Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

Not long ago, the Third Hokage had approached Orochimaru, hoping to appeal to his sense of duty and persuade him to contribute further. However, Orochimaru was uninterested in listening. The Third Hokage wanted him back on the battlefield but also seemed keen on claiming some of Orochimaru's experimental materials.

Frustrated after another failed attempt to obtain Shinki's puppets, the Third Hokage pressed Orochimaru to head to the frontlines as soon as possible.

Coincidentally, Orochimaru was already considering returning to the battlefield—he needed more materials.

With the war dragging on, the front-line camps were likely stockpiled with enemy corpses, perfect for crafting puppets. What Orochimaru didn't know was that Shinki had already surpassed the point of needing corpses for puppet creation. By the time Orochimaru returned, Shinki would likely have moved beyond such methods entirely.

Orochimaru was aware that Shinki was immersed in research, but he wasn't privy to the details.

Thanks to the puppets guarding the ANBU headquarters, not even Orochimaru or the influential F4 group could access it.

That evening, Shinki wrapped up his work.

On his way home, he encountered an unexpected guest.

"Do you have time? Let's have dinner together," Hatake Sakumo said, taking the initiative.

"Sure," Shinki replied. Why refuse an invitation? Turning down Sakumo's offer might lead the man to overthink things.

Shinki knew why Sakumo had invited him.

The chosen dining spot was an Akimichi clan barbecue restaurant. Once they were seated, they ordered a hearty spread.

As the food was brought to the table, Sakumo placed marinated meat on the grill and, with a sheepish smile, said, "Shinki, I've seen how much you've contributed. To be honest, I can't compare, but I don't know why things turned out this way."

Sakumo had felt pride upon returning to the village. But after resting and reflecting, he realized something was off. After making inquiries, he felt disheartened.

It didn't make sense to him. Despite Shinki's significant contributions, few spoke of him in the village, while Sakumo was widely celebrated. Straightforward and honest by nature, Sakumo held deep gratitude toward Shinki for saving his life during the Rain Country campaign. He had invited Shinki to dinner to clarify that he had no part in this.

"Please, don't get worked up," Shinki said, waving off Sakumo's worries with a smile.

"This situation isn't your fault. It's all orchestrated by the Hokage's office. I don't take it personally. Besides, you're a hero to the village and deserve the villagers' admiration and support."

"Compared to you, my contribution is minor," Sakumo said with an awkward laugh.

The villagers might be swayed by propaganda, but Sakumo wasn't. He knew exactly how substantial Shinki's contributions were. The feat of defeating Hanzo of the Salamander alone was enough to earn Sakumo's deep respect. He had barely survived being pursued by Hanzo on the battlefield in the Rain Country, only surviving thanks to Shinki's medical expertise.

As he flipped the grilling meat, Sakumo asked, "But why would the Hokage-sama do this?"

"Because they couldn't get their hands on my puppets. They didn't want my reputation to grow too large. It just so happened that you killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, which gave them an opportunity to promote you to overshadow me," Shinki said, sipping his juice. "In a way, you've been caught in the crossfire."

"Is that so?" Sakumo's face tightened with concern. It puzzled him that something as seemingly trivial as puppets could trigger such a reaction.

Weren't they all from the same village, meant to cooperate and contribute during wartime? Yet here they were, tangled in politics and schemes.

He too had been used as a pawn.

The realization left Sakumo feeling helpless, though he was relieved that Shinki bore no ill will.

This dinner was worth it.

For someone as straightforward as Sakumo, gratitude was everything. Shinki had saved him more than once, and Sakumo would never forget that.

Seeing that the meat was done, Shinki picked up a piece and took a bite.

"Don't worry, senior. This has nothing to do with you or the Hatake clan. The conflicts between me and the Hokage's office began long before the war and run deeper than just the issue of the puppets."

Sakumo nodded, understanding only part of it. The complexity of it all made his head spin. It was too intricate, and he was not suited for such affairs.

He sighed and said with a bitter smile, "I guess I'm only good for fighting."

Shinki chuckled, amused by Sakumo's remark.

"Everyone has their strengths, senior. Over time, you'll learn to adapt."

Hatake Sakumo, an honest and straightforward man, wasn't entirely clueless about political maneuvering but was more prone to being caught in traps or targeted by rivals. He was better off finding a powerful ally and sticking to the sidelines rather than navigating the murky waters of village politics. Sakumo was the only Kage-level ninja in Konoha who had been driven to a tragic end by rumors alone.

Thankfully, his son Kakashi, despite his own issues, was more adept at navigating interpersonal relationships.

"I hope so," Sakumo said, shaking his head and changing the topic. He focused on eating, and the conversation shifted to stories from the battlefield.

Between bites of meat, Sakumo spoke about the Sand Village's ruthless tactics.

"They were relentless. Not only did they raid villages in the Land of Fire, but they also killed indiscriminately and left destruction in their wake. Even if they couldn't take the materials and wealth they stole, they would burn everything down."

During his campaign in the Land of Fire, Sakumo had witnessed countless tragedies. The Sand Village, during the battles in the Land of Rain, looted and pillaged without concern for the lives of the Rain Country's citizens. When they advanced into the Land of Fire, knowing they couldn't transport all their spoils due to Konoha's encirclement, they resorted to torching everything.

The attacked villages were left in ruin.

"I reported all of this to the Hokage, who promised retaliation."

Months had passed since then, but there had been no significant action.

Shinki had little hope for swift justice.

Initially, the F4 group had struggled to find an appropriate target for retaliation. Frustrated, Tsunade had presented one of Shinki's strategies, but it was met with hesitation.

The plan was proposed but never adopted.

Tsunade was incensed.

"Maybe," Shinki said, uninterested in delving further, and shifted the conversation once more.

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