"Is that the senior we just met?"
Kushina had obviously just met Hatake Sakumo, so she was a bit confused.
"Yes. From the sound of it, it seems he failed a mission because he saved his comrades, which is why the whole village is discussing him."
This matter wasn't simple. A mere failed mission wouldn't cause the entire village to know about it. Someone was constantly fanning the flames. One look and Minato knew it was Shimura Danzō's handiwork.
It couldn't be helped; in Konoha, besides that "King of Scapegoats," there was really no one else who would pit people like this.
Now that public opinion had fully unfolded, it looked impossible to stop.
But Minato wasn't prepared to give up. After all, Hatake Sakumo was a very powerful combat asset. If his figure were missing from the Third Shinobi World War, what a pity that would be.
Moreover, Minato was the future Fourth Hokage; he wouldn't allow his power to be removed by that old immortal Shimura Danzō.
It seemed necessary to go find Hatake Sakumo for a talk.
Having made his decision, after saying goodbye to Mikoto and Kushina, Minato arrived at the Hatake Clan's residence.
Hatake Sakumo was also very surprised by Minato's arrival.
After ushering Minato into his room, Hatake Sakumo began to brew tea to entertain him.
"I wonder if Minato has business with me?"
Hatake Sakumo asked Minato's intention while boiling water.
"Is Sakumo-senpai aware of the rumors outside?"
Minato got straight to the point, not playing riddles with Hatake Sakumo.
"Naturally, I am aware." Hatake Sakumo's hand stiffened for a moment, then returned to a natural state.
"Then I wonder how Senior plans to handle himself?" Minato continued to ask.
Hatake Sakumo didn't answer upon hearing this; obviously, he didn't know how to answer in his heart either. At this moment, he was very lost.
Seeing the confused look in Hatake Sakumo's eyes, Minato sighed in his heart. As expected, he was stuck in it and couldn't extricate himself.
It had to be said, Shimura Danzō's ability to judge people was truly brilliant. One heavy punch directly knocked away Sakumo's pride, eventually leading him to commit suicide to prove his innocence.
Of course, perhaps the Third Hokage's selfishness and weakness also played a part. He most hoped for Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or otherwise Tsunade to succeed his position.
It was just that Hatake Sakumo's limelight was too great, so he turned a blind eye to Shimura Danzō's action this time and didn't intervene.
Besides, this matter couldn't be intervened in now, because the wind direction of the whole village was almost controlled by Shimura Danzō.
Regarding the Third Hokage, Minato wouldn't judge. Everyone has selfishness; Minato didn't think the Third Hokage was wrong on this point.
Because he was also a selfish person; this is unavoidable for humans.
However, the Third Hokage probably didn't expect that it would eventually lead to Hatake Sakumo's suicide. This was something he couldn't have predicted.
But now that Minato was here, he wouldn't let Shimura Danzō's plot succeed.
"Why don't I answer for Senior? As things intensify, I estimate Senior will choose to escape, not face it, and finally, with no way to avoid it, choose... suicide!"
Minato's words were astonishing. At least Hatake Sakumo was shocked, even looking up at Minato in disbelief.
"Am I wrong?" Minato asked back, seeing Hatake Sakumo's expression.
Hatake Sakumo struggled for a moment, then nodded dejectedly. He understood his own personality; in the end, he might really choose suicide just as Minato said.
"Can you tell me the details of this mission?"
Minato was silent for a moment, then asked for the answer he had always known in his heart.
On this point, Hatake Sakumo didn't hide anything.
This time, there was a batch of supplies to be escorted back to Konoha. However, halfway through, they were trapped by a group of ninja of unknown origin. Specifically, his partners were kidnapped by those ninja.
Those ninja of unknown origin gave him two choices: either choose the death of his comrades or abandon these supplies.
Ultimately, for the sake of his comrades' lives, Hatake Sakumo abandoned that batch of supplies and saved his comrades' lives.
"Then Senior, do you know those people? Can you name them? Do you encounter them often?"
Minato knew the trick within as soon as he heard it. It was just that Hatake Sakumo trusted the Konoha higher-ups too much, so he was confused by the situation and didn't think others would frame him.
He didn't know that Shimura Danzō was frenzied enough to sacrifice Konoha's interests to deal with him.
Even to make it realistic, that batch of supplies was really destroyed by someone found to do it. So the "Scapegoat King's" ruthlessness in achieving his goals by any means necessary was unimaginable to anyone; even the Third Hokage didn't know.
He always thought that perhaps their philosophies were different, but deep down, Danzō still had a heart that strove for Konoha.
"I really don't know. But the only thing I know is that those people were all Anbu." After Minato's reminder, Hatake Sakumo also discovered the trick within.
"It seems my guess is correct. If I'm not mistaken about who is behind this, it should be the work of Root's leader, Shimura Danzō."
Seeing Hatake Sakumo knew he had been tricked, Minato simply named the mastermind directly.
Although there was no evidence, as long as it was something targeting a Konoha comrade, pinning the blame on Shimura Danzō was guaranteed to be accurate every time.
"Why?"
The Root leader's power was so great; why target him? Hatake Sakumo couldn't figure this point out.
"Because that guy wants to become Hokage. So for stumbling blocks, he will use any means necessary. Even I was once chased by people he sent because my growth threatened him. The Third Hokage can testify to this."
"Hehe, if he hadn't underestimated my strength back then, maybe I would have died in that mission. At that time, he sent two Jōnin and two Elite Jōnin to attack me."
Minato threw out another bombshell, letting Hatake Sakumo understand Shimura Danzō's ruthlessness.
"So that's how it is. In that case, with my prestige, I have indeed become a stumbling block to him becoming Hokage. No wonder he acted against me."
Hatake Sakumo pondered for a long time, piecing all the clues together. He was finally no longer confused and also understood the heavy doubts in this mission.
At the time, because he was wholeheartedly focused on his Konoha comrades, he didn't think much of it.
Who could have known that these people were there to harm him?
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