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'Kakashi, from today onwards, you'll have to strive on your own! Farewell, Kakashi. Farewell, Konoha!'
From this day forth, the White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake, is dead. The one who lives is the rogue ninja, Sakumo.
With a sense of reflection in his heart, Sakumo, who now restored his strength, left the Hatake clan's land without looking back.
In a second, he vanished without a trace.
...
At this moment, Asahi, who had recently arrived in the Land of Lightning, stood in the middle of the road, feeling that something was amiss. His instinct told him that he was being tracked by someone.
Releasing his sensory abilities, Asahi sensed a familiar chakra rapidly approaching from outside the city.
If he remembered correctly, this chakra fluctuation should belong to Sakumo Hatake. It had only been a little over a month since the incident with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Did Sakumo Hatake resolve the trouble so quickly and come out for a mission? It seemed that his warning had some usefulness.
Asahi thought so in his heart, but he didn't pay too much attention. After all, encounters between ninjas on missions in other countries were common.
Although Sakumo seemed to be targeting him, could Sakumo defeat him?
After a short while, Sakumo sensed Asahi's presence. He had been relentlessly chasing Asahi all the way.
First, he went to the border where he had encountered Asahi before, only to find out that Asahi had already left. Then, Sakumo inquired and pursued him all the way.
Fortunately, Asahi didn't hide his tracks; otherwise, Sakumo might not have found him.
Finally, on the fifth day after successfully tracking, Sakumo caught up with Asahi's figure.
However, due to the presence of Shisui, Sakumo did not approach directly.
Instead, he created a shadow clone to use transformation jutsu, preparing to invite Asahi for a talk.
After all, his identity couldn't be exposed in the eyes of Konoha.
As Asahi and Shisui strolled through the streets, they were suddenly intercepted by an elderly man with white hair blocking their way.
Asahi immediately recognized this as a shadow clone of Sakumo. Unaware of the situation, he glanced in the direction of the real Sakumo.
Seeing Asahi looking his way, Sakumo showed no surprise. He controlled the shadow clone to request a private meeting and then dispelled the shadow clone technique.
Shisui looked curiously at Asahi; he was also intrigued by this person's identity.
However, seeing that Asahi had no intention of explaining and didn't ask much, he didn't press further.
In secret, Asahi split a shadow clone to meet Sakumo Hatake. Meanwhile, the original continued to stroll through the streets with Shisui, experiencing the customs of the Land of Lightning.
Upon seeing Sakumo Hatake, Asahi felt a wave of surprise. Because, at this moment, Sakumo was dressed in civilian attire, and he wasn't even wearing his signature weapon, the White Fang short sword.
Most importantly, what's with this malnourished appearance?
No wonder Asahi was surprised; all the way, Sakumo had been rushing to find him, with no time to take care of his body.
And, having left without anything, he could only sustain himself by hunting for wild animals.
The clothes on Sakumo Hatake's body were all obtained by chance from bandits encountered on the road.
"White Fang, may I know the reason for your visit?"
Although surprised by Sakumo's appearance, Asahi didn't inquire. Instead, he went straight to the point.
Hearing Asahi's question, Sakumo didn't hesitate and directly spoke:
"Lord Asahi, no need to be polite. Just call me Sakumo. I came today because I want to follow Lord Asahi."
Upon hearing this, Asahi felt his head buzzing. What's going on? Not only did the address change, but it was also a mouthful of nonsense.
Since when did he have this overbearing aura, attracting a powerful figure without even inviting him?
"Um, what do you mean by that? Aren't you the head of ANBU in Konoha?"
Asahi asked somewhat puzzled. To this, Sakumo Hatake shook his head and said something that left Asahi even more bewildered.
"Sakumo Hatake, White Fang of Konoha is dead."
"Huh?"
Asahi raised an eyebrow. Are you kidding me? Then Sakumo continued, making Asahi even more confused.
"After our last separation, as expected, Lord Asahi guessed it right. After returning to the village, I was suppressed by the higher-ups, and rumors spread within the village."
"In helplessness, I had to fake my death and escape. Only this way, Kakashi can avoid being implicated and have a hopeful future."
Upon hearing this, Asahi's eyebrows raised slightly. He could naturally discern Sakumo's intentions, but he didn't expect Sakumo to make such a decision to fake his death and escape.
"Do you want Kakashi to strive for the position of Hokage?"
"Hehe, in Konoha, which clan wouldn't want to have their own Hokage? Only then can the clan truly have a profound foundation in this era."
Upon hearing Asahi's words, Sakumo shook his head helplessly. Asahi glanced deeply at Sakumo—the bonds of the clan!
Even if you don't want it, being a part of it means being bound by it. After all, you can't escape the upbringing the clan has given you since childhood.
"Why then choose to follow me? With your strength, both navigating the ninja world and leading a peaceful life should be easy, right?"
Asahi looked at Sakumo Hatake, asking in a calm tone. Without hesitation, Sakumo Hatake directly revealed his purpose.
"Based on the descriptions of the Sannin and the information collected by Konoha, Lord Asahi's strength has surpassed this era. Although I don't know how it compares to the First Hokage, it's not crucial."
"However, these details are not important anymore. My strength has reached its peak. In the future, it will only decline. I hope that when Kakashi needs help in the future, I can provide him with enough support. So, I need to further improve my strength or maintain it at the current level."
"And being by your side, I feel there is a possibility of achieving that goal."
Looking at Sakumo's sincere expression, Asahi fell silent for a moment.
He didn't dwell on the incorrect assessment of his strength due to Konoha's misinformation; after all, it was beneficial to him.
This could be seen in the conveniences he had in Konoha before.
He was contemplating whether to keep Sakumo by his side, knowing that he couldn't take Sakumo as a disciple.
Leaving aside other reasons, as a senior of the Sannin, Sakumo was almost the same age as Asahi.
His years of dignity as a strong individual wouldn't allow him to become Asahi's disciple.
After all, Asahi wasn't a powerhouse capable of manipulating time and space. With effort, Sakumo could catch up to Asahi's current strength.
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