Chapter 6.

Kakashi sat in the conference room of the Hokage's Tower, never in his life he had such a strong desire to be anywhere else but not there. Spending hours upon hours with those people was maddening. Two others were sitting on both sides from him in front of Danzou's desk. One of them, Hageshi Hikohiro, a fat and pursy man, whose only asset for Danzou was his money. He was a civilian merchant with dubious reputation, but due to a fortunate streak of events became Danzou's personal purse. Hageshi got exclusive contracts on Konoha projects, which allowed him to quickly become rich and rise as a prominent figure in Fire Country's business. The fact that his money was effectively stolen from Konoha goes without saying.

Hageshi was as cowardly as he was ruthless and arrogant, which made him easy to control, a perfect ally for a control freak such as Danzou. However, even Danzou's patience was wearing thin, as Hageshi became increasingly more confident, his self-conceit outweighing his fear of Danzo on some minor occasions. Kakashi suspected it won't be long until the man is removed from Danzou's inner circle. Still, he posed a significant problem until then. Kakashi heard that Hageshi was monopolizing numerous fields of business in Fire Country, aggressively buying out smaller companies. Those who refused to yield were mysteriously found missing or dead not long after. Despite the antimonopoly laws he was able to escape justice, probably due to bribing officials and Danzou's protection. Kakashi had to deal with the man before his corruption caused too much damage to his village's economy.

"Danzou-sama," Hageshi started, sounding as feeble as always, "about the Hyuga business…"

"I have already told you, Hageshi, Hyuga is one of Konoha's biggest assets."

"But–"

"Will ya shut up already," drawled another figure, who up until this point had been quiet. "You wanna deal with Hyugas, go do it yourself. Oh, I forgot, you are a useless piece of shit who can't even throw a kunai to save his life."

The second man who made his voice was a robust looking fellow, whom Kakashi recognized as Kasai Manobu. They'd met before, when he 'supervised' the explosion that shook Konoha both literally and figuratively.

Manobu was a polar opposite to Hageshi in many ways. Unfortunately, in ways that counted the most the two were very much alike. Both did what they did without paying any heed to the suffering they caused others as a result. That alone made the two disgusting in Kakashi's eyes. However, Kasai was considered as a far more of a threat by Kakashi. Even among Root and other mercenaries he was considered as a shinobi of high caliber. A capable ninja, with an impressive set of offensive techniques of high destructive ability. At least, that's what his file read. Kakashi never saw him in battle, but the man held himself with confidence, and his eyes were that of a seasoned killer.

Unlike the rest of the Root, Kasai Manobu was apparently allowed some liberties with his Hokage. He spoke bluntly, treading on disrespect. And although his loyalty was questionable at best, the man was good at what he did. Perhaps that was why Danzou overlooked his attitude. Coupled with his explosive temper, it meant that the only person able to restrain him was the Hokage himself. The man was rude and very dismissive of everyone, especially civilians. Kasai viewed non-ninjas as weak and insignificant. Thus, a man like him in a position of power was a promise of considerable civilian casualties. Thankfully, Danzou was wise enough to keep him as his leutenant, putting his destructive potential to use by distracting him with sabotage missions outside the borders of Fire, or giving him covert work inside the village. Still, with Root's growing influence Kasai posed a major threat as one of its leaders, even though he wasn't officially part of the organization.

"That will be enough, Manobu," Danzou spoke, not thrilled to play the peacemaker between his two subordinates. Seeing as his jaw tightened ever so slightly whenever Kasai opened his mouth, Kakashi could deduce that the man won't be missed by their Hokage if something were to happen to him.

'Good,' Kakashi thought, 'it would be easier to get rid of him.'

Weirdly enough, Danzou's former teammates and current council members, Homura and Koharu were not present in the meeting. Kakashi guessed it was because Danzou didn't want the two to know of the things about to be discussed. Old councilors were surprisingly just in most matters, frequently arguing with their Hokage about his policies. Sandaime didn't keep them for nothing, it seemed.

The two were certainly conservative, but they provided a different perspective, which every leader with absolute power needs if they want their rule to be remotely fair. Danzou, however, was not particularly thrilled with having them constantly nag him about every decision he made. Kakashi suspected that today they were planning to get rid of the two, among other things. The question was whether Danzou had enough sentiment left in him to force them to retire, and not kill them. Kakashi's thoughts were disrupted by their Hokage's voice.

"Gentlemen, I called you here to discuss certain matters," he started with his usual slightly hoarse voice, looking as severe as ever. He looked considerably older than before he took his post, heavy bags under his eyes and overall weary appearance. Kakashi sometimes wondered why the man even became Hokage. "First order of business," he said, looking at Kasai, "report, Manobu."

The man addressed grunted in acknowledgement. "Boys and I managed to narrow down the area in which Orochimaru is likely hiding," he said, voice devoid of enthusiasm. "Had to rattle a few places up, but eventually we found some guy who claimed to see the fucker around the mountains to the east. We reckon his hideout is somewhere around there."

"How does someone notice Orochimaru and live to tell the tale?" Kakashi inquired. "He is not the type of a person to live witnesses." Internally he was hoping that they would pursue the Snake Sannin. It would distract Danzou from Sasuke and Tsunade – the ones he should really be afraid of.

"Beats me. The wimp was pretty weak, beggin' for his life, barely started torturing him! Had good stealth skills though. Spent three days tracking him, fucker didn't have any smell and could literally go invisible." Then he smiled, "Was fun gettin' rid of the rat."

