Qianyu took the possible death of Sakumo Hatake next year very seriously.
In his eyes, this was a critical event. The Witness Points he could gain from it would be substantial.
His analysis of the current warfront was clear. The Leaf's stability in the Land of Grass, the very deterrence keeping Iwa-nin from acting rashly, hinged on Sakumo Hatake.
Sakumo's importance was akin to Orochimaru and Jiraiya's presence in the Land of Hot Springs. With those two there, Kumo didn't dare make a move.
Sakumo Hatake, the genius hailed as 'Konoha's White Fang'. His strength was formidable, his reputation echoed across nations. Even the 'Legendary Sannin' held him in respect.
Yet a man like that… would be condemned by his village for abandoning a mission to save a comrade. The very comrade he saved would turn on him. Unable to bear the ostracism, he'd choose death.
What a fucking joke.
A shinobi that powerful, that loyal to Konoha… taken out by such a pathetic reason.
Qianyu was certain Sakumo's suicide wasn't just about blame from villagers and comrades. If he'd killed himself over something that laughable, his mental fortitude would've been pitiful.
A man who carved out such a legendary name in the shinobi world had to possess an unshakeable will. Ordinary gossip and public opinion wouldn't have broken him. Not even for Kakashi's sake would he have just… ended it all.
You didn't become that strong with a weak psyche.
No. In Qianyu's view, Sakumo's suicide was likely a shattering of faith.
That final, classified mission he'd been on had to be vitally important for Konoha. Sakumo chose a comrade's life over the mission, incurring massive losses for the Leaf.
Yet his actions—protecting a comrade at the cost of the mission—aligned perfectly with the Will of Fire.
His comrades' accusations in the village shouldn't have shaken that belief.
Accepting punishment for mission failure was right. Sakumo wouldn't have shirked that responsibility.
But the Will of Fire was Konoha's creed. The resolve to protect your comrades, even if it meant mission failure… that shouldn't have drawn such scorn.
Sure, the mission failed because Sakumo went to save someone. But the responsibility wasn't his alone. His teammate shared the blame.
More importantly, was Sakumo, a staunch believer in the Will of Fire, supposed to just watch his comrade die?
And the key issue: that mission was classified. Top secret. How did everyone know the details?
A leak like that… it was suspicious. Mission failure on a classified op? Ordinary villagers and shinobi shouldn't have known a thing.
Someone spread it. Deliberately.
Logically, any ordinary ninja who learned of a failed classified mission should've been investigated. Knowing the details? Unthinkable.
The leak meant the higher-ups' attitude was clear: they blamed Sakumo too.
As a firm supporter of the Hokage's faction, Sakumo likely faced criticism even from Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
That outcome… it could break a man's faith. Drive him to take his own life.
Konoha's darkness, hidden beneath its veneer of light, was everywhere. Danzō's schemes. The Uchiha massacre. Even Hiruzen's hands weren't clean.
It showed how hypocritical and rotten the village truly was.
But what made Sakumo's suicide a pivotal event for Qianyu wasn't the man's personal strength or story.
It was his strategic importance on the Land of Grass front.
If something happened to Sakumo, Iwa would make its move. No question.
Iwa was cunning. Unlike Kumo, who'd clashed with Konoha at full intensity from the start, Iwa bided its time. But the moment they spotted a weakness in the Leaf's defenses, they'd strike it hard.
These past three years, the situation had stabilized. But everyone knew: it only took one spark to ignite total war.
Qianyu's guess? Sakumo's suicide would be that spark.
Even if it wasn't, it would accelerate the war's outbreak.
Once Iwa moved, Kumo would respond. Suna, already eyeing Konoha like a piece of meat, would join in. And Kiri, with its forces stationed in the Land of Waves, was just waiting for an excuse.
That's why Sakumo's death mattered. It would dictate the timing for the full-scale eruption of the Third Great Shinobi War.
So Qianyu had to go to the Land of Grass.
But even without this, he'd have gone anyway.
Kushina Uzumaki was his age. Qianyu was sixteen now. So was Kushina.
Only two years left. Two years until she came of age.
The last time he'd seen Mito Uzumaki, the woman was showing her age. She didn't have much time left.
That meant he and Kushina were running out of it.
He'd spoken to Orochimaru before about the surviving Uzumaki in the Land of Grass. His target was Karin's future mother.
He wasn't sure if she was there now, though. Karin's mother had joined Kusagakure to protect her daughter, but Karin wouldn't be born for several more years. This meant her mother likely wasn't in the village yet.
But Qianyu's guess? She was probably in hiding somewhere in the Land of Grass. The Uzumaki's red hair was too distinctive. Wandering around would make her a target. Staying put in one place was safer.
Later, after having Karin, her unique chakra would likely be discovered by shinobi, forcing her mother to join the nearby Kusagakure.
If he couldn't find her, he needed a backup plan.
Plan B: his own eyes.
After three years of intense combat, his Sharingan had evolved. Both eyes were three-tomoe now. But unlocking the Mangekyō… who knew how long that would take?
The system store offered another path. For 10,000 Witness Points, he could unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan outright. Since he had Uchiha blood, the price wasn't outrageous.
He was only short by about 3,000 points.
It was the fastest, most direct way to boost his power right now.
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