Chapter Thirty-Six: The Countdown

The villagers were notified of the date for the rescheduled inauguration, and the invitations were resent to the other four Kage along with the rest of Konoha's allies. The Hidden Leaf set about making the necessary preparations for the upcoming ceremony that would take place in a week's time, and suddenly Kakashi was getting far more attention than he was used to. Still, he tried to remain out of the public eye as much as possible, working with Tsunade and the village elders to make sure that the transition as well as the formal transfer of power, went smoothly.

"You're going to pick me as your successor, aren't you Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto prodded one afternoon.

"Relax, Naruto. I'm not even officially the Hokage yet."

"I know, but come on! You've got to have some ideas!"

"Actually, I hadn't really thought much about my successor," he lied.

"But you have thought about it, right?"

"I'm well aware of your dream to become Hokage one day, but you have to earn that title. It isn't something that's handed out to just anyone."

"But I'm already the village hero. What more do I have to do to prove I'm Hokage material?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Believe me, it's a lot more difficult than you think. But with all the hard work and determination I know you're capable of, I'm sure you'll become Hokage someday."

Next to Jiraiya, Kakashi was the friend and mentor who understood Naruto the best. Unlike Kakashi, his abilities did not come naturally to him. Naruto had had to work hard day and night, for far longer than his peers to reach the level he'd already achieved. There was no doubt that one day, the boy would become one of the legendary Sanin. However, ninja training was not the only thing needed to be mastered in order to qualify for the position of Hokage. The boy was still too emotionally driven and not very level-headed, nor did he fully grasp the necessity of patience and restraint.

Kakashi planned on taking the boy under his wing sometime after his inauguration, but he did not yet feel that the time was right to tell Naruto of this. Things were far too busy and tumultuous as it was. Perhaps after Kakashi had settled into his new post, he would consider bringing Naruto in for a little chat about a possible apprenticeship.

He was contemplating the upcoming ceremony as he changed for bed that evening. As he thought about it, he began voicing his musings out loud.

"I can't believe that in just a few days, I'll be the Hokage. It doesn't seem quite real. I only wish I had Naruto's confidence," he said, somewhat amused. When he didn't receive a reply, he turned to find her staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Anko?"

She didn't answer. Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he studied her distant expression as it peered through the glass. She wasn't listening to him; she was lost in her own thoughts. While in the midst of wondering what could possibly be distracting her, his attention was caught when she lifted her hand to her shoulder.

Kakashi let out a quiet sigh, at once understanding. He stepped up behind her and placed his hand over hers.

"You're worried that it will come back, aren't you?"

She was brought out of her lonely thoughts by his touch and his voice, and she now closed her eyes in resignation. "Kakashi, it never actually left."

Just because the Cursed Seal was not visible didn't mean it was gone. She hadn't used up its remaining power. It was still within her, and given the right opportunity, she knew that it would resurface again.

"Does it matter? Anko, you're not like him. You're not like any of them."

"I gave into it…for revenge. Just like Sasuke."

"Anko, even I can't blame Sasuke for his desire for revenge. If you knew what had happened, you wouldn't blame him either. What I did blame him for was his callousness and total disregard for those who cared for him, namely Naruto and Sakura. He didn't just give into the desire for revenge. He turned his back on the only family he had left because he allowed himself to be blinded by his hatred. Though he no longer seeks to take down the village, he's still cold and callous.

"You aren't like that. You never have been. Unlike Orochimaru, unlike Kabuto, and unlike Sasuke, your heart is filled with love and kindness—as well as good-natured mischievousness—and you carry the Will of Fire within you."

"You didn't see it. Kakashi, I wasn't me anymore…"

"Weren't you? You were pushed to your limit when you were forced to fight against me, and then to save me. If I had been in your position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same."

Anko glanced over her shoulder at Kakashi. "So I shouldn't worry about it?"

"We shouldn't ignore it, but no I don't think we should worry about it either. We can't keep contemplating those 'what-ifs', remember?"

Anko bent her head and said quietly, "Lady Tsunade thinks we should seal it."

"Do you want to seal it?"

