Chapter 25.

It was the middle of the night when Kakashi woke. Even before he opened his eyes he instantly knew where he was; the distinctive smell of disinfectants and antiseptics couldn't be mistaken for anything else.

Konoha Hospital.

Still groggy, he propped up on his elbows, attempting to sit up straight. That was when he noticed another presence in the room. There, right at the foot of his bed, was a girl. Kakashi's eyes widened when he recognized that tress of dark blue hair and those clothes.

"You are awake," the girl said, smiling as if to mock him.

Anger washed over the Copy Nin's face as the woman before him blatantly wore his dead wife's face. Her smile dropped as she felt the killing intent coming from him.

"Kakashi, it's–"

The impostor didn't get to finish her excuse as Kakashi sprang from the bed and grabbed her in a tight hold; he will not allow her to poison his mind with Hinata's voice any further.

"Who are you? What happened to my comrades?" he growled as he pinned her down on the bed, her arm in a wristlock.

Leave it to Kakashi to act according to the worst possible outcome in any situation, Hinata thought, trying to calm herself first so that she could calm him next. She would've rolled her eyes if the pain from her wrist being twisted wasn't too demanding. Honestly, she should've expected this reaction. It was Kakashi they were talking about, afterall.

"Answer me!"

"Kakashi, calm down! It's me, Hinata!"

Kakashi could clearly see that this was no mere illusion. Even without the Sharingan he could tell that it was all real, unless the genjutsu of the Tsukuyomi level was involved. Whatever was going on here, with this girl? She felt like Hinata, she sounded like Hinata, she even smelt like Hinata…

Wait a minute. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the girl under him and taking a sniff.

"Hinata?" he asked, not believing himself.

"I understand you are happy to see your wife safe and sound, but could you wait a bit until at least your wounds have healed?" the two heard another voice just as Hinata was about to explain everything to her husband.

Turning, Kakashi saw Tsunade-sama stand at the door, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

Now that everything caught up in his head, Kakashi finally relaxed his hold on the woman under him, allowing her to escape the wristlock. His wife scampered off the bed and took her previous place on the chair next to it, looking absolutely flustered.

"Jeez, I'm glad I told Hanabi to wait outside before I checked up on your dumb ass," Tsunade spoke, coming up to the confused man. "Imagine her shock if she entered to the sight of you two fooling around."

Hinata's face heated up at the older woman's insinuation. If only what she said was remotely close to the truth. She sent Kakashi an irritated look. The man before her was gawking at her, seemingly only now realizing that she was the real Hinata and not some crazy plan of Danzou's to get to him. Then again, her eyes softened as she remembered that it was almost the case.

"Next time you get injured, please try not to jump on the first person you see after waking up," she pouted, rubbing her wrist.

She was about to comment on her husband's own condition before Kakashi's arms enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

Hinata smiled, wrapping her arms around his back.

"I know."

"I have so many questions right now."

"I know."

"Your wounds reopened," Tsunade blatantly interjected, her voice deadpan, making the man chuckle. Hinata always liked the feeling of his chest rumbling when he did that.

"I know," he said, repeating after his wife. Their eyes have not left each other even after they separated from the hug, still holding hands.

Tsunade's eye twitched.

"Then why are you still not lying, you dumbass?" she barked, practically forcing the Copy Nin down into his bed. "Look after your self-destructive man while I go get the nurse, will you," their Hokage threw before leaving the two alone.

The door closed with a loud slam, and the couple exchanged amused glances. The amusement, however, quickly turned to concern in Hinata, as she took a look at her husband's injuries. The bandages around his torso had begun to stain red, and he she could tell he was feeling residual pain.

Kakashi, in turn, winced seeing the look on his wife's face. It was Hinata's "mom mode" face. Hanabi won't let him lie, sometimes it was better to pretend nothing happened than let Hinata "take care" of you. His wife seemed to mistake the reason of his wincing as pain, and immediately went to treat his wounds.

