Choosing a master was a monumental decision.
This was evident from Hatani's own trajectory. Ever since he had taken Jiraiya as his nominal teacher, his strength had skyrocketed. Furthermore, leveraging his status as the Third Hokage's "grand-student," he had easily crushed Danzo's schemes, secured three high-level ninjutsu from Hiruzen Sarutobi, and even managed to snag personal guidance from the Hokage himself—all without spending a dime.
Of course, while he spoke of apprenticing under either Kosuke Maruboshi or Sakumo Hatake, he really only sought their guidance in swordsmanship. Neither Kosuke nor the White Fang would ever dream of "stealing" a disciple from the Hokage's direct lineage.
Looking at his current standing, Hatani felt that Kosuke—a die-hard loyalist of the Hokage faction—was the most "politically correct" choice.
However, when considering his specific combat style and future development, he felt Sakumo Hatake was the better fit.
Kosuke's signature technique, Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Willow, was a hybrid style that integrated illusions with physical strikes. For Hatani, whose Phantom Lancer illusions lacked their own chakra networks, the synergy was minimal.
In contrast, while Sakumo Hatake utilized Lightning Style chakra to enhance his speed and lethality, the chakra was merely an amplifier. What truly made the man terrifying was his transcendent, god-tier blade skill. Even stripped of chakra, Sakumo would still be the "White Fang of the Leaf" who struck fear into the hearts of other villages. In the same scenario, Kosuke's combat effectiveness would likely plummet.
Thus, as he hurried back toward the camp, Hatani finally made his decision. He opened the System and spent 1,000 Gold to purchase the Blade of Alacrity.
With a click of the "Confirm" button, a kodachi appeared in his hand. It featured a verdant green hilt, and the blade itself emitted a faint, pulsing emerald glow—the quintessential symbol of Agility.
Though Hatani had plenty of complaints about the System, he had to admit its "localization" feature was top-notch. Given that the original Dota 2 was developed by a Western company, the art style was heavily Euro-centric. However, the items he purchased—from the Phase Boots to this Blade of Alacrity—all looked like they were forged right here in the ninja world.
The sleek design of the green kodachi was so striking that Hatani felt a pang of desire to keep it for himself, even if it was just a basic component item. After all, "meta" builds change, but "fashion" is forever.
However, thinking of the future and the staggering 4,000 Gold required to unlock the Juggernaut, he suppressed the urge and strapped the blade to his back. He began a mantra of self-hypnosis:
"High investment, high reward. I'm giving this 1,000-gold Blade of Alacrity to Sakumo now so I can save 2,050 gold on Yasha and 3,000 gold on a Shadow Blade when I unlock Juggernaut later."
"Trust yourself, and more importantly, trust the System. If a 1,000-gold blade looks this good, the 3,000-gold Shadow Blade is going to be legendary!"
What a headache.
Upon hearing the report Hatani brought back, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his pulse throbbing in his temples. Between the looming war and the lack of sleep, his head felt like it was about to split open.
His three students were brilliant in their own right, but their "individual initiative" was becoming a nightmare to manage.
The moment Jiraiya became his student, he'd been so disgruntled that Tsunade and Orochimaru had summoning beasts that he'd blindly attempted a Summoning Jutsu without a contract. He ended up reverse-summoned to Mount Myoboku, essentially becoming a student of the toads instead of him.
Then there was Orochimaru. He had acted without orders twice now. One was a success that crushed the Sand, but the second—a joint operation with Jiraiya—had run straight into Ohnoki. They had been soundly defeated, not only tarnishing the prestige gained from the Sand victory but casting a dark cloud over the army's morale.
News of the Sannin's defeat was already spreading through the ranks like wildfire. By the time Hiruzen tried to contain it, it was already too late.
And Tsunade was the worst of them. He'd already worried about her twice before when she'd abandoned her post to check on her brother. The first time, she'd nearly derailed Konoha's entire strategy.
She clearly hadn't learned her lesson. This latest stunt had not only put her in mortal danger but was now forcing Hiruzen to risk his newly formed mobile reserves to stage a rescue. It was infuriating.
Yet, as much as he fumed, they were his students. He had hand-picked them. He couldn't just sit back and watch them die.
He immediately prepared to issue the order to mobilize a thousand shinobi for an emergency rescue.
"Hiruzen! Intelligence says Ohnoki's main force will reach the Land of Grass within a day at the latest. Do you really intend to indulge Tsunade's reckless nonsense at a time like this?"
Danzo Shimura burst into the tent, his voice dripping with disapproval.
"Hiruzen, a thousand ninjas is simply too many," added Mitokado Homura, who had arrived on Danzo's heels. Ever the cautious centrist, Homura leaned toward Danzo's side as soon as the tone was set, though he offered a slight compromise knowing Hiruzen wouldn't abandon his student. "In my opinion, we should send two elite Jonin squads led by Sakumo. That should be enough to bring them back."
"Hmph!"
Danzo let out a sharp, angry snort. He knew Hiruzen would never leave his precious students behind, and he wasn't actually trying to get Tsunade killed. However, he wasn't about to let this golden opportunity to undermine her pass by.
Before Homura could even finish, Danzo barked, "This is the third time she has acted without orders! She has zero discipline. Hiruzen, once she is brought back, you cannot continue to shield her!"
Watching the two advisors play off each other, a flicker of cold annoyance crossed Hiruzen's eyes. It was gone in a flash, but Hatani—who had been quietly observing from the corner—caught it.
"Heh. Now I finally understand why a village with our level of power is stuck playing catch-up, desperately reacting to every threat and losing ground everywhere," Hatani remarked with a mocking sneer.
Ever since Danzo had tried to frame him, Hatani had been itching for a chance to tear into the man. He swept his gaze over Danzo's face and shook his head with exaggerated pity.
Danzo's face darkened instantly. Homura's expression didn't look much better.
How dare a mere civilian Genin speak up during a council of leaders?!
"How could a group of 'decision-makers' who sit safely in a tent at the rear—knowing nothing yet pontificating on everything—ever understand Lady Tsunade's brilliance? You lack the drive and the vision. All you pursue is 'safety,' while she has the resolve to sacrifice herself for the bigger picture!"
Before Danzo or Homura could open their mouths to bark a reprimand, Hatani cut them off, escalating from subtle sarcasm to a direct, blistering verbal assault.
This time, even Hiruzen's expression began to look a bit strained.