Okay, Kakashi thought, understanding why this information was remotely reliable. Doesn't matter how powerful you are, if there is someone who can become virtually insensible you are not going to notice them. And he suspected that Orochimaru in his haste did not have time to take all the precautions. No wonder he was noticed. It was just unlucky for the Snake Sannin that out of all the possibilities, it was a rare shinobi who could mask their scent and become invisible saw him. Kakashi knew from experience that there is no way to find them unless you have a powerful doujutsu, like the Sharingan, or you systematically and continuously search for them, as Kasai and Root did.

"Assuming that he was telling the truth," Danzou said, considering the possibility of a ninja with such stealth skills going unnoticed by the mad Sannin, "I expect you to find Orochimaru's base within the next six months."

"Sure, boss, just remember ta bring as many of your most badassest rooties when you go smoke 'im out. Motherfucker is crazy strong, not to mention just plain crazy."

Kakashi doubted that Orochimaru had much left in him after losing all of his hideouts and surrogate bodies. Nevertheless, he had no desire to share his thoughts.

"Your input is unnecessary, Kasai," Danzou rubbed his eyes, finally tired of the man's vulgarity. "You are dismissed."

Kasai was all too happy to oblige. Sauntering towards the exit, the mercenary threw one last suggestive glance Kakashi's way, before proceeding to leave. Once the door was closed behind the man, Danzou continued.

"Now, about my dear teammates, Homura and Koharu…"

Hageshi, who'd been unnerved by Kasai's presence this whole time, perked up after the man left. It was almost marvelous how his attitude changed when there was no one that he feared around. Too bad for him, Kakashi thought. Danzou did not like when his subordinates feared someone before him.

Observing Hageshi's mousy and sweaty self shuffling about was one of Kakashi's least favorite pastimes. At least when he wasn't scared he spared everyone of this annoying behaviour.

"We can always just kill them," Hageshi said, raising his chubby hand full of jewellery. His short stature and cruel tendencies reminded Kakashi of Gatou. Unlike Gatou, though, Hageshi had no cunning in himself. "I know some guys…"

"I do not wish to treat my former comrades with such cruelty. They simply wish the best for this village, as do I," Danzou responded, clearly expecting that sort of advice from someone with political awareness of a shrimp. "However, their opposition started to interfere with Konoha's goals, so something must be done."

'He really thinks he is in the right, huh.' Kakashi couldn't believe how delusional Danzou was, to believe that his goals aligned with Konoha's best interests…

"Perhaps, we should suggest retirement, sir," Kakashi began, before Hageshi could suggest something equally stupid. His worries were misplaced, it seemed, as the man next to him didn't even look like he was interested in the matter.

"I've already considered this, Hatake, and that indeed would seem to be most appropriate. I do not think, however, that our esteemed councilors will ever agree to retire."

On that, Kakashi could agree with Danzou. He could see those two still advising Naruto when he becomes Hokage. He smiled, thinking about that knucklehead. Hopefully, it won't be long until he gets out of prison. He was certain that Shikamaru and his friends were planning something of sorts. Before that, however, Kakashi needed to prepare everything else.

"I will make sure they agree," he promised. "They'll resign by the end of next week."

"Very well. See to it that they do."

After dealing with the councilors issue, they moved on to discuss other matters. It was growing dark by the time meeting ended, with all present getting tired. Danzou and Kakashi due to all the workload associated with managing the village. Hageshi? He lost interest in this meeting the moment his petty problems were resolved. Hearing the dismissal, Kakashi didn't need to be told twice to remove himself from Hokage's office.

Kakashi didn't know what made him choose the longer road home, but by some act of uncharacteristic dare, he was spurred to take a scenic route along the river quay. Despite the pleasant view, with the soft sunset light coloring the water and sky in its afterglow, Kakashi's walk wasn't as enjoyable. People around cowered upon seeing him, steering clear from his way. It would've been funny how civilians immediately hurried to the other side of the road from his, had it not been so sad. Their expressions, varying from fear to revulsion, showed him that even among civilians his reputation was far from stellar.

Traitor. Coward. Danzou's lapdog.

He didn't hear anything like that from them, of course, but he didn't need them to say it. Their opinion of him was perfectly clear without any verbal expression. Sometimes, though, a rare ninja that felt brave that day did say those things. It was their lucky day if they weren't overheard by any Root agents when they expressed their displeasure in such a vocal manner. People end up in trouble for lesser things than criticizing Danzou and his inner circle. Fools.

Your opinion is of no use if you are dead. And Kakashi tried to make sure that those who were particularly vocal did not end up executed or "missing". He sent them to prison, which was a far better fate than being killed by an overzealous Root ninja. Some would say it is cruel to send people to prison for expressing their opinion, but Kakashi knew, having access to Konoha authorities' documents, that people who were prone to expressing their opinion too much got "removed". So, he acted preemptively, sending people that were about to have an elimination order on them to jail. Many an activist were saved by that neat little trick. That's not to say that what he did was right. And sometimes, though, some of those prisoners end up "taking their own lives". Of course, the shady circumstances of such a "suicide" would not be questioned by the authorities.

Kakashi only hoped that not many people will meet that fate. He was proud of his people for speaking out against Danzou and him, but he couldn't help but wish that they, especially civilians, were a bit more reserved about their opinions. A bit smarter.

The last Hatake walked up closer to a riverbank along his way home. It was one of the favorites for local fishermen. Fond memories flooded Kakashi's mind, when he used to come here every day to catch his dinner. It was one of the few places where he could truly relax and clear his mind. Copy Nin was surprised to spot some children playing in the water. The curfew was nearing, but it seemed the kids have forgotten about time with all the fun they were having. And was that a bow in that boy's hands?

