The night was quiet, with soft wind brushing against the window of the house. Inside, the room was dimly lit by a faint chakra lamp that glowed a calm light blue.
The silence was peaceful, interrupted only by steady breathing and the rustle of bedsheets. Kakashi lay in bed, his arms wrapped around Tsunade and Kurenai, while Anko curled around his body like a contented cat.
Tsunade's golden hair spilled across his chest. She gently traced circles with her finger over his skin. Her expression was thoughtful, not the usual playful this time.
"Kakashi…" she murmured.
"Hm?" He looked down at her.
"Nawaki. If you could bring the fragmented soul of Orochimaru back… can you do the same for him?" She lifted her head slightly and locked eyes with him.
Kakashi didn't hesitate. "I figured you'd ask." He smiled gently and cupped her cheek.
"Yes, I can. I need Edo Tensei and his remains. The technique I created can bind his soul to a vessel… and stabilize it permanently." He said.
Tsunade's eyes shimmered with emotion. "His body… It's preserved in the Senju clan's tomb," she said, her voice tight with emotion but filled with hope.
"Then it's possible." Kakashi nodded.
Tsunade sat up suddenly on top of him, her chest bouncing with the sudden motion. Her face lit up with childlike joy.
"Yes!!" she squealed, then kissed him quickly. "You're amazing, you know that?!"
"Well, we already knew that, didn't we?" Anko chuckled from the other side of the bed.
"Do you think… You could bring back my father, too?" Kurenai smiled softly, but her eyes had a faraway look. She rested her head against Kakashi's shoulder and whispered,
"He died during the Nine-Tails attack, right?" Kakashi turned his head to her and gently took her hand in his.
She nodded silently, her red eyes becoming moist.
"I promise… I'll bring Father-in-law back too," Kakashi said.
"Thank you." A small tear slid down her cheek, but she smiled warmly and snuggled closer into his side.
"What about you, Anko?" Anko, sensing the mood, leaned in closer. Kakashi glanced at her with a curious look.
She gave him a grin, then came close, her forehead touching his. "My parents died on a mission… no bodies ever recovered. So don't worry about me." She said it confidently, but her voice had a hint of loneliness.
"You're still my family." Kakashi shook his head softly and kissed her forehead.
"That's why I love you, idiot," Anko smirked and bit his lip lightly before leaning back.
The room grew warmer as the atmosphere shifted. Tsunade wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck again, and Kurenai's hands wandered under the sheets. Their lips found each other's once more, the conversation fading into the night.
Tonight would be a long night for all of them.
…
The Next Morning
The aroma of grilled fish and steamed rice filled the house. Plates clinked lightly, and laughter echoed through the dining room.
Kakashi sat at the table in loose pants, sipping tea as the girls bustled around, cheerful and glowing with post-night bliss.
But suddenly, Tsunade stood up, wiped her mouth, and without saying a word, stormed out of the house with surprising urgency.
"What got into her?" Everyone blinked, confused. Naruto scratched his head.
"She went to get something important." Kakashi took another sip, exhaled, and stood up.
"Eh? What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto squinted at him.
"We're talking about bringing someone back. Someone precious to her." Kakashi gave a half-smile.
"Oh… that's nice, I guess. Never knew my parents, so I can't say what that feels like." Naruto tilted his head.
"You mean… You can bring people back?" Sasuke, however, sat stiffly. His chopsticks dropped. His eyes slowly turned toward Kakashi, wide with disbelief.
"Yeah." Kakashi nodded.
For the first time, Naruto, Sakura, and the others saw a raw expression on Sasuke's face, pleading, desperate, full of buried sorrow. His hands trembled slightly.
"Can… can you bring back my mother and father?"
"Don't worry. I got you." Kakashi walked over, placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and smiled softly.
Sasuke didn't speak. He just nodded, eyes glassy, and whispered, "Thank you." In that single moment, the cold Uchiha prodigy looked like a little boy again, grieving and yet hopeful.
Just as the mood settled, a loud boom came from outside. Everyone rushed to the door.
There stood Tsunade, slightly out of breath, but grinning. On her back was a massive scroll sealed with intricate markings.
"Holy crap," Anko muttered. "That thing's bigger than me."
Tsunade plopped the scroll on the ground in front of Kakashi and wiped sweat from her brow.
"My dear Kakashi, please learn it fast," she said in an overly sweet voice.
"You only talk like that when you're on top of me." Kakashi blinked, raising an eyebrow.
Kurenai snorted, and even Anko couldn't hide a laugh.
"Well, maybe you'll earn a reward tonight if you finish fast," Tsunade smirked.
Kakashi rolled his eyes, but then his gaze shifted to the scroll. As his fingers brushed against the rough paper, his expression grew serious.
"This… this is the Forbidden Scroll," he said quietly.
"The one kept under the Hokage's protection," Kurenai added.
Kakashi unsealed a corner and peeked inside. His Sharingan activated, scanning through rows of tightly packed symbols, formulas, jutsu names etched in chakra ink. There it was, Edo Tensei, developed by Tobirama Senju. Techniques to call back the dead with living bodies as vessels.
"All of this… was created by my grand-uncle," Kakashi muttered, half-laughing. "Man, he really was built different."
"You sure about this?" He looked up at Tsunade.
"I trust you." Tsunade didn't even blink.
"Don't mind if I do, then." With a smile, Kakashi turned to head down into his basement lab.
Tsunade gave him a thumbs-up and watched him go. The others soon dispersed. Naruto went out to train, Sakura joined Kurenai for more genjutsu practice, and Anko went to keep an eye on the now-gentle Orochimaru clone as he explored Kakashi's growing lab section.
Kakashi, meanwhile, descended the stairs into the cool, quiet basement. He unfurled the Forbidden Scroll on the clean stone floor, placed his hand over the Edo Tensei section, and closed his eyes.
The air thickened with chakra as he began studying the technique. He didn't just plan to use Edo Tensei. He was going to perfect it, just like he did with Orochimaru's cursed seal and Tobirama's soul studies.