MTLNOVEL Chapter 123: Missions and Companions
When Sakumo Hatake finally made up his mind and slowly drew the legendary White Fang from his back—the sword that had shared countless glories with him—his heart had already braced itself for a tragic end.
Yet at that instant, an unfamiliar yet powerful Blade Intent suddenly invaded his perception. This Blade Intent felt like a frigid gale in the dead of winter, bone-chillingly cold, making Sakumo Hatake involuntarily tremble inwardly.
His gaze instantly sharpened, like two blades cutting through the air toward Shiyu Uchiha's direction. At the same time, his deep and commanding voice rang out, "Who's there?"
Had Sakumo Hatake been in his prime, he would have sensed the other's presence long ago. It was only because Shiyu Uchiha deliberately revealed his presence that Sakumo took notice at all.
Therefore, when Shiyu Uchiha pushed open the door and stepped steadily and slowly into the room, saying, "It's me, Uncle Sumao. Shiyu Uchiha."
Shiyu's eyes remained steady and calm, as if everything was under his control. His arrival caused Sakumo Hatake's otherwise lifeless gaze to flicker with surprise and confusion.
Sakumo stared at Shiyu standing before him, secretly astonished. He realized that Shiyu's strength had risen dramatically within such a short span—even impressing him, who was no stranger to power.
Even more surprising was that Shiyu's aura had undergone a complete transformation; no longer was he the inexperienced youth from before, but instead exuded a formidable pressure—a truly powerful presence.
Shiyu also studied Sakumo Hatake closely, his eyes flickering with mixed emotions. He saw that Sakumo's tall frame still stood proud, yet now bore a heavy aura of death.
Though Sakumo's might remained formidable, it no longer felt like the gentle warmth it once did in ordinary times. Now, even the slightest thought could turn his power into an unbreakable edge.
Instead, his energy now felt chaotic and aimless, even contradicting itself. Clearly, Sakumo's mental state had shattered, which stirred a feeling of instinctive regret in Shiyu—a natural pity any blade master would feel upon seeing such a decline.
Though the White Fang still held strength worthy of legend, his current power barely hovered at the Kage level, sustained mainly by past prowess. His strength was roughly comparable to Danzo Shimura after he achieved the Kage level through Wind Release—not even reaching the level Shiyu had possessed when he first broke through.
In this tense standoff, Shiyu stood like a rising sun—radiant and sharp. In contrast, Sakumo seemed aged, his light fading like a setting sun at dusk.
Shiyu Uchiha remained silent while watching Sakumo Hatake, but soon decided to break the stalemate. Straightforwardly, he said, "Uncle, you don't seem well. What happened? How did it come to this?"
Upon hearing Shiyu's words, Sakumo inhaled deeply, calming his inner turmoil. Instead of answering directly, he spoke slowly, "I never expected we'd meet again so soon. It hasn't even been three years since last we met—and yet your power has grown at an unbelievable speed. Now that's the true Uchiha genius."
"It seems your choice to bide your time and develop steadily was indeed the right path. No wonder you come from a prestigious family with a thousand-year heritage. Of course, this isn't to undermine your personal excellence. It appears I've chosen an even better path for Kakashi." At this moment, Sakumo Hatake's only concern was Kakashi. Seeing Shiyu Uchiha, he didn't believe his son's talent would be weaker than his. Therefore, he felt much more at ease.
Shiyu Uchiha could sense that Sakumo Hatake's gaze remained as piercing as ever. With one glance, Sakumo could see through most of Shiyu's strength. However, in the end, he still couldn't read minds, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up in his current predicament.
"Uncle Sumao, you're truly amazing!" Shiyu Uchiha proudly acknowledged Sakumo Hatake's compliment—it was an honor he deserved after all his efforts, so no need for modesty.
At the same time, he also hoped to liven up the atmosphere a bit, but Sakumo Hatake seemed to be in no mood for jokes. Plus, Shiyu himself wasn't particularly skilled at telling jokes or lifting people's spirits, so silence eventually filled the scene. After a while, Sakumo Hatake spoke up, asking, "What do you think about the question earlier?"
Shiyu replied, "Are you referring to the question you asked Kakashi just now? If it were me answering, I'd say both comrades and missions hold equal importance. However, if forced to choose, personally, I value comrades over missions.
After all, missions carry a price tag, whereas human life is invaluable. As long as someone remains alive, they can keep undertaking new missions, right?
However, things aren't that simple. Comrades differ in closeness and distance; missions vary in urgency and severity. Therefore, these matters cannot possibly be evaluated by a single standard. So truthfully, there simply isn't a definitive answer to this question—you're just trying to make things hard for me on purpose.
To put it plainly, outside of those rare wartime missions that determine the fate of a war, no mission should ever be worth more than your comrades. Because when such critical wartime missions fail, inevitably even more comrades will be lost. Besides, life isn't a math problem—valuing fewer lives to save more, or more to save fewer, just doesn't make sense."
Without hesitation, Shiyu Uchiha voiced his thoughts clearly and firmly to Sakumo Hatake without holding back. Simultaneously, for the rare occasion, a serious expression appeared on his face as he locked eyes with Sakumo Hatake with determined intensity.
Sakumo Hatake listened quietly, falling into contemplation without an immediate response.
Yet, Shiyu didn't wait for his reply as he continued, "I've heard about your story. In my opinion, that mission wasn't important at all, otherwise it wouldn't have spread so widely. Hence, your decision was absolutely justified. Also, are you aware of something?
Back then, those four plus Torifu Akimichi and Kagami Uchiha—altogether six individuals—served as members of the Hokage's personal guard unit. The result, however, was that the entire protection unit returned safely while our Second Hokage met an ambush during the peace treaty signing. He perished providing rear cover for them.
After their mission failed, none of those figures took any responsibility, instead covering things up extremely well. Except for Kagami Uchiha, who died during the mission, the other five are living quite comfortably today. More surprisingly, one of them actually became the Hokage himself!"
"There are three other high-ranking officials in Konoha who love to parade their authority over us, acting like they're above everyone else." Shiyu Uchiha's tone was laced with sarcasm, his glare sharp with disdain. Those old geezers were just too two-faced. If he weren't still lacking in power right now, Shiyu Uchiha wouldn't hesitate to confront them head-on and tell them exactly what he thought.
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