Kakashi crouched beside the crib, gazing at the sleeping blond infant. He gingerly extended a finger and poked little Naruto's cheek.
It was soft.
So tiny.
As he watched this newborn child, Kakashi slowly rose to his feet, prompting Jiraiya, who stood nearby, to chuckle and say:
"What's the matter? Not going to play with him anymore?"
Kakashi shook his head and replied:
"I have a mission tomorrow, so I should get some rest early tonight."
"You should too, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya didn't say anything more upon hearing that.
Though he'd grumbled earlier about having to handle such an odd mission himself, deep down, he was taking it extremely seriously.
After all, it involved the true culprit behind the death of his student, Minato Namikaze.
"Yeah, I get it."
Jiraiya nodded.
With that, Kakashi said goodbye to Jiraiya and left on his own.
Naruto had only been born a month ago and hadn't yet faced the hardships that lay ahead; for now, he was still relatively safe.
But once he grew a bit older, he would...
Kakashi walked alone through the streets of Konoha, staring at the dimly lit path ahead under the streetlights, his heart feeling a little heavy.
If it were anyone else, what would Naruto's life have to do with him?
Life and death are destined; wealth and honor are decreed by fate. Everyone has their own path.
But... he was Kakashi.
Minato Namikaze's student.
Kakashi didn't know how the original Kakashi could ignore Naruto for twelve years.
But some things had to be done.
The reason was simple.
Simply because he was Kakashi, Minato Namikaze's student.
That identity alone wouldn't let him ignore Naruto's existence...
The next day.
When a fully equipped Kakashi arrived at the designated meeting point on time, two men were already waiting there.
Aburame Shiro, dressed in a high-collared hoodie and sunglasses, with a special cloth container strapped to his back.
Hyuga Hizashi, wearing a jonin vest and forehead protector, his eyes pure white.
"Shiro-senpai, Hizashi-senpai."
Kakashi greeted the two respectfully.
"Hm."
Aburame Shiro responded indifferently, while Hyuga Hizashi gave him a friendly nod.
Both Aburame Shiro and Hyuga Hizashi were men of few words. Seeing this, Kakashi simply found a corner to sit in and waited for Jiraiya to arrive.
"I heard you reforged White Fang. You've got to work hard."
"Don't tarnish your father's reputation."
Uncharacteristically, Aburame Shiro took the initiative to speak to Kakashi.
"Yes, Shiro-senpai."
Kakashi nodded affirmatively to his senior.
Aburame Shiro was calm and composed, taciturn like most members of the Aburame Clan, and exceptionally skilled at picking up on various clues to create the most advantageous situations for himself.
Moreover, Kakashi had prior mission experience with him.
The mission to Roran in the Land of Wind had been carried out by Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Aburame Shiro, and Akimichi Choza.
And just as Kakashi and Aburame Shiro were talking, Jiraiya arrived on the scene.
"Everyone, it's been a while."
As soon as Jiraiya entered, he greeted the three warmly and familiarly.
"Jiraiya."
Even jonin like Aburame Shiro and Hyuga Hizashi had to bow to Jiraiya.
"I'm sure the Hokage has already briefed you. This mission is about the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack."
"I won't beat around the bush."
Jiraiya skipped the unnecessary chatter. He pulled a mission scroll from his bosom and unfurled it before the three of them, saying:
"Five hundred years ago, during the Warring States Period, the Uchiha Clan was at war with the three major ninja clans: Senju, Uzumaki, and Sarutobi. To that end, they even created an Uchiha weapon."
"This forced the three major ninja clans to unite and seal it away."
"Our objective is to investigate whether this Uchiha weapon has broken free of its seal."
"She, who harbors hatred for the Uchiha, is very likely the culprit behind the Nine-Tails attack."
As Jiraiya spoke, Aburame Shiro remained exceptionally calm, his sunglasses hiding his gaze. He simply asked succinctly:
"Where's the destination?"
Jiraiya then produced a map of the ninja world, pointed to an island adjacent to the Land of Fire, and said:
"According to historical records, Uchiha Mumei—the Nameless Uchiha, known as the Uchiha Clan's strongest weapon—was sealed in the Land of Whirlpools and guarded by the Uzumaki Clan for generations."
Hyuga Hizashi's expression remained steady upon hearing this. After being assigned the mission yesterday, he had checked his clan's historical records, which did indeed document that earth-shattering war from five hundred years ago.
"The Uzumaki Clan was wiped out during the Second Great Ninja War. I wonder if those forces from Kumogakure and Kirigakure discovered Uchiha Mumei's existence back then."
Hyuga Hizashi's words carried a hint of sorrow.
As a member of another ancient ninja clan, he could empathize with the Uzumaki Clan's fate, feeling a sense of shared grief.
"Regardless, we have to go and check it out."
"No time to waste—let's head out now."
With Jiraiya's words, the four of them made their way toward Konoha's main gate.
Kakashi remained like a silent observer, not uttering a word from start to finish, simply following quietly behind the other three.
At that moment, Kakashi wasn't thinking about much; he just planned to go through the motions on this mission and then return to research the nature and form transformations of Wind Release.
As for Uchiha Hikari?
Let her keep being an old zombie in the ground...
The four of them, including Kakashi, were all jonin, and Jiraiya was even a Kage-level powerhouse—an exceptional figure even among Kage-level shinobi.
As a result, their travel speed was incredibly fast.
Within twenty-four hours, they reached the coastline of the Land of Fire, with the Land of Whirlpools already in sight across the sea.
There, Konoha's border guards were already waiting for them, having prepared a boat, dry rations, and some essential medicines for Jiraiya and his three companions.
"Thank you, everyone."
Jiraiya expressed his gratitude to the garrison and immediately led Kakashi and the other two toward the Land of Whirlpools.
Kakashi was prepared to row, but with the roar of a diesel engine, the wooden boat surged forward at full speed toward the Land of Whirlpools.
The technology tree in this world...
Staring at the wooden boat that clashed so completely with the engine beneath it, Kakashi muttered to himself, a bit dumbfounded.
Engines are already a thing, yet large-scale modern military forces haven't formed...
"Kakashi, you seem pretty interested in this contraption?"
Hyuga Hizashi, sitting beside him, appeared to notice Kakashi's puzzlement and asked softly.
"That's right."
Kakashi didn't hide his confusion and answered honestly.
"These are just minor gadgets. If you're interested, Kakashi, treat it as a hobby."
"No need to invest too much effort into it."
Hyuga Hizashi's response perfectly fit Kakashi's stereotype of the Hyuga Clan.
Traditional. Ancient.
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