Konoha Drunkard

"No need, it's late, I have to go back, I have to go to my shift tomorrow morning."

"Yes, I also have something to do tomorrow morning, so I'm going back too."

After speaking with Hayate Gekko, Genma Shiranui fled the Red Clan like the wind. He wondered if Kakashi would be chasing them all over the village the next morning. But... it was still quite exciting to have tricked Kakashi.

573. Card Palace Upgrade

Overnight, Konoha remained the same, but Kakashi was no longer the innocent Kakashi of yesterday.

The next day, Kakashi groggily opened his eyes while lying in bed. He had a splitting headache and couldn't help but want to rub his head, but his right hand seemed to be pressed down by something and he couldn't lift it.

Looking around, something seemed off. His house didn't have any pink-themed rooms. When he glanced at the table, a family photo on it nearly made him wet himself, but then he realized he wasn't wearing pants and forced himself to hold it back.

The photo is a very ordinary father-daughter picture; the photo itself is quite ordinary, but everyone in the photo has red eyes...

"What...what's going on?"

Kadian shuddered and immediately sat up, looking at the object pressing down on his right hand!

He's leveled up!

Looking at the sleeping figure beside him, and seeing that he himself was completely naked except for his underwear, even a fool would know what was going on.

Kadian felt a wave of dizziness. What the hell was going on? Wasn't he drinking with Hayate and the others last night...?

"You're awake? I'll go make you breakfast."

Actually, the girl with the colored contact lenses woke up quite early, or rather, she hadn't slept all night. She never expected that her fiancé, usually such a quiet and reserved person, would turn into a ruthless and cunning individual after drinking...

"...No need, it's getting late, I'll go back to the Anbu first...I'll take responsibility."

Ka-Dian hurriedly put on his clothes and ran out of the room. When he got to the door, he seemed to remember something, turned back and said something to the girl with colored contact lenses before leaving.

.......

"Huh? Kakashi, what a coincidence! What are you doing coming out of Kurenai's house? And shouldn't you usually be in the Anbu at this time? Your steps are so unsteady. A man should know how to control himself. You should be focusing on your career right now..."

As soon as Kadian stepped out of the girl with the colored contact lenses' house, he ran into the last person he wanted to see.

Wearing a bright red tracksuit, a towel around his neck, and holding a bottle that looked like it was filled with either alcohol or water, Shanks gave a knowing look that only men could understand.

Actually, Shanks had been staking out the location before dawn, but to avoid arousing Kakashi's suspicion, he disguised himself as if he were jogging. When he saw Kakashi emerge with unsteady steps, he knew things were settled. Orochimaru's potion was truly effective. Although the Hatake clan members weren't good at prolonged battles, they were still genius ninjas. Their lack of proficiency in prolonged battles meant they had less chakra, but their stamina was still top-notch. To turn Kakashi into this wretched state overnight, Orochimaru was indeed awesome!

"I have to go now."

Looking at Shanks's outfit, Kakashi almost believed him if he hadn't been completely clean and without a drop of sweat. The Konoha Red-Haired Shanks would get up for a morning run? He'd be better off going on a group diet with the Akimichi clan.

Last night's events, coupled with the coincidence of this old man appearing now, made Kadian vaguely feel that there was some connection. However, his mind was in a mess right now, and he was too lazy to think about it. The important thing was to find a place to calm down and think about what exactly happened and what to do next.

Although he was forced into an engagement with Hong, and the two were nominally husband and wife, they weren't actually married yet. He was used to being single and had never considered marriage. He thought that if he waited a long time, his old man might forget about his marriage to the girl with colored contacts.

And then this damn mess happened. The worst part is, he has absolutely no memory of last night. His last memory is of blacking out while drinking with Ebisu, and that's it. If it weren't for the feeling of unsteadiness and lightness in his steps, he would have doubted whether he had evolved last night...

"Don't be shy! I've been there, I didn't see that coming. You always say you don't want to get married, but now you've turned into a flirt! Look at you, your legs are practically shaking... When are you planning to get married to Hong? Your old man is waiting for you to give him a grandson so he can retire!"

