"Sister Tsunade, I want to learn medical ninjutsu from you!"
Sister?
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the childish voice. She glanced down at the silver-haired brat in front of her and didn't even bother putting her sake cup down before bursting out laughing.
"Where did this kid come from? Someone's chaperone fall asleep on duty? What kind of parent lets their six-year-old wander into a bar?"
"Hahaha! Medical ninjutsu? At your age?" Jiraiya laughed, loud and full of pity. "Go home, kid. Eat your veggies and try again when you've hit a growth spurt."
On the other side, Orochimaru's slitted eyes narrowed with interest. He licked his lips, which frankly didn't help his whole I'm-not-suspicious-at-all aesthetic.
"Don't underestimate him. That's Hatake Kakashi. Son of the White Fang. I've heard he had Genin-level strength when he was five."
Boom. Cue record scratch.
Tsunade's smile faded slightly. White Fang's son? Now that name came with baggage.
Sakumo Hatake—Konoha's White Fang. A shinobi hero once admired even by the Sannin. Until he threw away a mission to save his comrades, only to be condemned by the very village he bled for. The villagers turned their backs. So did his comrades. Even the ones he'd saved. Eventually, public opinion did what no enemy ever could.
He took his own life.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Kakashi, tell me—why do you want to learn medical ninjutsu?"
"Because I want to live."
That... wasn't the answer she expected.
"Live?" she repeated.
"Yes. Survive," Kakashi replied simply. "I'm already strong enough to graduate, which means I'll soon be deployed. Sooner or later, it'll be me versus some enemy shinobi on a battlefield. If I know medical ninjutsu, I increase my odds of making it back home in one piece."
He looked her square in the eye, unflinching.
Nothing like appealing to a doctor's sense of grim practicality.
"So… for self-preservation?" Tsunade's voice cooled. She set her cup down with a clink.
"It's a reasonable instinct," she continued. "But on the battlefield, you'll be assigned a medic anyway. You don't need to learn medical ninjutsu to survive."
"More importantly, I started pushing for medical reform because I wanted ninjas to protect their comrades, not just themselves."
"The mission of a medical ninja is to support the team, not to be a walking health potion for themselves."
She waved a dismissive hand. The message was clear: not interested, kid.
Kakashi lowered his head, thinking over her words.
To protect your comrades? Honestly...
Well, if I said "yes" with a tear in my eye, that'd be touching. But let's not lie to ourselves.
Still, he looked up again, eyes sharper.
"I get what you're saying, Sister Tsunade."
"But what if the medic gets injured? What if they're down before they can help anyone?"
"Who's going to heal the healer?"
"The battlefield doesn't care about standard operating procedure. Accidents happen. Missions go sideways. People die."
"And I don't want to just survive—I want to protect the people I care about. So yes, for that too."
He bowed, low and long, not getting up.
The bar went still.
Tsunade frowned, rubbing her temple like she was fighting off a headache. Maybe it was the sake. Maybe it was déjà vu.
Was this kid really still talking about protecting comrades after everything?
For a second, she saw him again. Sakumo. That same damn stubborn look in his eyes.
"Why not just say yes?" Jiraiya said, nudging her with a grin. "He's a genius. Might as well put that to use. Besides, with Shizune around, one more helper might actually make things easier."
Bang!
Tsunade's fist came down on Jiraiya's head.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to teach him, perv."
Orochimaru, not one to miss a chance for mischief, chimed in, his voice low and deliberate.
"If you're not interested, I could take him. A bright mind like his could be quite helpful in my lab..."
He smiled thinly, tongue darting out briefly like some smug lizard.
Tsunade sighed deeply. Was it Kakashi's sincerity? Guilt over Sakumo? Or just the soft spot she'd never admit she had for gutsy little brats?
Probably all three.
After a long pause, she relented.
"I'll give you a shot. Meet me at the entrance to the forest at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
"There'll be a test. Pass, and I'll teach you. Fail, and we pretend this little episode never happened."
"Don't be late. I hate waiting."
"Understood!" Kakashi said, standing up. "Thank you, Sister Tsunade!"
Then, he nodded to the rest of the Sannin like a polite schoolboy.
"Goodbye, Sister Tsunade. Uncle Jiraiya. Lord Orochimaru."
Jiraiya blinked. "Hold on—why is she 'Sister' and I'm just 'Uncle'? We're the same age!"
Bang!
"Never bring up a woman's age when she looks this good, you idiot!" Tsunade snapped, glaring at him.
Orochimaru, ever the observer, merely chuckled, licking his lips again like he'd just watched dinner and a show.
Kakashi, having narrowly avoided being roped into whatever mess came next, slipped out.
On the brightly lit streets of Konoha, laughter echoed from every corner.
Couples walked arm in arm. Kids raced around laughing. Lanterns swayed gently over busy shops and snack stalls.
It was the night after the entrance ceremony. A reason to celebrate. A rare moment of peace.
Kakashi walked through it all with his hands in his pockets, like a ghost in a festival.
People noticed. They always did.
"Isn't that him?"
"Who?"
"You know… White Fang's son."
He ignored it.
Sakumo Hatake's death had nothing to do with him, not really. By the time his soul landed in this body, the man was already gone.
He'd gone to the funeral out of obligation. The skies were sunny. The crowd was small.
Obito, Rin, Guy. Might Duy. Minato and Kushina.
Some villagers.
And the Third Hokage, of course. Master of rousing speeches and quiet regrets.
Protect your comrades, huh?
He thought of Obito. Of Rin.
Of the stupid grins, the awkward attempts at helping, the honest kindness they never hesitated to show him.
Even though I barely spoke back.
And he remembered what they'd become in the original timeline.
Yeah. Fate's a sadistic bastard.
Obito was manipulated. Rin was sacrificed. And behind it all? Ōtsutsuki puppeteers and Madara's corpse of a legacy.
And here I am. Not a child of prophecy. No divine chakra. No "believe it" catchphrase.
Just a transmigrated soul with a copy-jutsu system and a healthy fear of dying young.
Speaking of which…
"Oh yeah," Kakashi muttered. "Almost forgot I have a system."
As for the whole "genius" thing?
Overrated.
The ninja world has more dead prodigies than war memorial space. Shisui. Itachi. Minato. Kimimaro. Deidara.
Talent means nothing if you're six feet under.
So he trained. Every day. Not for glory. Not even for revenge.
Just to survive.
And maybe—just maybe—for the people who gave him a reason to care.
Because somewhere behind all the cold logic and sarcastic commentary… was a little girl who smiled at him like he mattered.
And for her?
He'd live.