Naruto: Kakashi of the spider sage

Kakashi blinked, caught off guard. The creature's grandiose introduction and eccentric demeanor had momentarily left him speechless. 'Are all those who master Sage Jutsu this... insane?' he thought, recalling the legendary Jiraiya. 'No, Minato-sensei wasn't like this. Wait... I shouldn't believe everything this thing says in the first place.'

The Spider Sage interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, kid. I introduced myself—it's only fair you do the same."

Kakashi stayed silent. Only a fool would reveal their identity to an unknown and potentially hostile entity.

"Well, you won't talk? Alright, you don't have to," the creature said nonchalantly, before tilting its head and inspecting Kakashi with its many eyes. "Hmm... grey hair, the Sharingan on your left eye, that ridiculous mask—there's only one ninja this could be."

Kakashi's heart sank. 'Oh no, not this again,' he thought, recognizing the all-too-familiar setup.

"You're Kakashi of the Sharingan, the Copy Ninja, the son of the White Fang, and the one who knows a thousand jutsu," the Spider Sage declared triumphantly.

Kakashi sighed internally. Every time he encountered someone, it was the same routine. He hadn't sought fame—he'd simply completed missions like any other shinobi. Yet, somehow, his reputation had grown to the point where every enemy he met knew not just his name but also his entire life story. It had become a tiresome ordeal.

Seeing his reaction, the Spider Sage chuckled, its fangs glinting mischievously. "Seems I'm right," it said smugly. "But what are you doing here? Didn't your sensei just die?"

Kakashi froze, the creature's words cutting deeper than he expected. The events of the past few days came flooding back—Minato-sensei's funeral, Kushina's tragic death, and the chaos of the Nine-Tails attack. For a brief moment, his interaction with this bizarre Spider Sage had distracted him from the pain, but now it all came rushing back.

The Spider Sage noticed the shift in Kakashi's expression and sighed, its tone softening. "Ah... I seem to have touched a sensitive topic. My apologies."

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. "What's with that shocked face?" the Spider Sage asked, almost defensively. "I may look like this, but I'm not heartless. Just because I'm the greatest sage doesn't mean I can't be considerate."

Kakashi didn't respond immediately, still taken aback by the creature's unexpected empathy.

The Spider Sage continued, its tone now lighthearted. "It's just... after a thousand years of isolation, I can't help but get a little excited when someone actually shows up. You have no idea how boring it gets in here."

Kakashi tilted his head, curiosity creeping into his guarded demeanor. "A thousand years?" he repeated.

"Yes, a thousand years," the Spider Sage replied, crossing its arms proudly. "Give or take a decade. Do you know how lonely it is to be the greatest sage of the greatest holy land and have no one to talk to? You're lucky. Most visitors would have been devoured by my web before they even set foot here."

"Lucky, huh?" Kakashi said dryly, finally finding his voice.

"Extremely," the Spider Sage replied with a grin. "But enough about me. Let's talk about you. Why are you here, Kakashi of the Sharingan?"

Kakashi hesitated. Even he didn't fully understand how he'd ended up in this strange place. "I'm not sure," he admitted finally. "I found a summoning scroll, and before I knew it, I was here."

"Hmm," the Spider Sage mused, tapping one of its clawed fingers against its chin. "A summoning scroll, you say? Interesting. Very interesting. And yet, you're not a summoner of spiders. Not yet, at least."

"Not yet?" Kakashi repeated, his wariness returning.

The Spider Sage leaned in closer, its many eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Oh, don't worry, little shinobi. We'll get to that soon enough. But first, tell me... what do you seek? Power? Knowledge? Or are you just another fool wandering aimlessly through life?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, the creature's probing question striking a nerve. "I seek nothing from you," he said firmly. "I just want to leave."

The Spider Sage's laughter echoed through the cavern. "Leave? Oh, Kakashi, you truly are amusing. Do you think it's that simple? You've stepped into the Spider Web—my domain. No one leaves without my permission. And, I must say, I'm not ready to let you go just yet."

Kakashi's grip on his kunai tightened. He wasn't sure if the Spider Sage was bluffing or if escape was genuinely impossible. Either way, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

Seeing Kakashi's apprehension, the Spider Sage waved one of its clawed hands dismissively. "Ah, sorry. It seems I got ahead of myself again. A thousand years of solitude tend to make a person a little... eccentric. You can leave anytime you want by simply canceling the summoning."

Hearing this, Kakashi's instincts kicked in. He wasn't going to waste any time. As he prepared to cancel the summoning, the Spider Sage interrupted. "But..."

Kakashi froze, his eyes narrowing. "But what?"

"Are you really going to leave?" the Spider Sage asked, its tone shifting to one of genuine curiosity. "What I'm offering is not just normal power. I'm talking about Sage Jutsu. Just think about it. Everyone who was even assisted by a sage—not even mastering the art—became a known and powerful figure. Think about Tsunade. Orochimaru. They didn't even learn Sage Jutsu, but their contracts with their respective holy lands elevated them to greatness. And then there's your sensei. Your sensei's sensei. All of them are more powerful than any Kage just by learning Sage Art. And then there's that freak show of a Senju. He basically became immortal just using Senjutsu."

The Spider Sage's many eyes gleamed with excitement as it continued. "And now I'm offering you something even greater. A Senjutsu more powerful than any of the other three holy lands. Don't just refuse, you... ah, sorry. I forgot myself again." The Spider Sage composed itself, straightening its posture. "But that's more or less what I mean. I can give you strength. My spiders are all over the shinobi world, Kakashi. I know your current state. You desire strength, and I am offering strength. Simple as that."

Kakashi stared at the creature, his mind racing. He couldn't deny the appeal of its words, but he also couldn't ignore the potential cost of accepting such an offer.

"What do I have to offer",he asked.

" Well if you could free me that could be good, if not just forget it", The sage said jokingly, " You really don't have anything to offer right now, if by any chance you were able to walk to the end path of my senjustsu I want you to free me from this prison"