Denouncing Hatake Sakumo

Uchiha Mai had no desire to pull from the half-star prize pool anymore. While the rewards he had obtained so far were quite useful, the effort required was simply too draining.

The one-star rewards, whether it was Lightning Five-Chain Whip or Gongshoudao, were both incredibly powerful.

The former had boosted Uchiha Mai's strength significantly upon acquisition, though after training for so long, the rate of progress had begun to plateau.

Gongshoudao currently functioned as a zero-startup, zero-cost body flicker technique, which was quite effective, though it was rather expensive to maintain.

Furthermore, it was predictable that as his strength continued to rise, the marginal gains from Gongshoudao would diminish; that was the downside of fixed-value improvements.

Half-star and one-star skills had their limits.

So...

I'm done pulling from the low-tier pool, Jojo!

The low-tier pool could no longer trigger a qualitative change in his strength; it was better to save up and pull from the one-and-a-half-star pool instead.

Besides, human beings are naturally curious. When a new prize pool appears, anyone would want to have a go and see what kind of rare treasures they could pull, right?

Having made his decision, Uchiha Mai closed the system interface, drank a glass of milk, and drifted into a deep sleep. Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule could significantly boost one's height.

If he didn't grow up quickly, how was he supposed to drive the big car?

On the other side, Master Minato had already finished amending his mission report and submitted it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

In fact, as a model ninja, Master Minato always handled his tasks on the same day; he had written the report before even returning from Tanzaku Town.

It was just that a slight complication had occurred along the way, requiring an additional section.

Inside the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, squinting through the lamplight as he read Namikaze Minato's report. His expression shifted multiple times: shock, anger...

Finally, he took a deep breath, set the report down, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers unconsciously against the desk, lost in deep thought.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly opened his eyes and said kindly, "About three months ago, I took the time to visit the Ninja Academy and noticed Uchiha Mai for the first time.

At the time, although he displayed some unique talent, his strength was only at the level of an average genin.

In less than three months, he has already awakened the Sharingan, is capable of killing a Kumogakure chunin single-handedly, and even had the energy to clean up after you. He is truly gifted, a talent for the ages.

I had assumed he was a late bloomer, but I never expected him to cash in on his potential so quickly. I misjudged him.

His talent might even surpass that of Kakashi."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was filled with emotion. For Uchiha Mai to possess strength not inferior to Kakashi just over a month after graduation was nothing short of genius.

Furthermore, Uchiha Mai possessed the Kekkei Genkai known as the Sharingan, and combined with a learning ability that didn't lose to Kakashi's, didn't that mean his talent was indeed superior?

"Mai's talent is truly stunning. At eight years old, he has already pioneered the prototype of a Nintaijutsu style. He will surely become a ninja who can stand on his own in the future.

Besides, Kakashi is not bad either; he has already inherited the full mantle of Master Sakumo, and only needs the tempering of time."

Namikaze Minato nodded and offered a few more words of praise for Kakashi.

It was unwise to elevate one by disparaging the other.

Kakashi and Uchiha Mai, the most outstanding Wolong and Fengchu of Konoha's current generation, were both under Master Minato's wing. If Might Guy could be like Jiraiya—a late bloomer who accumulates strength over time—then this would be a New Sannin in the making.

With such a luxurious lineup of disciples, even Orochimaru next door would be green with envy. What a massive boost this would be for a Hokage candidacy!

"Sakumo, Sakumo..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered the name twice, his gaze turning cold as he commanded, "Speaking of Sakumo, I do have a matter to discuss with him.

Minato, go to the Anbu and summon Sakumo here."

"Yes."

Namikaze Minato could roughly guess why Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to see Hatake Sakumo; it was nothing more than to hold him accountable.

An elite squad from Kumogakure had managed to penetrate deep into the Land of Fire and ambush one of the Sannin right at Konoha's doorstep, yet the Anbu had been completely oblivious.

