What Should I Do?

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

Uchiha Xiao shook his head. "That won't be necessary. The order came directly from the Hokage himself. Having your own judgment is a good thing, but if you go to the Hokage now, it will be tantamount to forcing him to go back on his own word."

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

He whispered the final few sentences into Hatake Sakumo's ear. Hatake Sakumo nodded and said, "I understand! Xiao!"

Uchiha Xiao looked at the sky outside the window. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A cold breeze blew in, making him shiver. He sighed and said, "Tonight, pretend I was never here. Oh, and one more thing, 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."

With that, Uchiha Xiao rose and walked out of the study. He reached the door, gripped the handle, and pressed down. The door opened.

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

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

Uchiha Xiao nodded and left the Hatake residence. He had guessed who was behind this, but it wasn't appropriate to tell Hatake Sakumo; the more one knows, the heavier the burden on the heart.

Hatake Sakumo was a sharp blade—a blade so keen that even its wielder had to handle it with extreme caution. Any mission he was tasked with would be completed to perfection.

It was precisely because of this immense talent combined with a lack of restraint that he was feared by the Third Hokage, envied by Shimura Danzo, and ultimately unable to overcome his own inner turmoil, leading him to take 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 own seat remain secure?

One must remember that the later Sarutobi Hiruzen became 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 civilian 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 master's master.

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

At the time, Uchiha Fugaku had approached Namikaze Minato, hinting and suggesting many things, but Minato only spoke of trivialities and avoided 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 Xiao had let Hatake Sakumo intentionally fail the mission this time, and he had even prepared various excuses for him. The rest was up to Hatake Sakumo.

What needed to be said had been said. Whether he listened or not was up to him. A general who never loses and wins every battle sounds impressive, but it easily invites the suspicion of the sovereign.

"High merit threatens the master"—that is no mere saying. Just as Uchiha Xiao stepped 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 Xiao was taken aback, then laughed. "Alright, get up. We are all of the same clan; don't go kneeling at every turn. A man's knees have gold—there's no need to kneel to me in the future. Lead the way."

Uchiha Xiao's remark about a man's knees having gold left the Uchiha ninjas stunned, a sudden 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 Xiao 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, I am Uchiha Don. Please, follow me."

Uchiha Xiao nodded. "Good, I'll remember you, Don."

"Yes!" Uchiha Don nodded and led the remaining four ninjas ahead. Uchiha Xiao 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 in Uchiha Xiao's mind. He curled his lips, looked at the ninjas ahead, and circulated his chakra without hand seals.

In an instant, Uchiha Xiao leaped several times, coming abreast of the ninjas. "Hey, Don, I'll wait for you at the clan gate!" With that, Uchiha Xiao used the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly.

The five Uchiha ninjas were left dumbfounded. They had seen the Body Flicker Technique before, but never one so smooth. Moreover, the technique consumed a great deal of chakra; how was it that Uchiha Xiao seemed to have an endless supply?

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 Uchiha Xiao, who was flickering continuously.

A short while later, Uchiha Xiao appeared at the clan gate. The Uchiha guards on duty saw him and quickly bowed. "Sixth Elder, please enter. The Clan Head is organizing a meeting."

Uchiha Xiao shook his head. "Wait, there are others who haven't arrived yet." A smile lingered in his tone.

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

About three minutes later, Uchiha Xiao looked in the direction he had come from, a smile tugging at his lips. The five little ones had arrived. He waved. "Hey~ you're finally here!"

Uchiha Don and the others had not used the Body Flicker Technique for the final stretch; they had run. Good heavens, the chakra consumption was too high. If they had used the technique one more time, their chakra might have been completely exhausted!

Enduring their physically drained state, they ran to Uchiha Xiao's side. They noticed that Uchiha Xiao was not even panting, and he was looking at them with a cheerful expression.

He was truly worthy of being the Sixth Elder, the youngest elder of them all. Their reputation was well-deserved; these men were convinced.

Uchiha Xiao chuckled. "Young people lack exercise," he said, patting Uchiha Don on the shoulder.

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

Uchiha Xiao 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." With that, he led the way, trembling.