Chronicles: Kakashi Hatake

Chapter 4: Anbu and war!

After the conclusion of the war, Kakashi worked hard at his new position and quickly built a famous reputation during his first year in Anbu. However, much of it came from his cold-hearted and ruthless approach in battle, stemming from his bitterness at losing Rin. Likewise, many people had a misconception that Kakashi killed Rin purposely for the sake of preventing her from leaking information, earning him the nickname "Friend Killer Kakashi". [10] Eventually, he was promoted again to Anbu captain and leader of Team Ro that responded directly to the Hokage. Later, Kakashi learned from Minato that Kushina was pregnant and was entrusted to protect her during her jinchūriki-induced ten-month pregnancy. Kakashi followed this order very faithfully and never let Kushina out of his sight, constantly monitoring her from the shadows, even when she was with Minato, making his presence meaningless.[38] Kakashi would often visit Rin and Obito's respective graves in the Konoha Cemetery and the Memorial Stone, cleaning their tombstones and bringing them flowers. On one such occasion, he visited Rin's grave and told her that their sensei's child would be born soon and left to go to the stone, unaware that Tobi was watching him and overheard Kakashi reveal where Kushina would birth her child.[39] On the night of Kushina's due-date, Kakashi felt an ominous presence in the air. Soon after, the Nine-Tails appeared.[38] During the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, Kakashi and the rest of his peers were barred from participating in defending the village by Shinku Yūhi and other senior shinobi for their own safety as the younger generation.[40]

While Kushina and Minato managed to seal away the Nine-Tails, they and many others perished from the attack. After Hiruzen was chosen to resume his duties as Hokage, Danzō Shimura approached a grieving Kakashi. He pointed out that Kakashi was unable to aid his late sensei and possibly save him because of Hiruzen's orders. Convinced in Danzō's reasoning, Kakashi grew to resent Hiruzen and felt that he was not fit to lead the village, deciding to take Danzō's offer to join the Anbu Root division and spy on Hiruzen for Danzō. During a delivery, Kakashi was attacked by a boy codenamed "Kinoe" who could use Hashirama's Wood Release. Danzō broke up the fight, revealing to both they were under his orders.[38] Knowing that only the First Hokage was supposed to have the Wood Release, Kakashi sneaked into the Hokage Residence to investigate. Soon after, Kakashi was approached by Hiruzen. Despite the intrusion, the Third Hokage presented Kakashi with the records of the Wood Release, explaining that in the past it was attempted to recreate the First Hokage's Wood Release, but consistently ended with failure and death of the subjects, ultimately ceasing the research and deeming it forbidden.

Kakashi spares Kinoe
Kakashi spares Kinoe's life.
Hiruzen also explained that recently, several people, from children to adult, have gone missing with suspicion that someone was resuming the research. He reluctantly expressed that any replication of the Wood Release could have saved the village from the Nine-Tails' attack. Realising that Hiruzen truly cared for the well-being of the village and that Danzō knowingly kept a valuable asset in the Wood Release child a secret, Kakashi told Hiruzen of Danzō's plan to assassinate the Third before he could resume power. The following day Kakashi went in Hiruzen's place to lure out the assailants, one of which was Kinoe. Kakashi easily defeated him, but chose to spare him, knowing he would be valuable ally in the future. Later that night, Kakashi requested to resign from Anbu, feeling unworthy from have betrayed the Third's trust even once. Hiruzen however insisted that Kakashi's assistance was needed during these times, having said so to Minato himself. Ultimately, Kakashi agreed to stay working as Hiruzen's right-hand man and told him of Kinoe.[41]