"Are you awake?"
The sudden voice gave Kurenai Yuhi a start. It was only then that she realized Kakashi was still lying beside her.
"You... you haven't left yet?"
Kurenai looked at the man lying next to her with a touch of nervousness, hastily pulling up the quilt to cover her exposed skin.
Kakashi found her reaction somewhat amusing.
When they were doing it, Kurenai could be described as extremely bold, compliant with whatever request Kakashi made. But now that the moment had passed, she knew how to be shy.
"I'll leave in a bit."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Kurenai felt a slight tension in her heart, but also a bit of joy.
"Then... then I'll go make you breakfast."
Seeing that Kakashi had no intention of getting up, Kurenai intended to drag her somewhat exhausted body over Kakashi to get out of bed. However, a hand wrapped around her soft, boneless, fair, and delicate body.
Kurenai blinked, looking at the man before her. She felt that "Little Kakashi" had raised its head again.
Under Kakashi's smiling gaze, she didn't quite dare to look directly at the white-haired man. With a shy expression, she whispered:
"You want to again?"
Kakashi didn't answer her question with words, but used his actions to give Kurenai the answer.
The showerhead in the bathroom continued to spray hot water. Kurenai lowered her head to look at her almost perfect body, a triumphant smile subconsciously appearing at the corner of her mouth.
As the hot water washed over her body, which had just undergone a "battle," Kurenai couldn't help but reminisce about how she was just a moment ago. Her small face couldn't help but turn slightly rosy, and she immediately spat softly in self-reproach.
But just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from outside the bathroom.
"Kurenai, are you in?"
Is that Anko?
Kurenai Yuhi was somewhat annoyed that Anko had climbed through the window again. Her bedroom hadn't been tidied up yet; that peculiar scent still lingered there. Thinking of this, Kurenai hurriedly shouted:
"I'm coming right away!"
"You just stay in the living room and don't move around!"
Immediately, ignoring that she hadn't wiped her body completely dry, she hurriedly wrapped herself in a bath towel and rushed out of the bathroom barefoot and in a flurry.
However, the very thing she worried about in her heart was exactly what happened.
Her bedroom door had already been opened. Anko was frowning as she looked at the bedroom, which was full of girly pink tones but currently in a complete mess.
Anko wasn't an idiot. As a ninja, what hadn't she seen?
One glance was enough to tell that a fierce battle had just taken place in this room.
"Anko, how could you just casually enter my bedroom?"
Seeing Anko standing at the doorway of her bedroom, Kurenai cursed inwardly. She quickly ran up to Anko, pulled the door shut, and spoke with some irritation.
"What is with you?"
Anko looked at Kurenai with a subtle expression. Kurenai was only wrapped in a bath towel and wasn't even wearing slippers.
"None of your business!"
Kurenai spoke with a mix of shyness and anger.
"Hey, hey, come on, tell me. Who is the man capable of capturing the heart of a great beauty like you?"
Compared to Kurenai's embarrassment, Anko was mostly curious.
She was genuinely curious about who could take down Kurenai, one of the top beauties in the village.
"It can't be Asuma, right?"
Anko asked seriously.
After all, Asuma had been chasing Kurenai Yuhi since their time at the Ninja Academy.
But on second thought, although Asuma had chased Kurenai for so many years, Kurenai had never shown any sign of being moved by the Hokage's son.
Moreover, Asuma was still at the Daimyō's palace serving as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, so he wouldn't have had the chance for anything to happen with Kurenai.
"It's not Asuma. Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Are you leaving or not?"
Kurenai looked at her best friend, who was about to make her faint from anger, thinking she needed to send her away quickly so she could deal with the scene.
"Oh~~"
"It couldn't be Kakashi, right?"
Anko stroked her chin, looking at Kurenai with a teasing face.
"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"
Kurenai's face flushed bright red as she forcibly pushed Anko out the door.
"Hey, hey, hey! If it's not Kakashi, surely it can't be Guy?"
"I heard Guy came back injured yesterday. Do you want to go visit him together?"
Even while being forcibly pushed out the door by Kurenai, Anko refused to leave.
