The Ghost between waves - Chapter 1 - The Ghost and the Copy Ninja
Paring: [Character x Character]
Fandom: [Naruto]
Warnings: 18+ | NSFW | smut
⚠️ 18+ — minors do not interact
✨ Author’s note: For this story, we are introducing: Akari — The Ghost of Konoha (木ノ葉の幽霊)
Name: Akari
Age: 21
Village: Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village)
Affiliation: Konoha Shinobi / ANBU Black Ops
Rank: Elite Jonin / ANBU Operative
Specialization: Stealth Assassination, Infiltration, Intelligence Gathering, Tracking, Target Elimination
Akari is considered one of Konohagakure’s most dangerous and mysterious shinobi. Unlike most elite ninja who rely on overwhelming power or destructive techniques, Akari’s strength lies in something far more terrifying: the complete absence of her existence.
A master of stealth, infiltration, and assassination, Akari has built a reputation as the shinobi who leaves no trace behind. No footsteps. No chakra signature. No evidence. Many enemies have died without ever realizing she was there.
Her missions are often classified as “impossible operations” — assignments considered too risky even for entire ANBU squads. From infiltrating enemy territories, extracting classified information, eliminating high-value targets, and penetrating heavily guarded locations, Akari has become one of Konoha’s most reliable covert assets.
Throughout her career, she has never failed an assassination mission.
Among enemy nations, her name became associated with fear. Shinobi began referring to her as:
Not because she appears like a spirit — but because by the time anyone realizes she was there, the mission is already over.
The Ghost Technique — Silent Mist Execution
黙霧処刑 (Mokumu Shokei)
Akari’s signature technique is a unique chakra-based ability developed through years of experimentation and training.
By releasing a nearly invisible chakra-infused mist around herself, Akari can interfere with an opponent’s perception and awareness. The mist suppresses sound, distorts spatial awareness, and disrupts the enemy’s ability to determine her exact location.
To most shinobi, fighting Akari while her technique is active feels like fighting a ghost.
They can sense that something is wrong, but their instincts fail to tell them what.
By the time they realize she is nearby, she is already standing behind them.
Through the unique properties of the Mū cells implanted into her body, Akari can temporarily erase her presence from normal physical perception, allowing her to pass through certain barriers and sealed locations as if she has removed herself from reality itself.
However, this ability is not true teleportation.
Instead, Akari temporarily removes herself from the normal plane of existence and enters a separate dimensional layer known as the Void — a parallel reality that exists alongside the physical world.
The Void is not another universe, but a hidden dimension overlapping with the same reality, where the world remains connected but separated by an invisible boundary. While inside it, Akari can observe, move, and pass through locations without being detected by those in the normal world.
To anyone outside, it appears as if she has vanished from reality itself.
The transition between dimensions is almost impossible to perceive, as Akari does not create a portal or leave behind a chakra signature. She simply slips between the layers of existence, making her technique unlike any known space-time ninjutsu.
However, remaining in the Void for extended periods places a great strain on her body, as her chakra must constantly maintain the connection between both realities.
Akari’s sensory abilities are among the strongest ever recorded in Konoha.
Her perception is constantly active, allowing her to detect chakra signatures, movements, and changes in the environment around her. However, this ability comes with a severe drawback: her mind rarely experiences complete silence.
Even while resting, she can sense the existence of people around her, their chakra fluctuations, and traces left behind by techniques.
Because of this, Akari struggles to sleep normally.
Instead of relying on physical rest, her exceptional chakra control allows her body to maintain extremely high energy levels despite exhaustion. Her chakra suppression techniques reduce unnecessary energy consumption, allowing her to operate for extended periods without rest.
Food is her primary way of restoring her physical reserves.
Her sensory abilities also allow her to spread her chakra through the environment, creating a wide detection field capable of locating hidden enemies, concealed objects, traps, or faint chakra traces left behind days before.
She is one of Konoha’s greatest trackers, capable of following chakra signatures across enormous distances while leaving absolutely no trace of her own.
Akari entered the ANBU at only 14 years old, an age when most shinobi were still beginning their jonin training.
Her recruitment was controversial.
Some believed she was too young. Others believed her abilities were too dangerous to leave uncontrolled.
The ANBU recognized that Akari’s skillset was uniquely suited for covert operations, but they also understood the risks of allowing someone with her abilities to operate without strict supervision.
Over the years, she became one of the youngest shinobi ever trusted with high-level classified missions.
