Kapitel 113: Sakumo

After resolving the tsunami, Chen turned around and returned to the place where he had been negotiating with Kumogakure. All the Cloud ninjas had left.

In fact, after he had struck the Eight-Tails away, all the Cloud ninjas had already retreated.

Although A led his troops away, the shockwave from Chen's wind punch swept away hundreds of ninjas, leading them to a certain death under the pressure of the wind. A was horrified witnessing this scene. Taking advantage of Chen's departure, he quickly carried his father on his back and ordered his troops to escape as soon as possible.

Looking around and seeing no Cloud ninjas, Chen simply deactivated his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and returned to the Konoha Station.

When he arrived at the Konoha station, he noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat tense, but he didn't pay much attention to it and went straight to his residence.

As soon as he crossed the threshold of his tent...

"Brother Chen, you're back! Someone came looking for you earlier," exclaimed Konan as she ran towards him and threw herself into his arms.

"Someone was looking for me?" Catching her, he asked somewhat confused. Then, he looked at his shadow clone that was nearby. The clone nodded before vanishing in a puff of smoke, transmitting the memories to Chen.

It was Sakumo Hatake.

"I didn't expect him to come here as well... Could it be because of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans?" he murmured quietly.

That was the only reason he could imagine. Thanks to his teleportation, he came and went between battlefields, so he knew the situation in the Land of Rain well. Although the situation there was not ideal, it remained stable thanks to Sakumo's power. But now that Sakumo had come here, he clearly had a reason.

However, although he knew Sakumo was looking for him, he had no intention of going to meet him. It wasn't necessary; he knew Sakumo would come to him sooner or later.

And indeed, five or six minutes later, he appeared at his residence.

Upon entering, they sat at a table with a couple of chairs beside it. Konan served tea to each of them.

"Sakumo-senpai, I thought you were on the battlefield in the Land of Rain. What brings you here?" he asked, enigmatic and almost mocking.

Sakumo looked at him seriously. His sharp eyes were fixed on Chen as he spoke slowly. "I want to know how the Sarutobi and Shimura clan ninjas died."

"Haha! Sakumo-sama! That's quite a malicious question," Chen let out a laugh. "We're on a battlefield, aren't we? How do you think they died? Obviously, fighting the enemy," always keeping a smile on his face.

"Your fellow clansmen are dead, and you can still laugh?" Sakumo said in a low voice with disapproval.

Chen sighed exaggeratedly, wiping away a nonexistent tear. "Ah, senpai! A few days ago, I was very sad about it, I even cried several times. But... you know? People can't come back to life after death. We must face it with optimism, look forward, and be strong..."

"Their deaths were not in vain," he continued, feigning sorrow. "They were valuable sacrifices. Thanks to them, Kumogakure couldn't reach Konoha. They are all heroes, and their village will remember their sacrifice."

Konan, who was sitting beside him, looked at him and had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from laughing.

"Chen Hyuga," Sakumo's voice turned as cold as ice, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "I heard they died because of you."

Boom!

"What?! Who told you that, Sakumo-sama?" Chen slammed the table forcefully and stood up abruptly, with an exaggerated look of surprise.

"It must be the trash that Cloud ninjas are spreading," he added with a frown, his voice full of indignation. "They know they can't beat us, so they resort to these dirty tricks to sow discord among us. It's truly despicable! I didn't expect the hardheads of Kumogakure to be so cunning. It's incredibly shameless!"

Sakumo's face grew increasingly dark. The tea in front of him had completely cooled.

"Killing ninjas from your own village is an unforgivable crime. I hope you can confess so your punishment will be reduced."

Chen sighed and then smiled with a calmness that was unsettling. "Sakumo-san, it seems you believe those slanders. Do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

"All those who were on the battlefield are witnesses," Sakumo replied, his eyes as cold as steel.

Chen's expression hardened. "Let them come and tell me to my face then."

"Chen Hyuga, don't make irreparable mistakes. Go to Hokage-sama and confess. He will consider your merits on the battlefield, and perhaps your punishment will be lighter."

"Confess? Ha! Sakumo-san, it seems you haven't heard the saying: 'The one who kneels gets stuck; the one who stands walks free.' Frankly, I have no intention of showing leniency," Chen said sarcastically.

"Then you're admitting that..."

"Enough, Sakumo-san," he interrupted with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave. Konan and I are about to have dinner."

Sakumo's words got caught in his throat, his expression turning rigid with frustration. He slowly stood up, his eyes still fixed on Chen.

"I'll leave for now, but I hope you'll reflect on this," he said before turning on his heel and heading towards the door.

When he reached the threshold, he stopped and looked at Chen once more. "I will now replace you as commander of the battlefield."

"And one more thing... What happened to the Raikage?"

Chen shrugged indifferently. "Go find out for yourself."

Sakumo watched him intently for another moment before turning and leaving. He had received instructions from the Hokage not to create major conflicts with Chen Hyuga, and he decided to follow them to the letter.

Chen shrugged again. The position of commander had never interested him, and it wasn't about to start mattering now.

"Brother Chen, are you okay?!" Konan asked with concern.

Chen smiled confidently. "I'm fine, Konan. There's nothing for you to worry about. You know how it is: power decides everything. Come on, let's see if Mikoto cooked something delicious!" He said as he picked Konan up, and in a flash, they both teleported back home.

Upon arriving, an intense and tempting aroma enveloped them. Chen took a deep breath, letting out a pleased expression.

"Wow! It smells amazing! Mikoto, what wonder are you preparing this time?"

Kushina, who was near the table with her arms crossed, snorted with a mischievous smile. "You two are late. We were about to start without you!"

The delicious aroma of the food had tempted her for quite a while. She had been so close to sneaking a bite, but Mikoto's watchful gaze had stopped her. Mikoto had watched her with piercing eyes, making her feel like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. In the end, all she could do was sigh in frustration, resigned to wait for everyone else.

"I heard Sakumo was sent to your battlefield, Chen. Has he caused you any trouble?" Tsunade asked worriedly from the corner of the room. It was evident from her gaze that she didn't fully trust Sakumo's intentions.

Chen shrugged. "Yes, he came to see me. But it's nothing serious, Tsunade. If I have to leave Konoha, I'll do it without a second thought. In fact, the idea of becoming a rogue sounds quite exciting," he replied as he peeled a shrimp and placed it on Konan's plate.

Konan looked at him with admiration and a sweet smile. "Thank you, Brother Chen."

Tsunade's expression hardened. "When you killed the members of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans... why didn't you do it in secret? Why in front of everyone, Chen?" The concern in her voice mixed with clear reproach.

"Hmph! It's a shame to sneak around doing things in the dark! If I'm going to do something, I'll do it in plain sight, with all my strength. I have nothing to hide, Tsunade. I don't need to act like a shadow in the dark," Chen said with arrogance that bordered on insolence.

"Enough of this talk! It's time to eat! I don't want the food I worked so hard to prepare to get cold. We'll talk later!" Mikoto raised her voice with a kind but authoritative smile.

Kushina dropped into a chair and nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, let's eat already! I can't hold on any longer," she said as her stomach growled audibly.

After dinner, Mikoto stood up, beginning to clear the dishes. Konan quickly followed her to the kitchen, determined to help. Kushina, on the other hand, lay down on the tatami, letting out a satisfied sigh as she rubbed her full belly.

Chen dropped down next to Kushina, lying comfortably.

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