"Bastard! Be quiet!"
As soon as the words fell, Kurenai's angry voice came from inside the house.
Pushed outside, Anko looked thoughtfully at the tightly closed door.
Anyway, no matter who it was, it shouldn't be Kakashi.
After all, that guy was already married, and his wife was so beautiful.
But if it wasn't Kakashi, who else in the village could take down the proud and arrogant Kurenai?
Anko scratched her head, feeling a headache coming on.
As Kurenai's best friend, she really wanted to know which bastard had slept with her sister.
Hokage Office
Kakashi had come in for an early shift, which was rare. As the head of the village, most of the work originally belonging to the Hokage had been dumped on the elder council next door. Even when Kakashi came to his own workstation, it was merely to look at documents and stamp seals.
A day's work, if Kakashi was willing, could be finished in twenty minutes.
However, that was usually. Currently, Kakashi needed to go learn Sage Mode from Hashirama Senju.
Originally, Kakashi didn't even want to come to the office, but Hashirama Senju had forced him to come.
He opened his mouth and out came a lecture about great principles, saying that now that Kakashi was Hokage, how could he leave village matters aside and run off on his own? Therefore, he had to handle the village's affairs properly before he could continue training with him.
Casually flipping through the documents that had piled up yesterday, Kakashi processed them at top speed. Just as he put down his pen and intended to get up and leave, Jiraiya arrived in front of Kakashi.
"Why are you here?"
Kakashi looked at Jiraiya's arrival and sat back down.
"Am I not here to say goodbye to you? Thanks to you, I didn't sleep a wink all last night."
Sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes, Jiraiya placed the information he found in the Intelligence Division last night in front of Kakashi.
"It is said that there was once an empire built using the power of this Stone of Gelel."
"But in the end, it was destroyed by this very stone. What do you want to find it for?"
Jiraiya spoke while yawning.
"Did you see that air fortress I drove back yesterday?"
"I plan to use this stone as the power source for that fortress."
Kakashi said as he looked through the intelligence Jiraiya provided.
"You certainly have ideas. I won't say more; I'm getting ready to work."
Jiraiya waved his hand, intending to leave. It seemed, just as he said, he had simply come to say goodbye to Kakashi.
"Within half a year, I want to know the location of this stone's vein."
Kakashi added a reminder.
"I know, I know. A single sentence from the leader, and the subordinate runs their legs off."
Watching Jiraiya's back, which was full of resentment, Kakashi smiled.
He was quite assured of Jiraiya's abilities.
Although he was somewhat worried that he would run off to the Land of Rain, even if he forcibly kept this guy in Konoha, if Jiraiya was set on going to the Land of Rain, Kakashi couldn't stop him.
Or rather, the fact that the other party had stayed in Konoha until now proved his attitude.
At least under Kakashi's admonition, Jiraiya was still willing to listen a little.
Putting down the documents in his hand, Kakashi got up and left.
This clone of Hashirama Senju could only stay for two months in total. Yesterday, a day had already been wasted, and Kakashi felt quite distressed about it.
Rushing non-stop to the lake behind the Hokage Rock, he found Hashirama Senju already waiting for him there.
"Yo, you're early, Fifth."
Hashirama Senju was roasting something over a bonfire. Beside the fire were grilled fish that had just been caught from the shore.
Kakashi was slightly stunned seeing this scene.
"Does this clone of yours also need to eat?"
If it were a normal clone, it wouldn't need to eat; chakra alone would suffice.
But the one before him was an extremely special Wood Clone. This touched upon a blind spot in Kakashi's knowledge.
Hearing Kakashi's question, Hashirama Senju scratched his head and said:
"Of course I don't need to, I just felt that sitting here idly was a bit too boring. Later, I'll pack these grilled fish up for Little Tsuna."
"When she was little, Little Tsuna loved the grilled fish I made the most!"
Kakashi nodded upon hearing this and said:
"In that case, I'll wait for you to finish grilling the fish."
Hashirama Senju could only exist for two months, but the existence of the man before him was also a spiritual anchor for Tsunade. Kakashi wouldn't be selfish enough to hog the little time this man had left.
