Author's Note: THANK YOU to everyone for the kind reviews! I've always thought Sakumo was a way underdeveloped character in the series that had so much untapped potential. It's nice to know I'm managing to do him justice! :)
Chapter 16
It was the late morning of the third day before the Village Hidden in the Valley came into view. Sakumo's eyes never stopped moving as they approached the gates. Other than their one encounter with the small band of rogue shinobi, they had travelled unmolested. Sakumo wasn't about to let his guard down. Not until he got a feel for the political situation here first. A pair of guards blocked their path as they approached; cautious, wary, but not hostile.
"What is your business here, shinobi?" one demanded.
Sakumo kept his hands slightly raised, palms outward, and away from his body to indicate he was not a threat. Dai mirrored him though he had removed his kunai holster and stashed it in his pack. He had taken note of Sakumo's words the previous evening and decided it was pointless to wear the holster as he wasn't very proficient with the weapons anyway. "We're from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. We have a message to deliver to your leaders from our Hokage."
The guards looked them over for a moment, taking in their headbands, clothing, and weapons. They leaned close to one another, speaking in hushed tones. Sakumo waited patiently, using the time to discreetly study the fortifications and defenses. He spotted two more shinobi positioned nearby. Sloppy, he thought. They should observe while remaining hidden. They're giving their positions away too readily. Were we hostile, it would cost them. He reminded himself that The Hidden Valley did not boast the number of high-level shinobi that the hidden villages of the Five Great Nations did. Many of the smaller countries were lucky to have a handful of jonin at best; most of their shinobi would be genin or low- to mid-level chunin. It was unfair to judge them by the standards of the Hidden Leaf.
Apparently reaching a consensus, the guards turned back to the newcomers. "Are you – are you the White Fang of the Hidden Leaf?" the guard who had first challenged them asked, studying Sakumo carefully. His gaze lingered on the spiky silver hair that fell over his headband, then shifted to the hilt of the blade just visible on his back and finally to the short red-tipped white sleeve that fluttered around his left arm.
"I am," Sakumo answered. There was no point denying it. The Hokage had chosen him for this mission specifically because of his reputation, after all. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dai staring at him in shock. It had never occurred to Sakumo that Dai wouldn't know who he was. He wasn't so arrogant to assume that everyone in the village knew, but Kakashi and Guy were friends so he would have figured it would have come up in passing at some point. Now was not the time to discuss it, however.
The guards exchanged another quick look. "Then this must be a matter of great importance. I shall escort you to our lord at once."
"My thanks," Sakumo said, allowing his hands to fall to his sides. Having an escort meant not having to navigate through an unfamiliar village. It also meant they would be kept on the path that the Hidden Valley shinobi wanted them on. Sakumo wasn't overly concerned. They were wary of the strangers but so far there had been no outright hostility towards them. He hoped it remained that way.
They followed the guard through the village. Sakumo kept a map of their route in his head, noting potential escape routes and guard positions as they walked. He was experienced enough to know that just because the village didn't seem hostile didn't mean it wasn't. Or that it couldn't quickly become so under the right - or perhaps wrong - circumstances. There were no guarantees here. An unobservant or inattentive shinobi was often a dead shinobi.
A few minutes later they reached a large squat building that stood near what Sakumo estimated to be the village center. They entered and proceeded down several corridors, finally stopping before a pair of ornately carved doors. One of the doors stood partially open, giving them a glimpse into the room beyond.
The second guard from the gates pushed the door wide and ushered them inside. It was clear he had taken a more direct route to arrive before them and inform the village leaders of their presence. Sakumo would have done the same. They stepped through the doorway into a moderately sized office. In the center of the room stood a heavy wooden desk covered in papers and scrolls. Overflowing shelves lined the walls to either side and large windows were set behind the desk. All Sakumo could currently make out of the man bent over the mound of paperwork was slicked back brown hair. He gave no indication he was aware of the new arrivals.
It was a power-play, Sakumo knew. The other had obviously been informed of their arrival. He was showing that he was unconcerned about whatever their reason was for being here. The Land of Rivers was small and insignificant compared to the Land of Fire. Their ruler was simply demonstrating that they did not jump when one of the larger nations came calling. Sakumo hated politics.
