Chapter 316   - Ch316. Kakashi Awakens

Kakashi woke up, not opening his eyes or giving any visible sign he was awake as his first instinct cultivated by his ninja experiences dictated. He explored his surroundings with his senses, only relaxing when he found out there was no threat around.

Naruto, who was on Kakashi-watching duty, was almost dozing off when he noticed his jonin instructor slightly stirring, instantly pulling him from his half-asleep state as he energetically jumped towards Kakashi's bed and saw the man's eyes opening.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! YOU ARE AWAKE!" He happily exclaimed in his outdoor voice, making Kakashi involuntarily wince as his head throbbed in pain, and cursed his luck. If he wasn't fully awake before, he definitely was now. Alongside the entire house.

Na... r... to." Kakashi rasped, unable to pronounce Naruto's name because of how parched his throat was. Only now his head caught up and realized how shitty his body felt. Kakashi's lone visible eye slightly widened as the events before he fainted came back to him.

"AH! Don't worry! I will bring you water." Naruto's face brightened before he scrambled out of the room.

Kakashi could only helplessly watch his excitable student bounce out of the room with a deadpan gaze. Water would be nice but knowing what exactly happened to the rest of the team was the priority. He was responsible for them, dammit!

Fortunately for Kakashi, he wasn't alone in the room. Naruto's scream awoke Sasuke who was shooting the door with very irritated looks, judging by his eyes most likely imagining a hundred ways he could skin a certain loud annoyance. Sasuke just KNEW Naruto did that on purpose.

'The dobe most likely doesn't want to explain the situation...' He grumbled, feeling Kakashi's piercing gaze on him.

Sasuke let out a long-suffering sigh at his teammate's antics. "We won. Raiga ran away. The Rain team was wiped out except the girl. She is being held prisoner in Anko-sensei's room. We are at Tazuna's home." Sasuke described their situation in a droll voice, trying to keep it short and factual. When he got to the part of the rain girl, he noticed Kakashi slightly winced at the fact she was rooming with Anko. Somehow, Sasuke could sympathize.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and saw the unasked question in his eye.

"Anko. She patched you up. I was also hurt." He said that in an almost sullen voice, "Watching her heal you was actually amazing. The burnt flesh rejuvenated at a visible rate and the gaping hole in your hip closed... I had no idea Anko-sensei was a medic ninja." Awe seeped through Sasuke's facade.

Kakashi grimaced. Of course, Sasuke had no clue. Despite being Tsunade's apprentice, nobody in his right mind would let Anko into the hospital with the aim to cure people. He had no idea how Anko attained her mastery in medical arts but it definitely was NOT in Konoha hospital. Which was strange, considering nobody could become a skilled medical ninja just by reading books. They needed experience and hands-on practice.

Kakashi couldn't know that Anko had this much-needed practice in the Village on the Other Side where she was a quite popular medic.

Something in the way Kakashi's eye cringed must have given him away as Sasuke mirthlessly chuckled, "Don't worry. I have watched the whole time she was healing you. She didn't slip any poison or otherwise experimented with your body."

The sad part was he couldn't assure himself of that. He indeed watched Kakashi's healing, mostly because he was afraid of what was awaiting him since his turn was next. But once Kakashi was done, Anko zoomed on him, and unfortunately, Kakashi was unconscious so it was just him and Anko in the room... a very dangerous situation in Sasuke's opinion. He was on the verge of shitting himself the entire time until she finished with his wounds, expecting an excruciating pain to start at any given moment, considering her personality.

It was this worry that made Sasuke faint halfway through his treatment, not that he would ever admit it wasn't due to fatigue, so anything Anko did to him after that... he wouldn't know.

"Oh~, you believe you would notice, genin?" Anko's cheerful voice suddenly resounded through the room, making Sasuke flinch and splutter. "You are still too overconfident in your Sharingan, Sasuke-chan!"

Hearing that, Sasuke decided to do the right thing. He threw her a stink eye, huffed, and lied back down into his bed, petulantly turning his back at Anko.

"Cute..." She rolled her eyes before striding towards Kakashi and putting her hand covered in a light green aura on his forehead. She smirked at the older Jonin, "Raiga got you good, Hatake." She patronizingly patted his forehead, not raising her palm high enough for the medical Jutsu to stop affecting him.

Kakashi groaned and wanted to do nothing more than to shake her hand from his forehead but his body finally started to feel better. In the end, he could only silently bear with the smugness oozing from Anko as she enjoyed treating him like a misbehaving child.

"H-He was S-rank." Kakashi croaked out after he finally regained his ability to talk, "Got a J-Jutsu similar t-to Rai...kage's Li-Lightning Armor." That sentence made his throat hurt again but he knew this might be a very important piece of information.

