Chương 202: 202
Sakumo Hatake moved swiftly through the familiar streets of Konoha, the weight of the news he had just received bearing down heavily on his shoulders. Hisato Mura, the man Sakumo had personally entrusted to train Haruto, was dead. Worse, Hisato had betrayed the village. How had things unraveled so completely? The mission Sakumo had been on was supposed to be routine, yet he had returned to chaos.
The Hokage's summons had been urgent, and Sakumo wasted no time heading to his office. Upon entering, he found the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated behind his desk, his face etched with deep concern and fatigue.
"Sakumo," the Hokage greeted, his voice laden with weariness. "I'm glad you're here."
Sakumo bowed slightly, his own expression grim. "Lord Hokage, what happened? I heard about Hisato…"
Hiruzen sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as if the weight of the village's troubles rested entirely on his shoulders. "Hisato betrayed the village. We have evidence suggesting he had been selling information—possibly to outside forces. Danzo and his team went to apprehend him, but Hisato resisted. In the end, he set off explosive tags, killing several of Danzo's men and leaving Danzo critically injured."
Sakumo froze, his mind struggling to reconcile the image of the bitter but disciplined Hisato with that of a traitor. Selling information? Hisato? "Hisato was… selling information? How could this have happened?"
Hiruzen's eyes darkened as he continued. "It's possible that the deaths of his sons, Jiro and Ren, drove him down this path. Hisato may have been seeking revenge. We may never know the full story, but what we do know is that his actions have left us in a precarious position. Danzo is gravely injured, and we've lost valuable operatives."
Sakumo's brow furrowed as the pieces still didn't seem to fit together. "Danzo? Will he recover?"
The Hokage nodded slowly, though his expression remained solemn. "Yes, but it will take time. The damage to his right side is extensive. He'll be out of action for months, we are not sure if Lord Danzo will fully recover."
Sakumo exhaled deeply, trying to make sense of it all. Hisato had always been difficult, that much was clear, but to sell out the village? To go so far as to try and kill Danzo? The thought gnawed at him. Something about it didn't feel right.
"I can't believe Hisato would go that far," Sakumo murmured, the disbelief still evident in his voice. His mind raced, struggling to reconcile the man he had spoken to with the one who had allegedly betrayed the village.
"There's more," Hiruzen continued, his tone now firm and direct. "Before his death, Hisato had been training Haruto along with a few chunin. Naturally, Danzo's Root and the ANBU retraced Hisato's last steps. They've already questioned the chunin, and they wanted to interrogate Haruto as well.
Sakumo's body tensed. "They wanted to interrogate Haruto?" His voice grew sharper. "I spoke to Hisato before I left, I'm the one who asked him to train Haruto. I'm the one who got him involved with Hisato." A knot of guilt twisted in his chest. Did Hisato really betray the village out of bitterness? Sakumo's thoughts churned, doubt creeping in.
Hiruzen paused, considering Sakumo's words before responding, "I see. Regardless, I refused to allow it. Haruto is too young, and from everything we've seen, his involvement was strictly related to the training. Still, I need you to speak with him. Make sure he wasn't exposed to anything dangerous or that he didn't encounter anything unusual."
Sakumo let out a slow breath, relieved by the Hokage's intervention. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. I'll speak with him immediately." His mind was still reeling from the news, but one thing was clear—he needed to get to the bottom of this.
Sakumo bowed respectfully before leaving the office, his thoughts now consumed by what had transpired. Hisato dead. Danzo critically injured. And somehow, Haruto—his promising young student—caught in the middle of it all. He needed answers, and fast.
As Sakumo made his way to Haruto's apartment, memories of his last conversation with Hisato replayed in his mind. The old man had seemed bitter, yes, but competent and fully dedicated to his training methods. There had been no indication that he harbored treacherous intentions. Why had everything come to this? And why now?
Sakumo knocked on Haruto's door, his chakra senses tingling as he felt the boy's presence inside, focused but calm. The door swung open moments later, revealing a surprised Haruto.
"Sakumo-sensei?" Haruto blinked, caught off guard. "You're back?"
Sakumo stepped inside, the weight of his words apparent in his serious demeanor. "Haruto, I need to talk to you about something important."
Haruto led him further into the small apartment, the space cluttered with scrolls, tools, and materials for his ongoing experiments. Sakumo noticed the room had taken on the atmosphere of a lab, a testament to Haruto's dedication. But this was no time for idle observation.
"What's going on?" Haruto asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Sakumo took a deep breath, steadying himself before delivering the news. "It's about Hisato. He's dead."
Haruto's eyes widened in shock. "Dead? How? What happened?"
Sakumo met his gaze evenly, watching for any flicker of emotion or recognition. "He was selling information, Haruto. Danzo's team went to arrest him, but during the confrontation, Hisato detonated explosive tags, killing several shinobi and critically injuring Danzo."
Haruto's confusion deepened. "What? Hisato betrayed the village? He was selling information?"
Sakumo nodded gravely. "That's what we believe. But I need to know—did you notice anything unusual during your training with him? Anything out of place?"
Haruto shook his head, still reeling from the revelation. "No… nothing. The training was intense, but there was nothing that made me think he would do something like this."
Sakumo studied Haruto's face carefully. The boy was clearly shocked, blindsided by the news. Hisato's betrayal hadn't been on his radar at all.
"I believe you," Sakumo said gently, placing a reassuring hand on Haruto's shoulder. "But I had to make sure."
Haruto nodded slowly, trying to process the information. "Hisato's dead… and Danzo is injured?"
Sakumo sighed. "Yes. Danzo's injuries are severe. He'll be out of commission for quite some time."
As the gravity of the situation settled in, Haruto's thoughts raced. Danzo injured? But didn't Danzo get hurt in the Third Ninja War? His mind flickered to memories of the anime, comparing the timeline he remembered to the events now unfolding before him. Had his interactions with Hisato shifted the timeline? Was this ripple effect because of him?
Sakumo stood to leave, sensing Haruto needed time to absorb everything. "If you need anything, let me know, Haruto. Just focus on your training."
Haruto nodded numbly, still lost in thought. As Sakumo left, the room fell quiet again, but Haruto's mind was anything but calm.
What the hell just happened? Danzo injured now, not during the Third Ninja War? Did training with Hisato alter the course of events? Haruto sighed heavily, sinking into his chair as the weight of it all pressed down on him.
"Damn it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What did I do?"
The timeline was shifting, and Haruto had no idea where it would lead.
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