At the funeral of Sakumo Hatake.

  Shirou quietly shook his head as he observed the modest ceremony, unable to hide his disapproval.

  No one expected this to happen so quickly—so quickly that the entire vilge of Konoha hadn't even processed it. In the end, White Fang defended the vilge with his ninja bde.

  Only those who truly understood knew that White Fang's death was not an act of cowardly suicide. It was his way of expining—to Konoha, to the entire ninja world, and his ninja path.

  "Tsunade!"

  At the funeral, in front of so many ninjas, Jiraiya awkwardly scratched his head, attempting to calm down Tsunade.

  Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato frowned silently at the side. The colboration of the powerful cns had begun to affect the orders of the Hokage.

  "Shirou-san, we are all deeply saddened by Hatake-senpai's passing," Minato said, suppressing his thoughts about the actions of the prominent cns, though his expression did not escape Shirou's notice.

  "Minato, do you think we cns are making a fuss over nothing?" Shirou turned his head, looking directly and calmly at Minato without any pretense, making Minato visibly uneasy.

  Though Minato didn't want to admit it, he couldn't deny that the unity of the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Aburame, and other cns today had deeply shaken him.

  Seeing Minato's expression, Shirou immediately understood his perspective. After all, someone regarded by the Third Hokage as the successor of the Will of Fire couldn't have ideals too far removed from his own.

  Yet, Shirou smirked coldly and, at the funeral, calmly raised his hand to point at the cn emblems of the various families.

  "When Konoha was founded, it was the Senju and Uchiha cns who invited the other families to join, creating the vilge we know today. The prosperity Konoha enjoys now was built on the bloodshed of these cns working together!"

  His powerful voice echoed, catching the attention of countless cn ninjas. He then pointed at the civilian ninjas outside the funeral hall who wanted to enter but didn't dare to approach and continued coldly:

  "The establishment of the Ninja Academy and the emergence of civilian ninjas were decisions made jointly by the First and Second Hokage in consultation with our cns. Now, you accuse the great cns of greed, ciming we monopolize resources.

  Didn't anyone tell you that the resources civilian ninjas enjoy today were carved out by the concessions of our cns? And now you turn around and call us avaricious?!"

  Shirou's icy voice reverberated through the hall, causing Minato's face to change dramatically. Other ninjas also showed grave expressions.

  Many ninjas, including members of the cns themselves, were hearing this for the first time and fell into deep thought. However, senior members of the cns felt their eyes twitch with frustration.

  Back then, it was the Senju and Uchiha, with their Wood Release and Mangekyō Sharingan, who forced them to join. Who would have dared to refuse?

  Even during the era of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, though not as powerful as his predecessors, his strength and ruthless methods left no room for resistance.

  Who would challenge them? Outwardly, it was all decred as a cooperative decision just for appearances.

  "So, Minato, Jiraiya, what gives you the right to treat us cn ninjas as if we're monsters?" Shirou's straightforward question id bare the underlying tensions, leaving Jiraiya awkward and unable to respond.

  Minato, standing to the side, also felt uncomfortable. There were some things that could be said and others that could not.

  For example, this issue. Only the Senju and Uchiha could speak of it, as they were the ones who had led the creation of Konoha.

  "Tsunade, this is no longer the Warring States period. This is the era of the ninja vilge!" Jiraiya, visibly uncomfortable, turned to Tsunade, hoping to de-escate the situation. While he acknowledged the cns' arguments, he believed the era of cn dominance had passed. The ninja vilge needed to rely on both cn and civilian ninjas to protect the peace.

  Jiraiya couldn't voice these thoughts in front of the Senju and Uchiha, but his determined gaze at Tsunade made his stance clear: the era of the cns was over. The ninja vilge must embrace change to progress.

  "The ninja vilge?" Tsunade, brimming with anger, scoffed coldly. Her tone was biting as she responded:

  "During the First Ninja War, the cns sacrificed themselves one after another for peace and suffered heavy losses to win twenty years of peace for the Land of Fire. And what was the result?"

  Her words were sharp, and her expression was filled with disdain. Cn ninjas, seeing her resolute stance, found a leader to rally behind. They looked to Tsunade as their pilr of strength.

  For years, the prominent cns had been pressured by the Hokage's administration, especially after the decline of the Senju. But this time was different. Though the Hatake cn was no longer a major force, Tsunade's status lent unparalleled legitimacy to their cause.