"Thanks then."
Hashirama Senju patted the rock beside him, motioning for Kakashi to sit down and talk.
Kakashi sat down directly without standing on ceremony. Since Hashirama had just mentioned Tsunade, he actually had an idea in mind.
"The First knows about Tsunade's hemophobia, right?"
Hearing Kakashi mention this issue, Hashirama nodded somewhat speechlessly.
"If possible, you'd better take advantage of this time to give Tsunade some psychological counseling or something similar."
Hashirama looked somewhat troubled.
He was a rough man; how could he do something that even professionals might not succeed at?
"I'll try my best."
Hashirama sighed.
He was clear about Kakashi's goal. It was nothing more than wanting Tsunade's ability. As the Hokage, he wanted the strength of someone like Tsunade. He could understand Kakashi.
After all, the village's illustrious Princess Tsunade spent her days drinking and gambling. Although Hashirama didn't have many demands for his granddaughter, continuing to live in such a muddle-headed way every day was a bit too self-destructive.
And she was over forty years old without even a child.
Hashirama estimated that Tsunade probably wouldn't marry in the future, and he felt it was a pity.
His lineage of the Senju family was likely cut off.
"After a Shadow Clone disperses, it retains the clone's memories and experiences and returns them to the main body. Is your Wood Clone the same?"
Kakashi raised another question.
"If my main body were alive, it probably would return to the main body, but my main body is already dead."
"It should just become chakra and vanish into thin air, right?"
Regarding this point, Hashirama Senju was also somewhat unsure.
"If that's the case, when the two of us meet in the future, I guess we'll have to get to know each other all over again."
Kakashi said with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
Hashirama frowned tightly.
Kakashi's short few words contained a significant amount of information, and he didn't react immediately.
He was already a dead man. To be able to know the current situation of Konoha in the form of a clone was already a blessing. So, wouldn't "getting to know each other again" mean...
"Literally. Because your cells are too active and powerful, they haven't completely died even to this day."
"And unfortunately, seven years ago, a ninja who researched your body's cells defected from the village."
Kakashi spoke quite frankly.
"Getting to know me again... Wait, are you talking about Tobirama's Impure World Reincarnation?!"
Hashirama spoke through somewhat gritted teeth.
"That's right. That defecting ninja was the Third's personal disciple, Tsunade's fellow student."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Hashirama held his forehead helplessly.
"It looks like I'll have to trouble you to deal with this mess of mine in the future."
Kakashi smiled and didn't say anything more.
As time ticked by, Hashirama Senju's fish was finally grilled, and Kakashi's Sage Mode training finally began again.
Hashirama Senju and Kakashi sat once more by the lake as before. Having the previous experience, Kakashi could easily sense the natural energy present everywhere in the surroundings.
"The most important thing about Sage Mode is using senjutsu chakra; only then can it be called Sage Mode."
"And sage chakra is the fusion of one's own chakra and natural energy within the body at a certain ratio."
"This is the most important and also the most dangerous step."
Listening to Hashirama Senju's words, Kakashi didn't speak but listened seriously.
"Actually, it's not that difficult. There are three steps in total."
"Sense natural energy, fuse natural energy, maintain natural energy."
"I believe with your talent, you will complete Sage Mode very quickly."
Sitting cross-legged by the lake, Hashirama Senju spoke clearly, enunciating every word.
"Then at what ratio should one's own chakra and natural energy be fused and used?"
Kakashi asked at the appropriate time.
Hashirama Senju slowly brought his palms together, closing his eyes tight. When he opened his eyes again, black markings like a great sun appeared on his honest face.
Sage Mode.
"Fuse natural energy into your body at a one-to-one ratio—one to one—and you can complete Sage Mode."
Hashirama Senju spoke calmly.
At this moment, he had entered Sage Mode. If not for the fact that the naked eye could clearly see him within the field of vision, in Kakashi's sensory perception, there was absolutely no presence in front of him.
Kakashi knew deeply that, in fact, if the other party hadn't been demonstrating it for him, he could have even omitted the action of clapping his hands together.
