They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 218 The Dragon-Slaying Hero Becomes the Dragon (Part 2)

"Sakumo-sama!"

"Hello there."

"Sakumo-sama!"

"Hello there."

……

On the bustling streets of Konoha, a middle-aged man with silver-white hair was walking with his child. Judging from the number of people waving to him from both sides of the road, he was quite popular.

It was rare for both father and son to be free from missions. Since his wife had to go out, Hatake Sakumo decided to take his son to try out the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen.

"Dad, let me tell you, in our last mission, we actually ran into someone who couldn't even beat Minato-sensei and had to run away!"

Kakashi Hatake crossed his arms behind his neck, looking at the crowd around him greeting his father. A sense of pride flashed through his heart as he recounted his experience from the last mission.

"Oh? It's really not easy to make Minato flee in such a panic! There are probably only a handful of people in the entire ninja world who can achieve this level."

While nodding gently to those around him, Hatake Sakumo answered his son's questions with great interest.

Sakumo Hatake knew about the young man Minato Namikaze. Not to mention that he was his son's mentor, the fact that the young man was the second genius to master the Flying Thunder God Technique since the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju was enough for him to think highly of him.

As a speed-based ninja himself, he knew all too well just how powerful this ninjutsu invented by Tobirama Senju truly was.

The spatial displacement properties of space-time ninjutsu are something he can only dream of.

Therefore, he was genuinely curious about who could make this young man flee in such a panic.

In his opinion, even if Minato Namikaze's speed is not the best in the ninja world, it is enough to rank him among the top five.

At this speed, even if you can't win, you can still maneuver around using your incredible speed.

The word "escape" implies that Minato Namikaze not only failed to defeat his opponent, but was also likely to be surpassed in speed. This is why he hurriedly led Kakashi and the others away before they even appeared on the battlefield.

Moreover, that wasn't the only thing that interested him.

Before the previous mission began, the young man had come to him specifically for a one-on-one in-depth conversation.

Although he didn't know why the smiling young man kept advising him to be more open-minded and not care too much about other people's opinions, and even subtly reminded him to choose his teammates carefully during missions, Hatake Sakumo still politely agreed.

Now, when he heard his son mention this, he suddenly thought of this incident.

"So, who exactly did he encounter?"

"Hmm...that person is Hozuki Shingetsu from Kirigakure."

Kakashi Hatake crossed his arms behind his neck, tilted his head back, and answered casually.

"...Hozuki Shingetsu."

Hatake Sakumo understood; if it was this person, then Namikaze Minato would indeed be difficult to deal with.

"Dad, is Hozuki Shingetsu really as strong as the rumors say? If you fought him, could you beat him?"

Kakashi Hatake suddenly became interested and turned to look at his father.

"I...I'm afraid I can't win."

After careful consideration, Hatake Sakumo gave this answer.

He knows his own situation best. His superb swordsmanship is good at killing people, but cutting down tailed beasts... that's asking too much.

"What the heck... Dad, you're such a loser!"

Upon hearing this, Kakashi Hatake's eyes, hidden behind his mask, revealed a hint of resentment. He was unhappy that his father, whom he was so proud of, couldn't beat someone.

However, being as proud as he is, he is incapable of truly expressing his thoughts, and can only use words to convey his displeasure.

"Heh, don't underestimate the people of this world!"

Sakumo Hatake shook his head and began to tell him the story of Shingetsu Hozuki.

This lecture went on all the way to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Ah, Kakashi!"

As soon as the father and son entered the curtained entrance of Ichiraku Ramen, they were blinded by two sudden flashes of light.

"My dearest friend, let's begin our sixty-fourth match!"

"How about we have a contest to see who can eat the most Ichiraku Ramen? The loser has to do fifty handstands around Konoha!"

"That's exactly right, Kai!"

"A challenge from a close friend, sweat pouring down, a run under the setting sun... this is the burning passion of your youth right now! Don't let this vibrant youth go to waste, Kai!"

