Uchiha: Starting as Tobirama's Jinchuriki

"So, Mr. Sakumo, this is not just your problem, but a problem concerning the future and beliefs of the village."

Sakumo Hatake slowly raised his head and silently gazed at Aoshui.

After a long while, a hoarse voice came from his mouth, recounting the events of that day—

"I received orders from the village to lead a small team to investigate the current situation of the Jinchuriki in Sunagakure. According to recent intelligence, all the major hidden villages have begun developing Jinchuriki, which has put the village on edge..."

"But we were ambushed. We were exposed as soon as we got close to Sunagakure. Two of my companions were surrounded by the enemy. I had no choice but to take action, but then we encountered enemy reinforcements."

"In the end, I led them out of the encirclement, but in doing so, I also exposed my identity..."

"Sunagakure issued a strong protest against the village, which was conveyed to the ninja world. Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure also followed Sunagakure's protest, accusing Konoha of attempting to start a war and deserving to be punished."

Sakumo Hatake lowered his head again:

"Qingshui, there's no need to persuade me. As a ninja, it's only right to be punished for failing to complete a mission."

Aozumi watched the tormented Hatake Sakumo and shook his head.

This was indeed a dead end for a ninja like Hatake Sakumo.

Having emerged from the Warring States period and possessing samurai traits, he is like the Root members that Shimura Danzo painstakingly cultivated; his mind is consumed by nothing but missions, and he sees himself merely as a sword.

If the knife can't cut anything anymore, then just throw it away.

The problem is that Sakumo Hatake is not the Root hidden in the shadows; he also absorbs some of the light, experiences a bit of warmth from the Will of Fire, and fills his heart with it.

If he saves his comrade, the mission will fail, and the ninja's mindset of prioritizing the mission above all else will torment his heart.

If he is not saved, then the will of fire within him will question him.

It's a situation where there's a certain logic to how you do it, yet none of your methods seem right.

Qing Shui shook his head. This was the ideological conflict brought about by the Warring States period and the Guocun period.

Since the establishment of Konoha, various ninja clans and commoners have gathered together to form a village, becoming comrades-in-arms. Ninjas have also gradually transformed from cold tools who had to go to the battlefield from childhood in the Warring States period into "people" with lives and daily routines.

But the fundamental identity has not changed.

To maintain the reputation of its employers, Konoha Village still publicly proclaims its mission-first motto, while internally, to win over people and build bonds, it plays the Will of Fire card.

Sakumo Hatake is a figure facing this contradiction, standing at the forefront of the times…

"Mr. Sakumo, I want to ask you, do you regret it?"

Qing Shui said softly, "I'll give you one more choice. Will you choose to complete the mission or protect your companions?"

Hatake Sakumo opened his mouth, the word "protect" was on the tip of his tongue, but he could no longer utter it.

"Mr. Sakumo, I have a question. Why do all the villagers know about this now?"

"The missions you've been carrying out should all be top secret. Even if they fail, they should be known only to the higher-ups and the Jonin."

Aozumi changed the subject, looking at the conflicted Hatake Sakumo, and slowly said:

"I don't think this is simple. Perhaps someone is using public opinion to frame you."

Sakumo Hatake gave a bitter laugh: "That's not important, Aomizu..."

The classified missions and the protests from other hidden villages, as Aozumi said, were all top secrets to be placed on the Hokage's desk.

As a Jonin and pillar of the village, Hatake Sakumo knew all too well that if Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to stop this rumor, it would be a very simple matter.

These problems can be easily solved by simply sending a few secret agents and making some internal announcements.

All of this suggests that even the Third Hokage, the representative of the Will of Fire, was very dissatisfied with him.

Sakumo Hatake slowly closed his eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This was the first time in his life that a mission had failed.

The problem is that he wasn't the first Konoha ninja to fail a mission.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Hiruzen Sarutobi's three disciples, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, suffered a crushing defeat when facing Hanzo of the Salamander, the invaders from Amegakure. They wiped out their entire force and were given the less-than-honorable title of "Sannin".

Danzo Shimura and his Root organization frequently stirred up trouble in enemy countries, and it was common for them to be exposed.

Especially recently, Orochimaru's human experiments were raided by a team led by Sakumo Hatake. The young test subjects and the horrific scenes shocked even Sakumo Hatake, who had seen battlefields before.

However, neither Orochimaru, Danzo Shimura, nor the defeated Jiraiya and Tsunade faced such criticism within the village; instead, everything remained peaceful.

Danzo Shimura remained the Hokage's assistant, Orochimaru's human experiments were no longer mentioned, and the title of "Sannin," symbolizing defeat, has even become a compliment in recent years.

Many students at the ninja academy refer to Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru as the "Legendary Sannin"...

This left Sakumo Hatake confused as to why he was the only one receiving this treatment.

Aozumi watched as Sakumo Hatake grew increasingly dejected, and chuckled inwardly.

really.

It wasn't just a matter of ninja code and the Will of Fire; as a powerful force in Konoha, Sakumo Hatake finally saw his own position clearly on this issue and experienced the bitterness of injustice…

Why, why is he the only one who receives this kind of criticism?

