Chapter 89: Getting Worse

Hatake Sakumo's chakra was strong and powerful. After a few days of rest in the hospital, he was discharged upon recovery.

However, Sakumo's mood did not improve. The strange attitude of the medical staff left him puzzled.

After returning home, Hatake Sakumo decided to buy some wine, meat, and good food to cook a simple meal for a quiet celebration.

Konoha Village was a ninja community. Ninjas did not engage in production, though the village had many restaurants.

Still, senior executive Utatane Koharu had designated a vegetable market area, ensuring fresh food could be bought and sold in the Konoha market to provide ingredients for the ninjas.

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"Hey, look! Isn't that the one who abandoned the mission and caused Konoha heavy losses?"

"Shh! That's White Fang! He's killed countless people. Do you want to die?"

"What's there to hush about? People like him don't deserve to stay in Konoha!"

"My son died at the border!"

"Is that really him?"

Hatake Sakumo rarely did his own shopping. It was rare for him to be in a good enough mood to come to the market. His senses were sharp—he heard every whisper. His brows furrowed slightly.

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"Get lost! You're not welcome here!"

"Don't even look at my stall—I won't sell to you. Go somewhere else!"

"Coward! Konoha has never wronged you!"

Some furious villagers and vendors hurled vegetables and eggs at Sakumo.

Sakumo didn't dodge. Leaves clung to his clothes as he stood silently, then slowly turned and walked away.

Back home, he showered and changed his clothes.

Hatake Sakumo was powerful—he wouldn't argue with ordinary villagers.

Still, the intensity of the rumors spreading through Konoha left him confused. His missions had never failed—yet now…

He had never taken pride in his success, knowing that failure is inevitable in the ninja world. No one completes every mission perfectly.

Yet those who failed missions weren't persecuted. So why was he being treated this way?

Sakumo, an upright and disciplined shinobi, had many admirers in both the Anbu and the Security Department.

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Kakashi hadn't taken on missions recently. He stayed home, training and spending time with his father.

Seeing Kakashi, Sakumo smiled.

"Let's go, Kakashi. Let's eat at the food court today."

"Yes! Father."

As the son of the White Fang, Kakashi had once been admired by villagers. With his father now discharged, surely people wouldn't dare gossip.

Kakashi still held onto his childlike admiration for his father, unaware of the world's darkness.

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That night, father and son shared a quick meal. The events of the day weighed heavily, even on someone as mentally strong as Sakumo.

"Father, hmph, I'll argue with them tomorrow! I'll show them how narrow-minded and ignorant they are!"

Hearing this, Sakumo couldn't show weakness in front of his son.

"Kakashi, things aren't always so simple. You have to look beyond appearances to see the truth. Those villagers are ignorant. There's no point venting anger at them."

"There's no need to argue over right and wrong. Ninjas must have patience. Only by staying true to your path can you become strong."

"But Father…"

"It's getting late. Go rest."

"…Yes, Father."

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Kakashi had gone from being praised as White Fang's son to being shunned. He couldn't accept it.

He planned to confront the vendors the next day, but his father wouldn't allow it.

Still, Kakashi didn't understand the deeper implications. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep for a long while.

Meanwhile, Sakumo sat quietly on the couch, not asleep.

He had shed blood on battlefields, killed countless enemies—his name alone made foes tremble. He wouldn't break easily.

He looked down at the White Fang Short Sword in his hand, sighed, and slowly drifted into a troubled sleep.

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Konoha

The morning sun streamed in. Stimulated by the light, Kakashi woke up. He'd fallen asleep anxiously, and his sleep had been uneasy.

In the living room, Sakumo was preparing breakfast. There was still food at home; he figured they'd wait it out and everything would go back to normal.

As they finished breakfast, a noise came from the yard.

Sakumo stepped outside and saw a group of villagers throwing stones into the yard. His frown deepened.

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"Ignorant bastard! When has the Third Hokage ever wronged you?!"

"Sakumo! Why did you save me?! Have you forgotten the mission rules?!"

In the crowd, the comrade Sakumo had once saved was now pale-faced and bloodshot, throwing stones and cursing him.

"You…"

Sakumo opened his mouth, but facing the accusations of a teammate he once protected, he was speechless.

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"That mission's failure caused massive losses to Konoha! As a ninja, I was prepared to die!"

"You're not worthy to be a shinobi of Konoha!"

"Why didn't you just let me sacrifice myself?!"

"You're unworthy!"

Stones and debris rained into the yard. Sakumo did not dodge. He was struck, but the pain in his body was nothing compared to the hurt in his heart.

Even the one he had saved now stood against him.

Saying nothing, Sakumo silently turned and staggered back inside.

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Root Headquarters

In the dark base, Shimura Danzō reviewed a file, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I only wanted to damage White Fang's reputation… and now, it's utterly ruined."

"Hiruzen… now you should feel at ease."

Danzo had fanned the rumors, summoned the shinobi Sakumo saved, and berated him harshly.

He reinforced the ideology that a true ninja must be willing to sacrifice everything.

The Jōnin left pale-faced, the idea of "sacrifice" etched deeply into his mind.

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Hokage Building

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen read over the report, took a long breath, and let out a subtle sigh of relief.

As Danzo predicted, White Fang had been broken—just as Hiruzen had hoped.

Hiruzen, the man who had led Konoha for decades, was no longer the hero he once was. Power had consumed him.

More than twenty years as Hokage wasn't enough. He intended to rule for another twenty.

And anyone who posed a threat—like White Fang—had to be eliminated.

He set the letter aside and thought to himself:

"Now we can clarify the incident."

The rumors had already done their work. Even if White Fang's name was cleared now, it would be too late.

His reputation was destroyed. The political threat he posed—gone.

Even if people learned the truth, would they apologize? Unlikely.

Even if guilt lingered, no one would support White Fang as Hokage now. The fear of retribution would outweigh their remorse.

"Mending a broken mirror is just a fairy tale. Once cracked, it never becomes whole again."

Sarutobi had united Konoha after years of clan warfare. But the hero who once saved the village was now a ruler unwilling to pass the torch.

"Ghost Fox, issue a notice. Clarify the White Fang mission. Restore Hatake Sakumo's name."

"Yes! Hokage-sama."

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Security Department

Uchiha Naraku looked at the report in his hand.

Hatake Sakumo was dead—if not physically, then socially. Whether he was still alive no longer mattered.

Even if he breathed, he was nothing but a ghost in Konoha.

"The White Fang of Konoha… feared by enemies, discarded by his own."

"Third Hokage, will everything unfold the way you hoped?"

Naraku whispered softly. He knew—Danzo and Hiruzen would never let such a powerful shinobi live freely.

But for a person like Sakumo, what difference is there between being dead and being erased from society?

"Bai, gather the team. We're going to visit Mr. Sakumo."

"Yes, Lord."

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