Sakumo Hatake wielded his White Fang blade, its brilliance cutting through the pitch-black night. Each swing of his sword reaped a life, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
However, as he continued his assault, his speed inevitably slowed.
Just as Sakumo was about to reach Hirako, a spiked chain, black as night and glowing faintly with a sinister blue light, shot silently from the shadows toward his back.
At that very moment, a vague figure suddenly appeared behind Sakumo. The seemingly soft skin of a face collided directly with the venomous tip of the chain.
Ding~
A crisp sound echoed.
The chain recoiled instantly, while the thick-faced individual vanished just as quickly.
This...
Sakumo, who had been keeping an eye on his rear, was momentarily speechless.
The words of gratitude he had prepared got stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.
What could he even say?
"Thank you for shielding my... uh, backside?"
Or perhaps, "Rinjin, your face is really... thick, huh?!"
...
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Sakumo Hatake made a firm decision.
Next time, no matter what, he would refuse to go on a mission with Rinjin. This kind of indescribable embarrassment was worse than death itself.
Suppressing his urge to complain for the umpteenth time, Sakumo refocused, his sharp gaze locking onto the retreating Hirako.
Deflecting a flying kunai with ease, Sakumo formed a one-handed seal and let out a low shout.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
As the words fell, his figure vanished in an instant.
At the same time, the ground beneath Hirako's feet began to tremble violently.
In the blink of an eye, a pack of large dogs burst forth from the earth, each with a clear purpose: some bit at his legs, others at his arms, and a few even aimed for his head. Their coordinated assault immobilized Hirako in mere moments.
The next second, Sakumo reappeared, his short blade plunging directly into Hirako's chest.
Perched on a tree branch nearby, Rinjin watched the scene unfold, unable to suppress a sense of awe.
He had to admit, Sakumo's mastery of the Body Flicker Technique was phenomenal!
And not just that—Rinjin noticed faint blue sparks occasionally flickering beneath Sakumo's feet, a clear sign of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Alternating between physical and ninjutsu-based Body Flicker techniques, combined with the unpredictable strikes of the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake had become the epitome of a straightforward yet terrifying Kage-level shinobi.
No flashy jutsu. No deceptive genjutsu. Just raw, explosive power and unparalleled close-combat prowess.
This man... perhaps he was the truest embodiment of what it meant to be a shinobi.
As Rinjin occasionally stepped in to block attacks for Sakumo, deep within the nearby forest, Gaishu quietly came to a halt.
Hiding in the shadows of a tree trunk, he gazed at the chaotic battlefield filled with the glint of blades and weapons. Words failed him.
Captain Sakumo… was simply overwhelming!
His speed was astonishing, leaving no room for his opponents to even attempt ninjutsu.
His swordsmanship was unparalleled. Despite being outnumbered by over a hundred enemies, not a single one could hold him off for more than a second. Either they were struck down immediately, or they barely managed to evade—his efficiency was unmatched.
And then there was the mysterious figure that occasionally appeared at Sakumo's side, deflecting various attacks. Was this some kind of secret family technique?
Having never encountered forbidden jutsu before, Gaishu had no idea that the figure was none other than the unassuming Rinjin, a member of their own team.
The battle continued. With half of their objective complete, Sakumo didn't push his luck. After failing to breach the defenses of the other commander, Ryūhi, he immediately signaled Rinjin for a retreat.
Seeing this, Rinjin wasted no time.
Forming a one-handed seal, he appeared behind Sakumo and grabbed him by the waistband.
"Let's go~"
In an instant, the two vanished from their original position.
The world spun briefly.
When they reappeared, Rinjin and Sakumo were standing behind Gaishu, who was visibly startled.
The moment Sakumo saw Gaishu, he stepped forward, covering the man's mouth with a bloodied hand and whispering softly:
"Gaishu! It's me! Don't make a sound. Nod if you understand."
Recognizing the familiar voice of his captain, Gaishu immediately nodded.
Only then did Sakumo remove his blood-stained hand from Gaishu's mouth, his tone turning stern.
"Why are you back?! Didn't I order you to retreat south?"
Hearing this, Gaishu, his eyes brimming with admiration, felt a warmth in his heart. It reminded him of the days when he was just a Genin, looking up to his team leader.
Captain Sakumo, so powerful yet so considerate of his subordinates—what kind of girl would be lucky enough to marry such a man?
Seeing Gaishu's starry-eyed expression, Sakumo felt a bit awkward. He scratched his head and waved his bloodied hand in front of the younger shinobi.
"Hey, Gaishu! Answer me!"
"Oh, oh! Right, uh..."
Gaishu stammered, "I thought you staying behind was to give us a chance to survive. But I... I couldn't just let you sacrifice yourself for us. If we're going to die, we should die together! So I came back!"
His words were a bit jumbled, but Sakumo understood.
For a moment, a mix of gratitude and awkwardness surged in his heart.
How was he supposed to explain this? Should he tell Gaishu that their presence was actually a hindrance to him?
Suppressing a sigh, Sakumo forced a polite but strained smile and patted Gaishu on the shoulder.
"Th-thanks... but I've already handled half of it. For the rest, we just need to keep ambushing them when the opportunity arises."
Hearing this, Gaishu was once again awestruck by his captain's demeanor.
This… this must be what it means to be a true strongman!
To Gaishu, the mission seemed impossibly dangerous. Yet to Sakumo, it was nothing more than a simple task.
How could two Jonin be so vastly different? Why was Sakumo so exceptional?!
...
Seeing the growing admiration in Gaishu's eyes, Sakumo was utterly at a loss for words.
Beside him, Rinjin quietly covered his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he laughed like a fox that had just stolen a hen.
Perfect. Sakumo was falling further into his grasp.
Good job, young Gaishu! I'm rooting for you!
As long as you keep elevating Sakumo, once the war ends in a few years, this guy is bound to have a rough time.
Unlike the other Konoha elders, Hiruzen Sarutobi viewed the selection of the Fourth Hokage as a matter of deep responsibility.
And what did that mean?
It meant that anyone who failed to meet his exacting standards would never get close to the Hokage seat.
Moreover, Hiruzen had a hidden criterion for the Fourth Hokage: age.
When Tobirama Senju passed the mantle to him, Hiruzen had been a mere twenty-five or twenty-six years old, while Tobirama was already in his fifties.
This allowed Hiruzen to reign for over thirty years, far longer than the First and Second Hokage. Such stability was crucial for maintaining the village's power structure.
Frequent transfers of power not only invited opportunists but also created vulnerabilities for rival villages to exploit.
Driven by his sense of duty to the Hokage legacy, Hiruzen would never allow frequent power transitions to occur.
This meant that when he reached his fifties and it was time to step down, he would never pass the mantle to someone close to his own age, like Sakumo.
Similarly, while Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade were excellent "regents," they were not ideal candidates to inherit the Hokage title.
Rinjin and the Sannin were all born around the same time, roughly a decade after Konoha's founding, making them only fifteen years younger than Hiruzen.
Think about it. Would a fifty-five-year-old Hiruzen hand over power to a forty-year-old Jiraiya or Orochimaru?
It was possible. But if someone equally strong and significantly younger emerged, who do you think he would choose?
That's why the next generation, people like Nawaki, had the best chance.
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