He finally looked up as Sakumo halted before the desk, Dai a half-step behind him. The Hokage had made it clear that Sakumo was the Hidden Leaf's representative for this mission. Bleary hazel eyes focused on the newcomers.
"I'm Tadashi Ejiri, the lord of the Village Hidden in the Valley," he said in clipped tones. He eyed the Leaf shinobi before him for a moment as if sizing them up. "So, you're the White Fang, huh. You're not nearly as impressive as I'd imagined someone of your reputation to be. I thought you'd be taller."
Only years of hearing comments about how he didn't look how others expected allowed Sakumo to control the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't get it. What did people expect him to look like? Was he supposed to be some horrible monster with huge fangs that breathed fire as he tore his opponents to shreds? A giant that strode across countries in a single stride, crushing nations beneath his feet as he passed? Reputation aside, he was just as much a mortal man as everyone else. He bit down the urge to point out that he easily stood at least half a head taller than Ejiri. A shade under six feet – not counting his unruly silver mop - he could hardly be considered short. "I'm Sakumo Hatake," he replied instead. "This is Might Dai." Ejiri's gaze flickered momentarily to Dai, then back to Sakumo, who was clearly in charge.
"Hmph," Ejiri snorted, unimpressed. "What do you want, Sakumo Hatake?"
Sakumo reached into his flak jacket and withdrew the Hokage's scroll slowly, telegraphing his movements as he did so. It wouldn't do to start an incident because someone thought he was here to assassinate their leader. He handed the sealed scroll over to Ejiri. "This is a proposal from the Village Hidden in the Leaves," he said.
"Hmph. Let me guess, you expect us to get drawn into your war." He scowled. "You shinobi from the Elemental Countries and your damn rich Hidden Villages. You don't give a damn about us until you need something." He waved a dismissive hand as he set the scroll carelessly to the side, unopened. "Fine. I'll look over what your Hokage has to say when I get around to it. There's an inn nearby where you can find lodging since I'm assuming your Hokage expects you to bring back an answer." He hunched back over his paperwork, ignoring the Leaf shinobi once again.
Taking it as the dismissal it clearly was, Sakumo turned and walked out of the office, Dai following close behind. The guard from the gates who had escorted them pointed out the inn just down the street. With an apologetic look – possibly due to his lord's rudeness - he wished them well before returning to his post.
"We might as well secure lodging," Sakumo said. "I get the feeling we're going to be here for a few days." He pushed open the door of the inn and stepped into the common room. It had a cozy, homey feel to it. It was empty aside from the two Leaf shinobi. Sakumo walked towards the counter. As he approached a man suddenly appeared, having just stood up from behind the counter. Bright green eyes blinked at the newcomers from beneath a shock of salt-and-pepper hair for a moment as if wondering where they had come from. Then he broke out in a wide grin.
"Oh! Visitors!" he cried in delight. "Welcome! Welcome to our humble village! I am Yutaka, proprietor of this inn. I'm afraid our accommodations are humble but my inn is clean and my wife is the best cook in the village!"
Sakumo gave him an easy smile. "I'm certain the accommodations will be just fine."
"How long will you be staying with us, Lord -?"
"It's just Sakumo." While technically he was the head of his clan, claiming any sort of title to that effect seemed rather absurd as the Hatake Clan consisted of exactly two people. "A few days, possibly a week."
"Excellent! We have few visitors. Mostly merchants or shinobi or minor nobles who are simply passing through. I shall set you up in our finest room." The innkeeper's expression turned worried. "I am afraid that I must ask for payment upfront. Too often have I tried to collect from villages whose shinobi have stayed only to have them refuse. Unless Lord Ejiri is covering – ?"
"How much?" Sakumo asked. He paid without haggling and the other man handed over the room keys, grinning once again as he directed them where to go.
"Should you like to join us for the evening meal, please let me know in advance each day so my Emiko can be certain to make enough. Though she always cooks as if expecting an army to come marching through the door at dinnertime!" He laughed heartily. "Anything you need, please do not hesitate let me know! Will you be joining us this evening?"
