530. Taking the Blame / 531. Going in Person

"Besides, I think this plan will make them understand the importance of the competition better than our previous one. If they can complete this challenge, they might even learn more from it."

"Still, I don’t know whether they’ll agree. Based on what I know about them, they might agree, but they might not. They’re just too unpredictable."

"Their personalities are so changeable that I can’t say I understand them that well—but I can’t say I don’t understand them either."

Madara Uchiha also felt that Izayoi Sakamaki’s words made some sense. It was indeed time to talk to the Hokages. After all, they had a lot of complaints about him now. If he did not find some way to persuade them—

—then things would only get worse. Izayoi Sakamaki and Madara Uchiha went to find the Hokages and said, "We’ve come up with another way for you to train yourselves: make an antidote."

"There shouldn’t be any problem with that, right? This antidote is extremely important to your companion’s life. If you can prepare it, then your companion will be safe."

"You should know that your companion’s life is in danger not because he was poisoned while searching for poison before. It’s because of an illness he already had, one he simply never told you about."

"So don’t go blaming us again. I’m making this clear to you now—don’t pin the blame on us afterward. Making this medicine is actually for the sake of saving your companion."

"You keep saying that you want to save your companion, but you haven’t put it into action. Now that you have this opportunity, you should cherish it. I’m asking for your consent right now."

"If you don’t agree, there’s nothing I can do. I can’t force you, after all. You should do the things you like, and as for the things you don’t like—"

"…you can tell me directly. So if you think this request is too excessive, you can simply ignore it."

The Hokages considered it and felt that the matter was open to discussion. But Izayoi Sakamaki and Madara Uchiha had kept tricking them, so they could not completely trust their words. In the end, they could only refuse.

If they agreed, something bad would surely happen again. Besides, who could guarantee whether what they said was true or false? One Hokage said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "I think we should put this matter aside for now."

"Because I have no idea whether what you’re saying is true or not. And even if it is true, why didn’t our companion tell us? What reason did he have for keeping it from us?"

"So we still need to discuss this. I can’t make the decision alone; it has to be a collective decision. As for the final answer, we’ll have to wait until we’ve reached one."

"Still, we’re not very willing to agree. You two keep coming up with one thing after another, and it feels like you’ve completely wrecked our state of mind. It’s not that we don’t want to save our companion."

"It’s just that you’ve turned saving our companion into a task you assigned to us, and that instantly puts us under a lot of pressure."

"You don’t know what it feels like to be under that kind of pressure. So it’s not that we disagree—we just haven’t processed it yet."

Taking the Blame
###
Izayoi Sakamaki had no choice. This was ultimately a decision for the Hokages themselves to make. If they refused, he could not force them to agree, since it was meant to be voluntary. Thus, Izayoi Sakamaki said to the Hokages, "Fine. Since you’ve got things to consider, we’ll leave first. This still depends on you, but you must think it through. If you agree—"

"—tell me immediately. This antidote is very difficult to prepare, so it will definitely take several days. I actually wanted to use this matter to train you. Of course, it was also Madara Uchiha’s idea."

"But if you don’t agree, then forget it. Pretend I never said anything. You should still think about whether to continue with the upcoming challenge, because the tasks ahead will still be very arduous. Think it over carefully."

"I think this task is much easier than the challenge you were supposed to accept, and it can also train you in some ways. After all, you’re people who care deeply about your companions."

"So I believe that when your companions are in danger, you will definitely step forward. I admit that Madara Uchiha and I have been somewhat inconsistent about certain matters, but you should forgive us too."

"We’re still in a period of adjustment. We haven’t known each other for very long, so it’s only natural that there would be an adjustment period. But if you don’t believe me—"

"—then that really breaks my heart. I feel that everything I’ve done has been for your sake. If you say that I have even the slightest selfish motive—"

"—then I truly have nothing left to say. Do you really think there’s any selfish motive behind what I’ve done?"

After saying that, Izayoi Sakamaki left. He felt that he no longer had any prestige anyway. The Hokages were also helpless as they watched him go, because the request he had made was truly rather difficult.

The matter itself was not an especially serious task for them. But those two kept springing one thing after another on them, which was extremely irritating.

