Kakashi went to a secluded rooftop of a building. While he knew that he needed to gather more information about this world, it was better to first see if he could get back home using the existing means he has right now. Currently he was focused on one goal: getting back home.
'First things first—can I even get back?' His thoughts were methodical, a shinobi's instinct to analyze and strategize.
The Spatial vortex that had brought him here—born of his Kamui, Kaguya's dimension shift, and some unknown force—had torn him from his world. If he was to return, he needed to understand his options, and he needed to act fast.
'The longer I'm gone, the more danger my team faces against Kaguya without me. Although, they have outgrown their sensei.' He had a slight smile on his face at that thought before focusing back on the task at hand.
Kakashi's mind turned to the Flying Raijin, the technique of his late sensei, Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hokage had placed a seal on him years ago, a mark that allowed Minato to teleport to his location instantly.
If anyone could retrieve me, it'd be someone with that jutsu. If he could, he would have already got teleported here.
But no one had come. Kakashi's brow furrowed beneath his mask. If Minato haven't retrieved me, it's because they can't. The Flying Raijin relied on the seal's chakra signature, which should be detectable across vast distances. Yet, here he was, alone.
'This place… it's too far. Beyond the Elemental Nations, beyond Kaguya's dimensions.'
He considered his Kamui next. The Mangekyō Sharingan's dimensional technique had been his trump card in the battle against Kaguya, but its limits were clear. My Kamui can only access my personal dimension. Obito, with his mastery of the technique, could warp across vast distances and even pull others into his dimension with precision. But going to different dimensions was not something that his Kamui could do.
'If Obito were here, he'd probably laugh at me for even thinking about it.' The thought brought a wry smile, tinged with the familiar ache of loss. 'Sorry, old friend. Looks like I'm stuck with what I've got.'
That left one viable option: the Summoning Jutsu. Kakashi's mind latched onto the idea with renewed focus. His contract with his ninja hounds, particularly Pakkun, was a lifeline he'd relied on countless times.
'If I can summon one of them here, they could return to the Elemental Nations and use Reverse Summoning to bring me back.'
The logic was sound. When a summon was dismissed, it returned to its point of origin—Mount Myōboku for the toads, or the hounds' home in the Hatake hill of the Land of Fire.
'If Pakkun could be summoned to this world, he could be dismissed, return to Konoha, and then reverse-summon me to his side. It's a long shot, but it's my best shot.'Kakashi stood, his resolve hardening. He bit his thumb, drawing a bead of blood, and flashed through the hand signs—Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—with practiced speed.
His chakra surged and he slammed his palm onto the concrete rooftop. "Summoning Jutsu!" he called, his voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at him.
Smoke billowed, thick and white, curling upward in the still air. Kakashi's heart raced, a rare flicker of hope breaking through his guarded demeanor. The smoke cleared, and there, crouched on the rooftop, was Pakkun—small, pug-faced, and unmistakably real.
His brown fur was matted, his eyes wide with emotion Kakashi had rarely seen in the gruff hound.
"Kakashi!" Pakkun's voice cracked as he launched himself forward, slamming into Kakashi's chest with surprising force. Tears—actual tears—glistened in the hound's eyes as he buried his face in Kakashi's flak jacket. "I missed you so much! We thought you died! Wahhhhh wahhh!"
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the display. Pakkun was loyal, sarcastic, and fiercely competent, but emotional outbursts? That was new.
A warmth spread in Kakashi's chest, and he felt his lips curve into a smile beneath his mask. "There, there, Pakkun," he said, his tone soft, almost paternal. He knelt, scratching the hound's back with practiced ease, targeting the spot just behind the ears that always calmed him. "I'm safe."
Pakkun sniffled, his sobs tapering off as Kakashi's steady presence grounded him. After a moment, the hound pulled back, wiping his eyes with a paw. "You're really here," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "We looked everywhere, Kakashi. The whole pack. Even the toads got involved. But you were just… gone."
Kakashi's smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "I'm not in our world anymore, Pakkun. This place—it's different. No chakra signatures, no shinobi. Just… technology." He gestured vaguely at the city below, its lights flickering like a sea of stars.
Pakkun's ears perked up, his sharp mind already processing. "You were gone for a month," he said, his tone shifting to the no-nonsense cadence Kakashi knew well. "We—"
"A month?" Kakashi interrupted, his eye widening. The words hit like a kunai to the gut. A month? He'd felt the disorientation of the vortex, the endless black, but his body showed no signs of prolonged starvation or dehydration. I wasn't unconscious for that long. So what happened?
His mind raced, dissecting the anomaly.
' A difference in time flow between dimensions? It was possible.' The Elemental Nations had legends of places where time moved differently.
'Or maybe I was caught in that phenomenon longer than I realized.' The vortex, the crack in reality, could have suspended him in some liminal space, stretching time without his awareness. He glanced at his hands, noting the lack of gauntness. I'm not starving. It's not unconsciousness. It's the dimensions.
The thought was unsettling, but Kakashi filed it away.
'No use dwelling on what I can't confirm yet.'
He'd need more data—perhaps the "internet" on that stolen phone could offer clues. For now, he focused on Pakkun, who was watching him with a mix of relief and worry.
"Tell me what happened," Kakashi said, his voice calm but commanding. "After I… disappeared."
Pakkun sat back on his haunches, his tail still. "The Fourth Shinobi War ended while you were gone," he said, his tone heavy with the weight of the news. "Your students did it, Kakashi. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—they sealed Kaguya. Released everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The villages are safe. Konoha's safe."
The words washed over Kakashi like a tide, easing a burden he hadn't realized he'd been carrying.
His shoulders relaxed, the tension in his jaw loosening. They did it. Naruto's unyielding spirit, Sasuke's ruthlessneds, Sakura's unbreakable resolve—he'd always believed in them, but hearing it confirmed lifted a weight that had pressed on him since the war began.
'My village. My friends. My students. They're safe.'
He closed his eye briefly, picturing Konoha's gates, the Hokage Monument, the ramen stand where Naruto always dragged him. The faces of his comrades—Gai, Yamato, Tsunade—flashed through his mind, followed by the ghosts he carried: Obito, Rin, Minato, Kushina.
'I didn't fail them this time. The thought was quiet, but it anchored him, a rare moment of peace in a life defined by loss.'
Kakashi opened his eye, meeting Pakkun's gaze. "Thank you," he said simply, the words carrying more weight than he could express. "For finding me. For telling me." Even if he could not find back home at least he now has a closure.
Pakkun snorted, though his eyes were still glossy. "Don't get all sappy on me, boss. We've got work to do. You want me to try the Reverse Summoning?"
Kakashi nodded, though a flicker of doubt lingered.
'If the dimensions are this far apart, will it even work?' But he pushed the thought aside. They'd try, and if it failed, he'd find another way. He always did.
For now, he let himself savor the moment. His students had won. His home was safe. And Pakkun, loyal as ever, was here. The Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Sharingan, wasn't done yet.