Death of the White Fang

Hatake Sakumo fell silent for a moment, then said:

"Sorry, Lord Orochimaru... the White Fang Shortsword has been passed down through the Hatake Clan for generations. I'll leave it to Kakashi."

Hatake Sakumo had clearly misunderstood something.

"No, no, no. That isn't what I want. The most valuable thing you possess is actually you yourself, Sakumo!"

You're into that?

Sakumo misunderstood again.

"The sword in your heart has broken. Why not forge it anew?" Lord Orochimaru said.

Sakumo remained unmoved.

Even broken strings were difficult to mend, let alone the sword in one's heart.

"Konohagakure is already a thoroughly decayed windmill, Sakumo. Only you and I can become a new wind and set it turning once more! Sakumo, I want you to help me become Hokage!"

"Sorry, Lord Orochimaru, I..."

Sakumo's words were interrupted by Lord Orochimaru.

"Don't you want to know what I intend to do after becoming Hokage?"

Lord Orochimaru answered his own question:

"Becoming Hokage is only the first step of my plan! I want to change this world that disregards life! Endless wars, unceasing slaughter! Countless orphaned children with nowhere to go, countless children forced to take up blades and go to war!

"This was not the First Hokage's original intention when he founded Konohagakure!

"The God of Shinobi's greatness lay in his desire to change this world!

"He wanted to ensure that the tragedy that befell his younger brother would never happen again in every corner of this world!

"But now, how is this any better than the Warring States Period?"

"You want to become Hokage, then unify the Shinobi World?"

"Unifying the Shinobi World does not necessarily require war. Economics, culture, technology, media—there are far too many methods that can be used! Every Kage has their thinking limited by their era!

"If the Land of Wind's food all came from exports from the Land of Fire, if the Land of Lightning's economy were entirely controlled by Konohagakure, if Konohagakure handled transportation throughout the whole world!

"Konohagakure would rule without being king!"

For the first time, Lord Orochimaru spoke of his ambitions to someone else. He did not merely want to be the wind that stirred Konohagakure—he wanted to be a hurricane that swept across the entire Shinobi World!

"Sakumo... you must really want to watch Kakashi grow up..."

This was the final straw that broke Sakumo.

"If I become the blade in your hand... can Kakashi be kept safe?

"Ah... do you want me to fake my death?"

Sakumo seemed to have agreed.

"Not merely the blade in my hand, but my shadow!"

Lord Orochimaru explained.

"I'm somewhat looking forward to seeing what Kakashi's life will be like when he grows up. You've succeeded, Lord Orochimaru."

Sakumo sat before the chair, then turned and called outside:

"Kakashi! Come in!"

Lord Orochimaru knew that Hatake Sakumo was about to entrust Kakashi to him.

"Kakashi, kneel!"

Kakashi did as he was told.

"Not to me. To Lord Orochimaru."

The way Sakumo addressed him had already changed.

Lord Orochimaru froze. Why is he kneeling to me?

"From today onward, Lord Orochimaru will be your godfather! You must treat him as you treat me!"

Lord Orochimaru was dumbfounded. If he had previously only been responsible for keeping Kakashi safe, then now he also had the duty to train and even raise him.

He could not refuse. Wouldn't that be pushing Sakumo away right after recruiting him?

Moreover, Kakashi's talent was in fact no inferior to his own. Like him, Kakashi had been born with Chakra of all five natures.

He would even break Lord Orochimaru's record of becoming a Jōnin at thirteen, being promoted to Jōnin at twelve because of his wartime achievements and becoming the youngest Jōnin in Konohagakure's history.

He was qualified to inherit Lord Orochimaru's legacy.

Lord Orochimaru took out a scroll as a gift to confirm their new relationship.

It actually contained a reconstruction Lord Orochimaru had made based on the Chidori Kakashi would invent in the future.

With a route to reference, developing this ninjutsu had not been too difficult for Lord Orochimaru.

The young Kakashi looked at Lord Orochimaru. He had heard his Father speak of this man—a powerful ninja his Father regarded as his lifelong rival.

Three days later, Konoha's White Fang, having arranged his final affairs, "committed suicide out of guilt" and was discovered by his son.

Danzo wanted to make a move against Kakashi, but the Third Hokage stopped him. Right in front of them, Lord Orochimaru took Kakashi straight to his own home.

The Third Hokage had harbored some doubts, but when he heard Kakashi call Orochimaru "Adoptive Father," he understood that Sakumo had entrusted Kakashi to Orochimaru before his death. He sighed, then kept puffing on his pipe without another word.

White Fang's suicide dealt a heavy blow to his prestige.

Especially among the Jōnin.

A Konoha hero who had rendered such outstanding service to the village had died in such a humiliating manner.

None of the Jōnin were fools. They could all see that this had been an attempt to suppress Hatake Sakumo.

But no one had expected him to be so unyielding, to prove his convictions through death.

At first, some had suspected that Orochimaru was behind it, since he and Sakumo had both been contenders for the position of Fourth Hokage.

But Orochimaru had spent a long time stationed at the border. Not only had Root lacked the time to scheme anything, but Hatake Sakumo had even entrusted his son to Orochimaru.

This undoubtedly dispelled people's suspicions toward Orochimaru.

People turned their suspicious eyes toward the Third Hokage.

Perhaps White Fang had threatened the Third Hokage's position.

Would Orochimaru be dealt with next, then?

He was your own Disciple, after all.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew all of this, and before Danzo departed for the front lines, the two had a fierce argument.

Had the other two advisors not arrived in time, the Hokage Building might have been torn apart.

But as Orochimaru subsequently withdrew from public life, people assumed that he too had been suppressed and put on ice.

With Danzo away from the village, the Third Hokage wanted Orochimaru to take the position of Root's deputy leader in order to check Danzo.

Orochimaru refused, and the Third Hokage believed that Orochimaru had taken it as a sign that he intended to move against him.

On the night White Fang committed suicide.

Kakashi had already gone to sleep.

A figure appeared in the courtyard of Orochimaru's home and looked toward the bedroom where Kakashi was staying.

"How is it, Sakumo? Did you clean up all the loose ends? No one will spot any flaws, will they?"

Orochimaru's voice came from behind him.

The man withdrew his gaze and said confidently, "I came from the Anbu. I was even an Anbu captain. Those people now were trained by me personally; they won't notice anything out of the ordinary."

"And, Lord Orochimaru, don't call me Sakumo or White Fang anymore. White Fang is already dead."

What Hatake Sakumo carried on his back was not the White Fang Shortsword; he had left that to Kakashi.

What he carried now was the Kusanagi Sword Orochimaru had given him.

This, too, was a divine blade—immeasurably powerful and incomparably sharp.

"Then what should I call you?"

Orochimaru asked curiously. Sakumo apparently intended to choose a codename for himself.

"Since I am Lord Orochimaru's shadow, call me Snake Shadow. Also, I'll need to change my appearance from now on. White hair is far too conspicuous."

"Your hair is easy enough to deal with. Dye it black. I'll prepare some dye that won't fade for you. As for your face..."

Orochimaru handed White Fang a scroll containing the B-rank ninjutsu he had personally developed: the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique.

From this day onward, the Shinobi World had one less renowned Konoha's White Fang, and one more unknown Snake Shadow.

A black-haired, ordinary-faced master swordsman.