Kakashi: Godless Ascension

Kakashi woke early the next morning, the sunlight just beginning to filter through the trees behind his home. The air smelled fresh, clean, and damp with morning dew, and the village was still quiet.

Stretching his arms above his head, he yawned and stepped barefoot onto the wooden porch that wrapped around his modest house.

The training yard behind it stretched wide and open, a peaceful patch of land that his father had shaped over the years for quiet practice and reflection. Today, it would serve another purpose.

He had told Sasuke the day before to gather the others and bring them here early. As expected, Sasuke was punctual.

Not long after the sun had crested the trees, the dark-haired boy arrived with Naruto and Sakura in tow. The three genin found a spot beneath the large tree near the fence, sitting in a loose triangle while Kakashi prepared tea and rice balls inside.

To Kakashi's mild surprise, two more visitors arrived, Kurenai and Anko Mitarashi. Kurenai looked elegant as always, her long hair hung back loosely.

Anko, on the other hand, walked with her usual relaxed gait, her mesh shirt and brown coat giving her a bold appearance. Kakashi raised a hand in greeting, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Kurenai nearly rushed over to kiss him, but stopped herself short as her eyes flicked toward the young trio watching nearby. She settled instead for a gentle smile. Anko had no such hesitation.

"Nice house," she said, looking around the clean courtyard and the well-maintained porch. "Looks cozy."

"It's simple," she added with a casual shrug.

"I know," Kakashi said, nodding. "But it's special to me."

Anko's smirk faded a little. Her gaze lingered on the edge of the porch, where a small bell hung from a string. She seemed to understand. "Sorry," she muttered, her voice quieter now.

"No need to be sorry," Kakashi said calmly. "I'm glad you came."

They all sat together for breakfast. The rice was warm, the miso soup mild, and conversation flowed easily. Naruto, as expected, complained about being hungry even after eating two bowls, and somehow ended up in a chopstick battle with Anko over the last dumpling. The others laughed, and even Sasuke gave a faint smile.

After the meal, Kakashi stood and dusted his hands. "Team 7," he called out. "Take the rest of the day off no more D-rank."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?! You're serious?!"

Sasuke gave a subtle nod, already expecting it.

Kakashi had planned to train them today, but Anko's unexpected visit had made him change his mind. There were other things he wanted to focus on now.

The three genin said their goodbyes and left in a chatter of excitement, already talking about what their new mission might be. When Anko rose as well, Kakashi held out a hand.

"Anko, stay for a moment," he said, his tone changing slightly. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's about your curse mark," Kakashi said plainly. "I want to help you. And… study it."

Anko crossed her arms, tensing slightly. Her fingers instinctively brushed the back of her neck where the cursed seal lay dormant.

"Are you good at sealing?" she asked sharply. "You know what this thing is, right? It's not some chakra trick."

Kakashi nodded slowly.

"And what do you want in return?" Anko narrowed her eyes, though there was no real venom in her voice. She didn't expect anything, but caution was something she had learned the hard way.

Kakashi's gaze softened. "The snake summoning contract," he said.

She laughed, but it was hollow. "That scroll was Orochimaru's. I never had it, not really. He kept it with him at all times. When he left… it went with him."

Her voice faltered slightly. Saying the name still hurt.

"But," she continued after a breath, "I can reverse summon you to Ryūchi Cave. You'd have to negotiate a contract on your own."

"Fair enough," Kakashi said.

She studied his face, then slowly unzipped her coat and shrugged it off. Sitting cross-legged on the deck, she exposed her neck, pale skin marked by the tomoe curse seal. It pulsed faintly, as though recognizing its attention.

"Alright," she muttered. "Do your thing."

Kakashi kneeled in front of her. The yard was quiet now. Kurenai had gone to run errands, and the kids were long gone. The sun was higher, casting soft rays through the tree branches.

He reached out with two fingers, hovering just near the mark.

"Ready?" he asked gently.

Anko gave a small, nervous nod. "Yeah. Just… don't mess it up," she added with a crooked smirk.

"I won't," Kakashi said, and closed his eyes.

He let his chakra flow, steady and precise, allowing it to touch the edges of the cursed seal. At once, the tomoe-like mark responded, glowing dimly. Kakashi breathed slowly as he activated his technique, Sealing Art: Formula Reconstruction.

In his mind, he followed the current of her chakra. It twisted through the layers of the curse, folding in strange, unnatural ways. Orochimaru's seal wasn't just a branding, it was like a parasite.

"It's deep," Kakashi muttered, his voice calm but focused. "And it's tied to your chakra network in a complex way. But I can see the flow now."

"Is it going to hurt?" Anko asked, wincing at the faint glow.

"Not yet," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not interfering with it. Just observing how it functions."

Beside him, a blank scroll was unfurled. Kakashi began to sketch as his mind processed what he was seeing. His hand moved quickly, drawing out the outer structure, the chakra nodes, the rotating components within the seal.

It wasn't just a seal, it was a living system. The more he examined it, the more it felt like Orochimaru had left a piece of himself inside every mark.

After nearly an hour, Kakashi exhaled and pulled his chakra back, deactivating the jutsu. Sweat clung to his brows.

"That's enough for now," he said, reaching for a cloth to wipe his face. "I've seen enough to start building a working model. If I can recreate it, I can understand how to break it."

"You already have a way to weaken it?" Anko asked, brows raised.

"Not yet," Kakashi said, rolling up the scroll. "But I have a plan. I just need time to test it out."

Anko reached for her coat again. "You're really something," she muttered. "You make it sound like you're reading a bedtime story instead of dissecting a cursed seal."

Kakashi chuckled quietly. "Thanks, I think."

She stood and stretched, arms behind her head. "About the summoning, let's wait a few hours. You can swing by my place with Kurenai, and I'll reverse summon you to Ryūchi Cave. But listen, those snakes aren't friendly. Don't expect a warm welcome."

"I'll be careful," Kakashi said with a nod.

"Good," she replied, then turned and walked off down the path, leaving Kakashi alone once more.

The scroll filled with notes rested beside him on the wooden floor. He stared down at the complex patterns he had drawn, The cursed seal was deceptively elegant, a perfect blend of control, violence, and hunger. Orochimaru had woven his nature into it completely.

Kakashi leaned back, staring up at the sky through the shifting tree branches.

"This will take everything I've got," he whispered.

But he was determined. He would not only undo the seal, he would recreate it. And maybe, along the way, give Anko something she'd lost long ago:

Peace.