Sakumo looked at the way Duy and Guy expressed their emotions with a massive headache, though in his heart, there was a faint trace of envy.
Because Kakashi was in the rear protecting Kushina and Yugito, Sakumo couldn't meet him. Sakumo could only wait to see Kakashi later and beg for his forgiveness.
Yūgao and Hayate looked at Sakumo with pure admiration: "Are you Lord White Fang? Kakashi's father!"
Sakumo noticed the Shinobi swords on Yūgao and Hayate's backs and nodded: "You two are also sword users. Are you Kakashi's peers?"
Yūgao shook her head: "I'm not, but Hayate is Kakashi's peer."
Hayate said: "Lord White Fang, we are Shinobi who specialize in the Konoha-style Kenjutsu—Dance of the Crescent Moon."
In the Shinobi World, blades and swords are not distinguished; a blade is a sword, and a sword is a blade.
Rarely seeing two sword users, Sakumo felt like giving some pointers: "Show me your sword techniques."
Yūgao and Hayate were overjoyed, as this meant Sakumo intended to guide them.
Konoha's sword techniques were most refined with White Fang's. Rumor had it that if one looked at the white light of his blade for even a second too long, they would end up in pieces.
White Fang didn't have Minato's exaggerated combat deterrence—for instance, Iwagakure told its Shinobi to abandon missions if they encountered Minato without facing any punishment.
But White Fang's deterrence was also top-tier.
His record for S-rank missions was 27. During this period, only four people in Konoha surpassed Sakumo.
One was Minato, and the other three were the Sannin.
Minato's S-rank mission record was 39, a total reached by the time he died during the Nine-Tails's attack on the Village, having lived six years longer than Sakumo.
Without those six years of data, Minato's record would have been the same as Sakumo's.
No—
This comparison isn't accurate enough; age should be used for comparison. Minato was only 24 when he died.
Naruto's birthday is the anniversary of Minato's death.
Sakumo committed ritual suicide when Kakashi was five years old; he was 29 when he died.
One completed 39 S-rank missions by age 24, and the other completed 27 by age 29.
No matter how you look at it, Minato was more outstanding.
But how many Shinobi in this world can compare to Minato?
An ordinary person could brag for a lifetime about completing a single S-rank mission, yet Sakumo completed 27 of them.
Yet because of one failed mission, Sakumo was cyberbullied into committing suicide!
Both Yūgao and Hayate were swordsmen; anyone using a blade couldn't bypass the Village's sword master—Konoha's White Fang.
Being able to receive pointers from Sakumo was a celestial stroke of luck for Yūgao and Hayate.
However, before that, they were somewhat confused about Sakumo and Duy's resurrection.
They weren't clear on Duy's record, but Sakumo was definitely confirmed dead.
Yūgao asked somewhat tactlessly: "Lord White Fang, how were you brought back to life?"
Hayate, Ebisu, Genma, and the others all had looks of confusion.
If it were really a ghost returning, would it appear so openly in broad daylight?
Sakumo showed a gentle smile and explained to the several Chunin: "This is Edo Tensei..."
...
To the side.
Duy affirmed Guy: "Guy, I've seen your youth from the shadows. I'm very proud that you've stayed firm in your Shinobi Way."
Guy then said with some guilt: "But this time we have to deal with Lord Ryou. Lord Ryou was so good to us, yet we have to oppose him?"
Duy pressed Guy's head and said: "Guy, don't show such a dejected expression. Lord Ryou won't care about our opposition."
"Guy, when the time comes, we will use all our strength against Lord Ryou. Let him see that youth will never wither."
Guy nodded vigorously: "Lord Ryou also told me once that when facing him, I must use my full strength."
...
Uchiha Kagami went to the Uchiha Clan's encampment under the escort of Akimichi Torifu.
He looked greedily at the world after his awakening while looking at Torifu beside him: "Torifu, you've grown old!"
Torifu said: "You've been dead for 30 years. How could I not be old?"
"Has it been 30 years?"
Kagami felt some sentimentality, then asked: "How is the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the higher-ups?"
