In early December, some unpleasant rumors began circulating in the village.
Last month, two teams of Genin had been wiped out. The Chunin and Jonin leading them had died alongside them, and the tragedy had ultimately stirred resentment among several families.
Nothing like this had happened for a long time, not since the Second Shinobi World War ended.
"Konoha Ninja must be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the village at any moment!"
The Ninja Academy wouldn't put that sentence in its textbooks, but after becoming Genin, most shinobi gradually turned themselves into "tools."
Under the circumstances, there were complaints, but at first, few paid them much attention. After all, dying on a mission was considered normal.
Until one day, a Jonin argued with a companion at a bar, and some information began to spread among a small circle:
"High-level mission requests might decrease next year."
For Ninja Academy students and Genin, high-level missions were out of reach. Most Chunin focused on B-Rank Missions.
Jonin were different. A-Rank Missions could pay as much as one million ryo, while S-Rank Missions started at one million.
Not everyone could get these commissions, but when they heard high-level missions might become less frequent, some shinobi in the Jonin Division still complained.
Those complaining the most were Jonin from civilian backgrounds. With fewer "meat scraps" to go around, of course they weren't happy.
In the Medical Corps laboratory, Shu Furukawa was still collecting data. Different amounts of injected "essence" caused the medicinal herbs to mutate to varying degrees.
Some changes were beneficial, but most had no effect. All Shu could do was collect the herbs and keep experimenting.
Fortunately, the Land of Fire had fertile soil, and with the village's support, the laboratory had a comprehensive variety of medicinal herbs.
When Tsunade appeared in a green Jonin vest, she saw Shu hard at work, and a smile returned to her face.
"Since you've been working so hard, how about curry for lunch?"
Noticing Tsunade's Forehead Protector and green vest, Shu asked curiously,
"I haven't seen you dressed like that in a while, Sensei. Are you going on a mission?"
"The Old Man called a meeting of the Jonin Division. It's related to Sakumo's previous mission, but there's nothing to worry about."
"You're a Genin, so you don't need to worry about these things. He's the White Fang of the Leaf. Sakumo can handle everything."
Tsunade rarely showed such respect. In her eyes, her teacher was making too much of it. One failed mission couldn't shake the village's foundations.
As far as she knew, the daimyo had talked about reducing commissions, but had actually increased next year's budget again. That was proof enough that he knew which way the wind was blowing.
"Is it about the commissions? What a headache. I've heard some rumors myself."
Shu put on his coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck. Tsunade didn't answer directly. Instead, she took off her Forehead Protector and gave him a sidelong look.
"Kids don't need to worry about this stuff!"
"Shinobi are ambitious schemers who manipulate the daimyo in their bid to rule the world. You've read some of the books your grandfather and the others left behind, haven't you?"
Ever since Tsunade had officially taken him on as her student, she'd opened up her family's collection to him. Much of it helped Shu understand this world better.
Shu could tell that Tsunade had little respect for the daimyo, but he still felt uneasy. Secondhand information could hardly reveal the whole truth.
"This afternoon, I'm going to train with Kakashi. I want to work on my swordsmanship..."
"You nosy little brat!"
Tsunade grumbled, but agreed. Then she heard Shu's suggestion and grew annoyed.
"Sensei, the new jutsu seems to be a natural ability of the First. Many parts of it are incomplete, and only the Sealing Jutsu aspects are fully developed."
"Is it based on the Uzumaki Clan's techniques? I've seen some in the Second Hokage's notes."
"Maintaining the body's functions seems to waste some Chakra. We could consider giving up that part to make the jutsu easier to master..."
Tsunade, who was anxious about aging, couldn't stand to hear that. She immediately turned and flicked him on the forehead, cutting him off.
"Enough! Only kids have to choose. I want all the benefits!"
After a busy year, Hatake Sakumo had finally earned some time off, and he paid no mind to the recent rumors.
Watching the two figures spar, Hatake Sakumo was very pleased. A hardworking genius would achieve even greater things.
At the limit of his stamina, Kakashi lunged forward as he swung his short sword again. Noticing his opponent suddenly duck, he hurriedly raised his left arm to shield his chest.
"Thud..."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he was kicked into the air. Shu curled up and spun, slashing with his sword. Kakashi blocked several strikes, but eventually ran out of strength and was knocked to the ground.
"Haah... haah..."
Breathing heavily, Kakashi couldn't get up right away. Shu followed him and tucked his short sword behind his back, then praised him.
"You've improved again, Kakashi. I can only counterattack at the very end each time."
"Sakumo-sensei was right. At our age, there's no need to worry about how much Chakra we have."
Kakashi had excellent control too, but his steadily growing Chakra reserves still couldn't match Shu's. He knew it was a matter of talent, but couldn't help grumbling.
"Even when you only counterattack at the end, you still knock me down. But I can't beat you in the shortest time possible."
"It's not just Chakra..."
Kakashi couldn't understand why Shu's perception, reflexes, Chakra, and physical abilities were improving so quickly. He never slacked off, yet he was still held back by Shu's strengths.
"While you've been working hard, Shu's never let up on himself either."
"Looks like Lady Tsunade was being modest. To take on medical work at your age, your Chakra control must be close to a Jonin's."
Hatake Sakumo smiled and patted his son on the shoulder, then told Kakashi about the progress Shu had made during that time.
Thinking about the Medical Ninjutsu Shu had used to treat Might Guy, Kakashi nodded seriously. Then he looked at his father, hesitated, and asked quietly,
"Dad, why don't you explain things to those people? The mission failed, and the Intelligence Department made mistakes too."
"The people you helped weren't grateful. They even blamed you."
Just as Hatake Sakumo had helped after Ichiro Furukawa's death, the White Fang of the Leaf had also provided some support to the families of the Genin who had died.
Noticing that Shu seemed to have something to say as well, Hatake Sakumo looked at them both with a gentle smile and gave a simple reply.
"The intelligence we received did affect things, but saving my comrades was my choice."
"I've been through war. I've seen too many people die. What I want you to understand is that shinobi aren't tools. That's also why the village can keep growing stronger."
Hearing his father speak of the Will of Fire, Kakashi lowered his head in silence. Nara Shikaku had said the same thing when he was team leader.
Shu also fell silent. He hadn't experienced war in either world. Right now, he was only a Genin, powerless to argue. All he could do was sigh inwardly.
"If 'comrades' define themselves as 'tools' and start blaming the people who save them, what happens then?"