"I don't think there's anything to seal. It wouldn't work, would it?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. He knew sealing Jutsu, but this was a little different because the Cursed Seal was no longer visible. He supposed they could force it to resurface if that was what she wanted, but doing so might only cause more problems for her.

"I suppose it…can be done if that's what you want. I doubt it's worth the effort it would take to do so. You've lived your entire life without giving into it when the entirety of its power was contained in the Curse Mark."

"Back then, I had nothing to lose."

Kakashi turned her around to face him and looked into her eyes with confidence. "We've been through this. You won't lose me. And if you have any doubts about that, remember that you are the reason I'm standing here now. True, the power inherent in the Cursed Seal is dangerous, but there is no way to get rid of what remains of it. You said it yourself, we must accept the past as well as the present. Like the Poison Style, it's a part of you now. You took it, and you used it as an extension of the goodness inside of you. Don't you see? You've taken a power you didn't want and stripped it of its original intent. You have not sacrificed your integrity to darkness."

She shook her head. "I don't know…"

"I do. Anko, I trust you with my life. If I had any inclination that you were going to fly off the deep end and embrace the seductive power of darkness, then I wouldn't be with you now, and I certainly wouldn't still be planning to marry you."

She looked up at him then, and he chuckled. "Believe it or not, I don't have an inclination to marry Orochimaru or Sasuke."

Anko laughed. "I hope not! That would be problematic in more ways than one…"

Kakashi drew her into the circle of his arms. "Besides, you're far more beautiful than either of them."

"Heh, that's the only reason you're still with me isn't it? You just want me for my body."

"Not true, though I can't deny that that's one reason…"

She smiled. "Thanks Kakashi."

"Don't mention it. Now, are we ready for bed yet? I'm tired…"

Anko stepped out of his arms and walked around him, stripping out of her clothes and replacing them with a short, sleeveless lavender nightgown that he'd never seen before. He watched her as she pulled the tie from her ponytail and let her hair fall around her shoulders before she turned to him with a pretty smile.

"I think so."

Kakashi stared as she took the few steps back to the bed and climbed onto it. His face flushed and he gave an eye-crinkle. "Did I say bed? What I meant was—"

"No. It's been a long day, and we have more ahead of us, especially you," she said frankly as she turned to face the wall.

"Well, it has been several weeks…"

Anko shifted her head to look back at him. "Is this the beginning of an attempt at persuasion?"

"You're the one that put on the nightgown."

She snorted in amusement. "It's a nightgown, not lingerie. Down, Fido."

"Your point?" Kakashi climbed onto the bed beside her, pulling the covers over him.

"My point being that I didn't put it on to be a tease. Now go to sleep."

"Sure you did," he said, ignoring her directive as he rolled over and ran his hand along her side to her hip. "You know it doesn't take much."

Despite herself, she smiled, her eyes closed as she faced away from him. When he slid his hand from her hip to her belly, she covered it with her own. Anko hadn't been considering sex, but the knowledge that she'd inadvertently turned him on was enough to stoke those fires within her.

"You know I can't resist you, and you can't resist me either…"

"Someone's full of himself…"

"I don't hear a denial."

"I also didn't reply in the affirmative."

He chuckled quietly behind her. "Now you are being a tease."

"Guilty."

"So…?" he said as he ran his palm down over her leg. "What do you say?"

His touch and his voice were seductive, and she couldn't think of a valid reason to refuse besides the one she'd already given. At last, she gave in.

"Alright—but we're not staying up all night."

"I can make it quick…"

"No skimping though," she warned breathily as she lifted her top leg and guided his hand beneath her gown.

Kakashi grabbed her through her underwear and her breathing hitched. "I never do anything halfway…"

It wasn't long before he was inside her, her backside pressed into his groin while he teased the sensitive bud between her legs with each thrust he gave. It had been more than several weeks; it had been a few months since they'd engaged in this type of intimacy, and Anko found that she apparently needed it as much as he did. The sensation of intercourse felt almost new, and she sighed and moaned with each long stroke.

