Rise of The Phoenix Sage

CHAPTER 28: The Forgotten Hero - Part 1

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"Human Talking"

Human Thoughts

Jutsus

"Tailed Beast/Summoning animal Talking"

Tailed Beast/Summoning animal Thoughts

CHAPTER 28

The Forgotten Hero

After the performance of both the Hyuga heiress and Yamanaka heiress left the audience in shock at the ruthlessness they showed for each other, the skill assessment session was concluded. Shortly as the session concluded Tsunade and Shizune appeared at the Ninja academy to take Naruto back home. When they were about to exit the academy training grounds Tsunade just took a brief glance over her shoulder towards the two girls. One of them had a bruising cheek while the other had a bruising forehead, but still both girls didn't even care to look at each other and kept walking forward towards their own respective homes.

If those two can show the same dedication to become serious kunoichis, then the future generation will have two tough kunoichi to look up to. were the thoughts of Tsunade as she made a note in her mind to check the progress of Hyuga heiress and Yamanaka heiress at a later point of time.

Meanwhile Shizune's mind was busy in her own thoughts. She took a side glance at Naruto and thought May be my little brother can get a successful date soon, unlike me.

As Naruto left with his family, everybody else also started their own dash towards their homes. Tonton and Eevee just ran off to their home leaving Tsunade, Shizune and Naruto behind, as these three have decided to simply enjoy the walk back to their home. When Naruto, Tsunade and Shizune were on their way back to home, they saw the entrance for the shinobi burial grounds on the left side of the path. Naruto felt the familiar chakra signature of Kakashi in the burial grounds and felt the regret and sorrow the Jounin was feeling. Naruto stopped walking beside his mother and turned left side and entered the burial grounds. Tsunade just rose an eye brow and followed her son along with Shizune.

The blond boy stood near a tree which was 50 feet away from where Kakashi was standing. Eventually his mother and sister also joined him in observing the Jounin. All the shinobi who fell in battle field were given a respectful final resting place, a proper gravestone and also their names were respectfully carved on the Leaf Village's Memorial stone.

But Kakashi was standing before a grave which was not even given a proper gravestone, and it was away from all the shinobi graves. The grave that Kakashi kept on staring with regret, just has a normal boulder to mark the grave. Naruto kept on watching Kakashi until the Jounin released a sigh and left the burial grounds without even knowing that he was being observed by the Senju family.

After Kakashi left, Naruto approached the grave that Kakashi kept on staring at and kneeled in front of it. He tried to read the name etched on the boulder. "Sakumo Hatake...?" Naruto read the name aloud.

"Sakumo Hatake – The White Fang of The Leaf Village." Shizune answered her brother's unasked question and when she saw Naruto turn to look at her with a questioning gaze she continued again, "It was said that even The Three Legendary Sannin paled in comparison to The White Fang of The Leaf."

"Wow... He is really that badass?" Naruto asked his mom with excitement to know more about this person.

Tsunade just nodded confirming what Naruto said, "He was the reason why Sand village still fears to even think of attacking the Leaf village."

"Whoa...! He must be really coo..." Naruto stopped mid-sentence when something clicked in his mind and he turned his head back to look over his shoulder at all the other shinobi gravestones on one side and then tuned back to look at Sakumo' s grave to see its all alone and without a proper gravestone. Naruto felt like someone intentionally separated Sakumo from being buried along with other fallen shinobis.

Naruto kept on staring at the name 'Sakumo Hatake' and then started saying without looking back, "If he is really such a great shinobi like you say..." he then took a pause to stand up and turn around to face his mother, "...then why is there no proper respect given to his final resting place, which was supposed to be given to all other fallen shinobis..?" Naruto asked referring to the absence of a proper gravestone and Sakumo Hatake's grave being alone and separated from the rest of the shinobi graves.

Tsunade released a regretful sigh thinking about all the things that happened back then and decided to reveal the harsh truth to her son, "Sakumo Hatake - The White Fang of The Leaf village was given a dangerous top-secret mission to lead, deep behind the enemy lines..."