How Should I Act?

After a silence, Hatake Sakumo suddenly spoke, "Kō, what should I do? Should I tell the Hokage?"

Uchiha Kō shook his head. "That won't be necessary. The order came directly from the Hokage himself. Having your own judgment is good, but if you tell him now, it would be equivalent to forcing him to retract his own command."

"Even if you did the right thing, it would make the Hokage harbor resentment toward you. Instead... play along with the situation. Depart tonight, go to the location marked on the map, and then..."

The final few sentences were whispered directly into Hatake Sakumo's ear. Hatake Sakumo nodded and said, "I understand! Kō!"

Uchiha Kō looked at the sky outside the window; the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A cool breeze blew in, making him shiver. He sighed and said, "Consider me never having been here tonight. Oh, and one more thing, Lord Sakumo: the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Remember to hide your brilliance. Konoha is not as simple as you think."

After speaking, Uchiha Kō rose and walked out of the study. He reached the door, gripped the handle, pressed down, and the door opened.

Uchiha Kō looked up, startled. Lady Meiko was actually guarding the entrance, and she appeared quite focused.

When Meiko saw the door open and Uchiha Kō emerge, she gave him a formal smile before opening the gate.

Uchiha Kō nodded and left the Hatake Clan compound. He guessed who had arranged this, but it wasn't appropriate to tell Hatake Sakumo; the more one knows, the more exhausted one becomes.

Hatake Sakumo was a sharp blade—a blade so keen that even its wielder had to be cautious. Any mission he was sent on would be completed perfectly.

It was precisely because of this immense talent combined with a lack of restraint that he was feared by the Third Hokage and envied by Shimura Danzō, eventually leading him to a point where he couldn't overcome his own inner turmoil and took his own life.

Although the elderly Third Hokage knew that Sakumo was a loyal and excellent ninja, he dared not gamble. What if, one day, those who supported Sakumo encouraged him to compete for the position of Hokage? Would his seat still be secure?

One must realize that the later Sarutobi Hiruzen was obsessed with power, only letting go at the very moment of his death. What? You ask about the Fourth?

The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was indeed of commoner origin. He was Jiraiya's student and Sarutobi Hiruzen's grand-student. After being elected Hokage, he did not build his own faction, out of respect for his grand-teacher.

He consulted Sarutobi Hiruzen on everything, which greatly satisfied the Third Hokage's desire for control. In other words, the Fourth Hokage was a puppet of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

At the time, Uchiha Fugaku had approached Namikaze Minato, hinting and suggesting many things, but Namikaze Minato would only talk about the weather and scenery, never politics, leaving Uchiha Fugaku deeply worried.

Other clans were also watching from the sidelines; after all, compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen, they preferred this political novice, the gentle Namikaze Minato.

The wall Uchiha hit also caused other clans to abandon their intentions and stop visiting Namikaze Minato.

But I digress; let us return to the main topic.

Uchiha Kō had now set it up for Hatake Sakumo to intentionally fail his mission, and he had even prepared various excuses for him. The rest depended on Hatake Sakumo.

What needed to be said had been said. Whether he listened or not was up to him. A general who never loses is a fine title, but it is also very easy to invite the suspicion of one's sovereign.

"Power that overshadows the master" is not just a saying. Just as Uchiha Kō walked out of the Hatake compound, five Uchiha ninjas appeared before him.

They knelt in unison. "Sixth Elder, the Clan Head has ordered us to escort you to the meeting."

Uchiha Kō was taken aback, then laughed. "Enough, everyone get up. We are all of the same clan; don't go kneeling at every turn. A man's knees have gold—there is no need to kneel to me in the future. Lead the way."

Uchiha Kō's remark about a man's knees having gold left the Uchiha ninjas stunned, a ripple of emotion stirring in their hearts. None of the other elders had ever said such things.

Even the Fourth Elder of the Dove Faction, while gentle in demeanor, still exuded the inherent superiority of an elder in his bones. But Uchiha Kō did not; they could feel his sincerity.

The others looked at the lead ninja, who pondered for a moment before saying, "Everyone, listen to the Sixth Elder. Get up!"

The lead ninja then spoke, "Sixth Elder, this humble one is Uchiha Don. Please follow me."

Uchiha Kō nodded. "Good, I will remember you, Don."

"Yes!" Uchiha Don nodded and led the remaining four ninjas ahead. Uchiha Kō smiled slightly and followed.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for gifting the 2090 Blast-Proof Suit to Nawaki. The reward will be issued after the battle with Sunagakure.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for slightly altering Hatake Sakumo's mindset. Reward: 5,000 points and the Body Flicker Technique.

The chakra circulation path for the Body Flicker Technique was instantly imprinted into Uchiha Kō's mind. He curled his lips, looked at the ninjas ahead, and circulated his chakra without hand seals.

In an instant, Uchiha Kō leaped several times, appearing side-by-side with the ninjas. "Hey, Don, I'll wait for you all at the entrance of the compound!" With that, Uchiha Kō vanished in a series of flickers.

The five Uchiha ninjas were left dumbfounded. They had seen the Body Flicker Technique before, but never one so fluid. Moreover, the technique consumed a great deal of chakra; how did it seem inexhaustible for Uchiha Kō?

The five ninjas exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and began forming seals to use the Body Flicker Technique, yet they still could not keep up with the constantly flickering Uchiha Kō.

A short while later, Uchiha Kō appeared at the entrance of the compound. The Uchiha guards on duty saw him and quickly saluted. "Sixth Elder, please enter. Is the Clan Head organizing a meeting?"

Uchiha Kō shook his head. "Wait, others haven't arrived yet." A smile accompanied his tone.

Not arrived? The guards were confused but dared not ask. They returned to their posts, standing motionless to guard the gate.

About three minutes later, Uchiha Kō looked toward the direction he had come from, a smile tugging at his lips. It was the five of them. He waved. "Hey~ you finally made it!"

The five, led by Uchiha Don, had not used the Body Flicker Technique for the final stretch, choosing to run instead. My god, the chakra consumption of the technique was too high; if they had used it one more time, their reserves might have been completely drained!

Enduring their exhausted bodies, the group ran to Uchiha Kō's side. They noticed that Uchiha Kō was neither red-faced nor out of breath, and he was still smiling at them.

He was worthy of being the Sixth Elder, the youngest elder; his reputation was well-deserved. They were truly impressed.

Uchiha Kō chuckled. "Young people lack exercise." He patted Uchiha Don on the shoulder.

Uchiha Don's face flushed, and he stammered, "E-Elder... you are... so strong! We... we are not... not your match!"

Uchiha Kō shook his head. "Need a rest?" Seeing Uchiha Don's state, he felt a bit guilty; he had been too caught up in the thrill and had forgotten to consider the others.

Uchiha Don shook his head, took a deep breath, and forced himself to stay alert. "Please, Elder, follow me." He said, trembling as he led the way.