Chapter 106: The Hokage's Calculus
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the simple stone marker, the weight of his office and his regrets pressing down on him like a physical force. If I had known… The thought was a useless, cyclical torment. He had been furious when the full report reached his desk. The White Fang, on the cusp of a strategic victory that could have saved countless lives, had thrown it all away for one man. In that moment of hot anger, the dismissal and public censure had felt like a necessary, sharp lesson.
Now, standing in the quiet of the cemetery, his regret was not for the man, Hatake Sakumo, but for the asset, the high-end combat power that was now irrevocably lost. The village was weaker for his absence. That was the cold, hard calculus of leadership.
With a final, weary sigh that plumed in the cool air, he turned away. The Land of Grass needed a new commander, a new banner to rally behind. The news of the White Fang's death would be a rallying cry for Iwagakure, and Sarutobi had to move a piece on the board before their offensive began in earnest.
Back at Kagenori's home, the atmosphere was thick with a different kind of sorrow. Kagenori assisted Kushina in the kitchen, the domestic routine a fragile attempt at normalcy. Kushina nudged him with her elbow, her voice a low whisper. "He's been locked in his room since we got back. Go and talk to him. Comfort him. I'll handle this."
Kagenori shook his head slightly, his gaze distant. "No words will reach him now. He needs to sit with the silence first. I will speak with him after the storm inside him has passed."
Kushina planted her hands on her hips, her worry overriding her patience. "Stop being so clinical! Just go! Even if you just sit with him, that's enough!" The unspoken fear hung between them—the terror that Kakashi, in his despair, might follow his father's path.
With a reluctant nod, Kagenori set the kitchen knife down. "Alright, alright. I'm going."
He found Kakashi sitting on the edge of the bed, a statue carved from grief. His single visible eye was vacant, staring at nothing, seeing only the memory of that dark room. He didn't react to Kagenori's entrance.
Kagenori said nothing. He simply sat beside the boy, a silent presence in the overwhelming quiet. He knew that forced platitudes were poison to a wound this fresh. Kakashi had to first accept the unchangeable fact of his father's death before any healing could begin. For now, the only medicine was company.
The silence was broken only by the distant, comforting sounds of Kushina cooking. Soon, her voice called out, "Food's ready! Come and eat!"
"Let's go," Kagenori said, standing.
Kakashi rose stiffly, a marionette on strings, and followed him to the table.
Kushina shot Kagenori a questioning look. He responded with a slight, helpless shake of his head. Her face fell, but she quickly masked it with forced cheer. "Okay, wash up and eat! I made sukiyaki!"
Throughout the meal, Kushina piled Kakashi's bowl high with food. "You're still growing, Kakashi, you need to eat more!"
Kakashi moved like an automaton, mechanically picking up whatever was in his bowl and swallowing it without tasting it. Kagenori eventually stayed Kushina's hand, worried the boy would make himself sick. After eating, Kakashi returned to his room and lay down, retreating back into his shell.
That night, in Kushina's room—Kagenori now slept on the floor, having given his room to Kakashi—Kushina sighed into the darkness. "How long will he be like this?"
"It may be a long time," Kagenori's voice came from the floor, calm and analytical. "His entire worldview has been shattered. It's not a simple thing to rebuild. But he can be rallied."
"How?" Kushina asked, hopeful.
"By redirecting his focus. By giving him a new purpose."
Days bled into one another. Kakashi remained a ghost in their home, silent and shrouded in gloom. Both Kagenori and Kushina had turned down missions, their presence a constant, quiet support.
They were discussing dinner when a sharp knock echoed through the apartment. Kagenori opened the door to find an ANBU agent, their animal mask impassive.
"Kagenori," the agent's voice was flat. "The Hokage summons you to the Hokage Tower."
"Understood."
Closing the door, he called to Kushina, "I have to go out. The Hokage summons me."
He found Sarutobi Hiruzen in his office, the room hazy with tobacco smoke. The Hokage looked exhausted, dark circles bruising the skin beneath his eyes. The fallout from Sakumo's suicide had been immediate and severe. Iwagakure, emboldened by the loss of their greatest deterrent, had begun aggressive maneuvers in the Land of Grass. Under Nara Shinsuke's temporary command, the Konoha forces could only mount a passive defense. If the front collapsed, it would trigger a chain reaction, pulling the Land of Hot Springs and the Cloud ninja back into a full-scale war. He had already dispatched Jiraiya to reinforce the Hot Springs front; Orochimaru could hold the Land of Waves alone. Now, he needed another piece.
He had summoned Kagenori because the boy's period of mourning was over. A shinobi of his caliber, a high-jounin level combatant, could not be left idle while the village bled. Yet, Sarutobi could not be so blunt. The boy was Kakashi's sensei, and the Hatake tragedy demanded a certain deference.
He took a long draw from his pipe, the concern on his face a carefully crafted mask. "How is Kakashi?"
Kagenori's reply was toneless. "His condition is poor. He remains immersed in his grief, for now unable to find his way out."
Sarutobi sighed, the picture of a burdened leader. "I never imagined Sakumo would choose such a path."
Kagenori remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Sarutobi pressed on, layering the village's ideology over the harsh reality. "However, one must always look to the future. I have faith that Kakashi will overcome this tragedy. He will inherit his father's will and carry on the Will of Fire."
Inside, Kagenori felt a cold, mirthless irony. Inherit the will of the man you broke? Carry on the fire that consumed him? The hypocrisy was so profound it was almost admirable. But he merely bowed his head slightly, the image of the loyal shinobi. "I will do my best to guide him, Hokage-sama."
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