"Morning, Kakashi-sensei." Anko's voice was playful and soft in the dim bedroom light, her purple eyes half-lidded with sleep but glinting mischievously all the same.
"Good morning," Kakashi replied, brushing his lips against her forehead before turning to Tsunade, who had already stirred from the warmth beside him.
"Did you sleep well?" Tsunade yawned, stretching languidly before rolling over so he could kiss her lips.
Even in her half-asleep state, there was a subtle command in her presence, like she expected her question to be answered truthfully.
"I did, thank you," he whispered as he broke the kiss, his eyes softening.
"Me too," murmured Mei, who had woken as well. Her silky hair spilled across the pillow as she smiled, leaning in for a quick, delicate kiss.
"Kurenai?" Kakashi asked, noticing her still curled beneath the blanket.
"Kakashi…" she stirred, lashes fluttering open. He bent and kissed her lips gently, lingering just long enough for her to smile sleepily before nestling back down.
Last night was a crazy one, so everyone was dead tired.
The quiet intimacy of the morning filled the room, each small gesture weaving together bonds that were both strange and familiar to him.
A man who once lived alone with no one now found himself surrounded by family, warmth, fragile, and grounded all at once.
As the sun's rays began to filter through the curtains, Kakashi finally rose from the bed, leaving behind sleepy smiles and soft laughter.
He wrapped himself in his robe and paused at the door, glancing back once more.
"I'll be downstairs," he said quietly to the four women.
"Don't overdo it," Tsunade called after him. She knew him too well, when Kakashi buried himself in plans, time slipped away like sand.
He merely gave a nod, and a small smile before slipping down the stairs.
The air shifted when he entered the basement lab, closing the heavy door behind him.
The click echoed through the cavernous underground chamber. The scent of metal, ink, and chakra-infused parchment greeted him, grounding him in purpose.
Rows of sealed glass chambers lined the walls, each glowing faintly with fluorescent chakra lamps. Seals inscribed in precise patterns crawled across stone surfaces, pulsing faintly like the heartbeat of the room itself.
The silence here was different, neither empty nor dead, but brimming with anticipation, as if the very walls expected him to succeed.
For now, the Orochimaru clone was still far away, operating from a hidden Mist outpost. That gave Kakashi the privacy he needed. The lab was his sanctuary, his forge for weaving his own ambitions into reality.
He approached the large oak worktable and unrolled a fresh scroll. The parchment was thick, designed for strategies meant to last decades.
Dipping his brush into the ink, Kakashi leaned over, his posture calm but his mind sharpened with focus. He began to write, murmuring the words under his breath as if speaking them gave them life.
Kakashi's Notes:
1 –Pharmaceutical Company. Teachings from Orochimaru's clone have advanced my knowledge of pill creation.
Plan two types: standard healing pill for common injuries; advanced life-prolonging pill for the wealthy, sold at premium prices. With Takejiro's influence in the Fire Country, the market is secure. He has the Daimyo's approval. Once succession is finalized, Takejiro becomes irreplaceable.
He paused, studying the inked characters. A shadow flickered across his thoughts. Was he still a shinobi protecting Konoha, or a strategist manipulating entire nations? He put that thought behind his head and he dipped the brush again, continuing.
Kakashi's Notes:
2 –Focus on Naruto and Sasuke's Sage Mode. Both are vital assets to counter Otsutsuki threats. Dedicate mornings and evenings to training. Clone continues separate research to avoid suspicion. Maintain façade, Kakashi must appear active above ground.
Again he stopped, this time sighing. He thought of Naruto's earnest grin, Sasuke's cold determination. Children who if it weren't for him they would be forced to carry the world on their shoulders. He tightened his grip on the brush.
Kakashi's Notes:
3 –Acquire surrounding land near the estate. Construct headquarters above ground, establish underground laboratories beneath. Recruit top-tier researchers. Loyalty is ensured by sealing techniques. Prevent infiltration or leaks at all costs.
Kakashi's Notes:
4 –Amass wealth to dominate Fire Country's economy. Fuse technology with ninjutsu. Goal: elevate Konoha and Fire Country to global dominance, rivaling the First Hokage's golden era. Future: sustainable supremacy.
Kakashi's Notes:
5 –Prepare countermeasures for Akatsuki. Monitor members. Intercept movements discreetly. When Sasuke pursues Itachi, provide hidden support. Ensure both survive; their futures are necessary.
The brush stilled. Kakashi exhaled. Ink and words might look simple, but on this scroll lay ambition enough to reshape nations.
He folded the parchment with meticulous care, sliding it into a scroll tube marked with his unique seal. Carrying it to a reinforced safe, he pressed it into the hollow. Chakra-runic locks glowed blue, sealing it with a protective hum.
Kakashi straightened, resting his palm on the safe door. "All right," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "Step one starts today."
He glanced at his palm where the Genesis Seal pulsed faintly, a quiet reminder of power not yet fully tested. His fingers lingered on another scroll nearby, one tied to techniques he had yet to reveal even to his closest allies.
With a thought, he activated the flying thunder god and in an instant, he teleported, the underground fading in a crackle of silver light.
…
He emerged in the living room above. The faint sound of laughter drifted through the corridor, warm and grounding after the cold calculation below. He slipped the sealing scroll into his seal on his wrist and straightened his vest before heading upstairs.
At the window, he paused. Anko, Kurenai, and Mei lounged on cushions, basking in the golden morning sunlight. Tsunade stood at the kitchen counter preparing tea, her presence radiating authority even in simple domesticity.
Kakashi leaned near the window and watched them with a peaceful smile on his face. He then looked up and thanked the Child ROB again in his heart, without him none of this would be possible.