leaped toward the forest, using the trees as launchpads to come at him from above. Guy sidestepped the attack, and Kakashi used the ground to rebound toward another tree. But as he pushed off the second tree, an audible crack could be heard. The trunk broke in half, causing him to stumble awkwardly in mid-air.

Guy couldn’t help but laugh. “Your control still needs some more work, my rival!”

“You’re right,” Kakashi admitted, then he turned the stumble into part of the assault, twisting his body to launch a spinning kick even as he fell, a perfect example of the continuous assault they had just discussed.

As Kakashi closed the distance, Guy planted his foot and spun into the Severe Leaf Hurricane. The spinning backwards kick generated a powerful whirlwind that blasted directly into Kakashi's face, forcing his eyes shut against the wind pressure.

Guy used that split second to wind up his kick further, adding more momentum to the rotation. Yet, even when his eyes were closed, Kakashi’s arm snapped up, blocking the kick with a firm thud.

They both landed on the ground, separating to create distance.

He’s keeping up with the Fourth Gate using pure taijutsu. He hasn’t even used any of his own techniques. His physical power in this state is at least at the level of the Fifth Gate. If I want to overwhelm him now, I’ll need to open the Sixth Gate. And if he started using his ninjutsu… maybe even the Seventh would be necessary.

Just as he was about to push the spar to its limit, the crimson markings on Kakashi’s face vanished.

“Huh,” Kakashi said, looking at his hands. “I think that took less than five minutes. I guess if I’m actively fighting, the time limit can be reduced even further. This is your win, Guy.”

He closed the Fourth Gate, feeling an ache spread through his muscles, and shook his head as he walked over. 

“No. You were still testing out something new. In a real battle, you would not have held back your ninjutsu. We will call this a draw, Kakashi. And a youthful one at that!”

Both of Kakashi’s eyes curved in amusement. “Fine by me.”

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

I sat in front of a campfire in the middle of a forest clearing.

I spent two more days at the village, training with Guy to solidify my new fighting style, “The Unseen Fist of Unyielding Momentum,” as he so enthusiastically named it. With the rest of my leave dedicated to searching for Gintoki, I needed to be at my absolute peak. Facing a corrupted being, one who was likely on the same level as Kanazuji, was not a task to be approached with anything less.

Still, I was more than confident in my power. 

I wasn’t arrogant enough to call myself unbeatable, but there weren’t many I feared anymore. 

Even the big names were manageable. 

Pain should be the strongest person alive, but my knowledge of his abilities gave me a huge advantage. Obito was a unique threat, but his Kamui would be directly countered by my own. Against any other top tiers, like the Kage or Jinchurikis, I had options that would lead to my victory. A Senjutsu-boosted S-Rank jutsu would immediately end a fight, and my arsenal of A and B-rank techniques gave me versatility few could match. The five-minute time limit was a weakness, but one I could mitigate by hiding a shadow clone to gather nature energy for me.

The rustle of leaves pulled me from my thoughts. Looking up, I saw my ninken padding back into the clearing.

“Another dead end, Kakashi,” Pakkun stated flatly. “We did a hundred-kilometer sweep in every direction. Picked up a den of bandits, but not a single whiff of what you're looking for.”

Biscuit whined, his tail drooping as he sat in front of me. “We sniffed everything, boss, but found nothing! It’s like he was never there!”

“Easy, Biscuit,” I said, reaching out to scratch behind his ear. “It was always going to be difficult. Gintoki could be anywhere on the continent.”

He huffed and leaned into my hand.

“I’ll go into Sage Mode for one final search. Then we’ll move on to a different region.”

Closing my eyes, I began gathering nature energy. It took a few minutes before I could sense the world around me.

I didn’t feel any suspicious gatherings of nature energy like what constantly surrounded Kanazuji. 

But I did find something else. 

A few miles to the west, around where Tanzaku Town was located, there was a notable chakra signature. A reservoir of power so vast and condensed that it was on par with the Hokage and Jiraiya.

