"Hokage-sama, what brings you here?"
Kakashi, who had been reviewing documents, suddenly sensed a disturbance nearby. The moment he looked up and saw Natsuhiko, he immediately smiled and asked the question.
Kakashi had become increasingly familiar with the affairs of the ANBU, and with the assistance of the newly promoted secretaries, his workload was no longer as overwhelming as it had been when he first took over.
Although he still experienced varying degrees of pressure, overall, his condition was much better now.
After all, the two chief secretaries, along with the Anbu's own administrative department, filtered out a large number of unimportant matters for him. This allowed Kakashi to focus far more of his energy on truly critical issues.
Compared to when he had first assumed the position last year, his complexion and mental state were noticeably improved.
"Can't I drop by?" Natsuhiko shrugged with a grin. "After all, I used to be the ANBU commander. Visiting my old department is only natural, isn't it?"
"Fair enough. Would you like to see the latest ANBU reports?" Kakashi stood up and offered the documents in his hand.
"Are you kidding? That's your job now." Natsuhiko rolled his eyes and waved them off. "Being Hokage keeps me busy enough. Besides, do you really think I don't already know what's going on in the ANBU?"
The ANBU was the Hokage's most vital direct force. There was no way Natsuhiko wouldn't stay informed.
Besides, Kakashi was far more diligent than Natsuhiko had ever been in the same role. He submitted a detailed weekly summary every two weeks, a monthly report, and a full annual review at year's end.
It was a clear message to everyone in the know: the ANBU remained firmly under the Hokage's command and would never stray from it.
The best part was that Natsuhiko had never asked for any of it—Kakashi had done it on the advice of his new secretaries.
The other major departments had quickly followed suit, which meant Natsuhiko was now receiving even more detailed updates than before.
It had unintentionally increased his workload, but it also gave him far deeper insight into every branch of the village. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen had praised how tightly Natsuhiko controlled the various departments.
Natsuhiko already knew the ANBU's current state inside and out. After Kakashi took command, the vacant division commander position for the Third Division had naturally gone to Pakura.
He had also heard that Pakura was thinking about leaving the ANBU to try joining his personal Hokage Guard.
Natsuhiko had asked her about it directly. They lived close by, and ever since that initial invitation she would often stop by his home after work when their paths crossed.
Pakura had been honest: she did want to join the Hokage Guard. The problem was that Natsuhiko had yet to actually form one.
To him, creating a formal Hokage Guard wasn't particularly urgent.
In the ninja world, if there was a threat he couldn't handle himself, he doubted anyone else could either—at least not in combat.
So the idea had been shelved for now, even though plenty of candidate lists had landed on his desk.
Still, the future might be different. The Guard wouldn't exist purely for fighting; it would also serve as a symbol of prestige.
He couldn't handle every single problem personally, after all. He would eventually need reliable people to take care of smaller matters.
For the time being, the hidden ANBU operatives who followed him everywhere were more than enough.
"By the way, Hokage-sama, what exactly brings you here today?" Kakashi set the documents aside when he saw Natsuhiko had no interest in them, his tone turning curious.
"I came to talk to you about something important."
Natsuhiko dropped onto the sofa and fixed Kakashi with a meaningful smile.
"Do you remember the experiment I asked you to start back then?"
Kakashi's expression turned serious at once. He knew exactly what Natsuhiko meant.
That experiment involved researching a technique capable of truly resurrecting the dead—one that could mean everything to Konoha if it succeeded.
It was equally important to Kakashi personally, because he desperately hoped it could bring back the people who mattered most to him.
The research hadn't gone as smoothly as hoped, but he had followed Natsuhiko's original plan step by step.
Natsuhiko had first pushed the medical research to help everyone adjust to Hidan's presence.
Kakashi had been amazed that Natsuhiko had actually found someone like Hidan—an immortal test subject.
Out of curiosity regarding Hidan's origins, Kakashi had reviewed old mission intelligence records and eventually learned the truth about Hidan's circumstances.
It had to be said that after becoming head of the ANBU, Kakashi's perspective had broadened considerably.
Although Hidan's powers originated from something undeniably sinister—and his former teacher deserved death without question—
Hidan's existence still benefited Konoha.
Moreover, his teacher had already been thoroughly eliminated by Natsuhiko, while Hidan himself had gradually integrated into Konoha.