"Told you I can hit a fish with an arrow," bragged the one with a bow.

"Wow, Saburou," said another, showing everyone an arrow that had a small troutlet pierced on it, "you really did shoot that fish!"

It was too easy for Kakashi to suddenly appear behind the kid with a bow, and that was exactly what he did, startling the poor lad. "Shouldn't you kids be at home? The curfew starts in an hour."

The other brats hightailed as soon as they saw who was talking to them, leaving that Saburou guy alone. Kakashi frowned, picking up the arrow with the fish they left behind and handing the boy his prize.

"Go home, kid."

Said kid, who'd been silent all the while, sent him a nasty glare.

"Who are you? And why did you scare my friends?" he miffed, snatching the arrow from the man's outstretched hand. "We were just playing."

"Haven't your friends told you that there is a curfew in this village?" Kakashi ignored the boy's question, already turning towards the road. "You must be at home before nine."

Copy Nin could feel the brat wanted to throw a last word of his own – kids these days… Thankfully, some old fisher who was going home with his catch came down to check what all the ruckus was about and stopped the boy. Kakashi saw fear come over the old man's face at the sight of him but was relieved to see that the man still intended to protect the kid, even though they were obviously strangers. He let the man handle the kid and went on his way, hoping that he won't meet anyone else along.

His walk of shame came to an end when he finally got home. He still couldn't get used to having someone else apart from him live in his house. Even after weeks of living with Hinata he felt that something was wrong as he approached and saw that lights were on. After a momentary rush of paranoia, he remembered that his wife and Hanabi were inside, and wanted to slap himself. It had been a long day.

Still somewhat cautious, Kakashi reached out for the girls' chakra. He wasn't a sensor, but he could easily detect two shinobi, especially when they were not masking their chakra (he put a mental note to teach Hanabi that). Relieved to sense that apart from his wife and her sister nobody was around, and finally reassured, he pushed the door open to enter the house.

"I'm ho–"

Kakashi couldn't finish, too surprised he was noticing a bucket full of water falling on him, about to spill its contents. If he were a lesser ninja and less paranoid… ahem, cautious… he would've fallen for it. However, being himself, Kakashi saw the bucket coming and had plenty of time to react. Thinking that there was no harm in getting splashed with a little water, he calmly awaited the prank to land. Goodness knows maybe it will even freshen him up.

Hinata heard the door creaking and her husband's voice. She didn't know why she indulged Hanabi this stupid prank, but there was no turning back now. If she were honest, she kind of wanted to see what will happen. Perhaps she wanted to act a little childish too, or perhaps she was sure there was no way Kakashi couldn't dodge it. Shockingly, the prank connected, and before them stood wet Kakashi with a bucket for a hat. Immediately Hanabi started to laugh. Understandable, it did present for a funny picture.

"Man, I can't believe you fell for it," she guffawed, clutching her stomach.

Hinata let a small giggle escape, before she sensed that something was wrong. The very air seemed heavy and cold. She looked up from where she and Hanabi were on the couch towards Kakashi and nearly gasped. He was immediately towering above them, removing the bucket and revealing a terrifying look behind.

"Who did this?" he asked, voice chill and low, his normally mild expression giving way to a cold storm underneath.

Hanabi stilled, stunned by his sudden hostile behavior. Hinata was shocked too. Kakashi was not the type to get so upset over a silly prank.

"Kakashi," she tried, only to get interrupted.

"Who. Did. This."

His tone was severe, leaving no room for excuses, but not really making it easy to confess.

"I"–Hanabi looked at the floor, lost–"it was just a prank."

"And how exactly was that supposed to be funny?"

"Hey, not my fault you have no sense of humor!" the girl challenged, looking him in the eye. She wished she didn't, for his expression became much scarier. In the window at his side appeared a bright flash of light, and Hanabi jumped, hearing a loud roar of thunder coming from outside. Kakashi seemed unfazed. In fact, the lightning and thunder made his appearance even more ominous. Hinata decided to put an end to this madness.

"Kakashi," she looked at him seriously, "calm yourself down. It was just a joke!"

He averted his eyes on her, and a chill ran down Hinata's spine. Still, she won't back down, not when her sister is at the end of his fury. She steeled her nerves, putting on the hardest expression any Hyuga would be proud of, and addressed her husband once more.

"Listen, this is ridiculous. If you want to know so badly, then it was me. I did it! But I didn't expect you to get so angry!" disappointment was evident in her voice. She really did think Kakashi would be more mature.

Before Kakashi could say anything, Hanabi stood between Hinata and him.

"She's lying," Hanabi said. "Neechan would never do something so silly! It was me."

Kakashi regarded the two. Both sisters were standing before him with apparent fear in their eyes. However, not a single sign of doubt when protecting each other. Despite everything, each of them was willing to stand up for their sister and take the hit. Had it been the bell test, they would've passed with flying colors. He decided to end this spectacle, he had a feeling it went too far anyway.

Hinata and Hanabi looked at the imposing figure in front of them. Thunder continued raging outside, creating an eerie air around the dangerous man. They tensed, taking battle stances to prepare for an upcoming attack. They were not, however, prepared to what came next.

Kakashi raised his hand, waited a dramatic moment for a lightning to flash, and…

"Well done!" he smiled, giving the two thumbs up. "I am proud of you two!"

Seeing that their startled faces did not change, he felt the need to add, "I am not angry, guys. I was just kidding."

And just like that, a dam was broken through. Hanabi gaped like a fish. Kakashi's amusement was cut short when he noticed his wife's expression. There were many types of angry Hinata, he learned that day. He also learned that not a single one of them was good if directed at you.

