Konoha: Sage Body

"The mission must be completed, but the three of you do not need to carry out this mission. I will complete this mission alone."

Hatake Sakumo said calmly.

Kirito, Chizuru, and Nawaki all had surprised expressions on their faces when they heard that Hatake Sakumo wanted to complete this mission alone.

They had thought that Hatake Sakumo would force them to go on this mission together, but they had never expected that he would choose to shoulder all of it alone.

After all, they had only spent a little over a week with Hatake Sakumo. Although they had fought many battles together, their relationship had not yet reached the level of being life-long friends.

Because the danger they encountered was not considered dangerous at all to Hatake Sakumo, in the Shinobi world, basically no one could stop him if he wanted to leave.

The three of them, Kirito, Chizuru, and Nawata, didn't know what to say for a moment when they heard that Hatake Sakumo would choose to go on this extremely dangerous mission alone. They all looked at Hatake Sakumo with complicated expressions.

Nawaki is a Konoha ninja with a pure will of fire. His beliefs do not allow him to ignore the danger his companions are in.

After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and decisively stepped forward, saying aloud, "No way. We're a team, and I, Nawaki, am not someone who fears death. I'll take this mission."

When Kirito heard what Nawaki said, appreciation flashed in his eyes.

On this mission, Nawaki was certainly not very reliable, and at times he was a burden due to his impulsiveness, and he also attracted a lot of unnecessary trouble from time to time. However, his character is worth guaranteeing.

This kind of character that is willing to risk his life to help others is undoubtedly a very dazzling human light, and it is also the best expression of Nawaki's personality charm.

Part of the reason why Kirito is willing to protect Nawaki and doesn't want his teacher and Tsunade to be sad is that this kind of precious character in Nawaki is also a very important reason.

Nawaki is like a little sun. As long as he is around, Konoha will have hope and people will be united.

"You're right. We're a team of ninjas. Since this mission was given to us by Sandaime, Hatake Sensei shouldn't take it all on by himself. I'll count this mission as one of mine too. As long as we complete this mission, I'll definitely become a hero in Konoha."

Kirito raised his hand and smiled.

"Hmph, the Uchiha clan is never afraid of life and death. I just didn't think this mission was reasonable for us, I didn't say I wouldn't go,"

Chizuru said coldly, awkwardly raising her hand.

Hatake Sakumo looked at the choice made by the three of them and was deeply moved. He increasingly believed that the choice he had made after careful consideration was correct. The three children in front of him were all good, and it was worth his life to protect them as they grew up.

He took a deep breath and said in a cold voice, "This mission is not something that you three brats can accomplish. If you three follow me, you will only become a burden to me. Nawaki in particular, you have always been clumsy and make mistakes easily, and you will attract unnecessary trouble."

"How can you say such a thing, Hatake Sensei? I was wrong about you,"

Nawaki was poked in a sore spot by Hatake Sakumo and angrily said, "How can you say that, Teacher Hatake?

I admit that I am the weakest in the team, and because of me, the White Fang Squad has also attracted a lot of trouble, but I don't want it to be this way, and I have been working very hard to improve my strength and contribute to the mission."

Moreover, he had just clearly tried to help Hatake Sakumo out of goodwill, but he didn't expect to be so disliked by Hatake Sakumo. The psychological gap was a bit too much for a while, and he angrily left.

When Kirito saw this, he immediately activated the Mind Body Transmission Technique without saying a word, asking Chizuru to keep an eye on Nawaki and not let him do anything alone.

Chizuru heard Kirito's transmission and then saw Kirito's pleading gaze. She snorted in displeasure and reluctantly went after Nawaki.

Soon, the room was left with only Hatake Sakumo and Kirito.

"Hatake Sensei, you deliberately made Nawaki leave, and I distracted Chizuru, so now we're the only two left here. Why don't we be honest with each other?"

Once Chizuru had also left the room, Kirito spoke to Hatake Sakumo, his face showing a serious expression.

