After carrying Kurenai back to his room, Kakashi gently laid her on his bed, the only place in his home that could accommodate her.
"Kakashi, you don't need to worry. I won't come between you and Rin. I acted impulsively before. Let's just pretend nothing happened between us," Kurenai said, her voice tinged with sadness. Though she felt immense happiness from being close to him, she couldn't bear the thought of causing trouble for her best friend, Rin. She had already taken Kakashi's first time; she couldn't take him away from Rin, too.
Kakashi paused, surprised by her words. Seeing the tears in Kurenai's eyes, he understood her intention. She wanted to make things right for him and Rin, and his heart ached for her.
"No, I won't forget what happened between us," Kakashi replied firmly.
"What about Rin?" Kurenai asked, startled by his response.
"Rin and I won't break up, but you're my woman now too, and you'll always be my woman," Kakashi said with a hint of possessiveness. He couldn't accept the idea of Kurenai being with someone else. Though he hadn't initially felt love for her, after their intimate encounter, he found himself developing strong feelings for her.
Kurenai was taken aback. "You mean you want both Rin and me to be your girlfriends?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, unless you tell me you don't like me."
"I do like you, but I don't want Rin to know I'm competing with her," Kurenai said, her voice filled with inner conflict.
"So, you don't want to be with me?" Kakashi questioned, his gaze unwavering.
"No, you said I'm your woman for life, so I'll remain yours. But I don't want Rin to know. Our relationship must stay a secret," Kurenai insisted. She had decided to stay with Kakashi without exposing their relationship to others.
Her determination took Kakashi aback. Seeing her resolute expression, he didn't argue further. Instead, he gently pulled her into his arms, cherishing her. As she raised her lips to meet his, they shared another passionate kiss, leading to another intense session of lovemaking.
In the following days, Kakashi continued taking Kurenai to the Hatake training grounds, helping her improve her combat skills while working on his own Lightning Release techniques. Finding a breakthrough, he managed to enhance his Chidori, making the lightning spread outward, though it still lacked sufficient speed and power to make a waterfall flow backward. Even so, this progress excited Kakashi, showing that his efforts were bearing fruit.
By the fourth day, Kakashi's injuries had healed, and Danzo had summoned him back to duty. His break was over, and he resumed his life as an ANBU operative, taking on missions involving intelligence gathering, assassinations, and escorting, which were frequent in the post-war era. Each mission helped him grow stronger.
Despite not valuing copying B-rank jutsus, Kakashi found it beneficial to know various techniques. Using his Sharingan, he copied numerous low to mid-rank jutsus from his enemies, accumulating over sixty jutsus within half a month.
On August 6th, Kakashi learned that Kurenai had passed the Chunin Exam and been promoted to Chunin, along with her teammates Yashamaru and Sanui. That night, Kakashi took Kurenai back home to celebrate her success.
Unaware of Kakashi and Kurenai's relationship, Rin had returned to the village. Kakashi, who had planned to bring Rin to his home, decided to wait, as it would complicate his secret meetings with Kurenai.
Kakashi's life continued happily, but he never neglected his training. He constantly worked on his Hatake Kenjutsu and familiarized himself with the abilities of his Sharingan. With the Nine-Tails attack looming next year, Kakashi urgently needed to prepare, particularly to save Kushina.
The year 47 of the Leaf passed quickly. On January 23rd, Kakashi heard the news of Shino Aburame's birth. In February, he learned that Kushina Uzumaki was pregnant. Seeing her radiant happiness filled Kakashi with a sense of foreboding—he knew only ten months were left.
On March 28th, another important birth took place—Sakura Haruno. Following her were other notable births: Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzuka, Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka.
In the year's second Chunin Exam, Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi also passed, achieving the rank of Chunin, just as in the original timeline.
"October 8th... The day after tomorrow... The day Naruto will be born," Kakashi mused, bracing himself for the imminent trials.