"Now that's more like it!"
Naruto finally nodded in satisfaction.
The way Natsuro had been acting earlier just didn't feel like the Natsuro he knew.
After all, in Naruto's mind, Natsuro was someone who never struggled against anything.
Meanwhile, Kakashi silently observed the fading remnants of Kirin.
Even though the technique had dispersed, the ground still crackled with residual electricity.
He remembered, Natsuro had also used this very same jutsu against Danzo during the succession ceremony.
However, back then, Natsuro had used Sage Mode, meaning some of Kirin's energy came from natural chakra, which made it harder to understand.
But now?
Natsuro had just demonstrated the standard version of Kirin right in front of him.
And the way he triggered the technique was somewhat similar to Chidori.
At that moment, Kakashi realized something, he could probably learn this jutsu too.
Of course, even if he did master it, Kakashi knew that with his chakra reserves, he would need the right environmental conditions to use it.
Unlike Natsuro, he couldn't forcibly change the weather.
Sure, he could theoretically use Fire Release to heat the air and create thunderclouds, but the setup would take too long.
—
Just then, Natsuro walked up to Naruto and knocked him on the head.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!" Naruto yelped, rubbing his head in confusion.
"Next time, don't shout so recklessly. If I didn't finish him off immediately, I had my reasons," Natsuro said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh… Got it. But what was your reason?" Naruto blinked, curious.
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Natsuro said, pausing for a moment.
He suddenly recalled that in the original timeline, Naruto eventually gained access to multiple Kekkei Genkai abilities.
Though, of course, those powers came from the Tailed Beasts.
And once the Tailed Beasts left, Naruto likely couldn't use them anymore.
"Alright then," Naruto scratched his head and dropped the subject.
—
Meanwhile, Natsuro glanced at Kakashi, who seemed to be deep in thought, as if he had gained insight from watching Kirin.
Natsuro couldn't help but smile.
In the original story, Sasuke had created Kirin.
The principle behind it was simple, using Chidori to guide natural lightning into a devastating attack.
So it was only natural for Kakashi to have a moment of realization after seeing it in action.
Soon after, Natsuro led Kakashi and Naruto back to Konoha.
—
As they returned, Kakashi suddenly remembered something.
"Lord Hokage, can you finally tell me what you meant about 'my situation'?"
"Oh? Sure, I can tell you now."
Natsuro turned to Kakashi with a sly grin.
For some reason, Kakashi immediately had a bad feeling.
Then, Natsuro smirked and said, "Remember when I mentioned your 'marriage situation' before? Well, it just so happens that Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, is also single and since she was born the same year as you… I discussed the matter with Tsunade."
Deadpan.
Kakashi's expression instantly turned into his signature dead-fish eyes.
"Lord Hokage…"
But before he could protest...
"Oh, and just now, I already informed Tsunade about it. Shizune should already be waiting for you at the meeting place." Natsuro flashed a mischievous smile and raised his eyebrows at Kakashi.
"If you ditch Shizune, considering how close she is to Tsunade… Tsunade might not let you off easily."
Kakashi's mind immediately conjured an image... Tsunade's monstrous strength sending him flying through a building.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
When he looked at Natsuro, his gaze was filled with silent protest.
Natsuro ignored him and instead turned toward Naruto, who looked intrigued.
"Kakashi-sensei and Shizune-nee?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Yep. Naruto, you wouldn't want Kakashi to stay single forever, would you?" Natsuro suddenly said.
Naruto immediately shook his head, it made sense to him.
"Exactly. So, why don't you help Kakashi out? He's already thirty. If he doesn't find someone soon, it'll be too late."
Natsuro sighed dramatically, thinking about how, in the original timeline, Kakashi never seemed interested in marriage.
This world wasn't like his previous life, where overpopulation was an issue.
All the shinobi villages needed fresh blood, so most people married early.
"I got it!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically, turning toward Kakashi with determination.
At this point, Kakashi felt exhausted. "Lord Hokage, please stop brainwashing Naruto… He'll actually take this seriously."
"But I am serious. If you don't do something, the Hatake Clan is going to die out." Natsuro gave him a deadpan look.
Kakashi wanted to retort, "How is that any of your concern?"
But after glancing at Natsuro, he chose to keep his mouth shut.
"As the Hokage of Konoha, and as your superior, I think it's my responsibility to care about my subordinates' personal lives," Natsuro said, as if he had read Kakashi's mind.
Kakashi simply rolled his eyes in response.
"Besides, this is just a trial. If it works out, great. If not, that's fine too." Natsuro smirked.
"But honestly, you and Shizune are a good match, both are single and… well, not getting any younger."
And he wasn't wrong.
Shizune might not have been as strong as Kakashi, but she was still a capable jonin, and more importantly, Tsunade's disciple.
Her background? Tsunade had her back.
Skill? Shizune was an elite medical-nin, stronger than most in her field.
All in all, the pairing made sense.
—
Kakashi sighed heavily, realizing that arguing was pointless.
Meanwhile, Naruto grinned.
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei! Let's go meet Shizune-nee!"
Kakashi felt completely powerless.
If Sakumo Hatake were still alive, Kakashi would naturally have a strong background to rely on.
But since Sakumo was gone, Kakashi's only real background was his own strength.
In that sense, he and Shizune were actually well-matched.
"I'll go take a look." In the end, Kakashi sighed in resignation and agreed after seeing how serious Natsuro was about this.
"Alright then. Naruto, make sure to keep an eye on your Kakashi-sensei. Whether he ends up alone forever or not depends on this moment." Natsuro casually instructed Naruto again.
"Leave it to me! I'll make sure Kakashi-sensei goes!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.
Natsuro then told both Kakashi and Naruto the meeting location.
Hearing this, Kakashi's expression deadpanned once more.
"Wait… he was serious about this?!"
But then, something else occurred to him, Natsuro hadn't left his sight the entire time.
So when did he even contact Tsunade?
Had everything been planned in advance, even the exact timing of their return to Konoha?
Kakashi had many questions, but he chose not to ask.
Instead, he checked the time and prepared to head to the meeting spot with Naruto.
But just as they were about to leave...
"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto suddenly called out to him.
"Hm? What is it?" Kakashi turned to him, slightly puzzled.
"Shouldn't you change your clothes?" Naruto eyed Kakashi's usual shinobi outfit and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… You have a point." Kakashi finally realized, he was still in his battle-worn gear.
Even though he wasn't expecting anything serious to come from this meeting, since Shizune had agreed to it, he should at least make an effort.
And besides, he knew Shizune well enough to be certain that she was a good person.
Even if things didn't work out, the last thing he wanted was to be disrespectful.
"There's no time to go home and change! There's a clothing shop right over there!"
Naruto glanced around, spotted a store, and his eyes lit up.
Before Kakashi could react, Naruto grabbed him and dragged him inside.
Natsuro watched as Kakashi and Naruto disappeared into the shop.
He nodded slightly.
"Hopefully, this works out for them."
In his previous life, Kakashi had been one of his favorite characters.
And since he had the power to change things, he wanted to make sure Kakashi had a good ending.
Shizune, on the other hand, was someone he was very familiar with.
She was definitely a suitable match.
With everything settled, Natsuro activated Flying Thunder God and instantly teleported back to Shikkotsu Forest.
He had new matters to attend to.
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Currently on Chapter 344 - The Edo Tensei Return of Konoha's Legends