Hatake Sakumo unclenched his hands and continued, "I don't care how they target me. What scares me is that they'll use all kinds of dirty tricks against Kakashi! That's something I can't tolerate!"
"Sakumo, if you want to do it, then do it. As for those higher-ups, I'll put them in their place!" Hatake Ziyan tapped the tabletop lightly with a finger. "Sakumo, your heart is in turmoil. You're a swordsman, but your hesitation has let dust gather on your blade. It's lost its edge!"
Sakumo trembled at Hatake Ziyan's words. He raised both hands and stared fixedly at them.
"Sakumo, remember this: if you truly want to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, you need an unwavering swordsman's heart. Don't let outside influences shake you. You must believe that the sword in your hand can cut down anything that stands in your way or holds you back!" Hatake Ziyan said.
"Whatever demons or monsters come my way, I'll cut them down with a single stroke!" With Hatake Ziyan's guidance, Sakumo finally understood what had been affecting him.
"Thank you, Uncle Ziyan. I've made up my mind. I'm going to the battlefield!" Hatake Sakumo stood, drew the short blade strapped to his back, and declared it with soaring confidence.
Hatake Ziyan laughed happily as he watched Sakumo finally regain his confidence.
"Now that's the Konoha White Fang I know!" Hatake Ziyan praised him.
At Hatake Ziyan's words, Sakumo awkwardly sheathed his blade. "Sorry for making a fool of myself, Uncle Ziyan. But I still need your help with Kakashi!"
Hatake Ziyan stood. "Don't worry! I'll take care of those little matters. But there's something else I need to tell you. I told you to have an unwavering swordsman's heart, but that doesn't mean you should let your sword do the talking in every situation! You do need to take part in this war, but I won't allow you to earn any military merit!"
"Huh? Then what am I going to the battlefield for?" Sakumo asked, puzzled.
"Konoha has already strayed from the ideals Hashirama and I founded it on, so I want to put it back on the right track!" Hatake Ziyan said, gazing at the distant Hokage Rock.
Sakumo asked in shock, "Uncle Ziyan, you're not planning to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi and the rest of them, are you?"
Hatake Ziyan immediately flicked Sakumo on the forehead. "Am I really that bloodthirsty?" he asked irritably.
Sakumo clutched his forehead and ducked his head, muttering, "Haven't you always been like that?"
"Sakumo! What did you say?" Hatake Ziyan asked, fixing him with a piercing stare.
Hatake Sakumo hastily straightened. "Nothing. I was asking what you plan to do!"
Hatake Ziyan glared at Sakumo. "I think that boy Minato Namikaze is pretty good. What do you think about making him Hokage?"
Sakumo thought back for a moment. "Minato is certainly a capable shinobi, but isn't he a little too kindhearted?"
"His kindness is indeed a weakness, but his connections are his greatest asset in becoming Hokage! His teacher, Jiraiya, is Hiruzen Sarutobi's student. And Minato Namikaze's temperament makes him easier for Hiruzen Sarutobi to control, doesn't it?" Hatake Ziyan said with a smile.
Sakumo nodded. "You said yourself that his temperament makes him easy for Hiruzen Sarutobi to control. How is he supposed to change Konoha, then?"
"That's exactly what I want. A civilian with no backing becoming Hokage will let the little monkey step down without worry. But once Minato becomes Hokage, he can build that backing. And if he's easy for the little monkey to control, doesn't that also make him easy for me to control?" Hatake Ziyan said with a smile.
At the sight of Hatake Ziyan's smile, Sakumo shuddered involuntarily. It reminded him of the miserable state he had ended up in whenever his uncle had smiled like that while training him!
Hatake Sakumo said a prayer for Minato Namikaze, then told Hatake Ziyan, "Don't worry, Uncle Ziyan. I'll follow all your arrangements!"
Hatake Ziyan nodded. "Let's go! Come with me to the Hokage Building!"
In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the two Hokage Advisors, and Shikaku Nara were discussing the fighting at the front.
Hatake Ziyan opened the door without ceremony, led Sakumo inside, and sat down in a chair to one side.
Seeing everyone staring at him, Hatake Ziyan said, "Don't mind us. Carry on with your discussion!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been in the middle of the discussion, hurriedly stood when he saw that the visitor was Hatake Ziyan. "Lord Ziyan, when did you return?"
"Oh! I just got back. You see..." Hatake Ziyan pointed at Hatake Sakumo, then continued, "This good-for-nothing nephew of mine said he wanted to go to the battlefield to defend Konoha, but he didn't dare come here alone. He insisted on having a guardian accompany him, so here I am!"
Hatake Sakumo wanted to find a crack in the floor and crawl into it. He was the mighty Konoha White Fang-how could he possibly be afraid to come to the Hokage Office alone? But he didn't dare interrupt this man, so he could only silently turn his face toward the window!
Only then did the others notice Sakumo standing behind Hatake Ziyan.
Danzo's expression darkened. If White Fang had remained despondent, Danzo should have been the one to lead the troops to the last remaining front, the Land of Water. Now someone was about to snatch away another perfect opportunity to earn military merit!
Looking at Danzo's constipated expression, Hatake Ziyan asked, "Danzo, what's wrong? Are you ill? As a member of Konoha High Command, you need to take good care of yourself! You mustn't overindulge in carnal pleasures! If something happened to you, it would be an enormous loss for Konoha!"
Danzo's face flushed red with anger at Hatake Ziyan's words. What does he mean, don't overindulge in carnal pleasures? Am I that sort of man? I'm going to be Hokage!
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Ziyan. I'm fine!" Danzo said through gritted teeth.
"Good! As long as you're fine. After all, you can't die of overindulgence before I kill you! Understood?" Hatake Ziyan nodded in satisfaction.
Danzo felt that if he kept talking to Hatake Ziyan, the man wouldn't need to kill him-he would simply anger him to death! What does he mean, I can't die of overindulgence before he kills me?
"Lord Ziyan, did you come here solely about sending Sakumo to the battlefield? There's no need for you to come in person over something like that. We were just discussing having Sakumo lead troops to the Land of Water front!" Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly interrupted their exchange and steered the conversation back on track.
Hatake Ziyan looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who could lie through his teeth without even blushing, then at Danzo, whose every emotion showed on his face. He felt that the Second Hokage must have had little choice back then. After all, compared with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the others were even less useful. Kagami Uchiha had been about as strong as Hiruzen Sarutobi and had a good temperament, but he belonged to the Uchiha Clan. There was no way the Second Hokage would give the Hokage position to a member of the Uchiha Clan. Thinking about it now, Hiruzen Sarutobi becoming Hokage had merely been the result of Tobirama having no better option.
Before you continue