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Chapter 21: Choosing Artifacts (1)
🕑 Added 2025-06-12 17:51:34 +0000 UTCThe stone walls of Kamar-Taj covered with runes had become familiar to Kakashi Hatake over the past eighteen months.
Days bled into nights, filled with missions for the Ancient One—eliminating vampire covens, banishing rogue spirits, retrieving cursed relics.
Between missions, he buried himself in the Kamar-Taj library, mastering fuinjutsu, some that was not known to even the Uzumaki in his world or trained in the courtyard in his father's Kenjutsu. While this place was n't Konoha, but it has given Kakashi a purpose to move forward.
Kakashi's fuinjutsu studies had been progressing very well. The library's collection rivaled the Uzumaki clan's legendary archives that he had heard from Kushina, as if a grandmaster had poured their soul into every scroll.
Kakashi knew that Kushina would've been overjoyed by this place. She liked Fuinjutsu even more than his sensei and was the one that taught both him and Minato, the basics of Fuinjutsu.
He'd learned different seals,each more intricate than the last.
He also officially recognised himself as a Grandmaster Fuinjutsu user.
A master fuinjutsu user became a grandmaster by crafting an S-rank seal and using chakra alone to form seals, bypassing ink.
Kakashi had achieved both by creating the seal that allowed him to use Kamui to teleport. It was inferior to flying raijin but it was still his first original creation.
His kenjutsu training had been equally transformative. The Hatake clan's swordsmanship, the art that earned his father the "White Fang" moniker, had once been a distant dream, its chakra demands too steep for a young Kakashi drained by the Sharingan.
'I was stubborn, keeping Obito's eye to honor him.' Kakashi had figured that he had been his own biggest limitation. The choice had stunted his chakra growth, a sacrifice he'd accepted to honour his friend's gift
Now, with the Sharingan integrated—its drain gone, its cost minimal—his chakra reserves were exploding.
Kakashi deducted that while his heritage was half responsible for it since his father had large reserves. But he also believed that due to the constant chakra drain by the Sharingan previously, his chakra network has widened allowing more chakra to flow through them increasing his chakra capacity.
Jutsus he'd copied but never used, like Water Style: Great Waterfall or Fire Style: Karyu Endan among many others flowed effortlessly.
'I could've been this strong years ago, but…' He thought of Kaguya, her infinite power, and Obito's sacrifice. 'Without your gift, I wouldn't have made it through that fight.' The realization was bittersweet, a balance of regret and gratitude.
With only days left before leaving Kamar-Taj, Kakashi sought out the Ancient One to claim the artifacts she'd promised for his mission contributions.
He found her in the tea room, Master Wong at her side. The Ancient One's smile was genuine, her eyes sparkling with pride. "We'll miss you, Mr. Kakashi. Your mission record is outstanding. If all sorcerers had your work ethic, the world would be a better place."
She glanced at Wong, her smile teasing. Wong's stoic face twitched, his eyes widening imperceptibly. 'Did she find out about my late-night noodle runs to Kathmandu? No way. I'm so screwed.'
He cleared his throat, masking his panic with a frown. "Yes, well, you've been… adequate, Hatake."
Kakashi's eye crinkled, amused. "High praise, Master Wong. I'll treasure it." He turned to the Ancient One, his tone light but curious. "About those artifacts…"
"You're eligible for two," she said, rising gracefully. "Choose those that call to you. But be cautious—some artifacts resent being wielded and may curse you."
Her nonchalance was unnerving, as if curses were as common as spilled tea.
Kakashi shrugged, unfazed. He followed her and Wong to the artifact room, a vaulted chamber deep within Kamar-Taj.
The door was carved with runes. It opened with a pulse of mystic energy, revealing a trove of relics displayed on pedestals and shelves. The air hummed, each artifact radiating a presence—some inviting, others hostile.
Kakashi walked the aisles, his senses sharp. A longsword glowed faintly, its blade etched with celestial patterns. "Starblade," Wong said, his voice grudging. "Summons meteor showers when swung. Useful, if you don't mind collateral damage."
Kakashi nodded, unimpressed. 'I am pretty sure the meteors that would be summoned by this sword would be like candy compared to the ones Madara summoned.'
Next was a massive hammer, its head crackling with lightning. "Thunderstrike," Wong muttered. "Channels storms. Heavy, though. Broke Master Hamir's foot last decade." Kakashi's eye crinkled. 'Pass. I'm not Guy that I can weild this.'
Some artifacts were less conventional. A teapot shimmered with pink light, steam rising despite no heat. "Cupid's Kettle,"
Wong said, his tone dripping with disdain. "Pours tea that makes anyone who drinks it fall in love with the first person they see. Caused mayhem in 1893. Don't ask." Kakashi chuckled, imagining Naruto accidentally sipping it and declaring love for Sasuke. 'Tempting, but no.'
A pair of boots glowed green, tapping impatiently. "Wanderer's Treads," Wong sighed. "Lets you walk across oceans but sings sea shanties non-stop. Drove Master Yao mad." Kakashi's lips twitched beneath his mask. 'Hard pass.'
Nothing resonated. The artifacts were powerful, but none felt like his.
'I've got my weapons, my jutsus and my Sharingan. Is there anything that I even need?' He glanced at the Ancient One, who watched him with a knowing smile. "Try using your Sharingan, Kakashi-san," she said, her voice soft but certain. "It may see what you cannot."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but complied,. He activated the final form of Sharingan straighaway. The Mangekyō Sharingan spun, its jagged pattern casting a red glow across the room.
The artifacts' energies sharpened, their auras visible—some blazing, others dim. Then, two objects pulsed, their light syncing with his chakra.
A scroll, bound in black silk, and a fist-sized stone, etched with spiraling kanji, floated from their pedestals, drifting toward him like moths to a flame.
Wong's jaw tightened, his eyes darting to the Ancient One. "Those are… unusual choices," he muttered, but said no more. The Ancient One's smile deepened, a flicker of anticipation in her gaze.
Kakashi though was more interested in how Ancient One knew that these artifacts would react to his Mangekyo Sharingan.
'If my suspicions are right, I would not want to become her enemy no matter what.' Kakashi thought as Ancient one gave him a wink.
