Incident
Upon hearing the meeting between Sakumo Hatake and the other jōnin, Chi Yu immediately suspected this was the mission — the one that would eventually drive Sakumo Hatake to take his own life.
As the leader of the Konoha forces stationed in Kusagakure, Sakumo's role was to oversee troop deployments and maintain strategic oversight. In a relatively stable situation like this, there should have been no reason for Sakumo to personally lead a squad into enemy territory.
Yet now, he was leading a mission to intercept an Iwa scroll himself. That could only mean this was the fateful operation — the one that would brand him a traitor in the eyes of his village.
This mission was high-stakes. If the Iwagakure scroll contained strategic plans or troop movement intel, intercepting it could drastically shift the balance of the upcoming war. The Third Shinobi World War was looming, and such information would be invaluable.
At the time, Sakumo had the opportunity to seize that scroll — but he forfeited that chance to save his comrades. It was an act that would cost him dearly, turning public opinion against him and drawing criticism from Konoha's higher-ups.
Chi Yu couldn't help but wonder — who had leaked the details of that mission? Who twisted Sakumo's heroism into failure, turning the White Fang of Konoha into a scapegoat?
Even someone as ruthless and pragmatic as Danzō Shimura wouldn't have done this — not at this stage, not to someone as critical to Konoha's military might as Sakumo Hatake. For all his underhanded methods, Danzō was fiercely loyal to the village's survival.
Sakumo was nearly on par with the Sannin in reputation and strength. Undermining him at such a critical moment would be self-destructive, even for someone like Danzō.
But ultimately, none of that concerned Chi Yu. He wasn't here to intervene — just to observe. He intended to watch the tragedy unfold, quietly collect his information, and secure his advantage.
As he listened to the discussion without much interest, Sakumo suddenly turned to him.
"Chi Yu, your mobility is impressive. Are you willing to accompany me on this mission?"
Chi Yu frowned.
He had no intention of stepping into this mess. This wasn't his tragedy to participate in — only to witness. If he went on that mission, it would entangle him in ways he couldn't afford.
More importantly, if he were on the team that failed to secure the scroll, he'd be lumped in with those who accused Sakumo — even if he didn't say a word. The rest of the team would accuse him, and public perception wouldn't spare Chi Yu either.
Joining that mission would only distance him from Kakashi in the future.
So he declined, politely but firmly.
"I'm sorry, Sakumo-sama," Chi Yu said, bowing respectfully. "I've reached a critical stage in developing a new technique. I returned to the garrison specifically for uninterrupted research. Additionally, Orochimaru-sensei mentioned he would be sending a summon soon with further instructions. While I deeply respect you and would be honored to accompany you, I'm afraid I cannot, this time."
Sakumo nodded.
Although Chi Yu had technically been sent to support the front, Sakumo never treated him as a subordinate — likely because he assumed Chi Yu was under direct orders from Orochimaru or even higher command. Given that, Sakumo didn't press the issue.
His invitation had come from a place of respect. Chi Yu was strong and capable. More than that, he was Kakashi's mentor — someone Sakumo quietly hoped could guide his son.
If Chi Yu had joined, he would have earned merit and shared in the mission's success. But if he declined, there was nothing more to be said.
Sakumo turned back to the others. "Then it's settled. I will lead the team. You three will accompany me. We'll also assign a sensory-type to the unit. We leave in an hour."
He glanced toward a jōnin with a pineapple-shaped ponytail — a Nara, named Shinsuke. "Shinsuke, you'll oversee command in my absence. This mission is confidential. Only those of us in this room are to know."
After the meeting concluded, Sakumo approached Chi Yu.
"Chi Yu, thank you for all the work you've done. You uncovered a surprising number of Iwa strongholds — far more than we expected. If war breaks out in full, those locations could have crippled us."
Chi Yu answered modestly, "I was only fulfilling my duty."
Sakumo managed a weary smile. "I saw Kakashi recently. He's improving rapidly. It's his fortune to have a teacher like you. I'll be counting on you to continue his training. I'm off on the mission now — rest well while I'm gone."
Chi Yu nodded. "Understood, Sakumo-sama. You can trust me with Kakashi."
As Chi Yu exited the strategy room, he found Kakashi waiting outside.
"Chi Yu-sensei," the boy said. "Is the meeting over?"
Chi Yu looked at Kakashi for a moment — perhaps a beat too long — and nodded. "Yes. It's over. Go in and see your father."
"Okay," Kakashi replied, walking in.
Chi Yu exhaled slowly. After this mission, everything was going to change.
With Sakumo gone, the leadership in Kusagakure would lose its backbone. Cracks would form in the command structure. Problems would rise to the surface.
For now, Chi Yu didn't intend to go back into the field. He would watch.
He felt a pang of guilt toward Kakashi. He knew what would happen to his father. But he couldn't stop it. Even if he tried, Sakumo wouldn't listen. His belief in the Will of Fire ran too deep. He would save his comrades, even at the cost of the mission — even at the cost of his own life.
He might even view Chi Yu's warning as an insult or betrayal.
So Chi Yu stood back, hands clean, eyes open.
Sakumo departed quietly with his team — four others in total. Outside of a select few, no one even knew he was gone.
Later that night, Chi Yu returned to his quarters and unrolled a map riddled with red Xs — his personal record of Iwa's hidden posts. He planned to use this downtime to re-check every mark, looking for anything he might've missed.
A week passed.
During that time, Nara Shinsuke managed the garrison, and everything remained calm. Chi Yu spent his days alternating between refining his technique and training Kakashi.
Then, on the seventh night — Sakumo returned.
There were five when they left. Five returned.
But they were not the same.
All of them were injured. One had lost his right arm. His legs were mangled and soaked in blood, likely blown apart by explosive tags.
As soon as they arrived, Sakumo called for medics.
Chi Yu watched from the shadows, silent and still.
Now, he was certain.
This was the mission that would shatter the White Fang of Konoha.
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