"Don't you care about what's said outside?"
Kakashi, who was receiving Sakumo's sword skills instruction in the courtyard, looked at Sakumo and asked softly.
To be honest, he couldn't understand why the rumors outside were so targeted at his father.
The mission failed just once, which did not affect Sakumo's status in his mind at all, but the words of those outside made Kakashi feel very uncomfortable.
"Kakashi, if it were you, would you respond?"
Sakumo asked with a smile.
"..."
Kakashi held the short sword tightly, seeming to be hesitating and struggling.
"Sorry, I don't know what to do."
"Why are you apologizing? Kakashi, you still have a long way to go."
Sakumo knelt down, held Kakashi's knife-holding palm with his generous hand, and comforted him with a smile.
"Um."
Kakashi nodded.
"You must have had a fight with someone today."
Sakumo said in an affirmative tone.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I taught a few ungrateful guys a lesson. What they said was too unpleasant."
"I'm glad you can stand up for me. So in your opinion, are what they said correct or wrong?"
The smile on Sakumo's face disappeared, and in Kakashi's opinion, it was an unparalleled serious expression.
Quests and companions? Kakashi began to ask himself, if he had been in the position of his father Sakumo, would he have chosen to carry out the mission or save his companions.
He didn't know what the right choice was.
Seriously, the mission should be the top priority. Something went wrong with the Will of Fire...
But that is the will passed down from the first generation of adults, how could there be any mistakes?
If it was wrong, how could this kind of textbook be selected as a required subject in a ninja school?
but……
Kakashi was a little confused.
With a perfect score in theory, he didn't know how to answer this question for the first time.
"I have no idea."
In the end, Kakashi shook his head.
He looked up at his father Sakumo, hoping that he could give him an answer for reference.
Which one comes first, the mission or the companions?
Sakumo didn't answer. He just patted Kakashi on the shoulder and looked at the beautiful sunset in the distance. The sunset reflected on his face, which was the afterglow of the end.
"I don't care about other people's opinions, so you don't have to take these things to heart."
"But the man you saved, dad, was also insulting..."
"Don't stop doing things that should be right because of others' disapproval, or even regret it afterward because of others' ridicule and accusations. I just abide by the beliefs and persistence that a Konoha ninja should have."
"yes……"
Kakashi lowered his head, he still couldn't be as open-minded as Sakumo.
Everyone else can be forgiven, but only the person who was saved by Sakumo came to accuse his savior. This is something Kakashi cannot forgive.
"That's it for today's sword training."
Kakashi nodded, followed Sakumo's arrangement, and returned to his room.
Time slowly passed, and it was late at night. Due to the rumors, Kakashi was tired during the day. Whether he was practicing or eating, he was a little absent-minded, and he would go to bed early at night.
On the roof of Hatake's house, Sakumo was looking at the sparse stars and moon above his head, blowing the cool night breeze.
There was a slight movement from behind, and someone climbed onto the roof from behind and came towards him.
"It's easy to catch a cold if you blow in the wind here at night, Sakumo-sensei."
Shiraishi walked up to Sakumo, smiled at him and said something.
"Ayane was here during the day, is it you at night?"
Sakumo also smiled.
"Ayane? Is she here too?"
Shiraishi was surprised.
"She came over after I had lunch and went back not long after."
"Yeah?"
Shiraishi also followed Sakumo's line of sight, looked at the stars and moon in the night sky, and whispered to himself.
"You came to see me so late, didn't you plan to accompany me here to enjoy the cold wind all night?"
Sakumo asked.
"I just came to see the scenery."
"landscape?"
"Yes, the scenery is the same as what you are looking at...the stone statues of the past Hokages, who founded this village, are known as those who made great achievements in history."
Shiraishi shifted his gaze from the night sky. Directly below was the shadow rock of the three Hokages.
The first Hokage who established Konoha.
The second generation Hokage who formulates important development strategies for the village.
And now the Third Hokage.
In the future, more people will be engraved on it and worshiped by the people of Konoha.
The Fourth Hokage... The Fifth Hokage... The Sixth Hokage...
