I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 347 Sometimes, unintentional kindness can be more hurtful than malice when the truth is revealed.

That evening, just before midnight, Tatsuma arrived at Sakumo Hatake's house. Sakumo Hatake was wiping a photo frame containing his deceased wife's picture, his eyes filled with love and remembrance, so much so that he didn't notice Tatsuma's arrival at first.

"Ahem~Sakumo-sama."

After standing there for a few seconds, Tatsuma had to cough and speak first. Hatake Sakumo was startled, then realized what was happening, put down the photo frame, and asked in confusion, "Why did you come here?"

"Didn't you say I'd come?"

Tatsuma scratched his head. Hatake Sakumo was only in his early thirties. How could he have forgotten?

"No, I mean... why did you come so soon?"

Sakumo Hatake looked Tatsuma up and down with a strange expression. Tatsuma, puzzled, asked, "Can't I come over now?"

Hatake Sakumo glanced at the clock in the house and said, "Wait a few more seconds, five, four, two, one!"

"Bang bang bang~ bang bang bang~ bang bang bang~"

Suddenly, a series of explosions rang out. Looking around, Chenma realized that the source of the sound was extremely far away, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the explosions had occurred. Moreover, the sound was both strange and familiar.

It doesn't look like an explosive tag, nor does it resemble homemade explosives. What exactly is it?

While he was wondering what was going on, one after another "tracer bullets" shot into the sky and then exploded, turning into fireworks. Tatsuma came to his senses and realized that they were just fireworks.

But is it really worth waiting for Sakumo Hatake just for fireworks? Could it be that beneath Sakumo Hatake's cool exterior lies a girlish heart that loves fireworks?

"It's Valentine's Day today, and Kakashi isn't even back this early. You really are... sigh~"

Sakumo Hatake sighed. A chilly spring breeze blew in, and Tatsuma's body stiffened. He suddenly realized what had happened at noon. His behavior seemed somewhat out of line, even though it was unintentional.

Sometimes, unintentional acts of kindness can be more hurtful than malicious acts when the truth is revealed.

I hope Nono doesn't misunderstand.

Swallowing hard, Tatsuma pulled out a scroll and forcibly changed the subject, saying, "Lord Sakumo, let's talk about the mission."

"All right."

Sakumo Hatake reluctantly stood up and said, "Let's talk in the tea room."

Kakashi didn't know when he would return today, so Sakumo Hatake wasn't in a hurry for a secret meeting. After all, he couldn't guarantee his privacy in other places, but at his home, it could be ensured.

Sitting in the tea room, Sakumo Hatake casually served Tatsuma two cups of tea. Tatsuma didn't mind, since it was better than Danzo, who had tried to get him to drink on his first visit.

Sakumo Hatake pushed the tea towards Tatsuma, and Tatsuma pushed the scroll towards Sakumo Hatake. Tatsuma began to drink the tea, and Sakumo Hatake began to look at the mission scroll.

As he read, Hatake Sakumo gasped and patted his thigh, while Tatsuma slowly sipped his tea. Hatake Sakumo finally finished reading the mission scroll and remarked:

"This is truly a difficult task."

"Lord Sakumo is truly knowledgeable and experienced. Even in a situation where certain death is inevitable, he only considers it difficult. I am truly impressed."

After Tatsuma finished speaking, Hatake Sakumo was stunned for a moment, then looked uncertainly at the scroll in his hand and said, "Although it's difficult, it's not a situation where we're doomed, is it? Did you pick up the wrong scroll?"

"Infiltrate Iwagakure, find out the purpose of its increased funding over the past three years, obtain information on the current status of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, or information on the Jinchuriki associated with them, and bring back the mission-exceeding ninja who is infiltrating Iwagakure. What else could this be but a certain death situation?"

Lord Sakumo, have you already forgotten our experience in the Cloud Thunder Gorge? We weren't even in the enemy village back then, and it was already fraught with danger just trying to find out who the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki was.