"What the hell do you mean 'Well done'!" she yelled. "Is it your idea of a joke? Because neither Hanabi nor I are amused."

Kakashi backed off, but Hinata continued advancing on him, murder evident in her eyes. Nothing helped to placate her, not his sheepish expression, not even a "please", and Kakashi was aware what powerful magic the word contained (Kushina-sama made sure to beat it into his thick skull). Only a miracle could save him now, he resigned. And to think that he just wanted to prank Hanabi in return…

It was a few seconds until Hanabi finally caught up with what was happening. Thunder that appeared out of the blue had somehow vanished, as if there was no storm at all. Hinata was slowly pushing Kakashi further towards the opposite wall. Poor man looked absolutely helpless, mumbling something about her sister being unfair and magical words, whatever that meant. The whole sight looked and felt surreal, especially after what happened just moments ago. That, Hanabi realized, made it even funnier. Not only she got to prank him, but also got a front row ticket to see Hinata chew him out. His own prank backfired hilariously. All in all, Hanabi was pleased.

Kakashi was readying himself for a lengthy lecture unlike any he had before, when he heard laughter. The brat had a nerve to sit there on the couch and laugh at his misfortune. Little rascal. She slid off to the floor, suffocating from her own laughter. Hinata saw it too. She looked incredulously between her sister and her husband, feeling the giggle bubble up in her against her will. Now it was Kakashi's turn to be confused. And they called him weird…

He didn't dwell on it for long, he wanted a miracle and he got it, no reason to complain. So, he chuckled too, at first it was one of those fake chuckles you make when you don't want to offend another, but soon it turned to a full-blown laughter. It dawned on him, the whole absurdity of this situation!

After such a horrible day, these crazy shenanigans were just the thing he needed to unwind. His wife, with a juicy black eye, scolding him because of a prank gone bad. It was all that bucket's fault! It now uselessly lied on the floor under his feet. Hanabi got up when the laughter died down, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Man, you should've seen your face," she told him, regaining her breath. "Best prank ever!"

"Now, Hanabi-chan, this is hardly the way to treat your elders," Kakashi pouted.

"What's the matter, old man? Upset that no one helped you cross the road?" she gloated.

"That's quite enough, Hanabi-chan," Hinata told her sister off. She tried to be stern but couldn't muster the expression. She then turned to Kakashi and told him that it was not a healthy idea of a joke.

"Maa, sorry, sorry," he apologized. "It's just that I had a similar experience with my students before. They were about Hanabi-chan's age too. Sakura looked like she was about to cry… What? It was fun!"

Hinata didn't know how scaring kids to death was supposed to be fun, but she got the sentiment.

"Kakashi," she told him, "please refrain from scaring us like that anymore."

Kakashi just looked at his wife sheepishly. Behind her, he noticed Hanabi stick out her tongue at him. 'Oh, she's so going to get it.'

For now, he was glad that everything went well. Not to mention that he really was proud of his wife and Hanabi-chan. He did not lie when he said it, their bond was stronger than anything in this world. A true bond of friendship.

The dinner, much to Hinata's relief, was a peaceful affair. Hinata and Hanabi quietly chatted while Kakashi was content in listening and observing them. Hanabi volunteered to wash the dishes, while the other two had their 'boring adult talk' as she called it. In truth, it was just Kakashi asking his wife how things were so far and them discussing anything that came up to their minds. Kakashi asked if she was okay with staying alone for ten days while Kakashi and Hanabi were on the trip to Suna. Hinata replied that she didn't mind. They discussed some other trivial things, clearing up any misunderstandings. Each never mentioned the bad things that happened during their day, not wanting to burst the comfortable bubble. Hinata did not say about the gossip around their marriage and her recent black eye, and Kakashi was sick of thinking about his work. Instead, he was happy to inform her that he apologized to Kurenai.

"Let's just say that apology was accepted," he replied mysteriously. He didn't want to dwell on the subject, it wasn't a pleasant one. Kurenai was surprisingly forgiving, he supposed that she suspected it was connected to the recent explosion. And it was probably more for Hinata's benefit than his, but he didn't voice his thoughts. For now, it was enough. Later though, when everything is finished, he would have to talk with every one of his friends, explain himself and properly apologize.

He wished the sisters goodnight when it was time for him to go to his study.

As much as he hated it, he had some work to do. He planned many big things, and for their success he needed to know of the status of resistance in the village. He was aware that Shikamaru had something going on; the Nara was very cautious, but his inexperience showed as Copy Nin was able to gather quite a bit of information. Kakashi frowned, if Shikamaru wanted things to work, he needed to be even more careful. Otherwise, if a ninja with eight ninken could fish out so much, then what could a whole network of Root intelligence find?

No, they absolutely needed a wake up call, and he had a perfect way of providing it. With a slap of his palm on his desk he summoned Pakkun.

"Hey, Boss, how's it going?" asked the pug after taking in his surroundings.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted his ninja hound, "I have a mission for you. Can you write?"

"I understand human language and know the letters," Pakkun shrugged, "so probably yes. Although I can assure you, it won't look pretty."

"Perfect," the Copy Ninja said with a grin, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "I'll dictate and you write."

Pakkun sighed resignedly, long used to his old friend's "genius" ideas. It was turning out to be a long night.

"Oh, you'll have to deliver it, so make sure there is no smell," Kakashi added cheerfully.

That night, Pakkun regretted not teaching the alphabet to Biscuit.