Shanks patted Kakashi on the shoulder, causing Kakashi to stumble.

"I'll discuss it with my father. I'll be going now."

Kakashi really can't stay here any longer. Not only did this happen, but this big mouth saw it all. I have a feeling he's going to be the main character in Konoha's headlines for a while now.

.....

As long as people's hearts are alive, gossip will never cease.

This statement is perfectly illustrated in Konoha. For a while, the headlines in Konoha were dominated by the retired Third Hokage for a long time, and the traffic was decreasing. This led the paparazzi who frequented Konoha to find headlines to make a living to complain that the Third Hokage was a coward who hadn't done anything sensational since his wife confiscated his secret stash of money, such as spreading rumors about him beating his wife.

Just as they were racking their brains for a big news story to boost their online traffic, rumors began circulating in the village that Konoha technician and copy ninja Kakashi had gotten drunk at a Konoha hotel with his friends the previous night, and then spent the night at his fiancée Kurenai's house. Judging from how he walked the next day, their time together last night must have been quite blissful...

Those from Konoha who make the headlines are generally influential figures; it's not something just anyone can do. Previously, Shanks and the Third Hokage were the most frequent headline-makers, with Minato occasionally making the headlines, and Tsunade making them a few times as well. Their status and position are self-evident.

Kakashi's father also made a move once or twice back then, but a long time has passed, and Sakumo isn't the kind of person who likes to show off, so many people have almost forgotten that their White Fang's son seems to have grown up.

This time, Konoha technology and the title of Copy Ninja Kakashi also came into everyone's view for the first time.

The news of Kakashi spending the night at Kurenai's house spread like wildfire throughout the village, even reaching many of the little kids. Although they didn't know what "spending the night" meant, it's typical of children to ask questions when they don't understand, and the parents explained it to their children in simple terms.

"That means Kakashi slept at Kurenai's house last night!"

.......

The village was in turmoil, let alone the ever-present secret police. In the shadows not far away, four masked secret police officers were whispering and chatting, completely neglecting their guard duties. The news was simply too explosive. They had always thought that the seemingly clueless young master had finally come to his senses. His engagement to Yuhi Kurenai was quite a grand affair, and they had assumed they would marry soon. But several years had passed, and far from marriage, they reportedly rarely even dated. Having such a beautiful fiancée and not making any effort—what else could this young master be but a hopelessly clueless man?

574. If only I had stabbed him twice first.

"Shisui, do you think this news is true? Or is it just a rumor? Captain Kakashi doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do something like this."

One of the secret agents behind Shisui asked him a question.

"...I don't know either, but the rumors sound so real, it must be true!"

Shisui stroked his chin and said, but considering Kagami's usual personality, Shisui couldn't say for sure.

"Captain Kakashi didn't come to the Anbu this morning, which is the first time in years. He used to be the first one to arrive. I think it's almost certainly true. I bet the captain is overjoyed. I heard he's actually been wanting to retire for a while now. Shanks, who debuted around the same time as him, retired years ago. But Captain Kakashi has always been unwilling to get married and have children, so the captain is afraid of having nothing to do after retirement, which is why he's been putting it off until now," another Anbu member said. This Anbu member clearly loved gossip, as he even managed to find out such secrets.

"Sug! But... after the minister retires, who will take over as the head of the Anbu? Captain Kakashi is good, but I always feel that Captain Kakashi doesn't give me the same sense of security as the minister," said the Anbu member behind Shisui.

"The minister should be Captain Kakashi, after all, he's the minister's son and was trained by the minister. You might feel uneasy because you're not used to it. I heard the minister took over the Anbu when he was 12 years old. I've been in the Anbu for over ten years. To be honest, if we suddenly changed bosses, I wouldn't be used to it either," the veteran gossipy Anbu member said with a shrug.

