As Kakashi's Sharingan activated, the Ancient One's eyes narrowed, her mystic senses attuned to the energy flowing through him.
'Chi… no, he calls it chakra. But those eyes are....divine in nature?' She had felt it surge, a vibrant stream coursing through his eyes, but there was something deeper, something ancient.
The power emanating from the Sharingan was familiar, resonant with artifacts she'd studied in Kamar-Taj—relics imbued with divine essence of the Shinto gods.
She could sense the power of some of those Shinto gods higher than the others coming from his eyes.
The names surfaced in her mind: Susanoo, god of storms; Izanagi and Izanami, creators of the world; Tsukuyomi, lord of the moon. Their presence was unmistakable, woven into the chakra of Kakashi's eyes, alongside another force she couldn't name—but likely to be another Shinto god.
She realised 'His multiverse should have its own japanese pantheon or somehow the essence of those gods escaped to that multiverse, there are tons of other possibilities. But it's clear he's no avatar of them, no puppet of these gods. The power is his alone.' The realization thrilled her, a puzzle from beyond her universe.
'How very interesting.'
But her focus sharpened as she sensed a disruption in her chi, a subtle tug at her mind. Kakashi's Sharingan spun, and she felt the brush of genjutsu, a technique designed to ensnare her thoughts.
With a flicker of will, honed by centuries of mastery, she restored her chi's flow, her mind clearing instantly.
'Mind control. Genjutsu, as he'd call it.' She smiled faintly, impressed by the attempt. 'Clever, but not enough.'
Kakashi, meanwhile, felt a twinge of frustration. 'Here I thought genjutsu would be my trump card in this world since no one knows about it and thus no one would counter it. He'd hoped the genjutsu would give him an edge, but the Ancient One's resistance was immediate, her control absolute. Wishful thinking,' he mused, his lips twitching beneath his mask.
"Let's get serious, Mr. Kakashi," the Ancient One said, her voice calm but edged with anticipation. She raised her hands, and golden mandalas flared to life, their intricate patterns glowing with mystic energy.
Kakashi didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his Sharingan tracking her every move, the tomoe spinning as they dissected her fluid motions. The mandalas enhanced her strikes, each punch and kick carrying a weight that vibrated the air. Kakashi dodged a glowing palm strike, his body twisting and countered with a chakra-augmented elbow aimed at her ribs. She parried, her mandala deflecting the blow, and responded with a spinning kick that grazed his shoulder.
He augmented his own strikes, chakra surging through his muscles, matching her power blow for blow.
To his surprise, the Ancient One anticipated his moves as if she had a Sharingan of her own. He feinted left, then struck right with a knife-hand strike, but she was already moving, her body flowing out of reach.
'How is she reading me?' Kakashi's mind raced, his Sharingan analyzing her patterns. Unbeknownst to him, the Ancient One was tapping into a basic application of the Time Stone's power, a skill she'd honed over centuries. It granted her a fleeting glimpse two seconds into the future—not much, but enough to counter his speed and precision.
The taijutsu bout was a deadlock, neither landing a decisive hit. Kakashi's frustration grew, but his shinobi discipline held firm.
'Taijutsu's not enough, and genjutsu's out.' He leaped back, creating distance, his hands flashing through signs—Boar, Ram, Snake.
His chakra surged, no longer restrained by the Sharingan's old drain, his reserves bolstered by months of recovery in this world. The Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Thousand Jutsus, was about to unleash his arsenal.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he called, exhaling a massive orb of flame. The fireball roared toward the Ancient One, its heat warping the mirrored dimension.
She raised her hands, a mandala shield snapping into place, its golden light absorbing the flames with a hiss.
Kakashi used the fireball's glare to his advantage, his body blurring as he closed the distance. His right hand crackled, chakra coalescing into lightning, the sound of a thousand chirping birds filling the air.
"Lightning Blade!" he shouted, the lightning blazing as he charged. The mirrored ground trembled under his speed, his Sharingan locked on the Ancient One's shield. He struck, the lightning tearing into the barrier, sparks flying as the barrier buckled and broke. And the lightning blade was coming for her heart next.
The Ancient One's eyes widened, but her composure held. The mirrors beneath Kakashi's feet pulsed, expanding like liquid glass to ensnare his legs.
He twisted, but the mirrors tightened, holding him fast. "Let's end this, Kakashi-san," she said, her voice calm but approving. "I have a good grasp of your abilities. You're quite skilled, if I'm being honest."
Kakashi's lips twitched, his Sharingan still blazing. "And also quite a cheeky one," she added, her gaze flicking behind her.
'He had created a clone when he used the fireball as a distraction. A clever one.' She thought
A second Kakashi—his Lightning Clone—stood behind her, kunai raised, caught mid-strike as more mirrors expanded to bind him. The clone vanished in a burst of electricity, the shockwave forcing the Ancient One to summon another shield.
But the real Kakashi wasn't done. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun, its jagged pattern flaring, and he phased through the mirrors with Kamui, his body slipping into the dimension just long enough to bypass her defenses. He reappeared behind her, kunai pressed to her neck, the blade's edge a whisper from her skin. "Now, would you be kind enough to tell me what you want from me?" he asked, his voice low, edged with steel.
'She let me have the win. I am pretty sure that she is holding back. This tells me that she is not some woman with pride who cares about winning or losing. This means that she is more troublesome since it would be difficult to know what are her goals.' Kakashi thought cautiously
The Ancient One raised her hands in surrender, her smile unshaken. "Very well," she said, her tone carrying a hint of respect.
The mirrored dimension shimmered, the tension between them palpable, two masters of their craft locked in a moment of mutual understanding.
The Ancient One's voice broke his thoughts. "You've confirmed what I suspected, Kakashi-san. Your chakra, your Sharingan—they're extraordinary. I sensed the Shinto gods in your eyes, their essence woven into your power. Yet you wield it independently, unbound by their will. Tell me, where does such power come from?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed, but he didn't lower the kunai. He would ask her about what these or who these 'Shinto gods' were but after he has a few more of his questions answered.
"Long story," he said, his tone dry. "Let's just say I've had a complicated life." He wasn't ready to share the tale of Obito, Rin, or the wars that forged him.
'Not until I know her intentions.'
She nodded, as if expecting the deflection. "Fair enough. I sought you out to understand your threat level, your purpose in this world. You're no enemy of Earth, that much is clear. But your presence here, a shinobi from another multiverse, could shift the balance. I protect this reality, Mr.Kakashi. I need to know where you stand."
Kakashi considered her words, his Sharingan still active, searching for deception.
'She's powerful, but not hostile. Not yet.' He lowered the kunai slightly, his posture easing but ready to strike. "I'm just trying to survive," he said, his voice honest but guarded. "This world's not mine, but I'm stuck here. I'm a shinobi. I take missions, protect what matters. If that aligns with your goals, great. If not…" He let the sentence hang, his eye crinkling in a faint challenge.