Nara Kazuki leaned back, toothpick in hand, feeling completely satisfied.
No doubt about it —the Akimichi clan's barbecue was absolutely top tier.Maybe they didn't excel at a lot of things outside of eating —but when it came to food, they were Konoha's undisputed champions.
Unlike the boring Nara clan.Every day it was either feeding deer or cleaning up after them.Kazuki's new house wasn't far from the clan's deer pens.
And deer...Look, they looked majestic from a distance.But once you actually lived near them?The stench was unspeakable.
"Kakashi, want to come hang out at my place?"Kazuki asked lazily, fully expecting a cold rejection.
It wasn't even his idea —Suzaku-ojisan had practically ordered him to befriend Kakashi.Kazuki would've refused, except... Suzaku's blackened, threatening expression said:
"You wanna cover those fire damages with your own wallet, brat?"
And Kazuki, flat broke after his "accidental arson," had no choice but to agree.
These days, he couldn't even afford Ichiraku Ramen without double-checking his coins.
His wallet was a post-apocalyptic wasteland: 0.00 ryō.
"...Sure."Kakashi nodded.
Kazuki froze, the toothpick slipping between his fingers.
What the hell did he just hear?
Kakashi — this cold, detached Kakashi — had actually agreed?
For a moment, Kazuki seriously wondered if this was the real Kakashi —maybe someone used a Transformation Jutsu on him?
Because the Kakashi he knew barely spoke to people, much less hung out with them.
Still, no choice now.Since Kakashi agreed, Kazuki had to deliver.
Might as well show Suzaku that he was completing his "mission."
On the way, Kazuki casually tossed a few Fireballs into the sky,while Kakashi walked beside him, completely unfazed.
At this point, Kakashi figured he could watch Kazuki sprout a Rinnegan and claim to be Madara Uchiha himself —and he wouldn't even blink.
The guy had this insane-yet-somehow-healthy aura about him.
But when they finally arrived at Kazuki's house, Kakashi still looked... stunned.
"You... live ?"Kakashi muttered.
One table.One bed.One battered wardrobe stuffed with clothes and ninja tools.Nothing else.
"What? What's wrong with it?"Kazuki blinked innocently.
To him, this was luxury.
He lived alone.Didn't plan to cook for himself.What more did he need?
Kakashi sighed heavily.But said nothing else.
Soon they started playing a game Kazuki called "Beat the Raikage" —a slightly modified three-player card game.
"I was gonna call it 'Beat the Hokage,'"Kazuki grinned, tossing out a pair,"but figured I'd get exiled for blasphemy."
Kakashi shook his head and summoned a Shadow Clone to act as the third player.
(After all, Kazuki insisted the game required three people.)
The clone, under orders to play seriously, promptly bombed Kakashi's hand —blocking him at every turn —until Kakashi was stuck with one damn card he couldn't play.
"Hey, Kakashi,"Kazuki said casually, tossing another pair,"what's your dream?"
Kakashi glanced at his hand —couldn't respond —and passed again.
"...Protect my comrades.Complete my missions.Become... become..."he stumbled over the last words.
Damn, that hurts to listen to.
"Become Hokage?"Kazuki guessed, throwing down a Four —his second-to-last card.
Still, Kakashi couldn't beat it.
This felt familiar —just like a scene from the manga in his past life.
"...Yeah."Kakashi finally nodded.
It wasn't truly his dream —it was Obito's.
Obito had entrusted him with everything —his eye, his will, his future.
And Rin's memory too —Kakashi bore it all.
Maybe in the future, Kakashi would grow and forge new dreams.But for now, that simple wish —"to become Hokage" —still burned quietly inside him.
"Hokage, huh?"Kazuki said slyly, tossing his final card — a Three.
He glanced at Kakashi's remaining card.
"Guess you're just a nobody..."Kazuki almost teased aloud —but before he could, there was a knock at the door.
In walked Suzaku —and behind him, the Fourth Hokage himself, Minato Namikaze.
"Yo, Kakashi! Kazuki!"Minato beamed."What are you two playing?"
He had come by to check on Kakashi —his precious student.Seeing Kakashi actually socializing (with Kazuki, no less) made him genuinely happy.
Maybe Kazuki wasn't just some weirdo after all.
Kazuki opened his mouth to answer—but someone else beat him to it.
"It's called 'Beat the Hokage!'"
He had just said it earlier.
And now Minato was smiling at them warmly, clearly having heard.
Kazuki, meanwhile, wanted to crawl into a hole and die.