allendalepharm Chapter 256: The shameless Sakumo Hatake.
Chapter 256: The shameless Sakumo Hatake.
"Sakumo Hatake".
"This is your mission, classified as S-rank. You will be paired with two teammates. I hope you will not let me and Konoha down."
Danzo Shimura slowly pushed a scroll with a scarlet S-rank mark on the edge to the opposite side of the wooden table.
Sakumo Hatake lowered his eyes to look at the glaring scarlet mark, his brows furrowing slightly.
Now, he is a renowned master in the ninja world, and his strength has long surpassed that of ordinary Jonin.
Unless it was a top-secret matter concerning the survival of the village, there was no need for him to take action personally.
Moreover, even for S-rank missions, the village has no shortage of Jonin capable of handling them independently.
Wouldn't it be better to hand it over to those people?
What puzzled him most was that, given his abilities, he always worked alone to maximize his efficiency in carrying out missions. Why was he being forced to have two teammates this time?
But a ninja's duty is to obey.
Despite his many doubts, the mission order from the Hokage had been given, and he had no choice but to accept it.
"Yes. I will not fail in my mission."
Sakumo Hatake spoke calmly as he reached out and took the scroll.
Without saying a word, Hatake Sakumo turned and strode away.
I didn't have any good feelings towards Danzo anyway, so there was no need for reminiscing or anything like that.
The door closed behind him.
In the Hokage's office
A sinister, unnoticed smile slowly crept onto Shimura Danzo's lips.
Back home, after quickly packing his things, Sakumo thought of his dear friend Manji.
This mission is marked as "long-term," meaning it will take at least several months before I return. I should tell him in advance, so he won't worry about not being able to find me later.
He walked briskly to Wanci's door, and just as he was about to raise his hand to knock, his fingertips froze in mid-air.
Faint, unknown sounds could be heard coming from inside the house.
Shuo Mao froze, then silently withdrew his hand, his ears turning slightly red.
"Never mind, I won't bother you any longer."
After saying that, he left quickly.
........
Months later, a bombshell news story caused a huge uproar in Konoha Village.
Sakumo Hatake, the Hero of Konoha: To save his comrades, he caused the complete failure of a top-secret national mission!
Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.
Some people condemned Hatake Sakumo for ruining the village's years of painstaking planning for his own selfish reasons.
Some accused him of disregarding the safety of the entire village, causing the bloodshed and sacrifice of countless ninjas to vanish in vain.
Once revered as a legend, "Konoha's White Fang" became a villain hated by everyone overnight.
The overwhelming accusations were directed at Sakumo Hatake himself.
Danzo, the Sixth Hokage, simply said casually in private, "It's alright."
Yet he never spoke a word of justice for Sakumo Hatake in public, letting the tide of public opinion sweep him into the abyss.
Wanci naturally learned of this as well.
Sitting at home, Manji lightly tapped his fingertips on the table, recalling what had happened to Sakumo Hatake at his doorstep a few months ago.
"So, he came to say goodbye to me that day..."
Manji had actually sensed Sakumo's chakra long ago, but Tsunade was engrossed in him and stopped him.
Wanci also felt it wasn't a big deal.
In his eyes, everything else was trivial except for the destruction of the ninja world.
"This is not a simple mission failure at all; it is a meticulously planned conspiracy against Sakumo Hatake."
He shook his head slightly ten thousand times, already understanding in his heart.
The mastermind behind it all was basically Danzo.
Ever since the time of the Hokage, Hatake Sakumo has been an open traitor, believing that Danzo was wrong, and Hatake Sakumo also frequently visited Sarutobi Hiruzen's house.
Danzo, seeing Sakumo Hatake acting so arrogantly, was determined to teach him a lesson.
"Why doesn't Danzo give it a try?"
Wanci shook his head slightly.
Danzo dared not touch him.
After all, his wife is Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin and the granddaughter of the Second Hokage.
His three apprentices.
One is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki
One is a commoner genius from Konoha.
Another one is the son of the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is now a Jonin capable of standing on his own.
This intricate network of relationships is enough to make anyone who wants to harm him hesitate to act rashly.
Thus, the most suitable target was Sakumo Hatake, who was alone, had a distinguished military record, and enjoyed great prestige.
"Danzo is really foolish."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Wanci's eyes.
"If Sakumo dies, Konoha will be like a house with one arm missing. To eliminate dissidents, he's willing to destroy his own Great Wall. Is this what he calls 'protecting Konoha'?"
When Manji was the first generation leader, he actually had a very high opinion of Danzo.
They hoped that Danzo would achieve even greater success in Konoha under his rule.
I thought Danzo was a pragmatic man who was willing to hide in the shadows and silently shoulder everything for Konoha, but I never expected that he would eventually be unable to escape the crushing power of authority.
"Let's see how Sakumo Hatake is doing..."
He got up ten thousand times and strode out of the house.
Hopefully, it's not too late.
If Sakumo were still alive, he could save him and pull him back from the edge of the cliff.
He was truly too late. All he could say to the cold corpse was, "I'm too late..."
The gate to the Hatake family's courtyard was ajar and unlocked.
The courtyard was quiet.
Sakumo's wife wasn't home; she must have gone out to buy groceries or pick up Kakashi.
He pushed open the door ten thousand times and went straight to the bedroom.
As soon as I pushed open the door, a strong sense of despair hit me.
The once spirited and sharp-eyed "Konoha White Fang" and "Konoha Two Lights" are now slumped on the tatami mat.
Sakumo Hatake had disheveled hair, a sallow complexion, and empty, lifeless eyes.
So many times they came up behind him without him noticing.
"I am a sinner... I have let down the village, I have let down my comrades who sacrificed their lives..."
Sakumo Hatake muttered to himself, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows.
Before he could finish speaking, Hatake Sakumo suddenly closed his eyes, mustered all his strength, raised his short sword, and stabbed it into his own abdomen without hesitation!
At the critical moment!
"stop!"
A hand with distinct knuckles and steady strength suddenly reached out and gripped Sakumo's wrist tightly like an iron clamp.
The dagger stopped less than an inch from his abdomen, unable to advance any further.
Shuo Mao shuddered violently, as if struck by a thunderbolt.
He suddenly raised his head, his unfocused pupils slowly refocusing, and finally he could see the calm and handsome face in front of him.
"Ten thousand times?!" Sakumo Hatake exclaimed.
Wanci made no unnecessary movements, but with a slight exertion of his wrist, he pulled the short sword from Sakumo's trembling hand.
He then slowly returned it to its sheath.
"Why would you want to die over something so trivial?"
Wanci asked casually.
"I...."
Sakumo's empty eyes twitched, his lips moved as if he wanted to repeat "I am a sinner," "I have let Konoha down," but he was interrupted by Manji.