He and Hatake Sakumo knew full well how dangerous this mission was. While there was a possibility that Hatake Sakumo could succeed in completing the mission alone, there was a greater possibility that he would fail and die.

Therefore, if Hatake Sakumo wanted to successfully complete the mission, he would need a reliable helper.

Kirito thought about it and came to the conclusion that the only person in White Fang Squad who was capable of effectively helping Hatake Sakumo was him, because he could use the Spirit Transformation Technique, had excellent reconnaissance abilities, and now had mastered the Lightning Transformation Technique, which gave him excellent escape abilities. He could be said to be the best scout.

Finally, his personal strength is also extremely powerful, and he can share the pressure on Hatake Sakumo during the mission.

"Kirito, this mission is very dangerous. You are indeed a very good helper, but I don't want you to participate in this operation. This mission gives me a strange feeling. You are a smart boy, and you should understand that this mission is unusual."

Hatake Sakumo heard this and looked deeply at Kirito, sighing.

Regarding recent events in Konoha, as soon as he returned to the battlefield camp, someone from the ANBU came to see him, and told him about the mysterious Shadow-Level powerhouse who killed Danzo, and about Sandaime's hope that he would become the new head of the Root.

Hatake Sakumo was not interested in politics, and he had no desire to become Hokage. He just wanted to be a blade, a blade that could eliminate any crisis for Konoha. But that didn't mean he didn't understand politics.

He is Konoha's Kage-Level powerhouse. His strength is not as good as Sandaime's, but it is also not far behind.

Naturally, he usually encounters many people with ulterior motives.

Because of these people with ulterior motives, he has suffered a lot, but thanks to them, he has come to understand the filth and darkness within Konoha.

Over the years, he has been able to rely on his formidable strength to stay out of trouble and stay away from politics.

As an outsider, he sometimes sees the current situation in Konoha more clearly than those in the know.

Danzo's death was obviously a game within Konoha.

The two sides of the game should be the Senju clan and Sandaime.

Thinking about what happened to the White Fang squad before, he quickly realized that it was Danzo's plot. As for whether Sandaime was behind it, he wasn't sure.

He was one of the people who knew that Danzo had been placed under a curse mark by Sandaime.

Therefore, it is difficult for him not to think that Danzo was instructed by Sandaime to frame Nawaki.

The Senju clan must have learned about Danzo's plot to frame Nawaki and, desperate, resorted to killing Danzo to warn those within Konoha who also wanted Nawaki dead.

The importance of Nawaki is naturally clear to Hatake Sakumo. He is the hope for the revival of the Senju clan and the seed for Konoha's Wood Release to regain its glory. If he dies, the Senju clan will most likely decline.

As for who told the Senju clan that Nawaki was assassinated by Danzo?

The only person he could guess was Kirito.

In the White Fang squad, he was the only one who could read information from the enemy.

Kirito is the only person in the squad that he cannot read, and ever since Kirito's Lightning Release breakthrough to the mysterious realm, he can't read him anymore.

But one thing is for sure, although Kirito is young, his mind is not. He is very smart and has a high level of political wisdom.

This can be seen from the fact that after he discovered that the person behind the assassination of Nawaki was Danzo, he did not immediately tell him, but instead secretly reported it to the Senju clan.

The reason Kirito didn't tell him was definitely because he suspected that the person behind Danzo was Sandaime, and he was worried that he would tell Sandaime.

Hatake Sakumo now even suspects that the Senju clan's plot to kill Danzo also involved Kirito. After spending so much time with Kirito, he knows very well that Kirito is a very cold person, and his attitude towards his enemies is to wipe them out.

Danzo's assassination of Nawaki has undoubtedly indirectly offended Kirito.

Given Kirito's personality, he definitely wants to kill Danzo very much, because in his eyes, Danzo has long since ceased to be a companion and has become an enemy.

"It is precisely because the mission is so unusual that I need to do my best to complete it. Nawaki may not be very smart, but he was right about one thing just now: if Team White Fang can complete this mission, it will definitely become Konoha's heroes.