Sakumo answered in the affirmative and thanked him. He and Dai made their way to their room. Sakumo unlocked the door and pushed it open, his gaze sweeping the room reflexively before he entered. The room was in the smaller side, but it would do. He'd certainly stayed in much worse places. Two futons sat folded in one corner. A small table with a pair of chairs was against the wall across from an open closet. Bedding and towels sat on the shelves. A second door led to a tiny bathroom. Sakumo went to the window and looked out. A neat courtyard stood empty. The window was too small for anyone other than a small child to fit through. He checked that it could be locked securely anyway.
"Do you really think we'll be here for a week?" Dai asked as Sakumo inspected the room.
Sakumo slipped his pack from his shoulders and set it in the closet so it was out of the way. "It's a possibility. Ejiri doesn't seem to be in a hurry to read the Hokage's proposal. Even if he read it the moment we left, I suspect he'll let us stew for a few days before he gives us an answer." He did not voice his annoyance with the entire thing out loud. Sakumo understood what was going on but that didn't mean he had to like it. He wondered idly what would happen if instead of posturing and power-plays, if the leaders of the Nations spoke plainly and honestly to one another. He suspected it would solve a lot of problems. It was a pretty dream.
He turned to find Dai staring at him intently.
"You're the White Fang?"
"Yeah," the word came out almost a sigh.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"It never occurred to me," Sakumo replied honestly. "It's a moniker that instills fear and awe into the Leaf's enemies, much like the Yellow Flash, or the Sannin. I've amassed plenty of enemies over the years, too many of whom would like nothing more than to see me dead. It protects Kakashi as well for them not to so easily connect him to me. But in the Hidden Leaf and among friends, I'm just Sakumo Hatake."
Dai found Sakumo utterly perplexing. The man was one of the most powerful shinobi in the Hidden Leaf – even Dai had heard of the White Fang – yet he didn't act like it. Dai would have expected someone of his reputation to strut loudly about, demanding the attention and admiration that was his due, basking in his fame, sneering down at those who failed to match his skill. Instead, Sakumo was soft-spoken with a friendly, easy-going manner. Since they had left their village he had treated Dai as an equal in both word and deed.
"Let's take a look around," Sakumo suggested, interrupting Dai's musings. He wanted to get a feel for the layout of the village and the mood of its inhabitants. It wasn't quite noon and Sakumo hated being idle.
Dai agreed readily, still somewhat awed that the jonin was including him. He had rarely left the confines of the Leaf Village and was eager to see a new place. They left their packs at the inn, though Sakumo still carried his weapons. His tanto would be nearly impossible for anyone other than himself or Kakashi to use to its full potential but it was still valuable simply because chakra blades were so rare. It was also his signature weapon and there were those who would value it highly for that reason alone.
As they strolled through the streets, Sakumo noticed the suspicious looks they received though he didn't react outwardly to them. More than one shinobi openly and obviously sized the pair up. He was neither surprised nor offended by the suspicion of the villagers. They were foreign shinobi in their village during a time of war. A war this land had been trying hard to keep out of. He'd be concerned if they weren't wary of them. He stuck his hands in his pockets as they walked, slouching slightly. It was a comfortable, casual posture that made it appear he had nothing more on his mind than going for a pleasant stroll.
"Everyone is staring at us," Dai said, his tone betraying his disquiet. Back home in the Hidden Leaf he never minded the stares that his boisterous nature earned him. Here he found the attention unsettling.
"This village isn't like the Hidden Leaf," Sakumo explained. "We're a large village in one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Visitors aren't all that uncommon, even shinobi from other lands. Heavy population draws merchants looking to sell their wares. It means lodging and supplies for travelers on their way through the Land of Fire. A shinobi village means security within the village walls for civilians. Even during times of war, the Village itself is rarely attacked directly. There are heavy defenses and fortifications that would make doing so a costly proposition." He motioned towards what appeared to be a dumpling shop. Dai nodded and they headed towards it.