He joined the Anbu at the age of fifteen and is now over thirty. The Anbu has always been in the White Fang era, with a leader who is strong and fierce, and he has lived a peaceful life for more than ten years. If the regime changes, I don't know if he can adapt. Although they are father and son, their ways of doing things are not necessarily the same. Kakashi has been in the Anbu for a long time, but the status and power of a captain and a department head are different. It is hard to say whether Kakashi will still be as cunning as he was when he was a captain after he becomes a department head.

........

"Haha! Sakumo, get your gifts ready. I bet Kaden is counting his valuables at home! I never expected the great scientist's special medicine to be so effective. No wonder the third-generation old man was allowed to come into the cave to buy it for him, even though Biwako's older sister was so strict with him."

At this point, Shanks had already run off to the Dark Side to boast to his best buddy, and in the blink of an eye, he had also betrayed Snake.

"...Are you sure Kakashi won't suspect it was you?"

Hatake Sakumo stared speechlessly at the sky. This bastard drugged his own son, and now he's even trying to take credit? He'd never seen such a shameless person. Otherwise, considering their decades of close friendship, he would have drawn his sword long ago. And that damned Orochimaru, he actually conspired with this bastard to frame his son! He should have stabbed Orochimaru when he defected.

The situation between his son and Hong was also a headache for him. His father had died early and hadn't taught him how to handle such matters when he was young. Moreover, he wasn't the type to confide in his son. So, seeing that his son and the girl with the colored contact lenses had been engaged for several years with no progress, how could he not be anxious?

Although his best friend helped him sort things out this time, he still felt uneasy about how his best friend had tricked his son.

"The deed is done. If Kakashi were as accurate as you were back then, you might be holding your grandchildren next year. Kakashi would never associate me with this!"

Shanks confidently stated that he hadn't been directly involved in the whole affair. The invitation to Kakashi for drinks was handled by Hayate and the others, and the drugging was done by Genma Shiranui. Besides, he was still alive; they wouldn't dare refuse. His iron fist, as big as a sandbag, still hurts.

"I hope so..."

Seeing his friend's confident demeanor, Hatake Sakumo couldn't bear to discourage him. His friend's rudimentary schemes probably wouldn't fool his son for long. He knew his son well; although he hadn't mastered the family swordsmanship, if he couldn't see through such a flawed plot, he'd really have to ask Tsunade to do a DNA test. Appearances alone couldn't prove anything...

Just like Hatake Sakumo thought, after returning home and having a cup of tea to calm himself down, Kakashi, whose mind was in complete chaos, felt more and more that something was not quite right.

First, Jifeng said he was going to get engaged to Xiyan, and then he was going to have some kind of bachelor party. So Jifeng should have been the main character last night, but why did they keep coming to get him drunk? And Jifeng's bachelor party couldn't have only invited so many people.

Secondly, Ebisu's behavior last night was clearly abnormal. He kept drinking strong liquor, the kind that even the old drunkards in the village wouldn't drink. Yet Ebisu was fighting against himself like he was risking his life, as if... as if he were completing some kind of mission.

Then, his dad's best friend, that old guy, who usually doesn't wake up until the sun is high in the sky, actually went for a morning run today! Konoha is so big, and he just happened to run to the Kurenai family's doorstep just as he left! And that old guy was fully equipped, but he wasn't sweating at all, and his red hair was all messy, like he had just woken up.

Last but not least! Damn it, wasn't Hayate just engaged last month?! What the hell is this about getting engaged again?! And damn it, he couldn't even remember last night that Hayate was already engaged!

The whole affair reeks of a conspiracy, involving Kagenma, Ibiki, Gai, Hayate, Ebisu, and the old man.

These characters who had appeared formed a roulette wheel that kept spinning in Kakashi's mind. The wheel slowed down more and more, and when it finally stopped, the middle pointer pointed to that old guy with red hair and a flashy red tracksuit!

That's right!

it's him!

