- Three Days Later -
Inside his Kamui dimension, the blood clones had spent the last nine weeks straight brewing and perfecting the new serum. Kakashi sat at his desk, having kept a steady tab on their progress through their mental link. They had finished a solid stockpile, now sealed safely away into a scroll in his pouch.
He didn't have much time to think about the new batch before a knock sounded on his office door. An Anbu stepped inside to report that Tazuna, Inari, and a massive caravan of builders from the Land of Waves had just passed through the front gates.
"Very well, I'll be right there," Kakashi replied.
He stood up, grabbed his Hokage robe from the back of his chair, and draped it over his shoulders. Walking out of the office, he made his way down the steps of the tower and out into the bustling streets. As he navigated through the village, he kept a casual pace, returning friendly waves to the civilians and ninja who bowed respectfully as he passed.
As Kakashi approached the main gates, the massive crowd of builders and carts came into view. Tazuna and Inari were right at the front of the caravan, looking around at the bustling village walls.
The moment Tazuna spotted Kakashi walking toward them in his full ceremonial robes, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, I'll be, if it isn't Kaka— I mean, Lord Hokage," Tazuna started to say, catching himself quickly. He remembered that Kakashi was now the leader of one of the world's most powerful nations. It wasn't a position you could be overly casual with, and Tazuna had no interest in pissing off the various Leaf ninja who were openly watching them from the gate posts.
Kakashi offered a relaxed smile, his casual stride instantly cutting through the rigid atmosphere. "Maa~ Just relax, no need for formality; today I am nothing but a customer requesting a large order."
Tazuna let out a hearty laugh, his shoulders visibly dropping as the tension left him. "If you say so. He jabbed a thumb behind him, turning to look at his men before turning back to Kakashi.
"We brought the best crew and all the supplies we could haul. Your messages were clear, and we're ready to break ground on that new wall and the port whenever you give the word."
Inari grinned, proudly squaring his shoulders as he looked up at the Hokage. "Yeah! I'm an official apprentice now. I handle the inventory and help Grandpa with the blueprint layouts!"
Tazuna clapped a heavy hand onto the boy's shoulder, a look of gruff pride on his face. "The kid's got a sharp eye for measurements. He's the one who made sure we packed enough iron structural bracing for that port you want to build."
Kakashi smiled, highly satisfied to see how much the family business had thrived since their time in the Land of Waves.
"I'm glad to hear it," Kakashi said, turning his gaze back to the massive line of supply carts. Kakashi turned and motioned the two waiting genin teams forward, the first team being Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon with their sensei, Ebisu.
Stepping up right beside them was Team Daisuke. Their jonin leader, Daisuke, gave a crisp nod to the Hokage while his three genin, a tall boy named Ryota, a quiet girl named Yumi, and a short, energetic kid named Shiroto, looked at everyone there with a goofy grin.
"These two teams will be helping unload the materials at the port, but the good news is that you won't have to pull these carts all the way there."
Kakashi dropped a three-pronged kunai, and Naruto appeared in front of him and caught it before it could hit the ground.
"Everything ready at the shoreline?"
Naruto grinned, balancing the kunai on his finger. "Yeah. The builders' living situation is fully set up down there. The houses are located just a short distance from the worksite, so nobody has to take a long walk after a hard shift."
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction. "Good. We've also provided wooden paddle boats along the coast if any of your men wish to go fishing or relax on the water during their downtime. Other than that, Konoha will be handling and providing all of your daily meals, so your crew won't have to worry about a thing while they're here."
Naruto nodded, his grin widening as he pocketed the three-pronged kunai. "Alright everyone, form up! Grab onto a cart, a handle, or each other. Make sure you're all connected, or you're getting left behind!"
Tazuna and Inari looked at each other in confusion, but they quickly told the crew to do as they were told. Within moments, all two hundred builders, the supply wagons, and the two genin teams were tightly packed together, creating a massive, interconnected chain of people and material. Naruto walked over to the center of the crowd, placing his hand firmly on Tazuna's shoulder.
With a silent pulse of chakra, Naruto activated his technique.
A sharp, momentary distortion cut through the air, and in an instant, the entire two-hundred-man caravan, the heavy material carts, and the genin squads vanished from the front gates in a massive flash. The sudden vacuum left behind a brief gust of wind that rustled Kakashi's white Hokage cloak.
"He's quite the Ninja, wouldn't you say, Toad?"
Kakashi spoke as a masked ANBU appeared beside him in a swirl of leaves and stood up, a tan-cloaked hood over his hair and a toad mask on, orange marks outlining the slits in his eyes.
Toad looked out toward the empty road, his voice low and calm beneath the porcelain mask.
"He's very impressive. To teleport that many people along with the materials… it takes control and chakra reserves that most will never have."
The blue eyes behind the slits of the mask crinkled, and Minato's warm tone was unmistakable.
"I suppose you'd be more proud than anyone, right, sensei?" Kakashi chuckled, looking at Minato out of the corner of his eye. "By the way, do you recall the serum I told you about? Well, I have managed to produce some more of it. I'm saving four vials for you, Kushina, Karin, and Tenzo."
"Right now, if you're ready, the sooner the better. Meet me at the hospital with Karin and Kushina. I'll send a shadow clone to inform you of the room number once I've secured the ward," Kakashi replied, pushing off the gate structure and adjusting his hat against the breeze.
Minato nodded in agreement before he vanished instantly in a brief rustle of leaves.
Kakashi turned and began walking down the busy main street alone, heading toward the hospital. 'I'm beginning to see why Lord Third kept trying to hand the hat over to me,' he thought, returning a few casual nods to the passing villagers as he walked.
- Chapter End -