Nara family.
Kakashi sat upright, noticing that Shikaku was about to pour tea for him, so he quickly held up his tea cup with both hands.
He guessed that Shikaku had invited him here for a reason, but wasn't sure exactly what that reason was.
"What do you think of being in the Anbu?" Shikaku asked.
"I've gotten used to it."
"Anbu is made up of the village's elite ninjas. However, Kakashi, someone like you being in the Anbu seems a bit of a waste. Your brilliance shouldn't be hidden."
"You're too kind," Kakashi said, lowering his head.
Shikaku gently sipped his tea, then pondered for a moment before speaking, "Kakashi, what do you think of the village's Fourth Hokage?"
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat at hearing this. "What... do you mean?"
Shikaku slowly continued, "Orochimaru, as one of the Sannin, was once a genius ninja just like you. He made a name for himself during the Second Shinobi World War and became a benchmark for countless ninjas in the village."
"He has saved the village from crisis multiple times, and is a hero of Konoha, with immense strength and extraordinary wisdom. These are all the qualities that shine on him."
"As a ninja alone, you can't find two people in the entire shinobi world who are more outstanding than him."
"Am I right, Kakashi?"
Kakashi remained silent.
Shikaku's words were absolutely true, but it was clear there was more to what he was saying.
Kakashi kept a neutral expression, and fortunately, with his mask, his emotions couldn't be seen.
"Mr. Shikaku... What exactly are you implying?"
Shikaku's gaze shifted slightly, swallowing the words he'd prepared earlier, then said, "Kakashi, do you know about the situation between Minato and Kushina?"
"What happened to Minato-sensei?"
"Don't you think Minato and Kushina should have gotten married by now?"
Kakashi thought for a moment, and upon further reflection, realized that indeed, Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee should have gotten married already, especially with the war now over.
"But the Fourth Hokage, using the reason that Kushina is the Jinchuriki, forbade their marriage. After Minato requested it from him, he said that if they wanted to get married, they would have to remove the tailed beast from Kushina's body."
"The reason behind this is likely that Minato was once his competitor for the position of Hokage."
"Kakashi, do you know what happens to a Jinchuriki when they lose their tailed beast?"
They die!
Kakashi understood very well.
Rin was a Jinchuriki.
"Kakashi, do you think..." Shikaku said slowly.
"Is Orochimaru a suitable Hokage?"
Kakashi was struck by a sudden realization, his body freezing as his hair stood on end.
"You are Minato's student, you know Minato's character well."
"Now you're also part of the Hokage's direct Anbu, so you should know about Orochimaru as well."
"Before Orochimaru took the Hokage position, did you ever think the Fourth Hokage candidate would be someone else?"
"The Fourth Hokage should have been a hero loved by the people, someone who could shoulder the responsibility and devote themselves wholeheartedly to the village—not someone who hands all the work to subordinates, stays in their laboratory all day, lacks responsibility, but is obsessed with power!"
Shikaku's words grew more shocking, his gaze locked firmly on Kakashi.
"Do you understand why I came to find you, why I'm speaking to you so openly without any reservations?"
Kakashi stood up abruptly, then froze in place, motionless, lost in thought for a long time.
The education he had received since childhood was to be loyal to the village, loyal to the Hokage.
But how was it that when he was with Shikaku, these two principles seemed to be in conflict?
After a long silence, he slowly sat back down.
He asked, "What about Minato-sensei?"
Shikaku replied calmly, "There are many things Minato can't handle directly. We'll do it for him."
Kakashi understood.
His position, as a member of the Hokage's direct Anbu and a trusted confidant of Hyuga Makoto, gave him the ability to take action on many fronts...
His gaze flickered slightly, and images of his teacher and Orochimaru flashed through his mind.
"What... should we do?"
......
The next day.
Kakashi couldn't sleep.
He walked into the Anbu barracks, looking tired.
It was his turn to be on duty today.
"Good morning, Kakashi."
"Morning, Kiyomi."
In the break room, a teammate greeted him.
The Hokage's personal guard team consisted of only twelve members.
Aside from him and Guy, everyone else was from the Hyuga clan.
