Half a month had passed, and it was as if the Third Hokage had been forgotten. The village of Konohagakure had returned to a state of calm.
Ninjas and villagers resumed their respective duties, and if anything, they were busier than ever.
Danzo stared at the pile of documents on his desk, feeling a tinge of regret.
He never should have taken on this mess. He wasn't sure if Tsunade would return upon hearing the news.
Danzo had never aspired to be Hokage—he neither had the time nor the energy for it.
Besides, Root already had control over Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Konohagakure, and a vast portion of the Land of Wind.
Why would a king lower himself to be a mere governor?
Compared to the Hokage title, Danzo preferred being the one behind the scenes, pulling the strings.
Running Root never required him to sit at a desk all day, buried in paperwork.
Unfortunately, Nonō was currently overseeing the infiltration and control of the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, leaving her too occupied to assist him.
"Kabuto, summon Kakashi."
"Yes, sir." Kabuto's figure flickered into sight for an instant before vanishing again.
Not long after…
"Sir."
"Kakashi, would you be willing to take on more responsibility?"
"I will follow your orders."
"Then, I am appointing you as the Leader of the Konohagakure Jonin Corps. If possible, I also hope that you will step up as the Hokage's chief advisor…"
Kakashi was indeed an ideal candidate. He was highly capable, possessed great combat strength, had no ties to any major clans, and was fairly well-respected within the village.
Though, much like in the original timeline, he had endured the loss of his father to suicide and the deaths of Obito and Rin, Danzo's interference had softened him somewhat. He had lost a bit of his cold detachment and gained a touch more humanity.
More importantly, his ideology was deeply influenced by both Root and the Fourth Hokage.
In a way, he was a true inheritor of Root's version of the Will of Fire.
"Yes, sir."
Danzo intended for Tsunade to take over as Hokage. Very few people knew of this plan, but Kakashi was one of them.
Looking at Kakashi, who stood before him with respectful composure, Danzo asked,
"Kakashi, is there nothing you wish to ask me?"
Kakashi lifted his head, his expression relaxed as he met Danzo's gaze.
"I trust in the Will of Fire that you uphold, sir. I also believe that you would never harm Konohagakure. As for my doubts… knowing or not knowing makes little difference."
After a brief silence, Danzo spoke again.
"That man is indeed Obito. He was deceived by Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu, which led to the tragedy of Minato and Kushina."
Though Kakashi's expression remained composed, Danzo still noticed the slight tremor in his shoulders.
This unfortunate child… At least he had a strong heart.
"As for your father, the White Fang, I assume you have already formed your own judgment on what truly happened back then. Your father's reputation had grown too great, threatening the Third Hokage's position… In the end, Hiruzen prioritized the seat of Hokage over your father… He abandoned him."
Danzo spoke in an even tone, smoothly placing the blame on the Third Hokage. He felt no guilt in doing so—after all, he hadn't orchestrated it.
In fact, his past self, blinded by political maneuvering, had merely been a pawn in Hiruzen's greater scheme.
The entire matter had been masterminded by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Without his tacit approval, Danzo would never have been able to act on his own.
"I, too, share some responsibility for what happened. Orochimaru's Reanimation Jutsu revived your father, as you may have heard. Using a secret technique, I preserved his soul. Root has been cultivating a suitable body for him, and before long, your father will be revived."
A glimmer of light flickered in Kakashi's eyes before he hesitantly asked:
"…What about Minato-sensei?"
"Minato and Kushina's bodies were preserved in Root after the Nine-Tails incident."
A long silence fell between them.
Finally, Kakashi spoke slowly, "May I see my father?"
Danzo nodded, and his Sharingan spun into a Mangekyō pattern.
A wave of dizziness overcame Kakashi.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing under a dim sky, in front of a familiar old house—just like the afternoon he had returned from a mission all those years ago.
Since moving out to rent a place, he had rarely returned here.
Suppressing the emotions surging within him, he stepped inside.
The furniture, the decorations—everything was just as he remembered it.
Step… Step… Step…
He walked toward his father's room, his heart pounding.
Taking a deep breath, he slid open the shoji door.
There was no bloodstained nightmare.
Only the sight of Sakumo Hatake kneeling quietly, breathing, heart beating—alive.
"You're back."
That familiar voice instantly melted away Kakashi's tension.
"Yes, Father."
As always, he knelt down across from Sakumo.
"How was the mission?"
"It went smoothly. Danzo-sama has appointed me as the Jonin Leader and hopes I will become the Hokage's chief advisor."
"Hmm. But don't let your guard down. Being Jonin Leader isn't easy. If you have any questions, you can always ask me."
For the first time in a long while, Kakashi truly looked at his father's face. The familiar, resolute features made his throat dry, rendering him momentarily speechless.
After a while, a rare gentle expression crossed Sakumo's face.
"You've endured a lot over the years."
Kakashi could no longer hold back.
"No… everyone has been good to me. I had Obito and Rin, Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei, Captain, the fox, Lord Danzo, and even Guy—you remember the kid with the bowl cut from when you took me to school…"
Sakumo listened patiently as Kakashi recounted his life. Occasionally, he nodded.
Time passed, and eventually, Kakashi realized he had been talking too much. He fell silent.
Only then did Sakumo speak.
"Last year, one of your subordinates confessed her feelings to you. You like her, don't you? Why didn't you accept? You should settle down."
Kakashi was taken aback.
"Father… how do you know about that?"
"I have always been here. I never left."
Kakashi's heart trembled at those words, but Sakumo quickly pulled him back to reality.
"Stop reading Jiraiya's books. At your age, I was already married to your mother."
"…Yes, Father."
Aside from joy, Kakashi also felt a bit of embarrassment.
So his father had never truly left him after all.
Sakumo nodded. "Seeing you now, I can rest easy. It's time for me to be with your mother again. As for reviving me, tell Danzo I decline."
"This—" Kakashi hesitated, unable to accept it.
But Sakumo gave him no chance to argue.
"You've grown up. You should live your own life, and I should find my own peace."
They locked eyes for a long time before Kakashi finally lowered his head.
"Yes, Father."
Sakumo smiled warmly, his body beginning to glow.
"Take care of the old house and the camellias in the yard. I promised your mother. That task is now yours."
"Yes, Father."
"And make sure the Hatake Clan flourishes. If possible, marry more than one wife…"
"…I will."
...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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