Kiyosuke had originally planned to hold a wedding for Naruto and Hinata.
However, since both of them were still underage, the ceremony was postponed.
Minato and Kushina didn't insist either. After saying their heartfelt goodbyes to their son, they released the Edo Tensei and left this world together. Before departing, Kushina handed Kiyosuke two small locks of hair—one red and one yellow. The meaning was obvious enough.
Even after the Fourth Great Ninja War, some of the White Zetsu still remained scattered across the world.
After touring the now-prosperous Konoha, Hashirama and the others also chose to leave. Before they departed, they made a special visit to the Uchiha compound, and seeing how well everyone was living, they finally felt at ease.
...
"Obito, go hurry that old lady who's sewing my Hokage robes, would you? Tell her to pick up the pace. The succession ceremony's about to start!"
Kakashi adjusted his Hokage hat and sighed helplessly.
"Alright, I'll go in a bit."
Obito was buried under a mountain of documents.
"But first, you should finish reviewing these. You've got a meeting this afternoon, and the new Konoha District development proposal also needs to be pushed forward..."
He slammed the stack of files onto the desk. Watching Kakashi's expression, he suddenly felt relieved he hadn't taken the Hokage position himself. Just dealing with this paperwork would probably fry his brain within a week.
"..."
Kakashi's head was already aching.
The office door slid open, and Kiyosuke stepped inside. Looking at the two men and the sea of papers around them, he asked,
"Why is it just you two? Where's Tsunade-sama and Shizune?"
"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama went out drinking. Shizune had something to take care of at the hospital," Kakashi replied. "Speaking of which, weren't you supposed to be with the Mizukage-sama?"
"She said she wanted to go shopping. Karin and Hinata went with her, so it's fine. Oh, right—on the way here, I ran into Asuma. He said your ceremonial robe might not be finished in time."
The Hokage robe was being embroidered by an elderly seamstress who had spent her whole life sewing. She wasn't just any tailor—she'd made every Hokage robe since the very first one. She was older than even the Third, and Kiyosuke often worried that her dimming eyesight might make her stab her own hand one day.
"If it's not done in time, I'll be so embarrassed during the ceremony," Kakashi groaned.
"No problem," Kiyosuke said, giving a thumbs-up. "Just use a Transformation Technique and fix it later."
"That's a sacred Hokage succession ceremony!" Obito protested immediately.
A sacred ceremony couldn't be handled so carelessly!
"Yeah," Kiyosuke nodded seriously, then added with a grin, "but the one embarrassed won't be us."
"True!"
Obito paused, then shared a knowing smile with Kiyosuke.
Kakashi decided to ignore both of his so-called friends. Rubbing his silver hair, his expression had gone so blank he could rival Gintoki's dead eyes.
"You two... are absolutely hopeless."
Guy wasn't any help either—if Kakashi asked him, the next day's headline would probably read:
"Elderly Seamstress Dies of Fright After Encounter with Youthful Passion."
"So," Kiyosuke said, looking around the office, "now you understand why I refused the Hokage position?"
"Honestly," Kakashi slumped in his chair, defeated, "I'd rather be back on the battlefield."
"Don't worry, Kakashi—I'll be right here with you!"
Kakashi was silent for a long moment before turning to Kiyosuke.
"Kiyosuke... would you mind actually helping me? I've already given up on Obito."
"Hey! Bastard!" Obito shouted. "I gave up my date with Rin to come help you! I've got a date tonight!"
Kiyosuke's expression turned mischievous. "A daaaate?"
"With Rin?" Kakashi leaned closer, and both men shared another devilish smile.
Kakashi grabbed a huge pile of papers and handed them to Obito.
"Hokage's secretary, Uchiha Obito—these are due tomorrow. I'll be counting on you."
"You... you guys..." Obito trembled, his whole body shaking with fury. "How can you do this to me?!"
"As loyal members of Konoha, it's only natural to offer the Hokage advice, right?"
"And as Hokage, it's perfectly normal for me to assign work to my subordinates, right?"
"Damn you! I'll kill you both!"
The Hokage's office instantly descended into chaos.
Just then, Rin pushed the door open, holding a tray of sweets. She froze when she saw Obito pinned to the floor by Kakashi and Kiyosuke, then smiled mysteriously.
"Sorry to interrupt. Please, go on."
Click.
The door quietly locked behind her.
Obito turned to stone.
"Rin! Wait, Rin, I can explain!"
He scrambled to his feet, phasing through the wall in a panic as he chased after her.
Kiyosuke watched him disappear, clicking his tongue.
"Man, look at that speed. Wonder when those two will finally get married."
"Probably soon," Kakashi said as he stacked his papers. "He's already started planning the wedding."
"Has he even proposed yet?"
"Not yet." Kakashi shook his head. "He's still just in the planning stage."
"Then it's still a long way off," Kiyosuke said. "That guy's been saying he'd confess to Rin since he was as old as Konohamaru, and look—he's still not married."
"Can't argue with that." Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You've got a point."
"I just hope Naruto and Sasuke both get married before he does."
Naruto and Hinata's wedding was set for next year. Sasuke, on the other hand, was in no hurry—he was still traveling. Word was, he'd recently encountered the clan with the Chinoike bloodline and was working with Orochimaru to investigate them.
"Oh, by the way, did you get this?" Kakashi pulled a wedding invitation from under a stack of documents.
Kiyosuke reached into his robe and produced an identical card.
"Of course. Itachi's getting married soon. I heard the bride's his childhood friend."
"Yeah, that's right. So, what are you planning to give them?"
"Just money. Gifts are too much trouble. If it's something they don't like, it's awkward. Cash is simple and always useful."
Crude, maybe—but undeniably effective.
"You, huh..." Kakashi sighed. "I guess I'll need to think about mine."
"Better start thinking now. After Itachi, there's Naruto's wedding, then Sasuke's. All the young ones will be getting married one after another—you'll have a lot of gifts to prepare."
"Ah... right," Kakashi said weakly. "Maybe I'll just go with cash too."
He decided he'd hand over a big red envelope every time.
Fortunately, most of his mission rewards over the years were still safely in savings. As long as he didn't start gambling or fund any experiments, he'd have more than enough to last a lifetime.
Kiyosuke was well-off too. Recently, he'd heard that Konoha planned to develop the area around the Hokage Rock, so he bought a large piece of land there.
He was confident it would appreciate in value someday.
He had a feeling—he was definitely going to make a fortune.