One of the Hokages discussed it with the others. "What do you all think about this? I feel that Izayoi Sakamaki’s method is feasible. If we continue with the next challenge—"

"—there will definitely be major disagreements among us. Many people are unwilling to take part in that challenge—really, probably most of us. Since most people don’t want to participate—"

"—why don’t we change our goal? At the same time, it would give Izayoi Sakamaki a chance to make up for things. I think that if we change the challenge, we may be more motivated. And besides, it’s our companion who is ill."

"If we stand by and do nothing, that would be hard to justify. We always talk about friendship, but now that our friendship is being tested, if we don’t step up, wouldn’t that be a complete slap in our own faces?"

"So we absolutely cannot do that. We were the ones who kept bringing this matter up, but now Izayoi Sakamaki has handed it back to us."

"If we don’t perform well, Izayoi Sakamaki and the others might look down on us…"

Although some of the Hokages still strongly opposed it, most of them agreed. One Hokage stepped forward and said, "I think Izayoi Sakamaki and the others have a point."

"If we won’t step forward to save our companion at a time like this, then how can we call ourselves decent people? We are all people who value friendship, so we absolutely cannot back down in the face of something like this."

"Isn’t it just preparing an antidote? I don’t think it should be a problem for us. Since it’s such a small matter to us, why shouldn’t we do it?"

The Hokages then went to find Izayoi Sakamaki and said to him, "Fine, I agree with you. We’ll start looking for a way to prepare the antidote now, but you still need to take care of our companion’s illness."

"Since each of us has our own task now, we hope you’ll take good care of that Hokage. Don’t let her suffer in any way. If she suffers, then there’ll be no point in our efforts."

Izayoi Sakamaki nodded and said to the Hokages, "Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your companion. Go look for the antidote without concern. If you’re too late—"

"—your companion’s life will be in danger. I’m not trying to scare you. I just went to see her, and her condition has been getting worse and worse. For your companion’s safety, hurry up and get to it!"

Going in Person
###
Izayoi Sakamaki was very happy to see the Hokages agree to his request. There had been a huge rift between them, so it was indeed a good thing that they could accept his suggestion. He instructed the Hokages, "All right, then I’ll believe in you. I also know you aren’t the kind of people who disregard loyalty and friendship. Since your companion has been injured, you should stand up."

"We can forget our previous unpleasantness, right? But if your companion’s life is not treated in time, then she may not have much time left. That’s why I made this request—for your sake."

"We know that your friendship is precious, so I hope it will last forever. That is why I gave you this opportunity: you can complete the challenge while also saving your friend."

"So I think it’s a very good arrangement, since it takes care of both sides."

A Hokage merely laughed and said, "Fine, then we’ll thank you this time. But we haven’t forgotten the losses you made us suffer before, so we still don’t know whether we should trust you."

"Because almost nothing you say is believable. We trusted you a great deal before, but after you lied to us several times, we felt that your words were no better than bullshit. So you can’t blame us."

"Because you never keep your word. If you had left even a little good impression on us, we wouldn’t distrust you like this. In the end, it’s still your own fault."

"But we can’t tell who’s right and who’s wrong in this matter. We just need to do it, and if anything goes wrong, we’ll deal with it ourselves."

Izayoi Sakamaki watched them leave with his own eyes, and he actually felt quite relieved. They had finally listened to him for once. They had always strongly opposed his suggestions before, yet this time, they had unexpectedly accepted Madara Uchiha’s idea.

That was indeed a good thing. Izayoi Sakamaki wanted to thank Madara Uchiha, so he said, "I really have you to thank this time. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what to do. After all, I’m currently at a stalemate with them."

"So whether we can come up with a good way to change the situation between me and them is crucial. If my relationship with them remains bad, the later missions won’t be able to proceed. So I really have you to thank for this."

"If it weren’t for you, I could never have reached this point. You should know that this is the situation I’ve always dreamed of, so no matter what, I have to thank you. I just don’t know how."

"Anyway, we’re good friends, right? If we keep thanking each other, it’ll seem far too formal. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime."

"I feel like there’s nothing else I can do to repay you. We know each other so well, after all. I don’t think you’d make too many demands of me, would you?"

Hearing Izayoi Sakamaki say this, Madara Uchiha felt deeply ashamed. He really had been the first to wrong Izayoi Sakamaki in this matter. If he had handled it better, he would not have caused Izayoi Sakamaki so much trouble.