Ninjas are not heartless tools after all. Even if they know they are not disciples of the Hokage lineage, they will subconsciously think about this issue, which is only human nature.

Especially compared to the Legendary Sannin, Sakumo Hatake was a hero who made great contributions in the Second Shinobi World War. He even killed the son and daughter-in-law of Chiyo, a high-ranking advisor of Sunagakure...

Even if they didn't achieve great things, they must have put in a lot of hard work, right?

Hatake Sakumo doesn't seek great rewards or high status, but he can't let the higher-ups allow the whole village to criticize and talk about him without restraint just because of this one incident.

He no longer asked for anything, he just wanted a little warmth and tolerance, but Hatake Sakumo did not receive it.

Aozumi observed Hatake Sakumo's increasingly gloomy face and said in a low voice:

“Mr. Sakumo, there’s really no need to blame yourself so much for failing a mission. Even the Hokage has failed before.”

A glint flashed in Hatake Sakumo's eyes: "Aomizu-kun, some things shouldn't be said carelessly..."

Qing Shui shook his head:

"While I don't know why the Third Hokage didn't intervene to stop this rumor, I think he could understand your dilemma. Perhaps there are other reasons behind it, but they are still under investigation..."

"Mr. Sakumo, you should know that during the First Shinobi World War, the Third Hokage, Danzo's assistant, and Homura and Koharu's advisors, as well as Akimichi Torifu, my grandfather Uchiha Kagami, were all besieged by the Kumogakure forces..."

"As members of the Shadow Guard, I think our only mission should be to protect the Hokage."

"Therefore, I believe the Third Hokage has experienced the struggle between the Will of Fire and the Ninja Code. Please don't be impatient; things may still turn around..."

Sakumo Hatake's breathing became heavier.

What Qingshui said was all true history.

As members of the Shadow Guard, they made the Hokage cover their retreat, resulting in Tobirama Senju's death on the battlefield. Even though the Second Hokage volunteered to cover their retreat, this guilt is extremely difficult to absolve him of...

Sakumo Hatake felt increasingly heavy-hearted. As simple-minded as he was, even when he felt things were unfair, he only thought of Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya as comparisons.

Shimura Danzo wasn't even in his comparison range, but Aozumi's words pierced through the last shred of defense in his heart, clearly telling him—

Can the Third Hokage, Danzo Shimura, and other high-ranking officials of Konoha understand how you feel?

Absolutely.

Their lives depended on the conflict between the Will of Fire and the Ninja Code; how could they not feel it?

As for why the rumors weren't cleared up, the answer is obvious.

The Will of Fire only protects the Hokage's disciples, not ordinary ninjas like him. Even war heroes with outstanding achievements are subject to questioning.

Senju Tobirama listened silently to Aoshui's words, his anger growing ever stronger.

Just as Qing Shui said, your lives were saved by the light of the Will of Fire. Why do you let rumors fly when it comes to others?

Not only did Tobirama Senju identify Danzo Shimura as the mastermind behind everything, but Tobirama also realized that something was wrong with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

What exactly is he, the Third Hokage, doing?

Why haven't the rumors been quelled yet?

At this moment, it would be perfectly acceptable for Hiruzen Sarutobi to punish Sakumo Hatake.

As long as the higher-ups reach a definitive conclusion on this matter and state their position and attitude, all the criticisms will fall apart on their own, and everything will proceed according to the Hokage's will.

Silence, on the contrary, is the greatest harm.

Even a strong person like Hatake Sakumo, with a humble heart, would find it difficult to tolerate the gossip of the entire village.

Or rather, precisely because Sakumo Hatake was humble, the feeling of being scrutinized by everyone was even harder for him to accept.

"Qingshui, there's no need to try to persuade me..."

Sakumo Hatake seemed to be in better spirits, but it was like a final burst of energy before death.

"Perhaps from the very beginning, I had a problem with my understanding of the village and the Will of Fire. I have ended up in this situation simply because of my naivety."

"I'm a little tired, Qingshui. Can I rest by myself for a while?"

Aozumi silently looked at Hatake Sakumo, the strange nonchalance in his tone carrying a hint of world-weariness…

And just then.

Kakashi returned home and walked into the house, his face pale.

"Qingshui, you're here too..."

Kakashi seemed to be greatly agitated, his lips twitching as he looked away from his father and Qing Shui.

"Father, something has happened..."

Kakashi looked at Qingshui, and a surge of courage inexplicably welled up in his heart.

He wouldn't have had the courage to tell Sakumo Hatake what he had just heard and seen in the village if Aoshui hadn't been there.

"Speak, Kakashi." Sakumo Hatake's expression had become indifferent.

Kakashi hesitated, lowered his head, and whispered:

"Father, two of the men who were on the mission with you committed suicide when it failed, and the remaining comrades are all blaming you."

"They said that they had already considered committing suicide to preserve the village's reputation, but your intervention exposed their identities, not that they wanted the mission to fail."

"I...I don't know why, but everyone knows, and now there are a lot of people arguing about it in the village..."

Qing Shui frowned: "Committed suicide? Are you sure, Kakashi…?"

"Qingshui, I don't believe it either, but it's true. I saw those two people being carried away from their house..."