Over the next few days, Kakashi was still not reinstated and remained idle in the village.
His daily life became incredibly routine. He slept until he woke naturally in the morning, then went to the dango shop by the village entrance to buy a skewer of rice dumplings for breakfast. After that, he climbed Hokage Rock, found a comfortable spot on the Observation Deck, and sat there blankly watching the village below.
At noon, he went home and casually cooked some instant noodles to get through the meal. In the afternoon, he continued basking in the sun atop Hokage Rock, only strolling home at dusk.
Meanwhile, the Hidden Leaf Village's main forces had already been mobilized. Whenever Kakashi sat spacing out on the Observation Deck atop Hokage Rock, he often saw units of Leaf ninja, led by jonin, setting out for the north.
Under the preaching of the Will of Fire, their gazes were resolute, full of hope for the war.
But Kakashi knew that a considerable number of them might never return.
The war had begun.
Just like during the Third Shinobi World War, army after army of ninja headed relentlessly toward the front lines. In a few days, wounded soldiers would likely start being transported back. When that happened, the shadow of war and the pain of losing loved ones would sweep through the entire village.
The laughter and everyday bustle would all be swallowed by the shadow of war.
"Today, we're doing ten laps of handstand running!"
That afternoon, after Kakashi finished sunbathing, he headed home as usual when he suddenly heard a familiar voice on the road.
With his hands in his pockets, Kakashi raised his head slightly and looked toward the intersection. A large and a small green figure emerged from around the corner, walking