Chapter 88

"Should we ignore the outside rumors?"

Kakashi, who was receiving sword technique guidance from Sakumo in the courtyard, looked at Sakumo and asked softly.

To be honest, he couldn't understand why the outside rumors were so harsh towards his father.

It was just one failed mission, which didn't affect Sakumo's status in his heart at all. However, the words of those people made Kakashi feel very uncomfortable.

"Sakumo, if it were you, would you pay attention to them?"

Sakumo asked with a smile.

"..."

Kakashi tightly gripped the short sword, seemingly hesitant and struggling.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to do."

"Why apologize? Kakashi, you have a long road ahead of you."

Sakumo squatted down, his broad hand holding Kakashi's hand that held the sword, and comforted him with a smile.

"Um."

Kakashi nodded.

"Did you get into a fight today?"

Sakumo said with certainty.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment but still nodded.

"I taught a few people a lesson who didn't know their place; their words were too harsh."

"I'm glad you stood up for me. So, in your opinion, were their words right or wrong?"

Sakumo's smile disappeared, and to Kakashi, his expression was incomparably serious.

Mission or comrades? Kakashi began to reflect, if he were in his father Sakumo's position, would he choose to complete the mission or save his comrades?

He didn't know which choice was correct.

A ninja should prioritize the mission, but was the Will of Fire wrong...

But that was the will passed down by the First Hokage, how could it be wrong?

If it were wrong, how could such a textbook be selected as a required reading for the Ninja Academy?

But...

Kakashi was a bit lost.

He, who had always scored full marks in theory, didn't know how to answer this question for the first time.

"I don't know."

In the end, Kakashi shook his head.

He looked up at his father Sakumo, hoping he could give him a reference answer.

Should the mission come first, or the comrades?

Sakumo didn't answer; he just patted Kakashi's shoulder, looking at the beautiful sunset in the distance, the afterglow reflecting on his face.

"I don't care about others' evaluations, so you don't need to take these things to heart."

"But, the person you saved was also insulting..."

"Don't let others' negativity stop you from doing what you believe is right, or regret it later because of their ridicule and criticism. I just followed the beliefs and principles of a Konoha ninja."

"Yes..."

Kakashi lowered his head; he still couldn't be as open-minded as Sakumo.

Everyone else could be forgiven, but the person Sakumo saved, who criticized his savior, was something Kakashi couldn't forgive.

"Let's end today's sword training here."

Kakashi nodded, following Sakumo's arrangement, and returned to his room.

Time passed slowly, and it was already late at night. Due to the rumors, Kakashi was mentally exhausted during the day, and whether it was training or eating, he was a bit distracted, and he would go to bed early at night.

On the roof of the Hatake residence, Sakumo was alone, looking at the sparse stars and moon in the sky, enjoying the cool night breeze.

There was a slight movement behind him, and someone climbed up the roof and walked towards him.

"Blowing the cold wind at night can easily make you catch a cold, Sakumo-sensei."

Shiro walked to Sakumo's side and said with a smile.

"Was it Ayame in the morning, and you at night?"

Sakumo also smiled.

"Ayame? She came too?"

Shiro was surprised.

"She came after lunch and left not long after."

"Is that so?"

Shiro followed Sakumo's gaze, looking at the stars and moon in the night sky, muttering to himself.

"Coming to see me so late, you're not planning to stay here all night, are you?"

Sakumo asked.

"I just came to enjoy the scenery."

"Scenery?"

"Yes, the same scenery you're looking at... the statues of the Hokages who founded this village, historically known for their great achievements."

Shiro shifted his gaze from the night sky to the Hokage Rock directly below.

The First Hokage who founded Konoha.

The Second Hokage who formulated important development strategies for the village.

And the current Third Hokage.

In the future, more people would be carved on the rock, revered and admired by the people of Konoha.

The Fourth Hokage... the Fifth Hokage... the Sixth Hokage...

Sakumo didn't speak, and Shiro remained silent, quietly looking at the Hokage Rock.

After a long while, Sakumo broke the silence, "What will Konoha's future be like?"

This question seemed to be asking Shiro, himself, or perhaps someone else.

"I don't think you need to ask, because you've already found the answer you want, haven't you?"

Shiro answered Sakumo's question and continued,

"Just like what you told Kakashi, do what you believe is right, and don't regret it because of others' criticism."

"Indeed, among the three of you, you are the most special."

Sakumo said meaningfully.

Sakumo knew that Shiro had already sensed his decision in the face of these rumors.

"Since you've already made your choice, my visit seems unnecessary."

Shiro sighed without directly responding.

Unlike Ayame, Sakumo had long passed the age of questioning who he was.

He knew very well why he made this choice.

He didn't know if he would regret it, but if he didn't do it, he would certainly live in torment.

Just like saving a comrade and abandoning the mission, regardless of whether the saved person would criticize him for the mission's failure, Sakumo didn't waver.

Being criticized by others was their business, saving his comrade was his business, and there was no necessary connection between the two.

He was just following the beliefs of the Will of Fire.

He firmly believed that saving his comrade and abandoning the mission was the most important choice, even if it meant breaking some rules.

For such a person, others' opinions could only serve as a reference and could not be a decisive factor in shaking their beliefs.

"Sakumo-sensei, you should rest early too. I'll be going back."

Shiro knew that his visit wouldn't change anything, so he decided to go back and rest.

The weather was quite cold tonight.

Shiro started walking back.

"Take care of Kakashi for me."

Sakumo's voice came from behind.

In the silent night, Shiro's steps paused at the sound of these words, and he nodded lightly.

By the time Sakumo turned to look, Shiro was already gone.

◎

The air the next morning seemed a bit cold.

