77 Chapter 77

[Power Stones Bonus Chapter!]

The Hokage's office.

Inside, smoke filled the air, and Hiruzen's furrowed brow remained tight.

The losses from this mission failure were immense, truly immense! And it could have succeeded, but because of Sakumo's soft-heartedness...

Apart from , the village suffering losses, as the Hokage, he couldn't escape blame. After all, he was the one who made the decision, and his signature was on the document.

"Sakumo, oh Sakumo, why weren't you more ruthless at the time? In this situation now, I'm in a difficult position!"

Sarutobi was anxious, especially with two of the three Hokage advisors present, and their first words were accusations.

"Koharu, there's still room to salvage this situation," Hiruzen finally spoke up. "Although the loss is significant, we can recoup it from other sources. At most, we'll just have to complete some more challenging missions."

"Is it really as easy as you say, Hiruzen?" Homura's words carried impatience. "The economic loss is secondary; the most crucial issue is the boiling public sentiment, which is not good at all!"

A flash of severity crossed Hiruzen's eyes. "How did the public learn of such a confidential mission?"

"Wasn't it you?" Koharu exclaimed in surprise.

"Nonsense!" Hiruzen slammed the table and stood up. "My intention was to handle it quietly; I never intended to publicize it. This kind of behavior is dangerous!"

"It indeed wasn't Hiruzen."

Danzo strode into the office, followed by two Root ninjas, with a person dressed as a merchant who had been tortured and coerced in their midst.

"It's this enemy country spy who, following orders from above, spread the news of Sakumo's mission failure."

Hiruzen glanced at Danzo, then at the enemy country spy, struggling internally.

He only half believed Danzo's words, the other half automatically filtered out. It had been like this for many years between them.

"Is it investigated thoroughly?"

"It's been thoroughly investigated, and this is the confession." Danzo handed over the documents. "And we've also used the Mind Transmission Jutsu on members of the Yamanaka clan to confirm, without any doubt."

"Suppress the rumors!" Hiruzen made a decisive decision. "Letting rumors spread will easily lead to problems, especially concerning Sakumo."

"It's too late." Danzo's face turned cold. "Once rumors gain momentum, forcibly suppressing them will only make them worse. What we need to do now is to release another rumor to overshadow Sakumo's incident."

"How easy do you think that is?" Homura furrowed her brow. "We're well aware of Sakumo's prestige within the village. With someone's manipulation, as much as he was praised before, he will be equally scorned now!"

"Hiruzen, you can step forward." Danzo looked at him seriously. "You can clarify the situation and..."

"Danzo, are you crazy?" Homura interrupted him. "Hiruzen is the Hokage. If he steps forward to clarify, the criticism of Sakumo may be suppressed, but Hiruzen's reputation will take a hit. How can he stay in the position of Hokage in the future?"

That's exactly the effect Danzo wanted, but he played it flawlessly.

"But if this continues, Sakumo might be adversely affected by the rumors. In the worst-case scenario, the village will suffer even greater losses."

"But we can't sacrifice Hiruzen's reputation!" Homura firmly refused. "Think of other ways, like changing the nature of this incident. Sakumo abandoned the mission for the sake of his teammates, which aligns with the Will of Fire."

Hiruzen's eyes brightened, about to speak, but Danzo preempted him.

"I've considered this, but Sakumo's exemplary role is too strong. If we set this precedent, won't the villagers also voluntarily abandon missions for this reason?"

Danzo waved his hand decisively. "We can't set this precedent. Even if there's some understanding, we can't codify it in writing, otherwise... how will everyone behave?"

Silence. A long silence.

Breaking the silence first was still Danzo. "Hiruzen, only you stepping forward can..."

"No!"

"I disagree!"

Homura and Koharu immediately took an opposing stance, and they were very firm about it.

Compared to Sakumo, Hiruzen appeared more important. He wasn't just a village Hokage but also the source of authority for these two advisors.

If Hiruzen were to step down because of this, would their roles as Hokage advisors still hold any value?

"Let the rumors run rampant, let Sakumo suffer a bit. I believe after the rumors subside, he will understand everything," Homura sighed deeply, offering the worst solution.

This was exactly what Danzo wanted!

