The Warrior

Seeing this, Kakashi's breathing grew ragged.

He continued to read downward.

[Investigation Conclusion: The true objective of the supply line disruption mission executed by Hatake Sakumo was to obtain the text of the strategic materials agreement secretly signed between the Cloud Village and the Land of Grass. At the time of his capture, Crow was in possession of a copy of this agreement. Hatake Sakumo's choice to rescue his comrade objectively resulted in the copy of the agreement falling within the borders of the Land of Grass, failing to be brought back to Konoha.]

But these were not the most lethal parts.

Below were annotations in red ink.

These were documents that only the true upper echelons of the Hokage could access.

[Supplementary Report · Top Secret]

[The Cloud Village submitted a formal protest to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, one day prior to the mission, claiming that Konoha ninjas had illegally infiltrated a non-combat zone. The Third Hokage was already aware that the Hatake Sakumo squad's movements had been exposed and that the mission was highly likely to fail. To avoid a diplomatic dispute, the Third Hokage decided to deny that this mission had any connection to the Konoha high command and promised to hold the "unauthorized" ninjas accountable.]

[Note: The day after the mission failed, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, met with the Cloud Village special envoy in the Hokage's office, where both sides reached a verbal understanding. The content of this understanding included Konoha's promise to punish those involved in the "border-crossing incident."]

Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine. What did this mean?

It meant that from the very moment his father, Hatake Sakumo, received this mission, he had been an absolute sacrificial pawn.

His father's act of saving his comrade was nothing more than a scripted farce from start to finish.

Kakashi continued to flip through the scroll.

And those Root members who had been the first to attack Hatake Sakumo were not mere villagers.

It was Root that had organized and premeditated the guidance of public opinion, pinning the entire cause of the mission's failure on Hatake Sakumo alone.

And the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had remained silent throughout.

He had not deliberately suppressed the brewing public opinion, nor had he defended or condemned Hatake Sakumo.

He had remained in a state of tacit approval, which in itself represented an attitude.

Due to his intense emotions, Kakashi's voice turned hoarse. "What happened to the person my father saved in the end?"

Uchiha Yan pulled out another file and said, "See for yourself. You've worked in the Anbu for so long; you should know that everything I'm showing you is real."

Kakashi nodded with a heavy expression and took the file.

The file clearly stated that "Crow" had died during a reconnaissance mission.

Hearing Uchiha Yan's words, Kakashi closed his eyes.

It all fit. Everything fit.

His father hadn't committed suicide; he had been driven to his death.

And the ones who drove him to it were the very people in the village he had protected.

"Why?" Kakashi asked, his voice raspy and filled with confusion. "Why, when the Konoha high command had already decided to abandon the mission, did they have to force my father to his death?"

Uchiha Yan said calmly, "Because the prestige of the White Fang of Konoha was too high, and to be precise, Hatake Sakumo's death was an accident."

Kakashi looked up at Uchiha Yan in disbelief.

"What? Too much prestige, an accident? What on earth does that mean?"

Uchiha Yan's expression remained flat. He sat in his chair and poured himself a cup of tea to moisten his throat before speaking. "Exactly what it sounds like. During the ninja wars, Hatake Sakumo's win rate on the front lines was one hundred percent. His reputation had reached its peak."

Kakashi nodded. He was naturally aware of his father's past glory.

Uchiha Yan continued, "At that time, the ninjas in the village were whispering something behind closed doors."

He set down his teacup and said, word for word, "The White Fang is the next Hokage."

As if performing a magic trick, Uchiha Yan pulled out another document.

"This is a copy of a secret report Danzo sent to Sarutobi Hiruzen at the time. Both Root and Anbu held copies; I managed to get the one from Root. As for whether it's authentic, you should be able to judge for yourself."

Kakashi unfolded the scroll. It bore Danzo's handwriting—he had dealt with the Anbu files far too often to be unfamiliar with the handwriting of the leader of Root.

The content of the secret report was divided into three parts.

The first part was a survey of Hatake Sakumo's prestige among the ninja community, detailing a list of Jonin who had publicly expressed their support for him. The number reached twenty-three, covering nearly one-third of the active Jonin in Konoha at the time.

The second part was an analysis of Hatake Sakumo's personal background, with a specific line marked: "Born into a samurai family, not a traditional ninja clan. If he were to ascend, the Konoha ninja system would face the greatest power restructuring since the era of Senju Hashirama."

The third part was the conclusion, consisting of only two lines.

"If Hatake Sakumo is not suppressed, he will possess the strength and prestige to contend for the position of Hokage within three years at most. This man is upright in character; if he perceives the exclusion from the high command, there is a risk he may lean toward the Uchiha faction."

After reading the scroll, Kakashi's hands were trembling.

He had never imagined that the village his father had spent his entire life protecting could be like this.

Uchiha Yan looked at Kakashi and said, "As for the accident, it's quite simple: neither Sarutobi Hiruzen nor Danzo intended to kill Hatake Sakumo."

"Danzo's plan wasn't extreme either. He just wanted Hatake Sakumo to carry a stain so he would lose his eligibility to compete for the Hokage position."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts were the same. Their original plan was to let public opinion ferment and then handle it coldly, intending to reinstate him after a couple of years. This would not only preserve Hatake Sakumo but also diminish his prestige."

"However," Uchiha Yan drew out his words, "they miscalculated one thing."

Kakashi looked at Uchiha Yan and asked, "What was that?"

Uchiha Yan did not answer directly but instead asked, "Your Hatake clan were samurai who converted into ninjas, right?"

Kakashi did not deny it; he nodded and said, "That's right. And then?"

Uchiha Yan continued, "The mindsets of a samurai and a ninja differ. A ninja's creed is to put the mission first; comrades, dignity, and honor can all be sacrificed. But a samurai has only one creed: honor is life itself."

"Danzo and the Third Hokage are both typical examples of the ninja mindset. They felt that losing his reputation was nothing to Hatake Sakumo. Therefore, they didn't impose any substantial punishment on him. Judging by the standards ninjas use to measure other ninjas, that assessment was beyond reproach."

"But Hatake Sakumo was not a ninja. To be precise, he was a samurai who knew ninjutsu, and a samurai values honor more than life."

"When he accepted that mission, he already knew it was a trap, but he wanted to see just how far the village he protected would go."

"So, when he returned and saw the accusations of the villagers, everything became clear."

At this moment, Kakashi could not help but clench his fists.

Uchiha Yan continued, "A samurai, betrayed by the lord he swore allegiance to, abandoned by the comrades he fought alongside, and spat upon by the villagers he once protected."

"Do you think Hatake Sakumo would still choose to live? As a samurai, he would inevitably choose to prove his resolve through death, preserving the integrity of a warrior."