The Master of Konoha's Legacy

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you need, my family has a few summoning scrolls. You can choose a summoning beast you like."

Uchiha Tonan shook his head and said, "No, it doesn't matter if they can't help me."

After all, we've raised them for so long, we've grown attached to them.

After saying that, Uchiha Tonan patted the white dove and said, "Alright, let's go."

The other white doves spread their wings and flew away, but this one cooed twice and turned its rear end toward Uchiha Tonan.

Uchiha Tunan smiled indulgently and said, "Why are you getting angry after I said a few words to you?"

"Forget it, I'm not going to bother with you anymore."

"Kakashi, I'll head back now."

After saying goodbye to Kakashi, Uchiha Tonan walked towards the Hatake family's gate.

As he passed through the front yard, he bowed to Sakumo Hatake and said:

"Sakumo-senpai, I apologize for disturbing you."

Sakumo Hatake smiled and nodded.

After Uchiha Tonan left, Hatake Sakumo turned to Kakashi and said:

"Kakashi, you need to work even harder."

"I know."

"Actually, Tu Nan's strength has long surpassed yours."

"I know."

After Kakashi finished speaking, he went back to the backyard to start practicing again.

......

[Chapter Sixty-Seven: High-Level Meeting - Verbal and Written Criticism]

Two days later, in the Hokage's meeting room.

The clan leaders and Konoha's high-ranking officials sat together.

Of course, this also includes Sakumo Hatake, the captain of the Dark Division, and Ryoma Aburame.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat and said:

"Ahem, I believe everyone has already heard about the mission in the Land of Rivers."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking...

The head of the Aburame clan immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Hiruzen Sarutobi, saying, "Lord Hokage, please give Ryoma a chance."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag of his cigarette, ignoring the head of the Aburame clan, and continued speaking to himself:

"The mission failed, resulting in severe losses for the village, and someone has to bear this responsibility."

Ryoma, what do you think?

After saying that, he stared at the oil woman, Malone, with a meaningful look.

Ryoma Aburame stepped forward amidst the gazes of the crowd, bowed expressionlessly, and said, "Hokage-sama, please do not punish Lord White Fang."

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze towards Aburame Ryoma immediately turned strange.

Even Sakumo Hatake himself was bewildered.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Ryoma Aburame muttered to himself, "A ninja should focus on the mission."

To rescue the hostages, my subordinate risked being poisoned himself, so that Lord White Fang could take the hostages away.

But to everyone's surprise, Lord White Fang took it upon himself to abandon the mission and exchange hostages for the antidote.

"To let the hard work of my subordinates go to waste."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback by Ryoma Aburame's sudden betrayal, and his face immediately darkened.

"You mean this is White Teeth's fault?"

Aburame Ryoma nodded and said:

"Indeed, I did not do anything that violated the duties of a ninja during the mission, and I was even willing to risk my life to complete the mission."

But Lord White Fang had already completed the mission, yet he still chose to give up. He is not worthy of being a ninja at all.

However, considering that Lord White Fang did this to save his subordinate, the subordinate did not want the Hokage to punish him.

"Lord Hokage, you can ask Lord White Fang if I begged him to save me back then."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the silent Sakumo Hatake, then laughed angrily:

"Okay, you explained it very well, even if it was White Fang's dereliction of duty."

But ultimately it was because you accidentally poisoned yourself, so don't you bear any responsibility?

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he was startled and realized that he had said the wrong thing.

At this moment, Danzo couldn't wait to speak up:

"Hiruzen, it was White Fang who did wrong, not Ryoma."

Ryoma is simply not strong enough; even if he dies in a mission, no one will say anything.

But it doesn't make sense to ask him to take this responsibility.

How could you, as the Hokage, blatantly make Ryuma take the blame for White Fang?

This is disheartening for the ninjas of Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly explained, "That's not what I meant..."

Danzo immediately snorted coldly and said:

"Even if that's not what you meant, your words just now implicitly acknowledged that this was White Fang's fault."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and looked at the high-ranking officials and clan leaders, saying, "Everyone should be able to see whose fault this is."

But the Konoha leadership and these clan leaders are all seasoned veterans, and they all think it's none of their business to mind their own business.

No matter what you say now, you'll offend people.

If we say it's Sakuya's fault, then we'll offend Danzo and the Aburame clan.

If we blame Ryoma, we'll offend Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake.

Seeing that no one spoke up for Sakumo Hatake, Danzo chuckled to himself: Hiruzen, you still don't understand people's hearts.

"Anyway, I could tell at a glance that it was White Fang's fault. As a ninja, not prioritizing the mission is a mistake."

"White Fang, don't you want to defend yourself?"

Danzo, following Hiruzen Sarutobi's example, let the person involved speak for themselves.

However, Sakumo Hatake was proud and not good at this kind of verbal exchange, so he stammered:

"I......."

Danzo sneered inwardly, but feigned concern and said:

"Can you explain why you, as a ninja, would abandon a mission halfway through? Is it because your comrades are more important than the mission in your heart?"

"Yes," Hatake Sakumo nodded in response.

Upon hearing Sakumo Hatake's admission, Danzo couldn't help but smile triumphantly, and said to Hiruzen Sarutobi:

"Ninjas are just tools; the mission is more important than anything else."

This is a promise that every village makes to its employers.

Should employers tell us, when assigning a mission, that if danger arises, we will prioritize rescuing our companions?

As soon as Danzo finished speaking, Hatake Sakumo immediately knelt down on one knee before Sarutobi Hiruzen and said:

"I'm sorry, this mission was my fault, and I'm willing to accept the punishment."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glared angrily at Danzo and said in a deep voice:

"I oppose punishing White Fang, after all, White Fang has made great contributions to Konoha and carried out countless S-rank missions."

His merits more than make up for this mistake.

Danzo's goal has been achieved, so it doesn't matter whether Hiruzen Sarutobi punishes Sakumo Hatake or not.

As long as someone takes responsibility, that's fine.

Danzo leisurely rose to his feet and said in a victorious tone:

"I don't want to continue this discussion. If we're going to vote on whether to punish White Fang, just include my vote against it."

"Let's go, Ryoma, this is none of our business."

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Danzo's departing figure with a gloomy expression, then turned his gaze to the crowd present.

However, everyone present chose to avoid Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then turned his gaze to Sakumo Hatake, who was kneeling to the side, and sighed deeply:

"Go away."

"White Fang, go home and rest well for a while. Konoha will need you in the future."

"Yes......."

After leaving the Hokage Building and confirming that no one was watching, Danzo whispered an order to Ryoma Aburame:

"While Hiruzen Sarutobi was still unable to react."

Disseminate the contents of today's meeting as quickly as possible.

"Yes."

........

Just a few days later.

Rumors spread throughout Konoha.