Hearing the other party's answer, Kakashi understood.
Natural energy and one's own chakra fused at a one-to-one ratio.
Thinking of this, Kakashi hesitated no longer and began attempting to fuse with the natural energy.
Kakashi didn't rashly take in too much natural energy; instead, he integrated it into his body bit by bit.
If Kakashi's chakra were described by the number one hundred, Kakashi was only extracting natural energy valued at 'one' from the outside and taking it into his body.
Then two, three, four...
Hashirama Senju scratched his head as he looked at the Hokage before him.
So slow.
This was Hashirama Senju's evaluation of Kakashi's intake of natural energy.
For Hashirama Senju, the process for this mode was so fast he could omit clapping his hands.
In his view, Kakashi's efficiency was extremely low.
However, right now, the speed at which Kakashi was entering Sage Mode was simply too slow.
Hashirama Senju waited for a full ten minutes. Just then, inside Kakashi's body, the fusion of natural energy and his own chakra was slowly completed.
Compared to Hashirama Senju, no sage markings appeared on Kakashi's face.
The moment he slowly opened his eyes, only then did Hashirama Senju notice that Kakashi's originally black eyes had now been replaced by a touch of gold.
Compared to the cold black eyes of the past, the golden eyes at this moment added a sense of gentleness.
There was no earth-shattering aura, nor any ability affecting the surroundings.
At the moment he entered Sage Mode, even the ants at Kakashi's feet were moving home as if no one were there.
But Hashirama Senju sharply sensed that hidden beneath those seemingly gentle golden eyes was a palpitating indifference.
Was he overthinking it?
At this moment, Kakashi observed his surroundings, feeling the special perception brought to him by Sage Mode. Previously, Kakashi's sensing range wasn't considered large; at most, it covered a distance of about twenty meters around him.
But Kakashi closed his eyes, feeling the natural wind brush past his body. It was as if through this wind he "saw" a bird flapping its wings a hundred meters away. He could clearly perceive every single feather on the other party. And this distance... could go even further.
Kakashi reopened his eyes and extended a finger. That bird in the air tilted its head, looking at Kakashi as if confused.
The bird lowered its flight altitude, flapping its wings to land on Kakashi's finger, tilting its head to look at Kakashi as if asking, Why did you call me?
Seeing this scene, Hashirama Senju scratched his head, but still spoke in praise:
"I didn't expect you to be in this state the first time you entered Sage Mode. Looks like you have a lot of talent, Kakashi!"
"As expected of a genius who became a Jōnin at twelve. You're much better than I am."
Hearing Hashirama Senju's praise, Kakashi slowly stood up.
He wasn't quite satisfied with the current result.
Just like Hashirama Senju's earlier complaint, entering Sage Mode was too slow.
"After entering Sage Mode, the primary element is to maintain the balance within your body."
"Don't get complacent just because you completed Sage Mode so quickly. What follows is the truly important moment."
After Hashirama Senju finished speaking, he clapped his hands together. A wooden pillar, thick as a finger and tens of meters high, suddenly surged up from the ground. At the same time, a circular wooden board appeared in his hand.
"Take this, sit on top of the wooden stake, enter Sage Mode, and then maintain it."
Kakashi nodded at this. As the natural energy in his body dissipated and Sage Mode was released, the bird on his finger also flew up in a panic.
However, Hashirama Senju's method of maintaining Sage Mode was remarkably similar to the maintenance method of Mount Myōboku.
Kakashi didn't suspect anything and cooperated by taking the wooden board. With a few leaps, he reached the very top of the wooden pillar.
Upon reaching the top, Kakashi realized that the tip wasn't flat, but pointed.
Placing the wooden board on the center point, Kakashi sat on it without hesitation.
To maintain the balance of the body and natural energy while entering Sage Mode—if he could maintain Sage Mode for a long time in this environment, he would be able to easily enter Sage Mode even in battle.
Hashirama Senju couldn't help but marvel in his heart as he watched Kakashi, who had quickly mastered the trick in the air.
As expected of the genius who became a Jōnin at twelve. He easily mastered things that even Tobirama couldn't complete.
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