Thanks to Hidan, Konoha's pharmaceutical and medical research had advanced at an astonishing pace.
After all, having such an absurdly large margin for experimental error was invaluable.
However, progress in the other area of research was far less ideal.
Kakashi let out a small sigh. "The resurrection technique has seen some progress, but it's still very slow. The researchers' main focus has been—"
"I know. You've been keeping me updated," Natsuhiko said, shaking his head lightly. "But I'm not talking about them. To be honest, I never had high hopes for their approach."
"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi frowned. "Are you saying you have another plan?"
"Of course." Natsuhiko stood up, still smiling. "Come on. Today we're going to run a real experiment."
"An experiment?" Kakashi's eyes lit up with realization. "Hokage-sama, you mean you've actually—"
"Mm. It involves a certain unlucky Konoha missing-nin, but you'll understand why later."
Natsuhiko kept his tone light but gave Kakashi fair warning.
"Also… we'll need to head to your father's grave. Even though it's just a test, I've admired Sakumo-senpai for a long time."
Completely bewildered, Kakashi followed Natsuhiko all the way to his father's grave.
Then, with utter disbelief written across his face, he watched as Natsuhiko casually dug up the grave itself.
Even now, Kakashi still had no idea what Natsuhiko intended to do. Nor did he know who the "unfortunate missing-nin of Konoha" Natsuhiko mentioned actually was.
At this point, his mind had become a complete mess.
The only thing he understood was that Natsuhiko apparently had completed the resurrection technique…
And it seemed he intended to revive his father!
Glancing around at the surroundings, Kakashi sighed quietly.
His father had died bearing disgrace and condemnation, ultimately choosing suicide. Because of that, he had not been buried within Konoha's official cemetery.
This place was extremely remote.
So remote that almost nobody ever came here.
Under such circumstances, neither Kakashi nor Natsuhiko needed to worry about anyone discovering them digging up the grave.
Still, Kakashi could not suppress the confusion in his heart.
His father had already been dead for so many years. How exactly was Natsuhiko planning to resurrect someone like that?
And it was not just his father.
Rin's body had also been returned and buried many years ago.
If their graves were opened now, there would probably be nothing left except bones.
This was something Kakashi neither wished to see nor think about.
But unfortunately, it was reality.
Before the research had reached completion, Kakashi could force himself not to think about these matters because they felt far too distant.
There had been no need to dwell on impossible hopes.
But now, everything was different. Natsuhiko had told him the technique was complete.
Could this technique truly turn bones back into living people?
"All right, let's head back," Natsuhiko said suddenly while Kakashi was still lost in thought.
Kakashi looked up to see Natsuhiko holding a piece of bone and forming one-handed seals.
The earth shifted and flowed, resealing his father's grave completely. The exposed coffin and remains vanished beneath the ground without a trace.
"Just one piece of bone is enough?" Kakashi asked, voice low.
"I've already called Hidan. I'll explain everything when we get there."
Natsuhiko placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and gathered his chakra.
"Oh, and you'll probably have to sign quite a few execution orders for death-row prisoners in the future."
Before Kakashi could respond, Natsuhiko activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In the next instant, they reappeared in a forest inside the Konoha.
Hidan was already waiting with a death-row prisoner, looking rather impatient.
Kakashi knew the kid was supposed to be on leave today. He had made quite a few friends in the village, so being dragged into work on his day off probably annoyed him.
But the moment he saw Natsuhiko and Kakashi, Hidan immediately straightened up and bowed respectfully to both of them.
"All right, I know you're unhappy about this. Once we're done, I'll give you a full month off. Sound good?" Natsuhiko spoke directly to Hidan, glancing at Kakashi as if seeking his approval.
After all, Kakashi was the ANBU commander. Even though Natsuhiko held ultimate authority, it was better to respect the chain of command on internal matters.
Kakashi nodded in agreement, then fell silent, watching intently.
He was still burning with questions and wanted to see exactly what Natsuhiko would do.
"I've been thinking a lot about how to handle resurrection—especially when the person I want to bring back is nothing but bones, or maybe just a few strands of hair."
Now that everything was ready, Natsuhiko began forming seals while explaining.
"The only solution I could come up with for that kind of situation is Edo Tensei."
