'Space-ti ninjutsu?' Kakashi's mind raced as he saw the portal, his posture tensing as a figure erged. A bald woman in flowing orange-yellow robes stepped through, her presence calm but commanding, her eyes sharp with an ageless wisdom.
Kakashi's guard was up, but his visible eye adopted the bored, half-lidded squint he'd perfected over years—a look that made enemies underestimate him or bristle with irritation, lowering their defenses.
'Let's see who you are. She looks like the monks from the fire temple.' He thought
"Mr. Kakashi Hatake," the woman said, her voice smooth and asured, carrying a hint of amusent. "It's a pleasure to et you."
Kakashi's frown was hidden beneath his mask, but his tone was cool, almost lazy. "And who might you be?" He kept his stance relaxed, one hand in his pocket, the other resting lightly on his kunai pouch.
'She knows my na. That's a problem.' He doesn't rember telling anyone that.
"You can call the Ancient One," she replied, her lips curving in a faint smile. "I'd offer you tea, but first, I need to assess your exact threat level, Mr. Kakashi. Let's take this sowhere else. Shall we?"
With a wave of her hand, the world seed to fracture, the rooftop dissolving into a world of mirrors. Kakashi's vision spun, and he found himself standing in a bizarre dinsion, the ground and walls reflecting infinite versions of himself and the Ancient One.
Kakashi groaned, his voice dry. "Oh boy, here I thought I was done with won changing dinsions. Shikaku san was right, won are really troubleso." The mory of Kaguya's different dinsions flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help the wry amusent in his tone.
'First Kaguya, now this. I'm starting to sense a pattern.'
The Ancient One raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of curiosity and mirth. "A seasoned traveler, I see. Let's see how you fare in combat."
Without warning, she lunged, her movents a blur of grace and power that caught even Kakashi off guard.
He t her advance, slipping into a taijutsu stance, his body low and ready. The Ancient One's style was a revelation—her strikes carried the fluid precision of a Hyūga, each motion flowing into the next like water, yet her attacks had the raw ferocity of an Uchiha, relentless and unyielding.
She aid a palm strike at his chest, her hand glowing faintly with that strange energy. Kakashi sidestepped, redirecting her arm with a gentle push, his movents economical but swift.
'She's good. Really good. And very experienced.'
"Ah, taijutsu," the Ancient One said, her voice laced with amusent as she countered with a spinning kick aid at his head. "It's been a while since I've engaged with just my hands and feet against soone with your skill."
Kakashi ducked under the kick, his body twisting as he aid a low sweep at her legs. "You know the term taijutsu?" he asked, his tone betraying a flicker of surprise. She knows what she's doing.
The Ancient One leaped over his sweep, landing lightly and countering with a series of rapid jabs, each one glowing with that sa energy. "Of course," she replied, parrying his retaliatory elbow strike. "I've lived for centuries, and taijutsu was practiced in this world long ago. In so places, it still is."
Kakashi's eye narrowed, but he kept his movents fluid, matching her pace. Centuries? The claim was bold, but her skill backed it up. He blocked a high kick with his forearm, redirecting her montum to create distance, then countered with a palm strike aid at her shoulder. She twisted, her robe fluttering as she deflected the blow with a circular motion, her hands glowing faintly.
'She's enhancing her strikes, but it's not chakra. Sothing else. Sothing just like chakra augntation.' Kakashi thought
The bout continued, Kakashi feinted left, then struck right with a chopping motion, aiming for her collarbone. The Ancient One leaned back, her body bending with impossible flexibility, and countered with a spinning backfist that grazed his face mask. He caught her wrist, twisting it gently to throw her off balance, but she rolled with the motion, landing in a crouch and aiming a sweeping kick at his ankles.
Kakashi leaped, flipping backward and landing on a mirrored wall, his chakra anchoring him as if it were solid ground.
"Not bad," he said, his tone light but his mind racing.
'She's matching move for move.' Her style blended elegance and brutality, each strike calculated yet fierce. He aid a series of rapid punches, testing her defenses, but she parried each one.
The Ancient One smiled, clearly enjoying the spar. "You're holding back, Mr. Kakashi. I can sense it." She lunged, her fist glowing as it aid for his chest. Kakashi sidestepped, grabbing her arm and flipping her over his shoulder, but she twisted mid-air, landing on her feet and countering with a knee strike. He blocked with his shin, the impact sending a jolt through his leg.
'Stronger than she looks.'
Neither landed a hit, their movents a blur of counters and feints. Kakashi's taijutsu was honed by years of battles with both enemies and Guy—but the Ancient One matched him, her centuries of experience evident in every block and strike.
She's testing , just as I'm testing her. Kakashi guessed
Realizing the bout was a stalemate, Kakashi decided to shift tactics.
'Let's see how she handles this.' He leaped back, creating distance. With a pulse of chakra, he activated his Sharingan, the red glow blazing in the mirrored world, the tomoe spinning in unison. The Ancient One paused, her eyes narrowing with interest.
"Oh, now this is interesting," she said, her voice calm but intrigued. "I sense a great deal of spiritual power from your eyes. What are they called, Mr. Kakashi?"
Kakashi's lips twitched beneath his mask, his tone deceptively casual. "I like to call them a gift from a friend, but… they're called the Sharingan."
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