Inside Hatake Sakumo's residence.
Hatake Sakumo watched Bai Ye warily.
He really couldn't figure out what Bai Ye wanted with him.
He didn't have much of a relationship with the Uchiha Clan.
And why had the Uchiha Clan invited him to join the Security Force!? What was the Hokage's scheme?
Hatake Sakumo's mind was in a complete mess.
Unlike the bewildered Hatake Sakumo, Bai Ye instead sized up the little kid, Hatake Kakashi.
"Are you the son of the Konoha White Fang!?..."
Bai Ye asked, looking at the boy.
"That's right, I'm Hatake Kakashi! I'm going to become a great ninja just like my father..."
Hatake Kakashi said with an admiring expression.
At this time, Hatake Kakashi looked up to his father as his goal and took pride in being the son of the Konoha White Fang.
"Haha... You've got a lot of spirit..."
"But the name Hatake Kakashi doesn't suit you. I feel like you should be called Hatake Go-Go-Kai..."
Bai Ye said with a laugh as he looked at Hatake Kakashi.
If Bai Ye remembered correctly, Hatake Kakashi really did become a powerful ninja when he grew up.
And he could go a few rounds with anyone.
From the final boss, Kaguya, to the jonin underling Zabuza, and all the members of the Akatsuki Organization in between, Hatake Kakashi could hold his own against any of them.
He truly lived up to the name Go-Go-Kai.
"Hatake Go-Go-Kai!? What kind of name is that..."
"My name is Hatake Kakashi..."
Hearing Bai Ye's words, Hatake Kakashi replied in confusion.
But for some reason, he felt that name had a certain appeal.
Just then, the sound of a commotion came from outside.
"Looks like En and the others are back..."
Bai Ye looked outside.
Sure enough, Uchiha En was approaching from afar, dragging three members of the Sarutobi Clan along with him.
"Lord Bai Ye, we've brought the people you wanted..."
"These are the three..."
Uchiha En tossed the three members of the Sarutobi Clan down in front of Bai Ye.
"Sarutobi Otake, Sarutobi Kawaizu, Sarutobi Ōmō..."
"Damn it, why did you capture them!?..."
"Are you trying to use them to threaten me...?"
Seeing the three people Uchiha En had brought, Hatake Sakumo asked angrily.
They were all subordinates of his in the Anbu.
"Captain Sakumo..."
When they saw Hatake Sakumo, the three men avoided his gaze, as if they'd done something wrong and didn't dare meet his eyes.
"It looks like you really care about your subordinates..."
"But your subordinates don't care whether you live or die..."
Bai Ye walked over to the three men as he watched the agitated Hatake Sakumo.
"Are you going to tell me yourselves, or do I have to make you talk...?"
Bai Ye asked the three men in an unfriendly tone.
"Make us tell you what!? We don't know..."
"Let us go at once! We're members of the Sarutobi Clan. Lord Third won't let you get away with this..."
"That's right. Even the Security Force can't just arrest people..."
"..."
The three men continued to speak defiantly.
They knew perfectly well what Bai Ye was asking about.
But they still played dumb.
"You won't talk, huh!? En, they're yours..."
Bai Ye said to Uchiha En.
"Yes... Lord Bai Ye..."
"Leave them to us! We'll have them talking in no time..."
Uchiha En and several members of the Security Force clenched their fists and charged at the three men, beating them mercilessly.
"Damn it, Uchiha Byakuya, what are you doing!?..."
"How dare you attack fellow villagers!..."
Seeing the members of the Security Force beating up his subordinates, Hatake Sakumo was furious.
He gripped his short blade and rushed forward, trying to save his battered subordinates.
Seeing the agitated Hatake Sakumo, Bai Ye immediately drew his Ninja Sword and blocked him.
"Clang..."
Their weapons collided with a sharp ring.
The tremendous force also sent Hatake Sakumo stumbling back several steps.
"There's no need to get so worked up! You won't feel like getting worked up much longer..."
Bai Ye said as he watched the agitated Hatake Sakumo.
Then he shouted to Uchiha En.
"En, hurry it up!..."
"Understood, Lord Bai Ye..."
At Bai Ye's words, Uchiha En beat the three men even more savagely, using genjutsu as well.
Finally, the twofold assault on their bodies and minds broke them.
"Ah... Ah... It hurts!..."
"Stop beating us! I'll talk. I'll tell you everything..."
"The Hokage had us spread all those rumors..."
"This has nothing to do with us. I don't know why the Hokage wanted us to spread those rumors either..."
"..."
The three men, now broken, immediately revealed everything they knew.
"What!? What did you say!?..."
Hearing their words, Hatake Sakumo was shaken, staring at them in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Lord Sakumo!..."
"All those rumors in Konoha were spread because the Hokage told us to..."
"This has nothing to do with us!..."
The three men, utterly broken, lowered their heads in shame.
"How could this be!..."
Hearing their words, Hatake Sakumo found it hard to accept.
As the head of the Anbu, Hatake Sakumo commanded the entire organization. He had worked tirelessly for Konoha and constantly protected the Third Hokage.
But he'd never expected the rumors going around Konoha to have been spread by the Third Hokage.
In that moment, Hatake Sakumo's entire worldview collapsed.
Just then, the Hokage arrived with the Anbu, storming toward them in a fury.
"Uchiha Byakuya, what are you doing with the Security Force!?..."
"How dare you arrest people without cause..."
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, he immediately berated the Security Force.
"Heh heh, Lord Third, you came just in time!..."
"I just caught three rogue ninja who were trying to undermine Konoha..."
Bai Ye said mockingly as he watched Hiruzen Sarutobi arrive in a fury to demand answers.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi came closer and saw the three Sarutobi men broken, along with Hatake Sakumo's expression, he felt a sinking dread.
"Damn it, I'm too late..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned to arrive ahead of time and take the three men from the Security Force.
But he'd never expected Bai Ye to move so quickly.
The very thing he'd feared had happened.
No, he had to turn this situation around at once.
Before you continue