The chakra seal flickered, then faded. The image of Black Zetsu melted from view, leaving behind only silence. Kakashi sat alone in his private lab beneath his mansion, staring at the wall where the projection had just been.
The room was cold. The only light came from a few dim seals still glowing faintly near the ceiling. They pulsed like a heartbeat, slow and soft. The air was still, heavy with old ink, metal, and stone.
Kakashi leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Black Zetsu was growing smarter.
The clone was holding up well. But each day, the risk grew. One wrong word, one wrong movement, and the game would be over.
His fingers tapped the chair's armrest slowly. Tap… tap… tap…
I can't let Zetsu catch on. If Madara wakes up too soon…
He stopped the thought.
Instead, he opened his eyes and stared into the quiet.
'Just a few more steps,' he told himself. Just a little longer.
Finally, he stood. The last glowing seal dimmed with a flick of his fingers. The room fell into total silence.
He turned and walked up the stairs.
The upper part of Kakashi's home was warm and softly lit. Polished wood floors, wide windows with the evening sky glowing orange, and the faint scent of spices drifting from the kitchen.
As he stepped into the hallway, he heard laughter.
He pushed open the dining room door.
"Finally. We were starting without you."Anko looked up and grinned from her seat at the table.
"She's lying," Kurenai said gently, smiling. "She just wanted dessert early."
"You're lucky I didn't drag you out of the lab myself."Tsunade raised an eyebrow from across the table, arms folded.
Kakashi smiled, a tired smile, but a real one. He walked over and kissed each of them softly.
"Sorry I'm late," he said. "Dealing with an immortal pest. You know how it is."
"Tough for you Kakashi!" Anko leaned in and smiled and tried to snatch a skewer of meat from one of the nearby plates.
"Keep your paws away!" Kurenai swatted her hand away and waited for Kakashi to sit.
"Please don't fight in front of the rice," Kakashi said as he pulled out a chair.
Dinner prep was nearly done. The room was filled with warm smells: meat skewers, roasted fish, steamed rice, vegetables with sesame, and something sweet cooling on the side.
Tsunade poured tea into four cups. Her hands were steady and graceful.
Kurenai straightened the chopsticks, adjusting their positions on the placemats without thinking. She worked with quiet care.
Anko reached over and stole a bite from one of the side dishes.
"Hey," Kurenai scolded, once again swatting her hand.
"Test bite," Anko said while chewing. "Perfect."
Kakashi sat back and watched them move. It was the first calm moment he'd had all day. He let it wash over him.
"Smells amazing," he said, stretching.
"Of course it does," Anko said. "Tsunade threatened the stove."
Everyone laughed. Even Tsunade smiled.
They sat together, bowls passed around. Plates were filled. The table grew quiet with the sound of eating.
Dinner felt easy. Peaceful.
Anko talked first, waving her chopsticks around like a kunai.
"Genin paperwork is going to kill me. I swear, they made one of the kids in my squad file for a mission because I filed too fast last week."
"Imagine being punished for efficiency," Kakashi said, dryly.
"Thank you!" Anko said. "Exactly!"
Kurenai chuckled. "I had to coach an entire class in genjutsu today. Half of them couldn't even trigger a single illusion. One kid kept using transformation jutsu mid-lesson."
"That's kind of impressive," Kakashi said, impressed that there were still Naruto's in the academy.
"It was a disaster," Kurenai said with a smile.
Tsunade sipped her tea and sighed.
"Shizune sent me five scrolls. Five. And I'm not even supposed to be in the office."
"She's dedicated," Anko said.
"She's a menace," Tsunade replied.
Everyone laughed again.
Then, Tsunade set her cup down and looked at Kakashi.
"So… how's it going? With Madara's body."
The table went still.
Kakashi looked down at his plate. His food was almost gone. He looked up slowly.
"There will be news soon," he said. "The clone's doing his part. Zetsu hasn't figured it out yet."
He paused.
"But we'll need to act before he does."
Tsunade nodded once. Her trust was quiet but strong.
Kurenai reached across the table and touched his arm.
"You don't have to carry it alone," she said.
Anko said nothing, but her gaze was serious now. All her joking faded away.
"I know." Kakashi gave a small nod.
After that, the mood lightened again.
Anko started telling a story about how she caught two academy kids trying to prank Iruka with glue traps and a fake spider summon.
"I would've let them succeed," Kakashi said.
"I did," Anko grinned.
Tsunade laughed into her tea.
Kakashi shared a strange story about Naruto arguing with a village dog. "He kept shouting about honor. The dog barked back like it understood."
"Who won?" Kurenai asked.
"The dog," Kakashi said.
"Of course." Kurenai smiled.
"I want to plant flowers," she added suddenly. "In the backyard."
"Pink ones?" Anko asked.
"No, red and white," Kurenai said. "Peaceful ones."
Tsunade sat back and listened. Her smile was small but real.
Kakashi watched them all. Their faces. Their laughter. The way the light made the room glow gold.
For a moment, everything felt still.
Safe.
Later, as dishes were cleaned and tea refilled, Kakashi looked out the window.
The sky was darker now. Stars were beginning to show. The world outside was cold and uncertain.