Kakashi's Transformation

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

"Come to my house tonight to practice body techniques. My body techniques have always been a weak point, and I'd like to learn from you." At the end, Ino inexplicably added, "No one will be home tonight."

In her view, Hinata, who had been called the "Byakugan Princess" by Toneri Otsutsuki, must possess talent that, even if not on par with Neji Hyuga, far surpassed that of ordinary people.

The main issue with Hinata's current lack of performance was her lack of confidence. Additionally, she seemed too afraid of her father, leaving many of the foundational aspects of body techniques in a state of confusion—somewhere between understanding and not understanding. Her body didn't grasp it, and neither did her mind. When she encountered problems, she didn't dare to speak up or ask questions, instead choosing to practice in silence day after day.

In short, she hadn't yet "awakened."

Ino's body techniques were also lacking, but she at least had the foundational knowledge, even if her practice intensity wasn't high.

Now, by tutoring Hinata, her strength could definitely improve significantly.

Even if she couldn't defeat Neji Hyuga, at least she wouldn't be completely outclassed.

"It's settled then! I'll see you tonight!" Knowing that Hinata wouldn't agree directly, Ino decisively finalized the matter.

"Eh? Ino? I—" Hinata called out softly, wanting to discuss further, but Ino had already run off.

Her hurried demeanor was a bit intimidating... Hinata felt very lonely. From childhood to now, she had never had a single friend.

Her younger sister was always competing with her, her father's demands were extremely strict, and the gazes of her clan members placed immense pressure on her.

After becoming a Genin, Kurenai had been kind to her, but Kurenai herself was in the midst of a passionate romance and often found it difficult to pay attention to Hinata's situation. The Hyuga clan was a prestigious family, and saying too much or too little was inappropriate. Moreover, Kurenai's relationship with Asuma wasn't a secret, and speaking too much could easily be misinterpreted by the Hyuga clan as sending the wrong signals.

Sakura and Hinata's relationship was extremely superficial; they were merely acquaintances who exchanged nods.

The newly acquainted Tenten seemed like an enthusiastic girl, but the observant Hinata could sense that Tenten was somewhat resistant to her. Hinata guessed it was still because of Neji Hyuga.

Counting them all, Ino was the only friend she had.

That night, after finishing dinner at home, Hinata mentioned that she wanted to go to the Yamanaka household to practice body techniques. After a moment of thought, Hiashi Hyuga agreed.

An hour later, Hinata stood in front of the Yamanaka household's gate, stunned. Ino hadn't lied—there really was no one home tonight!

This wasn't Ino deliberately standing her up, but rather because the Ino-Shika-Cho families were having a gathering at the Nara clan's forest villa that evening. The three clan heads were in a secret room discussing the village's next leader and the future role of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation within it.

By the time the moon rose above the treetops, Ino finally remembered her appointment with Hinata. She quickly created a Shadow Clone to return home, ensuring she didn't completely break her promise.

Even after submitting her Certificate of Allegiance, Hanare's origins were still prone to criticism.

After Orochimaru defected from the village, he had helped Kabuto forge a new identity to return to the Hidden Leaf Village. Naturally, the Third Hokage found it even easier to handle such matters.

The Third Hokage fabricated a series of identities for Hanare, then had her don a mask and become an Anbu Ninja directly under the Hokage. Since Hayate Gekko had become a Special Jonin and left the Anbu, Hanare seamlessly joined the now one-member-short Anbu Team 6.

The teammates were the same three who had captured her a few days ago, including the kunoichi Uzuki Yugao. The Third Hokage's intention was still to keep an eye on her, but he didn't object to Kakashi associating with this kunoichi.

Uzuki Yugao often brought Hayate Gekko to buy flowers, and occasionally brought her new colleague Hanare along. Hanare, in turn, would sometimes bring Kakashi with her. Ino kept recommending the most expensive flowers to them, and Kakashi's wallet was growing thinner by the day.

Hanare was an extremely bold girl. Once she set her sights on someone, she would launch her pursuit without hesitation, even going so far as to defect from her village.

Of course, to Jomae Village, her actions were undoubtedly treasonous, but to Konoha, it was seen as turning over a new leaf.

Kakashi was deeply introverted, his heart long shrouded in darkness. However, time eventually erodes even the deepest scars. The antics of the three lively members of Team 7 had slightly cracked open the door to his heart, and just as that happened, Hanare appeared. She would frequently ask him out to eat or go shopping. As the saying goes, "When a woman pursues a man, it's like breaking through a thin veil." Faced with such fiery and relentless advances, the darkness in his heart began to dissolve, not quickly, but steadily.

This change manifested externally when he actually accepted Might Guy's invitation to a race. The two of them dashed from the back of the mountain to the village entrance, then turned around and raced all the way to the Hokage Rock.

Their sprinting caught the attention of countless villagers and ninjas.

It was worth noting that in the past, Kakashi would always brush off Might Guy with a game of rock-paper-scissors, never engaging in such exaggerated and passionate competitions in public.

His mindset was clearly different from before.

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

The Third Hokage didn't believe he would live to be as old as Genji. Having experienced so many bitter and deadly battles in his youth, his physical abilities had declined severely with age—his strength, speed, and chakra had all diminished significantly.

He had been considering a successor for a long time, and Kakashi was the most outstanding candidate among them, perhaps even the only one.

Seeing Kakashi slowly emerge from his inner darkness and become more cheerful, the Third Hokage was genuinely delighted.

He didn't have the ability to foresee the future. He didn't know that his old comrade Danzo would one day contribute to sealing the bridge, nor did he know that Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane would live all the way into the Boruto era. Even if those two old coots were on their last breath, they would never step down, determined to die in their advisory positions. In his eyes, the four of them were likely to pass away one after the other. Once he was gone, they might only have a few years left.

The Third Hokage immediately began testing his three old comrades, this time even excluding Shikaku from the discussion.

In truth, Shikaku was also qualified to inherit the position of Hokage. In the original timeline, Kakashi had genuinely or perhaps half-heartedly tested Shikaku, hoping he would take on the role. However, Shikaku declined, citing his age and his imminent retirement.

The Third Hokage personally held Shikaku in high regard, but he didn't want the Hokage position to fall into the hands of the Ino-Shika-Cho 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 ninjas, other ninja clans and civilians would have no chance to rise in the future.

The three families, relying on their internal alliance, could easily play a game of "pass the parcel" behind closed doors—you take the role of Hokage while I become an advisor, and then we switch.

Playing like this, how could anyone else even compete?

The Third Hokage tentatively brought up the idea of giving Kakashi more responsibilities. Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane remained silent, their eyes closed. The two old foxes knew all too well that at this moment, someone else was even more anxious than they were.