Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was dark, his anger barely contained as he spoke.
"Because of the hostage exchange during the last mission, the Daimyō of Kawa no Kuni has issued an order—starting immediately, all missions from the Land of Rivers will be entrusted exclusively to Sunagakure for the next ten years.
Do you realize how much Konoha has lost because of Aburame Ryoma's actions?"
Danzo remained silent for a moment, putting the scroll away before asking, "Hiruzen, what do you propose?"
Sarutobi's voice was firm. "Ryoma must die."
Danzo nodded without hesitation. Someone had to take responsibility for such a failure. If a tool was defective, it had to be discarded.
However, Sarutobi was not finished. His tone hardened further.
"Furthermore, Root's funding will be halved, and its personnel significantly reduced."
Danzo's eyes widened in shock. "Hiruzen, this will cripple Konoha's stability!"
Sarutobi cut him off coldly. "In three days, I am convening a meeting with Konoha's clan heads and senior officials to discuss these matters. Prepare yourself."
With that, the Hokage turned and left, leaving Danzo standing in silence.
From the shadows, Aburame Ryoma's voice emerged. "Lord Danzo, I take full responsibility for my failure. I accept any punishment."
Danzo sat back, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest of his chair.
Tap. Tap. Tap…
Time passed in heavy silence. Finally, Danzo spoke.
"Spread this information throughout the village. By sunrise, I want every shinobi and civilian in Konoha to know what happened."
"Understood."
"And prepare yourself. You will accompany me to the meeting in three days. If questioned, you will insist that Hatake Sakumo made the decision on his own."
A dangerous glint flickered in Danzo's eyes.
"Sarutobi won't dare punish the White Fang. If we play this right, the blame will shift, and Root will remain intact."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
The Next Day
Konoha was abuzz with rumors.
"Did you hear? Lord White Fang and Aburame Ryoma were on a mission to rescue the Daimyō's daughter from Kawa no Kuni. White Fang had already secured the hostage, but then Ryoma was poisoned by Sunagakure. To save him, White Fang gave up the hostage in exchange for medicine!"
"I heard that because of this, Kawa no Kuni has cut ties with Konoha. All their missions will now go to Sunagakure!"
"What a disaster. Those missions should've gone to Konoha!"
"Exactly! My son hasn't received a mission in a month. There's barely any work left!"
"Honestly, it's all Ryoma's fault. He should have died instead!"
"Agreed! A shinobi must prioritize the mission!"
"Wait, but isn't Ryoma a skilled ANBU member? He's stronger than most jōnin. There must have been a reason White Fang saved him."
"Still, White Fang should have left him behind. This is an enormous loss for Konoha."
"Well, we'll find out soon. The Hokage is holding a meeting in two days to decide what happens next."
"Ryoma's as good as dead. Konoha can't afford to let this slide."
Uchiha Tunan's Perspective
Uchiha Tunan overheard the growing whispers as he walked through the Uchiha compound.
This is bad… If Ryoma insists that Sakumo made the decision on his own, the villagers will turn on him.
Even if they don't want him dead, the resentment and blame will be unbearable.
For someone like Sakumo, this will be a death sentence of its own…
Tunan's fingers traced the edge of his chakra-infused short blade. The words of his mentor, Sanhe Genryō, echoed in his mind—the teachings of the samurai.
Later That Afternoon
Uchiha Tunan arrived at the Hatake residence for his usual sparring session with Kakashi.
Sakumo sat under the eaves, watching them train. His face betrayed no emotion.
Perhaps it was because the villagers' blame was directed at Ryoma, not him.
After their match, Kakashi panted, hands on his knees. "Tunan, you've gotten stronger again."
Tunan adjusted his glasses and smiled. "I just want to make our training sessions enjoyable for you."
"Really?" Kakashi looked doubtful.
"You always say that," he muttered.
Tunan simply shrugged. "In the end, does it really matter if it's true or not?"
Kakashi was taken aback, but then smirked beneath his mask. "Heh. Guess not."
Just then, a flock of white pigeons descended into the courtyard.
Kakashi glanced at them. "Your birds again?"
Tunan knelt beside one, gently stroking its feathers. "They're my nin-animals now."
"Nin-animals?"
"Yes. I've been training them. But they're not very smart yet. No matter how much special feed I give them, they still can't communicate properly."
Kakashi considered this. "If you want, I have a few summoning scrolls. You could contract a proper ninja animal instead."
Tunan shook his head. "No need. Even if they're weak, I've grown attached to them."
He gave the nearest pigeon a light pat. "Alright, you can go now."
The flock took off, but one pigeon stubbornly turned its back on him and cooed in protest.
Tunan chuckled. "Still mad at me, huh?"
He turned to Kakashi. "I should get going. See you tomorrow."
As Tunan walked past the front yard, he bowed slightly to Sakumo.
"Thank you for having me, Lord Sakumo."
Sakumo nodded with a small smile.
Once Tunan was gone, Sakumo turned to his son.
"Kakashi, you need to train harder."
"I know."
"Soon, Tunan will surpass you completely."
Kakashi's eyes darkened. "I know…"
He said nothing more and returned to his training.
Three Days Later…
The high-level meeting would soon begin.
But by then, it would already be too late.
The damage had been done.
And Hatake Sakumo's fate was sealed.