"You can hardly blame them for being hostile," Sakumo continued once they had been seated and placed their orders. "The smaller nations have always been caught in between the Elemental Nations and their conflicts. Those who are unfortunate enough to be caught directly in between often become battlegrounds, their land destroyed and people killed in a conflict that isn't even theirs. Then they're left on their own after the conflict is ended to pick up the pieces without aid from those who destroyed them in the first place. Just ask anyone from the Hidden Rain, they're a prime example. Their country was devastated and left in ruins after the last war. They had barely begun rebuilding when this war began. It is no wonder we're viewed with suspicion and mistrust, even hostility. In many ways, we probably deserve it."
"Oh." Dai wasn't certain how to respond to that. He wasn't ignorant of the war that waged throughout the shinobi world. But unlike the rest of those in his age-group, who were all chunin at least, he was blissfully unaffected by it. He seldom ventured much beyond the confines of the Hidden Leaf. He had certainly never been in battle. The conflict was an abstract concept for him, having never had practical experience in the area. Having recently made chunin, there was the possibility of Guy being sent into it but Dai was cheerfully optimistic that Lord Hokage wouldn't send children to war. Dai had always admired the Hokage and had complete faith in him. Sakumo's words shook him. They were spoken in a matter of fact tone but with a weariness of one who has seen such events first hand. Had the Hidden Leaf had a hand in sewing such chaos and destruction in its wake? He didn't know how to feel about that. It clashed uncomfortably with his limited world-view.
Seeing Dai's discomfort with the subject, Sakumo managed a wan smile. "For what it's worth, I have Lord Hiruzen's word that won't happen here. We can't know what the future will bring but he gave me his word that should this alliance come about the Hidden Leaf will honor its commitments."
"I have faith in Lord Hokage. But what you said –" Dai frowned, conflicted.
Sakumo took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying. "I believe Lord Third will do his utmost to help this land if it gets drawn into the war," he replied carefully. The Hokage had assured him that the Hidden Leaf would send aid but Sakumo was well enough versed in politics to know how much would depend greatly on how badly the Hidden Leaf was affected itself. It could well be no more than a token, just enough to honor the letter of the alliance, if not the spirit. He saw no reason to burden Dai with that knowledge. Sakumo really hated politics.
That evening, Sakumo and Dai joined the innkeeper and his wife for dinner in the common room of the inn. Yutaka was a vivacious man, eager to share tales of those who had stayed at his inn in the past with its newest visitors and asking many questions about the Hidden Leaf and the Land of Fire. His wife, Emiko, was equally enthusiastic, not hesitating to add her own embellishments to her husband's stories. Dai, naturally boisterous, chatted enthusiastically with their hosts. Sakumo mostly listened, content to allow the conversation to flow around him, only interjecting a polite comment or answering a direct question here and there. Highly observant, he was learning much more from what wasn't being said.
"Yutaka isn't just a simple innkeeper," Sakumo said later that night after they had returned to their room.
"Huh?"
"He's a shinobi – high-level one, too, probably a jonin."
Dai gaped. "What? How can you possibly know that? He never said a word about being a shinobi."
"The way he moves, the way he watches his surroundings, the way he speaks; there are a hundred tiny tells. A lifetime of shinobi training is a difficult thing to shake completely."
"What should we do?"
"Nothing." Seeing Dai's confusion, he elaborated. "There's nothing for us to do. It's not unheard of for shinobi to run a business on the side or once they retire. Even if that's not the case, letting them know that we know isn't going to change anything. It's not unlikely that he already realizes we're aware."
"How so?"
"He was watching us as much as I was watching him. The answer to even the most benign question can give away more than most people realize. I wouldn't worry too much about it," Sakumo added, seeing Dai's confusion turn to concern that he may have inadvertently said something he shouldn't. "It's a game. He knows that I know he's a shinobi. Now he wants to see what I do with that knowledge. In this case, nothing. It doesn't affect our mission."
"Then what is the point?"
"As I said, it's a game, a test. They want to see what, if anything, we do."
"What if they are expecting you to do something?"
Sakumo gave him a crooked grin. "Then they're going to be sorely disappointed."
