The Next Morning…
Morning sunlight gently slipped into Kakashi's room through the window. The atmosphere was still quiet, broken only by the faint chirping of birds. Kakashi sat on the edge of his bed, still in his pajamas, staring at the gift box he had carefully placed in the corner the night before.
Slowly, he untied the cute ribbon wrapped around the box and lifted the lid.
His eyes widened.
"…What is this…"
Inside was a book with a flashy cover and a bold title on display:
Icha Icha Paradise – by Jiraiya.
Kakashi was silent. Then he looked at the book. Then back at the box. Then at the book again.
"…Why would Kushina-san give me this…"
His mind went wild.
'What does this mean?! Is this some kind of… sign? No, no way—or… could it be?! Is she testing me?! Is this a joke? But—why this novel?!'
Kakashi held his head, trying to calm himself down, but his eyes kept drifting back to the book cover.
"…Icha Icha…"
With trembling hands, he opened the first page. His very first adult read. His heart pounded erratically.
And then—he read.
The first few pages passed… then came the more daring, steamy descriptions… and without realizing it, Kakashi's face flushed red, all the way to his ears.
"…W-why are they in that position…"
In his mind, the visualization shifted.
The man in the story… suddenly became him.
And the woman… became Kushina.
"N-NOOOO!!"
SMACK!!
A loud slap landed on his own cheek, jolting him back.
"This is madness! What am I thinking?! That's Kushina-san! Naruto's mother! Minato-sensei's wife! I'm a sinner! I… I—"
"Ugh…"
A gruff voice came from the corner of the room.
Pakkun, his loyal ninja dog, cracked open one eye and grimaced.
"Seriously, Kakashi… you're so loud in the morning. I was dreaming about eating dango…"
Kakashi could only hang his head, breath shaky from a mixture of shame and his own insane imagination.
He looked at the book in his hand.
"…Kushina-san… why did you give me this…"
But one thing was certain.
Kakashi had read Icha Icha Paradise for the first time.
And that morning… was no longer ordinary.
That Morning, at the Uzumaki Household…
Little Naruto, less than a month shy of turning four, stood in the doorway of the living room, frowning in confusion as he looked at his mother.
"Mom, why are you smiling like an idiot?" he asked innocently, in a tone only a child could have.
Kushina, leaning on the sofa with flushed cheeks, snapped out of her daze and gently smacked Naruto's head with a hand still warm from stroking her own face.
"Who are you calling an idiot, you cheeky brat!" she said, pouting in mock irritation.
Naruto rubbed his head, still puzzled. "But your face looked super weird, Mom."
"Go on, go play! Don't bother me," Kushina replied, shooing him away, the red on her cheeks not quite faded yet.
As usual, Naruto didn't care much. "Weird… why is Mom acting like that? Oh well, if she's letting me play, I'm off to Shikamaru's place! Haven't seen those cute deer in a while!"
Eagerly, Naruto ran out the door toward the Nara clan residence, leaving behind a mother once again lost in thought.
…
Meanwhile, Kushina sat motionless, cheeks turning red again as she imagined Kakashi's expression when he opened her birthday gift—a risqué novel by Jiraiya: Icha Icha Paradise.
'Hehehe, I can totally picture Kakashi's face when he realizes what the book's about... his eyes wide and face all red!'
Kushina covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
'But if he still doesn't get the hint after something that obvious… no wonder he dies single in the original story!'
Yet her laughter faded, replaced by a contemplative gaze. She leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
'But… why do I even bother dropping hints to Kakashi? Do I really like him? Or… is it just this body longing for the warmth of a man?'
She fell silent, trying to uncover feelings she may have been ignoring. Over time, her body and soul had become a singular, inseparable entity—both "Kushina Uzumaki" and the soul from another world that now inhabited her.
"Well… Kakashi's not bad either. He's handsome, strong, and… has this awkward charm," she murmured, rolling on her bed like a teenage girl in love.
Kakashi's face appeared in her mind—those deep eyes, the flat yet oddly comforting voice, and the quiet solitude that somehow made her want to be closer.
