As paper debris fluttered and drifted through the air, a pure soul emerged from the vessel.
Simultaneously, a beam of white light descended from the heavens, enveloping the young girl.
"She released the Reanimation Jutsu on her own... truly remarkable."
As the creator of the Reanimation Jutsu, Tobirama Senju was the most qualified to comment on the phenomenon.
"This is hardly the time to brag about that taboo technique of yours that toys with people's hearts," Hashirama Senju said, glancing at his younger brother.
"..."
Tobirama's mouth twitched at his older brother's blunt remark.
Watching Rin return to the Pure Land with his own eyes, Kakashi let out a quiet sigh.
Was there regret?
There was. But what Kakashi regretted was that someone like Rin had died so young due to the relentless wars of the shinobi world.
"Kakashi, what do you plan to do now?"
Relieved to see Rin find peace through her own will, Sakumo Hatake stepped forward to speak with his son.
"Since the Kazekage and Raikage have chosen to make an enemy of the Hidden Leaf..." Kakashi began, his voice calm yet laced with a chilling killing intent. "They have acted on those intentions, and I trust they are prepared to pay the price for their failure."
The coldness in his tone startled Hashirama, who stood nearby.
"I think that—"
"Brother, be quiet."
Hashirama was about to interject, but Tobirama cut him off immediately.
"Second Lord," Kakashi said, glancing at Tobirama, "why don't you explain the situation between the First Lord and myself to him?"
Without waiting for a response, Kakashi turned his attention away from the two brothers.
"Kakashi, Kakashi! Look, I'm not worried about war or anything like that since the Leaf is so strong now, so I don't really care about that, but..."
Kushina Uzumaki looked at Kakashi, scratching her cheek with a finger, her tone uncharacteristically timid.
What Sakumo could see, Kushina could see as well. The Hidden Leaf was more powerful than ever before; there was no need for a dead woman like her to worry about its safety. Right now, all she wanted was to see her son.
"You want to see Naruto, don't you? That's fine," Kakashi replied.
His former sensei's wife wore her heart on her sleeve. Even Hayama Shirakumo, who had been silent this entire time, could easily guess what she was thinking.
"But appearing like this..." Kushina looked down at the cracks covering her skin, her expression drooping. She was terrified of scaring Naruto.
"What son would ever be repulsed by his own mother?" Kakashi said, placing a reassuring hand on Kushina's shoulder. "Go. Let Hayama lead the way for you."
"Really? Truly?"
Kushina blinked at Kakashi, momentarily stunned. Though she was his mother, she hadn't spent even a full day with Naruto. Now, dragging this crumbling, artificial body to meet her son in the prime of his youth, her heart was a mess of nerves. She was afraid of frightening him, afraid of not being good enough, and afraid that she might do something foolish that would make her child dislike her.
"Go. You have to face him eventually," Kakashi added, his voice softening with sincerity. "I'm telling you this as a father speaking to another parent."
"Yeah!"
Perhaps bolstered by Kakashi's words, Kushina nodded vigorously.
"Please follow me, Lady Kushina," Hayama Shirakumo said, stepping forward with a respectful bow.
Regardless of the circumstances, Kushina was Kakashi's master's wife and an elder to the current Hokage. She deserved the title of "Lady."
Finally, Kakashi turned to look at Sakumo, who was standing beside Kakashi's wife.
"Kakashi..." Sakumo began, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and deep sorrow. "You've grown up. You didn't disappoint me. Compared to you, I... as a father, I suppose I wasn't very qualified."
Looking at his son, who had risen to become the Hokage, Sakumo's heart was heavy with guilt. As a father, he had committed suicide when Kakashi was only five years old, leaving his young, orphaned son to fend for himself in a chaotic world. Now that he had the chance to reflect on his actions, Sakumo found it difficult to look Kakashi in the eye.
"People grow," Kakashi replied with a slight nod. He didn't want to dwell on the complexities of their past relationship. Whether Sakumo had been a "qualified" father or not was a conversation he didn't care to revisit. The past was immutable; only the future could be changed.
"Do you want to go see Mirai and Ichigo?"
"Mirai? Ichigo?" Sakumo's eyes brightened.
"Mirai is the older sister, and Ichigo is the younger brother," Hikari said, stepping to Kakashi's side. She tucked her arm through Kakashi's and smiled warmly at her father-in-law.
"Is... is that so?" Sakumo's entire demeanor shifted into one of nervous agitation. "I... I'm going to see my grandchildren. It's our first meeting, and I don't even know what I should give them..."
"It's alright. Just being there is enough," Hikari said, shaking her head gently. "And besides..."
Hikari shot a knowing, slightly mischievous look at Kakashi before continuing in a meaningful tone. "Aside from me, Father, you actually have another daughter-in-law to meet... Her name is Kurenai."
Sakumo blinked, then looked at his son, who was acting as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Nice work, kid! Sakumo thought. He actually managed to land that girl from the Yuhi family! If that overprotective bastard Shinku knew about this, he'd be cursing up a storm from the grave!
Sakumo remembered Kurenai; her father, Shinku Yuhi, had been a contemporary of his, and they'd been on good terms. Knowing his son had "settled" things with Shinku's daughter gave Sakumo a sense of subtle, vicarious satisfaction.
Seeing that Sakumo wasn't reacting with the shock she expected, Hikari watched his subtle smirk. Still holding Kakashi's arm, she reached down and gave his waist a sharp pinch.
I knew it... so this "hound" trait is hereditary!
Despite the sharp pain in his side, Kakashi's expression didn't flicker. After years of being together, he was intimately familiar with Hikari's every mood.
Hereditary? Didn't you say all men are hounds? Besides, I've been very restrained and family-oriented, haven't I?
"Alright, enough with the domestic chatter," Tobirama interrupted, walking over after having finished explaining the connection between Hashirama's lingering chakra and Kakashi. As a man who had remained single his entire life, he had little patience for family dynamics.
"These bodies were specially prepared by Orochimaru. Barring any accidents, they should last for about six months," Tobirama said, clenching his fist to test the strength of the vessel. "Lord Fifth, Konoha is about to go to war with the Sand and the Cloud. Do you require our strength?"
Kakashi looked at Tobirama, and then at Hashirama, who was staring at him with a complicated expression.
"I don't," Kakashi said plainly. "If I still needed to rely on your power, then all my preparations over the years would have been for nothing."
Tobirama nodded slowly. From their previous interactions, he had already gained a sense of Kakashi's character; the response didn't surprise him at all.
"Then we can't exactly just sit around doing nothing, can we?"
At Tobirama's words, Kakashi's eyes shifted slightly.
"The others can take it easy..." Kakashi said. "But as for you..."
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