Getting up, washing up, cooking, eating, and practicing taijutsu.
These were Sakumo's daily morning rituals.
He had never been interested in striving for the position of Hokage. After stepping down, he naturally began to enjoy a peaceful retirement.
Raising his leg, throwing a punch, retracting, then striking swiftly again—each motion carried a smooth precision. From this sequence alone, one could tell that Sakumo's fundamentals hadn't dulled from his past injuries; if anything, they had grown sharper.
After adjusting his breathing, Sakumo dropped his stance and prepared to head out to go fishing with the Third Hokage.
Just as he was searching for his fishing rod, the front door creaked open.
Familiar footsteps echoed softly. Sakumo froze mid-motion, then slowly turned around.
"Back already, Kakashi."
As the only one among the "wise men" with an intellect level above two, Kakashi's return finally solved the dilemma that Takeshi had been facing—consulting his advisors but receiving no reasonable answers.
However, there was no time for pleasantries. Takeshi needed to know whether, after such a long absence, Kakashi had managed to resolve the matter in the Land of Snow.
"The situation in the Land of Snow was far more complicated than I expected."
Kakashi gave a bitter smile and shook his head. Although the entire team had returned to Konoha unharmed, their true objective—Kazahana Dotō—remained unfulfilled. That ambitious man still held his position as the leader of the Land of Snow, lurking in the shadows and threatening Konoha.
From Kakashi's account, Takeshi learned that the Land of Snow's level of technology was far beyond what Konoha had imagined.
They now possessed chakra armor that could be worn by every soldier—and even a robotic army that feared neither pain nor death.
Kakashi had intended to launch a decapitation strike, killing Kazahana Dotō directly. But to his surprise, Dotō had a bodyguard—an artificial human named Gluttony. Fortunately, Kakashi's strength surpassed Asuma's; otherwise, his entire team might have been wiped out.
"Another artificial human... Just how many disgusting creations has that Akatsuki Organization made?"
Takeshi slammed the table in frustration.
One Ōtsutsuki was troublesome enough, and now these artificial beings—each powerful enough to rival a Kage—were surfacing one after another.
If his memory served him, in the future Jigen would also have several omniscient monsters under his command. If those creatures were brought into existence early, he might as well give up being Hokage altogether and surrender now.
Would it still be in time to have Naruto get married and produce Boruto's grandpa?
"The situation in the Land of Snow should be handled by a large-scale force."
After hearing his son's account, Hatake Sakumo evaluated the enemy's strength. It was clear that a regular team of jōnin would not be enough to inflict any meaningful damage.
"Launch a full assault on the Land of Snow?"
Takeshi hesitated.
"If we delay any longer, their technology will only grow stronger."
Sakumo spoke with firm conviction.
As a seasoned veteran of countless battles, his words carried significant weight.
"Let me go," Sakumo said, taking advantage of Takeshi's wavering expression. "Give me two thousand shinobi, and rest assured—I'll keep the losses to a minimum."
"No, Sakumo-san... the Fourth Hokage needs to stay and defend Konoha. I'll lead the expedition myself."
Hearing Sakumo's request for battle, Takeshi shook his head firmly.
"You'll go yourself?" Kakashi suddenly stood up, his expression filled with shock and disbelief. "As Hokage, your duty is to protect Konoha. Fighting foreign enemies is our job."
Sakumo's expression remained calm—unlike Kakashi's reaction—but he too began to dissuade Takeshi.
"Kakashi is right. There are many examples throughout history. The Second Hokage, the Second Tsuchikage, the Third Mizukage... all were once powerful, renowned figures. Yet their fates were eerily similar. They left their villages, hoping to turn the tide of battle through their own power—and in the end, they all..."
Every one of those Kage Sakumo mentioned had met their end on the battlefield.
Especially the Second Hokage—his death had been particularly notable.
He was ambushed during peace talks and ultimately gave his life to protect his guards, dying in a foreign land.
"And the Third Raikage," Sakumo continued. "Though the official records don't mention how he died, his fate... is well known."
"Even so, I'm going." Takeshi shook his head, his determination unshakable.
Even with those examples before him, he still chose to lead the army himself.
He had his reasons. He needed firsthand knowledge of how these artificial humans fought—so that when the final battle came, he wouldn't be caught off guard.
Besides, after this campaign, he planned to head to Ryūchi Cave to train, to once again comprehend the mysteries of natural energy.
"Kakashi, leave us. There are things I must discuss with the Fourth Hokage privately."
Having made his decision, Takeshi intended to reveal the full truth about Konoha's current situation.
Since it involved top-level village secrets, even Kakashi had to be excused.
"I won't agree to this. If you're going, you're taking me with you."
Kakashi gave Takeshi a deep look, then turned and left the room.
When the sound of the closing door faded, Sakumo's expression finally changed.
"You've really made up your mind?"
"Yes. I must go. To be honest, once this war ends, I'll need a period of serious training. You've seen what the Organization is capable of. The emergence of more artificial humans proves that this organization's strength hasn't weakened—it's only grown stronger."
"Training, huh... To be honest, when facing enemies like that, I can't even imagine what kind of ninjutsu could possibly counter them."
Sakumo gave a bitter smile. Clearly, he too doubted whether anyone could defeat such creations.
"Natural energy—the Sage Mode. That kind of power can harm even the Ōtsutsuki. Orochimaru has already verified this."
"But not everyone can master Sage Mode. To be honest, I once tried to visit the Three Great Sage Lands myself, but..."
Sakumo's expression said it all.
"That's why I have to do it myself. Sakumo-san, I'll be leaving the village in your hands. Honestly, I only became the Fifth Hokage because you were injured—so I suppose it's only fair that the position returns to you."
Takeshi made a lighthearted joke to ease the tension.
"You've done better than I ever could. If I hadn't been injured, Konoha would never have become as powerful as it is today..."
After a long moment of hesitation, Sakumo finally accepted the documents Takeshi handed him.