  This time, Tsunade showed no restraint, tearing apart the fa?ade of Konoha's leadership. The cns had fought and bled to win the First Ninja War and secure the Hokage administration's dominance. And now, they were being repaid with betrayal?

  "Tsunade!" Jiraiya tried once more to interject, but Tsunade dismissed him coldly:

  "Jiraiya, what position do you hold now? What right do you have to preside over the Hatake cn's funeral?"

  Her words were scathing, giving the diminished Hatake cn the highest respect. After all, the Hatake name had once stood proudly under its cn emblem when joining Konoha.

  "Sakumo Hatake was a hero of Konoha. His mission failure was already atoned for with his death, defending the vilge's honor. If his name cannot be engraved on the Memorial Stone, then the current leaders of Konoha have no right to have their names engraved there either!"

  Tsunade's decration caused an uproar, leaving many stunned. Even Jiraiya was visibly shaken. "Tsunade!"

  This was a serious matter! Jiraiya, sensing the gravity of the situation, dared not provoke Tsunade further. He nodded solemnly and said:

  "I understand."

  Without hesitation, Jiraiya chose to leave, fearing that staying any longer would lead Tsunade to say something even more explosive.

  ...

  Hokage's Office.

  When Jiraiya reported what had happened, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were furious, smming their desks in anger.

  "Outrageous! Tsunade has gone too far!"

  But their bluster was hollow, as their expressions betrayed their unease. Even Danzo Shimura, usually the loudest voice, remained silent, his face dark and brooding.

  "Hiruzen, what does Tsunade mean by this? Is this her personal opinion, or does she speak for the Senju cn? Or worse, are all the cns united?!"

  Seeing Danzo's silence, Koharu and Homura turned to their leader, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

  But Hiruzen, hidden under the shadow of his Hokage hat, kept his emotions concealed. After Jiraiya finished his report, he sighed and left the room, muttering about the debts of the past.

  After a long silence, Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke and turned to Danzo. His voice was hoarse:

  "Danzo, what do you think of this matter?"

  Tsunade's decration—if Sakumo Hatake's name didn't deserve to be on the Memorial Stone, then neither did theirs—had struck at a deeply sensitive issue. Even Danzo didn't argue this time. Instead, he replied gravely:

  "Whether it's Tsunade acting on impulse, the will of the Senju, or a coordinated effort by the cns, the controversy surrounding White Fang must be resolved quickly."

  As for the Memorial Stone?

  While Koharu, Homura, and Hiruzen pced great importance on the honor of being memorialized as heroes, to Danzo, it meant nothing.

  His dream was to become the Hokage. Once he became Hokage, wouldn't that mean everything in Konoha would be under his control?

  Faced with Danzo's response, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but take a deep look at his old friend, his gaze carrying a hint of warning.

  "The actions of the Police Force may have been excessive, but the matter with White Fang needs to be resolved. Given all the contributions Sakumo Hatake has made to the vilge over the years, we cannot allow a hero to leave in disgrace."

  After a long period of contemption, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, lightly tapped his pipe against the table and slowly spoke a sentence den with meaning.

  As an old friend, Shimura Danzo could hear the deeper meaning in Hiruzen's words. He immediately understood something, nodded directly, and said in a deep voice:

  "I understand. The ninja saved by Hatake during the mission returned to the vilge and sowed dissatisfaction against him. However, in the previous situation, this ninja failed to choose to sacrifice themselves heroically for the mission. This in itself is suspicious.

  The Root will act before the Police Force and extract the truth from this spy!"

  Danzo's chilling voice echoed, essentially sealing the outcome of this matter.

  Hearing this, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged gnces and collectively sighed in relief.

  "Hiruzen is right. This individual is far too suspicious. They must be a spy from an enemy nation."

  Previously, they had argued that White Fang couldn't be honored on the Memorial Stone due to his mission failure. However, this had only angered Tsunade, who even had Jiraiya return to deliver a warning.

  Back then, as the high-ranking guards of the Second Hokage, the consequences of their mission failures had brought far greater harm to the vilge than White Fang's incident. Even if there had been ten such failures, they wouldn't have caused as much damage as this particur case.

  Thus, they were desperate to finalize the matter of White Fang quickly, ensuring it wouldn't escate further or create more uproar.

  Even if it meant contradicting themselves ter, they were determined to resolve it swiftly!

  And so, the ninja who had been saved by White Fang yet bmed him upon returning to the vilge, was chosen as the scapegoat.

