"Rin, Uzumaki Kana will be left in your care."
"Let's arrange for her to be admitted to Konoha Hospital first. The ANBU will examine her when they arrive."
Minato gave the order seriously as they stepped out of the Hokage's office.
The woman was pregnant and had no place to stay in the village, so it was safest to let her rest in the hospital for now.
"Don't worry, Minato-sensei, I'll take good care of Kana-san."
"Kana-san, come, I'll take you to Konoha Hospital."
Rin smiled warmly, gently holding Kana's hand. She glanced back at Kakashi with a touch of reluctance before leading the woman toward the hospital.
"Minato-sensei, Obito, let's head to Kamui Space. I need to talk to Shisui about something important."
Kakashi's voice was calm but firm.
"Alright."
Minato nodded.
"Kamui."
Without delay, Tobi activated the eye technique, instantly transferring the four of them to the eerie stillness of Kamui space.
"You can relax. No one's listening in here," Kakashi muttered as he stepped forward.
"Shisui, I suspect your grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, was killed by Danzō."
Shisui froze.
"What?! No way! Hokage-sama said they had a deep bond—he, Danzō, and my grandfather were comrades!"
"My grandfather was a disciple of the Second Hokage, same as the Third. I know Danzō doesn't like the Uchiha, but... to kill a comrade?"
Kakashi sighed. "And you were doing so well, too. Smart, talented, and then you go and ruin it by assuming people aren't flaming kunai wrapped in lies."
Shisui's brows furrowed, but he didn't reply.
"Believe me or not, that's your choice. But listen carefully: never—never—let Danzō know you've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. And for the love of ramen, don't ever mention your eye techniques. You might as well tattoo a target on your back if you do."
"Kakashi," Minato interjected, "Danzō is the Hokage's advisor. That kind of accusation—without evidence—could cause problems."
He paused, then added, "That said… you're right about one thing. Shisui's Mangekyō ability must be kept secret. From everyone."
Even the Hokage, Minato silently thought.
Not because he distrusted him—but because if Hiruzen knew, Danzō would know.
Shisui remained silent, visibly shaken.
He didn't fully trust what Kakashi said. But if Minato-sensei was agreeing, even in part… then it couldn't be dismissed so easily.
Seeing that Shisui wasn't pushing back, Kakashi relaxed slightly.
Then, with a cough, he shifted gears.
"Minato-sensei, look. Iwagakure's already retreating. Kiri is wagging their tails for peace talks."
"At this rate, there's barely any war left on the Fire Nation's coastlines."
"Rin's a perfect jinchūriki, sure, but she's still figuring out how to play fetch with a tailed beast."
Kakashi crossed his arms. "So, here's a bold pitch—I stay back and help her get the hang of things. That way, when a real fight shows up, she's not accidentally blowing up rice fields instead of enemies."
"Besides, with Tobi here, it's not like I need a mission scroll to travel."
Minato raised a brow.
Ah, so that's what this is about.
"You just want to spend more time with Rin."
Kakashi feigned offense. "Minato-sensei, I'm shocked. And here I thought I was being subtle."
Minato chuckled. "Fine. Approved. But next time, try just saying it."
"You're too sharp, Sensei. Must be the Hokage hair—it channels wisdom."
Kakashi grinned and gave a mock bow, before being sent out of Kamui space by Tobi.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi reappeared beside Rin, courtesy of Flying Thunder God.
"Eh? Kakashi, why aren't you with Minato-sensei?"
Rin looked up, surprised.
"Ahem. Turns out, the front lines are taking a nap. So I figured I'd spend some quality time helping our local jinchūriki learn not to sneeze and cause landslides."
Kakashi raised a brow and gave her a lopsided grin.
"But… isn't that… um… desertion?"
Rin looked conflicted.
Kakashi sighed theatrically and turned to walk away.
"Alright, alright, I'll go. Don't want to end up on a 'Missing-nin of the Month' poster."
"Don't want that!" Rin blurted and quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Oh? So you do want me here."
Kakashi smirked.
"You're so bad," Rin mumbled and half-heartedly swatted at him.
But before her hand could land, Kakashi caught it and gently interlocked their fingers.
"Kana-san is still watching~"
Rin's face turned crimson. She ducked her head shyly, her hand still in his.
"Kana-san won't mind, right?"
Kakashi turned to the red-haired woman, voice casual.
"Ah? Oh… do as you please. Pretend I'm not here."
Kana had been quietly lost in her own dark thoughts, drowning in fear and uncertainty. But Kakashi's question yanked her back into the moment.
She blinked, and for the first time in a long time—smiled.
Somehow, without meaning to, Kakashi's antics had lightened the air around her.
How long had it been since life had felt... normal?
Maybe… maybe things could really change.
Soon, the three of them arrived at an empty ward in Konoha Hospital.
"This is your room, Kana-san," Rin said gently. "It's a single, so you'll have privacy. If you need anything—anything at all—just call for me or the other nurses."
"I've already spoken to the staff. You're safe here."
Kana looked at the spotless room, stunned.
"Rin-chan… Thank you. Truly."
Her voice trembled as she covered her mouth, eyes welling up.
"Ah, don't bow!"
Rin quickly rushed forward to support her.
"From now on, Konoha is your home. And Kakashi and I… we're your family."
"If anyone dares to mess with you, just tell us. We'll handle it."
She thumped her chest proudly.
"Thank you… thank you both… so much…"
Kana couldn't hold back anymore. She threw her arms around Rin and cried.
Cried for her husband. For her unborn child. For the pain she had endured in Kusagakure. And for the first sliver of kindness she'd been shown in so long.
Outside the door, Kakashi leaned quietly against the wall.
This world… it's really garbage sometimes.
But maybe… just maybe… they could give someone like Kana a chance to start over.
With a sigh, he stepped away, gently closing the door behind him—leaving Rin and Kana to the peace they both desperately needed.
To be continued....
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