If that wasn't absurd, it was at the very least a massive dereliction of duty.

Preventing foreign enemies from infiltrating Konoha, scouting enemy movements, and counter-intelligence were all vital responsibilities of the Anbu.

Since the goal was to prevent foreign invasion, one certainly couldn't wait until the enemy was already inside Konoha to monitor them. If they were already inside Konoha, how could that be called prevention?

For an elite squad like the one led by Narita Daisaku, even if they weren't spotted the moment they entered the Land of Fire, they should have been tracked long before they reached the heart of the country.

A moment later, Namikaze Minato led Hatake Sakumo back into the office.

"Lord Hokage." Hatake Sakumo offered a greeting.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, signaling for Master Minato to leave first, then tossed the file on the desk toward Hatake Sakumo, his eyes flickering with suppressed anger.

Uh oh, I'm done for.

Seeing this posture, Hatake Sakumo knew he was in for a dressing-down. He carefully picked up the file and scanned through it at a glance.

Once he finished reading, he suddenly knelt on one knee, his head bowed low in trepidation as he pleaded guilty: "Tsunade was ambushed by enemies near Konoha; it is my fault, a failure of the Anbu.

I am willing to pay with my life to atone for this, but I await your punishment, Lord Hokage."

Some people simply bowed and apologized when they made a mistake. But for Hatake Sakumo, if he said he would atone with his life, he meant it—he didn't play games.

"If you were going to apologize with your life, why didn't you do it sooner!?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, pacing back and forth in the office with his hands behind his back. His chest heaved violently; he was clearly infuriated.

Suddenly, he spun around, pointing a trembling finger at Hatake Sakumo, rebuking him with a mix of anger and disappointment: "Sakumo, you and I have known each other for decades."

"Not long after I inherited the will of Lord Tobirama and took on the mantle of Hokage, I promoted you to Anbu Captain, and shortly after, to Anbu Chief."

"I entrusted the safety and security of Konoha entirely into your hands."

"About ten years ago, not long after Kushina first arrived in Konoha, she was abducted by Kumogakure infiltrators. Your Anbu didn't notice a thing, and in the end, it was Minato who tracked her down and brought her back."

"She is our village's prospective jinchuriki. Such a massive failure—you cannot shirk the blame."

"Koharu, Danzo, and the others have all expressed strong grievances against you, claiming you only know how to assassinate and are completely incapable of handling intelligence gathering or counter-espionage. They suggested I strip you of your position as Anbu Chief."

"At the time, I suppressed the matter."

"Because the Anbu had only been established for a few years and lacked a systematic structure. Although you were responsible for scouting enemy movements and preventing foreign invasions, you only had a few dozen men under your command and no comprehensive intelligence network."

"Often, you couldn't obtain first-hand intelligence and lacked the authority to act on your own discretion."

"Afterward, I gradually allocated over three hundred men to you as intelligence ninja directly under the Anbu. You established over eighty intelligence stations, both inside and outside our borders, weaving a vast intelligence web."

"I even granted the Anbu significant autonomy, allowing you to act at your own discretion during special periods, even to the point of expelling or killing non-Konoha ninja within our borders."

"I gave you everything you asked for, yet you still commit such a massive blunder. Sakumo, can't you give me some peace of mind? Danzo has been eyeing your position as Anbu Chief this entire time. Do you even want to keep this job?"

In the original plot, it was never mentioned that the Anbu possessed an intelligence system; it was only stated that Konoha had an Intelligence Division, with Yamanaka Inoichi as the captain.

I checked the lore and found that Yamanaka Inoichi is indeed responsible for intelligence-related work, but his team is the "Analysis Team," which also doesn't seem to have a full-fledged intelligence network.

Consider this a fan-fiction element; I believe it is perfectly reasonable for an organization like the Anbu, which functions similarly to the Eastern Depot or the Jinyiwei, to possess an intelligence network.

As for the next part of the story, I believe you have all already guessed it.