Wok Shadow Ninja

Chapter 105: Kakashi's Transformation

When the temporary team parted ways, Ino extended an invitation to Hinata.

"Come to my house tonight to practice taijutsu. My taijutsu has always been a weak point, so I'd like to learn from you," Ino said. Then, almost as if possessed, she added, "No one will be home tonight."

In her eyes, Hinata, who had been called the "Byakugan Princess" by Ōtsutsuki Toneri, possessed talent that, even if it didn't match Neji Hyūga's, far surpassed that of the average person.

The main issue holding Hinata back was her lack of confidence. On top of that, she seemed terrified of her father, which left her in a state of confusion regarding many basic taijutsu principles. She was stuck in a limbo between understanding and not understanding her body didn't grasp it, and neither did her mind. When she encountered problems, she didn't dare speak up or ask questions, choosing instead to bury herself in relentless practice.

In short, she hadn't yet "awakened" to her potential.

Ino's taijutsu was also lacking, but she had a solid foundation in the basics. She just hadn't trained with enough intensity.

Now, by giving Hinata some guidance, Ino believed Hinata's skills could improve significantly.

She might not be able to defeat Neji, but at least she wouldn't be completely outclassed.

"It's settled then! I'll see you tonight!" Knowing that Hinata wouldn't agree outright, Ino quickly made the decision for her and dashed off before Hinata could respond.

"Wait... Ino? I..." Hinata called out softly, wanting to discuss it further, but Ino was already gone.

Her energetic demeanor was both intimidating and endearing.

Hinata had always been lonely. From childhood to now, she had never had a single friend.

Her younger sister was constantly competing with her, her father's expectations were unbearably strict, and the gazes of her clansmen weighed heavily on her.

After becoming a genin, Kurenai had been kind to her, but Kurenai was in the midst of her own romantic relationship and often couldn't pay much attention to Hinata. The Hyūga clan was a prestigious family, and saying too much or too little could easily be misinterpreted. Kurenai and Asuma's relationship wasn't a secret, and if Kurenai spoke too much, it might send the wrong message to the Hyūga clan.

Hinata's relationship with Sakura was lukewarm at best they were little more than acquaintances.

Tenten, who seemed like an enthusiastic girl, gave off a subtle sense of resistance toward Hinata. Hinata guessed it was because of Neji.

Counting them all, Ino was her only real friend.

That evening, after dinner, Hinata told her father she wanted to go to the Yamanaka household to practice taijutsu. After a brief moment of consideration, Hiashi Hyūga agreed.

An hour later, Hinata stood in front of the Yamanaka household, staring blankly at the door. Ino hadn't lied there really was no one home!

This wasn't Ino intentionally standing her up. The Ino-Shika-Chō families were having a gathering at the Nara clan's forest villa that night. The three clan heads were in a private room discussing the village's next leader and the future role of the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance.

It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that Ino remembered her promise to Hinata. She quickly created a shadow clone to head back home, ensuring she didn't completely break her promise.

Even after submitting her pledge of loyalty, Hanare is background was still a point of contention.

After Orochimaru defected from the village, he had helped Kabuto fabricate a new identity to return to Konoha. Naturally, the Third Hokage found it even easier to do the same.

The Third Hokage created a series of fake identities for Hanare, then had her wear a mask and join the ANBU as a direct subordinate of the Hokage. With Yugao Uzuki is promotion to special jōnin and subsequent departure from the ANBU, Hanare seamlessly filled the vacant spot in the Sixth ANBU Squad.

Her teammates were the same three who had captured her a few days prior, including the kunoichi, Yūhi Kurenai.

The Third Hokage's intention was still to keep an eye on her, but he didn't object to Kakashi interacting with her.

Kurenai often brought Yugao to buy flowers, and occasionally brought her new colleague, Hanare, along as well. Hanare, in turn, frequently brought Kakashi with her. Ino kept recommending the most expensive flowers, and Kakashi's wallet grew thinner by the day.

Hanare was an extremely bold girl. Once she set her sights on someone, she pursued them relentlessly, even to the point of defecting from her village.

Of course, from the perspective of Jōmae Village, her actions were undoubtedly treasonous. But to Konoha, it was seen as a move toward the light.

Kakashi was deeply reserved, his heart shrouded in darkness. However, time eventually erodes even the deepest shadows. The antics of Team 7 had cracked open a small sliver of light in his heart, and Hanare is appearance furthered that. She frequently asked him out to eat and shop, and as the saying goes, "When a woman pursues a man, there's only a thin veil between them." Faced with her fiery advances, the darkness in his heart began to dissolve not quickly, but steadily.

This change manifested outwardly when he actually accepted Might Guy's challenge to a race. The two of them dashed from the back of the village to the entrance, then raced back to the Hokage Monument.

Their sprint drew the attention of countless villagers and shinobi.

In the past, Kakashi would have brushed off Guy's challenges with a game of rock-paper-scissors. He would never have engaged in such an exaggerated and passionate competition in public.

His mindset was clearly different now.

The person happiest about this wasn't Ino or the other bystanders, but the Third Hokage.

The Third didn't believe he would live as long as someone like Ōnoki. Having experienced so many brutal battles in his youth, his body had deteriorated significantly with age. His strength, speed, and chakra had all declined sharply.

For a long time, he had been searching for a successor. Kakashi was the most outstanding candidate, perhaps even without equal.

Seeing Kakashi slowly emerge from the darkness in his heart and become more open and cheerful brought the Third immense joy.

He didn't have the ability to foresee the future. He didn't know that his old comrade Danzō would one day contribute to the sealing of the bridge, nor did he know that Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane would live all the way into the Boruto era. Even if those two old-timers were on their last breath, they would refuse to step down, determined to die in their advisory roles. In his eyes, the four of them were on borrowed time. Once he passed, how many more years could they possibly have?

The Third Hokage decided to test the waters with his three old comrades, this time excluding even Shikaku Nara.

In truth, Shikaku was also a viable candidate for the Hokage position. In the original timeline, Kakashi had tentatively suggested that Shikaku take on the role, but Shikaku declined, citing his age and imminent retirement.

The Third Hokage held Shikaku in high regard, but he didn't want the Hokage position to fall into the hands of the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance. Their combined influence was simply too great. If they were to gain legitimate control over the village, with command over the ANBU and medical-nin, there would be no opportunity for other clans or civilians to rise in the future.

The three clans, with their internal alliance, could easily play a game of passing the Hokage title among themselves you be Hokage while I serve as advisor, then we'll switch roles.

If they played it that way, what chance would anyone else have?

The Third Hokage tentatively brought up the idea of placing more responsibilities on Kakashi. Homura and Koharu closed their eyes and remained silent. The two old-timers knew full well that someone else was far more anxious about this than they were.

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