Shikamaru always enjoyed having these late night tea conversations with Kurenai-sensei. He supposed he had Kakashi to thank for that, seeing as how Hatake was the one who forced Kurenai out of her apartment. Unlike many of his comrades, though, Shikamaru didn't hold that against the Copy Ninja. With the events unfolded it was clearly a mercy on his part, as Kurenai was spared from the explosion that would have surely hit her apartment.

Kakashi Hatake was always a mystery to Shikamaru. And the Nara genius liked to challenge his brain, so solving that particular mystery was always somewhere there, at the rim of his mind. Now, it seemed the time has come for him to tackle that particular challenge.

He took a sip of his coffee.

"You said he apologized?" Interesting…

"Yeah, came up to me out of the blue like he usually does, and said he was sorry," Kurenai said, gently rocking Mirai to sleep. "I'm telling you; he was definitely looking out for me."

That much Shikamaru understood. The question was whether his consideration ended at that or there was more to it.

"You also mentioned a compensation."

"Yeah," the woman waved her free hand in dismissal, "he wanted to give me money, but I refused. Told him to use it for the village's benefit. He kind of looked deep in thought before agreeing. Do you think he is really going to do something?"

"Do something as in with the money, or do something in general?"

"Both."

"Probably on first and definitely on second," Shikamaru replied after a moment of thought.

"Well, I'm going to put Mirai to bed," the mother said, standing up. "Don't stay up too late."

The Nara clan head only nodded, his mind was already somewhere else with speculations and strategies about upcoming days. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden loud sound from outside the window. Shikamaru quickly sprung up, listening. It sounded like somebody landed right outside, but there was nothing that followed up.

Carefully approaching the window, he peeked outside – you can never be too cautious in a ninja village – nobody was there. Leaning out, he looked around, his eyes spotting a small piece of paper on the ground. Curious, he picked it up, examining it in the process.

It was a simple letter; no signature, no address. Just a few lines of words.

"Where tree leaves dance... One will find flames... The fire's shadow will illuminate the village... And once again the tree leaves shall bud anew."

Nara head's eyes widened, words on the parchment ringing a bell. He remembered those words! It was Third Hokage's poem he read to them back when they were in the Academy…

But what did it all mean? Why would somebody leave a mysterious note right on his porch? Dozens of possibilities ran through young genius' mind, ranging from a simple prank to a warning to something sinister. In any case, he thought, others needed to know about this too.

Next morning it was Kakashi who woke up first.

He suspected Hanabi and Hinata would like something sweet, so he settled for making pancakes. He was a decent cook if he practiced the recipe, but he never made pancakes. Therefore, it was not surprising when an hour later Hinata and Hanabi found him in the middle of a very messy kitchen, flour dusting his silver hair. At least he finished the pancakes, he thought, as Hanabi started making fun of his clumsiness.

"You are right on time," he told them, unfazed.

Even Hinata looked amused. Kakashi brought the food, while Hinata helped to serve the table. The pancakes came out very thin and the texture was totally different. Other than that, they looked edible, so he supposed it wasn't such a waste after all. He ignored Hanabi's skeptical observation and allowed them to taste the first batch. Can't mess up the pancakes, he thought. Well, apart from the first few ones. And the kitchen. And his hair, apparently.

"You know," Hinata started, "this is pretty good."

Hanabi didn't say anything but her taking another serving spoke for itself.

"Well, eat up, because I've planned a whole morning of training for us," Copy Nin said proudly, accompanied by a mock groan from Hanabi and a giggle from Hinata.

As promised, after food they all went outside for training. This time Kakashi observed Hinata and Hanabi's exercises that he gave them the day before. He spent a good portion of his life designing this regimen, so they better not slack off. He eagerly corrected any errors, gave tips and answered their questions. It felt good to teach someone again. And judging by his new students' enthusiasm training with them will be a pleasure. Few hours later, when he was satisfied with their effort, he decided to use a break to relocate to one of the public training grounds.

"Why are we going to another training grounds, again?" asked Hanabi.

"I already told you, I have something in mind, and we cannot do it back at our own field."

"But you didn't tell us what."

Kakashi ignored her question. It was easier to explain once they got there.

"Okay, we are here."

With those words, Kakashi gestured towards the mountain near the Konoha training grounds. There were some ninjas training at the base of the rock. They noticed Kakashi and his two companions, stopping whatever practice they had. As soon as it was sure Kakashi was going to train there, they quietly left the area.

"What was that all about?" asked Hanabi. "There is plenty of space for all of us to train."

Hinata just looked empathically at Kakashi. It was clear that those people left because he arrived.

"Don't mind them, Hanabi-chan. We only need the rock anyway," Kakashi said, trying to appear nonchalant.

As if nothing happened, he proceeded to explain the purpose of their exercise: Hanabi and Hinata will take turns in climbing the rock without using chakra. Kakashi will observe and if necessary, intervene if he was sure they were going to fall. He prohibited the use of chakra, even if they did fall. That way, it would allow for trust to build between them, and more importantly, to build their discipline, together with strength and stamina.

He came up with this exercise when he was an academy student, and it helped him immensely throughout his training.

The rock itself was about as tall as a 9-story building. It had a peculiar shape, standing vertically a flat 90 degrees for the first half, after which it bent outwards at a steep angle, before becoming vertical once again. The kink was relatively long, for about 10 meters, and it was what made the exercise challenging. Climbing up vertically is easy for a ninja, with or without chakra. However, climbing at an angle, when your body is hanging from the surface and its weight pulling you down is no easy feat.

