MTLNOVEL Chapter 120: The Corrupted Will of Fire
When Hiruzen Sarutobi learned of the news, a sly smile actually appeared on his face. He couldn't help but burst into laughter—his laughter carried a twisted sense of satisfaction, as if Tobirama Senju himself had been reborn in him. At last, he had found an opportunity to move against Hatake Sumao.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen immediately ordered the recall of Hatake Sumao and his entire team while secretly preparing to suppress them. He didn't bother considering how many talented Konoha ninja had sacrificed their lives in this incident, nor did he show any concern for the grief of other families.
In his eyes, other people's children would never run out; as long as it helped maintain his position and power, everything was worthwhile.
This matter also once again clarified Hatake Sumao's true nature in Hiruzen's mind. He realized that Sumao's loyalty lay solely with the Will of Fire. Previously, Hiruzen had seen this loyalty as a virtue—even granting him one of the Hokage's ceremonial half-robes—and viewed him as his right-hand man.
However, as time passed and circumstances changed, after losing Uzumaki Mito—the restraints she provided—Hiruzen, now fully in control, gradually let himself go, deviating from the Will of Fire, no longer upholding it firmly. Eventually, he even began treating it merely as a tool.
The balance of power had quietly begun to shift. Now, Hiruzen began to see Hatake Sumao as a threat. He realized that the Will of Fire he represented had already diverged from the Will of Fire Sumao still served.
This divergence unsettled him because he had always believed himself to be the sole interpreter of the Will of Fire. He could not accept anyone straying from this belief—especially not someone important like Hatake Sumao.
Therefore, Hiruzen stubbornly believed Sumao was wrong and planned to send him home temporarily for self-reflection. He was convinced that, given time, Sumao would come to his senses and return to the right course.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen also intended to observe how events unfolded during this period and see whether there might be better solutions.
Afterward, he planned to remove Sumao from his position as Head of Anbu. Though he hadn't announced it publicly, he had already decided on his successor.
He knew the Anbu needed a new leader—one who could truly carry out his version of the Will of Fire. He believed his son, Sarutobi Shin'nosuke, was the perfect candidate for the role.
Hiruzen never considered that he himself had changed. Arrogantly, he insisted others were at fault, just like Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha—who had newly awakened their Mangekyou—believed their clansmen were wrong instead of realizing their own mistakes or the village's flaws. No wonder the two found common ground.
As for Danzo Shimura, his disposition prevented him from ever grasping the true essence of the Will of Fire. Therefore, he couldn't understand why that so-called "perfect man" would abandon a mission for a mere tool, allowing their plan to proceed so smoothly.
This unexpected discovery secretly pleased him, making him believe it was a chance given by heaven—an opportunity bringing him closer to taming Hatake Sumao, and thus taking another big step toward achieving his dream of becoming Hokage.
Thinking of this, an eerie and sinister smile involuntarily surfaced on his face.
Recognizing it as a rare opportunity, Danzo Shimura quickly arranged a secret meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi. After lengthy discussions, they decided to follow their original plan—exaggerating the importance of Hatake Sumao's failed mission while skillfully downplaying his other accomplishments.
Next, they prepared for a full-scale propaganda campaign aimed at completely cutting off Hatake Sumao's path toward becoming Hokage.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to suppress Hatake Sumao first by stripping him of his position as Anbu Commander and then taking away his ceremonial half-robe, treating it as a severe punishment.
Ultimately, they planned to bring Hatake Sumao back into service only when the next Great Ninja World War erupted. This approach treated him not as a man of dignity but as mere expendable tool.
As for Danzo Shimura himself, he had become synonymous with darkness, not even bothering to keep up a pretense of decency.
Under the false pretext of holding him accountable for losses suffered by the village, Danzo would cast upon Hatake Sumao the cruel tongue-curse seal of absolute eradication, then use brainwashing techniques to turn him into nothing more than a personal instrument. Even worse, he had already set his greedy eyes on Hatake Sumao's son, the young genius widely known as Kakashi.
When Hatake Sumao finally returned to the village after great hardship, he had already anticipated that Hiruzen Sarutobi would move against him—but even so, the extent of what Hiruzen had done still surpassed his wildest expectations.
Not only had he been mercilessly suspended and ordered to remain confined in his home, but someone had deliberately leaked news of his failed mission and exaggerated the damage drastically. Hatake Sumao immediately knew exactly who was behind this scheme.
Yet, he simply could not comprehend how the Hokage, symbol of the village's light, could conceal such profound darkness within. Even if someone like Danzo Shimura existed, it was no justification for this kind of betrayal.
After all, Danzo's power stemmed from the Hokage. To Hatake Sumao, if Danzo committed crimes, the Hokage bore equal responsibility.
During these days of forced isolation at home, Hatake Sumao learned of the fate of the Anbu Tactical Squad that had supported him, which made his heart grow colder and caused the Will of Fire [the sacred fire of duty and sacrifice passed down through generations] within him to slowly fade away.
He knew that if he ever dared resist, those loyal men would be the first ones to face the sharp edge of the White Fang's blade. Worse still, the elderly veterans of the Hatake household who had retired from active duty after sustaining grave injuries during the Second Ninja War [the brutal conflict that scarred an entire generation] would certainly lose their lives too—even though he would never raise his sword against comrades.
Hatake Sumao already foresaw his own fate: they would trample on his beliefs, driving him into unbearable despair. As a true samurai, he began considering the idea of sacrificing his life for his convictions—the very same Will of Fire that Tobirama Senju had personally sown into his heart years ago in the Konoha Academy.
Now, right or wrong no longer mattered. All Hatake Sumao wanted was to walk the path of his heart's truth, guided by the Will of Fire that had been deeply rooted in his heart for so long.
During these days of house arrest, Hatake Sumao had learned about the fate of the Anbu Tactical Squad that had supported him—they were reassigned to Root and branded with [tongue-curse seal of absolute eradication]. For them, even death would become a luxury.
This news struck like a biting wind, extinguishing the last flicker of warmth deep inside Hatake Sumao's heart. His soul felt as if plunged into a frozen abyss. He knew well that if he dared to resist, those who once supported him would be the first to face White Fang's blade.
And his family—the Hatake household, those veterans severely wounded during the Second Ninja War who'd been forced to retire from active duty—would certainly face desperate circumstances with absolutely no hope for survival. More importantly, there was no way he could ever lift a sword against them.
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