Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was quiet but heavy with significance.
Lady Tsunade sat firmly in the Hokage's chair, her golden hair tied back, her sharp eyes betraying her usual mix of strength and weariness. Shizune stood dutifully behind her, carrying a clipboard as always, ready to note down decisions or prepare reports. Off to the side, Jiraiya sat casually, but his eyes were serious; and across from him sat Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, still wearing his familiar mask but carrying an unspoken air of responsibility.
The large office doors opened, and two figures entered. Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha stepped in together, their presence quiet but commanding.
"Lord Hokage, were you looking for us?" Itachi asked, his calm tone directed toward Tsunade.
Tsunade smiled faintly. "Ah, Itachi, Shisui—you're here. Come in, come in. Sit down."
Itachi's dark eyes scanned the room. Jiraiya of the Sannin was present, Kakashi too. Sensing the weight of the gathering, Itachi shook his head gently. "No, Lady Hokage. We'll stand."
Shisui, standing beside him, mirrored his friend's decision and smiled lightly. "Yes, Hokage-sama. We'll stand."
Tsunade didn't press them. Instead, her amber eyes shifted toward Kakashi. "Kakashi, these are the candidates I'm recommending to you. I want them to take over the training missions for the Allied Shinobi Forces. What's your opinion?"
Kakashi glanced at the two Uchiha, his visible eye narrowing in thought. Then, his lips curved beneath his mask. "I don't think it even needs saying. Itachi—I've already seen his strength firsthand."
Itachi, remembering, gave a faint, almost embarrassed smile. After all, Kakashi had been caught under his Tsukuyomi—stabbed, tortured, and broken for three days and nights within the Genjutsu's illusion. Yet even then, Kakashi's will hadn't completely shattered. That encounter had scarred him, but it had also taught him. Since that day, Kakashi had developed the cautious habit of sending in a Shadow Clone before engaging unknown opponents. Painful though it had been, the experience had hardened him further.
Kakashi continued. "As for Shisui—his reputation precedes him. His Body Flicker is famous throughout the shinobi world. Honestly, I don't think anyone else would be more suitable to train our ninja forces."
Tsunade nodded. Then, turning toward the two Uchiha, she asked warmly, "So, what about you two? Are you willing to accept this role?"
Shisui looked toward his cousin, deferring. Itachi lowered his head slightly, thoughtful, and finally frowned. "Lady Hokage… what I've done in the past still casts a shadow. If I were to take on such a role, I'm afraid there will be resentment. Some won't accept it."
His concern wasn't unfounded. For years, his name had carried the stain of "Clan Killer." Even though the truth had surfaced after the Fourth Shinobi World War—that Itachi's massacre of the Uchiha was done under orders, to protect the village from civil war—the title lingered. Old scars did not vanish so easily.
Tsunade, however, looked at him steadily. "It's fine. I can appoint Shisui as the official captain, and you as his deputy. That way, you can support one another. Besides, the truth has already spread. People know you bore the burden for the village's safety. Danzo has been named as the one who manipulated and forced your hand. You no longer need to carry that blame alone."
Kakashi spoke up as well, his voice earnest. "That's right, Itachi. Part of the reason for this assignment is so you can reintegrate into the village. It won't be easy. Some will whisper. But Lady Tsunade will back you completely, and so will I."
Itachi inhaled deeply, then exhaled. The weight of years seemed to leave him little by little. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. I accept."
Shisui grinned, clapping his cousin's shoulder. "See? With Hokage-sama's support, what do we have to worry about?"
Itachi gave a faint smile in return. Still, his curiosity lingered. "Hokage-sama… wasn't Kakashi the captain of the training corps before? Why entrust this to us?"
Tsunade smirked and shifted her gaze toward Kakashi. "Kakashi, why don't you explain? After all, you'll be their point of contact moving forward."
Kakashi blinked once, then gave a small sigh. "Ah, right." He turned to Itachi and Shisui. "The truth is… after discussion among the village elders, I've been selected as the Sixth Hokage. That means I can no longer handle the role of training captain."
The news hit the two Uchiha like a sudden storm.
"What?" Shisui asked, eyes widening slightly.
