Chapter 96: Eat It Whether You Like It or Not
Fame. Real, actual fame.
Just not Sakura's.
Kakashi's.
One-on-one, he'd taken the Kazekage's arm and walked away in one piece. The achievement spoke for itself — and it said considerably more than his previous reputation had. What were the enemies on Kakashi's prior mission record? Mid-tier jōnin, the occasional chūnin, mostly from minor nations. The gap in caliber between a small-country jōnin and a shinobi of the Five Great Villages was not small.
This time, his opponent had been the Kazekage of Sand.
One of the five most powerful shinobi alive.
Kakashi's name was circulating the village now with an energy that hadn't been seen since his father's day.
"Hey, Kakashi — take this."
"A real chip off the old block, you are."
"Keep it up!"
On a Konoha street, Kakashi walked with armloads of gifts pressed on him by villagers and stared at the world with a dead fish's expression.
"Ah... thank you..."
He couldn't bring himself to refuse people who looked that genuinely happy.
"You really are popular, huh."
Asuma strolled beside him, cigarette in the corner of his mouth, clearly entertained.
"Don't start. You know how it actually went."
Kakashi looked at him sideways.
The warmth from the villagers wasn't making him feel good. It was making him feel like he'd received something he hadn't earned, and the feeling sat on him like a stone.
"Well, then — shouldn't that be motivation to actually deserve it?"
"No more slacking off. No more coasting. Step up and become someone who's worth the expectation."
Asuma slapped him on the shoulder with cheerful force.
"...Yeah."
Kakashi looked at him with profound blankness.
The life I used to have is gone forever, isn't it.
"On another note — where's Sakura? She did at least as much as you did today, if not more."
Asuma seemed to catch himself on something and frowned slightly.
"Sakura..."
Hokage Tower — Meeting Room
Sakura was slouched at the far end of the conference table, cheek resting on one hand, watching clouds through the window with the expression of someone counting down the seconds.
Hiruzen was currently negotiating the alliance with Ōnoki.
Two old men pointing at documents and arguing about terms. Fascinating.
If Hiruzen hadn't specifically required her presence, she would not be here.
Tobirama had already promised her full access to the Senju clan archives. She could be there right now. Yang Release research. And the archive wasn't just Senju materials — Mito Uzumaki, Hashirama's wife, had been the Uzumaki clan's most prominent daughter. Between the two clans, both known for exceptional physical constitution and enormous chakra reserves, the Yang Release records would be exactly what she needed.
A small white paper ball arced through the air in a perfect parabola and bounced off her forehead.
Two fingers caught it on the rebound without her needing to look.
Sakura looked up. Across the table, a dark-haired girl was making faces at her with the intensity of someone trying very hard to communicate a simple concept nonverbally.
Sakura unfolded the paper ball.
This is so boring. Want to sneak out?
???
When did we become friends?
Sakura looked at Kurotsuchi and felt the corner of her mouth twitch despite itself.
This girl. She'd spent their last meeting telling Sakura she'd be sorry next time they met, and now she was passing notes like a classmate at the back of a lecture.
Sakura glanced at Hiruzen — running on fumes, talking Ōnoki's ear off — and at Koharu and Homura flanking him...
Ōnoki choosing to stay in this room meant he wasn't opposed to the alliance in principle. In fact, from the moment the old Tsuchikage had sat down, the Fire-Earth agreement had been inevitable. The negotiation now was just about which resources the Land of Fire would open to the Land of Earth.
The actual war planning against Sand couldn't be resolved in one day. Lightning and Water had too many moving parts. There would be dedicated sessions for that, with specialists brought in.
And before Fire and Earth could make any military move against Wind, they'd need to secure Grass Country — that perpetual fence-sitter wedged directly between them.
So complicated.
Sakura looked at the two old men one more time, then blinked at Kurotsuchi.
Kurotsuchi's face lit up.
She stood immediately. Kitsuchi, who had been watching his daughter out of the corner of his eye this entire time, looked over.
"Kurotsuchi. Where are you going?"
"Bathroom."
Not a flicker of guilt on her face. The lie was out before the question finished.
As she passed Sakura, Sakura stood too.
"Sakura?" Koharu noticed. "And you?"
"Going together."
Delivered with perfect calm, as if this were the most unremarkable thing in the world.
The non-answer made a vein appear at Koharu's temple.
Did she think I didn't see the paper ball?
If you're going to lie to my face, at least make it convincing.
Hiruzen watched the two girls slip out, then turned to Ōnoki with a smile.
"The young ones seem to be getting along rather well. Unexpectedly."
Ōnoki allowed himself a long-suffering expression.
"My granddaughter lacks discipline. My apologies."
"Not at all." Hiruzen's laugh was warm. "If the next generation of our two villages finds common ground this easily — then those of us sitting here arguing over details are the ones falling behind, aren't we?"
Ōnoki stroked his chin beard and found himself nodding despite everything.
"...Fine. On the resources — we'll take your proposal as written."
"Then we are grateful, Lord Tsuchikage."
Ōnoki looked at the old man across the table with something that had softened by a few degrees.
"The friendship between Fire and Earth is a thing worth announcing," Hiruzen continued. "Something the whole world should know about. Unbreakable. Foundational."
Ōnoki's expression didn't change.
He stood. Extended his hand.
"Indeed it is."
Old fox.
"Lord Tsuchikage, you are a man after my own heart!"
Hiruzen laughed and took the hand in both of his.
Eat it whether you like it or not, old man. That's how this was always going to end.
Every person in the room rose. Applause broke out — genuine, sustained, filling the chamber.
The Fire-Earth alliance, concluded in a single afternoon.
Against all expectation, it had gone smoothly.
(End of Chapter)