Needless to say, a minute later when the nurse and everyone else entered his room they were treated to an adorable sight of Hinata doting over her husband. Kakashi looked decitedly uncooperative as she hovered around his bed, making sure he felt comfortable.

"Oh, quit complaining. Kakashi, you are like a child," she admonished after he refused to let her fluff up his pillow.

The others' snickers were not so discreet, and Kakashi had no other option than to glare at those traitors. Even Sasuke was smirking smugly, as if the same thing hadn't happened to him and Sakura.

While the nurse checked Kakashi's dressings, Hinata explained to everyone what had happened. Hanabi smirked knowingly, holding out her hand. Everyone else groaned, handing the money to the girl's outstretched palm. Turns out they made a bet on how Kakashi will react after waking up, and Hanabi was the only one who guessed right. Hinata shook her head as her little sister was counting her winnings, when the nurse came up to their group.

"Very good job, Hinata-san," the nurse praised her patchwork. "It is impressive how you managed to treat all his wounds in such a short time. Normally, it takes much longer to do it."

"Oh, really?" Hinata singsonged, narrowing her eyes at her grouchy husband. "I'm sure he'll be more sensible from now on. Right, Kakashi?"

The man addressed only sighed and closed his eyes. It was no secret that he was a difficult patient, but if it takes Hinata off his case then he was willing to cooperate.

Everyone laughed, joking about who was wearing pants in the couple's relationship, embarrassing the two even more. Eventually, the excitement settled down and Yamato, Yugao, Sasuke, Sakura and Sai left after wishing Kakashi a swift recovery. The only ones who remained, apart from the patient himself, were Hinata and Hanabi.

"So…" Kakashi began, curious for answers, "what happened?"

Hinata understood what he meant by that question. Afterall, with all the bustle around she'd totally forgotten to talk to Kakashi about the outcome of their battle.

"We won, as you could've guessed by now," she said, using the opportunity to think on how best to approach the subject of her 'death'.

Kakashi nodded, letting her know that he wanted her to continue.

"Apparently, Danzou had someone from his Root to get killed by you, pretending to be me, so that you… You know," she exhaled, giving her husband a meaningful look.

"So that you freaked out and Danzou could win," Hanabi finished, disgusted at the enemy's dirty tactics. "That bastard…"

Kakashi chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately. He was glad that all of that had been a ruse. Come to think of it, he should've realized it back then. There were too many things that didn't stack up. Instead, he humiliated himself in front of everyone. Great.

His down mood was so obvious that even Hanabi looked concerned.

"Hey," he heard her say, "What happened back there – don't let anyone hold it against you. And if somebody is giving you hard time because of it, just tell me and sis and we'll kick their butt. Right, neechan?"

"That's right," Hinata nodded, proud of her family. There was nothing shameful in Kakashi's actions. She leaned in and gave a short kiss to her husband, telling him as much.

Hanabi rolled her eyes at the lovebirds, but for once, refrained from commentaries. Let the two have their moment.

"Thanks," Kakashi said, feeling much lighter than moments before. He was surprised how much their reassurances had cheered him up.

"No problem." Hanabi replied, trying to fight the incoming blush at what she was going to say next. Despite herself, it only came out as a muttering under her nose.

"What was that?" Kakashi asked, seemingly curious. Hinata's reaction had only made him want to know what was that Hanabi said last even more.

"I said, you are my niisan, afterall."

Kakashi was stunned. He stared at the girl, mouth agape, making Hinata beside him giggle. Slowly, a goofy smile appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but pat the girl's head once again.

"W-what's so surprising?" Hanabi questioned defensively, clearly embarrassed. "He is your husband, isn't he? That makes him my brother-in-law."

"Doesn't mean Kakashi can't be happy about it," Hinata whispered, leaning down so that her husband couldn't hear. "Look at him."

Even concealed by his mask, Kakashi's grin was obvious to the two Hyugas. Hinata smiled, guessing that her husband was already thinking about all the things he was going to teach his new sister. Hanabi, in turn, felt a little less embarrassed. Gray-hair's happiness kinda made up for it.