Torifu chose the nice things to say: "The Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan have already reconciled. That kid Jiraiya even took your grandson, Shisui, as his disciple."
The original work only said Shisui was Kagami's descendant, but didn't specify if he was a son or grandson.
But it can be deduced: Kagami died young, at only 25.
And Kagami was a peer of the Third Hokage and Danzo; he died during the First Shinobi World War.
That would be around Konoha Year 20.
Shisui was born in Konoha Year 39. If he were a son, the timing wouldn't match, so he can only be a grandson.
Kagami married early, had excellent bloodline, and was handsome. It's estimated the clan gave him a wife when he was seventeen or eighteen.
"Shisui, my grandson?!"
Kagami felt even more sentimental; he still had the mindset of a 20-something, yet he already had such a big grandson.
Torifu praised: "Shisui is more outstanding than you. He became an Uchiha elite at a young age and made a name for himself as Shisui of the Body Flicker on the battlefield."
"I heard from Monkey that he performed great service during the conflict with Takigakure. It was that contribution that made Jiraiya ignore the Senju Clan's warnings to protect him."
Kagami was somewhat relieved: "That's good. Jiraiya is Hiruzen's apprentice and part of the Hokage lineage. If he can take Shisui as a disciple, the Uchiha Clan can rest easy."
Torifu nodded: "Yes, to be honest, this Shinobi World War hasn't been without benefits. At least it eased the conflict between the Village and the Uchiha Clan."
"Alright, the Uchiha Clan's encampment is just ahead!"
Kagami looked at the military tents bearing the Uchiha Clan's fan crest, feeling somewhat confused.
Because the Uchiha's station was at the edge of the camp, and there were no other clans nearby, with Anbu faintly monitoring from the shadows.
This situation—it was just like the Uchiha Clan's residence in the Village.
Feared, ostracized, and monitored.
"Torifu, what is this?"
"This—"
Torifu smiled awkwardly. He had just said the Uchiha's relationship with the higher-ups was good, so wasn't being stationed at the edge under surveillance a slap to his own face?
Torifu said: "This was that bastard Danzo's doing. He's the camp supervisor, and you know his paranoia."
"Madara and Ryou are both from the Uchiha Clan. He's afraid the Uchiha Clan will have contact with those two, so he had them stationed far away."
"On the other hand, this was also requested by the Uchiha Clan themselves. You Uchihas are a proud clan; except for the Senju Clan, you don't care about other Shinobi Clans, and civilian Shinobi are strictly forbidden from approaching."
Kagami felt somewhat helpless; the Uchiha Clan's IQ was always up to par.
The wise members of the clan could easily see—the Second Hokage making their clan in charge of the Konoha Police Force and the prison was to keep them away from the Village's residential center and deepen the gap with the villagers.
But so what if they saw it?
The Uchiha Clan was a proud clan; with their noble bloodline, they were unwilling to integrate into the circle of ordinary villagers.
Being police in Konoha, being able to swing batons and control people, was a good job for the Uchiha.
It was a kind of mutual fulfillment!
Tobirama gave them honey laced with slow-acting poison, and they greedily enjoyed the power to push around the villagers.
Could the Uchiha Clan change this environment of being hated by the villagers?
They could!
Enforce the law with a smile, or outsource the Police Force's external enforcement to people not from the Uchiha Clan.
For example, small Shinobi Clans, civilian Shinobi, Genin just out of the Shinobi Academy...
If there were conflicts, they could say it was outsourced, removing the Uchiha Clan from the center of the conflict.
Was this method hard to think of?
Not at all!
Moreover, the higher-ups gave the Police Force absolute power; the Uchiha could remodel the Police Force however they wanted.
But did they do it?
No, the Uchiha Clan's pride wouldn't allow non-Uchiha members to participate in their clan affairs.
They never even had the thought of taking a grassroots route because the Uchiha Clan were land-owning nobles during the Warring States Period.
How could nobles mix with commoners?
They couldn't! Just like Android can't be lumped together with Apple!
If you don't find your proper place and try to force your way in, you're just a clown.