At 21, Akari is considered an elite ANBU operative, often receiving assignments directly from the Hokage and the village’s intelligence division.
Her teammates respect her abilities but often find her unsettling.
Not because she is cruel — but because she is impossible to read.
During missions, Akari is calm, silent, and almost emotionless. She can stand in a room full of experienced shinobi without anyone realizing she has entered.
Despite her terrifying reputation, Akari is not cold-hearted.
Away from missions, she is surprisingly curious, playful, and rebellious.
She has always been fascinated by knowledge, especially forbidden knowledge.
Akari spends much of her free time inside Konoha’s archives, reading everything she can find: ancient shinobi records, classified reports, forbidden techniques, and forgotten legends.
She has a particular fascination with historical shinobi figures, studying their choices, battles, philosophies, and mistakes.
To Akari, history is not just information — it is a way to understand people.
Her curiosity often gets her into trouble.
She is infamous for breaking rules without anyone noticing, using her own abilities to enter restricted areas, read classified documents, and disappear before anyone realizes what happened.
Ironically, many of her superiors know exactly what she does.
They simply cannot prove it.
Akari’s life began as an experiment.
During the Third Shinobi World War, she became the subject of secret research involving the cells of Mū, the Second Tsuchikage.
The experiment was conducted through a hidden collaboration between Orochimaru’s research and Danzo’s Root division, who wanted to create shinobi capable of surpassing normal human limitations.
She was the only successful case.
However, surviving came at a cost.
Her body was permanently altered, leaving her with abilities that no normal shinobi possesses.
For years, she was trained in secret, forced to develop her abilities into a weapon.
Eventually, she was removed from Root’s control and integrated into Konoha’s ANBU forces, where her abilities could be monitored while serving the village.
Weakness Against the Sharingan
Although Akari’s technique is nearly impossible to counter, there is one exception:
The Sharingan does not see Akari directly, but it can perceive the subtle distortions her technique creates in reality.
The small changes in chakra flow.
The slight displacement of space.
The unnatural absence of her presence.
Because of this, Uchiha clan members have a natural advantage against Akari’s abilities.
Against ordinary shinobi, Akari is practically invisible.
Against a skilled Sharingan user, she becomes a puzzle.
At 21 years old, Akari stands as one of Konoha’s greatest hidden weapons:
A shinobi who cannot be found.
A ghost who cannot be tracked.
A girl created as an experiment who became something far beyond what her creators intended.
Morning mist clings low to the ground outside Konohagakure’s main gates, softening the outline of the massive wooden structure and the stone walls beyond it. The village behind is already awake—footsteps, distant voices, the faint rhythm of daily life—but here, at the threshold between safety and the outside world, everything feels quieter.
Kakashi Hatake arrives without urgency.
As always, he is late, though only slightly, and gives no explanation for it. His posture is relaxed, hands in his pockets, one eye half-lidded as he surveys the area with quiet precision. He doesn’t look rushed, but he never looks unprepared either. A mission briefing is already organized in his mind before he even reaches the gate.
This assignment is simple on paper: reconnaissance near abandoned underground facilities connected to old Orochimaru activity. No unnecessary engagement. Information gathering only. Return if compromised.
But “simple” rarely stays that way in the shinobi world.
Waiting near the gate is a shinobi he has not worked with before.
He has heard the name. That is all.
A new assignment partner—your first mission together under official orders from the Hokage’s office. No prior field coordination. No shared combat history. Only a file, a reputation, and a set of instructions that assume trust will form quickly enough to matter.
Kakashi stops a short distance away, taking in your presence without obvious scrutiny, though nothing about his attention is careless. He is already assessing: stance, chakra control, alertness, emotional pacing. Not judging, calculating.
“So you’re the one I’ll be working with.”
His tone is calm, almost light. Not unfriendly. Not warm either. Just measured.
I felt his presence from far away, I saw him taking his time while I was already there waiting. No problem in that.. When I look at him, I analyse him the same way he just did to me, not judging.
I’m slightly annoyed that lately Tsunade seems personally invested in putting me to work with others, finding someone that I could work well with, even though I tried a thousand times to explain her I work better alone and anyone with me would only delay or compromise my technique.
I don’t let any of it out though, because I’ve also heard and read stories from the famous Copy Ninja, and interesting shinobi is always fun to analyse.
“Hatake-san. It’s a pleasure.”
"Just Kakashi is fine," he replies, the slight curve of his visible eye suggesting a smile hidden beneath the mask. "Titles just make me feel old."
