Chapter 205 – Three Years Have Passed (Part 1)
Three years was not an easy stretch of time.
For Black Zetsu and Obito, for Sasuke and Naruto—those years dragged heavily.
But for Kitagawa Gen? They passed rather comfortably.
"Just… things got a little busier."
Walking down Konoha's bustling main street, Gen yawned, watching the lively crowds.
"What's with that half-asleep face?"
Kakashi tilted his head, eyeing his student curiously.
"I don't recall yesterday being particularly eventful."
"No big deal, huh?"
Gen gave a wry smile, shaking his head.
"They dumped a mountain of useless paperwork on me! For crying out loud, I'm just a jōnin! Not an office clerk."
"…"
"And even then, when I actually propose ideas, no one supports them. Only the Second Hokage agreed with me."
"…"
"Seriously, what happened to Konoha's government? How did it rot to this state?"
Kakashi stared at his disciple with his trademark dead-fish eyes. Does this brat even hear the words coming out of his mouth?
Not to mention—some of Gen's "ideas" were downright extreme.
Over the past three years, one thing had become a near-universal consensus in Konoha: Kitagawa Gen was destined to become the next Hokage.
The conviction was even stronger than the faith once placed in Orochimaru. He was still young, yes, but no one doubted his future.
As a result, Gen was pulled into all sorts of affairs, his opinion sought on countless matters—and often, he was directly entrusted to handle them himself.
And to be fair, his track record was excellent. Every decision he made aligned with Konoha's best interests.
But still… he wasn't perfect.
His more radical foreign policies left everyone in the Hokage's office with goosebumps. Even Tobirama had been caught grumbling once:
"That brat… how is he even more extreme than I was?"
For Tobirama to say that—well, it spoke volumes.
"Instead of whining," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples, "why not put in more effort? Look at the Sand Village. Gaara's already become Kazekage. And you—"
"Gaara being Kazekage… wasn't that thanks to us?" Gen cut in sharply, raising an eyebrow.
"And besides, Mei Terumī and Deidara aren't Kage yet. Why should I rush?"
"…" Kakashi instantly regretted bringing up Sunagakure.
Because he knew Gen was right. Gaara becoming Kazekage really had been Konoha's doing.
Gen had killed Gaara's father, Rasa—but Gaara hadn't cared. After his uncle Yashamaru's death, he had no one who loved him, no guidance, no warmth.
So when Gen appeared—even with his unreliable talk-no-jutsu—it was the first time in years Gaara had felt acknowledged. He listened.
And with Konoha's pressure added, and Sunagakure's utter lack of suitable leaders… Gaara's ascension had been inevitable.
"Speaking of Gaara," Gen muttered, rubbing his chin, "I hear he's been investigating things. Wonder if he'll deal with those old fossils in his village. Shame, though—he's still too soft. Didn't even move against the Wind Daimyō. Guess he isn't desperate enough. Maybe we should just—"
"Enough already!" Kakashi finally snapped, pinning his student with exasperation.
"And need I remind you—the Land of Lightning has already caused enough trouble. Plus, the Fire Daimyō's been quite generous lately."
"No one even died in that assassination attempt from Kumo," Gen scoffed. "Honestly, we've been far too kind to the Cloud."
"Oh, give it a rest. Iwa's satisfied. Kiri's satisfied. We're satisfied too!"
"And yet they're all still alive, aren't they?" Gen muttered darkly.
"…"
"What a waste. I was hoping hunger would push them into chaos. Guess we didn't starve them enough."
Kakashi could only sigh in defeat. His student had grown taller, sharper, and yes—even more handsome these past three years. His presence was striking, his complexion fairer than ever.
But the whiter his skin grew, the blacker his heart seemed to get.
"…Anyway, Kakashi-sensei, how are your eyes holding up?" Gen finally switched topics, apparently bored of politics.
"Lady Tsunade's experiments—what do you think?"
"They're going fine. But the village is still cautious. Otherwise, we wouldn't need today's examination."
Kakashi unconsciously touched his left eye. The Mangekyō Sharingan had lasted him years, but his reckless usage was finally catching up. The strain was undeniable.
Thanks to Gen's reminder, though, Tsunade had begun research on the matter, even enlisting Tobirama's help.
But they faced one major problem: the Uchiha clan was all but exterminated thanks to Itachi.
There were no suitable test subjects left. Sasuke was still too young, his eyes underdeveloped.
Which left Kakashi as their only option.
