When Hatake Kakashi got serious, he was extremely reliable. Whether as a comrade or a friend, he was someone you could trust without hesitation.
The problem was that most of the time, he wasn't serious.
And every so often, he would sink into a distinctly emo state.
There was no helping it—what he'd been through really was tragic enough.
"By the way…" Kakashi suddenly draped an arm over Naraku's shoulder and asked in a low voice, "Everyone else in ANBU got aANBU increase. What about me? Why am I still the same?"
"You're the ANBU Captain!"
"If you want a raise, go ask the Third Hokage yourself!"
Naraku pretended he hadn't heard a thing, waving Kakashi off and telling him not to complain to him—go complain to the Hokage.
"Hey, I'm still an ANBU member too."
Kakashi gave up, pulled out Icha Icha Paradise again, and resumed reading with focus.
"Oh right—almost forgot to congratulate you, Kakashi. You're about to become the deputy head of theJōnin Council…"
This trip to theJōnin Council meeting wasn't just for routine matters. It was also to formally announce Kakashi's appointment as vice-captain of theJōnin Council.
TheJōnin Council existed primarily to assist the Hokage in managing the village'sJōnin. After all,Jōnin represented Konoha's top combat strength, and their decisions carried great weight.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi had served as Hokage for many years, Nara Shikaku had also been head of theJōnin Council for a long time. Konoha'sJōnin both recognized and respected Shikaku's leadership.
"Senior Shikaku does a great job. I'm just holding the title," Kakashi said casually.
Kakashi himself didn't think much of it—but Naraku thought otherwise.
Kusunoki Naraku was the Vice Captain of ANBU, while also overseeing two institutions within the Medical Department and enjoying immense prestige there.
Hatake Kakashi, on the other hand, was the ANBU Captain—and now he was also taking on the role of deputy head of theJōnin Council.
What exactly was the Third Hokage planning?
Naraku couldn't quite figure it out, but he had a faint sense that Hiruzen Sarutobi might be weighing something between him and Kakashi—perhaps choosing one of them for a future task.
At this point, Naraku hadn't yet realized that this was related to the question of Hokage succession.
That wasn't really his fault. Naraku knew the "story"—the Fifth Hokage of Konoha would eventually be his teacher, Tsunade.
Because of that foreknowledge, he subconsciously ignored the village's current situation.
With the Third Hokage still alive, and with Jiraiya and Tsunade both absent from the village, Naraku and Kakashi—members of the Hokage's own faction—were, on the surface, extremely suitable candidates to be considered as Hokage successors.
…
Chatting as they walked, Kusunoki Naraku and Hatake Kakashi soon arrived at theJōnin Council's meeting hall.
"Yo—!"
The moment they stepped inside, a green blur leapt toward them, nearly knocking them both over.
"Let our youth burn brightly today!"
As energetic and passionate as ever, Might Guy burst onto the scene.
Naraku immediately tossed him Kakashi's way and went off to greet other friends.
Kakashi tried to escape as well, but Guy latched onto him. Left with no choice, Kakashi stared at him with dead fish eyes.
"My eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi! Care for a long-overdue duel?"
"No."
Kakashi refused flatly, not the slightest bit interested.
After one of Guy's "intense battles," Kakashi would be sore all over for days. He had no desire to suffer needlessly.
"Naraku—!"
Naraku had just finished greeting his companions and was about to sit down when a body slammed into him from the side, nearly sending him stumbling.
"What now, Anko?"
Turning his head, Naraku found Mitarashi Anko pressed right up against him.
Hey—don't do this. Uzuki Yūgao hadn't arrived yet, but she could show up at any moment.
"Don't get so close. Sit properly. The meeting's about to start."
"Tch!"
Anko sat back down, popping the last dango into her mouth and chewing noisily. "Those guys are slow. The meeting won't start for a while."
"When it's over, want to go eat dango? Your treat."
Naraku glanced Anko up and down. She looked youthful and energetic, her figure still in great shape.
"I'm telling you, if you keep eating like this, you're going to turn into a chubby girl sooner or later."
Anko absolutely loved sweets. Most of the time Naraku saw her, she had a skewer of dango in her mouth.
It was only thanks to a ninja's intense level of activity that she hadn't gained weight already.
"Don't be ridiculous…"
Anko didn't care in the slightest about his warning.
Even so, the exchange made it clear that the two were quite close.
The main reason was that both of them had once been taught by Orochimaru. After Orochimaru's defection, Anko had faced no small amount of trouble simply because of her identity as his former student.
Naraku, on the other hand, was Tsunade's student. He had merely learned some knowledge from Orochimaru and wasn't implicated. He had even helped Anko several times, which naturally strengthened their relationship.
All around them, manyJōnin were chatting just like Naraku and Anko, gathering with friends and familiar faces.
As time passed, the members of theJōnin Council gradually assembled. Aside from a few who were absent due to urgent missions, nearly all of Konoha'sJōnin were present.
Nara Shikaku arrived soon after and officially began the meeting.
Hatake Kakashi, forcing himself to stay alert, was called up as well. After his appointment as deputy head of theJōnin Council was announced, the meeting continued.
The important matters were resolved quickly.
By the latter half of the meeting, all that remained were trivial, troublesome details.
TheJōnin began to zone out, each busying themselves with their own affairs.
Even Shikaku could only sigh helplessly—some of theJōnin seated below him had even more seniority than he did. What could he really say to them?
Naraku was bored as well. His mind drifted back to his own plans, long since wandering elsewhere.
Only after quite some time did theJōnin Council meeting finally come to an end.
Since manyJōnin hadn't seen each other in a long while due to missions, someone suggested going out to eat together.
Kusunoki Naraku, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Sarutobi Asuma, and several others headed to a restaurant.
Behind Naraku followed Uzuki Yūgao and Mitarashi Anko—Yūgao was his girlfriend, while Anko was an enthusiastic admirer.
Tenzo (Yamato) stayed close to Kakashi, his expression still somewhat reserved.
Sarutobi Asuma was quietly chatting with Yūhi Kurenai. Judging by Kurenai's flushed face, Asuma was clearly being inappropriate.
Might Guy bounced along happily on his own.
Not long after everyone sat down, Morino Ibiki, Yamashiro Aoba, and Shiranui Genma arrived as well, and the gathering truly began.
TheJōnin present represented much of Konohagakure's middle and upper leadership. Even the Third Hokage sometimes couldn't ignore their collective opinions.
Of course, some among them weren't truly qualified to be there, whether in terms of strength or seniority.
For example, Anko and Yūgao had sufficient seniority, but their strength was lacking.
Tenzo had the strength, but very little seniority.
As for Yūhi Kurenai, she hadn't been aJōnin for long. Her strength was passable at best, and her seniority was practically nonexistent.
Without Naraku, Kakashi, and Asuma paving the way, these people wouldn't be stepping into Konoha's decision-making circle anytime soon.
…
After the gathering ended, Naraku chased off Mitarashi Anko—who lacked all sense of timing and still wanted to hang around—and took Uzuki Yūgao out for a stroll beneath the moonlight.
Watching a group of laughing, playful youths run past them, Naraku turned to Yūgao and asked:
"Yūgao, do you want to become aJōnin-sensei and take on a genin team?"
"Huh? Why so suddenly?"
Surprise crossed Yūgao's beautiful face. She was doing just fine in ANBU.
Because the Konoha Twelve were about to graduate.
No—wait. Might Guy's genin team had already graduated last year.They just hadn't participated in the Chūnin Exams yet, for safety's sake.
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