"Hatake Sakumo."
"This is your mission. It has been designated S-rank. You will be assigned two teammates. I hope you won't disappoint me or Konoha."
Shimura Danzo slowly pushed a mission scroll marked with a crimson S-rank seal across the wooden desk.
Hatake Sakumo lowered his eyes to the striking crimson mark and frowned slightly.
By now, he was already a famous expert throughout the ninja world. His strength had long surpassed that of ordinary jonin.
Unless it was a top-secret mission concerning the village's survival, there was no need for him to personally take action.
Moreover, even for an S-rank mission, there were plenty of capable jonin in the village who could handle it alone.
Wouldn't it be better to give it to them?
What puzzled him most was that, with his strength, he had always worked most efficiently alone during missions. Why were two teammates being forcibly assigned to him this time?
But a ninja's duty was obedience.
No matter how many doubts he had, once a mission order directly from the Hokage had been issued, he had no room to refuse.
"Yes. I won't fail the mission."
Hatake Sakumo spoke calmly and reached out to take the scroll.
Without saying anything more, he turned and strode away.
He never had much of a good impression of Danzo to begin with, so there was no need for small talk.
The office door closed behind him.
———
[Inside The Hokage's Office]
A gloomy smile slowly appeared at the corner of Shimura Danzo's mouth, unseen by anyone.
After returning home and packing his belongings, Sakumo thought of his close friend, Arisu.
This mission was marked as "long-term." At the very least, it would take several months before he returned. He should tell Arisu before leaving, otherwise Arisu might worry if he couldn't find him later.
With light steps, he arrived at Arisu's front door. Just as he was about to knock, his fingers stopped in midair.
Faint sounds of an unknown nature drifted out from inside the house.
Sakumo froze. Then he silently withdrew his hand, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
"Forget it. I'd better not disturb them."
After saying that, he quickly left.
———
Several months later, a shocking piece of news stirred up huge waves throughout Konoha.
"Konoha Hero Hatake Sakumo: National-Level Top Secret Mission Completely Fails After He Chooses to Save His Teammates!"
Rumors spread through every street and alley like wildfire.
Some cursed Hatake Sakumo, saying that for personal feelings, he had ruined years of the village's careful planning.
Others accused him of disregarding the safety of the entire village, turning the blood and sacrifices of countless ninja into nothing.
The legendary "Konoha White Fang," once revered by all, became a criminal condemned by everyone overnight.
An overwhelming flood of criticism crashed directly onto Hatake Sakumo himself.
As for Danzo, the Sixth Hokage, he merely said a casual "It's fine" in private.
Yet he never once spoke up for Hatake Sakumo in public, allowing the tide of public opinion to drag him toward the abyss.
Arisu naturally learned of the matter as well.
Sitting at home, Arisu lightly tapped the table with his fingers as the memory of Hatake Sakumo standing outside his house several months earlier surfaced in his mind.
"So that day, he came to say goodbye to me..."
Arisu had actually sensed Sakumo's chakra that day. It was just that Tsunade had been clinging to him at the time and was in an especially good mood, stubbornly refusing to let him go.
Arisu had also felt it wasn't anything important.
In his eyes, everything except the destruction of the ninja world was a small matter.
"This wasn't a simple mission failure at all. It was a carefully planned conspiracy aimed at Hatake Sakumo."
Arisu shook his head slightly.
He already understood.
And the mastermind behind it was basically Danzo.
Ever since Danzo became Hokage, Hatake Sakumo had openly opposed him, believing something was wrong with Danzo. On top of that, Hatake Sakumo frequently visited Hiruzen Sarutobi's house.
Seeing Sakumo constantly making trouble, Danzo was bound to deal with him.
"Why doesn't Danzo try this on me?"
Arisu shook his head slightly.
Danzo didn't dare touch him.
After all, his wife was Tsunade, one of the Sannin and the granddaughter of the Second Hokage.
As for his three students...
One was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
One was Konoha's civilian genius.
And the last was the son of the former Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. All three had already become jonin capable of standing on their own.
This deeply intertwined network of relationships was enough to make anyone think twice before trying to move against him.
So Hatake Sakumo, who had no backing, possessed great military achievements, and held enormous prestige, became the most suitable target.
"Danzo really is foolish."
A trace of disappointment flashed through Arisu's eyes.
"If Sakumo dies, Konoha loses an arm. Destroying your own foundation just to eliminate political opponents... is this what he calls protecting Konoha?"
Back when Arisu was Hokage, he had actually thought highly of Danzo.
He had hoped Danzo would achieve even greater things in the Konoha under his leadership.
He thought Danzo was the kind of person willing to hide in the darkness and silently bear everything for Konoha.
But in the end, he still couldn't escape the corruption of power.
"I should see how Hatake Sakumo is doing..."
Arisu stood up and strode out of the house.
Hopefully he wasn't too late.
If Sakumo was still alive, he could save him and pull him back from the edge of the cliff.
If he was truly a step too late, then all he could do would be to face a cold corpse and say, "I came too late..."
The gate to the Hatake residence was slightly open and unlocked.
The courtyard was completely quiet.
Sakumo's wife wasn't home. She had probably gone out to buy groceries or pick up Kakashi.
Arisu pushed the door open and walked straight toward the bedroom.
The moment he opened the door, a heavy aura of despair hit him head-on.
The once spirited and sharp-eyed "Konoha White Fang," one of Konoha's "Two Lights," was now slumped on a tatami mat.
Hatake Sakumo's hair was a mess, his face pale and lifeless, and his eyes so empty that not a trace of light remained.
Arisu had already walked up behind him, yet he still hadn't noticed.
"I'm a sinner... I've failed the village... I've failed those comrades who died..."
Hatake Sakumo muttered to himself, his voice as hoarse as a broken bellows.
Before his words had even finished, Hatake Sakumo suddenly shut his eyes. Using all his strength, he raised a short blade and stabbed it toward his abdomen without the slightest hesitation.
At the critical moment...
"Stop!"
A strong, steady hand suddenly shot out and clamped down on Sakumo's wrist like iron pliers.
The short blade stopped less than an inch from his abdomen and could not move forward another bit.
Sakumo's whole body trembled violently as if struck by lightning.
He suddenly raised his head. The emptiness in his eyes slowly focused until he finally saw the calm, handsome face before him.
"Arisu?!"
Hatake Sakumo cried out in shock.
Arisu made no unnecessary movements. He merely applied a little force with his wrist and took the short blade from Sakumo's trembling hand.
Then he slowly returned it to its sheath.
"For something this small... why are you trying to die?", Arisu asked calmly.
"I..."
The emptiness in Sakumo's eyes stirred. His lips moved slightly. He wanted to repeat the words "I'm a sinner" and "I've failed Konoha," but Arisu cut him off directly.