I figured it was worth investigating, plus it served a dual purpose. 

Information was the lifeblood of the rumor mill. Word of my presence would spread, eventually reaching the ears of bounty hunters. And there was a particular one whose attention I wanted. Finding him would be difficult, considering he had been operating on his own since before the First Shinobi War, so the most efficient strategy was to let his greed do the tracking for me. All I had to do was be a conspicuous prize.

“Stay here and rest up,” I told the pack. “We’ll camp here for the night. I’ll be back soon.”

A shunshin carried me to the rooftops overlooking Tanzaku Town. Smelling the liquor on the crowds of adults scouring the streets, I had to agree that the town earned its reputation as the nightlife capital of the land of fire.

My enhanced senses led me to a lively izakaya at the edge of the main thoroughfare. The moment I stepped inside, my eye found the source of what I felt earlier.

Slouched at a corner table was the Legendary Sucker herself, a bottle of sake clutched in one hand, the neckline of her robe revealing a chest as massive as her chakra signature.

“Shizuneee,” she slurred. “We’re almost out of sake!” 

A young woman with a pig in her arms had already slumped to the floor beside the table, completely passed out. 

“Hey! Wake up! Did you hear me? This bottle’s nearly empty! Get up and get me some more!”

I felt a detached sense of relatability. She had lost everyone she cared for and was drowning her grief through drinking and gambling. When I lost the people I cared for, my medication was a non-stop schedule of high-ranked missions. It didn’t make either of us better.

I turned to leave. I knew that I didn't have the optimism it would take to help her.

“Hey, you! Guy with the white hair,” she suddenly called out. “Aren’t you the Fourth’s brat? What brings you here? Don’t tell me the old man sent you to drag me back to that damn village.”

I stopped and turned back. “No. I’m traveling for personal reasons and happened to find myself here.”

“Personal business in Tanzaku Town? Sure, kid.” She squinted at me for a moment before shrugging. “You’re old enough to drink now, right? Ah, whatever. Sit down and join me.”

She poured sake into a cup without waiting for my answer.

Deciding it was better not to antagonize a drunk Sannin, I took the seat opposite her, then picked up the cup she pushed to me and downed it in one go.

“So, tell me,” Tsunade said, studying me with more focus than her slurred speech suggested. “What’s your big dream? Let me guess, you want to be Hokage, right? You have the same bright eyes as every other idiot with a death wish.”

Strange, no one’s ever described my eyes as anything other than dead.

“No,” I answered honestly. “That’s a title you have to earn, not dream about. It’s a responsibility I’ll have to bear one day.”

She snorted. “Have to? Nobody’s forcing you, kid. It’s a fool’s job leading to an early grave for anyone stupid enough to dream that big.”

“You misunderstand. It’s not about anyone forcing me. The village is the home my father and sensei died for. I’ll have to protect it, so their sacrifices aren’t rendered meaningless.”

Tsunade’s laugh this time was louder, filled with bitterness. “My grandfather and his brother were also willing to die to defend that village. Well, they’re both dead, and the village is no safer than it ever was. Dreaming about becoming Hokage is a sucker’s bet.”

I paused, considering what to say next. I knew her story. I could echo the dreams of her dead brother and lover, letting her hear the words she wants to hear most. Mephistopheles would do the heavy lifting, and she would see in me an image of the ideals she thought were dead. I could “fix” her, right here and now.

The thought left a feeling of disgust in my gut. Her grief was her own. To use my power to simply wave it all away, to manipulate her sorrow for her own “good” felt like a violation. Who was I to make that choice for someone else?

“I’m not here to debate,” I said finally. “Being Hokage is not my dream. But sooner or later, it will be necessary.”

Her only response was to stare at me with her mouth open.

I waited another minute, but after seeing that she had nothing to say, I left the izakaya and started to make my way back to my pack.