The Celestial Copy - Chapter 12

[Jiraiya]

From his perch high in the branches overlooking Team Ro’s private training grounds, Jiraiya squinted down as he watched two Kakashis stand facing one another. One formed a spiraling sphere of chakra in his palm, the other cupped his hands around it, funneling something into the center. After a minute, the clone dispersed in a puff of smoke.

The sphere in Kakashi’s hand wasn’t the familiar blue Rasengan. It was a muddy brown, its rotation grinding against itself like boulders dragged down during a rockslide. The whirring pitch Jiraiya knew so well had dropped to a guttural roar.

Then Kakashi tossed it.

The sphere shot forward and struck a thick training log. Within a second, the log ceased to exist, dissolving into a cloud of pulverized wood. The ground collapsed inward, creating a web of cracked earth for twenty feet around the point of impact.

Jiraiya instinctively leaned forward, his lips parting in surprise.

An Earth Style Rasengan… So the kid actually pulled it off. 

Minato had said it was nearly impossible. That the sheer rotational force of the Rasengan would tear apart an element before it could properly form. 

Kakashi swayed as he surveyed the damage, his shoulders dragging with each step, the telltale sign of massive chakra expenditure. Then, he pulled out a standard-issue water bottle and took a long gulp.

Once he caught his breath, Kakashi rolled his shoulders as if shaking off a minor cramp and created another shadow clone. 

Jiraiya had to force himself not to whistle, reminding himself that even the smallest sound might give away his location when he was watching ANBU. The kid’s something else. Guess that answers my question.

The old man had the gall to summon him all the way back from the glorious hot springs in the Land of Steam, interrupting some truly vital, firsthand research, only to tell him they were going right back. Apparently, the Raikage had finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting on neutral ground to finalize the new treaty, and the Hokage needed his best shinobi as an escort to project an image of Konoha’s unwavering strength.

Each Kage was allowed two bodyguards. The old man hadn't decided on the second, but he had named Kakashi as a prime candidate. And that was why Jiraiya was here, in the tree, watching the silver-haired prodigy grind himself into the dirt.

He dragged his attention back to the kid.

Kakashi’s clone helped him form a second Rasengan. This one was a smaller version of the regular one and had a fiery ring spinning around its core.

Once more, Kakashi tossed it at another log. On contact, it expanded into a spinning wall of flames engulfing its target. Once it dissipated, all that was left behind was ash.

Kakashi dropped to one knee, his chest heaving.

Not just once, but twice. He took Minato’s unfinished masterpiece and completed it. My student... his student...

He could feel the direct line of the Will of Fire, a torch passed from Hiruzen to himself, from himself to Minato, and now landing squarely on the shoulders of the boy below. Does that make him a grand-sensei?

You taught quite the genius, Minato. He’s becoming something else entirely. And in a few years, your other legacy will be ready to learn this, too. Naruto deserves someone better than me. Kakashi should be the one to teach him.

Jiraiya leaned back against the tree. He could leave now, report back to Hiruzen that the boy was more than ready. 

But where was the fun in that? 

A true artist should never abandon his research. He might have been sidelined from it earlier, but this was a greater opportunity! And really, who was he to deny the world the next great masterpiece when it gave him prime material before his very eyes?

He slid a little notebook from his sleeve and uncapped his pen.

His gaze drifted across the training ground and landed where the three kunoichi were locked in a three-way spar.

He first focused on the one with long, flowing violet hair. Her movements were a breathtaking display of elegance, her tanto an extension of her own body as she moved like a deadly dancer.

Magnificent! The classic Yamato Nadeshiko, a graceful flower with thorns of steel! The readers would absolutely adore that duality!

His pen was already moving. 

The Hero’s First Meeting with the Silent Blade: He’d discover her on a moonlit night, a silent guardian whose beauty was as sharp as the bloodied blade in her hand.

He let out an audible sigh of despair. A shame about that ANBU armor, though. It’s a crime against art! A tragedy for literature, hiding the most important details of the female form. How was an author supposed to eloquently describe the captivating curves of the heroine’s form with all that padding?

His lamentation was cut short when a blur of motion exploded across his field of vision. The kunoichi with the wolf mask as the polar opposite of the first one, all feral instinct as she launched herself into acrobatic leaps with her claws extended.