Kakashi removed his hand from her sex and used it to lift her top leg up to give him more leverage. Although she didn't mind the position, Anko desperately wanted to taste him. She twisted her torso, her hand behind his head to pull him to her for a heated kiss. Kakashi's arm was wrapped around her just beneath her breasts as he took great pleasure in the heat and the softness of her body.

The two breathed into one another as he took her from behind. Anko tore her mouth from Kakashi's when a quickened pace threatened to take her breath away. Before she was able to reach her climax, Kakashi extricated himself from her before rolling her onto her back. He moved in front of her, taking her legs and hiking them over his shoulders. Wrapping his arms around her legs, he pushed into her again.

"Ah!" She reached down to grip his knees as he leaned over her at just the right angle to achieve a deep penetration that hit the sensitive spot near her cervix. He only kept the slower pace for a short time before he sped it up. Anko's eyes were closed, her head pressed back into the pillow and surrounded by the pool of her dark hair as she panted for the coming release.

Her chest heaved and her walls clenched. Kakashi pushed his hands into the mattress, adding more force to his movements, and he was rewarded with the most exquisite sounds as they escaped her lips, and the tightening of her muscles as she tried to keep him buried inside her.

He pressed his face into her neck, teasing the tender skin with his lips, teeth, and tongue, slowing his movements to draw it out a little bit longer. She protested by lifting her hips up off the bed in an attempt to match the previous pace, and he found he couldn't deny her what she wanted, especially while she was practically panting and moaning into his ear.

He obeyed her silent request to resume a faster tempo, and soon they were both spiraling toward the finish. When he gave the last few thrusts, they came together, their bodies shuddering in ecstasy. Kakashi pulled out and gently lowered her legs to the bed before leaning forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips as she fought to catch her breath. He laid down beside her, his arm across her body and his face in her hair.

"I hope that was quick and efficient, yet still satisfactory…"

"Ugh, dammit Kakashi… I thought you said you were tired…"

"I'm never too tired for you," he whispered against her temple.

Though it excited her to hear those words, she was now too tired to respond. Lying there next to him, sated and satisfied, Anko let herself drown in the peaceful ecstasy that lulled her toward the precipice of sleep.

X-X-X

Anko stood skipping stones by the riverside as she contemplated the coming days. There were only two left until Kakashi was officially named the Sixth Hokage; only two days before their lives would change forever. It still seemed so unreal, and yet time was flying by.

She heard the unnervingly quiet tread of heavy boots on the gravel behind her, but she only turned to face the man who approached once he'd reached her side.

"So, you managed to find time in your busy schedule after all. That's a surprise."

Ibiki watched the water rush by as he replied. "Things have slowed down at the intelligence division recently, especially with the closure of that last big case. I guess I have you to thank for that."

She smirked, bending to pick up another flat rock to toss. "Yeah, you do. I have a feeling you wouldn't get very far without my help."

"Now, now, don't be so cocky, Ponytail."

"You know it's true."

Yes, he did know it, but he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of hearing him admit it.

"I take it you didn't invite me out here so that I could stroke your ego. So spill it. What's your real motive?"

A fish jumped, and Anko followed its path as it made a splash and continued its journey upstream.

"You know that Kakashi's inauguration is in a few days."

"Yeah. What of it? I was going to save the congratulations until after the ceremony."

"I assume you're familiar with the guest list?" she asked, straight to the point.

The humor left Ibiki's face and he kept his eyes trained anywhere but on her. "I am," he said flatly.

"And?"

"And I would appreciate it if you would butt out of my business."

She sighed. "Ibiki, you're my friend. You are my business."

"If you really are my friend, you'll leave it the hell alone," he warned.

She met his gaze directly. "How's that stubbornness working out for you? It didn't work so well for me."

He turned to walk away from her then, and she let out a slow breath, willing them both patience.

"Ibiki…you're more than a friend to me. You're like my brother," she said, and he stopped in his tracks. "You bury your nose in your job and push away any thoughts of a personal life outside of work. I know why. You struggle to accept yourself, and you don't think anyone else could ever accept you. But I do. And I'm confident that if you'd let her, Kurotsuchi would, too."

