The next morning, Kakashi stood in the Hokage's office, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he turned the appointment letter over in his hands.
Deputy Director of Medical Affairs: Shizune Kato.
Exactly as he'd predicted.
Tsunade was finally willing to step back.
A woman like her—strong to the bone—could drown herself in sake and gambling for a while, but that iron will never truly rusted. She would never let herself become the chain holding her student down.
And then there was Shizune.
Because of Shizune, Tsunade had stayed in the village.
Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.
Tsunade was fiercely protective. With her lingering in Konoha, no one would dare make trouble for Shizune in her new post. The Deputy Director's work would go smoother than anyone could hope.
As for the actual Director of Medical Affairs?
That seat had always belonged to Tsunade, whether she sat in it or not.
Kakashi set the letter—complete with Shizune's photo and the official seal—onto the desk and allowed himself a quiet smile.
He turned to the window. The same red roofs, the same carved faces of past Hokage, the same unchanging skyline he'd known for decades. Yet today, something in his eyes had shifted—anticipation, sharp as a kunai.
As Acting Hokage, he had already done everything the position allowed.
If he wanted to push further, to truly set the village spinning in the direction he envisioned, he needed the real title.
The Fifth Hokage.
Anything less, and the bigger moves he had in mind would shake the ground right out from under him.
Kakashi wanted the Konoha windmill turning again—and for that he needed more than just reliable comrades like Guy, Shizune, and Asuma.
He needed the whole village.
A breeze slipped through the open window, stirring the flames embroidered on his white Hokage cloak. Kakashi lifted his hand, letting the wind slide between his fingers. For a moment, the dark eye that wasn't hidden behind the headband looked deeper than it ever had.
Konoha—right here in the palm of his hand.
The same gust carried his gaze outward, snatched a lone autumn leaf from the eaves beneath the Hokage tower, and sent it dancing down through the streets and alleys until it finally drifted into a small, waiting hand.
"Yo!"
"Behold—my greatest masterpiece! The work of the one and only Uzumaki Naruto!"
A triumphant six-year-old voice echoed across the village.
Beneath the boy's orange sneakers, the majestic stone faces of the Hokage Rock were now… creatively redecorated in dripping primary colors.
"You little punk!"
"Get down from there right now!"
A couple of nearby shinobi stared up in horror at their revered leaders, now sporting neon mustaches and cartoon whiskers, and shouted in righteous fury.
"No way!"
Naruto stuck out his tongue, clutched his paint bucket like a trophy, and spun to make his getaway—only for his foot to slip on a slick of his own artwork.
"Huh?"
One blink of wide blue eyes, and gravity took over.
Just as a panicked yelp started to leave his throat, a hand shot out and grabbed the back of his jacket collar, hauling him into the air.
"Naruto," a familiar, long-suffering voice said, "you're six now. Not three. Maybe start acting like it?"
Kakashi—twenty years old, silver hair catching the sunlight—dangled the paint-splattered blond at arm's length and sighed.
"Ehe, Big Bro Kakashi!"
The second Naruto realized who'd caught him, all thoughts of danger vanished. He started kicking his legs and waving his arms like an overexcited puppy.
Suspended in mid-air, he looked exactly like a golden retriever that had spotted its favorite human.
Well—foxes are canines too, technically.
"You start at the Academy in a few days," Kakashi continued, setting the kid safely on solid ground. "Time to dial back the chaos a little, yeah?"
Six-year-olds were a handful by nature.
Naruto took that universal truth and cranked it to eleven.
Thanks to Kakashi's very public soft spot for the boy, half the village was terrified of accidentally offending the Acting Hokage by scolding the little terror, while the other half was just plain fed up. The end result? Naruto had been running absolutely wild.
Kakashi had tried gentle guidance. He'd tried stern lectures. Nothing stuck.
Time for a different approach.
A little "tough love" never hurt anybody.
(Well, almost never.)
"Hehe, I know, I know!"
Naruto beamed up at the man who'd practically raised him, then suddenly brightened even more at the mention of the Academy.
"Okay, go home and scrub that paint off before it crusts," Kakashi said, ruffling the blond spikes. "I'll take you out for ramen tonight."
Naruto had already started to bounce away when he skidded to a stop and turned back, kicking at the dirt with unusual shyness.
"Um… Big Bro Kakashi?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
The kid was fidgeting—actually fidgeting—which was about as rare as a quiet day in Konoha.
"That… when I enroll… could you maybe come with me? Like… like a dad would?"
Those big blue eyes peeked up through golden bangs, equal parts hope and nerves.
Kakashi felt something soft and warm hit him square in the chest. He walked over, crouched down to eye level, and ruffled the boy's hair again—gentler this time.
"Of course I will."
Naruto's whole face lit up like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.
He was halfway through an ecstatic victory jump when Kakashi's hand settled on his shoulder, stopping him cold.
"However," Kakashi continued, voice dropping into that tone that made grown chūnin reconsider their life choices, "if you're gonna call me that, I've got some fatherly duties to uphold, right?"
Naruto nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh!"
Kakashi's visible eye curved into a crescent—never a good sign.
The smile vanished. His face went flat and terrifying.
Naruto's instincts screamed run.
Too late.
Kakashi tapped a single finger against the boy's forehead, right on the whisker marks, and leaned in close.
"Listen up, brat. You ever—ever—dump paint on the Hokage Rock again, and I will personally tan your hide until it glows brighter than your jumpsuit. Understood?"
To drive the point home, he flicked the spot he'd just tapped—hard.
"Ow—!"
Naruto clutched his forehead, eyes instantly watering.
"Hurts?" Kakashi asked sweetly.
Naruto nodded, lip trembling.
"Good. Tonight you're copying the Academy rules. Ten times. Someone will drop the scroll off at your place. I'll be checking tomorrow."
For the first time in his short, chaotic life, Naruto knew true fear of the man he'd just asked to be his dad.
Can I take it back? Please let me take it back!
The thought wailed through his mind, but the words were already out there, and Kakashi's grip on his shoulder was inescapable.
Shoulders slumped, forehead still throbbing, Naruto trudged home alone.
Kakashi watched him go, arms folded, a small satisfied smile returning to his face.
A little discipline now could save the kid a lot of pain later.
Besides—compared to what came next, babysitting one hyperactive six-year-old was nothing.
The three-year term was officially over.
Tomorrow, the Fifth Hokage would take his seat.
And the real work would begin.
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)