Chapter 108: Sakumo Analysis, Kakashi come Home

(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)

(T/N: Enjoy!!)

<><><><><><>

Sakumo Hatake could have chosen to take on a few more missions and leave the village to escape these rumors. 

However, being inherently strong-willed, he refused to choose to escape the problem.

Moreover, Kakashi was returning from a mission soon. If Sakumo left, all the gossip and rumors would be unfairly thrust upon Kakashi.

Sitting cross-legged in the main hall of the Hatake residence, Sakumo hadn't stepped out of his home for nearly half a month. 

'Had Asahi anticipated this situation long ago?'

Thinking about the parting words from Asahi, Sakumo couldn't help but reflect on the advice he received. During this period, he had pondered a lot.

Asahi warned him to face things with a calm mind, and he took those words to heart. 

Despite feeling depressed inside, he managed to suppress the frustration and calmly contemplate the entire incident.

The more he thought, the more Sakumo realized that this matter was suspicious. 

The mission he executed was an S-rank top-secret assignment. 

According to common sense, the vast majority of the village's high-ranking ninjas couldn't possibly access this information.

So, the question arose: How did the civilians in the village come to know about it? The only answer was that someone intentionally spread this information.

Initially, Sakumo's first reaction was Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, he quickly dismissed this thought. 

While Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to receive this information, he had no reason to personally intervene.

Considering his own identity, Sakumo gradually narrowed down the list of people who could access this information and had a plausible reason to interfere. 

The final candidates were Sannin and Danzo Shimura.

Sakumo Hatake quickly ruled out the Sannin as suspects, acknowledging that he held no significant threat to their chances of becoming the next Hokage.

Firstly, Tsunade had already left the village, and both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were currently on missions. 

Furthermore, these two individuals wouldn't resort to such tactics. Sakumo held great respect for the character of the Sannin.

This left only one person—Danzo Shimura.

As the leader of Konoha's Root, Danzo harbored strong ambitions for the position of Hokage. Sakumo's rising influence posed a significant threat to Danzo's aspirations.

While it was clear that Danzo Shimura was the mastermind behind this situation, Sakumo Hatake found it hard to believe that this could happen without the tacit approval of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In any matter concerning Konoha, if Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to obstruct, it would be impossible for things to proceed smoothly. 

Sakumo felt that Hiruzen's consent played a role in this.

Sakumo didn't feel oppressed by the accusations of the villagers. 

After all, villagers were often misguided, and with a guiding influence, they couldn't discern right from wrong.

His predominant feeling at the moment was a cold in his heart—coldness towards the office of Hokage and towards Konoha itself.

Sakumo Hatake, renowned from a young age, had earned many achievements during the Second Great Ninja War, proudly donning the half-sleeved Hokage Robe.

Throughout the years, he completed countless missions for Konoha, all without a single failure until this incident. 

Unfortunately, this one failure became an excuse for the higher-ups to suppress him.

Honestly, despite Konoha's claim that anyone could aspire to become Hokage, Sakumo knew that as a non-traditional candidate, he could never achieve that position.

He had no desire to go for the title of Hokage. His greatest wish was to revitalize the declining Hatake clan and provide hope for Kakashi.

This was the reason why he entrusted Kakashi to Jiraiya's team under Minato Namikaze. By doing so, Kakashi would have the foundation to pursue the title of Hokage in the future.

Otherwise, could Sakumo Hatake, with his teaching, not catch up to Minato Namikaze in nurturing Kakashi?

However, at this moment, he felt that his thoughts were too naive. 

As long as he was alive, the higher-ups of Konoha would never find peace. Kakashi, especially, had no chance at the position of Hokage. 

So, what had he been aiming for all these years? What decision should he make next?

Sakumo Hatake once again found himself immersed in contemplation. He hadn't figured out how to face Hiruzen Sarutobi again, how to face Konoha.

.....

At the same time, the entire team of Minato Namikaze had returned to the village gate of Konoha. 

After a simple farewell, the four of them disbanded. At this moment, Kakashi was filled with joy at the thought of going home.

This mission had kept him away from the village for almost two months, and now he just wanted to hurry back home and have a good chat with Sakumo Hatake about the mission.

However, as he walked home, Kakashi Hatake felt increasingly oppressed. Passersby no longer praised him as they used to; instead, they pointed and whispered.

This made Kakashi unconsciously quicken his pace, wanting to get home as soon as possible. 

Yet, when he reached his doorstep, he found that his home had undergone a drastic change.

No longer neat and spacious as it used to be, his house was now filled with various obscene remarks, along with rotten fruits and eggs.

Even so, people occasionally spat at his doorstep. This scene directly triggered the explosion of the pressure building up inside Kakashi.

He rushed directly to the person who spat at his doorstep and delivered a flying kick.

An ordinary person couldn't withstand the attacks of Kakashi, who was already a Chunin. 

The person was kicked by Kakashi was sent flying a considerable distance. Still, Kakashi had left quite a bit of room for mercy.

The man struggled to get up from the ground and, upon seeing that he was attacked by Sakumo Hatake's son, Kakashi Hatake, he neither apologized nor begged for mercy. Instead, he went a step further and spat at Kakashi.

This made Kakashi almost explode once again, but it was the man's quick mouth that left Kakashi stunned in place, preventing another kick.

"Indeed, the son of a failure only dares to be tough with his own kind."

"Who are you calling a failure!"

Hearing this, Kakashi angrily shouted. 

The knife on his back was already unsheathed. Insulting him was one thing, but insulting his father crossed a line, and he wouldn't take it lightly.

The spitter, seeing Kakashi drawing his knife, felt a pang of anxiety. Despite professional training, he was just an ordinary person. 

In the face of a ninja, no matter how brave he was, it wouldn't help.

However, thinking of the orders from above and the fact that this was still within the borders of Konoha, he knew Kakashi, a Konoha ninja, couldn't possibly kill him. 

Unless Kakashi intended to betray the village.

Gritting his teeth, the man directly addressed Kakashi, "Heh, the son of a failure is indeed just a loudmouthed lapdog. Your father's abandonment of the mission caused such great losses to the village. I bet you're not any better than him!"

<End Chapter>

If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 10 advanced Chapters for you guys.

patr**n.com/saitamablast > TSMSW NOVEL TIER