Asuma Sarutobi followed closely, standing beside Kurenai Yuhi, and firmly spoke in a sycophantic tone.
“Nan and Kurenai are right.
On this matter, I stand with Jonin Hatake.
The Old Man is acting too unfairly.”
After the day’s classes ended, Uchiha Nan headed toward Kakashi’s house.
Over the past six months, he had developed a pretty good relationship with that tsundere Kakashi, so naturally, he didn’t want to watch his father commit suicide just like that.
Kurenai Yuhi and the others also expressed a desire to go along, but he refused.
At this critical juncture, Kakashi and Jonin Hatake probably wouldn’t welcome so many people coming to visit.
After leaving the central area of Konoha Village, Uchiha Nan arrived beside a secluded fish pond.
He crossed the man-made bridge built over it and arrived at a small wooden courtyard.
He reached out and knocked on the door.
“Kakashi, are you home, Kakashi?”
Before long, Kakashi, having heard his voice, opened the gate.
Perhaps because he was at home, he was not wearing his mask.
He revealed a handsome but dejected face.
Seeing that it was him, he forced a smile.
“Nan, why are you here?”
“You guy, you didn’t come to school all day.
As your best brother, I naturally have to show some concern.”
Uchiha Nan spread his hands.
Kakashi smiled and welcomed him in.
After entering the living room, Sakumo Hatake heard the commotion and walked out.
However, the sunny smile he had when he first met Uchiha Nan was no longer on his face.
His expression was cold, and he was filled with a haggard aura.
Seeing the guest, he, like Kakashi, forced a smile.
“Nan-kun came to look for Kakashi.”
Uchiha Nan shook his head.
“Uncle Sakumo, I came today not only to visit Kakashi but also to have a heart-to-heart talk with you.”
Sakumo Hatake was stunned and looked at him in confusion.
Kakashi was also incredibly surprised.
Given what had happened to his father, if any ordinary person had come to say they wanted to have a heart-to-heart with him, Kakashi would definitely have kicked them out.
But after spending time together recently, he knew well that Uchiha Nan was not the type of person to act without reason.
Although he didn’t know what he wanted to do, he still didn’t refuse.
Sakumo Hatake held the same thought. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
During this time, he had heard Kakashi talk about Uchiha Nan at home quite often.
He felt a strange sense of familiarity with this little guy.
“Alright, Nan-kun.” The two went to Sakumo Hatake’s bedroom, where, aside from the necessary daily necessities, there was only a ninja sword hanging on the wall.
It highlighted his plain nature.
Uchiha Nan closed the door, refused Kakashi’s request to listen in, and got straight to the point.
“Uncle Sakumo, I know you have been worried about the rumors in the Village all these days.”
Sakumo Hatake nodded calmly, not offering any rebuttal; this was something everyone knew.
Uchiha Nan continued: “Let’s not talk about whether you did anything wrong in this mission for now.”
“Let’s just talk about why this mission became known to so many people.
Are the Ninja confidentiality regulations just for show?”
“Your two teammates, are they bold enough to spread this, ignore the mission rules, and not fear offending the White Fang of Konoha?
Have you thought about this?”
Sakumo Hatake was stunned.
He was someone who trusted his teammates deeply.
Even though this mission failed, he had secretly blamed himself and had never considered it from this perspective.
Now, Uchiha Nan’s words instantly woke him up.
He immediately realized that the two of them were deliberately pushing the responsibility for the failed mission onto him.
“Why?” He really couldn’t understand.
Uchiha Nan shook his head.
Someone as powerful as Sakumo Hatake had been deeply harmed by the Will of Fire.
He trusted his teammates so much that he was unwilling to even consider from the bottom of his heart that they would harm him.
“Of course, someone gave them the benefits to betray you and the confidence not to fear your retaliation.”
Sakumo Hatake glared at Uchiha Nan, unwilling to accept this.
Aside from the high-ranking officials in the Village, he couldn’t think of anyone else who could meet both these conditions simultaneously.
Uchiha Nan’s next words confirmed his guess even further.
“Just as you thought, Uncle Sakumo, this whole matter was completely fueled by someone in the Village.”
“You were too prominent during the Second Ninja War.
People in the Village all view you as the hero and savior of Konoha.”
“Other major nations even have policies that if they encounter you, they can abandon their mission and flee without facing punishment.”
“Your prestige in the Village is too great, and you haven’t aligned yourself with the Hokage’s faction, which seriously interferes with the tradition of the Hokage position being passed from master to student.”
“Bu-but I never thought about becoming Hokage.”
“You didn’t think about it, but how could others believe that?
To them, only by eliminating you, the threat, can they feel at ease.”
Sakumo Hatake grabbed his head and shook it: “No, I don’t believe Hokage-sama did this.”
“Of course not.
He only tacitly approved it; someone else did this.”
“Who?” Sakumo Hatake looked at Uchiha Nan with murderous intent, as if waiting for him to say the name so he could grab his ninja sword and take out the mastermind.
Facing the murderous Sakumo Hatake, Uchiha Nan raised his hand to signal him to calm down.
“The one who actually took action is Danzo Shimura, that Old fellow who has long coveted the position of Hokage.”
“It’s him.” Given Sakumo Hatake’s status, he was naturally no stranger to Danzo Shimura, who was in charge of Root.
“I will report this to Hokage-sama immediately and have him make a decision on this matter.”
“Don’t be silly, Uncle Sakumo.
Hokage-sama and Danzo Shimura are in cahoots; how could he possibly pay attention to you?
Even if you expose this, at most, it would just be a painless warning.”
“Once Danzo Shimura knows the truth, he will definitely target you and Kakashi.”
“What you need to do now is lie low and find an opportunity to kill him in one strike.”
Sakumo Hatake’s face turned completely gloomy.
He wanted to say something, but sighed helplessly instead.
“I can’t do it.
I really can’t bring myself to kill a Ninja from my own Village.”
“I will leave Konoha Village.
As it happens, my dream back then was to be a swordsman, not to become some White Fang of Konoha.”
“Now that this has happened, I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
Sakumo Hatake sighed deeply and completely calmed down.
“Then what about Kakashi?
Uncle Sakumo, aren’t you worried about him?”
Sakumo Hatake smiled and looked at him calmly.
“With a good friend like you, I believe you can protect Kakashi well.”
Although Sakumo Hatake didn’t know where Uchiha Nan had learned all the information he had told him today, he knew that Uchiha Nan was telling him this because he cared about him.
And he asked himself, other than meeting Uchiha Nan once when school started, they had no other interactions.
The fact that Uchiha Nan came today to clarify all this for him must be because of Kakashi.
Therefore, Sakumo Hatake felt very relieved to entrust Kakashi to him.
…..