It had been raining for three days in Konoha, and the muddy, blood-stained ground had caked the soles of the patrolling ninjas' boots. In a tavern on a street corner, several ninjas who had just returned from the front lines were spitting and cursing at their wine glasses, their voices loud enough to lift the roof off.
"See that? Those bastards from the White Tiger Corps are holed up in their camp again!" The green-vested ninja slammed his glass on the table, splashing wine onto his companion's face. "I broke three ribs in the Land of Iron, and what do they do? Go back to the village and seize power? Bah!"
Across the street, at a ramen stall, a young ninja in White Tiger Corps uniform clenched his fists. His Forehead Protector was askew, revealing a bruise on his brow that hadn't yet healed—a mark from a stone thrown by a neighbor that morning. The tonkotsu broth in the pot bubbled and simmered, but the owner tapped the rim with a long-handled ladle. " White Tiger? Not for sale! Don't dirty my broth."
The ninja suddenly looked up, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "My brother died during the First Shinobi World War, and you still gave me extra soft-boiled eggs!"
"Times have changed." The shopkeeper slammed his spoon down on the cutting board. "Now you're the parasites of Konoha! People on the front lines are bleeding, and what do you do? You come back to the village and besiege the Hokage for three days?"
A burst of laughter erupted around him, and someone threw leftover chicken bones at the ninja's feet. He drew his sword abruptly, the scabbard clanging against the ground, but his comrade grabbed his shoulder.
"Let's go, Ki Iza," his comrade said hoarsely. "Back."
They walked through the vegetable market, where rotten vegetable leaves and mud mingled, emitting a sour, putrid smell. An older woman selling vegetables spat on the ground. "Oh, the usurper's back? Why doesn't he take the Hokage's throne home with him?"
Ki Iza's fingernails dug into his palm, drawing blood. He remembered when he came home yesterday, his mother threw his uniform on the ground, and his father grabbed a broom and beat him, calling him a disgrace to the family. His eight-year-old daughter hid behind the door crying, saying that the children at school called her "the traitor's daughter."
"Why?" he hissed, his voice swallowed by the rain. "Where were they when we were fighting to cover the retreat in Amegakure? Where were they when we were risking our lives to fill the gaps in the capital of the Land of Rivers? We're just soldiers, obeying orders and following commands. What's wrong with that?"
His comrade turned his head away, rain streaming down his resolute profile. The White Tiger Corps's insignia gleamed coldly on his uniform; it had once been the most dazzling symbol among Konoha's five elite forces, but now it was a mark of shame. Three days ago, they had returned to Konoha on Hiruzen Sarutobi's secret orders to "stabilize the rear," but they had barely surrounded the Hokage when they became the object of the entire village's scorn.
"What did Lord Sakumo say back then?" Ki Iza suddenly stopped, rain soaking his collar, "A soldier's glory lies on the battlefield, not in conspiracies and intrigues."
Hatake Sakumo —this name is like a thorn, stuck in the heart of every member of the White Tiger Corps. Years ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi him of his military command on the grounds of "mismanagement," forcing this " Konoha White Fang " to leave the legion. At that time, the entire White Tiger Corps was in an uproar. If Sakumo hadn't personally suppressed the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably have died there that day.
"Have you heard?" his comrade suddenly lowered his voice. "Last night, Sato from the third squad came home to find his wife had run away with the kids, leaving a note saying she'd rather die than live with a traitor."
Iza's pupils contracted sharply. Sato was the gentlest of their classmates; he had shielded Izawa from Kunai during the last mission, leaving him with a scar the size of a bowl on his stomach.
"And there's the fifth team..." His comrade's voice trailed off, "His father broke his leg, and he's still in the medical ward."
The rain suddenly intensified, pattering loudly against the ninja tool pouches. In the distance, shouts of battle echoed from the training grounds; other newly recruited legions were intensifying their training, preparing to march to the front lines of the Land of Iron. In contrast, the White Tiger Corps's encampment was as quiet as a tomb.
"To hell with stabilizing the rear!" Ki Iza suddenly roared, startling the Crow in the treetops. " That Sarutobi used us as pawns! He brought us back when the front lines were at their most critical, just to use us to eliminate dissidents! Now that it's done, we're the deserters, the scapegoats!"
The surrounding ninjas stopped in their tracks, dozens of eyes gleaming in the rain. The humiliation, anger, and resentment that had been building up over the past few days were like a powder keg ready to be lit, needing only a Mars.
"The mid-level officers are having a meeting!" someone ran from the direction of the camp, covered in mud. "Captain Mikami said, "If we keep putting up with this, we'll all be drowned in their spittle!"