She paused a moment before continuing. "The Tsuchikage will be here tomorrow, and he will be staying for three days. Don't let her leave without telling her."

Anko was met with a long silence, and she stared at his back, waiting for some kind of response or retaliation. None came. Instead, she watched him walk away, the sound of his retreating footsteps louder than before.

As she turned back to the water, her own words replayed in her head.

"They're going to see parts of you that you can't see; they're going to look into the darkest parts of you, the parts you try to keep hidden, and they'll pull them into the light despite your best efforts to keep them secret… Eventually, they'll teach you to accept yourself as fully as they do."

Kakashi had done that for her. If only Ibiki would give it a chance, Anko was sure that Kurotsuchi would do the same for him. She knew she couldn't force it, but she'd been thinking about it for a while now, and she had had to find an opportunity to speak with Ibiki on the subject, to try again to appeal to reason. She wasn't sure if her words had gotten through to him at all, but at least she could say that she'd tried.

X-X-X

"Not long now," said Kurenai as she sat at her kitchen table with Anko, the two women indulging in a hot cop of chai tea. "How does it feel to know that soon you'll be the wife of one of the most powerful men in the world?"

"We're not married yet," replied Anko. It still felt strange to even think the word let alone say it.

"You will be soon enough."

Anko shrugged. "Honestly, I hadn't thought about it like that. I suppose it'll be a lot like it is now, only more paperwork and meetings and less ass kicking." She grunted. "Man, I'm going to miss the ass kicking…"

Kurenai laughed. "I know what you mean. I want to be here for my son, but sometimes I miss the missions."

"I'm sure I'll have some, but not nearly as many. It'll only be for a couple of years."

"What do you mean?"

No one else was around, so Anko supposed there was no harm in telling Kurenai.

"I think Kakashi plans to make Naruto his apprentice early on, to prepare him to take his place when he's ready to step down."

"Really?" she said, surprised. "He's thought that far ahead already?"

"Heh, I don't think Naruto will let him forget about it."

Kurenai rested her chin on the back of her hand and smiled. "It's funny… In a way, those kids were like his salvation. Now he'll do anything for them, and if he has a chance to help Naruto fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage, he certainly would do all in his power to make that a reality."

"Wait…what?"

"You've never had a squad of genin, but believe me, they change you. Perhaps the biggest transformation I've witnessed was Kakashi's. He'd likely never admit it in so many words, but it's clear that he loves all of them as if they were his own."

Anko suddenly remembered her and Kakashi's conversation in the park just before he'd left the village. She chuckled. "Right. He just didn't have to change their diapers."

"Now there's an image… Kakashi trying to change a diaper."

"I'm sure he could do it, but nobody better ask me!" she said with a grin.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Luckily Kenta's already potty trained."

A light knock came at the open door to the gardens, and the two women looked up to see Kakashi leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you," he said to Anko.

Anko smirked. "You couldn't have waited half an hour?"

"I guess I could have…"

"So, how's it going?" asked Kurenai as Kakashi walked into the kitchen, stopping beside the table and leaning his hands on the top of an empty chair.

He sighed. "I keep waiting for the workload to lessen—keep hoping that it'll be easier after the ceremony—but I know it won't…"

"Aw, poor Kakashi. He can't sit around reading and shirking his responsibilities anymore," said Kurenai with a giggle. Anko laughed.

"…Is this what you guys do when you're together? Sit around and pick on me?"

"Well we were imagining you attempting to change a diaper," said Anko.

"I'll pass… But I'd like to see you try," he said pointedly.

"Ugh, no way."

"Just as well. You'd probably put it on the baby's head…"

Kurenai covered her mouth to keep from spitting out her tea.

"Excuse me, I may not have any maternal instincts, but I'm not stupid," said Anko, crossing her arms.

"No, but you do like shenanigans…"

For some reason, the image of Naruto with a diaper on his head flew to the front of mind. "…Fair point."

"You two kill me," said Kurenai with a smile, thinking that they were indeed perfect for each other. Their easy chemistry was practically visible. If only Asuma had been able to see Kakashi's happy ending.

