Hashirama Senju's voice was steady and rich as he regaled Nawaki, Naruto, and Sasuke with tales of ancient battles, village legends, and the bonds of shinobi camaraderie.
Naruto's eyes were wide with admiration, drinking in every word. Sasuke leaned slightly forward, a faint, almost reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, while Nawaki listened intently, the weight of responsibility clear in his youthful gaze.
Kakashi stood slightly apart, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his dark jacket, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched the scene. It was a rare moment of peace and family, one he deeply valued.
Suddenly, the soft, almost imperceptible hum of chakra interrupted his thoughts.
From the corner of the room, a pale gray figure shimmered into existence, a spore clone, nearly translucent and flickering like a mayfly's wings.
Kakashi's gaze immediately sharpened as the clone approached him swiftly, bowing briefly out of respect.
"I have new information from spying on the jinchuriki."The spore clone's voice was low and urgent.
"Go ahead."Kakashi gestured for the clone to speak freely.
The clone's eyes gleamed faintly. "We have located the masked man. He has been sighted in Kumogakure, and he has already captured the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
Kakashi's expression darkened instantly.
"Obito," he muttered under his breath, "the masked man has finally made his move."
The clone continued, his voice steady but tense.
"The situation is dire. The masked man engaged Raikage A in battle. Though the Raikage fought fiercely, he was pushed back by the masked man's overwhelming power."
"Did the Raikage survive?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
"For now, yes, but barely. Obito used the Rinnegan extensively during the battle, abilities that allowed him to overpower the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki with relative ease."
The clone's face was grave. "Killer Bee was severely wounded and captured alive. Obito fled the scene with him."
Kakashi sighed. "I expected something like this eventually, but not this soon."
He glanced at Hashirama, who was still seated but had grown silent, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere.
The clone went on, "Raikage A has called for a Five Kage meeting to address the escalating threat."
"Wishful thinking." Kakashi scoffed.
He shook his head slightly. "After all our warnings, after we sent letters to the Raikage and Tsuchikage about Akatsuki's threat, they ignored us. Now they want to come running for help."
Kakashi's voice grew colder. "It's the same as before, the Kage are too proud, too caught up in their own politics to recognize the danger until it's too late."
"History has a way of repeating itself."Hashirama nodded solemnly, the lines on his Edo Tensei face deepening.
"What do we do now, big bro?"Nawaki's eyes were sharp.
Kakashi took a slow breath. "We prepare. We gather our strength. Obito is no longer hiding in the shadows, he's making his move openly."
"Send this information to Tsunade immediately." Kakashi turned back to the spore clone.
"Yes, Sensei," the clone replied, already flickering with the will to depart.
Kakashi watched the figure dissolve into the shadows before turning back toward the group still absorbing the news.
Hashirama's gaze lingered on the flames in the hearth.
"He's come for the Tailed Beasts," Hashirama murmured. "The Ten Tails' power is closer than we feared."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "And if he succeeds… it won't just be Konoha or Kumogakure at risk. The entire shinobi world will be thrown into chaos."
"We won't let that happen. We have to stop him."Naruto's fists clenched.
"We need to be ready, together."Sasuke, usually reserved, added quietly,
"That's the spirit."Kakashi gave a brief, approving nod.
The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of the news settled on everyone.
Kakashi's mind raced through possible plans, strategies, and contingencies. The coming war was no longer a distant threat; it was here.
But he also knew one thing: with the strength of his team, the power of the clones, and the bonds they shared, they would stand against the darkness.
Later, Kakashi made his way upstairs to find Tsunade in the kitchen, reviewing scrolls and medical reports. She looked up as he entered, her sharp eyes immediately catching the tension in his demeanor.
He relayed the news with a grim calmness.
"He moved faster than we expected."Tsunade's face hardened.
Kakashi nodded. "And the Raikage's call for a Five Kage meeting is unlikely to change much. Too much pride, too many old wounds."
"Then it's up to us, to prepare the village and ourselves." She sighed, tightening her fist.
That evening, as the mansion grew quiet, Kakashi stood by the balcony, staring out into the starry night.
The world was shifting beneath their feet, and the path ahead was uncertain.
But with every challenge, Kakashi knew they would face it, head-on.
….
The light filtering through Kakashi's study window had barely shifted when his spore clone returned from Tsunade's office, having relayed the message about the White Zetsu situation and Obito's movement in Kumogakure. The news had set off alarm bells. Kakashi had been preparing for this. It was time to move.
He walked briskly to the lower level of the mansion, passing through the reinforced seal doors and stepping into the lab.
The clone of Orochimaru was already up, surrounded by whirring monitors, glowing vats, and humming instruments. The three cloned Madaras, UM01, UM02, and UM03, stood silent in containment cells like statues of destruction waiting for command.
"We're moving ahead," Kakashi said, his voice clipped and commanding.
"Ah, then the garden shall be watered in blood."The Orochimaru clone grinned widely.
"Deploy the Madara units. All three. Assign UM01 as vanguard, UM02 for flank suppression, and UM03 for aerial area denial."Kakashi ignored the dramatics and spoke.
"Yes, yes, I've been itching to unleash them." The clone gave a delighted bow.
"And inform Takejiro to prepare funds." Kakashi turned his gaze to the side.
A separate spore clone peeled from the wall like mist. It bowed and vanished into the ground using the Mayfly technique, slinking toward the capital.
That clone wore a minor official's disguise, perfectly integrated into the Fire Daimyō's court. With the Fire Daimyō growing more dependent on the slow-aging elixirs Kakashi supplied, Takejiro's influence was nearly absolute now. It was time he started paying dividends.