Soon Hanabi asked them about their fight with Danzou, in turn telling them about her own against the Root. They caught up on the latest news in Konoha somewhere along the conversation. Apparently, Danzou was arrested. Tsunade was restored to the position of Hokage. Some complained, but the absolute majority was glad for the change of command. Those old councilors, Homura and Koharu, had readied the soil for the relatively smooth transition of power. Civilians were surprisingly less opposed to Tsunade as their Hokage. Overall, it seemed everything was steadily getting back to normal in Konoha. Everyone, especially civilians, was looking forward to the reforms Tsunade-sama promised as Hokage.

"The only problem is that Orochimaru is nowhere to be found," finished Hinata. "It's as if he vanished. Tsunade-sama is saying that he was announced for international search, so he probably won't escape for long."

Kakashi nodded. For now, Orochimaru was not a threat. What worried him was something entirely different. Just as the thought crossed his mind the door opened and Tsunade entered the room.

"You still here?" she said looking at the three of them. "Kakashi, let your girls some rest, will you?"

It was clear from the expression in the older woman's eyes that she wanted to speak to him alone.

"It's okay, Tsunade-sama. They don't need to leave."

The Fifth Hokage raised her eyebrow. "You sure?"

Kakashi nodded. It was thoughtful of Tsunade to consider his privacy, but he had nothing to hide from Hinata and Hanabi. Besides, he already knew what they were going to talk about. Tsunade was clear in all their prior conversations about her plans for him.

"Alright," she said, coming up to his bed and taking a seat at the last vacant chair. "I'm sure you know what I'm here for, but just in case you are more stupid than I give you credit for, I will ask again: Did you think about my offer?"

Hinata and Hanabi exchanged glances, confused.

"Tsunade-sama…"

"Don't 'Tsunade-sama' me, brat. You had more than a year to make a decision. So what is it, yes or yes?"

Kakashi gave her a deadpan look. Easy for her to ask.

Tsunade sighed, her normally stern gaze softening.

"Listen, Kakashi, you know very well that I'm asking you this not because I want to. Heck, I understand what you are thinking; I too was never meant to become Hokage, yet here I am," she said, making Hinata and Hanabi gasp in shock. "You and I both know that you are the best candidate for the job. As moronic as you are, you are the most capable person I know."

Kakashi chuckled at the unusual compliment. Tsunade must be getting desperate if she started praising him.

"And don't give me this Naruto crap, the brat isn't ready," the woman continued before Kakashi could argue with her. "He is a freaking genin, and as strong as he is, he has a lot to learn before even thinking of receiving the mantle."

Tsunade frowned. How couldn't he see that Naruto wasn't ready? What happened yesterday was a proof of his lack of maturity. How could he allow himself to be surprised by Danzou when they had already established that the old man had Izanagi? His complete lack of tact, or knowledge of history, his current ineptitude to politics. All that made him as good a Hokage as a shrimp would be. It will be Kakashi's job to guide the new generation, including Naruto.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Hanabi were looking between the two older shinobi, waiting for Kakashi's answer with bated breath.

"Then what about me?" Kakashi finally spoke. "I was Danzou's right hand man, remember? It's impossible for me to become Hokage. Nobody will trust me!"

"You think I haven't thought about that? I'm not dumping the responsibility on you, don't worry. I'm planning to hold on for the title for some more, at least until the situation stabilizes. But don't you think it's impossible for you to become Hokage just because you are bad in some people's eyes," she countered. "Naruto was once hated by everyone, and now he is a hero. You'll just have to do the same thing he did: prove to them that they are mistaken, with your actions."

Kakashi slouched back into his bed. Resigned, he exhaled and glanced briefly at his wife. She smiled reassuringly, giving him courage to speak.

"Alright. I agree."

Tsunade stood up. "You sure?" she asked, as if it mattered.

"Yeah, I am sure. Why do you ask? It doesn't matter anyway; you are still going to force it on me even if I decline."

