The Hokage's office was thick with silence.
The Third Hokage coughed into his hand, face turning slightly red as the crystal ball replayed Naruto's antics for all the jōnin to see. "Cough, cough… well, that was… something."
Yuhi Kurenai couldn't hold back a smirk. "Senior Kakashi, care to comment? The boy did mention you, after all."
Her tone was playful, careful enough not to offend the Hokage sitting just a few feet away. Making fun of her fellow jōnin, though? That was fair game.
Kakashi didn't even lift his eye from the book in his hand. "…"
He turned a page slowly, refusing to take the bait.
Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you can't just stay quiet forever, senpai. People might think you're hiding something."
Before Kakashi could respond, Genma Shiranui — the one perpetually chewing on a senbon — grinned. "Don't tell me Naruto's actually your illegitimate kid. He's already got your talent for excuses."
Guy immediately jumped in, voice booming with passion. "Kakashi! You have an illegitimate child?! My youthful rival, how could you not tell me? Now I must go and have one too! Youth demands it!"
"Please don't," Kakashi muttered. "Also, Genma — try not to spread rumors unless you want your next mission to involve chasing cats."
His voice stayed calm, but there was a faint heaviness in it — the kind you only hear from someone remembering things that still hurt.
Sandaime decided to step in before the conversation spiraled into a gossip circus. He raised a hand. "Alright, enough teasing. I didn't call you all here just to watch Naruto's morning show. There's something more important."
The room sobered a little. Even Guy managed to stop yelling for a moment.
"Regarding Naruto's father…" The Hokage's gaze drifted toward the Hokage Monument outside his window, his eyes settling on the carved face of the Fourth. His voice grew quieter. "Some of you already know the truth. Most of you don't. For now, that's how it must stay."
A few jōnin exchanged glances. None spoke.
The old man cleared his throat. "Kakashi, you stay. The rest of you are dismissed. S-rank confidentiality."
The others straightened instantly. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Once the door shut behind them, only Kakashi remained — still holding Icha Icha Paradise, still unreadable.
"What's the matter, Hokage-sama?" he asked softly.
The Hokage turned toward him, expression weary but warm. "Kakashi, you already know Naruto is Minato's son."
Kakashi's eye softened. He closed the book. "I do. He's the teacher's boy, after all. Despite everything, he's managed to keep that fire alive. Sensei would've been proud."
The old man smiled faintly. "Yesterday, an ANBU report came in. Naruto… may have stumbled across something. Something related to them."
Kakashi's head shot up. "That's impossible. He hasn't even begun chakra training yet. How could he find them?"
"I thought the same," the Hokage admitted. "That's why I suppressed the report. If Danzo catches wind of it, he'll find some excuse to interfere. You know how he is."
Kakashi nodded grimly. He did know. Danzo saw Naruto not as a boy, but as a potential weapon — one to mold, break, and remake.
The Hokage sighed. "Naruto has finally reached school age. He deserves a normal childhood, at least for now. I've pulled the ANBU from his surveillance detail. I need you to keep an eye on him quietly. Not as a guard. As someone who understands."
Kakashi folded his arms. "You think Danzo will move against him?"
"I hope not. But I won't take the chance. Just… check in when you can. Once or twice a day. Make sure no one's watching him that shouldn't be. Let him live, Kakashi. That's all I ask."
Kakashi's expression turned serious — a rare thing. "Understood."
"Good." The Hokage nodded. "That's all. You may go."
Kakashi turned, slipping his book back open. "Then I'll take my leave."
He walked out with his usual lazy stride, the page turning quietly as the door clicked shut behind him.
The Hokage remained by the window, eyes on the stone face of the Fourth once more. "Minato… that's all I can do for him. The rest depends on Naruto himself."
He exhaled slowly, the weight of old promises pressing against his shoulders. Then, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"That boy seems quite fond of the Hyūga girl already," he murmured. "Ah, youth… let them stumble through it. I'll stick to paperwork."
His laughter was soft and tired as he sat back down at his desk — the piles of mission reports waiting like patient ghosts.
"Host's destiny continues to ripple," whispered Rikudō Shingon, its voice echoing faintly in the space beyond. "Mortals scheme, elders sigh, and yet the child sleeps unaware. Such comedy… such beauty."
The Hokage's pen paused for a heartbeat, though he could not hear the voice. Somewhere, unseen, the divine system chuckled.