Asuma slowly made his way toward the park, careful not to draw attention. He didn't want to startle whoever was bold—or foolish—enough to speak ill of his father in public.
"Yeah, you're right," one voice muttered. "Other than wrecking the village, what did that bastard ever do?"
Bastard?
Asuma's jaw clenched. If my father's a bastard, then what does that make you? he cursed silently. But he kept his emotions in check. Not yet. He wanted to hear just how deep this idiocy ran.
"No one really knows how many dark deeds he carried out, all in the name of the Will of Fire."
Another voice chimed in, full of venom.
"Exactly! Forget everything else—just think about the White Fang!"
That made Asuma pause.
White Fang? he thought. What does my old man have to do with Hatake Sakumo?
He narrowed his eyes, suspicion rising. These guys weren't just misinformed. They were either crazy—or something worse.
No sane Konoha citizen would dare spread this kind of filth out in the open. Not about a Hokage. Not unless they were trying to stir something.
And suddenly, it clicked.
Are they spies? Enemy plants trying to turn people against the village from within?
Asuma didn't hesitate.
In a blur, his hand reached for a kunai.
His expression hardened.
If they are… they picked the wrong park.
He was ready to act—but the next words made him pause.
"Isn't it strange? How did the entire village suddenly know about an ANBU minister failing a mission?"
That... actually sounded logical. How did everyone in the village know the details of a shinobi mission? His eyes became suspicious. He still believed in his old man, but now he decided to keep listening.
"Though he prioritized comrades over the village… it's not too bad, right? I mean, shinobi are human too."
Hmm, Asuma thought. I took them too seriously. In the end, they're just regular civilians. What do they know about shinobi protocols?
High-ranking shinobi followed different rules. Especially someone like Sakumo. There was always a line between duty and heart—and crossing it had a cost.
But then came this gem:
"That's not even the main thing. Why didn't the comrades kill themselves after being taken hostage? Wasn't it their job to protect the mission?"
"..."
Asuma blinked.
"Instead of thanking Sakumo, they cursed him. In front of his house."
"..."
"They had the nerve to publicly shame the guy who saved their lives. Isn't that both hypocrisy and sabotage?"
Now Asuma just stood there, confused.
He had shown up ready to shut down a bunch of idiots—and somehow ended up agreeing with their rant halfway through.
What the hell is happening in this village?
"And that dog Sarutobi didn't even come forward to clear Sakumo's name. Not every mission is successful—sometimes they just fail."
"Of course he wouldn't help Sakumo. I heard Sakumo was stronger than the Sannin. He was even the best candidate for the Fourth Hokage. That bastard Hiruzen didn't want to step down, so he let Sakumo's reputation rot."
"After all, the public wouldn't want someone like Sakumo as their leader if his name was tarnished—even if he completed countless missions and led in the Second Ninja War."
Hearing all this, Asuma wanted to deny it—but he couldn't. The logic... it all somehow made sense.
Is my old man really power-hungry?
No, no, no. What am I thinking? How can I doubt him? He was chosen by the Second Hokage. Two wars happened under him and Konoha won. And most importantly... he stepped down, didn't he? He let someone else take the position.
"But didn't he step down now? After all, Minato Namikaze is the Hokage," one of the men added.
That's it, Asuma thought. Looks like someone here is still smart—like me.
"You're right, he stepped down," the man agreed. "But... he hasn't given up power."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh ho, let me explain it simply. You understand that because of the war, he couldn't leave the Hokage position, right?"
"Yes."
Asuma nodded too. It was common knowledge—no Hokage selection happens during wartime.
"Now, after the Second War, shouldn't the Hokage have let someone else take the seat? Like Sakumo, for example?"
"But he committed suicide... and Konoha lost its strongest force. So the Third Ninja War broke out. And the Hokage got more time—to stabilise his power and plan for what comes even after he steps down."
"..."
"Ohh, I get it. And now that the war is over, he chose Minato—someone who doesn't have political power."
"..."
"Exactly. He's strong, sure—but not strong enough to be Hokage. And he doesn't have the experience either. If Sarutobi really wanted a strong Hokage, he could have picked one of the Sannin. They're stronger than Minato and experienced two wars."
"..."
"Tch, the Hokage's a real hypocrite. He preaches the Will of Fire, but it's clear it's just a way for him to control things."
"..."
"Has he always been like this? Did the Second Hokage make a mistake in choosing him?"
"..."
"He's always been this way. You remember, don't you? One of Sakumo's comrades who cursed him was from the Sarutobi clan. I think he was even a relative of Hiruzen's. And if you look at it closely, all of Sakumo's so-called 'comrades' who turned on him came from the families of the village elders—like the Shimura clan, the Mitokado clan, and the Utatane clan."
"..."
"They must have schemed to ruin Sakumo's reputation, make sure the public turned against him."
"..."
**""""********
World travel
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