'If I count from when I got pregnant with Naruto… it's been over four years since I've felt… warmth…' she thought, biting her lower lip.
'Minato… I hope you can understand. The old Kushina would've stayed loyal to you until the end. But I'm not just her… I'm also me. Maybe… I want to love… with this woman's body…'
She got up and walked to the kitchen. As she began preparing lunch, her lips hummed a tune from her past life—a soft melody from a world long gone but still lingering in her heart.
That day, the Uzumaki household was filled with the aroma of warm food and the gentle hum of Kushina singing—a warmth that only comes from a woman falling in love.
That Evening in Konoha…
The sky turned crimson, casting the village in soft orange light.
In a quiet corner of Konoha, away from the bustle of daily life, stood a polished stone monument surrounded by tall grass and trees. On its surface were carved the names of heroes who had fallen for the village—among them, three names dearly etched in the heart of a masked man.
Footsteps softly tread the earth.
Hatake Kakashi stood before the memorial, hands in his pockets and head bowed. The wind stirred, rustling dry leaves across the ground.
He spoke.
"Yo… Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei."
His voice was calm, but a heavy weight hung in the air.
"I know it's been a while since I last came. Sorry… I've been pretty busy lately." Kakashi sighed softly, eyes scanning the engraved names. "I… I'm still alive, living out my days in a way that would probably make you laugh, Obito."
He let out a small, awkward chuckle.
"You know, lately Kushina-san has changed… not weaker—if anything, she's stronger. She's become a hero of the village. Even forced the Fourth Raikage to retreat without a single soldier. Everyone talks about it, and Naruto… he'd be proud."
He paused, looking up at the orange-tinged sky.
"By the way, Sensei, your son—Naruto… he's almost four. He's growing up cheerful and stubborn like Kushina-san, but sometimes I see your gentle smile in his face." He smiled faintly.
"And about Kushina-san…" Kakashi looked down briefly, then lifted his eyes to Minato Namikaze's carved name.
"Sensei, this might sound improper. I know she was your wife. But time keeps moving, and our world… has changed. Some things can't be avoided… can't be fought… and now… I…"
Kakashi clenched his fist. His face flushed slightly.
"I like her."
He raised his face, eyes locked on the stone with deep sincerity.
"Not as my teacher's wife… not as Naruto's mom… but as herself. As Uzumaki Kushina, a strong woman full of laughter, who—somehow—makes me feel alive again."
The evening breeze swept through his silver hair.
"I know I'll never be worthy to take your place. But if you can hear me… if you're out there… let me protect her. Let me stand beside her, not as anyone's replacement… but with all of my heart."
He bowed deeply, for a long time, before finally straightening and gazing at the darkening sky.
But what Kakashi didn't know was… he wasn't alone.
In the shadowy woods nearby, someone was watching with conflicted eyes.
A figure with a swirling orange mask, a single calm yet sharp Sharingan eye.
Uchiha Obito.
As Kakashi spoke of his routine, Obito scoffed internally. 'Hmph… still mumbling to himself like always, Kakashi.'
But then, Kakashi's voice changed. When the words "I like her" came out—
Thump.
Obito froze. That voice echoed inside him, throwing his focus off for a moment.
'He said… he loves Kushina?'
His body tensed. Even his chakra aura trembled, nearly breaching the barrier control he usually mastered flawlessly. It took him a split second to calm down to avoid detection by Konoha's barrier team—or Kakashi himself.
'My former best friend… in love with his teacher's wife…?'
For the first time in a long while, Obito didn't know what to feel. Anger? Jealousy? Betrayal?
Or just… emptiness?
He stared at Kakashi a while longer, then silently activated Kamui—his quiet dimension.
His figure disappeared into the void, leaving only fallen leaves and a silence returned.
He didn't want to hear more about this "birthday date." He didn't want to know.
And at the memorial, Kakashi still stood, unaware that his honest heart had been overheard… by someone from the past who hadn't quite died.