Preparations

"Given the current situation in the village, I'll likely be transferred to the front lines in the Land of Wind to handle some defense work."

"Lord Third sent me to ask for your opinions."

"Will you decide to go to the front lines with me as a single team, or will you split up and remain in various departments within the village? Let me just say, I personally think it's better if you go together."

The spring breeze was warm, and the grass was green.

Hatake Sakumo sat on a tree stump, threw away his apple core, and picked up a blade of grass to chew on. He spoke of the upcoming transfer as if it were a trivial matter, seemingly at ease.

However, he was truly terrible at lying.

Sahara Mizu watched Hatake Sakumo sitting on the tree stump. As he spoke, his fingers were intertwined, and his brow was slightly furrowed. Even though he deliberately chewed on a blade of grass to appear relaxed, the stalk was nearly ground to pieces, and his toes kept tapping.

You have to understand, the usual Hatake Sakumo was a man even more relaxed than an old man's rear end, constantly exuding a devil-may-care attitude.

Even when facing an opponent of the Third Raikage's caliber, it was like he was taking kids on a picnic.

But now, he was overly serious.

The three of them exchanged glances for a moment, clearly noticing his unease.

Finally, Namikaze Minato spoke up and asked:

"Lord Hatake."

"Please tell me, did something happen in the village?"

Hatake Sakumo clearly didn't expect that the one time he tried to lie, he would be immediately seen through by these kids. His expression stiffened slightly.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally decided to tell them everything.

"Rather than saying something happened, it's more accurate to say that something is 'about to' happen at the top."

"Things are very complicated."

"Since you were also involved in that mission to rescue Tsunade last time, there's a high chance you'll be affected... If you were on the front lines, the impact you'd face might actually be smaller."

"Some people have set their sights on you."

Hatake Sakumo sighed deeply, spat out the grass he had chewed to a pulp, and his brow furrowed even deeper. "Minato, Yayoi, your situations are still relatively good."

"Mizu, you are actually in the most danger."

Hearing this, Sahara Mizu immediately remembered the scene a few days ago when Tsunade had cursed at Shimura Danzo in the Hokage's Office, pointing right at his nose. He instantly understood.

That incident hadn't simply ended; it was escalating unseen.

So much so that Hatake Sakumo, sensing the impending storm, even had to send the young people who might be involved in this incident to the dangerous front lines. In his eyes, perhaps even the battlefield with its flashing blades and flying kunai was far safer than this political arena where people were killed without a drop of blood spilled.

Among the three of them, Namikaze Minato had Jiraiya's protection, and Yayoi had the Uchiha clan as a backer.

Only he was alone.

No.

To a certain extent, he was even tied to Tsunade and the Senju Clan, who were at the center of the storm.

However...

Sahara Mizu smiled carelessly.

Hadn't he expected this all along?

"Mizu?"

Hearing this, Uchiha Yayoi, who hadn't yet fully grasped the situation, subconsciously let out a low cry.

Namikaze Minato, upon hearing this, largely understood but didn't speak immediately. Instead, he looked towards Sahara Mizu, waiting for his opinion.

After the last mission and that exhibition match, the name Sahara Mizu had settled deeply in Namikaze Minato's mind.

He wanted to hear what decision this man, who surpassed him in both intellect, talent, and skill, would make.

Hatake Sakumo also looked at him, quietly waiting for his opinion.

Sahara Mizu paused, then asked in return, "Lord Sakumo, do you think that by going to the front lines, we can escape the blades coming from the rear?"

"Regarding the situation in the rear, Lord Tsunade and I will continue to discuss it..." Hatake Sakumo began to speak thoughtfully, though he clearly had no definite plan in mind.

In truth, he hadn't initially thought this matter would escalate so much.

Sahara Mizu understood this as well.

In the original story, both Hatake Sakumo's suicide and Tsunade's disillusioned departure from the village were results caused by a series of events triggered by similar causes.

Although these were different incidents that happened in stages, they still showed that...

These two young people couldn't outmaneuver those old foxes.

They were too upright, too soft in their methods.

How could that work?

When it comes to political maneuvering, it really needs someone like him, a despicable, shameless, filthy, and utterly corrupt Hidden Mist Undercover Agent who can flawlessly recite the classic lines from Yes Minister.

So.

"If I recall correctly, Lord Tsunade initiated an inquiry into the corruption issues within the Hokage Advisor team last time."