Two green kappa with gleaming teeth were sitting on the counter in front of Ichiraku Ramen, giving the two of them the same thumbs-up gesture.

"……boring."

Kakashi paused for a moment, then sat down next to Guy as if he hadn't seen him.

boom!

"Ugh... Ha! My dear friend, you're already down 0-1!"

Seeing the empty bowl that Might Guy had placed next to him, Kakashi silently took off his mask.

"Boss, bring ten bowls to start!"

"Okay!"

The young Ichiraku Otsutsuki responded and began.

"Oh haha, my dear friend, trying to beat me by ten bowls is far from enough!"

"...I just happened to be hungry. Who said I wanted to have a competition with you?"

Seeing Might Guy swaggering around him like a fool, Kakashi suddenly felt inexplicably ashamed of his behavior.

"Lord Sakumo, thank you Kakashi for your companionship with Guy."

Just as the two were bickering, Might Guy suddenly spoke to Sakumo Hatake beside him.

"No, it should be the two of them accompanying each other."

Faced with Might Guy's sudden thanks, Sakumo Hatake responded with a smile.

"No, Kakashi is an absolute genius. If he wanted to, most of the children in Konoha would be willing to be his friend. But Guy is different."

When Matt Day looked at his son, his usually optimistic face was devoid of any smile, and his eyes revealed a hint of heartache.

"I should have realized long ago that Guy doesn't have the talent of a ninja. It's just that my selfishness has allowed him to persist on this path until now."

"I harbored unrealistic hopes that my son would be a genius ninja. I projected my own dreams onto Guy, yearning to see the ninja talent that I had been searching for but could not obtain in my son."

"Kai is great, he persevered no matter how much ridicule and mockery he received."

Might Day's gaze toward Might Guy revealed a hint of sadness. "However, no matter how strong he is, he is still a child after all. When he is lonely, he needs the company of his peers. I hope that is the motivation for him to keep going."

"Not from me, but from the wishful thinking of an incompetent father."

Sakumo Hatake looked at Might Guy, remained silent for a long time, and then his smile disappeared.

"No, you're wrong. Guy is by no means lacking in ninja talent, as you claim. In fact, his ninja talent is shining brightly. I firmly believe that he will eventually become a ninja beloved by the village."

At this point, Sakumo Hatake paused for a moment, then continued, "Just like you."

Matt Day paused for a moment when he heard this.

If these words had come from someone else, he would have just thought they were mocking him, but when they came from Sakumo Hatake, they gave him an unparalleled sense of conviction.

Before he could speak, Sakumo Hatake continued, "Companions are the pillars of Guy's spirit, and aren't they the same for Kakashi?"

"A ninja's talent is certainly important, but if a ninja does not value his comrades, has no bonds worth cherishing, and has no unforgettable memories with his comrades, then no matter how strong he is, his heart will be empty."

Sakumo Hatake looked at Kakashi, whose cheeks were bulging from eating noodles, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"A ninja should not be bound by the word 'ninja'."

Looking at Sakumo Hatake, Might Guy suddenly understood why he was so popular with the villagers.

"……thank you."

Just as Might Guy was about to say something, he and Hatake Sakumo turned their heads to the other side almost simultaneously.

A masked ninja suddenly appeared there.

"Lord Sakumo, the Hokage summons you for an urgent mission."

Sakumo Hatake nodded to the ANBU ninja, then turned to Might Guy and said, "Believe in your heart, Guy will definitely become a great ninja."

After saying goodbye to Kakashi, he headed towards the Hokage Building.

Kakashi turned his head and took one last look at his father's waving back before turning back to continue his match with Might Guy.

He didn't know that this was the last time he would see anyone welcome his father.

-

Sakumo Hatake's mission has failed!

The news spread like wildfire throughout Konoha in a short time, and everyone in Konoha was talking about the "White Fang of Konoha's" defeat, which had caused the village to suffer a great loss.