Moreover, this was his original plan, and the development of events was exactly as he had designed.

Whether they lost Hiruzen or Sakumo, for him, it was a win-win situation.

And he had to play the good guy and hide his intentions.

"This is not appropriate. Sakumo has contributed greatly to the village..."

"What do you suggest then?"

"Then, let me go." Danzo looked at Hiruzen. "I provided the mission intel, and although there were no issues, I'm responsible for half of the mission failure.

So, let me clarify and take the responsibility. Everything will be resolved."

Hiruzen looked at Danzo, remaining silent for a long time. He already had a guess in his heart, but he had no evidence, and because of the bond between him and Danzo, he lacked the courage to sever it.

In the midst of conspiracy, there was also strategy. This time, Danzo clearly played a better move.

"Handle it discreetly..." Hiruzen gave the order. "But at the same time, try to release other news to suppress the rumors. Also, pay more attention to Sakumo's side.

Forget it, I'll personally go and explain to Sakumo..."

After giving a few more instructions, Hiruzen left the Hokage's office and headed towards the direction of the Hatake residence.

At the same time, Kakashi also encountered Hiruzen, but his request was rejected.

In his view, Kakashi's actions were just causing trouble.

Moreover, the response strategy had already been decided, so there was no intention to change it.

Without any credit, Kakashi headed towards the residence of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans.

However, Shikaku's intelligence was high; he had already analyzed it as a political maneuver and didn't want to get involved.

The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans maintained neutrality and watched from the sidelines. If they wanted to remain neutral, they should at least stay consistent, with none of the three factions assisting.

In the evening, Kyomu also met with Kakashi.

"I..."

"You go first."

The two spoke simultaneously, then fell into silence.

"Let's go home." Kyomu broke the silence, "Since we can't do it, let's block those messages. At the very least, don't let the teacher hear the rumors."

Kakashi nodded and followed Kyomu back.

The relationships of the two were based on Sakumo's existence. Their real identities were now in turmoil, so how could they break free?

In the end, Kyomu and Kakashi were just 7 years old, special jounin in the village, and nothing more.

"Get lost!"

Just as they arrived at the door, Kyomu placed his hand on the hilt of the Yōei Sword, his gaze fierce as he looked at the crowd. "Listening to rumors is like listening to the rain. My teacher's previous contributions to the village have all been wiped out because of this mistake?!"

"And do you think the Will of Fire is just empty words?"

As Kyomu's voice fell, the people in front of the door immediately retorted.

"Isn't it a fact that he caused losses to the village?!"

"Yes! Sakumo should wash away his shame with death!"

"We used to think he was great, but we didn't expect him to voluntarily abandon the mission, which goes against the duties of a ninja!"

"And is the Will of Fire like this? Protecting teammates is one thing, but who will bear the losses suffered by the village?"

"Yes, these are all excuses, nothing but excuses!"

The crowd in front of the door grew more agitated, whether it came from the heart or was directed by someone, or simply due to a lack of brain capacity.

But words are like knives, intentional or not, listening to them would stir emotions.

Before Sakumo, he fought and risked his life for these people without complaint!

"I am Sakumo's teammate. I refused to withdraw at the time, but he insisted..."

As the last person stepped forward to criticize Sakumo, Kyomu was thoroughly enraged.

"You're asking for it!"

Drawing his sword abruptly, he aimed to strike at the person.

Clang~

But Sakumo was faster, intercepting Kyomu before he could kill, his gaze calm as ever. "Let him speak. I want to hear."

The former comrades who once fought side by side looked at Sakumo, feeling guilty, heartbroken, grateful, and more, but in the end, it turned into determination.

You've saved me so many times; this time, save me once more, the last time.

"We didn't want to give up on the mission at the time. For the sake of the village, even if we had to sacrifice ourselves, we were willing. But Sakumo..."

In truth, there was no need to listen further. As Sakumo put away his bared teeth and turned back into the room.

Behind him, a wave of accusations, one higher than the other, reached his ears. Sakumo didn't take it to heart, but the criticism from former comrades made him let down his guard.

Betrayal has always been bloody...

And the Will of Fire that he had always followed had become a joke at this moment.

What was he, really?

What was the meaning of his existence?

(End of Chapter)