This time, you'll be facing two tailed beasts and two jinchūriki simultaneously, and this mission is unlikely to end well.

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo frowned and asked, "Putting aside the difficulty for now, what do you mean by 'no good outcome'?"

Tatsuma took a deep breath and said, "Lord Sakumo, I'll give you a simple analysis of four possible outcomes for this mission. First, the mission will fail completely, and you and your companions will die in Iwagakure, and the village will face accountability from Iwagakure."

In the second scenario, if you or your entourage return after a partial mission failure, but the mission is not completed, and this even triggers a thorough investigation within Iwagakure, causing significant damage to the village, what will you do?

The third scenario is that some tasks are successful. For example, in order to complete the mission, you sacrificed all your teammates to barely complete one or two tasks. Even worse, some survivors fell into the hands of Iwagakure, and the village suffered a huge loss.

In the fourth scenario, all missions are completed, but Iwagakure sends a letter accusing Konoha of engaging in espionage and threatening the core interests of other countries and villages, including tailed beasts and jinchūriki, demanding an explanation from Konoha. Guess who will take responsibility? After all, Konoha has a "previous record."

Or perhaps, Lord Sakumo, you've actually progressed to the point where you can infiltrate Iwagakure alone and complete all the missions without anyone noticing?

After listening to Tatsuma's series of words, Hatake Sakumo fell silent, glancing at the scroll in his hand from time to time. After a long period of contemplation, he said, "The village conducts risk assessments before assigning tasks."

Perhaps this mission only appears serious, but our involvement won't be too deep? For example, regarding the Eight-Tails, if we only follow the mission requirements, the three of us won't be in much danger.

"Indeed, the Yunlei Gorge incident was primarily my fault for being overly ambitious and reckless, so it's not a very suitable example. But do you think that in the mission you're about to take on, your companions will provide you with the same level of assistance as Minato and I?"

Tatsuma had already hinted at this, and it was impossible for Hatake Sakumo not to understand. He murmured, "It's highly likely that you will still choose your entourage from the Anbu. Because of Kushina's matter, you are temporarily unable to go on field missions."

That means your entire team will be grounded for the rest of the time. Of the remaining members, more than half are from the same background, and I'm afraid... But do you think they'll be hostile towards me? This is a mission concerning the entire village!

Tatsuma shrugged without answering, poured himself another cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "Actually, from the moment this mission was planned, the target wasn't Iwagakure, but you, Lord Sakumo."

Once you accept this task, if you want to complete it while also preserving your reputation, there's only one solution.

"What's the solution?"

Sakumo Hatake asked, seemingly oblivious to Tatsuma's sarcastic tone. Tatsuma shook his head and said, "The head of the Anbu is willing to die in Iwagakure to ensure the mission is successfully completed, sacrificing his life to secure sufficient benefits for Konoha."

Only in this way, once Iwagakure holds you accountable, will all parties in Konoha unite and work with the village to support you. However, it will be useless, because even if you complete the mission and preserve your "reputation" in your later years, you will be gone.

"If you're lucky, or rather, if the Third Hokage is a bit tough, he might be able to get a handful of your ashes back. Otherwise, you'll just die far from home and your bones will be crushed and scattered to the winds."

After listening to Tatsuma's words, Sakumo Hatake stroked his chin and said, "To die for a mission, to die for the village, is not a bad choice."

Tatsuma's lips twitched. Was this Sakumo Hatake missing a screw?

"Is it worth it? Lord Sakumo, don't forget, your enemy isn't in Iwagakure, it's in Konoha. This mission, from planning, evaluation, review to issuance, is riddled with problems."

With each step, the restrictions were gradually relaxed, ultimately presenting you with an absurd task. Lord Sakumo, can you bear the consequences of either the process or the outcome?

"But this is a mission personally assigned by the Hokage. I understand the Hokage and I understand your meaning, but the Hokage will not do this."

Tatsuma did not refute Sakumo Hatake's words in defense of Hiruzen Sarutobi; instead, he nodded and agreed, saying, "That's true. The Third Hokage wouldn't do such a thing, however..."

