Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped his chest, forcibly suppressing the blood that was about to spurt out.

"Hokage-sama... I hope to spend more time with my family. Kakashi is already four years old, and I want to spend more time teaching him."

Sakumo Hatake remained calm. Ever since he had the idea of ​​retiring, this thought had been growing wildly in his mind on the way back. Of course, retiring was impossible. He was only in his thirties. His seniority was because he had debuted early and was still at his peak. Moreover, he had been with his Hokage for so many years. It was impossible for him to retire while Tsunade was gone and Jiraiya had not returned. But if he couldn't retire, he could at least leave the Anbu.

In fact, under his leadership, the Anbu had long since developed its own complete operating system, and it was already on track. It made little difference whether he was there or not. He only chose to lead the team in some high-difficulty situations. Otherwise, he was just coordinating the overall situation. Now it was not a war period, and the Anbu would not cause any trouble even without him. Therefore, after thinking it over, Hatake Sakumo decided to leave the Anbu and spend his time with his son. His son Kakashi had excellent talent in ninjutsu, that was undeniable, but his talent in swordsmanship was much worse. He would need to spend more time teaching him. If he were still in the Anbu, he would leave early and return late every day, and the time father and son would only be a few hours after dinner to bedtime. There was simply no time to teach him. Because of this, his son's ninjutsu became better and better as he learned, but his swordsmanship became worse and worse.

If Kakashi had been born into another clan, or even a commoner like Minato, his talent for self-taught ninjutsu would have been a pleasant surprise. But he was born into the Hatake clan, whose chakra reserves are naturally smaller than others. This powerful ninjutsu talent actually hindered his growth. Even though his own chakra reserves weren't much, he could only manage to unleash one S-rank ninjutsu before his legs gave out.

Therefore, using ninjutsu as a supplement and swordsmanship as the main technique is the way out for the Hatake clan. He's not bragging, but he's killed countless people over the years. His enemies are about half as many as Shiki. If his son were weak, he would be doomed once he left the ninja world. With such a conspicuous white hair, no one would believe he wasn't his son.

Jiraiya was labeled a freeloader by the Hatake clan simply because of his white hair...

"...I've approved your application. Go back and rest now."

After smoking his pipe for half an hour, creating a scene reminiscent of a paradise in the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke slowly. Although he felt regretful, he couldn't refuse his beloved subordinate's reason. As a father of two sons, he thought of his youngest son who was currently collecting protection money on the street. It was because he lacked time to manage his son's account that his alt account had been ruined.

Kakashi's talent, if allowed to develop normally, would easily make him a double-flower red stick (a high-ranking official in the martial arts world). However, times have changed. When Sakumo was young, the village didn't have much entertainment, and it was an era where everyone was competing in strength. Lord Ito was busy with work, so Sakumo didn't have much entertainment and could only stay at home to train. But now, after more than 20 years of development, the village is surrounded by a colorful world. It's hard to say whether the still young Kakashi can resist the temptation. If he's like his younger self, things will be terrible.

So although he felt regretful, he supported the reason of having a beloved general. Anyway, nothing major had happened in the ninja world, so it was not unreasonable to let him have more time to teach the next generation.

The thought of suddenly losing one of his most important right-hand men was heartbreaking for Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Fortunately, it was just leaving the Dark Division and not applying for retirement, otherwise he would have caught up with Shiki and done a single draw right now.

It must have been that bastard's doing again! (▼he▼メ)

Sakumo was perfectly fine before he left, but as soon as he returned, he asked to leave the Anbu. He wouldn't have believed it if that guy hadn't said something!

492. Another wave of conspiracy theories has been sparked.

"What?! Lord White Fang has left the Anbu???"

"No way?! White Fang has left the Anbu?!"

"Holy crap! Big news! Lord White Fang has left the Anbu!!!"

"..."

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to suppress the news of Sakumo Hatake's departure from the Anbu, he couldn't. The Anbu was a mixed bag; apart from the Uchiha, every clan in the village had someone serving in the Anbu. So, on the night Sakumo Hatake submitted his application to leave the Anbu, all the leaders of the Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame, and other clans were shocked, dumbfounded, and incredulous when they received the news.

White teeth!

When discussing the Dark Division, one name that can never be ignored is...