Everyone loves a feisty type! 

A thin line of drool formed at the corner of his mouth.

The Hero’s First Meeting with the Wild Huntress of the Forest: He’d stumble into her territory, and she’d tackle him from a tree, pinning him to the forest floor. But the hero bravely wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered that it was fate. An untamable passion would ignite as her feral eyes met his!

And whoever designed those pants deserves an award! Tight enough to leave nothing to imagination. They show off every ounce of meat on those powerful thighs that could crush your head, and that ass? Sweet Sage, that round ass is a masterpiece just begging to be worshipped!

He paused as the blank masked kunoichi broke up the other two’s exchange with a chaotic flurry of strikes. That almost serpentine movement felt familiar. It reminded him of... he shook his head. Nah, couldn’t be. Orochimaru’s little apprentice? In ANBU? Still, that rebellious energy is a huge seller!

The Hero’s First Meeting With the Poisonous Flower: She’d have him tied to a chair with a kunai to his throat, a dangerous smirk on her lips. But the Hero’s unwavering gaze would pierce her cynical heart, and she’d find herself inexplicably drawn to the light she thought she'd lost forever. 

He was completely lost in his creative haze, a goofy grin plastered on his face as he continued to write potential plot points.

Down below, the wolf-masked kunoichi suddenly froze mid-lunge. Ah, perfect! They’re slowing down. The scene calls for a moment of tension before passion explodes!

His conscious mind failed to consider the ramifications when her head snapped towards his hiding spot.

The perfect title finally came to him.

Icha Icha: Shadows & Sweat

Finally, he closed his notebook.

Only to see that the three kunoichi stood at the base of his tree, looking up at him.

The graceful one had a hand on her blade. The wildcat cracked her knuckles. The rebel had pulled out senbon.

Jiraiya looked at them.

They looked at him.

Uh oh.

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

I watched Jiraiya’s panicked scramble as he fled through the trees while Tsura, Anko, and Yugao were in hot pursuit. He was moving more like a clumsy academy student than a legendary shinobi. Or maybe that was part of the thrill for him.

Why was he even here, though? I thought his thing was spying on women while they bathed.

I turned away before I had to think about it too hard.

In front of me were the two craters I left while training. They weren’t as destructive as I was expecting, but that was because I threw both elemental Rasengan. The moment they left my hand, the chakra began to degrade, losing power before impact. The only solutions I could think of were improving my elemental mastery to a truly absurd level, or using Senjutsu to stabilize it.

Guess learning Sage Mode is moving up on my to-do list.

The two jutsu were monstrously chakra-intensive. I even had to drink a Cerulean Tear just to recover from the one with Earth chakra, and I was immediately running on fumes again after the Fire version. It seemed I was never going to beat the glass cannon allegations. The only people alive with more raw firepower than me were probably Pain, Onoki, and the Tailed Beasts themselves.

Still, there were upsides. Take It Head On allowed me to use that power without my own body being torn apart by the backlash. I would still feel some recoil, but nothing like the cellular damage Naruto would before he turns his Wind Rasengan into Rasenshuriken. And even if I pushed it too far, I had the Crimson Tear to erase the consequences.

Now, to name them.

Minato-sensei always had a flair for the dramatic. Maybe I'll honor him and name these new jutsu in the same way he would.

Grand Ground Grinding Spiraling Catastrophe Rock Implosion Sphere.

Blazing Inferno Incinerating Immolation Spiraling Sun Halo Prison Sphere.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Every once in a while, I'll say them with a straight face to throw off an enemy. But for practical purposes, I'll keep it simple and call them Rasenquake and Rasencage.

[FEAT ACHIEVED: COMPLETE THE RASENGAN AND CREATE TWO ORIGINAL S-RANK JUTSU: RASENQUAKE AND RASENCAGE]

[100 CP GRANTED - 350 TOTAL]

Nice. A full hundred CP for two S-ranks seems fair, especially when the four A-rank Chidori variants only netted me fifty. The Grimoire clearly values quality over quantity. Or maybe it's the symbolic weight of completing my sensei's jutsu? 

Regardless, with the ongoing mess with the Cloud, having another tool in the arsenal couldn't hurt. 

