"Did Sakumo-sensei really commit suicide because of something like this?"
That was after the funeral. Ayane went to Shiraishi alone and asked this question.
In Ayane's opinion, it was impossible for Sakumo to commit suicide because of a boring question about which one is more important, companions or missions.
The Sakumo he knew would never be such a man.
This is what Ayane is confused about, and she hopes to get the answer from Shiraishi.
"What do you mean?"
"The cause of death of Sakumo-sensei."
"This is no longer important."
Shiraishi glanced at her and said.
"I feel unworthy of Sakumo-sensei."
Ayane felt uncomfortable and let out a long breath.
"Sakumo-sensei is not suitable to be a ninja. He is just one of the tragic products of this ninja era."
Ayane was a little overwhelmed by Shiraishi's words and looked at him in shock.
"There is no answer to the question you are wondering from the beginning. The task is professional ethics, and the companion... is a human choice. Which one is the right answer, or all of them can be wrong. The key lies in how the upper management defines this thing."
"But Teacher Sakumo gave up the mission and cost the village..."
At this point, Ayane discovered the problem.
And even more confused.
What mission does Sakumo perform?
What did the village lose?
There was no explanation from the higher-ups, but the villagers were allowed to imagine freely.
In other words, the question of which one is more important, companions or tasks, does not exist from the beginning.
It is true that Ayane knows that Sakumo attaches great importance to his companions, but since the entire mission is based on a scam, there is no point in choosing which one.
Ayane understood what Shiraishi meant.
Both of these answers are both correct and both are incorrect.
It doesn’t matter which one you choose, what matters is how the upper level defines it.
Today the companions can be greater than the tasks, and tomorrow the tasks can be greater than the companions.
In the eyes of the higher-ups, this is just a political battle regarding the election of the Fourth Hokage.
There is no other meaning.
With the bond as the core, everyone is the will of one family member - the will of fire. Unknowingly, it has become a political tool for senior officials to fight for power and control the voice of the village.
It is no longer the faith and soul of a village.
The villagers were unaware of this and participated in it with a playful smile.
There is no more desperate truth than this.
Ayane shuddered a little.
She could imagine the despair Sakumo faced at that time.
This is just a ridiculous political fight.
How to choose tasks and companions has never been the problem.
Sakumo didn't commit suicide because of this problem at all.
He just saw a village that had completely deteriorated.
"When did it start?"
The root cause of this decision will definitely not be because of this incident.
The seeds were planted long ago, but Ayane is confused as to when Sakumo became disappointed with the village's higher-ups.
Seeing the confusion on Ayane's face, Shiraishi sighed and asked:
"Ayane, you don't think that Mr. Sakumo knows anything about that mission a few years ago, do you?"
Ayane's face was startled.
She knew that Shiraishi was talking about the mission incident that broke out between them and the roots four years ago.
"Sakumo-sensei..."
"How could a person like him not understand Orochimaru's abnormal order? He rested in the village for two months because of his injury. What kind of injury can allow someone to rest for two months? If it is really that serious, he should just withdraw from the battlefield. That’s fine, returning to the battlefield will drag others down.”
Shiraishi picked up a leaf from the ground, played with it in his hand and observed it with interest, while saying this to Ayane.
"Did you start to have doubts at that time? I thought the three of us had passed the test."
Ayane smiled bitterly.
"There's nothing wrong with our acting skills. If the three of us didn't return to the battlefield alive and kicking, but were missing arms and legs, and tried to dress up as miserable as possible, Sakumo-sensei wouldn't be suspicious."
Shiraishi held the leaves tightly in his hands, looked at the gloomy and dull sky, and whispered these words.
"The so-called protection of companions does not mean choosing between companions and tasks, but protecting everything that must be protected. This is the core bond of the Will of Fire. It has never been a tool to serve political struggles, or even used to Something to persecute and fool your companions.”
Shiraishi guessed that Sakumo must have learned something. Whether the Sannin revealed something to him or he learned about it through other channels, it was no longer important.
The life of the ninja named Hatake Sakumo ended here.
And when he decided to leave, the will of fire he followed in his heart completely collapsed.
"I still can't imagine what kind of mood Sakumo-sensei had when he committed suicide."
"You don't have to imagine it, because for people like us who don't believe in the will of fire, we can't understand that kind of despair."
"Will the higher-ups wake up?"
At the end, Ayane became suspicious.
"If you understand, there won't be this political struggle. That's why I say that Mr. Sakumo is not suitable to be a ninja. He is too pure and too ideal. He is suitable to be a teacher, teaching and educating people, and Not a ninja."
This is also where Shiraishi feels sad for Sakumo.
Unexpectedly, he is such a pure and ideal person, and he is a powerful ninja and threatens the layout of the Fourth Hokage.
The senior officials indeed had no intention of forcing Sakumo to death, but this method was the most unacceptable to Sakumo.
He knew Ayane couldn't bear it, but this was Sakumo's own choice.
It's something no one can stop.
The moment his faith was shattered, Konoha White Fang died.
"Yes, now I can only hope that a great Hokage will appear in Konoha and discover this vicious cycle."
Shiraishi wasn't convinced either.
