Naruto: Kakashi of the spider sage

The sun rose lazily over Konoha, casting a golden glow over the rooftops as Kakashi stirred from his sleep. The scent of fresh morning air mixed with the faint aroma of tea he had prepared the night before. With a practiced yawn, he slipped out of bed and went about his usual routine. He made breakfast—rice, grilled fish, and miso soup—before heading to Naruto's room to wake him up.

"Oi, Naruto, wake up," Kakashi called, knocking lightly on the door.

A muffled groan came from inside. "Five more minutes..."

Kakashi sighed, pushing the door open to see the blond boy tangled in his blankets, drooling slightly. Smirking under his mask, he ruffled Naruto's spiky hair before nudging him again. "You want to be Hokage, right? Hokages wake up early."

That did the trick. Naruto shot up, rubbing his eyes with a determined pout. "Right! I can't slack off!"

With that, they both ate quickly and went outside for their morning training. Kakashi had been overseeing Naruto's progress for the past three months, teaching him shuriken throwing, basic taijutsu, and stamina control. Today was no different. They spent the next few hours practicing before Kakashi sent Naruto off to rest.

Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber within the Hokage's residence, a gathering of the most influential figures in Konoha was taking place. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head, his gaze calm yet firm. To his left and right sat Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the two senior advisors who had worked alongside him for decades. Facing them were representatives from the major clans, including Fugaku Uchiha, Shikaku Nara, Hiashi Hyuga, and Choza Akimichi.

Hiruzen took a deep breath before delivering the news. "Shimura Danzo is dead. From this day forward, Root is officially dissolved. It will be as if it never existed."

The room was silent for a moment. Danzo's death had sent ripples throughout the village's power structure. Many had mixed feelings—some saw it as a necessary end, while others worried about the vacuum of influence it would leave behind.

After most of the clan heads left, only the two elders remained. Their faces were tight with displeasure.

"You still refuse to punish Hatake Kakashi?" Homura asked, his tone clipped.

Hiruzen sighed, leaning back. "Right now, Konoha may be strong, but many of our elite are aging. The middle generation failed to produce a single Kage-level shinobi. Minato was our only hope, and he is gone."

Both elders remained silent as Hiruzen continued, "The new generation is promising, but they are still too young. Right now, Kakashi is the only one capable of ensuring Konoha has a fighting chance in the future." His expression darkened slightly. "Besides, do you think we could punish him even if we tried? He eradicated Root—over fifty elite operatives—and killed Danzo, yet still walked into my office as if it was just another day."

Homura clenched his fists, but Koharu exhaled slowly, her face resigned. "You're saying it's too dangerous to move against him?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Unless you want to turn Konoha into a warzone, this is the reality we must accept."

The two elders could only swallow their anger. Hiruzen had spoken the undeniable truth.

Kakashi had fully reintegrated into the active ninja roster. He spent the past few months taking on various missions—mostly C and B-rank assignments, escorting merchants and government officials. The only A-rank he took involved retrieving a stolen forbidden jutsu from a rogue group of chunin who had defected to a cult known as the Fire Temple. The technique, an A+ rank jutsu, utilized yang chakra from human blood to enhance fire control. However, it also drove the user mad and caused death by self-immolation if not handled correctly. Kakashi had efficiently eliminated the rogues and secured the scroll.

Through these missions, his name once again spread throughout the shinobi world. His streak of success reminded everyone that Hatake Kakashi had returned, stronger than ever. Financially, he was well off—C-rank missions could earn up to 50,000 ryo, B-ranks up to 1,000,000, and A-ranks as high as 10,000,000. However, Kakashi did not undertake missions for money. He did them to stay sharp and avoid boredom while contemplating his next steps in life.

On this particular day, Kakashi had just returned from a mission. His routine remained the same—training Naruto, sparring with Guy (which had become a village spectacle), and occasionally spending time with Shisui and Itachi, who often followed him around.

At Ichiraku Ramen,Guy and Kakashi sat alongside Naruto, Shisui, and Itachi, enjoying a well-earned meal. It was a rare sight—some of Konoha's most powerful and talented individuals gathered in one place, laughing and eating like ordinary people.

Just then, an Anbu agent materialized behind them.

"Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui—you are required in the Hokage's office immediately."

Shisui set down his chopsticks and stood up instantly. Kakashi, however, remained seated, picking at his food. "I just got back, and we only just started eating. I think the Hokage can wait a few minutes."

Shisui smiled awkwardly. "You're really something, Kakashi-san."

Guy leaned in curiously. "What do you think the Hokage wants?"

Kakashi shrugged. "No idea. Hopefully, it's not another mission. I just got back.

Moments later, they arrived at the Hokage's office. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, looking as calm as ever.

"So, what now?" Hiruzen asked lazily. "You had to take the long way here because a black lion appeared in my path."

kakashi raised an eyebrow. "A black lion?"

"Well, not exactly. Someone was transporting a mirror, and when he dropped it, it shttered, I saw my own reflection. Naturally, I had to avoid bad luck, so I took another route. Can't afford to be unlucky right now."

Shisui chuckled, while the Hokage sighed. "Let's skip the jokes, Kakashi. I have a mission for you."

He pulled out a sealed envelope. "Officially, this is an A-rank mission. You are to track and capture a Kaguya clan survivor who has been massacring villages in the Land of Fire. The mission is simple—eliminate the threat if necessary."

Kakashi took the envelope but didn't open it. His instincts told him there was more. "And the actual mission?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened. "The details are inside. Memorize them, then destroy the contents."

Kakashi sighed, opening the envelope and scanning the classified mission briefing. After a moment, he pulled out a small flame jutsu and incinerated the paper. He exhaled deeply. "Great. These are the kinds of missions I hate the most—long, tedious, and full of deception."

"Unfortunately, this one is necessary," Hiruzen said firmly. "Expect to be gone for at least a month or two."

Kakashi's mind drifted as he thought, I should've prolonged my last mission and stayed in the Land of Tea a bit longer.