Time to roll.

Three golden pages tore themselves free from the book in my mind.

Mortal Clay - 600 CP

Source: Godbound, Chapter: Transformation

Though god and monster alike treads on the working man, never forget that it was the efforts of mankind working as one that shattered the doors to the One’s throne. And that the Former Empires had made their worlds into earthly paradises before seeking others. The legacy of mankind’s adaptability is made manifest in the sheer potential of your form. Your body is much more receptive and compatible with transhuman experiments than the vast majority of men. It’s on you to develop and innovate such transhumanist efforts, but as you reach beyond your limits what seemed beyond your reach might be will within mastery soon. Such procedures may still tax you greatly should you be only human, but have a strong tendency to go smoothly and keep the rest of you functional enough to receive more implants safely- and even have the results work better than initially anticipated. So implant as many cybernetics as you want, feel free to carve up your soul to figure out which bit masters theurgy-and if you ever rediscover some of the methods used to create the Made Gods of old from human champions, you’d be an ideal subject for your own uplifting plan.

Reining in the Scourge- 400 CP 

Source: Final Fantasy XV Kingsglaive, Chapter: Making

Without their efforts into understanding the nature of the Starscourge, Niflheim wouldn’t be where it stands today. Though their grasp of the Starscourge certainly seems firm and the MTs are without a doubt effective, from time to time it almost feels that the Starscourge has a mind of its own. With that in mind, you might want to consider this countermeasure, especially if you plan on utilizing the Starscourge for your own ends. Handling a virus with a mind of its own doesn’t come easy and in most subjects there’s usually a period of resistance where the body refuses to accept the foreign invader. To better smooth out the process and keep both the subject and the virus alive, you can suppress both the invasive tendencies of the virus as well as the defensive instinct within the subject. With enough reinforcement, you can create a stable merger where there normally should be none. In practice, the folks at Niflheim have only utilized this to create Daemons that could operate under fierce sunlight – by augmenting them with technological components. There’s no reason why you can’t take it another step further though. Be wary of one thing, though it may be easy to introduce a foreign body into a subject, removing it may not be quite as simple, especially if a measure of stability between invader and host has already been achieved.

Ancestral Laserdragon - 400 CP 

Source: Gloryhammer, Chapter: Magitek

This is a dragon-like metal beast (or, in the ancient dialect of the Starlords, “mechanised security drone”) the size of an elephant, with massive claws and wings made of astral magic-infused steel. It can fly, reaching supersonic speeds while in-atmosphere, and is incredibly deadly in combat. The astral enchantments laid on it create a permeable envelope of air around it, allowing you to safely breach the atmosphere while riding it and fly into space. Once free of the atmosphere, the dragon is capable of much higher speeds, allowing you to traverse the solar system in only a few days.

Ah. Well, that’s a problem. With only 350 CP, I couldn’t afford a single one of the options. What happens now? Do I get a free reroll?

[INSUFFICIENT CP DETECTED.] 

[YOU MAY CHOOSE TO LOCK ONE PERK. THE LOCKED PERK WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY PURCHASED WHEN SUFFICIENT CP IS ACQUIRED.] 

[ALL FUTURE ROLLS WILL BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL THE LOCKED PERK IS PURCHASED.] 

[DO YOU WISH TO LOCK A PERK?]

So that’s new.

Or maybe it was always a feature, one that never triggered because I’ve always had enough points to purchase something. If I’d known about this mechanic earlier, my entire approach to rolling would have been different. I might have been less conservative with my points, knowing I could just lock in an expensive, game-changing one like that bloodline perk I missed a while back. 

Although that approach could have screwed me over too. Like when I got Power of Friendship. If I had anywhere from 100 to 399 CP saved up, I’d be forced to buy a perk that gives minor improvements instead.

No reason to change what’s working for me.

I analyzed the options.

Mortal Clay sounded like something straight out of Orochimaru’s playbook. I knew all too well where the obsession with modifying the human form led. Even if it could provide benefits, it was a hard pass.

Reining in the Scourge was no better. Suppressing foreign invaders in a host body to create a stable merger. It sounded like a more refined version of what Danzo does with his stolen Hashirama cells and Sharingan, or what Orochimaru does with his curse marks. Another firm no.

