Chapter 7: Talk no Jutsu
Seeing that Obito's words to Kakashi were useless against Sakumo Hatake, Hyuga Tatsumi took a deep breath and decided to step up himself.
"What's wrong, Uncle Sakumo? You think it's not right?"
"What would a child like you understand?" Sakumo Hatake remained lifeless.
"I am a child, but I see things more clearly than many people." Hyuga Tatsumi simply sat down beside Sakumo Hatake, took off the forehead protector on his head, and said, "The Caged Bird Seal is hated by many in the branch families, but it's different in my house. My father loves his younger sister, so he chose to have the Caged Bird Seal carved on himself. My aunt wanted to pass the position of Main House Elder to me, so she has refused to marry. But my father insisted that her lineage inherit the main house and planned to have the Caged Bird Seal carved on me..."
He paused and continued, "Actually, I can see it. Father thinks he's doing what's best for Aunt, but his love is too heavy, causing her great pain. She never gave up her plan to pass the position of Main House Elder to me, so she wanted to commit suicide."
Sakumo Hatake moved slightly, seemingly drawn in by Hyuga Tatsumi's words.
"I saw that Aunt's state of mind was wrong, so I took the initiative to find the Clan Head to have the Caged Bird Seal carved. Although this would make Aunt shoulder an even heavier love, it also gave her a heavy responsibility. She must pass down the lineage of the Hyuga Main House Elder; she has no other choice."
Sakumo Hatake said, "Wouldn't she be living in great pain then?"
Hyuga Tatsumi nodded and said, "That's right, but this way she has the motivation to live. Pain can be slowly eliminated. Father and I are both working hard to make her feel happiness. If she's dead, she can't do anything."
He touched the Caged Bird Seal mark on his forehead and placed his hand on Sakumo Hatake. The small palm carried an unimaginable warmth.
"Uncle Sakumo, everything has two sides. To some, the Caged Bird Seal is a means for the main house to enslave the branch family, but in my house, it is a proof of love. Similarly, the same applies to what happened to you. In my view, there is nothing wrong with abandoning comrades to complete a mission, and there is nothing wrong with abandoning a mission to save comrades. Different choices lead to different results, and the person making the choice must have the courage to bear the consequences."
"If you abandon your comrades, have you thought about how to face their families and your own guilty heart? If you abandon the mission, have you thought about how to compensate for the Village's losses?"
"I..." Sakumo Hatake opened his mouth, momentarily lost.
"Death is just an escape; only by living is there a future. Uncle Sakumo, with your strength, is there really no way to make up for the losses brought to the Village by abandoning the mission?"
"Keep the people and lose the land, and both people and land are preserved; keep the land and lose the people, and both people and land are lost!"
Hyuga Tatsumi patted Sakumo Hatake, walked over to his companions, and said loudly, "The Hidden Leaf Village has been established for decades, and the times have long since changed. Uncle Sakumo, the Sengoku era of using any means necessary for a mission is over. In the future, there will be more cases of abandoning missions for the sake of comrades, do you believe it?"
Looking at the young and ignorant faces of Might Guy and the others, Sakumo Hatake's heart surged, unable to calm down for a long time.
Yes, these children might not see as clearly as Hyuga Tatsumi, and might not understand what he said, but the fact that the children came to visit him showed that deep down, they didn't loathe his actions like the adults did.
"Sakumo, Tatsumi is right."
Just then, a majestic voice rang out. The Third Hokage had appeared at the courtyard gate at some point.
"Father, why are you here?" Asuma asked curiously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Asuma. Could he say that because you brat didn't show up so late, I was forced by my wife to come out and find the child?
However, the result seemed good. Hiruzen looked at Hyuga Tatsumi with a complex gaze; this child had truly given him, the Hokage, a good lesson!
"Sakumo, do you have time to chat?" The Third Hokage looked at the dishes prepared by Hyuga Tatsumi and the others and smiled, "It's a pity to have such good food without wine. The Hatake Clan wouldn't be without some treasured fine wine, would it?"
"There is, there is some." Kakashi said hurriedly, "I'll go get it."
"Mhm, then let's drink and chat." Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the dining table, looked at Sakumo Hatake, and said, "What, am I not welcome?"
"No, not at all, Hokage-sama, please sit." Sakumo Hatake hurriedly scrambled up and sat down with the Third Hokage.
"We haven't eaten yet."
Asuma muttered in a low voice. Hyuga Tatsumi gave him a roll of the eyes and pushed him toward the kitchen.
"There's plenty more in the kitchen, enough for you to eat."
After bowing to the Hokage, the companions hurriedly ran to the kitchen, laughing and playing, very lively!
