Sakumo couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Honestly, I don't care much about whether I can become Hokage or not. This half-robe, regardless of who proposed it, is an honor that I cannot and will not refuse."
"Maybe that's the influence of the samurai spirit."
The Hatake clan was originally a samurai family, which later transitioned into a ninja clan, but the samurai spirit remained ingrained.
A lack of political insight doesn't mean Sakumo is an idiot. After some deep reflection over the past few days, he seemed to have realized his own shortcomings.
"I don't want Kakashi to end up like me, which is why I told him about your past. You, Usagi Xin, are not just an unknown elite Jonin of Konoha; you're a genius of the village, a hero, a contributor."
"Kakashi is too withdrawn. If he continues learning from me for too long, I'm afraid he'll become even more introverted."
"That's why I hope you can take him in."
Every parent wants the best for their child, to receive the best education and growth, and Sakumo was no exception.
Moreover, the Hatake clan didn't have strange, rigid traditions.
Otherwise, Sakumo wouldn't be trying so hard to find a suitable teacher for Kakashi, hoping to change his son's personality for the better.
He didn't want Kakashi to grow up with flaws.
"I understand your concerns, Senior."
Xin rubbed his face and asked, with a wry smile,
"But why me? There are many suitable candidates in Konoha, aren't there?"
"Because of your strength," Sakumo said seriously.
"And because of your good relationship with Tsunade and your closeness to Kushina. If I approached someone else, they might show favoritism toward Kakashi because of me. That's not what I want."
"So I ask you to take in Kakashi."
"I know you have a habit of not taking disciples, and I know why you're not interested in teacher-student relationships."
"But if you do choose to take Kakashi as your disciple, it means that the Hatake clan will stand by your side. Unless you defect from Konoha, the Hatake clan will be your ally."
It seemed Sakumo was already aware of his and his clan's current situation.
Taking on a disciple in exchange for gaining the support of a powerful ally-was it worth it?
"I'm sorry, Senior."
In the end, Xin still refused Sakumo.
Despite how tempting the offer sounded, Xin had no intention of taking anyone as a disciple.
As for the Hatake clan's friendship, to be honest, Xin didn't really need it.
If Xin had ambitions for the Hokage position, then Sakumo's proposal would undoubtedly be attractive.
But he never had such aspirations.
As for Tsunade...
Come on, if Tsunade really wanted to be Hokage, it wouldn't matter whether she had
Sakumo's support or not; the result would be the same.
There was hardly anyone who could compete with her-not even Orochimaru would have a chance.