Kakashi got up early and prepared breakfast in the kitchen. When he saw that his father Sakumo hadn't come over, he was a bit puzzled.

At this time, he would usually come over by now.

After all, they still had morning training after breakfast.

Kakashi carried the breakfast and walked towards Sakumo's room, opened the door, and called out,

"Dad, breakfast is—"

The breakfast plate fell to the ground with a loud noise.

The nutritious breakfast was scattered on the floor.

But that wasn't the important thing; in the center of the room, a man lay in a pool of blood.

Using the White Fang short sword that had taken countless enemies' lives, he silently ended his own life.

Kakashi saw this scene, his mind went blank, and he couldn't think of anything.

◎

Sakumo was dead.

This news spread through the security personnel and was confirmed as a suicide, not a murder.

There were no signs of genjutsu, no signs of a struggle, and no signs of a fight with an enemy.

He calmly stabbed the blade into his body, ending his life.

This news quickly reached the villagers of Konoha and the higher-ups.

And the rumors stopped in silence.

—In a vast, dim space in Konoha, the Konoha ninjas who lived here were those who had abandoned everything.

Their names, emotions, and even their lives were all discarded.

Nourished by darkness, they were deeply rooted in the earth.

Root.

This was the name of their organization, originating from the Anbu but operating outside the Hokage's jurisdiction.

Their leader, Danzo, was in a meeting room, and a Konoha ninja was angrily shouting at the Root leader,

"Why did this happen? Why did Sakumo... Sakumo-taichou commit suicide? Elder Danzo, didn't you say everything would be fine? Why did it turn out like this?"

If not restrained by two Root ninjas, he might have rushed to Danzo and punched him hard.

Danzo was also a bit restless and agitated.

Konoha's White Fang committed suicide... why did he commit suicide?

The rumors were indeed spread by Root, and the Anbu remained silent, neither acknowledging nor stopping them.

Because the Hokage could not come from Sakumo.

Therefore, his reputation had to be suppressed.

As long as his reputation was lowered, Konoha's White Fang would still be a jounin, a leading figure among jounins, but he would have no chance of becoming Hokage.

But... why did Sakumo commit suicide?

This level of rumors shouldn't be fatal.

He had planned to stop the rumors from spreading in the 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, ordering the Root ninjas to take the questioning Konoha ninja away.

He also wanted to know why, but with Sakumo dead, no one could answer his question.

◎

Sakumo's funeral was held on a not-so-gloomy day.

Not many people attended the funeral.

Besides Kakashi, Shiro, Ruri, and Ayame, only familiar people like Tsunade were there.

They still found it hard to believe that Sakumo would be so weak-willed to commit suicide over such rumors.

"Life is born and also passes away..."

Orochimaru faced everything with a somber expression.

Everything seemed meaningless.

It was the same for Jiraiya.

The same for Dan.

Now it was Sakumo's turn.

If it were his turn one day... Orochimaru didn't know why, but a strange fear arose in his heart.

In the end, he shook his head and was the first to leave Sakumo's funeral.

He had seen too many deaths, and Sakumo was just one of them, not the last.

In the future, many more people related to him would die in front of him.

Life was such a fragile thing.

"Jiraiya-sensei, why did Sakumo-senpai do this?"

Kushina, who was with Jiraiya, looked at his teacher and softly asked this question.

"Who knows, the dead are gone, let's not discuss it anymore."

Jiraiya shook his head, feeling troubled.

Kushina nodded understandingly and didn't press further, looking at Kakashi at the front of the group with pity and sympathy.

Tsunade walked to Shiro's side, seeing his calm face, knowing he was putting on a brave front, wanting to comfort him but not knowing what to say.

Shiro seemed to know what Tsunade wanted to say, smiled, and said, "Don't worry, Tsunade-sensei, I'm fine, no need to worry about me."

Tsunade nodded.

Not long after, she left with Jiraiya and Kushina.

People left one by one, and in the end, only Shiro, Ruri, Ayame, and Kakashi remained.

Shiro placed the flowers in his hand in front of Sakumo's grave.

"Sakumo-sensei, you were a true ninja who inherited the Will of Fire, embodying its entirety..."

The higher-ups' intentions were not wrong; they wanted to deprive Sakumo of his political capital, let him be a jounin in peace, and had made proper arrangements for his future.

But... the method they used was wrong.

In this world, many people value dignity and faith more than their lives.

To the enemy, he was the hated Konoha White Fang.

To his comrades, no one felt more at ease with him by their side.

He was a ninja who valued his comrades more than his own life.

He upheld the Will of Fire in his heart, which had never been tainted by anything.

Now, even the higher-ups were not following it, actively breaking the principles that the village had upheld since its founding, using this as a reason to suppress him, which was the greatest humiliation.

Why was the village founded?

A village founded on bonds, yet the ninja who chose bonds was defamed by rumors, which was the greatest irony.

And the ninja and villagers who believed they had inherited the Will of Fire never doubted or opposed it.

They had unknowingly twisted the Will of Fire they once believed in.

They had forgotten why the village was founded in the first place.

They had lost the principles that the village should have firmly upheld from the beginning.

To preserve people and lose land, both people and land are gained.

To preserve land and lose people, both people and land are lost.

From the beginning, the higher-ups and Sakumo were not on the same path.

Sakumo-sensei, I hope those people understand your resolve and take this as a lesson. Shiro added this thought at the end of the funeral.

It was also the most sincere blessing.

Otherwise, if this vicious cycle continues, Shiro could foresee that Konoha White Fang would only be the beginning, but not the last.

In the future, more people in Konoha would lose themselves in the uncertain rules, becoming tragic sacrifices.