He doesn’t offer a hand to shake, keeping his posture relaxed. He understands the unspoken tension of a forced partnership. He has been on the receiving end of it often enough, and he’s certainly inflicted it on others. The Hokage’s decisions are rarely arbitrary, but they are often inconvenient.
"So, the Silent Mist Execution," he continues, his tone casual, though his eye tracks the subtle shifts in your chakra. "I’ve heard rumors. Impressive technique, though I imagine it makes teamwork… complicated."
He starts walking down the path leading away from the village, expecting you to follow. The pace is steady, unhurried, but deliberate. "Our objective is reconnaissance. We locate the facilities, observe, and gather intelligence. We avoid engagement unless absolutely necessary. Since stealth is your specialty, I imagine this will be a walk in the park."
He glances over his shoulder, his eye crinkling slightly again. "Or, at least, a quiet stroll through the woods."
The path winds deeper into the forest, the canopy thick enough to block most of the morning light. The air grows cooler, the sounds of the village fading behind them.
"I’m curious, though," he says, his voice carrying easily despite the distance between them. "How exactly does your technique work? Do you completely erase your presence, or just mask it so well that it seems that way?" He doesn't expect a detailed answer, knowing that revealing too much about a signature jutsu is a tactical error, but the question is a subtle probe, a way to gauge your willingness to share information and your understanding of your own abilities.
I take my small scroll with a map that I draw myself “I believe the most important facility we should look at it’s located around here” I point on the map “We will be traveling for around two days if we keep a good pace, to the border between land of hotsprings and the land of sound..” my fingers still tracing the map “But I let you know when we get closer.” I smile “For my technique, it’s best to show then to explain.. You will eventually see it.”
Kakashi's gaze flicks down to the map, noting the marked location. The Land of Hot Water, bordering the Land of Sound. Familiar territory, but not necessarily friendly. He commits the terrain details to memory before looking back at you, a faint, almost imperceptible nod acknowledging your plan.
"Fair enough," he says, his tone mild. "Actions usually speak louder than words anyway. Especially in our line of work."
He shifts his weight slightly, adjusting his stance for the long journey ahead. The path ahead is uneven, roots and rocks breaking through the packed dirt, but his steps are fluid, silent.
"Since we've got a couple of days, we might as well get comfortable," he suggests, glancing over his shoulder again. "I assume you're not one for small talk, given your… specialization. But if we're going to be covering each other's backs, it helps to know a little more than what's in a file."
He doesn't push for an immediate response. He knows the value of patience, letting the silence stretch, giving you space to decide what, if anything, you want to share. He pulls a small, worn book from a pouch at his hip—Make-Out Tactics—and flips it open, his eye scanning the pages with apparent focus, though his awareness remains sharply tuned to the environment and to you.
"For instance," he adds, his voice muffled slightly by the mask and his attention seemingly divided, "I prefer to know if my partner has a habit of disappearing entirely when things get messy. Not that I mind, but it changes the strategy."
’is he suggesting small talk? that’s… different..’ - I think with myself, while keeping pace with him.
When he take icha icha tactics and start to read I look at him sideways in absolute surprise for exactly one second before looking back in front: is he really reading it just here? like.. just normally reading it next to someone? It’s a pretty good smut but better to read in private? but who am I to question anyone else reading habits, if my own are questionable… a small smirk appear on the corner of my mouth that I breath out to let it fade
“I don’t abandon companions.” I end up saying, simple.
Kakashi doesn’t look up from the book, but the slight pause in his page-turning betrays his attention. “Good to know,” he murmurs, his tone light but not dismissive. “Saves me the trouble of drafting a ‘partner missing in action’ report.”
He flips a page, the faint rustle of paper loud in the quiet forest. “Though, considering your reputation, if you did disappear, I doubt anyone would find a trace to report anyway.”
He closes the book with a soft snap and slides it back into his pouch. His visible eye shifts toward you, the casual demeanor remaining, but the observation sharpening. He caught the fleeting smirk, even if you tried to hide it. It’s a crack in the stoic facade, a hint of something more complex beneath the surface.
“So, Akari,” he begins, using your name for the first time, testing the sound of it. “If you’re not the type to abandon companions, what are you the type for? Besides infiltration and reading maps, I mean.”
He steps over a thick, gnarled root, his movements effortless. “You don’t sleep much, according to your file. Must give you a lot of free time. Or just a lot of time to think.”