Anko's patronizing smirk fell, easing into a wry and understanding smile. She knew best how hard it was to face S-rank ninja in one versus one. Tsunade's training regime consisted of lot of battles between her and Anko, basically beating Anko into the half-dead pulp before healing her and repeating the process until Anko got better.

"Don't worry, I have already sent a report and request for reinforcements to Lady Tsunade." She informed Kakashi, trying to make him feel at ease.

Kakashi closed his eye, relaxing into bed. Getting reinforcements was good, there was no telling what Raiga would do, now that he knew Team Seven was capable of handling the Rain Team. Worse yet, what would Gato do...

Gato was incredibly wealthy. Hiring ninjas was no problem for him. He didn't do it because most of his criminal activities simply didn't require ninjas. Common thugs were enough. If he suddenly decided to splurge in order to get Tazuna's head, though, Team Seven would be in trouble. Raiga was a problem but if he was supported by some jonin level fighters...

"I should have discarded the mission the second I understood the client lied, shouldn't I?" Kakashi sighed, finally feeling good enough to speak without gasping for air afterward. He inwardly marveled at her medical prowess. Not that he would tell that to her anytime soon. It would just inflate the woman's ego and give him more ammunition to tease him.

"Meh, I opted for continuing too." Anko carelessly shrugged, "Nobody could have known there would be S-rank ninja in the opposition."

And that was the truth too. S-rank ninjas were extremely rare. Most ninjas have a goal to become Jonins, not even thinking of becoming an S-rank level threat simply because of how small a number of them existed in the world. Most ninjas never met someone classed as S-rank in their whole lives. Anko reckoned there were not more than sixty of them in the whole Elemental Nations.

"Ah," Anko abruptly stopped channeling her soothing chakra into Kakashi's body through his forehead, causing him a mild headache. He opened his eye, inquisitively looking at Anko and finding her giving him a sheepish and apologetic look, "Naruto is coming. I am in no mood to take on his exuberance this early in the morning. Sorry, Kakashi, it's time for you to act like a good team leader and sacrifice yourself for the team."

With that, Anko poofed into smoke, revealing she was just a shadow clone, the original no doubt sleeping.

'And here I thought she cared.' Kakashi's stomach sank as the door flew open, Naruto triumphantly bounced through them with an excited expression. Kakashi somehow knew this was his revenge for all the D-ranks.

"Kakashi-sensei! Here, water!" Naruto hurried towards Kakashi.

He was almost near the bed when he suddenly... tripped, splashing the water all over Kakashi's face. Naruto lowered his head, hiding his grin before he looked towards Kakashi, his face a perfect picture of sheepish regret.

Kakashi knew who to blame for his not-so-cute little orange genin's sadistic streak and taste in revenge. His mind again strayed to the woman who left him to his fate in his bleariest hour of need and his mood soured.

'That... bitch.'

Some very hard hours with Naruto were upon the poor Kakashi who couldn't even move.

---

Author Note (And wow! It might be longer than the actual chapter...):

Okay, guys, long one here so if you don't feel like wasting some of your time for the little ol' me, feel free to skip it.

This one is more of me stating my opinion on Bleach anime girls and then a 'questionnaire' because I am just that bored and interested in your opinion :D. Hahaha...

A few days ago, I wrote my opinion on DxD girls in a comment. I stated I don't really like them as female leads for my MCs because... well, I do think they are hot, after all, they were created with that in mind by the author, but I simply find them not all that appealing and lacking in likable personalities or interesting background. The exception to this is maybe:

Sona... because damn if her way to evade engagement is not intelligent enough to be actually hot. Devils from the older generation would not challenge her because they would become a laughing stock for their peers for centuries. Such a marriage would be forever given the stigma of mockery and in an aristocratic society, good reputation actually matters even among devils. There are just some things one should never do to bring dishonor to his house. And the younger generation has no way to win against her. She basically screwed with the entire Underworld in her own way.

Moving on... her always serious attitude just screams repressed desires and I can't help but ponder how wonderful it would have been if her sin was actually Lust and she was a closet pervert who is bottling up her desires and then an MC would come and... Hehe, boi.

And,

Serafall... - because I find her the most reasonable of the Devil Kings, and the background and meaning of her being the main diplomat of her utterly deviant race with many misfits who do whatever they want, consequences be damned, and how hard and exhausting her duties must be for her opens a lot of potential for plot development and opportunities for interaction with an MC. Her sis-con act opens the two-in-one-package route too which is... hmm, interesting, wouldn't you say?

But other than that, nope. I don't find other DxD girls all that interesting.

I like Naruto girls more. to be honest, I like quite a few of the females in Naruto as should be obvious from this story, so much so that I don't even know which one is actually my favorite as it changed on weekly basis. I just realized how ridiculous it was after responding to that comment. Kishimoto stated he was bad at making female characters but weirdly enough, his female characters are more appealing to me, have incredible potential for development, and have generally more depth to them than those females in DxD despite females being a big part of DxD, unlike Naruto.