As time goes by, more details are gradually being revealed.

Sakumo Hatake led a team to bring back important intelligence from a certain place in the Land of Water, which is said to be of great importance to Konoha.

However, for some reason, the news reached Kirigakure, and Sakumo Hatake encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at the same time he obtained the intelligence.

If it were just White Fang alone, he might have been able to take on all seven Ninja Swordsmen by himself using guerrilla warfare.

But the key point is that he's not alone now!

For mission reasons, and to ensure that the information could be safely brought back to Konoha, White Fang chose to retreat.

The decision was logically sound, but unfortunately, his teammate was "accidentally" captured by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen declared that in order to save their teammates, they would have to exchange information for them.

On one hand, there was intelligence of great significance to the village; on the other hand, there were the lives of his teammates.

Looking at the ninja sword held to his comrade's neck, White Fang hesitated for a long time before reluctantly handing over the information in exchange for his teammate's return.

However, he never expected that his actions would immediately cause a huge uproar in the village after he returned.

"...Sakumo, is this the whole mission?"

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sakumo Hatake, his dignified face revealing no emotion.

"That's right, Lord Hokage. I was the captain of this mission, and I also proposed the decision to exchange information for Kimi-Chishima. I am willing to take full responsibility for the failure of this mission."

Sakumo Hatake said firmly.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his face, and his originally dazzling silver-white hair, under the shimmering light, seemed to be filtered, no longer shining.

Thud!

Thud!

From the shadows, Danzo Shimura's figure gradually emerged.

The setting sun shone through the window, casting its light precisely on his chest, shrouding his entire face in shadow so that his expression was obscured; only his voice could be heard in the silent office.

"Take responsibility? Do you know how important this information is to the village?"

"To put it bluntly, sacrificing ten Jonin would be worthwhile for this intelligence. And now, you're abandoning it for a Special Jonin from a commoner background. Do you think you're doing the right thing?"

Sakumo Hatake did not directly answer Danzo Shimura's question, but instead stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemingly waiting for the Hokage to speak and wanting to hear his opinion on the matter.

To his disappointment, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not utter any further words beyond the opening sentence.

Sakumo Hatake lowered his eyes, and after a long while, he finally opened his mouth.

"I would not hesitate to sacrifice myself to complete the mission."

"However, I cannot watch my comrades die before my eyes in order to complete the mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sakumo Hatake, and upon hearing his words and seeing his resolute gaze, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

This scene seems familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before.

Oh, I remember now.

Twenty years ago in the Land of Lightning, during that crucial decision that would determine the fate of Konoha, wasn't he just like that in front of his own teacher?

The same powerful and resounding tone, the same heartfelt expression, the same willingness to sacrifice one's life.

The moment is just like that moment, how similar they are?

Back then, he was even willing to sacrifice himself to draw away the enemy for his comrades, but where is that Hiruzen Sarutobi now?

With this thought in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally confirmed that Sakumo Hatake was indeed the inheritor of the "Will of Fire" and the best candidate to become Hokage, just like he had been back then.

However, it was precisely because of this that Hiruzen Sarutobi became even more certain of the necessity of his actions.

Because Sakumo Hatake inherited the "Will of Fire" of Konoha.

Rather than Hiruzen Sarutobi's "Will of Fire".

"Sakumo, regardless of the circumstances, your unauthorized actions have caused significant damage to the village. For the time being, you shouldn't accept any missions. Stay home and reflect on your actions!"

"yes!"

Sakumo Hatake said nothing more, silently bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, and then left.

Inside the room, only the two people who had personally experienced the choice remained, speechless.

Call ~

Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe, forcefully inhaled the smoke through his chest, and then slowly exhaled it after a while.

He stared at the flickering flame of the pipe in his hand through the hazy smoke, and spoke in a voice that was both a murmur and a command:

"Danzo, let's begin the next phase of the plan!"

(End of this chapter)