Even Itachi was taken aback. Tsunade-sama had been fulfilling her duties well. Why step down now? And if she did… shouldn't Jiraiya-sama be the natural successor?
Yet, as they thought more deeply, Kakashi's name did make sense. His leadership of Team 7, his accomplishments in war, his tactical genius—Konoha needed someone steady, someone who could carry on the Will of Fire.
After a pause, Itachi's lips curved in a rare, genuine smile. "Congratulations, Kakashi."
Shisui added warmly, "Yes—congratulations, Lord Sixth."
Kakashi's lone visible eye curved happily.
Tsunade clapped her hands together lightly. "Good. Then it's settled. Kakashi, introduce them to the responsibilities, and once they're ready to take over fully, I'll start handing the Hokage position to you."
Kakashi rose, bowing slightly. "Understood, Lady Hokage."
Itachi and Shisui bowed as well.
The three left the office together, stepping out into the bright Konoha streets.
Walking side by side, the silence between them was not uncomfortable but filled with mutual respect.
Kakashi had no personal connection with Shisui, though he had heard much about his famed "Shisui of the Body Flicker." With Itachi, however, there was history. They had both walked the shadows of the Anbu, their paths crossing in blood and secrecy.
After a while, Itachi glanced at Kakashi and said softly, "Kakashi… I never imagined you would become Hokage one day."
Kakashi chuckled under his mask. "Neither did I. Honestly, I don't feel qualified enough."
Shisui clapped his hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Don't say that. Anyone chosen as Hokage has the trust of the people. And besides—you trained both Naruto and Sasuke. The strongest shinobi of this era are your students. If anyone deserves the title, it's you."
Kakashi laughed, shaking his head. "When you put it that way… maybe you're right."
They walked on, the sun high above them.
Itachi then asked, "Kakashi, what is the main focus of the current training corps?"
At that, Kakashi pulled a scroll from his pouch and handed it over. "Here. This is the training plan Naruto designed. I want you both to look at it."
Itachi unrolled the parchment, and Shisui leaned in. Their eyes scanned the neat handwriting.
The plan was structured in two stages.
Stage One: Each village's shinobi would strengthen their individual Ninjutsu, while also expanding their knowledge by learning techniques outside their own traditions. Then, they would begin coordinated team exercises, honing cooperation.
Stage Two: Afterward, the five great villages' shinobi would unite for combined training. Groups would be formed into hunting squads, each specialized in coordinated pursuit and suppression.
As they read further, Shisui and Itachi exchanged looks of surprise. This wasn't simple training. Naruto was deliberately cultivating the foundations of massive, highly-coordinated hunting units. Groups of thirty shinobi, categorized by elemental affinity, working in perfect sync to unleash overwhelming combined attacks.
It was a terrifyingly efficient strategy. Thirty shinobi working as one—enough firepower to obliterate nearly any opponent.
But what kind of enemy required such measures?
Kakashi, seeing their puzzled expressions, spoke gravely. "You've realized it too. Naruto said it clearly—the Ōtsutsuki clan beyond the stars… they are our true enemy."
At that, both Uchiha remembered the haunting visions Naruto had shown them all during the war—the godlike figures of the Ōtsutsuki. Invaders from another world. Predators of chakra.
Kakashi's tone grew heavier. "Naruto insists it's still far off, but I don't dare relax. The war may be over, but peace never lasts forever. That's why, as soon as the Second Five Kage Summit ended, I began preparations. We can't afford to waste time."
Shisui stepped forward, eyes resolute. "Then you can count on us. Itachi and I will dedicate ourselves fully to this."
Itachi nodded. "We'll forge them into a force worthy of the challenges ahead."
Kakashi's visible eye softened in gratitude. "Thank you. With both of you in charge, I can step forward without worry."
The three continued walking until they reached Konoha's newest training grounds—a vast open field, freshly built, where the future of the shinobi world would be shaped.
For a moment, they stood silently, watching young ninja train in the distance. The future of the shinobi world, balanced on their shoulders.
And above them, unseen in the vast sky, the shadow of the Ōtsutsuki threat loomed closer with every passing day.
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