  If it was all the work of an enemy nation's spy, then White Fang would naturally have the right to be honored on the Memorial Stone.

  "However, Hiruzen, don't you think Tsunade's behavior needs to be addressed?"

  Just as they had finally settled on a resolution to White Fang's matter and were beginning to feel relieved, Utatane Koharu—being a petty woman—immediately showed her resentment.

  Ever since she rose to her high position, how many years had it been since she suffered such humiliation? This time, it wasn't just her; even Sarutobi Hiruzen had shown a solemn expression after Tsunade brought up the events surrounding the Second Hokage.

  This matter! It had been over twenty years, and they thought it was buried in the past. Little did they know, it had taken root in others' hearts all this time.

  "Hiruzen, what about Lady Mito's condition?"

  Compared to Koharu's emotional outburst, Mitokado Homura was much more composed and thoughtful. Pushing up his gsses, he shifted the topic to Uzumaki Mito.

  Everyone immediately understood. The Senju Cn had already declined, leaving only Tsunade. What could she possibly do alone?

  Once Uzumaki Mito passed, the mountain weighing over their heads would disappear.

  "Next month, we'll prepare the sealing of the final Nine-Tails jinchūriki."

  Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, revealing the critical news: they had just one month left before the high-ranking officials would gain control of what should have been their ultimate weapon, even if it was only half of it.

  ...

  When White Fang's situation broke out, the Police Force acted swiftly, but the Root moved even faster within the vilge.

  In less than half a day, another piece of news spread through the vilge: the comrade saved by White Fang had been bribed by an enemy ninja vilge.

  They had leaked information about the mission and even framed the hero, White Fang.

  There was no mention of White Fang abandoning the mission for his comrade.

  For a time, anger swept through the vilge. The people of Konoha, furious over White Fang's treatment, redirected their rage toward the enemy ninja vilge.

  As night fell, at the Hatake residence:

  "Kakashi, your father was a hero. It's just… he didn't fall on the battlefield."

  Seven-year-old Kakashi Hatake looked up at Shirou, the teacher who had come to stand up for his father. His eyes filled with tears.

  "Shirou-sensei!"

  Before Kakashi could say more, Shirou started coughing, and Kakashi's sharp eyes caught a trace of blood at the corner of Shirou's mouth.

  "Shirou-sensei, you—?!"

  Facing Kakashi's shock, Shirou waved it off casually.

  Shaking his head and sighing, Shirou turned to Shisui.

  "Shisui, accompany Kakashi for the next few days."

  "Yes, Shirou-sensei."

  Uchiha Shisui nodded respectfully. As Kakashi's peer, he naturally cared for him.

  "Kakashi, don't overthink it. Some things will make sense once you grow up."

  Saying this, Shirou shook his head and slowly walked outside. Around the Hatake home, he had stationed several Police Force ninjas to guard the area.

  His concern for the Hatake family was evident, and it filled the lonely Kakashi with warmth.

  "Thank you, Shirou-sensei!"

  Bowing deeply, Kakashi didn't lift his head until Shirou's figure had disappeared. Beside him, Shisui spoke with concern:

  "Kakashi, Shirou-sensei is right. The Hatake Cn still needs you."

  "Mm!"

  Kakashi nodded. Though young, he seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of many things on this day, and the impact on him was profound.

  It seemed his father's death wasn't as simple as it appeared—there were many hidden threads.

  Turning to look at his father's portrait, the young Kakashi's expression became resolute.

  "Father, I don't fully understand yet, but I think I've figured out a little. Trust me! I will seek justice for you."

  ...

  On the way back, Mikoto and Kushina walked on either side of Shirou.

  "Kakashi has been deeply affected this time. Kushina, when you return, have Sister Tsunade assign a Senju jōnin as the leader of his team. As for Kakashi's two other teammates, we'll select them from the Uchiha and Hyūga cns."

  Shirou spoke calmly, and both Kushina and Mikoto nodded in agreement.

  Now that he had stepped into the spotlight with Tsunade taking the brunt of the pressure, Shirou naturally intended to strengthen his power.

  Especially with Kakashi's generation—knowing the potential of these future jōnin, he wouldn't let the opportunity pass.

  "Lady Kushina, Lady Tsunade and Lady Mito urgently request your presence!"

  As the three walked back, a ninja from the Senju Cn rushed over with an anxious expression.

  Hearing this, Kushina's face changed.

  Something major had happened to the Senju Cn!

  PS: Konoha be like "Embrace a democratic country, No to Monarchy."