Naruto: Awakening Eternal Power with My Eye Techniques

Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled the relationship between Shiyu Uchiha and Hatake Sumao, his growing concerns becoming heavier. The four of them had always regarded the Uchiha Clan as a potential threat, and now Hatake Sumao's connection with the Uchiha only deepened his worries.

So Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke in a very serious tone: "To maintain Konoha's stability, we absolutely cannot allow this possibility to occur. Although this may seem unfair to Sumao, it is for the benefit of Konoha. If we eventually prove him innocent, we can personally apologize and clear his name. But for now, we must take action to ensure Konoha's safety."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen declared this with an air of righteousness, the matter seemed settled. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances, clearly satisfied with the outcome. Though they felt some regret over Hatake Sumao—who was, after all, a Kage-level warrior—it did not change their stance.

Anyone who didn't know better might think Sarutobi had sacrificed a lot personally. In reality, as always, others bore the cost while he remained untouched. Perhaps this was what he called the Will of Fire.

Shortly afterward, they devised a detailed and meticulous plan. The three of them left the Hokage's office one by one, satisfied with the arrangement. Outside the window, the statue of the First Hokage on the Hokage Rock silently watched over the village as it always had.

However, when Danzo Shimura stepped out the door, a faint, involuntary smile curled his lips—sinister yet self-satisfied, as if everything were already firmly under his control.

Recently, Danzo had convinced himself that he'd discovered a perfect method to subjugate subordinates: first, plunge them into despair—preferably spiritual despair—and then at just the right moment, offer a helping hand, becoming a bright ray of hope in their lives. With additional brainwashing techniques, he could turn them into completely loyal dogs.

At this moment, his sights were set on Hatake Sumao, hoping to use his immense strength as a firm foundation for seizing the title of Hokage.

Ever since his power had broken through to the Kage level, Danzo's desire for the Hokage seat had grown stronger and stronger. For this goal, he had been tirelessly working, quietly building up his influence and strength.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat alone in the Hokage Office, staring forward as if he could see through the walls into the distance.

He sat in silence, turning over his next steps in his mind. After a while, he let out a quiet sigh and began carefully reviewing the entire plan. He went over each step and every detail in his mind to make sure nothing was overlooked or miscalculated.

After deep reflection, he finally determined that the plan was flawless, with no room for unexpected events.

Then, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly rose, walked to the window, and gently pushed it open. He turned around, returned to his desk, picked up his pen, and wrote an order, which he handed to an Anbu member standing nearby.

"Immediately deliver this command to Hatake Sumao. He must carry out the mission right away! Remember, immediately."

"The Third Hokage spoke solemnly. The ANBU member from the Sarutobi clan accepted the order with a nod and quickly vanished into the shadows.

When Hatake Sumao received the mission scroll from ANBU, he was at home organizing his gear. Upon unfolding the message and reading its contents, his expression darkened instantly.

The assignment demanded immediate departure to a designated location to carry out his duty. More importantly, this was not a single task—it involved a series of consecutive missions, each requiring his personal involvement.

Hatake Sumao realized that this meant he could no longer continue investigating the previous matter, as he simply had neither the time nor the energy to handle anything else.

At the same time, the ANBU members kept urging him to depart immediately, their voices tense and urgent.

This stirred a deep sense of helplessness within him—he felt bound, unable to move freely.

He understood in his heart that all of this had been orchestrated by the Third Hokage himself. That man would not allow him to continue his investigation, which amounted to an indirect admission of guilt.

As a warrior, Hatake Sumao had no thoughts of resistance. He silently resolved that after completing the mission, he would confront the Third Hokage face-to-face. He wanted answers—how could the Hokage himself lead such corruption? How could this be worthy of the 'Will of Fire' he always preached?

Yet he completely underestimated how ruthless and calculating the Third truly was. The Hokage had already prepared for every possible scenario—including Hatake Sumao's resistance.

The second half of Year 45 of Konoha's Era, while just an ordinary year for the Ninja World, became a crucial turning point for Konoha—the beginning of its decline from prosperity.

During this year, Konoha's hero, Hatake Sumao, shouldered a series of difficult missions due to complex political struggles.

Faced with so many responsibilities, he eventually fell into a painful dilemma: Should he fully commit to completing the missions, or save the lives of his teammates?

In fact, a more critical issue was that during this period, Hatake Sumao continuously took on multiple missions one after another. As a result, his teammates were denied sufficient rest and recovery, ultimately falling one by one during successive operations. This filled Hatake Sumao's chest with unbearable weariness and sorrow.

As a ninja, Hatake Sumao had long been ready to make sacrifices, but this time was different. His exceptional subordinates had not perished due to the inherent danger of the missions—they had become pawns in political schemes, a truth he found intolerable.

Each of them had earned great merits and deserved honor and respect. Yet now, because the upper echelons sought to cover up their crimes, because they had upheld the 'Will of Fire' in their hearts and exposed high-level corruption, they were mercilessly discarded.

With every fallen comrade, this cruel reality pierced through Hatake Sumao's heart like a cold blade—relentless and merciless."

Every loss of a teammate felt like a sledgehammer to his soul. Finally, when the last teammate was about to sacrifice, his inner defenses crumbled completely.

For the first time in his life, he hesitated. His heart was torn between two forces—the weight of the mission and the deep bond he shared with his team. In that moment, he faced the most difficult decision of his life.

In the end, he resolutely chose to protect his teammates and abandoned the mission. In that instant, he seemed to hear a sigh from fate—a quiet certainty settled over him that his path led only to tragedy.

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