He is undoubtedly the number one figure in the history of Konoha's Anbu. If the Anbu was established by the Second Hokage, then White Fang single-handedly developed it step by step. Over the years, not only in Konoha, but throughout the entire ninja world, when people mention Konoha's Anbu, the first person that comes to mind is White Fang.

Just as the outside world associates Konoha with Wood Release, the most mysterious and important department of this village bears the deep imprint of White Fang.

The Anbu is the most important department in the village, directly under the Hokage's command. They handle far too many core secrets, and it's impossible for anyone other than the Hokage's most trusted person to become the head of the Anbu. Many surviving elders remember that the first Anbu head, White Fang's father, was the Second Hokage's right-hand man. He died shortly after taking office. Next was the Third Hokage's brother, whose position was stolen shortly after due to Shiki's revenge. For several years, before White Fang had matured and gained sufficient experience, the position of Anbu head remained vacant, waiting for White Fang.

But now White Fang has actually voluntarily applied to leave the Anbu, this...

For a moment, conspiracy theories began to flash through the minds of the heads of various families.

Tsunade left with Nawaki, and while White Fang hasn't left Konoha yet, he's withdrawn from the Anbu. Is there something fishy going on here...?

"Lu Yi, why would Shuo Mao suddenly want to leave the Anbu?"

The Nara clan, Konoha Grand Marshal Nara Shika, and the leaders of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans all arrived. The fat Akimichi clan member was just there to observe, mindlessly stuffing food into his mouth. Meanwhile, the leader of the Yamanaka clan frowned and asked their big-headed man a question.

The impact of White Fang's exit from the shadows was sensational, but it had no real effect on others.

Does this mean that after White Fang leaves the Anbu, they will become the leaders of the Anbu?

Don't even think about it. Apart from the Hatake clan, any clan that has a reputation in Konoha has already lost this opportunity from the start. Nobody wants to see the Anbu develop into a clan power. So clans with super reproductive capabilities, such as the Hyuga and Aburame, are basically hopeless. He was just shocked, surprised and unexpected. But it didn't affect them at all. Their clan's underlings in the Anbu are at most a squad leader. It has no impact on them at all.

But it had a huge impact on him. He wasn't just working in the Anbu; he was also the head of the interrogation department. If he didn't figure out why Sakumo had left the Anbu, he wouldn't be able to eat or sleep. He always felt there was something fishy going on...

So after receiving the news, he didn't even bother with dinner and called his chubby friend to come to Big Head's house that very night, wanting him to analyze what was going on. Sakumo had been in the Anbu for decades, and apart from him, he was the most senior member. Moreover, it was Sakumo who developed the Anbu. He had originally planned to apply to the Hokage to let his son, Inoichi, take over his position in a couple of years when his son had grown up a bit more, so he could retire. In fact, they were already over fifty years old, and their condition had started to decline before the Second World War. In the last two years, their health had deteriorated day by day, and they were aging at a visible rate. He had originally thought that after Inoichi joined the Anbu, Sakumo could protect his son. But Sakumo retired even earlier than him. If someone so young and at the peak of their career suddenly retired, he would never believe there wasn't something fishy going on.

"...Actually, the Hokage also told me today that Sakumo wants to have more time to better train Kakashi, so you don't need to worry too much. In fact...I'm also considering whether we should step down now and hand it over to Shikaku and the others, after all, we're not young anymore."

Nara Shika looked at her friend, who was getting impatient, and then stroked her chin thoughtfully.

To be honest, if it weren't for his family, he really wouldn't want to be the Grand Marshal. Although the Hokage likes to work hard and earn more, and he has a lot of time to slack off, it's still a troublesome job and doesn't fit the Nara clan's character. He's constantly being knocked on the door by the Anbu, and he can't even enjoy some sunshine or take a nap.

Previously, he had only planned to wait a few more years until Shikaku and the others had grown up before submitting his retirement application in peace. However, after the Hokage told him about Sakumo this morning, his damn inspiration just wouldn't stop. Sakumo was only in his mid-thirties and at the peak of his life, yet he retired. They were already over fifty, so there was no reason for them to occupy their positions without doing anything. They might as well take advantage of this opportunity and retire together. The village was indeed facing a period of transition between the old and the new. It wasn't a time of war, and although Shikaku and the others were still a bit inexperienced, it would be good for them to gain some experience.

He can now sleep soundly until he naturally wakes up every day without worrying about the secret agents knocking on his door.