"It matters more than you think. And nobody is forcing anything on you."

"Doesn't mean that I can refuse."

Tsunade shook her head, understanding completely the man before her.

"No, it doesn't," she agreed, before heading out towards the door. "Oh, and don't be so discouraged. This job has more perks than you think."

With a wink, the Hokage left her successor alone with his family. Afterall, great sake as gifts from foreign dignitaries was one of the perks of her job.

"Wow, you are going to be Hokage! That's so awesome, dude!"

Kakashi chuckled at Hanabi's attempts to cheer him up. She was clearly excited about the news, but she was perceptive and understood that not everybody shared her excitement about becoming Hokage. Hinata, for instance, was more reserved in her congratulations.

"No matter what you decide, we will support you," she said, placing her hand on his and giving Kakashi an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, and besides, I just thought of it now, but you becoming Hokage is cool on so many levels. Just think about it: your sensei was Hokage, your student will most likely become Hokage, and if you are also Hokage that makes it extra awesome!"

Hanabi's enthusiasm was contagious. Kakashi no longer felt as scared of taking up the role when those two were supporting him so wholeheartedly. It almost looked like they were prouder than he was. In retrospect, that was probably exactly the case. It was as if he needed someone to believe in him for him to accept it.

"Thanks, guys," he said, cheering up.

He soon started talking with Hanabi about what being Hokage entailed, and Hinata watched proudly as her husband interacted with her little sister. Hanabi looked up to him a lot, and Hinata knew that Kakashi found a staunch supporter in her sister.

She allowed a grin to spread across her face as Kakashi winked at her mid-conversation.

Hinata had no doubts that everything was going to be fine.

Two years later

"Kashi, how many times I need to tell you to give boys their steak!"

"But Sunshine, we are having barbeque now, aren't we?" Kakashi argued, waving the spatula in his hand, the bright purple apron saying 'No. 1 Hokage' proudly on him.

"I still can't believe he willingly agrees to wear that," Hanabi said with a smirk beside her older sister, pointing at the ridiculous apron. She was now a proud chunin, planning to apply for jounin next year.

"What are you talking about, Boss will wear anything Mrs. Boss makes for him," Biscuit spoke up, making everyone else in the yard laugh.

It's been an inside joke of sorts for Hinata to gift him purple garments every now and then. It all started with a scarf, and now Kakashi could boast of an impressive wardrobe of purple articles of clothing; he even had a mask of that color! Not that he'd ever wear it outside his own house.

"I thought you wanted your steak…" Kakashi threatened his ninken, daring them to make fun of him again.

"Kashi," Hinata looked at him sternly, "You promised them steak two years ago!"

"But the barbeque…" he attempted to fight weakly.

"You are already making barbeque. Couldn't you make a few steaks for your loyal ninken?" his wife asked, making that pleading face he always had hard time resisting. Behind her, Pakkun and others were sporting such smug snouts that he almost considered saying no.

Feeling his resolve crumble, he sighed. "Fine, I'll make your steaks, happy now?" he grumbled, giving the spatula to Yamato so that he could go bring more meat.

Hinata stopped him along the way to give him a quick peck.

"Quite," she said, trying not to feel too embarrassed at others' snickers and whistles. "Want me to help?"

"No-no, you stay here and enjoy the food with others. No need to strain yourself."

Hinata rolled her eyes playfully. "Kakashi, I'm only three months pregnant."

"Remember what Sakura said? Your symptoms may worsen," he countered, absolutely assured. "It's only a few steaks anyway."

When her husband left, Naruto came up to Hinata, offering her a drink.

Thanking her friend, she accepted the lemonade and they began conversation.

"Congratulations, by the way," her blond friend said, his signature grin in place.

"Thanks, but didn't you already congratulate us?" Hinata giggled.

"I was talking about Hanabi-chan's promotion," Naruto chuckled. "But your and Kakashi-sensei's baby deserves congratulations more than once too."