The girls were skeptical at first. It seemed easy to them, even with no chakra. How could climbing a stupid mountain help them, Hanabi asked? However, when Hinata went first, both of them understood how hard it actually was. As expected, Hinata had no trouble climbing the first part, but it got challenging at the kink. It was difficult to figure out how one should transfer from a straight angle to a steep surface, and it was even harder to climb the whole distance. Eventually, though, Hinata managed. She was too exhausted to climb back down, so Kakashi allowed her to use her chakra. She jumped down, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, feeling like her arms were about to fall off. She immediately flopped down on the ground, having no strength to stand anymore.

"This," she wheezed, gasping for breath, "was harder than I thought."

"You did well," Kakashi commented. "For your first time it was good enough. You managed to climb the whole distance." He tried to be more generous with his praise, as he remembered Kurenai once telling him how well Hinata responded to positive feedback.

"I guess it's my turn now," Hanabi sighed, already anticipating the struggle from that torture of an exercise. She only hoped that her muscles won't spasm her to death.

With a bit of warmup, the younger Hyuga started climbing. As with Hinata, she seemed to be doing well up until the kink. There, she stopped and didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"You sure it's possible?" she shouted down. A silly question, considering that her sister had demonstrated it just now.

"If you can't do it without it, you can use chakra. But do it with as little as possible," Kakashi yelled back.

Hanabi irately mumbled something that the two people below had no way of hearing, before finally continuing upwards.

"She is using chakra," Kakashi heard Hinata say beside him, her Byakugan activated. "But she is trying with very little, exactly as you said."

Kakashi's nod indicated that he expected no less. He kept observing, with an occasional correctional comment loud enough for Hanabi to hear. He seemed relaxed, disinterestedly watching her sister, but Hinata had a feeling that should Hanabi fall he would be there in an instant. Which is why she continued peacefully resting on the ground. Fortunately, her sister got through without any accidents. Again, Hanabi had to use chakra to get back down. She sprawled on the ground near Hinata, releasing a pleasant sigh from the feeling of cool grass on her heated body.

"Neesan," she turned to Hinata, panting, "how the hell did you do it with no chakra?"

Hanabi's expression directed at Hinata, a mix of incredulity and awe, was so like when Obito looked at him sometimes when they were kids. Kakashi looked at Hinata and noticed that she was grinning at her sister, saying gentle encouragements. The two sat up, Hanabi talking on how amazing her big sister was, while Hinata tried to be modest, but her smirk was betraying her intentions.

"Well done, Hanabi-chan," Kakashi praised the younger Hyuga as well. "I reckon you can do it without chakra in a few months' time."

He patted Hanabi's head, ruffling her hair. Hanabi, as usual, glared at him for ruining her hairdo. Even so, she seemed pleased enough. Hinata smiled warmly at their exchange. She knew that Kakashi wasn't the most outgoing of people but seeing him make such an effort with her little sister, there was no doubt he enjoyed her company. Could it be that the real Kakashi was the one she saw now, unaffected by his reputation and people's prejudice?

Hanabi, in her part, despite calling him names and showing exaggerated displeasure at his contact, longed for a friend. She certainly respected Kakashi's opinion, judging from her heeding his every word regarding training. Perhaps in time they could become the best of friends.

Hinata could only do her best and hope.

"Alright, you guys rest for a bit and we can continue here, or we can head back and train at home," Kakashi suggested.

"Not so fast, Gray-hair," Hanabi was becoming fond of that nickname. "You must finish your own training as well. Otherwise it won't be fair."

"Hanabi-chan, you don't train because I train. You shouldn't look at others."

"I think you should do it too," Hinata cut in. It wouldn't do for him to neglect his own practice for their benefit. "Hanabi is right, it is not fair for us to benefit from your exercise, while you yourself cannot."

Hinata's expression was innocent enough, but Kakashi had a feeling that the two were just ganging up on him again. Well, he thought, no harm in doing some exercise.

"Alright," Kakashi gave in. "You guys watch and learn how its done." With a wink, the jounin went towards the rock.

Fifteen minutes later, Hanabi and Hinata still couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"How is he doing it!?"

Hinata did not answer the rhetorical question. She kept watching Kakashi, who was in the middle of the sloped part of the rock, with one arm behind his back. The woman snorted. It was in his nature to challenge himself, she supposed. No wonder he is friends with Gai-sensei. Half an hour more, and he finished both climbing up and getting down. When he approached, he was panting, covered in sweat. He sat down near them, looking as exhausted as they had been. Hinata was glad to see some signs that he was human after all.

"Did you have to climb using only one hand?" she asked, bemused.

"Show off," Hanabi muttered beside her.

"That is the purpose of the exercise," Kakashi calmly told them, already beginning to regain his breath. "If it becomes easy, you make it harder. You continue this until the hardest becomes easy. This is how you are going to do it." Kakashi gave them a meaningful look.

Both sisters nodded readily, understanding completely. As a shinobi, you must seek every opportunity to better yourself; those who don't, end up dead. That's why ninjas who reach old age are generally respected. People like Danzou or Tsunade didn't reach their age by sitting idly and doing nothing. They were constantly on guard, and if you want to be on par with them you had to adopt the same mentality.

After some more training, Kakashi had to leave for work. Apparently, some conflict broke out in the market, and the police wasn't able to contain it. He hastily left with the two policemen who came to retrieve him, he told Hinata and Hanabi to continue their training.

After Kakashi's departure, Hinata couldn't help but worry. What kind of conflict could it be? Policemen wouldn't come to Kakashi just for any reason. It must be something serious if even Root-backed police had trouble containing the situation. She had half a mind to go after them, but Hanabi stopped her.