Perfect!ヾ(^Д^*)/

Once the idea took hold, it spread through his mind like a storm and he couldn't stop it. Even if his two friends didn't come to see him tonight, he planned to discuss it with them tomorrow. As for Sakumo leaving the Anbu, he didn't think there was anything fishy about it. Sakumo was the Hokage's favorite general, and he had made so many contributions to Konoha over the years. Plus, his popularity was undeniable. Even the Hokage couldn't possibly touch him. Not long ago, the Hokage even discussed with him the idea of ​​letting Sakumo serve as Hokage for a few years to allow Nawaki and Minato to grow up. Under these circumstances, how could the Hokage possibly touch Sakumo? There was also the threat of Shiki next door. Apart from Sakumo, no one could withstand Shiki's chaotic sword energy.

Therefore, he guessed that Sakumo genuinely wanted to spend more time teaching Kakashi, which he could understand. If his son hadn't been lazy and had been as diligent and studious as Kakashi, he would have given up his boring sleep time to teach his son as well. Unfortunately, it's an old family habit! It can't be changed in just one or two generations...

493. Did Masato really win over Tsunade?

"Sogga! I'm relieved to hear you say that. I agree with your idea. Actually, I was planning to wait two more years until Haiyi and the others had grown up before telling you, but it's good to take advantage of this momentum."

When Yamanaka Inoichi's father heard what his friend said, he breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was nothing fishy about Sakumo leaving the Anbu, then there would be no problem. At the same time, he nodded in agreement with his friend's retirement. Their Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been in a state of mutual support and cooperation. Since his friend had said so, and given their age and condition, there was no reason not to support them.

"Uh-huh....!"

Akimichi, the fat guy who kept stuffing this stuff into his mouth, nodded repeatedly. If we're talking about physical condition and state, his physical condition has declined the most among the three. After all, he was the main damage dealer in their Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Over the years, he had suffered too many injuries in battles, big and small. Moreover, when he encountered tough enemies, he had taken drugs to lose weight and transform into a butterfly more than once. That stuff is really powerful, but the aftereffects are also quite serious. Back in World War II, he already felt somewhat powerless. Now that he heard that his two friends had said they were retiring, he had no reason not to follow.

.....

"Holy crap! A female... female tyrannosaurus Tsunade!! Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

"My God! Shinto-sama actually managed to snag the female tyrant! Σ(☉▽☉a)"

"Shinto-sama is amazing...?(((?Д?)))?"

"Sri Lanka, number one..."

Sunagakure Village

After three months of eating and drinking, the three of them finally arrived at Sunagakure. At a normal pace, it would have taken only a month and a half to travel from the border to Sunagakure. The main reason for their arrival was Tsunade, the female gambling tycoon. The Land of Wind had plenty of casinos, as there were too many gold diggers hoping to get rich overnight. These people had nothing but their lives, and after risking their lives to come here to pan for gold, they believed that their survival meant good fortune and that they were blessed by the heavens. They would fill their pockets with gold dust and go to the casinos to show off. Money was easy to come by, and if they lost it all, they could just go to the desert and, as long as they didn't die, they could come out and live a carefree life. In this environment where money was so easy to come by, whether they were foreigners or locals, they had no pressure to spend money at the casinos. Moreover, the entertainment industry in the Land of Wind was not very developed. Apart from a few places with red lanterns, there were only casinos. It was under these circumstances that casinos of all sizes sprang up all over the Land of Wind.

The moment Tsunade stepped into the Land of Wind, it felt like she had arrived in paradise. She had visited the Land of Wind a few times before while completing missions, but back then she was always busy with her tasks and didn't have time to contribute to the Land of Wind's gambling industry. Now, she had plenty of time, so Tsunade, along with Masato and Nawaki, wandered around, stopping at every casino they passed to gamble a couple of times. If it weren't for the tight schedule and heavy mission, Masato, worried that his beloved student's body might be damaged under such high pressure, would drag her away after Tsunade went all in for a couple of rounds. The journey from the border to Sunagakure alone could have stretched to the ends of the earth...

