reborn as Sakumo Hatake

The battlefield was still. The winds that had whipped through the trees moments before now seemed eerily silent. In the aftermath of the clash, the once-terrifying masked figure lay on the ground, their body sprawled out, defeated. Sakumo stood over the fallen figure, his sword still in hand, breath coming in heavy, ragged bursts. His body ached, every muscle sore from the intense battle, but he could not afford to relax—not yet.

Kakashi stood beside him, panting slightly as his Sharingan faded, the strain of the battle evident in his eyes. The boy had proven his mettle yet again. His focus, his determination—it was all a reflection of his upbringing. Sakumo had always known his son would be a force to be reckoned with, but in moments like these, seeing him fight with such strength, it filled him with pride.

But that pride was short-lived.

Sakumo's gaze fell to the defeated figure on the ground. The mask that had once been a symbol of the figure's terrifying power lay shattered, revealing a familiar face underneath. The shock that surged through Sakumo made his heart stop for a moment. He had seen this face before—years ago, in a different context.

It was the face of a former ally.

"This can't be," Sakumo muttered under his breath, his voice filled with disbelief. He dropped to a crouch beside the figure, reaching out to touch the man's cold skin. His instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. This wasn't supposed to be the person behind all the chaos. This wasn't the mastermind that had orchestrated the attacks on Konoha. This man… he had been a trusted member of the Hidden Leaf village. 

Kakashi's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the face. He stepped forward cautiously, trying to make sense of the situation. "Who is he, father?"

Sakumo's mind raced as he searched for the name, the identity that could match the face before him. This was someone who had once fought alongside him, someone he had trusted, someone who had fallen out of favor after a disastrous mission years ago. 

"This was Uchiha Tanaka," Sakumo said slowly, his voice thick with disbelief. "He was a shinobi from Konoha—once a member of the Uchiha clan's elite force."

Kakashi frowned, trying to piece it together. "But he's not an Uchiha… And why would someone like him do this? He's supposed to be an ally."

"I don't know," Sakumo said, shaking his head. "But this isn't just about him. Something happened to him. He became twisted, something changed in him. And now…" Sakumo trailed off, trying to understand the implications of what had just happened.

He rose slowly, stepping back from the fallen figure. The battle may have been won, but this discovery had left more questions than answers. How had Tanaka fallen to this dark path? Was he just another pawn in a larger game, or was there something more sinister at play?

"We'll figure this out," Sakumo said firmly, though the doubt lingered in his heart. "But right now, we have to report back to Konoha. This goes deeper than we thought."

The reinforcements, who had been regrouping in the background, began to move forward cautiously. They had heard the exchange between Sakumo and Kakashi, and now they were equally unsure of what to make of the situation. Their leader, a stern woman with short black hair and a sharp gaze, approached Sakumo.

"This is Uchiha Tanaka?" she asked, her tone a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Yes," Sakumo confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "He was once one of us. We trained together during our early days as shinobi. But something must have happened to him. I can't explain it."

The woman nodded, her expression serious. "Then it's more important than ever that we get back to Konoha and report what happened. There's a bigger picture here. We need to warn the village."

Sakumo agreed, but a nagging sense of unease gnawed at him. Tanaka had been a trusted ally once, but now, seeing him like this, twisted into something unrecognizable, raised more questions than answers. Who was behind all of this? Who had turned Tanaka into this monster? And why?

Kakashi's voice broke through his thoughts. "Father, what do we do with him?" His eyes were trained on Tanaka's lifeless form, and Sakumo could see the unease in his son's gaze.

"We'll take him back," Sakumo said, standing tall once more. "Konoha will need to know everything. This isn't just about fighting threats—it's about understanding where they come from. We can't afford to overlook anything."

The reinforcements nodded in agreement, and together, they began the trek back to Konoha. The journey would be long, and it would be filled with questions that would need answers. But for now, all they could do was return to the village, gather their forces, and prepare for whatever else awaited them.

***

The trek back to Konoha took longer than Sakumo would have liked, the burden of what they had discovered weighing heavily on his mind. Tanaka, still unconscious but alive, was carried by one of the reinforcements, his body secured by chakra chains. It was a strange feeling—knowing that this man, who had once fought alongside him, was now the key to uncovering something far more dangerous than any of them had anticipated.

As they approached the gates of Konoha, Sakumo's thoughts raced. What had led Tanaka down this dark path? What had changed in him, and what was his connection to the masked figures they had just defeated? There were so many unanswered questions, and Sakumo was determined to find the truth.

Once they entered the village, they were met by a small group of ANBU agents, led by none other than Danzo Shimura. The man's presence was imposing, his one visible eye sharp as he surveyed the scene.

"What have you found?" Danzo asked, his voice low, calculating.

Sakumo met Danzo's gaze without hesitation. "We've captured Uchiha Tanaka. He was part of a larger operation—one that's more complicated than we thought. There are forces out there that we still don't fully understand."

Danzo nodded, his lips curling into a thin, knowing smile. "I see. Then it's time we uncover the truth, isn't it, Sakumo?"

Sakumo couldn't shake the feeling that this man knew more than he was letting on. Danzo's words were too deliberate, too calculated. He was always one to play his cards close to his chest, and Sakumo wasn't sure if he could trust him fully.

But there was no time to dwell on it now. The answers they sought were just within reach, and the next step would be crucial.

***

As they moved Tanaka to the interrogation chamber, Sakumo took a deep breath. This was it. The moment they would finally get some answers. But a feeling lingered in the back of his mind—an unsettling sensation that the truth they would uncover would be more dangerous than they could ever imagine.