"Sis, there is no way for us to intervene. Police probably had cordoned off the area. Not to mention that Kakashi will have no trouble dealing with whatever happened. If it were something really dangerous, people would be evacuating, and Root would be everywhere."

"You are right," Hinata sighed. "They probably called him because he was nearby. Or because he was the most suitable to deal with the situation," she reasoned, more to convince herself than anything else.

Still, she couldn't shake away the feelings of concern. Whatever happened, it was serious enough for Kakashi to be asked for aid. Hinata had faith in her husband though, he was an excellent ninja, no doubt he could deal with any problem. They could rush after him, coming up late and possibly making everything worse, or they could stay here and make sure the rest of the day didn't go to waste.

With a heavy exhale, Hinata made her decision.

"Let's continue training."

And train they did.

Kakashi arrived at a site of a destroyed market food stall. Takoyaki, fried corn and potato and other elements of street food were littered around on the ground. The owner of said stall was cowering behind the policemen who let a visible sigh of relief at Kakashi's arrival.

Few feet from them stood a brawny ninja, who Kakashi immediately identified as Kasai Manobu and guessed was the instigator. Strangely enough, he wasn't being refrained by police.

"Kasai," he coldly addressed the man, "what is the meaning of this?"

Said man turned to him with a look of mock surprise.

"Hatake, pal, what are ya doing in such a place? Aren't you a bit too classy to walk about such plebian places?" He absently kicked the ruined stall's debris away, clearing the area around himself.

"I asked you a question, Manobu," Kakashi pressed, ignoring the man's jibe.

Kasai looked Kakashi in the eye, leering. For a moment, both men just stared at each other, the air around becoming heavy with tension. For some reason, Kasai showed interest in Kakashi, always provoking him, baiting for a fight. Copy Ninja doubted that what happened today was planned by the man, but it was clear that his arrival was akin to a pleasant surprise for Kasai.

Finally, the mercenary broke the silent standoff.

"If you must know, this peasant here," he nodded towards the stall owner, "real disrespectful. Tried ta rob me."

Hearing such obvious slander, the vendor spoke up, not able to contain the indignance in his voice.

"I did no such thing!" he exclaimed. "This mister, he took the food but refused to pay! I thought maybe he forgot, so I asked him. Then he went nuts, ruining my stand and scaring everyone!"

As sudden as it appeared, his momentary outburst had quickly died down, quenched by Kasai's fury.

"You, groveling scum! Had no trouble kowtowing when there was no one to whinge to, but as soon as someone comes ta protect your ass, you snitch!" So angry was he when advancing on the poor vendor that he shoved away the policemen that came to block him. "You, pathetic fucking rat, I'll–"

"That's quite enough," Kakashi interrupted, standing between the two. He looked up at the seething man's face. "Now, you are going to calm down, and you are going with the police. No making trouble. Do you understand?" he spoke, hard and authoritative.

Kakashi was fully prepared for a fight. Manobu looked like he was about to jump him, and Kakashi doubted the man paid much mind to any consequences. Thankfully, Kasai just glared at him, before spitting on the ground and allowing police to take him away.

"Don't think I forgot about ya, little shit," he stopped when they were passing the stall owner, making the poor man blanch.

The vendor gulped and turned to Kakashi, thanking him shakily. The Jounin Commander regarded him for a moment, sighed and turned to the remaining police officers.

"Arrest this one, too. A month in custody should do it," he said pointing at the vendor, voice weary.

The policemen staggered, exchanging glances.

"I said arrest him, damn it."

Despite him not raising his voice and his tone being completely flat, the officers hastily obeyed, not needing to hear a command for the third time. The unfortunate vendor looked like he no longer understood what was happening around. He was blabbering, unable to form a coherent sentence while being led away.

"Wait," Kakashi spoke again. "How much do you reckon you earn in a month?" Seeing that vendor still hadn't regained his composure, he slowly repeated the question, urging the shocked man to answer. This time more assertive.

"A-a-around 25,000 ryō, sir," the stall owner stammered, unsure why he was asked but not daring to voice the question.

Kakashi nodded and signaled them to continue. When the vendor was gone, he turned to another policeman.

"You are going to inform his relatives," he stated, anything he says automatically becoming an order. "Here is a check for 30,000 ryō. Hand it to them when they come. If there is no one, then give it to the owner directly upon release."

The policeman nodded confusedly and secured the document in the inner pocket of his vest. No need to ask unnecessary questions to Kakashi Hatake, better do as the man says.

Kakashi left them with cleaning up the mess Kasai had made. He was in no mood to supervise the authorities any longer.

He wished he didn't need to imprison the vendor, but he didn't want to take any chances. Kasai had no qualms hurting the man, and he won't be contained for long. That last remark of his was a clear threat and a reason for concern. Kakashi was sure that the first thing on that brute's mind upon release will be revenge, but someone like Kasai is not likely to hold such an insignificant grudge for long. He will forget about or dismiss the whole thing after he had the time to cool off. Kakashi hoped he would lose interest in the poor vendor by the time that unfortunate man is released.

After dealing with Kasai, Kakashi remembered that he had some additional work to do, including speaking with Hiashi - something he'd been doing on a regular basis this past month. By the time he was set free Hinata and Hanabi had already finished training. They were lolling on the couch, reading trivial magazines and discussing them, it looked like. Kakashi was glad they found something to do without him, he didn't have the mood to participate in their activities.

He tried to quietly pass right into his study but was noticed by Hinata.

"Welcome back," his wife called, momentarily averting her attention from her glossy read.

"Yeah… I am back…"

In his haste to escape he completely forgot to tell them about tomorrow's mission with Hanabi. Well, he supposed, better to use this opportunity now when he'd already been spotted. With these thoughts he went towards the girls.