He also wouldn't stop others from doing so. He would feel sorry for what happened to you, and even spend the rest of his life reflecting on why he didn't notice something was wrong in time.

But what attitude will he take towards the person who caused all this? Will he think, "Since the consequences have already been done, pursuing the matter now will only increase internal strife in the village"?

Tatsuma never denied that Hiruzen Sarutobi was a tolerant and kind person, but his tolerance had transcended right and wrong, which was why Tatsuma was unwilling to open up to him no matter how good Hiruzen Sarutobi was to him.

Especially now, Hiruzen Sarutobi has lost his ambition. He has already reached the pinnacle of ninja in this era. His strength and status are beyond the reach of this time. His mentality has changed from striving for progress to maintaining the status quo.

Therefore, when faced with certain situations, he would rather do nothing than make a mistake.

He understood the pros and cons of the roots gradually "eroding" the dark side, and felt that it was acceptable and controllable, so he would not refuse.

Because if he refused Root's invasion of the Dark Side, the consequences of such actions would be unpredictable for Hiruzen Sarutobi, which would be a potential "mistake," so he wouldn't do it.

This same mindset applies to Sakumo Hatake's resistance to the roots. Resisting the roots helps maintain the purity, order, and verticality of the dark areas, which is a good thing and deserves support.

However, if Hatake Sakumo were to also give up his resistance against Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not predict the pros and cons of the Anbu losing these qualities, so he would not do it.

The same applies to Sakumo Hatake's mission. Every requirement in the mission is extremely beneficial to Konoha. As long as Sakumo Hatake can complete it, the village will benefit, so he won't refuse.

Therefore, he could turn a blind eye to the drawbacks of this mission, and perhaps even comfort himself by thinking that he should give Sakumo Hatake more trust so that he could perform better and complete the mission more effectively.

After Tatsuma's repeated admonitions, Hatake Sakumo finally accepted his view, and asked with a serious face, "Then what should I do? Is it really a dead end?"

"Have you accepted this task? I mean, procedurally?"

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "Why would I need to go through any procedures?"

"That means it hasn't been accepted yet. That makes things much easier. Since you're not the commander, the biggest blame won't fall on you."

"What does that mean? How do I do it?"

"Lord Sakumo, have you forgotten? You were the one who led Root in the Land of Earth back then, so Root should still have a lot of information about the Land of Earth and Iwagakure, or rather, Root should know Iwagakure very well, right?"

Tatsuma leaned closer, and Sakumo Hatake nodded, saying, "That's true, but I handed over and returned everything to Root two years ago."

"In other words, you can't access root intelligence right now, so... who can?"

"Naturally, it's a group."

"Isn't he the best candidate to lead? Lord Sakumo, listen to my advice: no matter how high your faith is, it's not worth changing your current life that you're satisfied with."

Sometimes we have to accept the lows in life. Everyone fails, and everyone has people they can never get back. Even a disastrous farewell is better than a serialized magazine being canceled.

Sakumo Hatake understood the unspoken meaning in Tatsuma's words, and his spirits sank. But ultimately, he nodded, forcing a smile, and said:

"Tatsuma, I am almost twenty years older than you, but I only now realize that I am not even as experienced as you. You are not my junior, but a partner who can accompany me to grow again as I approach middle age."

"Actually, I never considered myself your junior. I firmly believe that all people are born equal."

Chenma scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, but his words were clear: "A fool wouldn't take advantage of a good deal."

Just then, Kakashi, wearing a mask, finally returned from outside. The moment he saw Tatsuma, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Brother Tatsuma!"

Before Tatsuma could respond, Sakumo Hatake's face darkened. He pointed a finger at Tatsuma and, addressing Kakashi sternly in a reprimanding tone, said, "Call me Uncle!"

Kakashi: ??? How come I was dragged out by Obito for Valentine's Day, and now I'm a generation younger than him? ???

(End of this chapter)