Kakashi stood before the Third Hokage, his gaze sharp and focused. His earlier observations of Naruto being spied upon—and the mention of Danzo—still lingered in his mind.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began, his voice calm but serious, "there were shinobi trailing Naruto earlier. From what I overheard, they seem to work for Danzo. If I'm not mistaken, they're part of what Minato-sensei once referred to as 'Root.'"
Hiruzen sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "You're not wrong. Root is Danzo's personal faction—a covert organization that operates in the shadows, often outside my jurisdiction."
Kakashi remained silent, waiting for the Hokage to continue.
"Over the past two years, Danzo has shown an unhealthy interest in Naruto," Hiruzen explained. "I assume you've already guessed Naruto's true identity?"
Kakashi nodded. It had been obvious to him. Naruto's striking resemblance to Minato, his chakra signature, and his age all confirmed it.
Seeing Kakashi's acknowledgment, Hiruzen continued, his tone growing heavier. "Right now, the village is on the brink of war with Kumogakure. Unlike me, Danzo favors aggression and sees war as an opportunity. He believes Naruto could serve as the ultimate weapon—a jinchūriki groomed under his control. What he doesn't know, however, is that peace with Kumo is within our grasp. The Raikage and I have been in negotiations for months, and if all goes well, we'll finalize the treaty in six months."
Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. He was impressed by the Hokage's strategic brilliance. Yet, one thought lingered. "Even so, it seems the village is treating Naruto unfairly. Is it because he's a troublemaker?"
Hiruzen sighed again, rubbing his temples. "Not quite. This, too, is partly Danzo's doing. Shortly after Naruto's birth, rumors spread like wildfire—rumors that the Nine-Tails had been reincarnated into his body. The whisker-like marks on his face were seen as proof. Fear and ignorance took root, and the villagers began to ostracize him. Danzo, of course, encouraged this hatred. He believes that pain and resentment are the perfect environment for a jinchūriki to grow stronger. I've tried to intervene, but Danzo operates in the shadows, making it difficult to counter his influence openly."
Hiruzen's expression hardened. "Rest assured, Kakashi, Danzo will be dealt with in due time. But for now, I must focus on preserving the peace."
Kakashi remained silent, though he was unconvinced. He didn't comment further but made a mental note to watch Danzo's movements closely.
"What do you plan to do now that you've returned?" Hiruzen asked, changing the subject.
"For now, I'm thinking of taking a few days—maybe a week—off. After that, I'll start taking missions again and eventually return to the Anbu," Kakashi replied.
Hiruzen nodded, unsurprised. "A reasonable decision. Though I don't know the full extent of your growth over the past two years, I suspect you've grown considerably. Perhaps even enough to give me a hard time in battle—not that I'd lose, of course," he added with a sly grin.
Kakashi chuckled softly under his mask.
"Before you go," Hiruzen said, his tone turning serious again, "I expect a detailed report on this 'holy land' you mentioned. It's important to document everything, especially when it involves unknown territories."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Understood."
With that, he flickered out of the office, reappearing outside the Hokage's building. He stretched his arms, ready to head home for some much-needed rest when he suddenly sensed two familiar chakra signatures tailing him.
A faint smirk crept under his mask. Danzo's men again. Can't they give it a rest?
Shaking his head, Kakashi muttered to himself, "Alright, calm down. Let's just go home and sleep for the day."
His stomach growled loudly, cutting off his thoughts. It seemed one bowl of ramen hadn't been enough to make up for two years of… questionable food.
"Ichiraku it is," Kakashi decided, turning toward the familiar ramen stand.
As Kakashi stepped into Ichiraku Ramen, the savory aroma of fresh noodles greeted him once again. To his surprise, Naruto was there, sitting at the counter with a bowl of ramen in front of him.
"Oh, it's Mister Kakashi again!" Naruto exclaimed, waving enthusiastically.
"I should be the one saying that," Kakashi replied, taking a seat beside him. "What are you doing here?"
Naruto slurped a mouthful of noodles before answering. "There's not much to do before I start the Academy, so I come here a lot. This is the only place where people are nice to me. Even the orphanage only lets me sleep there—they don't really want me around during the day. I can't wait to join the Academy and get my own place!"
Kakashi's chest tightened at Naruto's words. He sighed, his mind drifting to Minato and Kushina. Naruto should have been hailed as a hero of the village, but instead, he was treated like an outcast.
After a moment of silence, Kakashi stood. "Can you get me a miso soup ramen? I'll be right back," he said to Teuchi before stepping outside.
With a quick hand sign, Kakashi summoned a small spider with sharp, perceptive eyes.
"Spider of Senses, I need you to track two individuals tailing me," Kakashi instructed. "Follow them back to their headquarters and report to me when you find their location. Understood?"
The spider nodded eagerly and scurried off, disappearing into the shadows.
Returning to his seat, Kakashi found his ramen ready. Naruto, on the other hand, had already ordered another bowl and was enthusiastically digging in.
"Enjoying yourself?" Kakashi asked, watching Naruto with mild amusement.
"Mhm!" Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles.
The two ate in comfortable silence until they both finished their meals. As Naruto wiped his face with his sleeve, Kakashi turned to him.
"By the way, Naruto, do you know who your parents are?"
Naruto paused, looking at Kakashi with wide eyes. "No… I don't. Why?"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then smiled under his mask. "How about coming to my place later? There's something I want to show you."
Naruto blinked in surprise but nodded quickly. "Sure! I don't have anything else to do anyway."
Kakashi chuckled softly, though a storm brewed in his heart. He couldn't shake the anger he felt—not just at Danzo, but at the entire village for failing the child of his beloved sensei.
"Let's go," Kakashi said, standing.
On the Other Side
As Kakashi and Naruto walked toward Kakashi's house, the two Anbu tailing him exchanged glances.
"Looks like the jinchūriki is following Hatake to his residence," one whispered.
"What should we do?" the other asked hesitantly.
"We report this to Lord Danzo. He'll want to know what's going on."
The two figures melted into the shadows, disappearing as they moved swiftly toward Danzo's hidden headquarters.
Unbeknownst to them, Kakashi's summoned spider, the Spider of Senses, was following them closely. Its eight sharp eyes glimmered in the darkness as it tracked the Anbu silently, leaping from shadow to shadow without making a sound.
The spider chuckled quietly to itself, amused by the ease of its task. if it could talk it would have said "Humans really don't pay attention to the small things, as it continued its pursuit.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, sensing the disappearance of his pursuers, smirked faintly. Let's see what you're up to, Danzo.