The Hokage smiled as he watched the children's retreating figures. After pouring a cup of wine for Sakumo Hatake, he said, "Sakumo, the times really have changed. The children's thoughts are truly different from us Ninjas who came out of the old era!"
"Hokage-sama, Tatsumi is just a child talking nonsense. Please don't take it to heart, he..." Sakumo Hatake was extremely anxious, fearing the Hokage would have some negative opinion of Hyuga Tatsumi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, interrupting Sakumo Hatake, "Sakumo, Hyuga Tatsumi spoke very insightfully. He helped me resolve a great confusion."
He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "Tsunade's departure, Jiraiya's refusal to return from the Land of Rain, and this matter of yours have all made me reflect. Did I do something wrong? After hearing Tatsumi's words, I realized that with the end of the Sengoku era and the establishment of the Ninja Village, everyone's living environment is changing. The old Ninja regulations are no longer suitable. New Ninjas have deeper bonds; it's normal to value comrades more than the mission."
"But I caused the Village to suffer a huge loss." Sakumo Hatake said with his head lowered.
"Keep the people and lose the land, and both people and land are preserved; keep the land and lose the people, and both people and land are lost. Well said!" Hiruzen Sarutobi smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the sentence.
Sakumo Hatake remained silent, but his mind was racing. What does the Hokage mean? Is he not going to hold me accountable?
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't make him wait long. After taking a bite of food, he said, "Sakumo, do you know Kosuke Maruboshi?"
"I do. Senior Kosuke's mission failure in his early years led to the death of his comrades, so he swore to the Second Hokage-sama to remain a Genin for life."
"Mhm," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "Your abandonment of the mission caused the Village to suffer a huge loss. Given that it was to save your comrades, the punishment will be light. Now, by my authority as the Third Hokage, I strip you of your Jonin status. From now on, you can only serve in the Anbu under a pseudonym as a Genin until the Village's losses are made up. Are you willing?"
"Hokage-sama, is the Village really willing to give me a chance to make amends?" Sakumo Hatake suddenly looked up, incredibly excited.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "When I, the Third Hokage, speak, the Village still has to listen."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Hokage-sama!" Sakumo Hatake was already teary-eyed, falling to his knees with a thud.
"Get up. After eating, clean yourself up properly. The Anbu doesn't take in vagrants."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Sakumo Hatake smiled sheepishly and hurriedly stood up to pour wine for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the kitchen, while holding down Guy who was trying to grab his food, Hyuga Tatsumi, who was listening intently, curled his lip. He thought darkly that the Third Hokage had a clever hand—going with the flow to pin Sakumo Hatake down in a Genin position, ensuring he could never touch the Hokage position again, clearing obstacles for his own direct lineage while gaining an extra workhorse.
However, this was a case of everyone getting what they needed. Without this move by the Third Hokage, relying solely on his Talk no Jutsu, Sakumo Hatake might not have given up on suicide.
Things went just as he expected. As Sakumo Hatake stood up, a ball of light floated out from him and flew straight into Hyuga Tatsumi's body, making him feel incredibly refreshed.
"Wow, a Golden Legend!"
Hyuga Tatsumi was ecstatic. He had originally thought that changing Sakumo Hatake's fate of suicide would be like changing Hyuga Yue's fate and yield a silver ball of light, but it was a golden one!
Why was this?
Was it strength? Or was it due to the difference in prestige?
But now was not the time to investigate. Over the past six months or so, he had come into contact with more people outside the Hyuga family and changed more fates. Although they were all white balls of light, they added up. Combined with this golden ball of light, he now felt like he was about to explode.
He hurriedly jumped into the courtyard, activated his Byakugan, and an invisible Eight Trigrams diagram enveloped the area. Dense palm shadows covered the entire region.
Two palms, eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty-two palms, sixty-four palms!
After finishing a set of Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, Hyuga Tatsumi still didn't stop. His gaze focused, the veins on his face became even more ferocious, and he spun his body. A wall of Chakra enveloped him, repelling all the falling leaves drifting toward him.
"Boom..."
The palm wind was like thunder, and a large crater exploded in the Hatake courtyard, turning the faces of Rin Nohara and the others pale with fright. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake looked solemn.
"Isn't Rotation a Taijutsu that only the Hyuga Main House can learn?"
"She probably taught him secretly. I heard Hyuga Yue dotes on him very much."
"Even so, he's only five years old. To actually be able to learn a Ninjutsu of this level..."
"It seems the Hyuga Clan has produced a super Genius!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly, but thinking back to what Hyuga Tatsumi had said earlier, he felt relieved. This was a good child who had inherited the will of fire.
And Konoha never lacked geniuses!