3 Years

"Though suicide is your choice, I hope you haven't forgotten that you still owe me something," Aizen said with a smile.

Hatake Sakumo looked at Aizen with empty eyes, then reached into his robes, pulling out two scrolls and tossing them to him.

Aizen opened one of the scrolls, scanned it briefly to confirm its contents, and handed it over to Hyuga Gin. 

"Good, this will do. Now, proceed as you wish," Aizen said, making a dismissive gesture as he turned to leave.

"Aizen!"

Just as Aizen reached the door, Sakumo's voice cut through the silence. Aizen paused, though he didn't turn, a smirk playing on his lips.

"What is it, Sakumo? Have you something else to say?" he replied, still facing away.

Staring at the figure before him, Sakumo's gaze darkened, and he asked in a low, solemn voice, "Aizen, I want to know—just once, answer me honestly. The rumors spreading outside and what happened to my comrades... were you behind it?"

Since his return to the village, Sakumo had seen nothing but disdain and blame cast upon him. Even the teammates he had saved were now cursed by the very villagers he had once protected.

As far as he knew, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't stoop so low, and neither would the major clans dare to push him to the edge. With every other possibility ruled out, only one answer remained.

Aizen tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening, and a glint of malice flickered in his eyes.

The look alone was answer enough.

"Why? My life is near its end; what more could you want from me?" Sakumo demanded, his voice trembling with frustration and anger. "If you wanted me dead, you could've just killed me outright. Why resort to these twisted tactics?"

"Why?" Aizen finally turned, his gaze piercing into Sakumo's. He tilted his head with a look of mock pity and said, "Don't you appreciate a grand farewell, Sakumo?"

Sakumo's heart sank, and his face went blank. He understood then—Aizen had orchestrated all this as a cruel parting gift, a way to disgrace him fully. As one of the most formidable figures in the ninja world, Sakumo had been stripped of every last shred of honor, forced into suicide not in battle, but under the weight of betrayal and despair.

With that final jab, Aizen walked away, a slow and deliberate pace echoing through the room.

Moments later, the sharp sound of a blade piercing flesh filled the air, and Sakumo's chakra presence vanished.

The White Fang of Konoha—the once revered hero—had been driven to his end by Aizen, vanishing from the world in the most ignoble way possible. With his passing, the remnants of the new faction, the once-thriving opposition within Konoha, crumbled into nothingness.

Behind him, Aizen let out a low, menacing chuckle, savoring the bitter triumph, as he disappeared into the shadows with Orochimaru and Hyuga Gin at his side.

...

In the evening, when Hatake Kakashi returned home...

"What!!"

A heart-wrenching scream shattered the peaceful silence of Konoha Village, sending ripples throughout the entire ninja world.

"What? You said Sakumo committed suicide?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, upon hearing the news in his office, stared in shock at the Anbu ninja delivering the report.

"Yes, Lord Hokage, it's true. I have confirmed Lord Sakumo's body—it was indeed a suicide." The Anbu's face bore a look of horror.

For a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen, trying to process the news. Slowly, he waved his hand tiredly, "Alright… you may go."

After the Anbu left, Hiruzen turned to look out over Konoha. His face showed no joy, only deep worry at the loss of one of the village's greatest shinobi.

The news of Hatake Sakumo's suicide spread rapidly across the ninja world.

Konoha's White Fang is dead?

By suicide?

The reports confirmed it, and Hatake Sakumo's body had already been laid to rest.

In the village hidden in the Sand...

"Sakumo is gone? Unbelievable. And Zashi, along with Yoru, too. Konoha's strength has been crippled. Our chance has come!" the Third Kazekage exclaimed with an eager grin.

In the Hidden Rock Village...

"What! That man, Konoha's White Fang, actually took his own life? Unthinkable! But this gives us a huge advantage. Pass down the order—begin preparations for war in secret from today!" The small-statured Tsuchikage gave the command with a determined look.

In the Land of Lightning, Cloud Shinobi Village...

"Hahaha, Konoha without Hatake Sakumo is like a tiger without claws. There's nothing to fear!" The Third Raikage laughed heartily, hands clasped behind his back.

Even in the faraway Mist Village across the sea, the news had drawn intense attention...

"This is a prime opportunity for us to expand our influence!" said a man with a bamboo hat emblazoned with the Water symbol, gazing intently toward the mainland.

The death of Konoha's White Fang had stirred the four major Hidden Villages into action, sensing the imminent threat of war.

Yet, amid the turmoil, an uninvited visitor appeared at Hatake Sakumo's freshly filled grave.

"Heh, Sakumo, even in death, you have one last use. I can't allow you to rest just yet."

With those words, the figure unearthed the grave and took Sakumo's body. After carefully restoring the burial site, the figure vanished into the shadows, unnoticed.

Years later, when Hatake Kakashi would encounter his father's remains again, he would learn that the grave he had visited for so long held nothing but an empty space...

With the initial wave of grief behind them, the Hidden Villages all began quietly readying themselves for war, unwilling to risk further exposure of their plans.

Even Konoha moved cautiously, aware of the growing tension.

As for Aizen, he turned his focus inward, dedicating himself to consistent training and studying, continuing his role in managing the medical department.

In this tense but quiet atmosphere, three years passed in relative calm.