Among the current high-level officials in Konoha, is it really possible to cultivate a Hokage who is not blinded by the desire for power and has the courage to reform all of this?
Therefore, Sakumo's determination is clear through death, while Shiraishi's pessimistic attitude.
However, Shiraishi is not very interested in this.
His path did not lie with Konoha from the beginning.
Whether there will be a Hokage like Sakumo expects in Konoha in the future has nothing to do with Shiraishi.
The story of Konoha White Fang ends here, but his life has just begun.
◎
"Senior Shiraishi, companions or missions...which one is more important?"
Returning to Sakumo's grave, only Kakashi was left standing here.
When Shiraishi and Ayane came here, their hearts sank when they heard the question asked by Kakashi.
"When Mr. Sakumo made his choice, he never regretted it."
"But he is dead..."
"Death is only a relief and does not represent a mistake."
"Yeah?"
After Kakashi murmured these words, he walked away in despair, like a walking zombie.
"Why don't you tell him the whole story?"
Ayane looked at Shiraishi incomprehensibly.
"Taking good care of Kakashi is not just an instruction from Mr. Sakumo, but it is too easy for a child with incomplete values in life to go to extremes. Use his own eyes to see the village clearly Everything."
When he learns to question, he can understand why Sakumo died.
Instead of boring questions and answers about tasks and companions.
Even if Shiraishi said it now, it would only be counterproductive and expose Kakashi to the darkness of Konoha prematurely, which would be detrimental to his future life.
Shiraishi believes that Konoha's top management will be his best help.
He doesn't even need to make any arrangements, the senior officials will take the initiative to help him do it.
In this matter, Shiraishi has more confidence in these senior officials than in himself.
Think about it, these people have never let themselves down.
Isn't this the best proof?
And, the opportunity will come soon.
Sakumo's suicide must also be a headache for them.
After all, such a valuable and important combat capability was lost.
"When he goes out on a mission, I will send someone to follow him secretly. As for the truth of the matter, let's wait until he understands something. Maybe we don't need to explain it, he will take the initiative to understand it one day."
Becoming a chuunin at the age of six, his ninja talent is unquestionable.
What he lacks is the life experience of facing the world and the insight to see through the essence of things.
Ayane also thinks this is a better solution.
When Kakashi asked about the important issue between the mission and his companions, Ayane already understood that he must have misunderstood something and fell into a dead end of thinking.
He didn't even realize that his father Sakumo chose to commit suicide because of this.
There are some things that would make him wake up and question the village, which would be more effective than simply preaching.
He probably wouldn't be able to listen to anything he said now, and no matter how much he said, it would be meaningless behavior.
"Then it's time for me to go back. I'll leave it to you Hinata."
"Don't worry, I have my own rules over there."
Saying goodbye to Ayane, Shiraishi returned to the Uchiha clan.
The moment the funeral was about to end, Liuli came back first.
It can be seen that she is in a bad mood now. She has even abandoned her work as a security force and is upset.
"The funeral is over. There's no need to be so gloomy, right? Why, are you still sad about Teacher Sakumo?"
Liuli, who was sitting in the corridor, heard this sentence coming to her ears and turned her head to look in the direction of the sound.
"You look quite calm."
Baishi walked to Liuli and sat down, gently holding her palm, and looked at the scenery in the courtyard with her.
"Teacher Sakumo doesn't want anyone to be sad for his death. Whether it's us or others, it was his own choice. He never resented anyone. He loved this village more than anyone else, and he also There are people here.”
"I know. That's why I hate this kind of boring political struggle. So do the senior officials, the old guys in the clan, and the idiot villagers. The older a person gets and the more experience he has, the more pitiful he becomes. ?"
Liuli said this in one breath and let out a long breath in the corridor, which showed that she was not calm.
She never imagined that Sakumo would pass away in such a decisive manner.
"The times have chosen ninjas, and the ninjas have chosen this way of survival."
"Choice?"
Liuli lowered her head, and after thinking for a moment, she gently leaned her forehead against Shiraishi's chest.
Shiraishi could feel the heat on Liuli's body through her clothes, and gently touched her snow-white cheeks with his palms.
Then he put his hand on Liuli's black hair, stroking it carefully and gently.
The quality of her hair is very good, dense and black, and very straight. She must be carefully estranged from it every day.
After all, she is still a girl.
"I'm not a child."
Liuli felt the movement in her hair and frowned, her voice filled with dissatisfaction.
She didn't sweep away Shiraishi's palm playing with her hair.
You may say you don’t want to be dissatisfied, but your body is actually very honest.
"There's still something to do at the security team today, right?"
"I asked for leave this morning. There's nothing important to do anyway."
He lifted his forehead from Shiraishi's chest and began to rest it on his thigh. He lay defenselessly on the floor of the corridor, closed his eyes, and prepared for a lunch break.
Shiraishi looked at Liuli's unsuspecting state at this moment. Although it was nice to be able to see her sleeping face up close, he still felt that something was missing.
If you think about it carefully, isn't there something missing on the other thigh?
At this time, the face of another girl came to mind.
"...I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a little unhappy in my heart? Do you know what the reason is?"
"This is your misunderstanding. You must be too tired today. I will call you after dinner."