Inside the White Tiger Corps's barracks, the light from kerosene lamps flickered. More than thirty mid-ranking officers sat around a long table, each with an empty wine glass in front of them. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and Yakumi.
Mikami gulped down a mouthful of sake and slammed the glass on the table. "Just received news that the front lines of the Land of Iron have been stabilized by the returning Third Hokage, Lord Tsubasa Ten'yō! The Oni Clan has been completely wiped out, and the Gate of Hell are sealed!"
The room fell silent instantly, then erupted in thunderous cheers. The news of Tsubasa — the Third Hokage, the spiritual symbol of the Land of Fire —was more effective than any stimulant.
"But what about us?" Mikami's voice suddenly rose as he pointed out the window, "Our brothers at the front are about to return in triumph. What will they think of us? What will our families, our children, think of us?"
He ripped open his shirt, revealing a gruesome scar on his chest. "This was left during the First Shinobi World War, to cover the scions of powerful clans! Now, the Sarutobi Clan members are serving as supervisors in our army, watching us Tenten, afraid we won't obey their orders!"
Ki Iza, who was standing in the corner, suddenly stood up, the sword at his waist making a soft clanging sound, "Captain Mikami, let's do something big! Lord Sakumo taught us back then that a soldier can die, but cannot be humiliated!"
"Damn it!" More than thirty voices merged into a torrent, shaking even the kerosene lamps. "Clear out all the Sarutobi Clan's overseers!"
The night raid occurred at midnight. The rain had stopped, and the moon peeked out from the clouds, casting a pale light on the Hokage. The Sarutobi Clan on guard was yawning when he suddenly heard Space Break sound behind him. Just as he was about to turn around, a Kunai slashed his neck.
Blood splattered on the plaque bearing the inscription " Will of Fire," resembling a bizarre flower. Mikami kicked open the conference room door, where officers from the Mitokado Clan were discussing a secret letter. Upon seeing the White Tiger Corps ninja rush in, they were so startled that their hands trembled, and the letter fluttered to the ground.
"You..." The elder in the lead was about to rebuke him when Ki Iza pierced his heart with a spear.
Screams rose and fell, tables and chairs were overturned, and documents were scattered all over the floor. The "spies" who had been planted had no idea that their own people would make a move, and most of them became victims of the knife before they could even Hand Seals.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared blankly at a map. His temples had turned grayer, and his fingers tapped lightly on the location of the Land of Iron. Three months ago, he had recalled the White Tiger Corps to the village, indeed intending to suppress dissidents and seize power, but he hadn't expected things to escalate to this extent.
" Lord Hokage, something terrible has happened!" The Hokage's secretary stumbled in, his face covered in blood. " The White Tiger Corps... they've rebelled!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "What did you say? The White Tiger Corps? That's my legion!"
Before he could finish speaking, the office door was flung open, Mikami stormed in with more than a dozen ninjas, their blades pointed directly at his throat. Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively summoned his Anbu Ninja, only to find that the guards inside the room were completely unresponsive, and his bodyguard had already been replaced—his most trusted bodyguard, that young man from the White Tiger Corps who had defected.
"Why?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice trembled as he looked at the White Tiger emblem on Mikami's shoulder, the one he had personally bestowed upon him years ago. "I have treated you all well!"
"Not bad?" Mikami sneered, stepping on the scattered documents. "When you forced Lord Sakumo to leave, why didn't you say you weren't bad? When you made us fight bloody battles on the front lines while you plotted in the village, why didn't you say you weren't bad? Is the life of being condemned by everyone what you call not bad?"
He took a sudden step closer, the tip of his blade almost touching Hiruzen Sarutobi's skin. "We are soldiers, not politicians' dogs! We'd rather die on the battlefield than do something that will make people scorn us!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped in his chair, looking out at the brightly lit streets and listening to the sounds of battle in the distance. Suddenly, he laughed, a laugh filled with sorrow. He had been Hokage for several months, defeating the Senju and Uchiha and subduing the major clans, only to fall at the hands of his own army.
" Hatake Sakumo..." he murmured to himself, "So it was your ideas that influenced them..."
Mikami ignored him and turned to the ninjas behind him, ordering, "Lock up all the high-ranking officials! Inform the entire village that the Hokage is temporarily under the control of the White Tiger Corps, pending the return of the Third Hokage Lord Tsubasa Tenyū!"
The Tensei, when the bells of Konoha rang, the Hokage had changed hands. The White Tiger Corps ninjas stood guard at the entrance, their uniform badges gleaming in the sunlight. The villagers watched from afar, no longer daring to hurl insults; their eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
Ten days later, around noon, the first batch of ninjas returning from the front lines stepped into the village. They were ragged and smelled of gunpowder. When they saw the White Tiger Corps in front of the Hokage Building, they were taken aback at first, and then someone whistled.
