Chapter Text
Prologue: A New Beginning
The void between worlds felt like floating in the deepest ocean—weightless, timeless, absolute. Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja of Konohagakure, had accepted his death with the same calm he'd approached most things in life. He'd lived well, fought hard, and protected those he loved.
But the universe, it seemed, had other plans.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[WELCOME, KAKASHI HATAKE]
[YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR REINCARNATION]
Golden text materialized in the darkness, pulsing with ethereal light. Kakashi's consciousness stirred, confusion replacing the peaceful acceptance of death.
[WORLD: HARRY POTTER UNIVERSE]
[LOADING STARTER PACKAGE...]
[ACQUIRED: 1,000,000 GALLEONS]
[ACQUIRED: PROPERTY - HATAKE MANOR, YORKSHIRE]
[ACQUIRED: TITLE - LORD HATAKE (RECOGNIZED BY WIZENGAMOT)]
[ACQUIRED: SYSTEM SHOP ACCESS]
[SPELLS AND JUTSUS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE]
[MISSION UNLOCKED: BUILD YOUR LEGACY]
Chapter One: The Boy in the Park
July 29th, 1985 - Little Whinging, Surrey
Kakashi—now appearing as a silver-haired man in his late twenties—walked through Privet Drive with the casual ease of someone who'd survived three shinobi wars. The System had deposited him in this world two weeks ago, and he was still adjusting to the strange fusion of his chakra abilities and this world's magic.
His Sharingan eye remained hidden beneath a mundane eyepatch (some habits died hard), though the System confirmed it still functioned perfectly. His other eye, dark and perpetually bored-looking, scanned the perfectly manicured lawns and identical houses with mild distaste.
Too orderly. Too... fake.
He'd spent the past fortnight exploring magical Britain, purchasing appropriate clothing, and studying this world's customs through the System's database. The integration of his ninja skills with wandless magic had been... interesting. Apparently, his chakra control translated beautifully into spell manipulation.
A child's cry caught his attention.
Kakashi's trained instincts kicked in immediately. He moved silently toward the sound, finding a small public park wedged between identical suburban streets. There, beneath a rusting swing set, sat a tiny boy—no more than five years old—with messy black hair and the most startling green eyes Kakashi had ever seen.
The boy was crying quietly, trying to muffle the sound with his too-large, ratty clothes. Fresh bruises decorated his thin arms.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed dangerously. He recognized an abused child when he saw one—he'd rescued enough of them during his ANBU days.
"Hey there," Kakashi said softly, crouching down several feet away to avoid startling the child. "Rough day?"
The boy's head snapped up, tear-stained face going pale with fear. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be here! I'll go back right now, I promise!"
Interesting reaction. "You're not in trouble," Kakashi assured him, keeping his voice gentle. "I'm just someone taking a walk. What's your name?"
The boy hesitated, clearly torn between answering and running. "...Harry. Harry Potter."
[ALERT: SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL DETECTED]
[HARRY POTTER - THE BOY WHO LIVED]
[MISSION AVAILABLE: ADOPT HARRY POTTER]
[REWARDS: LEGENDARY SPELL UNLOCK, 500,000 GALLEONS, SYSTEM UPGRADE]
Kakashi blinked at the sudden System notification, but his expression didn't change. So this was Harry Potter, the child who supposedly defeated a dark lord as a baby. The System had briefed him on the basics of this world's recent history.
"Harry Potter," Kakashi repeated thoughtfully. "And who's supposed to be looking after you, Harry?"
"My aunt and uncle." Harry's voice was barely a whisper. "But I was being freaky again, so Aunt Petunia told me to leave and not come back until I could be normal."
Freaky. The word choice told Kakashi everything he needed to know. Accidental magic, combined with Muggle guardians who clearly despised it. And those bruises...
"What kind of freaky?" Kakashi asked casually, settling into a more comfortable sitting position on the grass.
Harry looked terrified. "I-I can't say. They said I'm not allowed to talk about it. That I'm a freak and—"
"You're not a freak, Harry." Kakashi's voice carried absolute certainty. "You're special. And anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong."
Harry stared at him with those impossibly green eyes, looking like Kakashi had just told him the sky was green.
Kakashi made a decision—one that would change both their lives forever.
"Harry, how would you feel about coming to live with me instead?"