Chapter 51

In order not to hurt Shizuka's feelings, Kakashi spent the entire afternoon with her. During this time, he managed to piece together the full story. It turned out that his three dear subordinates had secretly spent 200,000 ryo to find him a bride! To make matters worse, the Third Hokage had approved the mission without his consent!

"Oh, Sandai… these three are really pushing it!" he grumbled to himself.

Despite Shizuka's persistence, Kakashi turned down her advances, explaining that he had no intention of getting married. He left the task of explanation to Kazuki and the others, which ended in disappointment for Shizuka.

As they parted, Shizuka gazed at him wistfully, her purple skirt fluttering in the wind with a unique charm. But… Kakashi felt nothing.

"I need to go to the Hokage Building and ask him to cancel this mission. If people start approaching me for blind dates every day, I'll be in serious trouble."

Kakashi muttered to himself as he prepared to leave. However, he soon ran into two familiar faces: Yūhi Kurenai and Anko Mitarashi.

"Hey, isn't this Kakashi? I heard you spent 200,000 ryo to get married. Who would've thought you, of all people, had a soft spot for women too, ho ho ho!" Anko teased, munching on her dango as she spoke.

Kakashi's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Come on, be honest, are you thinking about giving me a chance? Just imagine how many dango I could buy with 200,000 ryo!" Anko cackled.

"It's not what you think…" Kakashi began, feeling the need to clear his name. Normally, he wouldn't bother explaining himself, but this was about his reputation. If he didn't clarify things, he'd be the laughingstock of the Jounin circle.

He recounted how Kazuki and the others had arranged the whole affair, leaving Kurenai and Anko stunned and incredulous.

"Really, Kakashi? You expect us to believe that three Genin spent 200,000 ryo to help you find a wife?" Anko asked, eyeing him skeptically. Kurenai didn't seem convinced either.

"Yeah, Kakashi, aren't your three subordinates just Genin? They're still fresh graduates, right? How could they afford to spend that much money to find you a wife?"

Kakashi sighed. He knew explaining this wouldn't be easy. He had no choice but to praise Kazuki's abilities.

He talked up Kazuki as the top student of the latest graduating class, a prodigy who mastered two chakra natures, and a young patriarch of the Gekko Clan, who managed his clan's finances—all while having the strength of a Jounin even before graduation!

The more Kakashi spoke, the less they believed him. How could such a genius still be a Genin? And if Kazuki was so skilled, why was he still working under Kakashi?

"Kakashi, that's the most far-fetched story I've ever heard," Anko scoffed. "If there were such a genius, he wouldn't still be a Genin under your command."

Kakashi explained, "Originally, Hokage-sama planned for Kazuki to join the ANBU right after graduation, but Kazuki refused. Even though he has the strength of a Jounin, he hasn't completed any missions yet. Hokage-sama thought it best for him to train under me for a year. He'll likely be promoted to Jounin and lead his own team next year."

Becoming a Jounin within a year of graduation! That was even more impressive than Kakashi's own record!

Kakashi had graduated at five, became a Chuunin at six, and a Jounin at twelve. But he had spent years gaining experience on missions, whereas Kazuki was already poised to reach Jounin rank so quickly!

"Hey, Kurenai, I'm suddenly interested in this kid. Want to go check him out?" Anko nudged Kurenai with her elbow, smirking.

Kurenai thought for a moment. "I've heard some of my subordinates mention Kazuki as a genius, but I didn't realize he was this talented… Still, it seems wrong to disturb him just out of curiosity, don't you think?"

Kurenai felt that there were plenty of intriguing people in the world, and seeking someone out just because they piqued her interest didn't sit right with her.

"What's the harm? With our relationship with Kakashi, he won't mind. And besides, the kid's loaded! 200,000 ryo!" Anko grinned.

"If he's that wealthy, he wouldn't mind treating us to some dango, right?"

Kurenai laughed.

Kurenai couldn't help but laugh at Anko's antics. "How can you, a Jounin, not have enough money for dango?"

"Hey, I'm a Special Jounin, not a full Jounin!" Anko corrected her. "Most of the missions I take on are B-rank, and they take ten days or more to complete. I usually take a break after each mission, so I earn and spend my money in cycles. Now it's the end of the month, and I'm nearly out of funds. For my dango, I must 'rob the rich and give to the poor' today!"

Kurenai shook her head in amusement.

Anko didn't have a clan backing her, no master, no apprentices, and only a few close friends. She lived day-to-day, spending what she earned without saving much. It wasn't the most stable life, but it suited Anko just fine. Kurenai had tried persuading Anko to save money, but Anko had laughed it off, saying she had no need for savings since she had no dependents.

Kurenai had given up trying to change her friend's ways. Everyone had their own path in life, and Kurenai respected that. Plus, with Anko's skills, there was little risk of her falling into dire straits—except perhaps getting into debt after a particularly tough mission.

"Alright, let's go check it out. We can also see if Kakashi's story holds up," Kurenai said, smiling.

Despite their skepticism, they knew Kakashi wouldn't lie about something like this. But teasing the normally stoic Jounin was too fun to pass up.

Kakashi, exasperated by their teasing, pointed eastward. "They're probably at Training Ground No. 7. You can find them there. I'm off to the Hokage's office to cancel this mission…"

With that, Kakashi vanished.

The sun was setting, casting a warm glow across the village. Even Anko knew about his "wife-finding" mission. If she knew, then the entire upper echelon of Konoha probably did as well. He needed to stop this before it spread any further. He didn't want to be remembered for something like this!

Kurenai and Anko shared a smile before heading towards Training Ground No. 7.

However, Kakashi had guessed wrong. Kazuki and the others weren't at Training Ground No. 7. Instead, they were in Konoha Park, discussing Kakashi's blind date.

"Shizuka-senpai is so beautiful and strong, but Kakashi-sensei actually turned her down?" Sakura sat on a bench, resting her face in her hands.

"Do you think Kakashi-sensei doesn't like women?"

Kazuki and Sasuke exchanged glances, both feeling a shiver down their spines.

"Probably not…" Kazuki replied, recalling a story about Kakashi's past. He seemed to remember that Kakashi had once had a relationship with a spy from another village. They had even kissed, but in the end, they couldn't be together due to their different allegiances.

Was Kakashi still hung up on that girl?

Kazuki couldn't remember the girl's name or which village she had spied for, but if he could, he'd try to help Kakashi out!

Still, Kazuki considered this whole ordeal a way to get back at Kakashi, and he didn't plan to push the issue any further. The Third Hokage was determined to find Kakashi a partner to strengthen his ties to Konoha, but if Kakashi personally rejected the idea, the Hokage wouldn't force him.

This blind date fiasco would likely end here.

Besides, Kazuki wanted to learn summoning techniques from Kakashi, so it wouldn't do to get on his bad side.

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+50 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg

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