It’s a probing question, disguised as casual curiosity. He’s trying to find the edges of your personality, the things that motivate you, the things that might compromise you. In a mission like this, knowing how a partner thinks is just as important as knowing how they fight.
I glance at him again.. Working alone don’t require talking or planning or getting to know the person you are working with.. but since I have no choice against Tsunade decision I guess I must see this through.
I let out a very soft sigh, almost imperceptible, careful to don’t give him a wrong ideia, is not his fault he needs to be here with me anyway.. But i absolutely cannot tell him what do I do in my free time…
I think about what to say and decided to go with honesty, but not oversharing “I read. What about you?” I ask even though i supposed he also.
Kakashi’s eye curves into a crescent, the closest thing to a full smile he offers. The soft sigh hadn’t escaped him, but he doesn’t press the issue. He recognizes the reluctance; he’s built his own walls high enough to know when someone else is guarding theirs.
“You read,” he repeats, his tone thoughtful. “A safe answer. Vague enough to reveal nothing, but specific enough to be true.”
He adjusts the strap of his flak jacket, his gaze drifting up to the canopy where sunlight struggles to pierce the dense foliage. “I read too, obviously. Mostly literature that expands the mind… and other things.” He taps the pouch where Make-Out Tactics now rests, a dry amusement in his voice. “Though I suspect your reading material might be a bit more… clandestine. The archives can be fascinating if you know where to look, can't they?”
He lets the comment hang in the air, a subtle test to see if you’ll bite. He’s read your file—or at least, what little of it the Hokage allowed him to see. A survivor of old experiments, a prodigy in stealth. People with that kind of past rarely stick to standard academy texts.
“Aside from that,” he continues, seamlessly shifting the subject back to himself before the silence becomes uncomfortable. “I have a few hobbies. Tending to a small garden, occasionally visiting old friends… and arriving late to most appointments. It’s a cultivated skill, really.”
The path ahead begins to narrow, the trees growing closer together, their roots weaving into a tangled obstacle course. Kakashi navigates it without breaking stride, his spatial awareness flawless.
“We should pick up the pace,” he says, his tone shifting from conversational to professional in an instant. “The sooner we reach the border, the sooner we can figure out what kind of mess we’re walking into.”
With a sudden burst of speed, he leaps onto a thick branch overhead, leaving the ground behind. He pauses, looking down at you from the canopy. “Coming?”
’expands the mind and other things’ - maybe my mind is too dirty but the double meaning of him reading icha icha talking about other things expanding I have to bite my lip to don’t laugh.
I ignore his comment about the archives, I can’t let a jonin that I just met know my secrets this quickly “a small garden?” I think out loud. When his stance change I follow immediately, jumping on the branch next to him with the same efficiency.
Kakashi’s eye flicks toward you, catching the way you bit your lip. He doesn’t comment on it, but the subtle shift in your expression is logged away, another piece of the puzzle. He pushes off the branch, the movement smooth and silent, leading the way deeper into the forest.
“Yes, a small garden,” he replies, his voice carrying clearly despite the wind rushing past them. “Eggplants, mostly. They’re surprisingly temperamental. Require just the right amount of attention—too much and they rot, too little and they wither.”
He lands on a thicker bough, barely disturbing the leaves, before launching himself to the next. His pace is swift, demanding focus, but his demeanor remains effortless.
“It’s good practice for patience,” he adds, the words floating back to you. “And a quiet contrast to everything else.”
The landscape blur past them, the familiar greens and browns of the Land of Fire slowly giving way to the sparser, rockier terrain near the border. The air grows slightly drier, the scent of pine fading into something dustier.
Kakashi holds the pace for several hours, testing your stamina without making it obvious. He knows your file says you don’t need much sleep, but endurance is a different beast entirely. When the sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting long, fractured shadows through the trees, he finally signals for a halt.
He drops gracefully to the forest floor, landing in a small, sheltered clearing. “We’ll rest here for a few hours,” he announces, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “No fire. Keep your chakra suppressed.”
He leans against the broad trunk of an ancient oak, folding his arms across his chest. His visible eye scans the perimeter, though his posture suggests he’s completely relaxed. “I’ll take the first watch. Unless, of course, your insomnia demands otherwise.”
I sit in front of a tree, pulling one of my knees so I can rest my arm on it, while I take a ration bar from my small bag.
“You should rest. I can watch.” I let Mokumu Shokei spread around us, just to make a better camouflage and he can feel more at ease, even though I can sense if anyone comes around.
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