Even though the Sand shinobi spoke with absolute conviction and looked at Kakashi with genuine pity, Kakashi didn't believe a single word.
He had lived in Konoha for over a decade. Hiruzen had always looked after him. Kakashi respected the old man.
But when he glanced at the nearby Konoha shinobi, his blood ran cold.
Their eyes were full of fear and suspicion. They were watching him like they expected him to snap, betray the village, and start killing them on the spot.
Kakashi's face darkened.
They don't trust me?
After everything we've been through together, they don't even give me that much credit?
A wave of bitter disappointment hit him.
Then a colder thought followed.
Or… do they actually believe the rumor is true?
Kakashi's eyes flickered rapidly.
Both sides were already arguing at full volume.
"It's a lie! A filthy lie!" a Konoha shinobi shouted. "Lord Minato wasn't killed by the Hokage, and neither was Lord Sakumo! This is Sand's dirty trick! Their disgusting propaganda!"
Most of the Leaf forces still defended Hiruzen.
Only a tiny handful looked uncertain.
The Sand shinobi, however, were completely convinced.
"If it's not true, then explain the Will of Fire to us!" the same Sand ninja pressed. "Either Hiruzen deliberately murdered Minato, or he completely betrayed the Will of Fire!"
He turned back to Kakashi.
"I'll only ask one thing about the White Fang. Why were the mission details leaked to the public? Did Sakumo Hatake stand there screaming that he chose his comrades over the mission? Did the teammate he saved scream it? Who leaked the details? Mission failure carries heavy responsibility, but it doesn't automatically mean death. Not every mission succeeds."
The Konoha shinobi exchanged uneasy glances. They had no answer.
The Sand ninja laughed.
"See that, Kakashi? They can't even answer a simple question. Still don't get it? Stay away from these people. They might decide to kill you next."
The rumor had reached the battlefield late.
It had already been spreading inside Konoha village for some time.
An ANBU burst into the Hokage Tower, breathing hard.
"Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen looked up, a bad feeling settling in his gut.
"What is it?"
"Sir, a new rumor is spreading across the ninja world. It claims that Sakumo Hatake was killed because his achievements threatened your position. They say you deliberately set him up."
"What?!"
Hiruzen shot to his feet.
"Who started it?"
"It's the same kind of rumor as before!"
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen snarled. "I treated Sakumo like a brother! How could I possibly have betrayed him? And the idea that he threatened my seat is absurd. I'm still in my prime. The Hokage position wasn't going anywhere."
He clenched his fists.
"Sunagakure again? That little bastard Rasa! He's gone too far. Using these underhanded tricks to smear my name with no bottom line whatsoever."
Hiruzen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"Has the rumor reached the Land of Wind border yet? Does Kakashi know?"
The ANBU shook his head. "Unclear, sir."
"Then go. Now."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The ANBU hesitated. "Sir… if Kakashi hasn't heard it yet, what should I do? If he already knows… what then?"
Hiruzen fell silent for a long moment.
"Bring him back. Whether he knows or not. Bring him straight to me."
The ANBU bowed. "Understood."
Hiruzen walked to the window and stared out at the Hokage Rock.
Three massive stone faces gazed back at him.
Kakashi… you won't believe such a clumsy rumor, will you?
Don't disappoint me.
Inside Konoha, Hiruzen was still controlling the narrative.
But outside the village, public opinion had already started to shift against him.
After the Minato rumor, many people had begun to believe that the Fourth Hokage had been a victim. If Minato could be sacrificed for power, then Sakumo Hatake suffering the same fate made perfect sense.
"Turns out Hiruzen is that kind of man…"
"He'll do anything for power. He destroyed two of Konoha's strongest shinobi."
"If they were still alive, the Leaf would be so much stronger right now."
"Poor Kakashi…"
"He's been loyal to his father's killer all this time."
"A man like Hiruzen doesn't deserve the hat."
Danzo listened to the whispers with a cold, satisfied smile.
But then someone added:
"I heard Danzo also wanted the Hokage seat back then. The fact that he's still alive probably means he was too weak to be a real threat. Hiruzen only spares people he doesn't fear."
Danzo's expression froze.