On the contrary, if Team White Fang fails the mission, Hatake Sensei, me, Chizuru, and Nawaki will definitely be branded as losers by some people, and they might even slander people behind our backs. Many people will even blame us for Konoha's failure to defeat the Sunagakure.

And if Hatake Sensei dies and the three of us survive, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to continue to establish ourselves in Konoha in the future."

Kirito saw that Hatake Sakumo insisted on going on a mission, and shook his head.

To be honest, he had originally wanted Hatake Sakumo to give up on the mission, but since Hatake Sakumo insisted on going, he had no choice but to accompany Hatake Sakumo on the mission.

If Hatake Sakumo did not give up on the mission and died on it, but the three of them survived, what kind of treatment would they face when they returned to Konoha?

Hatake Sakumo is, after all, a Kage-Level powerhouse. His death will surely make many Konoha ninja very indignant. Even if the three of them explain that Hatake Sakumo did not want them to accompany him on the mission, the other Konoha ninja probably will not forgive them.

It can be said that Hatake Sakumo is actually doing a disservice by being kind.

If he succeeds in assassinating Rasa and manages to escape, that would be fine. But if he dies, it will be difficult for the three of them to continue to climb the ranks in Konoha and gain power in the future.

Their situation is not like that of the Sandaime, where after the death of the second generation, Konoha could rely on the third generation and others to carry the banner, and did not have to take the blame for the death of the second generation.

If Hatake Sakumo dies, the three of them will definitely have to take the blame.

Hatake Sakumo was shocked when he heard what Kirito had just said, and he instantly realized that his actions had indeed been inconsiderate. He had only been concerned about protecting the three of them, but had forgotten about the impact of a failed mission on the three of them.

Kirito was right. If the mission failed, especially if he died, the three of them would definitely have a hard time in Konoha in the future.

Moreover, with the talent Kirito had now shown, it was only a matter of time before he broke through to the kage level. It might be as soon as another year. Such a genius was undoubtedly arrogant. If he was treated unfairly by the village and became resentful, that would definitely be a very dangerous thing.

Perhaps Kirito will not betray Konoha, but as soon as he is fully fledged, he will definitely stir up a bloody storm in Konoha. With his ruthlessness towards his enemies, he will mercilessly eliminate all voices that oppose him.

"This must not be allowed to happen. If Kirito causes a disturbance in Konoha in the future, Konoha will be seriously injured."

The more Hatake Sakumo thought about it, the more frightened he became, and his face turned pale.

"Kirito, I was inconsiderate. Let's discuss how to complete this mission together."

Hatake Sakumo smiled bitterly at Kirito after thinking through the pros and cons.

"Can't the teacher refuse this mission?"

Kirito countered.

As long as Hatake Sakumo volunteered to refuse the mission, only Hatake Sakumo would be the one to take the blame, and the three of them would not have to bear any responsibility at all, and Hatake Sakumo would probably not have to die.

As for whether Hatake Sakumo would commit suicide again due to the accusations and insults from the people in the village, he was not sure.

"The mission must be carried out. I am not afraid to tell you that Iwagakure has secretly contacted Sunagakure after releasing the first Kazekage and Chiyo's son, Akashige. If we do not quickly block the source of Sunagakure's unknown funds, once Sunagakure and Iwagakure join forces against Konoha, Konoha's situation will not be good."

Hatake Sakumo heard the meaning in Kirito's words, and after a moment of silence, he explained with a face full of difficulty.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered refusing this somewhat unreasonable and difficult task, but after learning that Iwagakure and Sunagakure would likely join forces, his heart, which deeply loved Konoha, would not allow him to back down.

Even though he knew full well that he would likely not return from this mission, he would go through with it without hesitation, fighting for a glimmer of hope for the peace and stability of Konoha.

"What a shining light. It would be such a waste for such a pure person to die."

When Kirito learned the reason, he couldn't help but respect Hatake Sakumo's spirit of sacrifice and dedication to Konoha.

This is a person worthy of respect. The reason Konoha has been able to grow and develop and continue to survive in the ninja world is precisely because there are such pure people quietly contributing behind the scenes, supporting the Konoha tree.

Like Nawaki, Hatake Sakumo is also a person who has inherited the pure will of fire, and is completely different from some people whose understanding of the will of fire has been distorted.

Such outstanding talent must be protected.

"I understand, I will definitely do my best to assist the teacher in completing the mission, but before that, can you give me some time? I need to take care of something, something that will greatly enhance our completion of this mission."

Kirito smiled after understanding Hatake Sakumo's determination.

"What's the big deal?"

Hatake Sakumo asked curiously.

The next moment, Kirito held out both hands, and two types of chakra, Lightning Release and Water Release, appeared on the palms of his hands. Then, under his control, the two chakras of different natures began to mix with each other and spin at high speed, forming a chakra ball with two different colors.

Soon, a new type of chakra appeared before Hatake Sakumo's eyes, adding a new color to the chakra ball.

Gradually, the area covered by the new color increased, and the Chakra ball eventually turned into a single color, emitting a powerful and unique Chakra fluctuation.

Hatake Sakumo was an insightful ninja, and the look on his face the entire time he watched Kirito's Chakra ball in his hands was one of shock.

Bloodline Limit.

After Kirito upgraded Lightning Release to the Mystic Realm, in just a few days, he actually managed to create a Bloodline Limit.

This is truly unexpected.

"When did you succeed?"

Hatake Sakumo swallowed, asking.

"Yesterday,"

Kirito answered truthfully.

After breaking through to the fifth level of Lightning Release, the formation of Storm Release became very easy, and it could be said to have come naturally.

After thousands of attempts at fusing the two different types of chakra lines, he successfully found the knack of fusion and finally succeeded in creating Storm Release chakra within his body.

The moment Storm Release Chakra was created in his body, he noticed that his body had begun to undergo some kind of positive change. The biggest change was that the amount of Chakra in his body had recently been rising.

He was also becoming more and more adept at using the Lightning Transformation Technique.

He knew that it was because of the formation of Storm Release, a Bloodline Limit, within his body, and that it was changing his bloodline.

However, this change in the root of his bloodline obviously did not happen overnight and would take some time to complete.

This could be seen from the fact that the attribute panel had not yet appeared above Storm Release.

"This is truly something to celebrate. Congratulations on becoming a Bloodline Limit ninja,"

Hatake Sakumo said enviously.

At one time, he had also wanted to become a Bloodline Limit ninja, because Bloodline Limit ninjas were generally much stronger than ordinary ninjas and could also use some very powerful ninjutsu, which he had envied when he was young.

Now, his goal from his youth has been accomplished by this 10-year-old brat Kirito, which really makes him envious.

"Thank you, Hatake Sensei. After the Bloodline Limit of Storm Release formed within me, I can feel that my strength is rapidly improving. Just give me some time, and I might be able to reach the same height as you. By then, I will definitely be able to play an even greater role, don't you think?"

Kirito dispersed Storm Release Rasengan and continued to smile as he said, "Storm Release: Spiral of Destruction".

Hatake Sakumo was silent and did not give an answer right away.

He knew that what Kirito had just said was true, but it was unknown when Kirito would break through to the kage level, and the mission was already imminent. He didn't have much time to waste, and Sandaime definitely wouldn't give him much time either.

"Don't worry, teacher. What I meant by asking you to wait a while was for you not to rush into things, not to do nothing at all. In the meantime, we can continue with what we were doing before, cutting off Sunagakure's supply lines, as well as gathering intelligence from as many sources as possible, formulating a detailed plan, and striving to successfully complete this mission."

Kirito saw that Hatake Sakumo did not immediately refuse, and decisively took advantage of the situation while the iron was hot.

Hatake Sakumo finally stopped hesitating when he heard Kirito say this, accepted Kirito's request, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll take a chance then."

For the sake of Konoha, he was willing to risk it all this time, even if he would offend Sandaime as a result.