"Kakashi, Senior Sakumo is one of the shinobi I respect most, and he is also a hero in my heart. I've heard about what happened to him. If it were me, I would have made the same choice he did!"
Gengetsu spoke solemnly. This was not flattery—Hatake Sakumo truly deserved his respect. No, it should be said that he deserved the respect of all Civilian Ninja.
The Civilian Ninja of today idolized Jiraiya and Orochimaru of the Sannin, as well as Minato, who had already become the Yellow Flash.
But before them, Hatake Sakumo had been the representative figure among Civilian Ninja. The Hatake Clan had not been some great shinobi family. After Hatake Sakumo died, no one looked after Kakashi, who threw himself madly into missions. Only later, at the Third Hokage's request, was he taken in by Minato.
Yet when Minato died during the Nine-Tails Rampage in the original story, Kakashi completely lost his backing. Then Danzo the Blame King set his sights on him, intending to seize his Sharingan.
If Hatake Sakumo had not died, the position of Fourth Hokage would not have been contested by the Sannin, nor would it have fallen to Minato.
So, in his view, Hatake Sakumo's death had to have concealed some unspeakable secret. Rumors could destroy a person, but if Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage at the time, had stepped forward and affirmed Sakumo Hatake's actions, who would have dared say another word?
Moreover, although Hatake Sakumo had violated shinobi rules, what he did had been in line with the Will of Fire. If Hiruzen Sarutobi dared claim that Hatake Sakumo had been wrong, the First Hokage and the Second Hokage would probably beat him to death after being brought back with the Impure World Reincarnation.
*If those rumors back then hadn't