Chapter 492: Kakashi's Knot
The Kages had gone.
Their first assignment had been set: break the soul of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and cast him into the Animal Realm.
Whether the task would go smoothly was not something Naruto gave any thought to. The assembled Kages had been quiet and measured throughout the conversation, but their strength was not in doubt.
The First Hokage. The Second Hokage. The Second Tsuchikage. The Second Mizukage. The Third Raikage. Uchiha Izuna.
He counted the names silently. The Pure Land's upper-tier guardian force -- sorted out, just like that.
As for whether Madara would behave, whether some rebellious impulse might stir in him -- that was the kind of problem that barely warranted thinking about. It would take a single thought to resolve, nothing more.
"Alright, Naruto..."
A soft voice reached him from his left, pulling him out of his own head.
He turned. Satsuki was standing at his side, her eyes -- back to their natural black now -- bright and fixed on him, a familiar and unmistakable anticipation waiting just beneath the surface.
"Now that things are settled..." Her voice dropped low, quiet enough for only the two of them. "Should we head back and... continue?"
"...!!"
Naruto's entire body jolted.
"Ahem -- !"
He coughed twice, sharply, and used the moment to collect himself.
"Sa -- Satsuki..."
His gaze slid sideways on instinct, then snapped back to her face and the very patient, very expectant look she was wearing.
"Hold on a moment."
He drew a slow breath and worked to keep his voice level. "There's still someone else's situation that needs handling."
Satsuki blinked.
Naruto pressed on, speaking a little faster than usual. "And it's not even for his sake -- it's for Sensei Kakashi! Kakashi Sensei still doesn't know about any of this. I need to arrange for them to meet. He's had this thing weighing on him for years, and it's past time to fix it..."
Right. That was it exactly.
Absolutely not because he needed a moment to breathe.
He told himself this firmly.
A body at the Six Paths level was not going to give out from that kind of activity. Chakra would not run dry. Stamina would not collapse. He would not even get dark circles under his eyes.
But --
Images from the past several days surfaced in his mind without permission. The amusement park. The cinema. The bridal shop. The maid cafe. And then afterward, the... the...
Stop thinking about it.
He shook his head hard.
Satsuki had been... and he had... the problem was he couldn't say no, he never seemed to be able to say no, but if he kept going like this without a single pause -- he was genuinely going to lose himself.
"Oh." Satsuki's voice was mild and perfectly agreeable. Not a trace of disappointment.
She gave a small nod. Those bright eyes curved at the corners in a faint smile. "That's fine."
Her gaze drifted, almost imperceptibly, toward the open hall beyond -- to the sky outside, which had begun to flush a deep red. The sun Naruto had made for this place was sinking toward the horizon now, painting the entire plain in warm amber and orange.
"Besides..." Her voice was light as a falling leaf. "It'll be evening soon anyway."
"...!!"
Naruto went completely still.
He looked at her. That composed face. That small, unhurried curve at the corner of her mouth. Those dark eyes that had turned toward the window and yet somehow still managed to make him feel the heat of them.
-- -- --
Night had settled over Konoha.
Lights flickered among the streets in small, scattered clusters. Near the center of the village, a modest izakaya swayed its fabric curtain gently in the evening breeze. Through the half-open sliding door came the warm amber glow of lanterns inside, and the low murmur of a few scattered customers talking over their drinks.
By the window, Kakashi set down his chopsticks and exhaled a long, satisfied breath.
"Ah. Full."
He raised one hand and waved it lazily toward his companion. "My thanks for the hospitality, Tenzo. The bill's yours."
The young man sitting across from him had short brown hair and wore the distinctive face guard of a Konoha ANBU operative over his forehead protector. His name was Tenzo -- the only shinobi in Konoha currently capable of using Wood Style jutsu.
Tenzo's response carried a very clear note of reluctance. "Why? In this kind of situation, the senior is supposed to be the one who handles the bill."
"A man you genuinely respect --" Kakashi leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying that particular quality of his: lazy on the surface, oddly sincere underneath. "-- has no rank between you."
He paused.
"Though in fairness, you're the only junior I've ever genuinely respected."
"...!!"
Tenzo's eyes went wide for a moment.
Then: "Boss -- check, please!"
A moment later, the proprietor's booming voice rang out from behind the counter: "Thank you for your business!"
Kakashi remained exactly where he was, watching the back of his junior -- who had practically sprinted to the register after two sentences of mild praise -- and let one visible eye settle into a satisfied curve.
Honestly, so easy to manage. He thought this privately, with great fondness.
Another dinner handled without spending a coin.
He stretched his arms above his head, rose from his seat, and moved toward the door. The plan for the rest of the evening was already in place: home, tea, a good book, and sleep somewhere comfortable in between.
A perfect night.
He was thinking exactly this when he stepped through the curtain.
And then --
"Hey, Kakashi Sensei." A familiar voice came from nowhere in particular and arrived without any warning. "So this is where you've been."
Kakashi's step paused. He turned.
Under the night lanterns, just beyond the curtain, two figures stood side by side.
The one in front had blond hair and blue eyes, and wore the kind of smile that always looked like sunlight breaking through cloud cover. That was his low-maintenance student, Uzumaki Naruto.
Behind him stood a girl with black hair and black eyes, her expression cool and composed as frost, standing quietly at Naruto's side. That was his other student -- the considerably higher-maintenance one. Uchiha Satsuki.
"Naruto?"
Surprise moved through Kakashi's voice, then gave way to his usual ease. "Happy belated. Though I have to say -- shouldn't the two of you be out somewhere on your honeymoon right now? What brings you all the way here to find me?"
"Kakashi Senpai."
The voice came from behind him. Tenzo had finished paying and caught up. His gaze landed on the two figures ahead, lingered for a moment on the blond young man in particular, then shifted to Kakashi.
"You're talking to... oh?" His eyes widened slightly. "Is this...?"
"That's right." Kakashi gave a single nod. "Tenzo, this is my student -- and the Fifth Hokage's own direct disciple. Uzumaki Naruto."
He let a beat pass, then added with a quiet lilt: "A shinobi who has, I should mention, surpassed you."
"...!"
Tenzo's gaze went back to the blond young man.
And Naruto, in that same moment, was looking back at him. That face. The short brown hair. The ANBU guard over the forehead protector. The calm, capable eyes that didn't quite hide the sharpness behind them.
"Yamato... Captain?"
The name came out of Naruto's mouth before he could stop it.
Tenzo blinked. A flicker of confusion crossed his expression. "Yamato? Who's that?"
"Ah, sorry." Naruto caught himself, rubbed the back of his head, and offered a sheepish smile. "I mistook you for someone else. You're one of Kakashi Sensei's juniors?"
-- -- --
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