The couch was littered with magazines, articles of makeup, and food crumbs. Hanabi unceremoniously stretched on it, leaving Kakashi no space to sit down. He was about to plop right down on Hanabi (that'll teach her), when Hinata scooted over, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I spoke with Hiashi-sama," Kakashi began, pausing upon seeing one of the titles on the front cover of a very girly looking magazine; it said 'Ten Sure Signs Others Consider You Attractive' (what in the world?), "he gave his consent for us to go," he managed to finish almost losing his train of thought. Secretly, he kinda wanted to know what they wrote there.

Hanabi sat up to give Kakashi more space, although that was probably because she was uncomfortable that he was sitting so close to Hinata. Hinata, however, seemed glad. She released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and smiled.

She was often gifting him her smiles, Kakashi noticed. He wanted to hope he deserved at least half of them.

Thankfully, her little sister had no problem pulling his head out of the clouds.

"Do you have anything else to tell? Want us to braid your hair?" she asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "Otherwise, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."

"And what if I do?" Kakashi challenged just to annoy Hanabi, but soon realized his mistake.

"That's fine," Hinata said before he could leave, pulling out a brush and a set of bright colored hair clips, "we don't mind arranging your hair."

Kakashi meant to excuse himself out of such activities. It was hard enough to say no when Hinata offered it so enthusiastically. Add to that Hanabi's indignation, and Copy Nin found himself agreeing, if only to spite the twerp. He let Sakura play with his hair often enough to know that the activity was harmless.

Twenty minutes later Kakashi was sitting at the base of the sofa, sporting a fancy looking hairdo. He honestly would've been impressed had he not seen all kinds of styles from Sakura before.

"Sheesh, you have the most horrible hair, you know that?"

"That's quite rude, Hanabi-chan," Hinata softly admonished, "but I do believe your usual style works best for you."

"Sakura was of the same opinion," Kakashi responded, absently.

Truthfully, he was in a fuzzy daze the whole time Hinata and Hanabi worked on his hair. It felt calming. Soothing. Although his vacant response seemed to interest his wife.

"You let Sakura-san do your hair?" Hinata asked, disbelieving.

"She can be a real thorn in your side during missions," was his cryptic answer. "But she is a trendy person, so if even she shares your opinion, it must be true."

"I see…"

Not seeing Hanabi's frown nor Hinata's deflated expression, Kakashi continued, lost in the pleasant sensation.

"Oh, yes. She and her friend, Ino, they always seemed to be in touch with fashion. I admit, it is useful if you want to look good, but I never saw you be interested in that sort of thing until today… Those two must really care about their appearance."

He didn't mean it in a condescending way. It was normal for a person to care for their appearance. He thought it was a bit unnecessary sometimes, and definitely laborious, but Kakashi never held it against others. However, when he turned around, he finally noticed that Hanabi was frowning, while Hinata looked downcast. He thought it was because he was being a jerk towards Sakura and Ino, so he immediately went to amend his words.

"What I mean is, I don't think it's bad. On the contrary, I think it is good for them to be stylish. I suppose it is normal for girls, even."

If the Hyuga girls' worsened expressions were any indication, he clearly failed to save the situation. If anything, he seemed to make it worse with every word.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hanabi, righteous fury in her voice. "Are you implying oneesan is not normal?!"–Kakashi raised his hand to reply, but Hanabi had none of it–"Besides, if we are not so shallow it doesn't mean we don't care about our appearances! Neechan may not care about fashion as much, but she is no slob! You guys are stupid to have such ridiculous values anyway."

'Oh.'

It was the only thought that came to Kakashi's mind during Hanabi's rant, along with 'Idiot'. He had totally misread the situation. He suspected there could be some sort of complex at play, with her shyness and all. So even Hyuga had insecurities, huh.

"Sorry," Kakashi coughed, not sure what else to say. "I don't really care about appearances– I mean, you shouldn't care about it either…" No, that didn't sound quite right. "What I mean is, you shouldn't care about others' opinions, because… Because you are already beautiful," he blurted. "You two are elegant and graceful. All Hyuga's I suppose, but you are especially…" he finished lamely.

Hinata stilled, looking at him somewhat expectantly.

He managed to cut his ramblings short and allowed himself a moment to formulate his thoughts, before continuing. This time in a more composed manner.

"Hinata, Hanabi-chan. I think you are pretty, I really do. And you are certainly not shallow. What I meant was that it is not important what strangers think, and you shouldn't take their opinions to heart. The important opinions are of people who care about you."

Kakashi looked at the two expectantly. Hanabi seemed satisfied with his response, but Hinata still looked slightly disturbed, eyes downcast.

"Come on," he addressed Hinata, making her look at him. "Hanabi-chan thinks you are amazing. Your friends think highly of you. I think you– ehm, I agree with them," he cleared his throat, making both girls look strangely at him. 'You are beautiful,' was what he meant to say, but…

"Yeah, sis, be more confident in yourself! You are a looker!" Hanabi added, making her sister blush.

"Thanks, guys," Hinata smiled. "I know it's silly, but I cannot help but worry sometimes… God, it's so silly!"

"What did I tell you?" Kakashi nudged, glad that his wife cheered up. "Your troubles are important to me. If you ever doubt my sincerity, just go ahead and ask directly."

This seemed to do the trick. Hinata's expression all warmed up, and she bestowed him with another of her jubilant smiles. Hanabi even politely grunted in approval. Relieved it's been settled, Kakashi finally excused himself to his study. He really needed to finish his work before departing to Suna tomorrow morning.