Sakumo Hatake brought Naraku home, the boy still looking like he couldn't quite believe what was happening. Sakumo checked his chakra flow, explained that his weakness came from malnutrition, then praised him—Naraku really did have talent.
And then came that look only a dad could give. Sakumo's smile was gentle as he watched Kakashi clumsily trying to show he cared. For once, his proud, solitary son had a friend. That was worth everything.
That night, Kakashi kept tossing in bed, restless under Naraku's stare.
"What?" he muttered, annoyed. But when Naraku smiled—satisfied, almost shy—it caught him off guard.
Like a stray who'd finally been taken in, Naraku curled up in this new home, no longer terrified of the storm outside.
[Our Naraku's gonna grow up so strong!]
[Kakashi, what's with that tsundere energy?]
[Sakumo's face says "I ship it"]
[That dad-smile tho lol]
[Naraku's literally a puppy Kakashi picked up]
[Uchiha puppy + Kakashi the cat = perfection XD]
[Cat x dog supremacy]
Cut to the next morning. Sunshine flooded the wide courtyard. Two white-haired figures sparred, one towering, one small.
Sakumo held back, feeding Kakashi easy openings, but even then, the kid was drenched in sweat, panting hard, bangs plastered to his forehead.
A damp towel appeared in front of him. Kakashi glanced up—and sure enough, Naraku stood there, obsidian eyes shining.
Kakashi snatched the towel, covering his face with it, embarrassed.
Sakumo wasn't the type of father to coddle. He'd taught Kakashi to handle himself from the moment he could walk, and Kakashi had always refused to show weakness. This was the first time someone had fussed over him so openly. No wonder he didn't know how to react.
[Sakumo just gave Kakashi an ocean to swim in]
[Naraku's such a sweetheart]
[Already got "future househusband" written all over him]
[Sakumo: my son's future is secured]
[Kakashi's actually blushing lol]
[YES. I approve this marriage]
[Naraku is the most straightforward puppy ever]
Sakumo waved Naraku over. When Naraku nervously called him "Lord," Sakumo corrected him, voice firm but kind.
"You should call me sensei."
The camera focused on Naraku's bandaged fingers twisting at the hem of his shirt, then shifted to his bowed head.
Memories bled in—his father's endless cruelty, the lone photograph of his mother, countless nights of hunger and cold spent curled in a corner, waiting desperately for dawn.
The weight of it pressed his shoulders lower and lower, crushing him beneath the mountain of memory. The world dimmed, drained of sound and color.
And then—large, steady hands broke through the fog. Shattered the nightmare. Scattered the weight.
"It's okay, Naraku. Nothing's going to happen to you again."
Warm words pulled him back. The world came alive—bright courtyard, green leaves, sunlight on his face.
The wind stirred. The giant tree at the yard's edge swayed, its branches whispering. Sunlight spilled through, flickering across the ground like tiny, rippling suns.
"…Sensei."
The battered boy whispered, edging closer until he was tucked against Sakumo's chest, soaking in a safety he'd never known.
So warm. So this is what a father's arms feel like—sunlight and wind.
[Hatake father and son are angels]
[From now on, the world's in color]
[Sensei is father too!]
[Only safe places: the bathroom and dad's arms]
["Father's embrace is sunlight and wind" … I'm crying]
[Naraku's waited so long for this kind of love]
Naraku tilted his head up at Sakumo. The shot zoomed in on his eyes.
Black pupils filled the screen. Then, red bled through. A single tomoe spun into existence.
The screen cut to black. Ending theme rolled.
[HOLY SHIT]
[NO WAY]
[THE SHARINGAN??]
[HE AWAKENED IT!]
[Shinji's years of abuse didn't break him—but Sakumo's kindness did it]
[A six-year-old with a tomoe… Naraku's a prodigy]
[THE UCHIHA ARE A CLAN OF LOVE!! (screaming)]
Naraku shut the video with a satisfied sigh. The animator had nailed it—capturing every detail, winning him a flood of new fans.
It made sense. Awakening his Sharingan this way deserved to be highlighted, especially since it was clear to everyone now that Naraku Uchiha would become Kakashi's closest friend. Spending the extra screen time was worth it.
Of course, he knew his role would quiet down for a while. His major conflicts had been resolved, and Minato's upcoming mission arc promised bigger fireworks.
If the animator turned the spotlight back on him later, it'd take something new blowing up.
He thought about checking the forums, but it was late. A new episode had just dropped, so discussion threads probably weren't full yet. Better to wait until morning.
And so Naraku went to sleep, dreamless.