In the end, it was all his fault. Yet Izayoi Sakamaki was still thanking him. Madara Uchiha truly felt unworthy of it, so he said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "Don’t be so polite with me."

"You should know that I caused this entire mess. The fact that you can forgive me is already a tremendous honor. Who would’ve thought that you’d even want to treat me to dinner? I really don’t know what to say to you. This was my mistake in the first place."

"So even if you don’t blame me, I still feel terrible about it. I should be the one finding time to make it up to you. I feel awful for ruining things for you, because we were friends to begin with."

"After ruining my friend’s plans, do you think I’d feel good about it? So give me a chance to make up for my mistakes and let me properly atone for what I’ve done."

"If you won’t give me that chance, then I’ll think you never considered me a friend at all."

Izayoi Sakamaki merely laughed before saying, "Don’t say things like that. This isn’t your fault at all—it’s mine. You were only trying to help me out of kindness. If you hadn’t tried to help me, how could this have happened?"

"So this is ultimately my responsibility. Don’t take the blame onto yourself. I was the one in charge of this matter, and it doesn’t have much to do with you."

Chapter 532: Came Back Empty-Handed

At this moment, the poisoned Hokage’s condition was growing more and more serious. Izayoi Sakamaki saw it with his own eyes, and it pained his heart, but there was nothing he could do. The Hokage who had gone to search for the antidote had not yet returned, and there was no telling how long they would take. There had been no news from them at all. Yet the poisoned Hokage was already on the verge of death. If he did not find some way to delay the man’s worsening condition—

Then he would surely lose his life. And if he died, how would Izayoi Sakamaki explain it to the Hokage who were out searching for the antidote? Therefore, he had to find a way to slow the progression of his condition.

If the man’s condition worsened under his watch, he would become a sinner in their eyes, and they would never forgive him. He had to set an example, especially at such a critical time.

If he let something go wrong at this crucial moment, it would definitely cause enormous trouble. Madara Uchiha was also beside him. Izayoi Sakamaki said to him, "I think we need to find a way to delay this Hokage’s condition."

"His condition is clearly getting worse and worse. If we don’t find some way to slow it down, he’ll definitely die. And if he dies, how am I supposed to explain that to the other Kage?"

"But I don’t have any solution right now. I don’t know how to delay his condition, and it’s simply too serious."

"Right now, all we can do is wait for those Hokage to find the antidote. If they can’t find it, then we’ll be in a very difficult situation here."

Seeing how anxious he was, Madara Uchiha also felt deeply guilty. This really was a disaster he had caused. If he had not taken away Izayoi Sakamaki’s antidote, Izayoi Sakamaki would not have been forced into such a passive position.

Since he was the one who had harmed Izayoi Sakamaki, he should help Houyi solve the problem. The situation was already this serious. If he did not help Izayoi Sakamaki solve it, he would not be fit to call himself a man.

This was a mess he had caused. If he ignored it, how could he face Izayoi Sakamaki? Besides, Izayoi Sakamaki regarded him as a good friend and had not blamed him even after something like this happened.

So he had to find a way to save him. If this Hokage died, Izayoi Sakamaki would certainly bear enormous blame. Madara Uchiha said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "You don’t need to worry about that."

"Although I took your antidote before, there’s still a little left. I know it won’t be enough to cure this Hokage, but it should be enough to delay his condition for a while."

"So don’t worry." Hearing Madara Uchiha’s words, Izayoi Sakamaki was delighted. If they had that antidote, it really could delay the Hokage’s condition.

"The medicine is extremely potent. It would take a lot of antidote to completely cure the poison, but just a tiny amount is enough to slow the condition down."

Izayoi Sakamaki thanked Madara Uchiha, saying, "I really have you to thank this time. If it weren’t for you, I truly wouldn’t know what to do. Can’t you see that I’m sweating all over from panic?"

"You know how serious this is, so you’ve really saved me this time. If you hadn’t come up with this solution, I truly wouldn’t know what to do. I’m completely at a loss right now."

"And now, all I can do is wait for those Hokage to find the antidote. Your help is far too important. Without your help, I’d probably be finished."

