Promotion to Special Jonin

Although Hatake Sakumo had been ordered by Hiruzen Sarutobi to return to the village and take responsibility for the heavy losses caused by the earlier mission failure—though the main reason was that the Third Hokage's eldest son had been crippled—Hiruzen Sarutobi could not possibly reveal that reason to the public. To create the conditions for carrying out the decapitation mission, Konoha had paid a considerable price and lost many personnel.