The two laughed at his silly joke and joined their other friends' company. They all had greatly matured since the war, and Naruto was probably the one that grew most. Hinata could imagine him taking up the mantle of Hokage from Kakashi a few years from now. He had long ago talked things out with her about her confession, and Hinata was relieved to know that he did not reciprocate her feelings. He explained that he was too afraid to reject her, but his guilt couldn't prevent him from addressing her confession. Since then, Naruto had a more open mind to relationships and wasn't scared of hurting someone's feelings by rejecting them. He was very popular with the ladies, afterall.

"But you know, teme," the blond jinchuuriki said, talking to Sasuke, "even you and Sakura-chan had a baby. Why did it take all of you so long?"

"Look who's talking, idiot," Sasuke replied, his cheeks heating up. "When are you going to ask that Academy teacher out?"

It was Naruto's turn to bumble and blush like a fool.

In the years following the war, Konoha experienced a baby boom. Almost everyone in their generation had or were expecting a child. In fact, Hinata and Kakashi were the last ones to have one.

"Kakashi keeps saying that I'm too young for a child," Hinata said bashfully, trying to save her blond friend from further embarrassment.

"And yet here you are," said Kurenai suggestively, making the girls giggle. "Honestly, your husband can sometimes be such a dork."

Right as the woman said that, Kakashi entered the yard, challenging Gai for a cooking contest out of the blue. Beside the two, Yamato and Yugao immediately volunteered to be judges. Poor Gai had no idea how rigged that competition was from the start. The ninken, worried that their steaks will be lost to Kakashi's accomplices, went to make sure they will have enough left for them.

"I'm glad he is the one, though," Hinata said, a soft smile on her face as her hand went down to cup her growing belly.

A few meters from them, Hanabi was bragging in detail to little Mirai about her chunin exams and how she was going to learn the Purple Lightning, seeing as Kakashi was the one teaching her now. Little Mirai's eyes almost sparkled at the older girl's stories, and she asked her if she could join in on their training sessions with the Seventh Hokage. Shikamaru looked bored but listened in on Hanabi signing up Kakashi for babysitting Mirai anyway. Afterall, one of their most respected (strangely) ambassadors to Suna had access to Temari, and he happened to have a few things for Hanabi to pass to the Kazekage's sister...

Looking back towards her husband, Hinata caught a wink from him. She smiled, pointing a finger at Gai. The poor man had predictably lost the challenge, and now was forced to promise to babysit Kakashi's kid in the future. Poor guy didn't even realize what he signed up for, although he didn't look like he minded. Kakashi and his old rival shared a hearty laugh and began preparing steaks for his canine companions.

Hinata couldn't help but let a contented sigh. The warm spring day, a barbeque with her friends and family – there was nothing that could possibly dampen her mood. Even civilians were starting to warm up to their new Hokage. It had been hard at the beginning, but seeing him work hard to clear up his name and lead his people into the new age, people accepted Kakashi. With him, Konoha was experiencing the period of rapid economic growth and overall prosperity. His actions during the Orochimaru crisis had earned him respect among shinobi and civilians alike, but it was another story.

What was important now, was that he was happy. And Hinata couldn't be happier.

They all spent the rest of the day in laughter and warm conversation, looking forward to what life brings them next.

The End

That's it, folks. Everything has to come to an end, and this fic is not an exception. Thanks to all who spent their time on reading and reviewing my work, it truly was a blast writing it and receiving your feedback. From the start I knew how I was going to end it, and I am pretty happy with the result. Fluff and action is what I like the most.

On a side note, I planned to write a smutty scene and even wrote the initial draft. However, I soon realized that it doesn't fit the tone of my story. Also, I am pretty horrendous at writing these kinds of scenes. If only you could read what I wrote, oh dear, you'd be laughing your backsides off.

With this little denouement, I am closing the story and congratulating all the people who finished it. We made it, guys! Also, I established a foundation for a potential sequel, although I have no idea if I'm going to write one. I'm not disappearing anywhere though, and hopefully I can make something decent in the future.

Thank you, and have a good day,

dippitydee