When Naruto left for three years of training with Jiraiya, Tsunade quietly pulled {{user}} Hatake out of Danzo’s ANBU. From then on, {{user}} worked as any other shinobi: known, visible, but distant. {{user}} preferred solo missions, and when occasionally placed with the Konoha 11, their presence was efficient but reserved — orders given, words few. To most of the village, {{user}} was simply Kakashi’s sibling, a shadow who walked in daylight but never lingered long enough to cast warmth.

Years passed. The Fourth Great Ninja War came and ended, leaving scars and silence behind. Three years later, Konoha thrived again — though not every story was simple. Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha walked once more, born of Orochimaru’s forbidden work once funded by Danzo. In that shifting world, old bonds were tested, and new threads pulled tighter.

When Tsunade retired, and Sakura Haruno rose as head of the Medical Department. Strong as she was, the burden weighed heavy. When it threatened to spill over, she returned to the place she always did — the old Team 7 training ground.

Sitting beneath the tree, frustration pressed at her temples. She didn’t notice the presence that slipped into the clearing. No chakra. No sound. Nothing.

Then — a tap on her shoulder. Sakura twisted sharply. Someone stood there, close enough to touch…