Without even needing to think about it, that comment had to have come from Naruto.
Kakashi smiled helplessly, not particularly bothered, while Hikari, who was holding onto Kakashi's arm, mentally planned to buy more vegetables later and stuff them into that vegetable-hating brat's mouth.
As the wedding banquet came to an end, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and began taking their leave one after another.
"It's getting late. I've been away from my village for quite some time on this trip, and administrative affairs have likely piled up like a mountain. I cannot stay any longer."
Rasa looked at Kakashi before him with an apologetic expression, preparing to depart.
"Then I won't say anything to try to keep you. I wish the Kazekage a safe journey."
Kakashi nodded slightly, allowing the Kazekage to leave.
After Kazekage Rasa, Tsuchikage Ōnoki and Mizukage representative Mei Terumī also took their leave one by one.
Finally, the Raikage, along with his subordinate who had just recovered from serious illness, clasped his fists and departed as well.
Watching that large figure leave, Hikari, whose fingers were intertwined with Kakashi's beside him, said softly:
"Just now, he seemed displeased with you?"
Hearing Hikari's words, Kakashi smiled unconcernedly and said:
"There are plenty of people displeased with me, but what can they really do about it?"
His words were full of confidence.
Hearing Kakashi speak this way, Hikari hummed lightly and clung to Kakashi's arm like a delicate bird, saying:
"Then do you think I'm also displeased with you?"
Seeing Hikari like this, Kakashi's heart stirred. He reached out to touch Hikari's cheek, about to speak, when a cough came from behind him.
That outstretched hand silently withdrew.
"Third Hokage, you haven't left yet?"
Kakashi looked somewhat helplessly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was observing him from behind.
"This old man will leave after saying his piece."
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Hikari, then swept his gaze around the surroundings. Seeing no one was paying attention to them, he didn't avoid Hikari and spoke in a low voice:
"Now the four Kage have basically investigated the village's true strength. Although our plan to appear weak before the enemy has succeeded, what do you intend to do next?"
Appearing weak before the enemy—that was because Konoha's current state was indeed considerably weaker than before the Uchiha coup and Shimura Danzō's rebellion, which made it possible to appear weak.
"What comes next is naturally development. We can't actually stay weak, right?"
Kakashi looked somewhat strangely at the little old man.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. He had been worried that Kakashi might pull some other bizarre stunt.
Now seeing that Kakashi finally planned to settle down and prepare for recuperation and recovery, the last stone weighing on his heart finally settled.
"However, conventional recuperation and recovery is far too slow, and it doesn't seem to have much effect on improving overall strength."
"If we want to rely on a significant increase in overall strength, we must make choices that are completely different from the past."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart had barely been at ease for half a minute when Kakashi's words lifted it right back up again.
"What do you want to do?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's teeth ached slightly. He felt he couldn't quite keep up with young people's thinking.
"We'll talk about this in a couple of days. Today, old man, you should leave."
Kakashi glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi with some dissatisfaction.
"Fine, I'll come find you again in a couple of days."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha... no, Hatake Hikari beside Kakashi, nodded, and understood Kakashi's meaning.
So this old man had become a third wheel.
After the guests departed, with only the hired villagers cleaning up the venue, Kakashi and Hikari exchanged glances and directly left to go home.
Because neither Hikari nor Kakashi could produce a pair of parents between them, after returning home, the two thoroughly cleaned the house inside and out once again.
After all, that large group of children during the day had been the most rowdy.
"Our children won't be this energetic in the future, will they?"
Watching Kakashi use a Wind Release to blow all the paper scraps and fruit peels on the ground into the trash can, Hikari inquired.
"Who knows about that? If possible, I think it'd be better if they took after me."
Kakashi glanced at Hikari leaning against the door frame.
Hearing this, Hikari said somewhat indignantly:
"Why can't they take after me?"
The corner of Kakashi's mouth curved into a helpless smile as he said:
"Well, it's also because Hikari was too easy for me to trick away~"
Hikari was so angry her teeth clenched.
So frustrating!
But she couldn't find an excuse to refute it.
Night fell, the evening breeze passed over the village as lights gradually lit up in each household, and the ninja hounds of the Hatake family had long since gone to sleep yawning.
Meanwhile, Hikari, who had gotten married today, sat on the bed quietly watching Kakashi in the living room.
In that brief conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi today, Kakashi hadn't deceived the old man—a certain idea had already begun taking shape during his time serving as Acting Hokage.
The Sky Ninja Village.
An enemy force of Konoha that had been destroyed by Kakashi's dead-ghost father during the Second Shinobi World War.
The Sky Ninja Village's leader at that time, like the Demigod of the Shinobi World Hanzō of the Salamander, had possessed the ambition to become the sixth great nation of the shinobi world.
But having ambition was one thing—why did he, like Hanzō of the Salamander, have to set his sights on Konoha?
In the early stages of the Second War, Hanzō of the Salamander had declared war on the three great nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth simultaneously.
At that time, the Sky Ninja Village, not wanting to fall behind, had also declared war on the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had unhesitatingly sent Sakumo Hatake to lead a team to take out this jumping clown first.
Although the Sky Ninja Village lacked national power, this force possessed technological capabilities that were exceptionally outstanding throughout the entire shinobi world.
Especially in the future Shippuden timeline, this force actually possessed a fleet of steel warships and an aircraft carrier.
In Kakashi's view, this was truly absurd, and it was completely necessary to bring them under his control.
Moreover, Kakashi had already found a young man named Tōno Wasuke in the village.
This person seemed utterly ordinary, with extremely poor ninja talent, but he was the future creator of Scientific Ninja Tools.
Kakashi hadn't directly contacted him, worried that his contact might cause this Tōno Wasuke to change his mind, but now three years had passed—it was about time.
"What are you thinking about?"
Hikari tiptoed over behind Kakashi and caught sight of the intelligence documents about the Sky Ninja Village in Kakashi's hands.
"Nothing much."
Kakashi closed the scroll in his hand and turned back with a smile to look at his newlywed wife.
Meeting Kakashi's gaze that carried a hint of aggression, Hikari's cheeks flushed slightly. She wanted to turn her head away and not look at him, but Kakashi grabbed her hand in one swift motion.
"What are you trying to do?"
Hikari's voice carried a trace of shyness.
"Only now do I realize how small Hikari's hands are."
Looking at her hand held in this man's palm, Hikari's cheeks turned so red they seemed ready to drip blood.
"You... let's go inside."
Hikari knew there was no way she could escape tonight, and could only speak hesitantly.
Seeing this, Kakashi hesitated no longer. He rose from the sofa, and ignoring Hikari's resistance, directly lifted her up by the waist and walked toward the bedroom.
"The light, turn off the light..."
Hikari, in Kakashi's arms, tried to struggle to turn off the lights. Her hand had just reached out when the newlyweds' bedroom door was shut with a bang by Kakashi...
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