Kakashi: Godless Ascension

After the final match wrapped up, the students began to relax. Some flopped onto the ground, catching their breath, while others wiped sweat from their faces or helped their friends stand up.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the training yard, giving everything a warm, golden glow.

Iruka stepped forward, ready to speak to his class, when a familiar voice, gentle and full of age, called out from nearby.

"Well done, everyone."

The students turned toward the sound, eyes widening. Walking slowly but proudly toward them was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, his long robes trailing behind him. Right behind him was someone else: a tall, silver-haired man.

The field grew quiet.

"I watched all your matches," Hiruzen said, stopping before the class. His smile was kind, warm with grandfatherly pride. "You all showed great spirit, skill, and courage. This is the strength of Konoha's next generation."

The students straightened up instinctively. Even the usually slouching Shikamaru stood properly, folding his arms and watching with a blank expression.

"You are the future of the Hidden Leaf Village," Hiruzen continued. "From the smallest child to the oldest shinobi, we are bound together by one thing… the Will of Fire."

He looked over them, his voice steady.

"The Will of Fire means we protect one another as if we're family. We must care, teach, and pass down our strength to the next generation, just as it was passed down to us."

Some of the students nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of his words. Others… not so much. A few were clearly starting to drift, Naruto yawned dramatically, and even Choji seemed more focused on the leftover chips in his pocket than the Hokage's speech.

Still, the moment held a certain weight.

Until, that is, attention began shifting to the tall, masked man standing silently just behind the Hokage.

"Hey, who's that?" one student whispered.

"I think I know," another said. "That's Kakashi Hatake, right?"

Shikamaru, standing a bit to the side, leaned toward his classmates. "That's him. He became a genin at five. Chūnin at six. Jōnin at thirteen."

"Seriously?" Sasuke's eyes flicked to Kakashi with interest, his usual stoic face hiding the spark of curiosity forming underneath.

"Yeah. My dad said he completed more missions than most jōnin three times his age. Even S-rank ones."

Students started murmuring in awe, eyes wide as they looked over Kakashi, who stood there with a casual slouch, hands in his pockets, and an unreadable expression behind his mask.

"Is he really that strong?"

"My mom says he used to be in ANBU!"

"He looks so cool…"

Kakashi noticed the growing wave of attention and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He hadn't expected to become the center of attention, especially not in the middle of one of Hiruzen's speeches. Still, he didn't mind, just wasn't used to it.

'Guess I accidentally stole the spotlight…' he thought.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen carried on, still speaking about legacy, duty, and protecting the village. His speech was heartfelt, as always, but now it was mostly background noise to the young, curious minds in front of him.

Eventually, even the Hokage noticed something was off.

Fewer eyes were on him. More were stealing glances at the famed Copy Ninja beside him.

He cleared his throat loudly.

"Ahem!"

That snapped the class back to attention. The students quickly stood up straighter, some looking a little guilty.

Hiruzen smiled, raising a brow knowingly. "Now, now… I understand you're all curious about Kakashi here. But when an elder is speaking, it's polite to listen first."

He scanned the group and locked eyes with one particular student.

"Tell me, Shikamaru," he said with a playful tone, "who would you say is the class's biggest troublemaker?"

Shikamaru let out a sigh. He didn't even flinch at being called out.

'Well, it's obvious who…' he thought, glancing lazily toward Naruto.

But instead of naming the actual culprit, he gave the most nonchalant answer possible.

"Probably him," he said, nodding toward Kiba.

"Wait, what?!" Kiba shouted, leaping to his feet.

"I'm a model student!" he insisted, pointing to himself with exaggerated pride. Akamaru, nestled inside his jacket, barked as if backing him up.

"Yeah, right! You're more like a model disaster." Ino laughed

"Hey!" Kiba shot back, but his flustered reaction only made everyone laugh harder.

The students began to tease and joke, the tension easing into warm, playful banter. Even Naruto joined in, puffing out his chest and pretending to be the perfect example of a disciplined student.

"I always listen in class!" he declared dramatically.

Choji snorted, nearly choking on the rice cracker he'd been nibbling on. "Yeah, sure you do…"

Laughter echoed across the yard.

From a few steps away, Kakashi and Hiruzen stood watching quietly.

"They're full of energy," Hiruzen said, his eyes soft. "This is youth… full of promise."

Kakashi nodded slowly, eyes following Naruto, who had now started balancing on a rock to "train his reflexes" only to fall off dramatically seconds later.

"They'll be the ones to protect the village someday," Hiruzen added.

Kakashi said nothing, but his gaze lingered on Naruto and Sasuke. Two boys with very different lives… and yet somehow destined to walk paths that would cross again and again.

He couldn't let history repeat itself. Not with these kids.

"Everyone!" the Hokage raised his voice gently. "Thank you for your hard work today. All of you showed great spirit. Konoha will rely on you in the years ahead."

The students snapped to attention again, bowing deeply in respect.

"Well… most of them," Kakashi muttered under his breath, noticing Naruto bowing half-heartedly while looking at Choji's snacks.

The Hokage chuckled. Then, without warning, both he and Kakashi formed quick hand seals.

Poof!

They vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Woooah!!" Naruto shouted, pointing dramatically at the fading smoke cloud. "They disappeared!"

"That was the Body Flicker Technique," Shikamaru explained, already turning to walk away like it was no big deal.

"So cool!" Kiba said, eyes sparkling.

Only Sasuke remained unfazed, arms crossed. He'd seen that technique plenty of times back in the Uchiha clan before it was destroyed. Still, he couldn't help but feel a small flicker of interest, especially in Kakashi.

The field buzzed with energy again as the students returned to their usual chatter. Though they laughed and played like before, something had shifted.

A spark had been lit.

Even if they didn't fully realize it yet… seeing Kakashi and hearing from the Hokage had changed something. Each of them now carried a tiny seed of ambition, tucked somewhere inside them.

To grow stronger. To protect something. To matter.

And from the shadows behind the fence, Iruka watched his students with pride.

He didn't say anything, but deep down, he believed these kids were going to change everything.