Sahara Mizu directly turned the topic to the core issue: "Now the problem has escalated, hasn't it?"

Hatake Sakumo was startled upon hearing this, looking at him with surprise.

There were some issues and decisions that only the highest-level Jonin like them learned about through meetings, yet he didn't expect this young man to see through it all at once.

Where did you hear that? Hatake Sakumo subconsciously thought.

Sahara Mizu smiled helplessly: "During the days you were in meetings, similar news has been circulating throughout the streets and alleys – various Ninja Clans are taking advantage of the Konoha financial system, engaging in corrupt practices within their territories, yet there's rarely any news of corruption concerning the members of the Advisor team. The point of the spear has subtly begun to shift."

"It's very clear."

"While you and Lord Tsunade were still discussing, they had already started taking action."

Hatake Sakumo's expression suddenly became more serious.

Even Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Yayoi realized the gravity of the situation, their expressions becoming increasingly tense.

Sahara Mizu, however, still smiled gently.

Konoha is a village.

The Hokage is a 'village chief' who manages tens of thousands of Ninja, as well as hundreds of thousands of civilians who rely on this system for their daily needs.

Because the vast majority of Ninja are in the form of Ninja Clans and civilian mercenaries, the management team of the Hokage Building, from top to bottom, only consists of a few hundred people in total.

After graduating, Sahara Mizu spent most of his time wandering around the Hokage Building, and he was very clear about how simple in structure, unclear in responsibilities, and undifferentiated in tasks this management team was.

Even such a simple administrative system has only been in existence and stable for less than forty years.

Before that, all Ninja were organized by 'clan', primitive people who had been fighting each other for thousands of years.

Even now, the top leader in every generation, the one called the 'Kage', is determined through mentorship and strength, just like primitive tribes competing for the position of chief.

Among them, the most frequently used methods in political struggle are spreading rumors and assassination.

Although some people recently used these same tactics against President Trump, even facing assassination while playing golf, the problem is that this group of people in Konoha uses these two moves against everyone.

Who can't do that?

Facing opponents of this level, if you ask Sahara Mizu to execute or confront them directly in the political arena, without experience, he might very well make a mess of things.

But, if you ask him to be someone else's strategist...

Aha!

He would raise a finger.

Precisely because of this, what is most needed for the current Sahara Mizu is actually just one sentence.

"Do you have a plan?" Hatake Sakumo looked at him seriously.

"I do!"

Sahara Mizu gave him a calm smile, composed and at ease.

Will you lose?

You will win.

At this moment, it is just like that moment.

Hatake Sakumo's eyes became deeper.

After pondering for a long time, he patted his rear and stood up.

Now, he didn't even bother with his other two students, and said directly to Sahara Mizu:

"Come with me."

Hokage Building, Jonin Conference Room.

The principle of having small meetings for big matters and big meetings for small matters applies everywhere.

At this moment, it was clearly a very small-scale meeting taking place inside.

As for why he judged it this way?

Because Tsunade was letting out bursts of furious roars, cursing very crudely.

"What does that mean?"

"Dan and Ando, they all shed blood for the village! Mokume still hasn't been discharged from the hospital! They sacrificed their lives to ambush the Third Raikage!"

"Now, you're saying all of this is because they and Sakumo's Team failed to complete the mission?!"

"Do you think you can escape the charges of corruption and selling intelligence this way?"

Inside the room, Shimura Danzo's voice was calm and composed: "Tsunade, slandering Hokage Advisors is a serious crime. Don't speak carelessly about things that haven't been investigated."

Mitokado Homura was still quibbling: "Ah! That's right."

"The village is under a lot of pressure right now. We're fighting fiercely with Hidden Sand to the west, and facing pressure from both Stone Village Ninja and Hidden Cloud to the north. There was no hope of ambushing the Third Raikage again anyway."

"If we make a small sacrifice now with the bodies of a few deceased heroes, hand them over, and ease tensions with the Hidden Cloud, how many fewer people will die in the northern defense force? Besides, the blame will fall on us anyway!"

Utatane Koharu was even more blunt: "What's more, killing the Third Raikage was originally your team's mission. The village provided you with the best personnel and gave you enough time."

"Isn't it your problem that you failed to complete the mission?"

"And that Hatake Sakumo, as reinforcements, failed to arrive in time to provide support. Shouldn't he be punished?"