X-X-X

The next day, the Kage began to arrive. The first was Lord Gaara, followed by the Raikage and the Mizukage. Other village leaders came throughout the days as well, and they were quartered in an apartment-style building not far from the Hokage's residence.

Tsuchikage Onoki and his usual entourage were the last to arrive. As Onoki shook hands with both Lady Tsunade and Kakashi, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi kneeled to show their respect.

"Thank you for coming, Lord Tsuchikage," said Kakashi. "It's always a pleasure."

"Yes, well I'm getting too old to be making these trips all the time, so don't count on me to come running every time you have some big event."

"Surely not. You didn't have to attend, but we're glad you could make it."

"Of course. As much as I hate to take the spotlight away from you on this day, Kakashi—"

Kurotsuchi made a disbelieving sound.

"—I have some news regarding the fate of the Hidden Stone."

"Oh?"

Onoki nodded. "I've decided to plan for my retirement."

"Really now?" said Tsunade. "I didn't think you'd give up your position so easily."

"He wouldn't if he wasn't getting so old," said Kurotsuchi.

The old man grumbled. So much for preserving his dignity.

"I assume you'll be taking his place, Kurotsuchi?" asked Anko.

"That's right. In six months' time, I'll take Gramps's place as the Fourth Tsuchikage."

"Yes, well, she has a lot to learn about humility before that time…" said Onoki.

"Forgive me for saying so, Lord Tsuchikage, but humility doesn't exactly run in your lineage, does it?" teased Tsunade.

Akatsuchi gave a good-natured laugh.

"And subtlety doesn't run in yours," the old man fired back with a huff.

Kakashi gave a nervous laugh. "Come on now, we're all friends here." He looked to Kurotsuchi. "It looks as though you and I will be working together at times then, won't we?"

"Looks that way."

A knock came at the door, and Tsunade called for the visitor to enter. All eyes turned to watch as the door swung open, and Ibiki walked inside. His eyes immediately landed on Kurotsuchi, but he looked quickly back to the Hokage.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Pardon me, but all guests have arrived and been successfully cleared. There have been no reports of threats or suspicious activity, so the village should be secure for tomorrow's ceremony. My men have handed over security detail to the ANBU Black Ops."

"Thank you, Ibiki. Please keep us informed. I trust you and your agents to remain diligent."

Anko stood just behind Kakashi, watching as Kurotsuchi kept her eyes trained on the head of the intelligence division. Ibiki was also aware of Kurotsuchi's eyes on him, but here spared her no more than a glance as he turned to leave.

"Ibiki," said Tsunade.

"Hm?"

"Tonight is our dinner with the foreign diplomats. We would like to extend an invitation for you to join us as well."

He turned back to her and gave a bow of his head. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade, but I still have work to do. Give my regards to the village leaders."

"Will do. Thank you again."

As he left the room, Kurotsuchi's eyes followed him. She knew that then was not the time nor place for them to see one another, but she couldn't stop the disappointment she always felt as she watched him walk away. She had three days in the Hidden Leaf. Surely she would be able to steal a private moment with him sometime.

Anko ducked her head once Ibiki had gone. Formalities aside, she could tell that he had seemed more distant than usual. In fact, he'd seemed far too tense when he'd spotted Kurotsuchi and he'd made it a point not to look in her direction. She sighed quietly, hoping that Ibiki wouldn't be that big of an ass and break the poor girl's heart because of his own stupidity.

"Speaking of," said Kakashi. "The dinner will be in just a few hours. I can show you where you'll be staying so you may rest up from your long journey, and we can reconvene this evening for dinner and conversation."

"Sounds great to me," said Akatsuchi.

"By all means," said Onoki.

The dinner was held in the banquet room of the Hokage's residence. Both Tsunade and Kakashi gave introductory remarks, thanking their guests for attending. Once the formalities were over, the dining commenced, all the leaders sitting around a one large table. Kakashi sat at the head of the table, Tsunade to his right and Anko to his left. Kurotsuchi sat next to Anko, Onoki on her other side.