Then one dude asked me for my opinion on Bleach female characters and I was stumped. I kinda don't like many Bleach female characters. Unohana, Yoruichi and, I do understand this will set some of you off but, suck it up, here it goes... gender-bent Ulquiorra.

Yeah, degenerate much, huh?

That's it.

Both Unohana and Yoruichi have that duality vibe with massive potential and interesting personalities.

Unohana... she is that killer healer who seems to not really understand romance or enjoyment of life unless it has to do with the killing. She is weary and only seems a good fight as her only source of fun. That simply makes me want to write an MC who could coddle and spoil her rotten, showing her that there is more to life and her desire for death is misplaced because she did not truly even attempt to live yet.

Yoruichi, on the other hand... I perceive her differently. She has that coy and teasing vibe but her background portrays a wholly different picture which makes her just as interesting. As an ex-Captain of the Second Division, Yoruichi is a ruthless killer with no shred of conscience. Logically, she could not be anything else. Not in that position. She was basically the leader of those who dealt with Soul Society's undesirables without asking any questions. That's very telling on what kind of person she was/is and her values. Her personality in the story makes her seem approachable, mischievous, and friendly but I find myself asking how much of that is real and how much is a mere facade. This gives her a unique flavor as a character in my opinion. She has tremendous potential for development as a character. She has depth.

Also, her style of combat and the fact her Zanpakuto was never showcased in the story makes her character and her development potential even more open to speculations which increases her 'interest value' in my eyes.

As for gender-bent Ulquiorra... do you even need to ask? Ulquiorra is cool and loyal to the death. Plus I like his Segunda Etapa form. That's all.

Other Bleach girls lack these aspects. Bleach was not focused on expanding females into interesting characters. Not really. It was too hung up on fighting one strong opponent after the other. The women there are a bit... underdeveloped as far as their background and personalities go.

To name a few...

Rukia... yeah, she is interesting but for me, she is also too pushy and violent. I kinda like her looks and her Bankai is just massive WOW. She is basically the opposite of Yamamoto and the potential of her powers is tremendous. But as a character, I just can't see myself picking her as a love interest for my characters. Her depiction in Bleach kinda screwed her up in that regard.

Rangiku... I don't like her personality. I don't like the size of her melons. There should be a limit to the size of a female's rack and she is far past it. She is... meh. Her Zanpakuto, though, is basically a better version of Byakuya's so her potential is massive and I think her past 'interaction' with Aizen screwed her over a lot. By now, she should have Bankai if not for that. Her backstory with Aizen taking something from her to create Hogyoku could be expanded into a very interesting story on its own too. But... I simply don't like her. I don't even properly know why. I just don't.

Orihime... meh. The character with the most OP powers in the entire series, yet, she is a clumsy waste of air who is unable to hurt a fly. 'nuff said. Excluded by default.

And then there are Neliel and Harribel.

Neliel... I find her cute but oddly enough not as a love interest. She is hot but not in that way. I dunno if I am making any sense. It's confusing even to me but it is what it is.

I also don't like her released form. I mean... a centaur? Really? Not into Beastiality, sorry. If a character has less or more than two legs, two arms, and one head, it is not for me. Brrr...

Harribel... yeah. This girl is the hard one. I do like her. I could picture her as a love interest. But at the same time, she is also the one I am most unsure about. I do find myself drawn to her as in I would not mind having her as a love interest for my MC in a story but I would also not mind her not being one. I like Tiburon and how it could be developed. I like her personality, her undying loyalty until she is betrayed, and her willpower. I, however, still have some hesitation and reservations when it comes to her. That, in itself, is an answer enough so she is not included in my 'preference list'. Oh... and I don't like the baggage of her faction that naturally comes with her as a package.

Now, why would I waste my time doing this author note?

First of all, I want to start a new story and currently, I am in the stage of 'gathering facts, creating at least average plot that won't be just some wish fulfillment wank, deciding things like harem members and reasons for their addiction to the harem, their personalities, powers, future power development, future personality development etc, and creating a solid background for my main character, his powers, appearance and so on.

Obviously, I will start with this new story only after I finish this Naruto fanfiction so there is still a lot of time to really put effort into this preparation stage. (Not that you should expect something grand because of it. It will still be fanfiction so the quality is not guaranteed)

That said, since I want to do it properly, I decided to give it a bit more thought. (And you can only hope I won't get bored and decide it is not worth the trouble before I really start with it. Sucks to be you :D)

So... since you are here, meaning, you stuck to my story for the last 315 chapters and probably like something in it, I decided to involve you a bit. Naturally, your opinion will be most likely totally disregarded :D, yes, you read that correctly, no need to return to that sentence.