As he spoke, the chakra inside Natsuhiko surged to completion. He slammed his palm onto the ground. The next moment, summoning symbols spread out wildly in all directions.
Kakashi listened with a furrowed brow. He had heard the name "Edo Tensei" before, but he didn't really know what the jutsu actually did.
He had only been ANBU Commander for about half a year and still hadn't encountered many of these techniques.
But Natsuhiko looked extremely serious, so it had to be an incredibly powerful forbidden technique. Kakashi watched with full attention.
"Edo Tensei is a forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage.
Its main feature is that it can use certain special mediums to summon a deceased person back into the world of the living and force them to fight.
However, the technique does not respect the dead person's will and allows the user to control them completely. For that reason, it was classified as a forbidden technique.
But it was precisely this forbidden technique that gave me hope—hope that we could truly bring someone back to life."
At this point, Natsuhiko's chakra condensed once more. Although this was his first time performing Edo Tensei, he didn't find it particularly difficult.
Smoke began to rise from the summoning array on the ground. Kakashi immediately sensed that something was off.
Countless paper tags suddenly wrapped around the death-row prisoner Hidan had brought.
The prisoner was a spy from Kirigakure. He was quite strong and possessed a substantial amount of chakra.
Using him as the vessel for Sakumo Hatake had been a carefully considered choice by Natsuhiko. Sakumo's power had never come from kekkei genkai—it came from his own training. Therefore, there was no need to go through the trouble of using a White Zetsu body.
The Kiri spy let out a blood-curdling scream, but it was quickly silenced.
The pure-white paper tags that seemed to come from the Pure Land swirled around him. His appearance began to change dramatically.
Kakashi silently watched everything unfold with tightly furrowed brows.
Something about this entire process made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
Although he had killed many people before, this was the first time he had ever witnessed something like this.
But he had no time to dwell on such thoughts.
Because in the next instant, the prisoner's appearance completely transformed.
A familiar figure quietly appeared before him.
The moment Kakashi saw that person, his body began trembling uncontrollably as countless memories surged into his mind.
He had imagined countless times what it would feel like to reunite with his father after death.
But at this moment, all that remained in Kakashi's heart were the happiest memories he had of him.
When Hatake Sakumo's eyelids twitched slightly before he finally opened his eyes in confusion, Kakashi could no longer restrain himself and immediately rushed forward.
However, in that exact moment, Sakumo's eyes suddenly became incomparably sharp.
"I mean, you two father and son… was that really necessary?"
At some unknown point, Natsuhiko had already appeared between Sakumo and Kakashi.
One of his hands blocked Kakashi's chest, while the other precisely caught Sakumo's right hand.
Kakashi's body stiffened. Only then did he realize his father had been about to draw a weapon.
Thinking about it, Kakashi really couldn't blame him. After all, his father had been dead for so many years. Suddenly being awakened in a completely unfamiliar environment, it was only natural for a powerful shinobi to react defensively when someone approached.
Sakumo seemed to have fully regained his senses. He quickly checked his own condition.
The moment he did, he noticed something was wrong. His body felt incredibly healthy, and his chakra was vast—almost limitless—swirling around him endlessly. This state, which surpassed even his prime, left Sakumo confused.
Moreover, in his memory, he had already committed suicide. So why was he standing here again? What was going on?
Before he could think further, Sakumo's gaze landed on Natsuhiko. At first he was momentarily stunned by the white hair, but when he saw the clothing Natsuhiko wore, his body trembled involuntarily.
That white-and-red robe embroidered with flame-like patterns—he knew it all too well.
It was the exclusive robes of the Hokage!
"Hokage… sama?"
Sakumo murmured the words almost instinctively, though disbelief still filled his voice.
After all, although the young man before him was unquestionably powerful—
Strong enough to restrain him instantly before he could even react—
Such a level of strength was something even Sakumo himself had rarely encountered in his lifetime.
Could this young man really be the Hokage?
Sakumo's gaze shifted slightly, and this time Sakumo froze completely—his eyes locked onto Kakashi.
Even though more than ten years had passed and Kakashi was now an adult, his appearance and outfit were almost identical to when he was a child.
That familiar silver hair, the mask he had loved wearing since childhood.
Most importantly, as a father, no matter how many years passed, he would always have a special sense when he saw his own son.
"Ka… Kakashi?"