The conversation took many turns, but the focus eventually settled on Kakashi and how he planned to approach his leadership of the village. After a while, he decided to switch the focus to Kurotsuchi and her future as the Fourth Tsuchikage for a few reasons: first, he was genuinely curious to hear from her and to get to know more about her; second, he was growing weary of being the center of attention; and third…he was really hungry and he wanted to be able to eat slyly without anyone seeing his face.

Of all the things that he knew he would struggle with as Hokage, eating at dinners like this one was not something he'd actually contemplated…

X-X-X

The dinner and the chatter went on surprisingly late into the evening. As the host, Kakashi was unable to retire to a quiet place until each of the diplomats returned to their rooms for the evening. Sometimes formalities and pleasantries were a pain.

While Akatsuchi left with Onoki, Kurotsuchi stayed behind to chat with Anko. Kakashi could tell that the two women were fast becoming friends, and so he no longer felt obligated to stick around. His head had been spinning for hours as he was again met with the reality of the overwhelming responsibilities associated with the position of Hokage.

He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Kurotsuchi, I'm glad I've gotten to know you a bit better this evening. I feel confident that our villages will work well together."

"No doubt. It's good to get to know the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi. I think you'll do great as the Hokage."

"Much appreciated. I see that the two of you are getting along well. Would you mind if I excused myself? There's…something I need to do."

"Go ahead. You've done enough, and you need your rest for tomorrow."

"Thank you for understanding." He turned to Anko. "I'll meet you downstairs in bit."

She nodded. "I won't be long."

He left them then, thankful that the guards said nothing as he passed through the otherwise empty halls. It had been a very long day, and tomorrow was sure to be even longer.

Looking for silence and solace, Kakashi stopped outside the door to the memorial room. He pushed open the door, and stepped inside, closing it behind him. It was dark, save for the moonlight spilling in through the windows.

With slumped, tired shoulders, he slowly walked further into the room, sitting on the sofa and looking at the faces of each of the previous Hokage as they stared back at him from their frames—determined, regal, imposing—their legacies a heavy weight that threatened to crush him.

Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, two of the founders of the Hidden Leaf; Hiruzen Sarutobi, the great teacher of the Will of Fire; Kakashi's Sensei, Minato Namikaze, the savior of the Hidden Leaf Village; and finally, Lady Tsunade, the Hokage who saw the village through great devastation again and again, and whose strength led to its retained resilience and newly formed alliances as she worked to meet her grandfather's dreams of peace.

Great leaders, deserving of the memorializing immortality they had forged by etching their legacies onto the village and launching it further into a brighter future.

Yet, there he sat, the child prodigy who had been too arrogant for his own good, and the good of his teammates. The self-absorbed, self-righteous, misguided boy who had foolishly believed that he had become a man. The cold, distant, and calculating young Jonin who had distanced himself from others when he couldn't bear to face his own mistakes. The man who continued to shy away from responsibility, who did not want the village, nor the rest of the Shinobi world, to look up to him for guidance, for surely he would mislead them if they put too much faith in him.

Yes, Kakashi Hatake had a legacy; a legacy of mistakes. A legacy of bloodshed. A legacy of regret.

He vaguely heard the door slide open behind him, but he was too lost in his own thoughts to really register the sound or the footsteps that slowly approached.

Anko had a sense of déjà vu as she walked into the room, staring at the head and shoulders of the man before her. Only this time, it wasn't the Third Hokage who sat on the sofa; it was the future Sixth Hokage. He did not sit straight, as Lord Third had done. Instead, he was slumped forward, elbows on his knees.

Quietly, she walked further into the room.

"Hey. I didn't see you downstairs. What are you doing in here?"

He heard her, and her voice snapped him out of drowning in the depths of his thoughts of self-doubt, but he said nothing.

She frowned, sensing that something was wrong. "You're doing it again, aren't you?" she asked, coming to stand behind him. "You're questioning whether you'll be a good Hokage."

Kakashi closed his eyes with a resigned sigh. "You know me too well."