"I can feel it," Kakashi admitted. "My eye's slowly recovering. Maybe that's how Obito managed to keep using his so long."
"Could be."
Gen rubbed his chin again, then added casually,
"Guess I'll have to keep an eye on Obito's body. Half of him's White Zetsu anyway—meaning he's stuffed with the First Hokage's cells."
"You…" Kakashi sighed, torn between laughter and despair. His student really had no filter.
The two continued their banter until they reached the ANBU headquarters—only to be stopped short as two shadows suddenly flickered into existence before them.
One gold. One black.
"I win, loser."
"Damn it! You cheated!"
"A loss is a loss. Can't handle it?"
"Damn it all!"
Of course—it was Sasuke and Naruto.
Scenes like this had become routine over the past three years.
"Can you two behave for once?"
Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, though the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
These two were his students as well. Watching them grow into the young men before him filled him with a quiet pride.
"Kakashi-sensei! This bastard cheated!" Naruto complained loudly the moment he saw him.
"He started running before you even finished counting to three!"
"…Idiot," Sasuke muttered coldly.
Sasuke crossed his arms, his voice calm.
"In a real fight, who's going to wait for you? Both Gen-senpai and Lord Second said it—if there's an opening, you take it. Did you forget already?"
"Damn it! That's dirty! And why are you copying Gen all of a sudden?"
"Gen-senpai is someone everyone should learn from."
"You—!"
"He's going to be Hokage. And you… tch tch."
"…"
Naruto's fists trembled—he was seconds away from losing it.
But Sasuke didn't even glance at him. Instead, he turned and gave Gen a respectful bow.
"…"
Kakashi pressed his lips together. So I'm invisible now, huh?
Gen, meanwhile, could only shake his head with an amused sigh.
"Alright, enough fooling around. Let's head inside."
Since today's experiment involved Kakashi, the two boys naturally had to tag along as well.
Naruto's case was simple—even if the procedure had nothing to do with him directly, he carried Minato and Kushina inside him. Even if they didn't explain it to Naruto, they at least had to inform his parents' lingering chakra. Which meant… he was coming along whether anyone liked it or not.
As for Sasuke—being an Uchiha heir, the village had no intention of keeping him in the dark.
Especially since Tobirama himself had taken Sasuke as a student.
When Gen first suggested it, Tobirama had accepted with his usual composure. After all, he'd once mentored Uchiha Kagami. Teaching another Uchiha—particularly the last one left in Konoha—wasn't a problem for him.
That was, until he actually saw Sasuke.
"That bastard… why does he look exactly like Uchiha Izuna?!"
Old memories surged like a flood. For a moment, Tobirama was this close to quitting on the spot.
It was only thanks to Gen's persuasion—and his elder brother's calm reasoning—that he begrudgingly agreed.
What he truly thought inside, no one knew.
But in the end, the "Sinister Senju elder" and the "Sinister young Uchiha" were thrown together… and predictably, it was the Uchiha kid who suffered most.
Still, Sasuke's growth was undeniable.
Three years later, the once-petite boy had become a striking sixteen-year-old. He now wore a sleek black combat uniform, a short blade hanging at his waist, his bearing sharp and upright.
Naruto had grown too. With his parents' presence guiding him, he wasn't the messy, scruffy kid he once was. His golden hair gleamed under the sun, his yellow-and-black attire vibrant, his whole presence brimming with spirit. At a glance, he even carried a faint shadow of Minato himself.
"Yes!"
At Gen's word, the two straightened instantly, falling silent and obedient.
"They really do listen to you," Kakashi said, half exasperated, half amused.
"Maybe it's because I know Flying Thunder God?" Gen tapped his chin thoughtfully, then shot Kakashi a sly wink.
"Come to think of it… other than you and Sakura, I think all of us can use it now."
"…"
Kakashi froze, his face darkening.
"Mocking your own teacher—that's going too far!"
"?"
"And another thing—you've been slacking these past three years. Careful, or they'll surpass you before long!"
"…"
Gen chuckled and shook his head, unbothered.
"If they manage to surpass me, I'll actually be happy to see it."
After all, while his real body might not have trained all that hard, his Divine Tree clone had never once stopped working. His growth hadn't slowed in the slightest.
While the group made their way into the ANBU base…
Far away, within the Akatsuki's stronghold in the Land of Rain—
"…Three years. At last, it's over."
Nagato let out a silent sigh in his heart, his gaze sweeping across everyone gathered. Then, in his usual calm voice, he declared:
"Since we're all here, let's begin the meeting."