That left the Ancestral Laserdragon. A smirk tugged at my lips. The idea of riding a supersonic metal dragon into battle was the kind of over-the-top power that could be fun to have. I might even bring my friends along with me, Guy would declare it the pinnacle of youth. But the logistics were a nightmare. How would I explain it to the Hokage? I could probably pass it off as a strange new summoning contract, and I had earned enough trust that no one would actually press me any further. Still, it wasn’t a necessity.

I dismissed the notification.

Just a second later, something heavy landed a few feet away, kicking up a small cloud of dust. When it cleared, Jiraiya was striking a kabuki pose atop an orange toad.

“Listen well, for you stand before a living legend! The man who tamed the wild mountains and befriended the spirits! The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku... I am Jiraiya the Gallant!”

The moment was broken as the kunoichi on my team landed in a triangular formation around the toad. 

“Legend or not, you were spying on us, you old perv!” Anko snapped.

With a comical yelp that undercut his entire grand entrance, Jiraiya leaped off the toad and scrambled to hide behind me. “Kakashi, my boy! A little help! Control your terrifying kunoichi!”

I sighed.

He must have done something to deserve it, but his arrival was convenient.

“Okami, Neko, Mumei. Stand down.”

They hesitated for a moment, but stopped. They were still watching him. Even a cornered animal could lash out. Especially one this shameless.

Jiraiya peeked out from behind me, dusting himself off. “That was close. You’ve got them well-trained, Kakashi! Reminds me of the hero in my bestseller. Maybe the next installment of Icha Icha will feature a mysterious ANBU captain and the deadly beauties on his team!”

Yugao’s posture went stiff, her head turning away. Tsura tilted her head, but she remained silent. Anko stepped forward without hesitation.

“Oh yeah? If you’re gonna write about me, I’d better be the main girl. None of that rival bullshit! I’m the endgame, got it?”

Jiraiya laughed heartily, stepping out from behind me. “Ho? That confidence reminds me of the female lead in Icha Icha: Chains of Passion!” Then he muttered. “Though Kushina was less than thrilled about that one. Probably had the wrong person in chains…”

He cleared his throat, the performer’s mask falling away to reveal the Sannin beneath. “Alright, enough fun. You three, give us a moment. I’m here on official business with your captain.”

The team looked to me for confirmation. I gave a single nod, and they dispersed without a word, moving to the other side of the field where Tenzo, Akito, and Daisuke were.

“So,” Jiraiya began, “Sensei’s heading to the Land of Steam to meet the Raikage and renegotiate this new treaty. Each side gets two guards. I’m already one. He hasn’t picked the second yet, but it’s come down to two names.”

“And I’m guessing I’m one of them?”

“That’s right! The other is Danzo.”

I tried to keep my expression neutral. “If it’s between me and Danzo, what exactly is the Hokage using to decide?” 

I genuinely couldn’t think of any reason to trust Danzo for something as important as this. Scratch that, trusting him in general was already an impossible task. 

Jiraiya waved his hand. “Who knows? The old man’s gone senile if he actually has to think about it. Who in their right mind would pick that bandaged old ghoul over you? I’m going to insist we bring you with us.”

“I’d be honored to guard Lord Hokage.”

Jiraiya clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be so humble, kid! This is your chance to step onto the world stage.” His gaze swept over the craters I’d made. “And it looks like you’re more than ready for it. Completing the Rasengan is no small feat. Minato would be proud.”

The mention of Sensei’s name reminded me of one of the issues I had. Maybe Jiraiya had to deal with something familiar. 

“While you’re in the village, there’s a certain kid you should check on. Trust me, you’ll feel better if you do it sooner rather than later.”

Jiraiya hummed as his gaze drifted away. I hoped he would listen, but I had done my part. Now it was time to address my own needs.

“Lord Jiraiya. Since you’re here, there’s something I need to ask.”

He brought his attention back to me, gesturing for me to continue.

“Can you teach me Senjutsu?”

“Hoh? Ambitious, aren’t you? That’s not a path you can just decide to walk, kid. Most of my knowledge is tied to the toad contract, which you don’t have.”

“How about whatever isn’t? Even the basics are fine,” I insisted.