"Precisely!" Mitokado Homura affirmed, nodding slightly. "Being able to contribute to the village in the end, I believe even those fallen heroes would feel comforted."

The next moment, Tsunade's voice sounded like it would explode the entire conference room:

"You motherfuc—! (Konoha expletive)"

Outside the door, Sahara Mizu's face showed a hint of mocking smile.

Tsk.

When it comes to being animals, it has to be you guys.

In terms of being inhumane, the higher-ups of Konoha did not fall short at all.

Turning his head to look again, as expected, Hatake Sakumo's face was also ashen.

Even though the two had roughly discussed some of the subsequent actions and the potential situation they might face on the way, Hatake Sakumo still couldn't suppress his emotions. A chill deep in his bones seemed to slowly seep out with his breath, freezing the surrounding ground.

Accept punishment?

Killing the Third Raikage, or rescuing Tsunade's Team from his hands, was an S-Rank Mission of the highest difficulty, even across the entire ninja world. Normally, it would be worth at least three million Ryo or more.

However, since it was a war mission issued under the village's name, after completing the mission, the four people in Sakumo's Team together only received a total reward of fifty thousand Ryo.

And now they had to be punished?

Sahara Mizu now recalled that it was Miss Yayoi, who had anticipated this scene early on, whose words had come true.

Shifting blame, is that truly a politician's instinct?

Sahara Mizu thought this to himself, then turned his head to look at Hatake Sakumo beside him:

"Lord Sakumo, do you still have a problem now?"

Hatake Sakumo looked at him, a flicker of struggle in his ashen face: "You should know, insubordination is a serious crime."

"It's just a performance..."

Sahara Mizu was full of confidence: "After all, this is for everyone in Konoha... What's more, in this disadvantageous situation, they don't have the guts to make a move."

Hatake Sakumo finally closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, they were filled with a chilling resolve.

This is also... for Konoha.

"Clang."

The two walked through the door, and the entire conference room suddenly fell silent.

Hatake Sakumo's face was cold as he strode in front, with Sahara Mizu following behind him.

As soon as they entered, they saw Tsunade with one foot on the table, single-handedly grabbing Mitokado Homura's collar, and looking fierce as she prepared to punch him.

But judging by the calm and composed demeanor of the others, the most aggressive-looking Tsunade was actually the weakest in terms of aura.

Three of the Konoha F4 had arrived.

At this moment, they all turned their heads to look in the direction of the two Hatakes.

"Hatake Sakumo."

Shimura Danzo saw him, likely remembering the report from before about Hiruko, and his brow immediately furrowed. While secretly refining Chakra, he said coldly:

"A high-level meeting is in progress here."

"Without permission, how dare you barge in?"

As he spoke, his single eye glanced towards Sahara Mizu and said coldly: "...and bringing a little one, so audacious."

"If any secrets are leaked, can you bear the consequences?"

His tone in the first half of the sentence was clearly directed at Hatake Sakumo himself, but the latter half immediately pointed the finger at Sahara Mizu.

Heh.

He couldn't provoke Hatake Sakumo, but could he not provoke this little brat?

Due to having personally witnessed the exhibition match between Sahara Mizu and Namikaze Minato, even though the mission reports from Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade had used slightly vague language to generally summarize the process of his 'interference' with the Third Raikage, Shimura Danzo was still full of confidence.

He had him!

Sahara Mizu, however, was not angered by the words. He merely smiled and turned his head, meeting Shimura Danzo's single eye.

In that instant, deep within those cerulean pupils, endless brilliant starlight seemed to flash.

Shimura Danzo's brow furrowed slightly.

He vaguely felt as if something had been left within his body, yet also felt as if he had discovered nothing.

"Oh, secrets?"

Hatake Sakumo, however, turned his head without the slightest politeness, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade, sweeping across his neck. He said coldly, "Are you referring to the 'confidential information' that the village plans to hand over the body of the heroic ninja who ambushed the Third Raikage to Hidden Cloud as compensation?"

"What?"

"You dare to do it, but you don't dare let all the ninja in Konoha know?"

Bang!

As if his sore spot had been hit, Utatane Koharu, the most hot-tempered and least discerning among them, immediately slammed the table and stood up, shouting angrily:

"Hatake Sakumo!"

"How dare you be so presumptuous in front of us?"