As the three entered Sunagakure, the Sand Ninja who passed by almost popped their eyes out when they saw Tsunade beside their leader. This was none other than Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha who earned her fearsome reputation as a female tyrant during World War II! Everyone in the Sand Ninja who participated in the war knew about their leader's story with this female tyrant. Back then, there was a saying circulating in their headquarters: "It's better to fight White Fang one-on-one than to mess with this female tyrant." Not only were her fists incredibly powerful, but she was also the girl that Lord Shinto had his eye on. If you messed with her, whether you were beaten to death or not, you would definitely suffer the consequences when you came back.

Shinto-sama is just that domineering.....

They had previously heard that Tsunade had left Konoha, and that it was possible that their Lord Shinto's opportunity had arrived. The village bookmakers had even placed bets on it, but after they placed their bets, they found that Lord Shinto had been staying in the village all day and hadn't left. After a while, nothing came of it, and the matter was dropped. Now, seeing this female tyrant suddenly appear in their village, and even following Lord Shinto back, the meaning was clear: Lord Shinto had somehow managed to seduce this female tyrant back!

Shocking!

Those who haven't seen it in person can never truly understand the terror of this female tyrant; every punch and kick is earth-shattering.

That kind of terrifying strength, I guess only a super tough guy like their boss could withstand!

"Your Sunagakure village hasn't changed much over the years!"

Walking on the road in Sunagakure, ignoring the shocked looks on both sides of the road, Tsunade looked around and said that the last time she came to Sunagakure was many years ago when she and Sakumo brought the Seven-Tails here. After that, Sakumo and this guy carried out a lot of demolition here. The scale is about the same now as it was back then. There has been no change at all over the years. In contrast, Konoha changes every year. It is much bigger now than it was back then!

"There's no other way. The living environment in Sunagakure hasn't changed in a hundred years. The only difference between Sunagakure and Konoha is that your great-grandfather and great-grandfather came to plant trees and water them. Please go and give my disciple a check-up first..."

Shindou shrugged indifferently. Admitting that others were better than him was not difficult for him. Whether it was World War I or World War II, Sunagakure had gained a lot of benefits. Especially during World War II, they obtained a large amount of supplies from Konoha and Iwagakure. However, the living conditions in the Land of Wind were like this: sandstorms everywhere and scarce resources. As the saying goes, poverty is hard to maintain. To be fair, Sunagakure's achievements over the years were no less than any other Kage. However, under the existing conditions, no matter how hard Sunagakure worked or how diligently he governed, it was all in vain. He could only slightly improve the quality of life of the villagers. It was almost impossible for Sunagakure to develop like Konoha. Unless Sunagakure also had a Senju master who frantically planted trees in this endless desert and had to water them by hand every day.

However, even one Senju-sama wouldn't be enough to turn this desert into an oasis... Senju-sama has a vast amount of chakra, but this desert is quite large.

.....

"Kage-sama, something terrible has happened! Shinto-sama really brought back Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin!!!"

Just as Shinto was leading Tsunade to give Yusaku Kudo a physical examination, some astute ANBU underlings rushed to the Kazekage Building to file a report.

There was no way around it; unlike the previous times when White Fang had sneaked into their Sand Village, this Tsunade Princess had entered openly from the village gate.

494. After all these years, if I were to be moved, I would have hit a home run long ago.

"What?! When did that guy run away?! (?｀?Д?′)!!"

Sunagawa and Ebizo in the Wind Shadow Tower were shocked and almost had a heart attack. Ebizo, who was over fifty years old, was so excited that his hands trembled. He quickly took out a bottle of nitroglycerin pills and drank the whole bottle to calm himself down.

Although Chiyo has already declared that anyone who dares to stop her nephew from flirting with girls is going against her.

Although they didn't stop it out of consideration for Chiyo, they certainly didn't want to see such a thing happen. Their top courtesan flirting with the Konoha princess made Sunagakure seem like they were trying to curry favor with her, especially with that scheming Onoki, who might say something that would damage Sunagakure's image.

This is a blow to the image of the village that they have worked so hard to maintain for so many years, giving people the impression that they joined the Sand Village because they couldn't win.

Moreover, while their hatred for Konoha might not have reached the level of Onoki's hatred for Konoha, due to the two wars, their hatred for Konoha had skyrocketed. Countless villagers' families had died at the hands of Konoha ninjas, and even at the hands of Tsunade. It was one thing for this guy to keep a mistress outside, but they could turn a blind eye. They knew that this guy had secretly bought two properties in Daimyo Prefecture, but they didn't even know when he ran away. Now he's brought her back, which is putting them in a difficult position!