Sakumo didn't speak, and he and Shiraishi kept silent together in a tacit agreement, quietly looking at the shadow rocks.
After a long time, Sakumo was the first to break the silence and said: "What will the future of Konoha be like?"
This sentence seemed to be asking Shiraishi, or himself, or maybe someone else.
"I don't think there is any need to ask about this kind of thing, because Mr. Sakumo, you have already found the answer you want, haven't you?"
Shiraishi answered Sakumo's question, and then said:
"Just like what you said to Kakashi, do what you think is right, and don't regret it because of other people's accusations after you do it."
"Sure enough, among the three of you, you are the most special one."
Sakumo said meaningfully.
Sakumo knew that Shiraishi had already noticed what decision he had taken in the face of these rumors.
"Since you have already made your choice, it seems unnecessary for me to come here."
Shiraishi did not respond directly to this question, but sighed.
Unlike Ayane, Sakumo has long passed the age of asking who he is.
He knew exactly why he made such a choice.
I don’t know if I will regret it in the future, but if I don’t do it, I will definitely live in suffering in the future.
It was like giving up the mission because he saved his companions. No matter whether the people he saved would blame him for failing the mission, Sakumo would not waver.
It's other people's business to scold him, but it's his business to save his companions. There is no necessary relationship between the two.
He was simply abiding by the beliefs conveyed by the Will of Fire.
I firmly believe that saving my companions and giving up the mission is the highest priority, even if I break some rules.
For such people, the opinions of others can only be used as a reference and cannot be a decisive factor in shaking their beliefs.
"Teacher Sakumo, please rest early. I'm going back first."
Shiraishi knew that he couldn't change anything when he came here, so he might as well go back and rest.
The weather is quite cold tonight.
Shiraishi started walking towards the way back.
"Take care of Kakashi for me."
Sakumo's words suddenly came from behind.
Under the silent night, Bai Shi paused when he heard these words and nodded slightly.
When Sakumo turned around to look, the place where Shiraishi was standing was empty.
◎
The air seemed a bit cold the next morning.
Kakashi got up early and prepared breakfast in the kitchen, but he was a little confused when he saw that his father Sakumo hadn't come over yet.
At this time, normally I would have come here by now.
After all, after breakfast, there is still morning exercise.
Kakashi carried breakfast, walked towards Sakumo's room, opened the door, and shouted to the people inside:
"Dad, breakfast is ready-"
The breakfast plate fell to the floor with a loud sound.
A hearty and nutritious breakfast was sprinkled all over the floor.
But these things didn't matter. In the middle of the room, a man fell in a pool of blood.
Using the white fang dagger that plundered the blood of countless enemies, he quietly ended his life.
When Kakashi saw this scene, his mind went blank and he couldn't think of anything.
◎
Sakumo is dead.
The news spread through the police personnel, and it was determined that it was a suicide and not a murder at home.
There were no signs of illusion, no signs of violent struggle, or fighting with the enemy.
It is very common to insert the blade into one's own body and end one's life.
This news was quickly known to the villagers of Konoha, and the senior officials also knew the news.
As for the rumors, they all ended in silent silence.
——In a huge dark space in Konoha, the Konoha ninjas who survive in this place are those who give up everything.
Names, feelings, and even life were all abandoned.
Using darkness as its nourishment, it is deeply rooted in the earth.
roots.
This is the general name of their organization, an organization that originated from ANBU but is outside the jurisdiction of the Hokage.
Their leader Shimura Danzo was sitting in the conference room, and a Konoha ninja was roaring angrily at the root leader:
"Why is this happening? Why did Sakumo... Captain Sakumo commit suicide? Elder Danzo, didn't you promise that everything would be fine? Why did things turn out like this?"
If he hadn't been held hostage by two root ninjas, he would probably have rushed to Danzo and beaten him severely.
Danzo was also a little restless and agitated.
Konoha White Fang committed suicide...why did he commit suicide?
The rumors were indeed spread from the ground up, and the ANBU kept silent, neither acknowledging nor stopping them.
Because Naruto cannot be born in Sakumo.
