Upon returning to the Hokage's office, Kakashi took a moment to calm the agitation of the chakra within his body.
His engagement with Shisui Uchiha had lasted only a dozen or so minutes.
It was unknown just how many times Kakashi had skipped work; the staff inside the building had long since become accustomed to Kakashi's absences.
Everything was now proceeding exactly according to Kakashi's predictions.
As for the rest, he simply had to wait for the news of Shisui Uchiha's disappearance to gradually ferment.
Now, however, Kakashi had the time to study Yin Release.
"What's the situation with you?"
Suddenly, a voice drifted in from the window.
Kakashi looked up.
He saw Hikari dressed in casual clothes, a skewer of dango dangling from her mouth and clutching a paper bag filled with unknown contents in her arms. She was squatting on the window ledge, looking at Kakashi with a face full of confusion.
"What do you mean, 'what's the situation'?"
Seeing Hikari, who rarely visited the Hokage's office, Kakashi was somewhat surprised.
"I..."
Hikari shot Kakashi a somewhat resentful look.
This bastard.
Yesterday he had suddenly and inexplicably proposed to her, then went to work afterward as if nothing had happened.
Today, she sensed a violent fluctuation in his chakra and thought she'd come specifically to check on him, and this was the attitude she got?
"Forget it, let's get off work and go home."
Looking at Hikari before him, Kakashi lost any desire to stay in the office.
"It's only noon."
Hikari looked at Kakashi in disbelief.
Was being Hokage this easy?
If that was the case, she could do it too!
"What about noon?"
"Who made a rule saying you can't get off work at noon?"
Kakashi retorted with self-righteous confidence.
Hikari's lips twitched at the sight. She was just about to leave so she wouldn't have to look at this jerk, but unexpectedly, Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the office.
"You... what are you trying to do?"
Hikari was caught off guard by Kakashi's move.
"May I?"
Kakashi paused for a moment, his expression somewhat subtle.
???
"Of course not!"
"At least wait until the day we get married!"
Hikari looked at the man in front of her, her face stiffening as she immediately shook her head frantically.
What on earth is this bastard thinking!
This is his office!
Hmm?
Those lewd manga seem to have scenes in offices too.
?
What am I thinking!
"Oh~ So we have to wait until marriage, huh."
Looking at the Uchiha Great-Grandma before him, Kakashi wore a teasing expression.
???
"..."
The Uchiha Great-Grandma looked at the man before her, speechless.
This guy... when I first saw him, he looked like a proper human being.
Now, he's just a dog.
"Do you feel it?"
Looking at Hikari, Kakashi stopped teasing her and spoke with a serious expression.
"What?"
"Your paw?"
Hikari glanced at her hand, which was still being held by Kakashi, and huffed lightly.
"My Yin Release."
As Kakashi spoke while holding Hikari's hand, the chakra within his body began to stir.
With Kakashi's prompt, Hikari finally began to sense the Yin Release mixed within Kakashi's chakra.
Although it still couldn't compare to hers, it had already surpassed that of an ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan wielder.
"How did you do that?"
Hikari's expression finally turned grave.
"By understanding the essence of Yin Release, one can easily separate the Yin Release from the chakra and then make it my own."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Hikari narrowed her eyes.
Kakashi's words implied that he had already applied Yin Release to jutsu formulas, or perhaps even in actual combat.
"And so? Are you showing off to me?"
Hikari yanked her hand out of Kakashi's grip, sat down on the sofa to the side, and placed the paper bag she was holding onto the coffee table.
It was full of food she had bought.
"There is a little bit of that involved."
Kakashi nodded, not minding her reaction in the slightest.
In terms of raw power, he was completely crushed by Hikari.
But to be able to surpass the Uchiha Great-Grandma in the usage of Yin Release... that was a hard-earned achievement.
Hearing this, Hikari rolled her eyes at Kakashi and started eating on her own.
"The Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai of Yin Release chakra, and the Sharingan of ordinary Uchiha clan members will affect their personalities due to the excessively massive Yin Release."
"I need to see what your situation is like."
Kakashi leaned back in his office chair, calmly watching Hikari, who was focused on her meal on the sofa.
"You seem to understand the Sharingan very well?"
Hikari glanced at Kakashi with some curiosity.
"I know a thing or two."
Kakashi stood up and walked over to Hikari, preparing to take her home to thoroughly examine what was going on with her.
But just then, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
"Um... did I come at a bad time?"
"Lord Hokage."
The newcomer had long, slightly curled black hair, impeccable facial features, and an outfit in a red and white color scheme. Her pair of gentle, vermilion eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the two people in the office.
Kurenai Yuhi.
Heaven have mercy; she had finally managed to catch Kakashi while he was actually in the office. Who could have guessed that by sheer coincidence, she would run into Hikari—that wretched girl Kakashi had abducted and brought back to the Hidden Leaf from who-knows-where.
"No, no, no, you came at the perfect time."
Upon seeing Kurenai's arrival, Hikari greeted her with a face full of uncharacteristic smiles.
However, as she passed Kakashi, she actually took the initiative to link her arm through his.
This made Kurenai's lovely eyebrows twitch.
"Did you know, Kurenai?"
"Kakashi proposed to me last night."
"In a little while, you'll be able to attend the wedding banquet~~"
Hikari held onto Kakashi's arm and puffed out her chest with quite a bit of pride. This caused Kurenai's expression to stiffen slightly as she looked at Kakashi in disbelief.
"That's right, it is as she says."
Meeting Kurenai's questioning gaze, Kakashi spoke somewhat helplessly.
Ah, here it is again.
Female rivalry.
Receiving Kakashi's affirmative reply, Kurenai's gentle vermilion eyes became slightly unfocused.
Kurenai didn't know how she left the Hokage Residence.
She only remembered Hikari's somewhat blinding smile of "happiness," and Kakashi's expression of "doting" affection toward Hikari.
D-Damn it...
Looking at the Jōnin promotion application in her hand, upon which Kakashi had drawn a large, bright red, and piercing "X," she felt tears swirling in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to hide back under her covers.
Whether it was knowing Kakashi first, or the time spent with Kakashi, or anything else regarding Kakashi... clearly, she was first.
I really am such a failure...
Facing her peers who were promoting one after another to Special Jōnin and Jōnin, she was the only one still spinning her wheels gloomily as a Chūnin.
The sunlight, originally warm and soft, now felt somewhat stinging in Kurenai's eyes.
What... should I do?
Kurenai looked up at the azure sky and thought of her late father.
"Kurenai, if there is something you want to obtain, then work hard to fight for it."
"Even if you fail, it proves that you tried your best. Do not leave yourself with any regrets."
The teachings of Shinku Yuhi from the past echoed in Kurenai's ears...
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