If it's this old guy, then everything makes sense. Why would Ebisu recklessly force him to drink? Asuma has been gone for the past few years, and Ebisu's life has been so miserable. Now this old guy is offering him a leg even thicker than Asuma's to cling to. Given Ebisu's personality, it would be strange if he didn't pounce on it.

And only this unreliable old guy could come up with such a ridiculous reason as Gale's.

Finally, there are only a few classmates that this old guy can command, especially Higenma and Ibiki. One of them is the teacher's bodyguard, and the other is Inoichi's right-hand man. People who are not influential enough cannot be made to trick him.

Moreover, this old guy must have been worried, because he went to stake out the Hong family's place early this morning.

575. Konoha Technician: Kakashi

"That despicable old bastard! Damn it!"

The first and last curse word in Kakashi's life was deeply dedicated to Shanks.

He simply couldn't understand how his father could have such a wicked buddy! He actually conspired with his classmate to frame him.

But even if he figured out it was that old guy, it wouldn't matter. He had no evidence, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter. The deed was already done; could he possibly turn back time?

The most important thing now is how to solve the problem. Although he prefers a solitary life, he's actually with this person... If he dares to deny it, not only will he not be able to get past his own conscience, but his father will probably also have to uphold justice and even kill him. Besides, his father has many old friends throughout Konoha, and Lady Tsunade is one of them...

After sorting out his thoughts, Kakashi went to the storeroom. Although his Hatake clan was not large, it was a famous and powerful family. Who in the ninja world did not know the name of his father, Konoha's White Fang? He couldn't let his family and his father lose face when he got married, could he?

However, considering that it seems only Kurenai remains of the Yuhi clan, and everything inside is just a formality since we'll eventually return here, I might as well write down everything except for the swords and spears...

.........

"Have you heard? Kakashi is planning to marry Kurenai."

"What do you mean 'heard'? The invitations were delivered to my house yesterday."

"I never expected that Lord Sakumo didn't get married until he was over thirty. Kakashi has been making headlines every year since his last engagement. I thought it would take another ten years or so."

"Haha! That's right. But didn't we hear a while ago that Kakashi got drunk and went to Kurenai's house to spend the night? I think Kakashi is just a repressed pervert."

"Haha, I almost forgot. The guys who were drinking with Kakashi back then didn't dare show their faces for several days. Kakashi even asked the Hokage for a long leave. I wonder if they're back yet..."

"He's back. He just got back last week. I even saw him last week when I went to the Hokage to complain about the Uchiha!"

A month has passed since Kakashi stayed at the Red family's house. This month, Kakashi finally did not let Shanks' "hard work" go to waste. After tidying up the storeroom and discussing with his father, he went to the Red family's house the next day to give Red an explanation and discuss the wedding date!

Shinku died young, and her mother also passed away when she was very young. Sakumo still asked Kakashi to ask for Shinku's advice. After all, he and Shinku were good friends. Even though Shinku was no longer alive, it was still a matter of basic respect for his son to marry his daughter. He couldn't let the fact that Shinku didn't have parents make it a one-man show for the Hatake clan.

However... the Hatake clan only has two grown men, what would they know about this kind of thing! In the end, it was Haruko-sama who couldn't stand it anymore and helped them sort out those trivial matters.

Haruko-sama has taken a liking to Kakashi again this time; at least he didn't run away after eating and become a scumbag. So, Haruko-sama has been busy helping out with Kakashi's family this month. Her friend arranged for her friend's son to get married; although the process was a bit bumpy, the ending was quite perfect.

"Kakashi, did you send the invitation to Asuma?"

Within the Hatake clan, Shanks looked at Kakashi as if he were an idiot. Everyone knew that Asuma had been infatuated with the girl with the colored contact lenses for over ten years. This guy not only married the girl with the colored contact lenses, but he also had to go and provoke Asuma. Wasn't he afraid of being struck by lightning?

“We’ve invited the entire Third Lord’s family, so there’s no reason not to invite Asuma. Besides, this is what the Third Lord instructed us to do. He hasn’t seen Asuma in a long time and wants to take this opportunity to meet him.”