Imin Rujin's Counterattack

"Where's Danzo? Where is Danzo?!"

After being thoroughly "educated" by the two advisors, Hiruzen watched them leave, then roared at the empty room.

A few minutes later, a voice sounded behind Hiruzen. "Lord Danzo just left the Daimyo's Mansion and is still on the road back to the village."

"So it's Sparrow. Leave at once and tell Danzo to return to the village as quickly as possible. I need to speak with him." Recognizing the speaker's identity from the voice, Hiruzen did not turn around and simply gave the order to the ANBU behind him.

"Yes. If Lord Danzo asks what this is regarding, how should I answer?" Sparrow asked after accepting the order.

"Don't worry. He won't ask." Thinking of the strength of the ninjas under Danzo's command, Hiruzen shook his head.

Danzo had probably already received intelligence that the advisors had come. Now it depended on who had leaked this matter...

"Elephant, take your men and investigate. Find out exactly what happened." Worried that this matter might be connected to Danzo, Hiruzen summoned a trusted subordinate and sent him to investigate as well.

"Really? That Konoha's White Fang actually..."

"I only heard it from someone else. They say the failure of this mission caused our village tremendous losses..."

"Keep it down. Isn't that kid White Fang's son?"

"Really? Sigh, what a good child, and yet he ended up with a father like that."

As the dismissal bell rang, students left the academy in groups of two and three. Kakashi, burdened with worries, followed silently beside Kazashiro, but soon noticed the discussions around them.

Mission failure?

His father?

How could that be!

His father... his father was Konoha's finest ninja!

But yesterday, his father really had been brought home by the ANBU...

Beside him, Kazashiro also became completely certain from the gossip that something had happened to Sakumo.

He wondered whether this had anything to do with that old bastard.

After all, in his previous life, many conspiracy theorists had blamed Sakumo's suicide on Danzo. As for whether it was true or not, Kishimoto had never said.

Still, Pot Kage had already taken on so much blame that one or two more accusations hardly mattered.

Seeing Kakashi lower his head in silence, Kazashiro reached out and held his hand. "Kakashi, no matter what they say, Uncle Sakumo is the greatest ninja and the best father you could have, isn't he?"

"Kazashiro..." Kakashi's lips moved as he looked at him gratefully.

The discussions did not last long. Hatake Sakumo had left a fairly good impression on the villagers over the years, and he was also known as a hero of the ninja war. Thus, upon seeing Kakashi, everyone tacitly stopped talking.

As the rumors gradually spread through the village, Yamanaka Zen, whom Danzo had dispatched to investigate the matter, also learned of it.

"Investigate. Get to the bottom of it. Find out exactly who leaked this, and focus on those who carried out the mission!" After giving his orders to the Root ninjas under him, Yamanaka Zen revealed a furious expression.

Damn it. This was a mission Lord Danzo had personally assigned. If it failed because of this matter, then he...

As ANBU and Root ninjas mobilized in every direction, more and more details piled up on the desks of those in charge.

In the end, all the evidence pointed to a female ninja named Imin Kaya.

"Imin Kaya, Chunin, wife of Imin Rujin. Since this morning, she has been spreading rumors about the matter. It appears she cannot be separated from Imin Rujin's involvement."

A Root ninja reported the detailed intelligence to Yamanaka Zen.

"Should we apprehend her?"

Hearing the question, Yamanaka Zen pondered for a while before ultimately deciding not to act and to wait for Danzo's orders.

"This matter has already begun spreading through the village. Arresting her now would have no meaning. We'll wait until I report this to Lord Danzo before making a decision."

On the other side, Hiruzen also received Elephant's report. When he heard that the person leaking the news was Imin Rujin's wife, even someone as mild-tempered as him could not help cursing. "That coward!"

Believing himself well versed in the human heart, he saw through the man's purpose at a glance. This was an attempt to force Sakumo to bear responsibility for the mission's failure so that he could extricate himself and avoid the punishment to come.

"Go. Bring Imin Rujin to me!" Not wanting the matter to continue escalating, Hiruzen immediately issued the order.

"Third Hokage!" Before Elephant could depart, an ANBU suddenly appeared and reported something that caught Hiruzen completely off guard. "For some reason, Imin Rujin has gone to the Hatake Clan residence and is viciously condemning Sakumo."

"Not good!" The moment he heard the news, Hiruzen realized the situation was dire.

That Imin Rujin had actually confronted Sakumo directly. This would severely damage Sakumo's reputation.

"Quickly, go! Find a way to restrain him without alerting the villagers!" Watching the ANBU depart, Hiruzen reached for his Hokage's Hat, preparing to head to the scene himself. But on second thought, if he appeared in person, it would confirm the matter, and things would become even harder to contain.

Thus, Hiruzen put down the hat he had just picked up and silently hoped the ANBU could resolve the matter.

At the same time, he complained inwardly about Danzo's Root. They had actually taken no coercive measures against Imin Rujin.

If Yamanaka Zen knew about that, he would surely cry injustice.

After all, both Hiruzen and Danzo had only ordered that their duties be suspended. Neither had said their movements were to be restricted. At most, they were merely forbidden from leaving the village. Who could have expected Imin Rujin to suddenly confront Sakumo?

"Hatake Sakumo, if you have any conscience left, go to Lord Hokage yourself, admit your mistakes, and take responsibility for the mission's failure!" At the entrance to the Hatake Clan residence, Imin Rujin had completely lost the bearing expected of a Jonin. Pointing at the tightly shut gates, he began cursing loudly.

"I was prepared to sacrifice myself! For Konoha, for the Land of Fire, I was willing to give everything! Yet you voluntarily abandoned the mission, causing irreparable losses to the country and the village. Do you still have the nerve to wear Konoha's forehead protector?!"

As Imin Rujin's voice grew louder and louder, several passersby stopped and curiously looked over.

"I..." Hatake Sakumo, alone at home, stared out the window in disbelief, his lips trembling faintly.

He could not understand why the comrades he had given up everything to save were now standing outside questioning him.

He had only not wanted to lose his companions. He had only wanted to protect everyone around him. But why... why had things become like this?

Hatake Sakumo desperately wanted to open the door and confront him on the spot, but when he remembered that his decision had indeed caused the mission to fail, Sakumo lost the courage to rise.