"Better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage," but if this bastard continues, the atmosphere of unity and friendship in their village will be shattered. Even enemies are extremely hostile when they meet, let alone the hatred of killing a child or a husband (father). They can almost foresee that the villagers will start taking to the streets to protest in the next two or three days.

Just thinking about Sunagawa and Ebizo gives me a headache.

"To be honest, I haven't seen this guy at home for a long time, probably several months..."

Ebizo rubbed his throbbing temples and recalled that he hadn't really paid attention before. After all, he left early and returned late every day, and by the time he got home, that guy was almost always asleep. When he left in the morning, that guy hadn't gotten up either. Ever since Sasori completed his weight loss mission and developed ten-pack abs, he hadn't seen that guy get up before noon. So it was normal that he hadn't seen that guy for several days. Besides, there was nothing wrong with him, so he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to that guy. His daily workload already exhausted him, so he didn't have time to deal with this bastard who was just collecting a salary for nothing.

Looking back now, I almost want to slap myself. I should have expected this after not seeing that bastard for several months.

Actually, he had been keeping an eye on this bastard ever since he returned from Konoha. But the bastard's performance in the previous year was just too damn perfect. He got up early every day to train with Sasori and his two disciples. The influence on him was too deep, and he overlooked the fact that Tsunade's departure from Konoha also gave this guy an opportunity.

The main problem was that this bastard was putting in too much effort. Teaching younger disciples to cultivate would be normal for others, but for this lazy bum, it was simply astonishing. This led him to habitually assume that after helping Scorpion lose weight, this guy had started sleeping in until he naturally woke up and staying at home like a lazy bum.

"Lord Haicang, what do we do now? The person has already arrived; sending them away is definitely not an option..."

Sunagawa was also rubbing his temples in exasperation, his brow furrowed deeply. He certainly didn't want to see Masato and Tsunade become a couple. Although Tsunade had the blood of Hashirama Senju flowing through her veins, coupled with Masato's powerful talent, if the two had a child, the chances of that child being so powerful that people would call him "Dad" were over 80%.

But the thought of being called Konoha's crutch in the future made him feel terrible. Just look at Takigakure; after losing the Seven-Tails, they were practically treated like Konoha's dogs. Under his leadership, Sunagakure, while not developing to an exceptionally high level, was definitely stronger than during the reigns of the First and Second Hokage. Moreover, Sunagakure produced a superstar like Shinto. Konoha's two unparalleled talents, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, were gone. Anyone with eyes could see that Sunagakure's lineup was top-notch, with two Red-Haired Generals among the old, middle-aged, and young generations, and the next generation had Rasa and Sasori. To be called a crutch for such a lineup was just too painful to bear.

However, Konoha's overall strength and bench depth are simply superior to Sunagakure's. If he were accused of leeching off others, he wouldn't be able to refute it. So, for his own sake and for the sake of the village's stability, he absolutely couldn't let Mato and Tsunade become a couple. But Chiyo-sama had already warned them beforehand, and neither Mato nor Tsunade were ordinary people. If they pushed Mato to the limit and he followed Tsunade's example and left, then Sunagakure would be in serious trouble.

"...At this point, we can only take it one step at a time. Based on my understanding of Tsunade, Masato shouldn't be able to get the hang of things so quickly. Perhaps he brought Tsunade here for a reason. After all these years, if he was going to be moved, he would have been by now..."

Ebizo pondered for a long time before slowly speaking.

The ninja world said they didn't know Tsunade had such a fiery temper, and that she wouldn't be so easy to handle. According to them, Masato was a complete novice who had never been in a relationship. He was good at killing people, but flirting with girls was a matter of talent. If he really had that talent, he wouldn't have teamed up with the two of them. The three great bachelors of Sunagakure have been single for so many years.

It's been over ten years since he confessed his feelings to them. If he were truly moved, he would have already hit a home run and come to brag to them.

Therefore, he thought that perhaps this guy brought Tsunade along for a reason. After all, Tsunade was Hashirama Senju's granddaughter; she wasn't so easily fooled...

"That's true, but the prince of the Thousand Hands has also come this time. Shouldn't we do something about it?"

Hearing Ebizo's analysis, Sunakawa nodded. Historical experience told him that the more violent a girl is, the harder she is to woo, especially someone as violent as Tsunade, and Shinto is still a novice...