History Fanfic / WhatYouKneadNaruto

So begins [[https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMalkere/pseuds/AgentMalkere AgentMalkere]]'s ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/17401478/chapters/40958717 What You Knead]]'', a ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' FanFic that [[AlternateUniverse explores a world]] where Kakashi accidentally picks up a healthy coping mechanism by getting into cooking, resulting in some [[ForWantOfANail pretty major changes]] as he reassesses his life and what he wants out of it. Naturally, this in turn impacts those around him, especially as he reaches out to their resident jinchuuriki and becomes a major figure in Naruto's life long ''before'' the boy graduates...

* ForWantOfANail:
** Accidentally picking up a cookbook and subsequently deciding to throw together a loaf because 'why not' blossoms into a brand-new career path for Kakashi, eventually spurring him to leave ANBU of his own volition and open the Ryouken Bakery.
** 'Dog-san' builds a relationship with Naruto through his anonymous donations of food, until Naruto considers Kakashi to be his BigBrotherMentor.
** Thanks to Kakashi's help with his homework and training, Naruto isn't stuck as the dead-last of his class, ending up solidly mid-range.
** Kakashi is more honest with Sasuke about his own traumas and regrets, and gets him to question his plans for the future; as a result, [[spoiler:Sasuke has enough HeroicWillpower to reject the cursed seal]].
** Since Kakashi didn't remain active after leaving ANBU, he lacks his canonical reputation as the Copy-nin.
** During their confrontation on the bridge, Kakashi [[spoiler:manages to divert his Chidori enough to avoid inflicting a fatal blow on Haku]].
** Because Sakura went over the bingo book in a desire to avoid more surprises after the Wave Country Mission, she recognises Orochimaru when he introduces himself and her warning her teammates manages to limit his options.
** Due to their closer bond, and Kakashi serving as their greeter for completing the second stage of the exam, Team Seven ''immediately'' informs him about what happened in the Forest of Death, and [[spoiler:Sasuke voluntarily drops out in order to focus on dealing with the cursed seal]].
** In her prelims match, Sakura manages to actually beat Ino instead of the fight ending in a draw, so she passes on to the last stage and is matched to fight against [[spoiler:Gaara of the Sand]].
** [[spoiler:The combination of Jiraiya's presence in Konoha and Sasuke's closer bonds with his team allows them to undo Orochimaru's Cursed Seal before it has a chance to do severe lasting damage]].

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: While others poke fun at Kakashi's culinary exploits (and blunders), Jiraiya is particularly derisive and scornful, questioning his decision to retire and start a bakery when he has no natural talent for baking. What he doesn't recognize is that for Kakashi, the ability to fail without serious consequences is part of the ''point'', and key to what makes baking such an effective outlet for him.

** While Kakashi has been forbidden from telling Naruto about his parents, he realizes that he's still allowed to tell him stories about his old team, including his sensei and said sensei's girlfriend.

* DrivenToSuicide: Played with. When Sparrow blames Kakashi for not noticing anything off about Itachi and brings up his "Friend-Killer" nickname, Kakashi is not quite driven to the edge, but he better understands the headspace his father was in when ''he'' committed suicide.

** As one of the few who know where the "cursed bread" comes from, Tenzo takes a great deal of pleasure in eating it in front of the other ANBU.

* SpitTake: Subtly invoked; Kakashi deliberately waits for Hiruzen to take a pull on his pipe before revealing his intention to start a bakery, making him choke from the shock.

* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler:Orochimaru's Plan A for taking Sasuke, placing a Cursed Seal on him that preys on his anger that would compel him to come to Orochimaru fails because of two things he could not predict: Jiraiya, who could help break the seals, ''being in Konoha'' at the time, and Sasuke through his interactions with Team 7 learning there's more to life than his desire for revenge, making the Cursed Seal weaker than otherwise]].