After saying this, Izayoi Sakamaki still felt deeply worried. After all, the antidote could only delay the Hokage’s condition for a while. To truly cure him—

They would need more antidote. But there was still no news from those Hokage, so Izayoi Sakamaki remained extremely concerned. He was afraid that they would not be able to handle the matter properly. After all—

This was a matter of life and death. If they could not find the antidote, then this Hokage would lose his life. Izayoi Sakamaki said to Madara Uchiha, "I don’t think we can just sit here and wait."

"This matter is extremely important. We can’t put all the responsibility on those Hokage. They probably don’t even know much about how to prepare that antidote, so I’m very worried about them."

"If they fail, they won’t just lose the challenge. This Hokage will lose his life as well."

Chapter 533: Helpless Reprimand

Madara Uchiha felt that Izayoi Sakamaki had a point. The situation was so critical now. If they did not go check how those Hokage were doing, he truly would not be able to rest easy. After all, this involved a human life. If it were merely a challenge, he would not need to worry so much. But because someone’s life was at stake, he could not help worrying.

Madara Uchiha then said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "I think you have a point. We really should go see how those Hokage are handling things. This matter is very important, after all."

"So we can’t just stand by and do nothing. If we sit here waiting helplessly, neither of us will be able to calm down. This is very important to us too."

"So we can’t allow any accidents to happen. But this Hokage also needs someone to look after him, so only one of us can go. Do you want to go, or should I?"

"This Hokage’s injuries are still very serious. If anything unexpected happens, it’ll be hard to explain to the other Hokage. So only one of us should go. That would be safer, and it would prevent any major problems."

Izayoi Sakamaki nodded, feeling that Madara Uchiha had a point. But he was also very worried about whether those Hokage could actually get the job done, so he said to Madara Uchiha, "In that case, I’ll go!"

"I really want to see how they’re handling this. After all, this concerns their companion’s life. It’s a serious matter, and I want to see whether they’ve truly taken it to heart."

Naturally, Madara Uchiha agreed with Izayoi Sakamaki’s decision. Izayoi Sakamaki was the leader, after all, so Madara Uchiha could not disregard what he said.

Izayoi Sakamaki then went to look for those Hokage. Since they had gone into the forest to search for information on the antidote formula, Izayoi Sakamaki plunged straight into the woods. Soon after, he found the group of Hokage in the forest.

The Hokages were also very surprised when they saw Izayoi Sakamaki. Then they asked him, "Boss, why did you come here? Weren’t you supposed to help us look after our companion? If you’ve come here…"

"Then who’s looking after our companion? You have to understand, our companion is extremely important to us. If you’re not by his side taking care of him, we can’t leave with peace of mind to work on the antidote."

"So, Boss, have you properly settled him somewhere? This is a very important matter."

Izayoi Sakamaki merely chuckled and said to the Hokages, "Don’t worry. I arranged everything properly. Madara Uchiha is by your companion’s side taking care of him, so nothing will happen. Just relax."

"Before I came out, I already told Madara Uchiha to report to us immediately if your companion had any emergency. After all, something happened to your companion before."

"Fortunately, I managed to resolve it. His condition is extremely critical right now. If we can’t find the antidote soon, he may not survive. That’s why I came here—to urge you along."

"Your efficiency has simply been too low. It’s been so long, yet you haven’t sent us any word. I was very worried about you, so I came to find you and see how things were progressing."

"So hurry up and tell me about your recent situation. I’m very concerned about your progress, because it doesn’t just determine whether you can complete this challenge."

"It also concerns your companion’s life. I hope you take this matter seriously and never let your guard down. Your carelessness could cost your companion his life."

The Hokages merely shook their heads. They had come into this forest and spent their time drinking, yet they had found nothing new. In any case, they had done their best, but they still had not discovered anything. That could not be blamed on them.

After all, this was not something they could obtain just because they wanted it. One of the Hokages said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "Boss, since you’re here, we won’t hide it from you. To tell you the truth, we’ve been in this forest for several days."

"But we still haven’t found any information about the antidote formula. It’s not that we didn’t know where to start—we’ve practically turned this entire forest upside down, but we still couldn’t find it."

"The formula for the medicine you mentioned. What should we do? It’s not that we haven’t been searching. We’ve been looking almost day and night, without stopping during the day."

"We barely rested at night either, but there’s still no information at all about the formula for that medicine. So what should we do?"