"Sister Tsunade, I want to learn medical ninjutsu from you!"
Sister?
Tsunade raised her eyebrows slightly at the sound of the childish voice.
She looked down at the thin boy before her—silver-haired and barely reaching her waist. Instead of setting down the wine glass in her hand, she burst into laughter.
"Where did this brat come from? Did some adult fail to keep an eye on their kid? Who lets children wander into a bar at night?"
"Hahaha, kid, medical ninjutsu isn't something you can just pick up at your age," Jiraiya added, laughing heartily. "Go home to your parents and stop running around like this."
Across the table, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, studying the boy with silver hair. He licked his lips with interest, his tone quiet and calculated.
"Don't underestimate him. He's the son of the White Fang—Hatake Kakashi. They say he already had Genin-level strength at the age of five."
"White Fang's son?"
Tsunade fell silent.
The name White Fang echoed in her heart. Once admired by all the Sannin, a hero to the entire village—respected, feared, unmatched. Yet during a mission, he had chosen to save his comrade rather than complete the task. That decision had cost the Fire Nation dearly.
He was spurned by the villagers.
Even the comrade he saved abandoned him in his darkest moment.
In the end, overwhelmed by public pressure, White Fang—Kakashi's father—committed suicide.
Tsunade's voice softened. "Kakashi, tell me why you want to learn medical ninjutsu."
"Because I want to live."
"To survive?" she frowned.
"Yes. To live on," Kakashi said, looking straight into her eyes. "With my abilities, I can graduate at any time. That means I'll soon be fighting enemies. I could even end up on the battlefield. Learning medical ninjutsu could increase my chances of survival."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at his honesty. "So, you want to learn it for self-protection?"
She sighed, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
"It's human nature to think that way. But when you're out on the battlefield, you'll be assigned a medical ninja anyway. That's why I fought so hard to promote the idea of having one medical ninja per squad—to ensure timely treatment during missions."
"The purpose of a medical ninja," she continued, her voice firmer now, "is not to protect themselves—but to protect their comrades!"
"That's why I'm not going to teach you. If survival is your only goal, you'd be better off focusing on becoming stronger. The stronger you are, the less likely you'll die."
She waved her hand, clearly indicating the conversation was over.
Kakashi looked down and fell silent. He thought carefully about her words.
Protecting your comrades...
Actually…
Forget it. If that's what you think, then so be it.
Suddenly, he raised his head again, his eyes more resolute than before.
"Sister Tsunade, I understand what you mean."
"But what if the medical ninja on the team is the one who gets seriously injured?"
"Who will treat the healer?"
"There are always unexpected situations on the battlefield. I want to protect my teammates too!"
"Please, teach me medical ninjutsu. I'm begging you!"
As he spoke, Kakashi bowed deeply and didn't rise again.
Tsunade looked at the boy bent over in front of her. Her brow furrowed, and she let out a long sigh, rubbing her forehead.
Even after what he's been through… he still wants to protect others?
She suddenly saw a flash of White Fang in him—loyal, upright, willing to suffer to protect someone else.
"Why don't you just agree already?" Jiraiya grinned. "The kid's a genius. He'd be easy to train. Besides, you're taking care of Shizune anyway—what's one more?"
Bang!
Tsunade smacked Jiraiya on the head with her fist.
"Shut up. Easy for you to say—you're not the one doing the teaching!"
Orochimaru chuckled from the side. "Tsunade, if you don't want to take him in, let him follow me instead. I could use a smart assistant in the lab."
His raspy voice sent a shiver down the spine of anyone listening, but he spoke with sincerity, or at least a convincing version of it.
Tsunade fell into deep thought.
Was it Kakashi's sincerity?
Or perhaps guilt over White Fang's fate?
Or maybe… it was the word "sister"—a word that scratched at memories she'd long buried.
Of course, she'd never admit any of it.
After a moment, she finally spoke.
"I'll give you a chance. Tomorrow afternoon, two o'clock, meet me in Konoha Forest by the village gates."
"I'll give you a test. If you pass, I'll teach you."
"If not, forget it. I don't have time to play ninja games with children."
She waved her hand again, dismissing him.
"I understand. Thank you, Sister Tsunade!"
Kakashi straightened up, bowed again, and turned to leave.
"Goodbye, Sister Tsunade. Goodbye, Uncle Jiraiya. Goodbye, Lord Orochimaru."
"…Hey! Why am I the uncle while Tsunade gets to be the sister? We're the same age!"
Bang!
Tsunade's fist found Jiraiya's head again.
"Don't bring up a lady's age, idiot! Of course I look younger! Are you stupid?"
Orochimaru simply watched, amused, licking his lower lip occasionally like he was savoring a show only he could truly appreciate.
Kakashi, already on his way out, missed the entire comedic disaster that followed.
---
Outside, the streets were lively and full of light.
Couples strolled arm in arm. Children ran through the crowd laughing. Girls clung to their friends, and lovers held each other close. The commercial street buzzed with energy.
Today had been the entrance ceremony—an occasion to celebrate, which explained the unusually festive mood.
Kakashi walked with his hands in his pockets, weaving quietly through the joy-filled crowd.
None of it seemed to touch him.
If he had to describe the feeling—it was like sitting alone in a movie theater, watching a happy New Year's film while everyone else was at a party.
People occasionally noticed the striking silver hair and began whispering behind his back.
"That's him…"
"Who?"
"You know… White Fang's kid... Yeah, that's him."
Kakashi ignored it all.
His so-called "father" had died before he even arrived in this world.
When his soul crossed time and space, White Fang was already gone. He just happened to attend the funeral of a stranger—one he was forced to call "Dad."
It was a clear, sunny day, yet only a handful of people showed up.
Obito, Rin, Guy, Might Dai, Minato-sensei, and Kushina.
A few villagers he didn't know.
And the Third Hokage.
Protect your comrades?
Kakashi thought of Obito and Rin.
They were the only ones who had offered him genuine friendship when he had been most lost and isolated. It was childish, perhaps—but it had touched him deeply.
Still…
Fate was not something so easily changed.
Obito and Rin's tragedy wasn't just a personal misfortune. Behind it were greater forces: Ōtsutsuki Chenxiang, Uchiha Madara...
He wasn't the child of destiny.
He didn't carry the blessings of the world.
He wasn't gifted with the hidden "plug-ins" from the Sage of Six Paths.
...Though, now that he thought about it, there was that system he nearly forgot he had.
As for the title "genius"?
The ninja world had never lacked geniuses.
Shisui, Itachi, Minato, Kimimaro, Deidara—which one of them wasn't a once-in-a-generation talent?
But they all died young.
That's why, ever since arriving in this world, Kakashi had trained relentlessly—afraid that he, too, might die before achieving anything.
But he couldn't just let fate run its course.
Why?
Because in this vast, dangerous world, there were very few people he truly cared about.
And one of them—a little girl who brought light to his dark life—was the most important of all.