In his bid for power, Danzo would stop at nothing.
"Old folks like him should be thrown into prison, so they don't spend their days making trouble."
Tsunade was furious, but there wasn't much she could do.
She was already overwhelmed with work.
Even if she wanted to help Hatake Sakumo, it was already too late.
From the moment the rumors spread, Sakumo was destined to become a scapegoat, at least for the time being, with many watching his every move.
Moreover, these were only Tsunade's suspicions. Without evidence, stepping forward wouldn't make any difference.
Even if she barged into Danzo's house and confronted him, if he chose to deny it, there would be nothing she could do.
Unless the Third Hokage had the resolve to punish him.
Just as Tsunade had predicted.
The Anbu found Danzo and conveyed the Third Hokage's message.
Danzo was furious:
"I had nothing to do with this!"
As long as there was no definitive evidence and the Third Hokage didn't take strong action, Danzo could rest easy. At most, he would be suspected.
Any investigation would end inconclusively.
After all, he still had people in the Anbu who could sway the narrative. No matter how deep they dug, Danzo would remain innocent.
At worst, he could throw a scapegoat to take the blame.
And that was only if the Third Hokage thoroughly investigated. If he didn't, no one else could get to the bottom of it.
No evidence would ever point to Danzo.
Public opinion continued to fester, with more and more people gathering at Sakumo's door to shout and protest, but Sakumo paid them no attention.
Slowly, after the Hokage office issued some announcements, the villagers' attention was diverted.
The villagers moved on, but Sakumo found no comfort in it.
He had held onto a small hope that the Third Hokage would step forward to clear up the misunderstanding.
But in the end, even that small hope was dashed.
"Kakashi, what do you think about your father staying home and always being here for you?"
"Huh?"
Kakashi was glad that the villagers had moved on and that the rumors hadn't escalated further.
But he was confused by his father's question.
Staying home with me all the time?
Was that even possible?
Before long, father, you'll be busier than anyone else.
The disbelief in his son's eyes brought a wry smile to Sakumo's face.
He hadn't imagined that when he seriously discussed the idea with his son, the response would be far from ideal.
Maybe I've really been too busy in the past?
Sakumo began to reflect.
The matter of reinforcements couldn't be delayed any longer, or Orochimaru would continue to be overwhelmed.
It was true—ending a war quickly was impossible.
Even if Kirigakure was weakened, they were still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages; Konoha couldn't simply crush them.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The knocking at the door interrupted the Third Hokage's thoughts.
"Come in."
Frowning slightly, clearly displeased at being interrupted, the Third Hokage quickly adjusted his demeanor.
"Lord Hokage."
Hatake Sakumo entered the office and bowed slightly.
"Sakumo?"
The Third Hokage smiled faintly:
"How have you been feeling during your rest at home?"
"Quite well."
Sakumo forced a smile and placed the application he had prepared on the desk.
"?"
What is this?
The Third Hokage didn't remember assigning Sakumo any tasks that required gathering information.
Facing the Hokage's puzzled look, Sakumo said seriously:
"Lord Hokage, I've been thinking a lot lately and realized that I've been too busy, with little time to spend with my family.
Kakashi is no longer a child; he's growing up, and I want to be there for him more as he matures."
"This is a promise I made to his mother. I hope you'll approve my request, please."
Sakumo bowed to express his gratitude.
What does this mean?
The Third Hokage was still trying to process.
"Do you mean you want to take a leave of absence?"
But aren't you already on leave, Sakumo?
It's mandatory leave, and you have plenty of time to be with Kakashi now!
What are you trying to say today?
Wait!
Suddenly, the Third Hokage realized something and hurriedly opened the application on his desk, immediately feeling dizzy.
Hatake Sakumo was applying for retirement?
What kind of joke was this?
The Third Hokage had intended to assign him a new mission in a while.
But now Sakumo was coming to him, asking to retire!
"No! I can't agree to this!"
There was no questioning Sakumo's abilities; if a shinobi of his caliber were to retire, it would be a massive loss for Konoha.
He couldn't let this happen.
"Sakumo, if this is about Orochimaru, I sincerely apologize. You must understand Orochimaru's ambitions."
Sakumo nodded and said:
"Lord Hokage, I know Orochimaru wants to become a Hokage candidate, but my retirement has nothing to do with that. That's in the past, and I don't wish to revisit it."
"Besides, my departure could actually benefit Orochimaru."
...
The Third Hokage opened his mouth, but none of the arguments he had in mind came out.
Damn it!
He was on the verge of swearing.
If he had known things would come to this, he would never have allowed Orochimaru and Danzo to target Sakumo, nor would he have stood by.
And now, Sakumo's spirit was broken, he was tired of it all, and he wanted to retire.
Fine, let Orochimaru and Danzo play their games—I won't be a part of it anymore.
Wait, besides that, there was also the recent public outcry...
Danzo!
This was all your doing.
The Third Hokage was so furious that steam practically rose from his head.
"Kakashi's growth requires my presence, and I want to be a good father. Therefore, I sincerely hope the Lord Hokage will approve my request. Thank you very much."
After thanking the Hokage once more, Sakumo left without hesitation.
He didn't want to argue about right and wrong with the Third Hokage anymore—he was tired.
Perhaps retiring to stay at home and spend time with Kakashi was the best choice.
For most shinobi, retirement meant sealing certain memories and living like an ordinary person.
But Sakumo knew he wouldn't be afforded such a luxury; his memories wouldn't be sealed.
And he wouldn't be allowed to leave Konoha.
He would simply have to remain in Konoha and live out his days quietly.
And that was if his retirement request was approved.
If the Third Hokage chose to withhold approval, the result would be similar to what had happened to Takuya a few years ago.
As he walked out of the Hokage office, Sakumo felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Looking up at the blazing sun, he thought he might as well visit the market.
He could buy some ingredients and make a nice meal for Kakashi, practicing his cooking skills so Kakashi wouldn't keep complaining about his bad cooking.
He was good at killing, but cooking well was a different matter altogether.
But cooking could be learned, and Sakumo believed that as long as he put in the effort, even if he couldn't become a great chef, his food wouldn't be that bad.
He didn't expect to create gourmet dishes—just ones that wouldn't disappoint Kakashi.
"Bang!"
Sakumo had left, but the Third Hokage was growing more and more frustrated. It was happening again!
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at Patreon com/ Emik01.
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The next goal is 1500 for 2 chapters
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