"Let's not touch the company's funds or Konoha's treasury. Takejiro will cover the war."Kakashi turned to the Orochimaru clone again.
A short while later, Kakashi went upstairs and called for Sasuke.
"You're leaving me behind again?!"Naruto was sulking in the courtyard, arms crossed.
Kakashi gave him an apologetic glance. "This is a strategic strike. You're more important staying here. Hashirama will stay with you, and no one can breach this place while he's around."
"Fine. But next time!"Naruto grumbled but nodded.
"I promise," Kakashi said with a brief smile before he disappeared in a flash.
A silver seal shimmered on the Uchiha compound rooftop as Kakashi appeared beside Itachi, who was finishing a solo training session. His Eternal Mangekyō flared gently, fading as he turned.
"You came," Itachi said simply.
"I need you and Sasuke. It's time."
"About time." Sasuke had already appeared behind them, summoned by the chakra shift.
Without wasting another second, Kakashi grabbed their arms and vanished again, this time teleporting them to the lab where the three Madara clones stood, ready and sealed in containment.
The Orochimaru clone activated the chakra relay network embedded within their synthetic bodies. The clones' eyes opened, blank, eerie, powerful.
"Status?" Kakashi asked.
"Stable. Ready. UM01 at 100%, UM02 at 85%, UM03 slightly unstable in nature-style channeling but combat-ready."
"Tobirama," Kakashi called.
"About time we put these monsters to work."Tobirama emerged from the testing wing, flipping a scroll shut.
Kakashi grabbed a handful of elixirs, chakra recovery, and rapid regeneration from his company, and distributed them. "We end the White Zetsu problem tonight."
With a flicker of chakra, they vanished, arriving at a remote forest in the Land of Rivers. Earlier, a shadow clone had left a marker there.
Kakashi knelt down and used Mayfly to silently phase into the earth. Below, his spore network had already revealed the horror: Obito's secret nest, tens of thousands of White Zetsu slumbering like buried tumors.
He re-emerged and activated a barrier seal built with his Formula Reconstruction Technique. Thick, layered, and laced with disruption matrices, it would prevent any of the Zetsu from escaping underground.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Born ready." Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyō.
"Let's move." Itachi stood calm and serene.
The Orochimaru clone grinned and issued mental commands through the chakra relay. The three Madara clones surged forward in blurs of speed. UM01 crashed through the trees like a storm, his Wood Release spears erupting and skewering dozens of White Zetsu before they even fully awoke.
UM02's Ice Release blanketed entire sections of forest in jagged glaciers, freezing enemies mid-rise. UM03 leapt into the air and unleashed Storm Release plasma that cut through the canopy and turned the ground into scorched ruin.
Then Sasuke and Itachi joined in, coating the area with black flame, Amaterasu licked and roared across the forest, incinerating the grotesque army. Tobirama sliced through the masses with high-speed Water and Lightning techniques, summoning thunderclaps and waterfalls out of thin air.
Kakashi moved in last, observing, analyzing, and marking kills. His Mangekyō spun softly, calculating future steps. With Shukujitsu and Tensei at his disposal, time and space bent gently around him. He barely needed to kill, he simply ensured no one escaped.
Within thirty minutes, over 60,000 were gone. Burned. Crushed. Frozen. Eviscerated.
After an hour, only 5,000 remained, many of them trying to retreat. But the underground barrier prevented escape.
"Capture a thousand," Kakashi commanded. "The rest, terminate."
The Orochimaru clone manipulated the chakra channels in the Madara units. They changed formations, shifted from annihilation mode to suppression mode. Thick vines, frost-chains, and crackling plasma nets subdued the remainder.
By dawn, it was done.
Tobirama stood beside the Orochimaru clone, panting lightly. "We really did it."
"Now his trump card is gone." Kakashi looked at the field, scarred, blackened, lifeless.
"And now I have fresh samples." The Orochimaru clone giggled, holding up a vial.
Sasuke snorted. "Don't start growing a Zetsu army."
"No promises."
Kakashi placed a seal on the captured specimens. "We'll study these later. For now, back to the lab."
They vanished once more in a blur of silver light.
…
Back at the mansion, Kakashi dropped onto a couch as Tsunade arrived with freshly brewed tea. He took it, gratefully sipping.
"Success?" she asked.
He nodded. "The White Zetsu are gone. A thousand taken for study. The rest… vaporized."
"That's one big worry off the board." Tsunade let out a slow breath.
"Did you take Naruto?" From the kitchen, Kushina peeked out.
"No," Kakashi said. "It's better he stays. He'll get his chance."
"He's already strong. Let him be a boy a little longer." Hashirama chuckled nearby.
Kakashi didn't respond. He looked around. The house was still whole. His people were alive. And Obito's plan had been dealt a massive blow.
Later that night, the captured White Zetsu were transferred to deep vaults under the lab. The Orochimaru clone set about slicing into them, recording data, isolating strains.
Tobirama joined him, analyzing the DNA composition. "Their origin is… not entirely human. Mixed with my elder brother's cells… how interesting."
"Indeed," the clone said. "We'll dissect their regenerative properties. Perhaps graft them onto better vessels."
Kakashi watched from the monitors. He already had ideas, if White Zetsu could be grown in vast numbers, they could be repurposed. Modified. Redeemed, even. A disposable army to match Obito's nightmare… only this time under firm control.
That night, under the moonlight that filtered through the mansion's high windows, Kakashi stood in silence. The world was at war. But for now, he was one step ahead.
He would stay ahead.
No matter what.