“First, you need an enormous chakra pool just to survive the initial intake of natural energy. Anything less and the energy overwhelms you instantly.” He paused, stroking his chin as he sized me up. “Your reserves are impressive, Kakashi. Way larger than I remembered. You must’ve been training yourself into the ground. You’re barely over the minimum amount required.”

His voice dropped, taking on a heavy tone. “Then comes the hard part. You have to perfectly balance that natural energy with your own physical and spiritual energy. Too little, and the jutsu fails. Too much, and well… you won't be yourself anymore. It’s different depending on the method, but toad practitioners from Mount Myoboku become stone toads. It’s not a technique you learn from a scroll. You’ll need a master to guide you.”

What a waste. The principles he described were the same ones I already knew. And since he didn't offer the toad contract, I wasn’t about to ask for it. 

He studied me for another beat before the grin snapped back into place. “Anyway! Tell your terrifying kunoichi that the Gallant Jiraiya bears no grudges. An artist must suffer for his muse, preferably with fewer senbon next time.”

And with a final laugh, he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

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

The inside of my house was quiet. I finished my simple meal of grilled fish and rice, then put my ninken’s meals into the eight bowls I’d arranged on the floor. I recently decided to have them stay at home with me.

I slid the back door open to the small yard where my pack was lounging. “Food’s ready.”

The announcement was met with a collection of wagging tails. Pakkun led the way with the dignified air of a feudal lord while the others eagerly followed, each finding their designated bowl.

The sound of their lapping tongues was much better than the silence.

Bull was the first to finish his meal, needing only a few massive bites. He padded over and rested his heavy head on my knee. I started stroking the thick fur behind his ears as my thoughts drifted.

For all his theatrics, Jiraiya moved fast. It wasn’t even thirty minutes after he vanished from the training grounds that a summons from the Hokage arrived. I was officially the second guard for the summit in the Land of Steam. We would depart in six days.

It was enough time to develop another Rasengan variant, but only if I burned through my entire daily supply of Cerulean Tears. Creating the first two had already left my reserves dry.

Nah. I’d rather have a few in reserve as emergency resources in case the meeting goes downhill. Better to stick to the routine that was already proving its worth. The mornings would be spent sharpening Team Ro, the afternoons would be for pushing my limits with Guy, and I’d make sure to find time to check in on Naruto.

The only thing left was Senjutsu. Jiraiya made it clear that it was a path closed to those without a master.

I saw two options, though neither of them were ideal. The first was the reckless path of trying to figure it out on my own. It was a long shot, but not impossible. The First Hokage did it, but it was unclear if that was a result of his Wood Style or his status as an Ashura reincarnate. The other was my summoning clan. There was a chance that they knew the secrets of natural energy. But even if they did, it was unlikely the elders would ever agree to teach anything to the ‘son of a shinobi.’

Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Pakkun, come here.”

He trotted over from his unfinished meal, hopping onto the cushion next to me.

“Yo, Kakashi. Something up?”

“I was thinking about the clan,” I began, getting straight to the point. “About the elders. Do they know how to use natural energy? Senjutsu?”

Pakkun’s ears perked. “Yeah, Grand Elder Kanazuji. He’s one of the only ones who knows it. Why? You want to learn?”

“Think he’d teach me?”

“No chance. That crazy old coot hates Senjutsu with a passion, always going on about how it’s a curse. Even if he doesn’t like you, I can’t imagine he’d let you learn it. But if you’re serious, you should approach Elder Tsukihana first.”

That tracked. I remembered her from my first and only meeting with the elders. She was one of the few who looked at me with something other than outright disdain. Though that turned into disappointment when I introduced myself as Kakashi Hatake. I think she might be willing to hear me out in the next meeting if I call myself Kakashi Gozen. As long as no one demands I denounce my father, I’d be willing to play along.

Once the summit was over, that would be my next move.

And even if that path was closed, I still had the ultimate trump card. 

One day, I might roll a perk that lets me absorb natural energy safely, a perfect solution handed to me on a golden page.

It was ironic, really. Just a few hours ago, I rejected a perk because it sounded uncomfortably close to something Orochimaru or Danzo would want. It would have been the perfect tool for safely learning to absorb natural energy.