Kakashi Hatake had been an adorable kid ever since he was little—at least, that's what Uchiha Kaien thought as he looked at the white-haired boy. Still, he couldn't help but wonder—why did a kid this small always wear a scarf?
It was only September, wasn't it?
Kaien reached out and gently ruffled Kakashi's hair. It was still soft—hadn't hardened yet—so it felt nice to the touch.
"Today's Kakashi's second birthday. I was just about to take him to pick out a gift he likes," Sakumo Hatake said with a warm smile. This little boy was a treasure far more precious to him than the famed White Fang title.
"September 15th, huh? A Virgo then, little Kakashi," Kaien chuckled, smiling even brighter as he scooped the boy into his arms.
With one smooth motion, he tugged down Kakashi's scarf, revealing the boy's soft, childish features.
A proper little cutie. Fair skin, delicate features—and a tiny mole near the corner of his mouth.
A faint, pleasant scent drifted into Kakashi's nose. Being suddenly lifted into someone's arms had already flustered him, but now his whole face turned bright red.
Kaien made his first observation about young Kakashi:
This kid gets embarrassed way too easily.
'Too… too close!'
"Hey, little Kakashi. Is there anything you want for your birthday? I'll get it for you."
"I-I…"
[Affection from Hatake Kakashi +1]
Kakashi felt completely overwhelmed. It was the first time he'd been held so close by a stranger, but the gentle fragrance and the unexpected comfort in Kaien's arms made it hard for him to push away.
Kaien's embrace was as cozy as a premium leather car seat, making Kakashi instinctively squint his eyes with satisfaction. He even started stammering a little.
"Aw, you're shy, huh?" Kaien grinned wider. At two years old, Kakashi was still just a pure-hearted little boy—no sign of the genius pride he'd grow into later.
He probably didn't even realize he was a genius yet.
"Do I have to give you a kiss before you'll answer?"
Kaien had no psychological resistance about giving a toddler a quick kiss on the cheek. His affection for new life was pure, untainted—one of the sincerest kinds of love in the world.
His face moved in close—so close that Kakashi could clearly see every single pore on Kaien's smooth, glowing skin, illuminated like a halo in the sunlight.
That angelic beauty—Kakashi had never seen anything like it.
A soft peck landed on Kakashi's cheek—just a brief touch—and the little boy's mind immediately overloaded.
His face went blank, brain frozen, little hands twitching at his sides, clearly unsure what to do.
But... he didn't exactly hate it.
[Affection from Hatake Kakashi +1]
Sakumo and Minato stood by with smiles the whole time. It was a rare, heartwarming scene.
When Sakumo finally stepped forward to take Kakashi back into his arms, the steam rising from the boy's head finally began to settle.
And no, that wasn't an exaggeration—Kakashi's white hair was literally steaming.
The whole moment had been a bit much for him.
This was the first time Kakashi had ever seen someone so beautiful.
He'd met Minato before, but this was the first time he'd seen Kaien. Could someone really look that different from other?
The rest of the way, Kakashi quietly mulled over that question. Every so often, he'd sneak little glances at Kaien.
Even though he was only two, he could clearly tell who was an uncle or an aunt.
...
"Wooden kunai. Do you like it, little Kakashi?"
Kaien's tone was bright and cheerful. Another top-tier sprout, ripe for cultivation.
With the right guidance, Kakashi could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone if you gave him even a single Sharingan. And if he ever awakened a full Mangekyō pair, he'd be capable of summoning a complete-body Susanoo.
Sure, that scenario had some influence from the residual power Obito left behind—but Kakashi's own potential was undeniable.
He was basically a copy of Hiruzen Sarutobi—if you mass-produced him.
Born with all five chakra affinities, he had no barriers to learning any nature transformation. If left to develop normally, he'd easily become another six-dimensional warrior like Hiruzen.
And on top of all that, Kakashi had elite-level shinobi like Sakumo and Minato mentoring him. There was no universe where he didn't turn out incredible.
"Y-yeah… I like it," Kakashi mumbled.
Still bashful, still adjusting—he couldn't bring himself to say no.
But of course, not every kid was that reserved.
And right then, Kaien spotted one such child.
Same green jumpsuit. Same upside-down walking.
Might Duy.
But now, there was something different on his back.
With his keen dynamic vision, Kaien instantly spotted it—a person.
More specifically, a tiny version of that same green jumpsuit, strapped securely to Duy's back with two sturdy cloth strips.
And thanks to Duy's upside-down stance, the kid was actually facing upright.
Kaien raised an eyebrow. That child on Duy's back didn't just seem calm… he seemed fired up.
Might Guy.
Another premium-quality seedling. If he mastered that forbidden technique, he could unleash power dozens of times stronger than a Kage.
"Mr. Duy, is that your son?"
Kaien blinked curiously.
"Hahaha, Kaien-sama! It's been a while!" Duy beamed. "Yep, that's my boy—Might Guy!"
...
The sound of someone calling out finally made Duy stop his handstand. With a clean backflip, he landed in a normal stance, giving Guy a little spin to keep him upright.
"This part of a new training method?" Kaien asked.
"So youthful, right?" Duy grinned.
"Exactly! Guy's still too young to train on his own, so I'm bringing him along with me!"
"That way, by the time he can mold chakra, he'll already be overflowing with youth!"
Duy got visibly hyped up when talking about youth, though he did have the courtesy to lower Guy back down as he noticed the others.
"Lord Sakumo!"
"Please, just call me Sakumo."
Sakumo was humble as always. Still, there was something about this man that set his instincts on edge.
The honed senses he'd developed through years of kenjutsu training were warning him—just like they did the first time he met Kaien.
"You specialize in taijutsu, I take it?"
"Yup! It's all I can do!"
Duy gave a proud thumbs-up, with zero shame or disappointment in his voice.
"Even just taijutsu can give off this kind of pressure... Why haven't I heard of you before?"
A man this strong shouldn't have been obscure.
"Because I'm still just a genin! And I'm really grateful to Kaien-sama—he helped me out a lot with missions and even hired me as a taijutsu coach!"
Duy bowed deeply in thanks. Without Kaien's support, his life might've been a lot rougher.
"It was no big deal. So… this kid's name is Might Guy, huh?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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