The two of them took turns resting, and those on duty would rotate between morning and afternoon shifts.
The two Anbu members stationed at the Hokage building mostly did errands for Makoto.
Since Makoto had that beautiful secretary, their workload had become even easier.
They were only called upon for assignments when confidential information needed to be delivered.
The rest of their time was spent at the research facility, carrying out various strange tasks assigned by Orochimaru.
Killing, capturing people, searching for things, hunting beasts, assisting with experiments...
"You look a little worn out. Didn't sleep well last night?" Kiyomi asked with a smile.
"Probably just exhausted from training with Hakumen and Guy yesterday," Kakashi replied calmly.
Because of Makoto's orders, Hakumen and Guy didn't often come on duty anymore. They spent most of their time training.
For them, Makoto's orders were no different from Orochimaru's—both had to be followed seriously.
As for the Hyuga clan's Anbu, it was needless to say, Makoto was their clan leader.
Sometimes, Kakashi himself felt like everything in the village was under Makoto's control.
From small disputes among villagers to international relations, Orochimaru never interfered.
Makoto was the one to meet foreign ministers and other village ninjas in person, never showing any signs of hesitation.
The presence he exuded was that of a leader of the strongest ninja village in the world.
This was something Kakashi truly felt during his time as a personal guard.
Over time, outsiders might start to think that Hyuga Makoto was the most influential person in Konoha.
What Shikaku said yesterday was not wrong.
In Konoha, calling Hyuga Makoto the Hokage wouldn't be far from the truth.
It was just that it couldn't be said aloud.
Kakashi had no idea what Orochimaru spent all his time researching.
He had never been inside Orochimaru's laboratory; even when he was close, he was only ever allowed to stand outside the doors.
The only people allowed in the lab, aside from the Hokage, were two people: Hyuga Makoto and Mitarashi Anko.
There were also some death row prisoners, but once they entered, they never came out again—presumably dead.
Despite his curiosity, Kakashi could never guess what the Hokage was researching.
He changed his clothes and walked with his Anbu colleagues to the outside of the research facility.
As they arrived, Anko emerged from the lab. "Kakashi, Lord Orochimaru wants to see you."
Her words stunned all the Anbu present.
This was the first time such a thing had happened.
"Kakashi, what are you zoning out for? Hurry up and go in," Anko said, then turned and walked back into the lab.
Kakashi felt the curious stares of his colleagues and hesitated for a moment before walking inside.
It was his first time stepping through the research facility's doors, and he immediately noticed the air temperature was quite cold.
The decor was bright and lavish, with snow-white paint on the walls and glossy, reflective tiles on the floor.
Various strange and complex instruments filled the room.
Following Anko down the hallway, Kakashi saw Orochimaru standing by a lab station, mixing a vial of reagent.
On the operating table lay a corpse with its abdomen cut open, a sight that made Kakashi feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Lord Orochimaru, Kakashi is here," Anko said with a smile as she approached him.
Orochimaru reached out and ruffled Anko's head, smiling. "Mm, go on and do your work."
"Lord Hokage," Kakashi said, bowing respectfully from behind him.
"Kakashi."
Orochimaru did not turn around to look at him, continuing to mix his reagents.
"At first, I didn't expect Makoto to bring you into the Anbu."
Orochimaru's words sounded strange, as though it were casual conversation, yet also seemed like a prelude to something else.
"How does it feel in the Anbu?"
Kakashi immediately responded, "The members of the Anbu are elite ninjas from the village, and I'm able to gain better experience here. Also, I'm able to serve Lord Hokage. For me, it's a very fortunate thing."
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Is that so? It seems you've gotten used to it."
Used to it…
Kakashi's mind stirred.
Orochimaru continued with a smile, "I thought you might think you were wasting your talents in the Anbu."
His laughter was hoarse and low, giving an unsettling feeling to anyone who heard it.
Kakashi slowly widened his eyes, staring at Orochimaru's back.
Fear began to fill his heart.
Orochimaru's voice sounded again.
"Kakashi, do you think I, as Hokage…
"Am I… adequate?"
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact 270+ch, Naruto birdcage 400+ch, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny 200+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz