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Danzo's goal was to completely eliminate the threat of Hatake Sakumo.

There was no way he could tolerate the existence of someone who might stand in the way of his ambitions for the Hokage position.

Danzo was also well-versed in manipulating public opinion and controlling the hearts of the common people.

Right now, he was orchestrating a wave of praise for Hatake Sakumo.

The more the villagers admired and exalted him, the higher their expectations would become.

Eventually, even the slightest mistake from Hatake Sakumo would be unforgivable in their eyes.

And when that moment came—when Hatake Sakumo inevitably made a critical misstep—all Danzo had to do was slightly nudge public opinion.

The people of Konoha would instantly turn on him.

Their extreme admiration would become extreme hatred.

With words alone, they would destroy the man they once worshipped.

By then, breaking Hatake Sakumo—a man who upheld the purest samurai-like ideals of a ninja—would be effortless.

"The next step is arranging a mission that will lead to Hatake Sakumo's downfall."

"It must be a mission that, on the surface, seems to result in a severe loss for the village—one that would harm its reputation but not its actual strength."

"At the same time, the failure of this mission must be devastating to the reputation of its executor."

Danzo stroked his chin, deep in thought.

The mission had to be one where, if Hatake Sakumo chose to abandon it, he would be blamed for putting his comrades before the village's interests.

He knew Hatake Sakumo too well.

Hatake Sakumo was an exemplary ninja—a perfect embodiment of loyalty and discipline.

And, most importantly, he valued his comrades.

If failing the mission would lead to a major loss for the village, Sakumo wouldn't dare to abandon it just to save his allies.

That was why Danzo had scripted this situation so perfectly.

He was waiting for the right mission to arise and for his unwitting actor—Hatake Sakumo—to take center stage.

This wasn't just about making him fail—this was about ruining his reputation permanently.

Once Hatake Sakumo was disgraced and broken, he would never be able to stand in Danzo's way again.

"Just a little more time… Public opinion still needs to reach its peak before I strike."

Danzo sneered in the shadows.

Five Days Later

After school, Kakashi approached Uchiha Genji's Shadow Clone and extended an invitation.

"Genji, I told my father about you, and he asked me to invite you over tomorrow morning. He wants to discuss kenjutsu with you. Do you have time?"

"Oh?"

Uchiha Genji raised an eyebrow.

"So, it's finally time?"

"Of course, I have time. Don't worry, I'll visit your house on time tomorrow morning."

"I've always wanted to exchange sword techniques with Senior Sakumo."

"After all, in Konoha, Senior Sakumo has the deepest understanding of kenjutsu."

"He's one of the top swordsmen in the entire ninja world."

Of course, sparring and discussing swordsmanship were secondary goals.

The real reason Genji wanted to meet Sakumo was to warn him.

At the same time, he was laying the groundwork to gain Sakumo's trust.

These past few days, Sakumo's reputation had skyrocketed in the village.

People were placing him on a pedestal—almost elevating him to a god-like status.

Even if Genji didn't have informants inside Danzo's Root, he could still sense that something was off.

He had already identified Root agents subtly guiding public opinion—manipulating conversations to fuel Sakumo's rise.

More concerningly, the calls for Sakumo to become the next Hokage were growing louder.

And the Third Hokage wasn't doing anything to suppress it.

Clearly, the Third Hokage had come to an agreement with Danzo.

They were preparing to crush Hatake Sakumo.

Seeing Uchiha Genji praise his father, Kakashi couldn't hide his happiness.

"If you praise my dad, we're automatically friends."

At that moment, Asuma Sarutobi and Obito Uchiha came over excitedly.

"What? Genji, you're going to Kakashi's house to spar with Senior White Fang? We're coming too!"

"And me!" Obito added.

Uchiha Genji smirked.

"Ask Kakashi. It's his house."

Kakashi shrugged.

"I don't mind. Just think of it as coming over for a meal."

"Yeah!"

Obito and Asuma cheered in excitement.

After escorting Kurenai home, Uchiha Genji's Shadow Clone dispersed.

That night, while helping Mikoto practice Bājíquán, Uchiha Genji suddenly received all the memories from his clone.

"Hmm… tomorrow morning, huh?"

"I guess it's finally time."

"I should prepare a gift. But what should I give?"

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

"I can't give him anything too extravagant. I'll just give him some enhanced medical talismans. They might come in handy."

The Next Morning

After breakfast, Uchiha Genji informed his parents and left for Kakashi's house.

Outside the Uchiha compound, he was surprised to see Asuma and Obito waiting for him.

"Yo! Genji! Good morning!"

"You two? Waiting for me this early? That's rare."

"You must really want to meet Senior White Fang."

Normally, at this hour, these two would still be on their way to school.

"Heh! Of course! What if we missed this chance?"

Obito and Asuma grinned.

"Alright, let's go. Let's not keep him waiting."

After a ten-minute walk, they arrived at Kakashi's house.

Knock, knock, knock!

"I'm coming!"

Kakashi's voice came from inside.

The door opened, and Hatake Sakumo himself stood behind Kakashi.

"Welcome! Come in!"

Hatake Sakumo greeted them with a warm smile.

Obito and Asuma were starstruck.

They hadn't expected the legendary White Fang himself to greet them in person.

"S-Senior White Fang! H-Hello!"

Both of them stuttered in excitement.

Uchiha Genji, however, remained calm.

He returned a polite smile and nodded.

"Good morning, Senior Sakumo. Thank you for having us. Please accept this small gift."

He took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Sakumo.

Obito and Asuma suddenly realized their mistake.

They forgot to bring a gift!

They glanced at Genji awkwardly.

"You could've reminded us!"

Uchiha Genji ignored them.

Hatake Sakumo took the envelope, sensing something unusual about it.

"You're too kind," he said. "You didn't have to bring a gift. But thank you. Please, come inside."

Stepping aside, he led them into the front courtyard.

A table had already been set up with refreshments.

After sitting down, Sakumo smiled.

"Kakashi has always been a bit withdrawn. It's good to see he has friends like you."

"Father!"

Kakashi's face flushed red in embarrassment.

Obito and Asuma couldn't help grinning mischievously.

Obito laughed.

"Don't worry, Senior White Fang! We'll take good care of Kakashi!"

Veins bulged on Kakashi's forehead.

"I swear I'm going to punch these two idiots!"

The story continues as Uchiha Genji and Hatake Sakumo prepare to clash in a fierce kenjutsu duel.

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