They had long been accustomed to bullying this honest man. What did it matter if he was strong? How dare he cause trouble here?

But Hatake Sakumo's reaction today stunned everyone.

Boom—

As soon as his words fell, an explosive Chakra reaction mixed with killing intent suddenly erupted around Hatake Sakumo, forming a storm that spread outwards. The wooden floor beneath Hatake Sakumo's feet cracked.

Merely his chilling gaze caused everyone present to experience a nearly hallucinatory sense of spatial distortion.

Sharp, wild.

It was his will, pure to the extreme, not as a ninja, but as a swordsman.

Utatane Koharu, who had been baring his fangs and brandishing his claws a second ago, felt completely locked down, unable to move even a single finger.

His hand was clearly not on the sword hilt.

Yet, Utatane Koharu suddenly had a strong illusion that if he made a single move, he would immediately be cut down by the sword.

His whole body stiffened.

Shimura Danzo and Mitokado Homura couldn't sit still either. They stood up together, confronting the man before them.

However, their momentum was weaker by a third.

What's wrong with him today?

Hatake Sakumo's gaze swept across the three of them, his expression arrogant, his voice bone-chilling:

"That's right."

"What are you going to do about it?"

This was the arrogance of a ninja in his prime, as one of the strongest individuals in Konoha today.

Just as he could take his own life to uphold his convictions, he could naturally cut someone down to uphold his will.

Throughout his life, Hatake Sakumo despised those who would abandon their comrades for various reasons, and even insult the corpses of heroes.

Out of loyalty to the village, before today, he had never been as audacious as he was now—but that didn't mean he feared the people before him.

Konoha F4?

Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen, also in his prime, came, a one-on-one fight would at most be a six-four split in his favor. If he got close, it would turn into a seven-three split, and a moment of carelessness could result in his head being cut off.

What were these three old men who had been away from the battlefield for nearly ten years?

All he cared about was the village.

Taking advantage of the opportunity created by Sahara Mizu today, Hatake Sakumo suddenly vented this frustration here.

Everyone present, just as he had said.

Remained motionless.

Who would dare to face the wrath of an honest man when they were unclear about the situation?

At this moment, even Tsunade, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but be daunted by Hatake Sakumo's aura.

Don't let her usual fiery temper fool you. This woman, who could patiently study medical ninjutsu solely to save people, was actually a surprisingly soft-hearted person.

As fellow pillars of the front lines, she knew that Hatake Sakumo, who usually seemed carefree and joked with everyone, was actually the most hot-blooded person in all of Konoha.

If someone truly couldn't control their temper and drew their sword today, at least three people in this room would die.

Just then, Sahara Mizu, whom no one in the room had paid attention to, suddenly spoke.

"Sakumo-sensei."

"It's about time."

With just that one sentence, Hatake Sakumo, who had been radiating killing intent a second ago, suddenly reined in his aura.

Everyone present felt a sense of relief.

Leaving Shimura Danzo aside for now, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who were responsible for finance and law respectively, had indeed, as everyone knew, long since lost the fighting spirit they had on the battlefield in the past.

Hatake Sakumo glanced at the few of them, then took the lead and walked out the door.

"Lord Tsunade, we came to see you."

"Please come with us as well."

Sahara Mizu still greeted her politely.

Seeing it was him, Tsunade's heart inexplicably settled a bit. She nodded slightly, got down from the table, and followed him out the door.

Finally, Sahara Mizu smiled gently and nodded to the remaining three:

"Sorry to have bothered you."

With that, he walked out the main door as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't until the space across the long table was empty that the three advisors suddenly exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After a long pause, Shimura Danzo's furious roar of impotent rage suddenly erupted from the room:

"Bastard!!!"

Thanks to readers Greed, Anger, Ignorance, no need to see through, reader 160805224237990, Primordial Starry Sky, and The One Known as Brother Zhuo for the monthly votes!

Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

The next chapter will be around 12 o'clock.

Also, just trying to gauge the popularity of Uchiha - Ancestor - Hikaru.

Note: Some readers might have different opinions on Hatake Sakumo's strength here, perhaps thinking he's not that strong, or that the F3 aren't that weak.

But, since the original work didn't show it directly, and the only one who showed a hand, Mr. Danzo, performed the pathetic move of "saving and loading" to tank shuriken and kunai to Susanoo, for the sake of the plot, I've taken some creative liberties. Please understand.