Kakashi: Godless Ascension

Kakashi gave a light laugh as he watched his team bicker.

"Alright, alright. Settle down," he said, slipping his book into his pocket. "Let's go. First mission today is cleaning up the village park."

He turned to give a casual wave to Kurenai and her team, then started walking off. Team 7 followed.

"It better not be another cleaning mission!" Naruto groaned, dragging his feet behind Kakashi.

They walked through the village streets until they reached the park. Leaves were scattered everywhere. Trash bins were overflowing. Some bird droppings splattered the benches. A group of kids played nearby, completely ignoring the mess.

Naruto stared at the park like he'd just been sentenced to death. "This is worse than I imagined…"

Sasuke let out a quiet sigh, while Sakura frowned but said nothing.

"Let's clean this up quickly," Kakashi said, already leaning against a tree and pulling out his orange book. "The faster we finish, the faster we move to the next one."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Why do you get to sit and read?!"

"I'm supervising," Kakashi said without looking up. In truth, his mind was half on a new jutsu he'd been thinking about.

Grumbling, Naruto grabbed a rake and started clearing the leaves with exaggerated aggression. Sasuke picked up a broom and got to work near the benches. Sakura took a trash picker and moved methodically between the bushes.

Naruto kept shooting glances at Sasuke.

When he saw Sasuke moving faster and more efficiently, he clenched his fists.

"No way I'm losing in cleaning too!" Naruto shouted, doubling his efforts.

"You two are ridiculous," Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes at the competition forming between them.

An hour later, the park was spotless. The grass looked clean, the benches were wiped down, and the trash bins were empty.

"Good work," Kakashi said as he finally closed his book. "Alright, next mission."

The next one? Walking dogs for some elderly villagers.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto groaned again.

As they approached the designated area, one of the old ladies handed Naruto a leash attached to a huge dog. "Be gentle with Bonta," she said with a sweet smile.

"Gentle!?" Naruto exclaimed. "This thing is a bear!"

Moments later, Bonta lifted his leg and peed right on Naruto's foot.

"AAAHHH! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" Naruto yelled, looking betrayed. He shoved the leash toward Sasuke. "Your turn!"

Sasuke barely flinched, though when the dog licked his face seconds later, a single vein popped on his forehead.

Sakura, meanwhile, was walking two small poodles with ease. "You boys are so dramatic."

"Why do I keep getting the biggest one?!" Naruto cried as Bonta took off again, dragging him behind.

"Stop! Sit! Roll over! At least listen to one command!" Naruto begged as he was yanked around corners and over rocks.

Kakashi followed at a slow pace, hands in pockets, clearly enjoying the show.

By sunset, they had completed six D-rank missions. They were covered in dirt and fur, sweaty, and completely exhausted.

"I'm gonna die…" Naruto groaned, collapsing onto the grass.

"You still have ten left today," Kakashi said with an unsettlingly cheerful smile.

Sakura nearly dropped her water bottle. Sasuke just gave a slow blink, as if questioning reality.

"Why do we have to do so many?" Sakura asked, dragging her feet.

"Even simple missions build teamwork, patience, and endurance. You'll understand the value eventually," Kakashi replied, keeping the real reason to himself, these missions stacked their resumes. As it was shameful for a Hokage to still be a genin.

"Fine," Naruto muttered. "But I still hate cleaning!"

"You'll thank me one day," Kakashi said, ruffling Naruto's hair.

As they began to pack up, the same old lady from the dog mission appeared, carrying a small bundle wrapped in cloth.

"You kids worked hard. Here, have some rice balls," she said kindly.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Sakura beamed and bowed politely.

Even Sasuke gave a nod of respect.

"FOOD!" Naruto shouted, practically diving toward the rice balls.

Kakashi watched his team as they sat down to eat, a rare, genuine smile forming on his face.

"Tomorrow," he said, "we start at 7 a.m."

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted with a mouth full of rice. "That's child abuse!"

Sakura groaned. Sasuke looked skyward.

Still, none of them really hated it as much as they claimed.

…

In just three days, Team 7 tackled more D-rank missions than most genin teams did in a month.

They weeded gardens, cleaned gutters, carried groceries, hunted chickens, and even pulled weeds from graveyards. Naruto never stopped complaining. Sasuke remained stoic, working with silent intensity. Sakura stayed focused and tried not to be left behind.

By the end of the third day, their hands were blistered, clothes stained, and legs sore. They barely managed to walk straight.

But Kakashi watched them with quiet pride.

"You did well," he said, clapping once.

"I never want to see a broom again," Naruto groaned, lying flat on the grass.

"This better be worth it," Sasuke muttered, arms crossed.

"At least we're getting stronger… right?" Sakura offered, her smile tired but hopeful.

Kakashi simply nodded.

—

That evening, instead of sending them home, Kakashi led them to Training Ground 3.

"Today," he said, "Though it's for myself, not you three."

The sun had just dipped beneath the horizon, casting an orange glow across the clearing. The air was still. The sky clear.

"What's the plan?" Naruto asked, stretching his arms.

"Well. This is an experiment," Kakashi said, stepping forward.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura backed away to give him space.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu."

Kakashi's hands blurred through seals. He inhaled, then exhaled a massive stream of fire. The flame roared into the sky, creating a vortex of heat.

"Whoa…" Naruto whispered, shielding his face from the heat.

"He's heating the air," Sakura said, wide-eyed. "Trying to force the formation of thunderclouds."

Sasuke nodded, understanding her point. Naruto just stared, confused but impressed.

As the fire faded, the air above shimmered. Heat ripples danced upward. Slowly, dark clouds began to form overhead, swirling unnaturally fast. A deep rumble echoed.

Kakashi stepped forward and raised his hand. Lightning chakra flared around him, invisible to the untrained eye, but Sasuke and Naruto could feel it, like static in the air.

He concentrated, channeling his chakra skyward.

A flash.

CRACK!

A massive bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds, striking the ground with a deafening boom. Dirt exploded from the point of impact, a small crater left behind.

All three genin jumped back.

"WHOA!" Naruto shouted. "Did you see that?!"

Sakura's mouth hung open. "He really called down lightning…"

"That's not just lightning," Sasuke said, eyes narrowed. "He manipulated the storm to guide it."

Kakashi turned back to them, lowering his arm. Disappointed at the force, but it was expected after all this was the first time he tried.

"It's called Kirin," he said. "I've been testing it. If trained, it could become a powerful technique."

"That was insane!" Naruto beamed. "Teach me that!"

Kakashi gave a small chuckle. "In time. For now, focus on your current training."

The wind blew lightly through the trees, the thunderclouds slowly dispersing above.

Team 7 stood in silence, awed.

"You'll all get there," Kakashi said, turning back to them. "Keep working hard."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged glances. The path ahead was still long, but they weren't walking it alone anymore.