Sakumo had heard Natsuhiko say "father and son" earlier, but he couldn't just believe a stranger's words.
Yet in this moment, he felt he had no choice but to believe it.
"It's me, Father." Kakashi took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of emotion. "It's been a long time."
"A long time?" Sakumo relaxed a little. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "If I remember correctly, I should be dead. So why am I…"
"I think it would be better if Kakashi explained that to you." Natsuhiko gently released Sakumo's hand and smiled at the two of them.
"After all, so much time has passed and there are many things you don't know about. I won't disturb you father and son any longer."
With that, Natsuhiko glanced at Hidan. The boy was still dazed, lost in the spectacle of Natsuhiko's "bringing the dead back to life" technique.
But the moment he noticed Natsuhiko's look, he snapped out of it, quickly moved behind Natsuhiko, and left with him.
Kakashi and his father hadn't seen each other for thirteen years. Leaving them alone was the best thing Natsuhiko could do.
Not long afterward, Natsuhiko and Hidan had already left the area entirely. Only then did Natsuhiko shift his attention toward Hidan.
"Are you ready?" Natsuhiko asked. "You're the key to this technique. I really don't want any accidents."
"Don't worry, I've practiced it many times." In front of Natsuhiko, Hidan didn't dare act the slightest bit arrogant.
In the original story he might have been a madman, but after proper training in ANBU, he had learned to control himself very well.
Even when he was with friends, he no longer came across as crazy—just a bit wild and unrestrained at most.
"Very good. I'm really looking forward to your performance." Natsuhiko smiled and nodded. "But don't put too much pressure on yourself. This is just an experiment. If it fails, it's no big deal—you'll just have to work a little harder next time."
"I'd rather succeed on the first try." Hidan scratched the back of his head, then swallowed nervously. "But Hokage-sama, what exactly was that technique just now? It felt…"
"Didn't I already say it? Edo Tensei."
Natsuhiko did not mind chatting with Hidan and casually leaned against a nearby tree as he spoke.
"It's a forbidden technique. Though that only applies to everyone else. I'm the Hokage, so if I want to use it, naturally I'll use it."
"Hah… the Hokage really is the Hokage…"
Hidan awkwardly played along with Natsuhiko's bold statement, but he felt something was off about his own words and quickly changed the subject.
"Hokage-sama, that technique is seriously amazing—it can actually make the dead get up and move. But are you really sure our technique can combine with it and completely revive the dead?"
"Otherwise why would I call it an experiment?" Natsuhiko shrugged indifferently.
The truth was, he genuinely did not know the outcome himself.
"It's precisely because I don't know what will happen that this is called an experiment. Just like how people always say, 'If you do this, unpredictable consequences may occur.'"
"We say that because the consequences are unpredictable."
"If we already knew the outcome, then nobody would phrase it that way anymore, right?"
Hidan stared at Natsuhiko in confusion. He was completely lost by the Hokage's logic.
Didn't "unpredictable consequences" mean the thing was wrong? Only something bad would have unpredictable consequences, right?
Yet when these words came from Hokage-sama, they somehow sounded completely different.
Still, Hidan didn't dare ask any more questions. The more he asked, the more he felt like an idiot—and the more confused he became.
His brain simply wasn't as sharp as the Hokage's, and he didn't want to look stupid.
Natsuhiko and Hidan didn't have to wait long before Kakashi and Sakumo emerged from the forest and walked toward them.
This actually surprised Natsuhiko a little. He had assumed the two would have a lot to talk about and had planned to give them plenty of time.
Kakashi and his father had been separated for so many years, and Sakumo's suicide had left a deep shadow on Kakashi.
It had once turned Kakashi into the kind of person Danzo loved most. If Obito hadn't pulled him back from the brink, Kakashi might have truly fallen into the abyss.
The original Team Minato was eerily similar to the future Team 7—only the roles were swapped.
Kakashi had been the future Sasuke, while Obito had been more like the future Naruto. Yet fate was cruel: the "Sasuke" of Team Minato eventually walked into the light, while the extremely kind-hearted "Naruto" fell into darkness and became one with it.
It was bitterly ironic, but it was also the truth. That was why Natsuhiko could completely understand the special feelings Kakashi had toward Obito.
It wasn't just that Obito had given Kakashi an eye so he could see again—it was that Obito had pulled Kakashi out of the abyss entirely.