Therefore, his reputation should be suppressed.
As long as his reputation is lowered, Konoha White Fang will still be the Jounin of Konoha and the leading figure among the Jounin, but he will never be able to become the Hokage.
But... why did Sakumo commit suicide?
Rumors of this level should not be fatal enough.
Originally, he planned to stop the spread of rumors this afternoon.
Danzo was at a loss.
"Take him out, I need to calm down."
Unable to understand why Sakumo committed suicide, Danzo waved his hand irritably and asked the root ninja to take away the Konoha ninja who questioned him.
He also wanted to know why, but Sakumo was dead and no one came to answer his question.
◎
Sakumo's funeral was held in not-so-gloomy weather.
Not many people came to the funeral.
Apart from Kakashi, Shiraishi, Ruri, and Ayane, there are only relatively familiar people like Tsunade.
They still find it inconceivable that Sakumo would commit suicide because of such rumors.
"Life will be born and pass away..."
Orochimaru faced all this with a sad look.
Everything seemed meaningless.
The rope tree is like this.
The same goes for breaking.
Now it's Sakumo's turn.
If one day it was his turn... Orochimaru didn't know why, but there was an inexplicable fear in his heart.
Finally, he shook his head and was the first to leave Sakumo's funeral.
He had seen too many people die, and Sakumo was just one of them, and he wasn't the last.
In the future, many people related to him will die in front of him.
Life is such a fragile thing.
"Jiraiya-sensei, why did Sakumo-senpai do this?"
Minato who was accompanying him looked at Jiraiya, the teacher next to him, and asked this question softly.
"Who knows about this kind of thing? The deceased is gone, so there is no need to discuss it."
Jiraiya shook his head, distraught.
Minato nodded knowingly and didn't ask further. He looked at Kakashi at the front of the team, full of pity and sympathy.
Tsunade walked to Shiraishi and saw his calm face. She knew that he must be pretending to be brave and wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say.
Shiraishi seemed to know what Tsunade wanted to say, and smiled and said: "Don't worry, Tsunade-sensei, I'm fine, don't worry about me."
Tsunade nodded.
Not long after, she left here with Jiraiya and Minato.
People left one after another, and finally, only Shiraishi and Kakashi were left here.
Shiraishi placed the flowers in his hand in front of Sakumo's grave.
"You are the true ninja who has inherited the will of fire, the person who interprets all of this will..."
The senior management's idea was correct. They wanted to plunder Sakumo's political capital so that he could be a jounin with peace of mind in the future. They also had proper arrangements and considerations for Sakumo's future.
But...only the method used was wrong.
In this world, there are many people who regard dignity and belief as more important than their own lives.
To his enemies, he was the hated Konoha White Fang.
For one's own people, there is no companion who feels more at ease than having him by his side.
This is a ninja who regards his companions as his own responsibility, more than his own life.
What he maintains is the will of fire in his heart that has never been tainted by anything.
Now even the higher-ups are not following it and are actively breaking the rules that the village has had since the beginning.
What was this village founded for?
Isn't it the greatest irony that a village was established because of bonds, but the ninja who chose to bond were slandered by rumors because they gave up on their mission?
However, the ninjas and villagers who thought they had inherited the will of fire had never doubted it, and even raised objections.
The will of fire they believed in in the past was distorted by themselves without knowing it.
They have forgotten why the village was founded in the first place.
I have lost sight of what the village’s first and most fundamental principles should be.
If people lose their land, everyone will gain it.
If the land is saved and people are lost, both people and land will be lost.
From the beginning, the starting points of senior management and Sakumo's thinking were not on the same path.
Teacher Sakumo, I hope those people who are determined to die will understand and take warning from this matter, find what they have lost, and awaken the confusion in their hearts. At the end of the funeral, Shiraishi added these words in his heart.
It is also the most sincere blessing.
Otherwise, if this vicious cycle continues, Shiraishi can predict that Konoha White Fang is just the beginning, but by no means the last.
There will be more people like this in Konoha in the future, losing themselves in the wavering rules and becoming sad victims of them.
