Konoha.
"Did he die?" A villager frowned and looked at his companion, hesitating before speaking. "We..."
"Did we do something wrong?"
"I..." The villager opened his mouth, then sighed. "Maybe."
"Now that I think about it, even though Sakumo abandoned the mission, it doesn't seem like we suffered any losses!"
So...
Why did this news suddenly appear?
And why did it spread so quickly?
...
Year 40 of Konoha.
Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, who had achieved great military exploits for the village, committed suicide in his own home last night due to overwhelming guilt, leaving behind only the last remaining bloodline of the Hatake family...
Hatake Kakashi.
According to reliable sources, someone witnessed Sakumo meeting with Shimura Danzo on his final night. Danzo was a notorious former high-ranking advisor of Konoha who had been dismissed from his position for committing offenses, including disrespecting the Daimyo and spying on a young girl!
Indeed...
All the clans who heard this news immediately felt a chill in their hearts.
This matter... definitely had something to do with Shimura Danzo!
...
Hokage Building.
"Ah!" Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he read the morning report, taking a puff of his pipe. "What a shame."
It seemed he and Danzo had gone too far this time.
He had only wanted to issue a warning to the clans that were starting to entertain rebellious thoughts again, while also ensuring that the village's ninjas would strictly carry out their missions.
After all...
The first rule of being a ninja was to complete the mission!
But he never expected...
That a man of Sakumo's age would actually take his own life.
"Danzo..." Hiruzen looked at the complaints submitted by the villagers. "It seems everyone is dissatisfied with Danzo's actions now."
Although Sakumo's final actions were...
The outcome was still acceptable. The clans were starting to feel fear again.
"The Will of Fire." Hiruzen stood up and walked outside, murmuring to himself. "This is all for the peace of the village."
Now it was time to attend a meeting.
And to reassure the other ninjas.
...
Iwagakure.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen." Ōnoki sneered coldly. "How laughable!"
The White Fang of Konoha...
This was a powerhouse acknowledged by the entire shinobi world!
Yet Konoha's higher-ups had driven such a loyal and formidable warrior to his death. What a bunch of...
Idiots!
But...
"Keep weakening yourselves." Ōnoki narrowed his eyes and muttered. "If this continues, perhaps Iwagakure will become the strongest shinobi village."
So...
Keep going!
...
Land of Whirlpools.
Uchiha Madara lay on a recliner with his eyes closed.
He had returned to the house Tobi had bought. Although the health supplements in the Land of Whirlpools were quite effective...
He was getting old. It was time to retire.
Besides...
He still had to wait for Zetsu to come...
That day, after hearing Uzumaki Jun's words, he had finally confirmed...
That he...
The rival of the God of Shinobi... had truly been deceived.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki." Madara murmured. "Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"An illusion?"
"White Zetsu..."
A cold smile appeared on his lips. "To think it was someone who had lived for a thousand years."
As for whether Jun's words were true...
Uchiha Madara had been deceived, but he wasn't stupid. After calming down over the past few years, he had realized that everything he had done seemed to be...
Suggested by Zetsu.
And since he believed Zetsu was his own will, he had assumed it aligned with his own thoughts.
Now, looking back, everything was indeed full of oddities.
Uchiha Madara had wanted true peace, to prove to Hashirama that his way was correct—not to exterminate all of humanity.
But...
Tobi...
Madara gazed blankly out the window, touching the mask on his chest. "Hashirama..."
After all these years, it's about time I see you again.
I wonder if you'll be surprised to see that I've outlived you.
And...
Uchiha Mikoto...
"Granddaughter." A faint smile flashed across Madara's face before he shook his head. "How amusing."
Soon, it would be time for Mikoto's wedding. Back then, he had attended Hashirama's wedding, and now that blonde girl had grown up so much, while he...
Was still single.
But...
In the end, it was the Uchiha clan that had won.
...
"Father..." Kakashi stared at the tombstone before him, tears welling in his eyes as he tightly clutched a short sword. "Why did it have to be like this?"
Was completing a mission really more important than a comrade's life?
But...
That wasn't what his teacher had taught him.
And the Will of Fire...
His father hadn't done anything wrong, so why had those people forced him into this?
He...
Just didn't understand.
"Kakashi." Hiruzen placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and spoke apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for not noticing Sakumo's inner struggles, which led to this."
"Don't be sad."
"I'm sure your father wouldn't want to see you like this."
"Sakumo was..."
"A hero of Konoha, one who sacrificed himself for the village."
Hiruzen patted Kakashi's head...
"Konoha will never let its heroes shed both blood and tears."
However...
Kakashi remained silent, simply staring at the tombstone.
Hiruzen sighed, instructed the ANBU hidden in the shadows to take care of Kakashi, and then left.
Danzo...
It was time to bring this matter to an end.
...
"Hatake Sakumo..." Jiraiya sighed as he read the newspaper in his hands. "Danzo..."
To think that in just a few years since he left, something like this had happened.
Were Konoha's higher-ups all idiots?
Sakumo had given so much to the village and loved it so deeply, yet they had driven him to his death.
Moreover...
Saving a comrade—wasn't that the right thing to do?
"The old man has really lost his mind." Jiraiya casually picked up a glass of sake and looked at Senju Shukuma across from him. "You really don't plan on returning to the village?"
"No." Shukuma shook his head with a bitter smile. "Konoha isn't suitable for the Senju anymore."
Especially after today's news...
If even a hero of Konoha could be driven to death, what would happen if the Senju returned now?
Become scapegoats?
Besides, back then, they had concealed the truth from the Hokage and left the village...
That was equivalent to betrayal.
Going back now would be a death sentence.
"Ah..." Hearing Shukuma's words, Jiraiya sighed helplessly. "What about Tsunade?"
She thinks all her clansmen and family are dead.
"Lady Tsunade, I..." Shukuma lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
"I understand." Jiraiya nodded and took another sip of sake. "I'll keep it a secret for you."
Not returning...
Might not be a bad thing.
Over the past few years, he had carefully observed the Land of Whirlpools. The Senju were living well here, treated fairly—perhaps even better than they had been in Konoha.
But...
This kind of system would never work in Konoha.
Handing military power over to the Daimyo...
Jiraiya was certain that if he suggested it today, he'd be branded a traitor by tomorrow.
So...
Since he had left, it was better not to concern himself with the village's affairs.
The elders would make their own decisions. There was no need for him to interfere.
Besides...
Who could say for sure that the God of Shinobi's "One Village, One Nation" policy was wrong?
"Well, if there's nothing else." Shukuma stood up. "I should head back. There's an important mission tomorrow."
"Oh? Right!" Jiraiya quickly wiped his mouth and set down his glass. "Wait a second. I need to use the restroom."
"There's one more thing I forgot to mention."
"Stay here for a bit."
With that, he hurried toward the back...
Though Shukuma didn't understand what was going on, he sat back down to wait.
As for Jiraiya...
"That guy over there is paying." Jiraiya pulled the bartender aside and discreetly pointed at Shukuma. "Remember, he's covering the bill."
Then he strode out the back door without looking back...
When had the Toad Sage ever paid for his own drinks?
"Guess I should find a job soon." Jiraiya muttered helplessly. "Selling chakra only covers a day's expenses."
After all...
He wasn't a ninja with vast chakra reserves.
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