Through Obito, Kakashi had finally begun to understand the kind of man his father truly was. Naturally, the two had much to say to each other.
And for Sakumo, who had been dead for so many years, everything about the current era felt unfamiliar. Most of the time, he simply listened while Kakashi told him about the world he had missed.
For example, the fact that his son had understood him and had now become the ANBU Commander—Natsuhiko figured it would take at least an hour to cover everything.
Yet the two had only been gone for less than half an hour. Natsuhiko was extremely curious.
"Finished talking?" Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow.
"We just exchanged some basic current information, Hokage-sama," Sakumo answered proactively. He bowed slightly to Natsuhiko. "It is an honor to meet you for the first time. This subordinate, Sakumo Hatake, greets Hokage-sama."
"Sakumo-senpai, there's no need for such formality. Kakashi is my friend," Natsuhiko smiled and shook his head. "Besides, I actually met you once when I was a child. Kakashi and I were in the same class."
Natsuhiko really had seen Sakumo when he was little. On the first day of school, Sakumo had brought Kakashi to the academy while Natsuhiko had gone with Senju Shoma.
At the time, Natsuhiko had been full of curiosity about this legendary hero of the Leaf. Although he knew Sakumo would probably commit suicide soon, there was nothing he could do about it back then.
He had only looked at Sakumo from afar that day. After that, he never saw him again—until the rumors about him spread throughout the Konoha.
"Kakashi already told me that you and he were classmates, and that you helped him," Sakumo said, still maintaining a respectful attitude. He did not relax just because Natsuhiko and Kakashi were old friends.
Even though his conversation with Kakashi had been short, he had already learned just how terrifying the Fifth Hokage truly was.
According to Kakashi, this Fifth Hokage was not only a descendant of the Senju clan, but also possessed power comparable to Senju Hashirama himself!
During the war between the Konoha and Kumogakure, this Fifth Hokage—then still the ANBU Commander—had single-handedly wiped out an eight-thousand-strong Kumo force.
Such power was nothing short of terrifying. No wonder he had been able to stop Sakumo's attack so effortlessly the moment he tried to draw his weapon.
Facing someone like this, even with his connection to Kakashi, Sakumo would not let his guard down—especially since this man was the Hokage.
"He is now the ANBU Commander only because Hokage-sama recommended him. Without you, my worthless son would never have reached this position."
"All right, Sakumo-senpai. I believe Kakashi has already told you why we brought you back this time?" Natsuhiko said, looking at Sakumo's serious demeanor. Although he felt a little helpless, he didn't press the issue.
Sakumo had his own way of being a shinobi. Forcing him wouldn't change anything, so Natsuhiko decided to go along with it.
What puzzled Natsuhiko, though, was that he remembered Sakumo as being quite easy-going. Why was the man so reserved around him?
"I understand. But… isn't this going against the natural order?" Sakumo frowned. After a long pause, he continued, "After all, I was already dead…"
"Breaking the laws of nature is indeed not a good thing, but it's not absolute either."
Natsuhiko cut him off before he could finish and spoke calmly.
"The very fact that these technique can be created and used proves that, within the rules of these techniques, the laws of nature can be broken.
Moreover, the technique we performed follows the principle of equivalent exchange. To bring you back from the Pure Land, we offered one life—a death-row prisoner. I'm sure you already know that.
To fully resurrect you, the price may be an entire life. But we've already prepared for that.
Besides, we're calling this an experiment precisely because even we aren't sure whether we can succeed completely.
But before that, I have one question for you, Sakumo-senpai…"
Natsuhiko paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over both Sakumo and Kakashi. Then he smiled and said:
"When you died, Kakashi was only five years old. Do you really know how he spent the last thirteen years? Do you really know what kind of life he lived back then?
Now I'm giving you a chance to make up for all of that. Are you really unwilling to seize it?
Forget Kakashi for a moment—the Konoha is currently short on truly outstanding talent. Are you really unwilling to work for the village once more?"
Natsuhiko's words were spoken calmly, but each one struck straight at Sakumo's heart.
Sakumo stood there in stunned silence for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.
The next moment, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. Looking at Natsuhiko seriously, he slowly knelt on one knee.
"I understand, Hokage-sama. I was too selfish...
Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"
...
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]