"Hey, you bunch of power-grabbers, you've managed to sweep the entrance quite clean." A one-armed ninja chuckled, a vanguard officer under the Kirin Corps. "But when I was killing Oni Clan in the Land of Iron, I talked about you guys a lot."
Mikami stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted. " Mikami of the White Tiger Corps awaits the orders of the Third Hokage, Lord Tsubasa Tenyi."
The one-armed ninja paused for a moment, then returned the salute solemnly. "A great victory at the front! The entire Oni Clan has been wiped out. Lord Tsubasa has asked us to return and rest first; he will arrive after dealing with the Oni Clan's aftermath."
The news spread like wildfire throughout Konoha. The heads of the various clans urgently gathered at the Uchiha Clan Compound for a meeting. The hall was filled with smoke, and no one spoke; the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.
" The Sarutobi Clan can no longer be in charge." Uchiha Fugaku broke the silence, his crimson Sharingan flashing in the dim light. " The White Tiger Corps can rebel once, and they can rebel a second time."
Nara Shikanei stroked his chin and pondered, "Our propaganda campaign has succeeded, but the Third Hokage, Lord Tsubasa, is still unclear about his intentions. However, judging from the White Tiger Corps's posture, they want to invite Hatake Sakumo back to take charge."
" Hatake Sakumo?" The Akimichi Clan elder frowned. "He's on the front lines in the Land of Iron. Will he be able to hold things together when he returns?"
"It's better than now." The Hyuga Clan elder tapped the table. "The village's economy is on the verge of collapse. We need to take care of the wounded returning from the front lines, and the compensation for the fallen ninjas is still pending..."
The meeting lasted a full day and finally reached a consensus: Hiruzen Sarutobi was dismissed and temporarily imprisoned in Konoha Prison until Tsubasa returned to deal with him. Hatake Sakumo Hokage Position, and a support team consisting of Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Nara Shikanei, and others was formed to take full control of Konoha's affairs.
On the day the news was announced, Konoha set off fireworks all day long. Children paraded through the streets carrying windmills, surviving ninjas hugged each other, and even the most picky old lady brought out her treasured sweets.
Three days later, the Memorial Stone was crowded with people. Hatake Sakumo, wearing a faded old uniform, held a broken sword in his hands—his father's keepsake. Tsunade, carrying a medicine box, was watering the flowers laid before the tombstone; Orochimaru squatted on the ground, drawing something in the mud with a twig, which turned out to be a new Medical Ninjutsu formula upon closer inspection; Jiraiya held a stack of scrolls, his newly compiled battlefield records.
"Brother, look, we won." A young ninja squatted in front of a tombstone engraved with his name, embedding a brand-new military medal into a crack in the stone. " The Oni Clan have been driven away, Konoha... will be alright."
Hatake Sakumo stepped forward and gently stroked the mottled engravings on the stone tablet. Among these names were those of his father and relatives, his comrades-in-arms, and those he had failed to protect. The wind rustled through the trees, sounding like the whispers of countless heroic spirits.
"From this day forward," his voice, though not loud, carried clearly throughout the square, "We will build more houses so orphans will have a place to live; we will open more schools so every child can learn a skill; we will research better weapons so that no one will ever have to worry about enemy invasion again..."
Orochimaru adjusted his glasses and added, "The new research laboratory is already under construction. The technological data that Lord Tsubasa left us this time is enough for us to study for ten years."
Tsunade laughed Jiraiya: "Don't just write love stories in your manga. Write more about how to be a ninja and how to learn Ninjutsu, so that adults and children can understand them."
Jiraiya scratched his head and hugged the scroll even tighter. "Don't worry, I'll go interview the top students at the Kage Academy and make sure they write down their insights on learning Ninjutsu manuals."
As the sun sets, golden rays bathe the Memorial Stone, casting a warm glow on those cold names. The Shinichi of leaders stand before the stone, their Kageko stretched long, like strong hands supporting the Mirai of Konoha.
Unbeknownst to anyone, on a distant hillside, a figure wearing a straw hat was silently observing everything. The half-face visible beneath the hat seemed to carry a slight smile. He carried a secret letter in his arms, the envelope stamped with the sealing wax seal of the Third Hokage, Tenyū- Lord Tsubasa, addressed to—the Third Hokage Hatake Sakumo.
The letter contained only one sentence. "Ready to welcome a new era? The Gate of Hell are not completely closed. I will settle things here before returning to Konoha."