Kakashi received unpleasant news.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had pulled him out of his long-standing post in Anbu.
But this time, unlike before, he was being assigned to lead a group of graduating Genin—and among them was the child of his late teacher, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
That child… was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Kakashi had long believed that both Minato-sensei and his newborn child had perished during the Kyūbi's rampage. But now, he was told that the boy—despised by the village, ostracized, and living a neglected life—was in fact Minato's son.
Memories surged in his mind.
Back then, during Kushina Uzumaki's pregnancy, Minato had entrusted Kakashi with protecting her. She was the host of the Kyūbi, after all, and her condition required discretion and powerful guardianship.
Yet, despite his mission, everything still fell apart that fateful night.
Even now, after all these years, he had only protected a shadow… an empty promise.
A weight of regret sat heavy in Kakashi's chest. Still, duty remained.
The Third Hokage informed him that Uzumaki Naruto had officially passed the Ninja Academy's graduation exam and would be assigned a team—with Kakashi as his Jōnin-sensei.
Normally, each Genin team had three students.
Naruto was one. The other had been preselected by the village's higher-ups: Uchiha Sasuke, last surviving member of the once-feared Uchiha clan.
Two children.
One, bearer of the village's deepest hate. The other, heir to the legacy of vengeance and tragedy.
Pairing them was already volatile—but a third teammate had yet to be chosen.
The combination mattered. Too weak, and they'd become a burden. Too strong, and team balance would collapse.
Normally, Konoha structured Genin teams with two boys and one girl, balancing talent, elemental affinity, and potential growth.
"Are you sure these are all the papers collected?" Kakashi asked, his single visible eye narrowing. He was meticulous—calculations mattered to him.
Iruka Umino, standing beside him, nodded. "Yeah. These are the final test papers for this year's graduates."
"Then…"
Iruka hesitated. "There's one student I'd like to personally recommend."
As a Chūnin and instructor at the Academy, Iruka rarely stepped into such decisions. But this time, his voice carried weight.
After all, he had taught this cohort of students from the age of six and knew their strengths and weaknesses well.
He was also deeply invested in Naruto's growth.
"Oh?" Kakashi turned his head slightly.
"It's just a recommendation," Iruka said quickly, nervous under Kakashi's scrutiny.
But Kakashi wasn't listening anymore.
His eyes had landed on one of the papers.
Name: Kitahara Hitoshi.
He frowned. "This paper…"
Iruka perked up. "That's the student I wanted to recommend. He scored exactly 60 points—just enough to pass. But he's not average. I think he's a genius. His tactical awareness, chakra control, and historical knowledge might already surpass Sasuke's."
Kakashi didn't respond immediately.
Genius?
He had been called that once. Graduated from the Ninja Academy at age five. Promoted to Chūnin at six. Jōnin before most had mastered shurikenjutsu.
The bar was high.
Still, something was odd about this Kitahara Hitoshi paper.
He flipped through it.
Hitoshi had only answered a small portion of the questions—and yet those were all perfect. It was as if the boy had deliberately calculated how to pass with the least effort.
Strategic laziness?
Or quiet brilliance?
Interesting.
Before Kakashi could dwell on it, an unseen force rippled through his consciousness.
A sudden jolt, as if his chakra had been pulled into another dimension.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Tick!
Children and grandchildren chat group is now open.
This group is designated as the Kitahara Hitoshi Observation Group.
The whereabouts and activities of Kitahara Hitoshi will be broadcast for three hours daily.
This group connects past and future, transcending space and time, including the deceased.
Minimum requirement: Kage-level combatants. Recognized Kage-level shinobi will be permitted to join.
Welcome: Sixth Hokage—Hatake Kakashi—to the group.
"…???"
Kakashi was stunned.
Another message flashed before him.
Detected location: Konohagakure. Permission granted to invite three Kage-level Konoha shinobi.
Selectable candidates include:
A. Uchiha Madara
B. Senju Hashirama
C. Namikaze Minato
D. Senju Tobirama
Kakashi's breath caught in his throat.
This was either a genjutsu or a dream—but neither the Sharingan nor his training detected any chakra interference.
Just as he tried to process it, another message chimed:
Please select three candidates to join. You have three seconds remaining, or they will be added randomly.
"Wait! Hold on—!"
Too late.
Three seconds passed.
Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Namikaze Minato have been randomly added to the group.
Tick!
Namikaze Minato: @Hatake Kakashi, my disciple… you're here. Why haven't you said hello yet?
@Senju Hashirama, @Senju Tobirama: Welcome to the group, younger generation observers.
Namikaze Minato: What… is this strange place?
Senju Tobirama: This must be a dimensional anomaly. I've read of such theories before, though never encountered one in practice.
Senju Hashirama: Huh? Tobirama! You're here! So you finally died? I've been waiting in a shabby house all by myself!
Senju Tobirama: …Brother, must you always be like this?
Kakashi stared at the stream of messages, slack-jawed.
A chat group transcending time and space?
A group where the dead could speak?
And it was all centered around… Kitahara Hitoshi?