But I am nevertheless still interested in it.

So if you find so inclined... tell me your opinion on various female characters, your thoughts about their personality, your thoughts about their powers, and their probable development, anything you would like to say about them, really.

I might not even use it as I like doing things my way far too much but who knows? Maybe your opinion would influence my view on some things in some incomprehensible way. Maybe your input would make me more inclined to include certain characters in MC's harem, or maybe it will do the exact opposite. If you don't like certain characters, then you can comment on why too.

Now... I don't want anybody to accuse me of trying to steal ideas or something equally inane. If you don't want to share, then don't.

Well then, I will be reading all of it so go nuts.

Anyway, here is the list:

. - No, the main and most important female lead I have already selected and won't be listing her here. That one is mine! Your opinion on her is irrelevant. You will just have to wait and see... I doubt you will guess who it is anyway. To be totally honest with you, you really have no chance of guessing it. No need to feel bad because of it though. Even I wouldn't be able to guess it if I didn't already know. And no, I won't be revealing her identity. (Damn, sometimes being an author is actually fun since I can screw with you like this!)

. - Unohana Retsu

. - Yoruichi Shihoin

. - Gender-bent Ulquiorra (Pfft, just for the kicks and giggles. I am REALLY interested in your opinion on this one. Will I find more degene-, ahem, men of the culture here, I wonder...)

. - Rukia Kuchiki

. - Tier Harribel

. - Daphne Greengrass (She will be included in the story, period. Dunno if she will be a love interest though and I am kinda indecisive about it)

. - Bellatrix Black/Lestrange

. - Narcissa Black/Malfoy

. - Luna Lovegood

. - Hermione Granger

. - Natasha Romanoff

. - Rias Gremory (Yeah, nope. Not adding this spoiled princess as a love interest. You would have to put some really good and solid points to change my opinion on this matter. I added her to this list because I am interested in your opinion on her and to mix things up a bit)

. - Sona Sitri

. - Serafall Sitri/Leviathan

. - Artoria Pendragon (I am very unsure about this one. On one hand, I do want to add her but... I just don't know. I have a plan that actually makes sense and could make her extremely overpowered, so much so, that even Sirzechs would shit his pants in front of her. That, however, also makes me hesitant. It would be pity nerfing her and my pride would not allow me to do so since I thought up such a bullshit plan with all the necessary background for it to work that actually totally makes sense but on the other hand, she would be far too powerful at the start of the story and I have some reservations about it)

. - Scathath (Not adding her either. I love her character as it has similarities with Unohana Retsu but as of now, I don't plan on including her in my next story. Just want your input and see if it can influence me. Probably not, though.)

. - Semiramis (Too queenly and prideful)

. - gender-bent female Fate Grand Order Merlin the dick witch (okay, that honestly sounded... eww - Eww with a potential for trolling people though.)

. Merlin (from Nanatsu no Taizai)

. - Soifon(??? Meh.)

. - Yasaka (Unlikely)

. - Ancient One (Pfft. As if. Could have added Nicholas Fury too if that was the case)

. - Wanda Maximoff (I actually forgot about her until I started writing this list)

. Demon Maid Hildegarde (From Beelzebub anime - could make her like a Mephisto or Dormammu since she is a demon. She would need a contract to be able to access her full power and contracting MC would have made her power skyrocket beyond Demon King level for some bullshit reasons that would totally make sense... Well, it was just a stray idea of mine. I probably won't use it in my next story)

. - I shoot blanks.

. - Others. Here you can share your thoughts and write about any female that is not included in the list. Don't constrict yourself with just the franchises from which the girls on the list originate. You can write about Esdeath or Lady Death for all I care. It is however unlikely for me to really put any mind into adding them into my story. Still, you can freely write your opinion and I will read it.

As you probably already found out, for now, I plan for my next story to be a massive crossover between several universes mashed into one in at least a somewhat reasonable manner. (And yes, I am aware it will be hard to make it work and I will try to justify it in the story).

I won't say which worlds I will be using and which I won't. I gave some hints already and that's all you will get from me. I won't even confirm if these hints are actually truthful. It will be more interesting that way.

Anyway, I posted over 20 'choices' for female leads but do keep in mind I plan to make a harem (it's fanfiction so of course, it would be a harem, duh!) at most of seven girls (more like three to five but I am giving myself room for breathing here just in case). I can go over this self-imposed limit if the story will have more than a few hundred chapters but I want to keep it small for the most part and the MC's interaction with his harem meaningful at least to a degree.

I naturally don't intend to include every girl I posted in the list into MC's harem. That would have been ridiculous.

Well, that's all from me. Have a nice day and thank you for putting up with my long author note :).

(Yeah, it is definitely longer than the actual chapter)