Anko glanced up at the portraits of the former Hokage, looking from one to the next. She supposed she could understand why his looming responsibilities bothered him so much, especially when he looked into the eyes of the village's great leaders, past and present.

She walked around the side of the sofa and sat next to him, joining him in his contemplative silence. After some time, she asked, "What are you thinking?"

He stared into the painted eyes of his Sensei, then into the eyes of Lord Third.

"Perhaps I won't make any catastrophic mistakes. Maybe I'll even be a decent Hokage. But I won't be as great as the other Hokage. Not like Hashirama. Not like my Sensei. Not like Lord Third or Lady Tsunade. They rose to the challenge, and they all did great things. Me? I was dragged unwillingly into this role, and although I'm committed to it, and committed to my village…I guess I fear that I'll pale in comparison to them; that I won't leave behind some great legacy."

"But you already have."

Taken aback by her quick and confident assertion, Kakashi turned his head to look at Anko. She met his gaze evenly, unwavering.

"What do you mean?"

"Kakashi, most Shinobi aren't widely known. Some of them are. These include the Kage, the Sanin, a few rogue ninja, that crazy kid Naruto, and you; The Copy Ninja—Kakashi of the Sharingan."

"Yes, and for a long time I was known for terrible things. Do you know what they used to call me?"

"It doesn't matter. You know what was in your heart. And the world knows what's in your heart now. There's a reason you failed every Academy student prior to Team 7, and there is a reason that the daimyo chose you as Tsunade's successor in the first place.

"Don't you see? You already have a legacy. A legacy of duty, responsibility, and honor; of strength and courage; of kindness, humility, humanity, and self-sacrifice; of fortitude and dedication to your comrades. I know you don't see it, but I believe that you have and will continue to gain great wisdom, just like Lord Third."

Touched, Kakashi said, "You really believe that?"

"Of course I do. You know as well as I do that Lord Third made his own mistakes. But he didn't let those mistakes define him or hold him back. He learned from them and allowed those lessons to transform him. You're no different than he is. And you're no different than your Sensei, or any of the previous Hokage. You have lain down your life time and time again for this village, and as much as I don't want to think about your death, I know you will continue to do so until your last breath."

He looked back at the portraits of the former Hokage. "That I will…"

Anko laid a hand on his arm. "You're a great man and a great Shinobi. Trust me when I say that you're going to make a great Hokage, too."

Kakashi remained silent as he reflected on her convictions. He was nearly thirty-two years old. He was no longer that misguided kid who let his teammates die. He was no longer a cold and calculating member of the ANBU Black Ops. He was a man who had learned from his mistakes and who had become better because of them.

Everything Anko had said was true. He was kind, responsible, duty-bound, humble, dedicated, and willing to lay down his life for his village and his comrades. His Sensei and the teammates that he honored every day had taught him some very valuable lessons that he had carried into adulthood. Many of the younger Shinobi in the village often sought out his advice and wisdom. Perhaps he already did have a legacy. And if that was the case, why was he worrying about living up to the title of Hokage? Hadn't he more than proven himself worthy of it? Tsunade and the daimyo appeared to think so.

He gave a short, quiet laugh.

"You know…you're right. I have never considered myself one of the greats, and I still don't, but I suppose Minato-Sensei never considered himself great—nor Lord Third. Certainly Lady Tsunade isn't full of herself either. What made them great wasn't what they were, but rather who they were. They were true to themselves, and to the village, and that's all I ever want to be."

"And that's exactly who you are."

After a moment, Kakashi looked back at her, gratitude in his grey eye. "Thank you, Anko."

She took his hand and smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

A/N: Believe it or not, I am going somewhere with this Ibiki/Kurotsuchi thing if you couldn't tell, and it will be connected to Anko and Kakashi so it won't be a completely irrelevant side plot. :D I already wrote a scene for those two for the next chapter!

Also, I'm so into this pairing that when I see Kakashi paired with anyone else on DA, I get a little agitated. Anko and Kakashi are my OTP. Period. Well, I guess Ibiki and Kurotsuchi are my other one now…