Naruto: Kakashi of the spider sage

The sage took the sword from his stomach, and the wound closed in a split second. Kakashi froze, his mind racing. He knew the sage was powerful, but this? Even with his own sage abilities, such an injury would have left him incapacitated for a few minutes to allow his body to regenerate. Kakashi was certain the sword had pierced an organ or two. Instead of showing weakness, the sage stood there, unbothered.

"Oh, great, now my favorite robe is ruined. Do you know how to fix clothes?" the sage asked, his tone more irritated by the damage to his outfit than the fact he'd just been stabbed.

"Fix it," the sage said, shrugging off the robe and tossing it onto Kakashi, who was still sprawled on the ground. Kakashi caught the garment and stared at it, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. Before he could reply, the sage turned on his heel and left the training ground without another word.

Sighing heavily, Kakashi looked down at the robe in his hands. It was scorched, torn, and punctured in places. "I'm a shinobi, not a tailor," he muttered under his breath. But he had no choice. He wasn't about to refuse his master's order, even if it seemed unnecessary.

Back in his makeshift room, Kakashi stared at the robe, needle and thread in hand. "How hard could it be?" he asked himself, though deep down, he suspected he was underestimating the task.

The answer revealed itself quickly.

The fabric was unlike anything he had ever seen—smooth, slippery, and unyielding. The needle barely pierced it, and when it did, the thread refused to hold. Kakashi tried everything: pulling the thread tighter, doubling the layers, and even biting the needle for extra force. Nothing worked.

At one point, he growled in frustration and accidentally stitched his own sleeve to the robe. After freeing himself, he glared at the garment as if it had personally wronged him. "I could have been sleeping," he grumbled, cutting away the mess he had made.

By dawn, Kakashi was slumped over his workbench, dark circles under his eyes. Somehow, he had managed to mend the robe. The fabric looked nearly pristine, though his hands were covered in tiny pinpricks and web residue. "Finally," he sighed, holding up the robe triumphantly. "If this doesn't earn me a break, I'm quitting."

The Next Morning

Exhausted but determined, Kakashi made his way to the throne room, dragging his feet with every step. Sparring with the sage was already draining enough; doing so without sleep felt like torture.

When he entered, he froze in his tracks. The sage was lounging on his throne, wearing an exact replica of the robe Kakashi had just spent all night repairing.

"Wait... what?" Kakashi muttered under his breath. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. There it was—the same robe, spotless and intact.

"Wait a second," Kakashi started, his mind spinning. "If you had a spare, why did you—"

"Oh, what's that in your hand?" the sage interrupted, pointing to the folded robe Kakashi was holding.

"It's the robe. The one you told me to fix yesterday," Kakashi replied, his voice laced with suspicion.

The sage tilted his head as if deep in thought. "Oh, you actually fixed it? Huh. Nice work!" he said, nodding approvingly.

"But why did you make me fix it if—" Kakashi began, but the sage cut him off again.

"Right, right, thank you. But you can keep it—it's yours now," the sage said nonchalantly, waving a hand.

Kakashi's jaw clenched. So, he was messing with me... this bastard... He forced himself to take a deep breath. No, calm down. He's my master, after all.

As he looked down at the robe, something caught his eye. Under the light, subtle obsidian-green spider web patterns shimmered faintly across the fabric. It was beautiful, and despite everything, Kakashi couldn't deny he liked it.

The sage, noticing Kakashi's gaze, chuckled. "It seems you like it. You're welcome. We're master and student; there's no need for gratitude."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He was too tired to argue.

"Anyway," the sage continued, leaning back on his throne. "You've clearly reached the second stage of Sage Art. As per our agreement, you're free to leave."

Kakashi nodded, relieved.

"But..." the sage added, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Kakashi groaned inwardly. "But what?"

"Shouldn't you accomplish your original goal before leaving?" the sage asked, his tone teasing.

Kakashi tilted his head in confusion.

"You know, you came here using a summoning scroll. It's in the name," the sage said, his many eyes gleaming with amusement.

Realization hit Kakashi like a ton of bricks. The sage wanted him to form a summoning contract. Looking around the room, he hesitated. "Who... should I summon?" he asked cautiously.

The sage burst out laughing. "You? Hahaha, you've got jokes now!"

"Follow me," the sage said, motioning for Kakashi to come along.

After walking through a labyrinth of tunnels, they arrived at a dark passage where no light penetrated. The air was heavy, and the faint sound of skittering legs echoed from within.

"This is where the spiders live," the sage said. "If you can form one or two contracts, that'll be good enough."

Kakashi hesitated, staring into the inky darkness. He wasn't afraid of spiders, but something about this place made his skin crawl.

Noticing Kakashi's reluctance, the sage sighed. "Alright, wait here."

The sage disappeared into the cave, only to return moments later holding a small spider in his palm.

"This is the Spider of Senses," the sage explained. "Its sensory abilities are stronger than yours and second only to mine. As a gift for your graduation, it has agreed to be your summoning partner."

He handed the spider to Kakashi, who accepted it reluctantly.

"It will also help you navigate the cave," the sage added.

"I haven't even agreed to enter the cave!" Kakashi protested.

The sage sighed again. "Alright, take this," he said, handing something to Kakashi.

Before Kakashi could react, a string of webbing shot out and yanked him into the cave with incredible force. He tried to resist, but his strength was no match for the web's pull.

"Damn you, you spider-sage bastard!" Kakashi shouted as he disappeared into the darkness.

The sage smirked, his laughter echoing through the tunnels.