Did Teacher Sakumo really commit suicide over something like this?"
This was after the funeral; Ayane approached Shiraishi alone and asked this question.
In Ayane's opinion, Sakumo couldn't possibly commit suicide over a trivial question about whether comrades or missions were more important.
The Sakumo she knew would never be such a man.
This was also what puzzled Ayane, and she hoped to get an answer from Shiraishi.
"What are you referring to?"
"Teacher Sakumo's cause of death."
"That's no longer important."
Shiraishi glanced at her and said.
"I feel it's unfair to Teacher Sakumo."
Ayane felt uneasy and let out a long sigh.
"Teacher Sakumo wasn't suited to be a ninja; he was just one of the tragic products of this ninja era."
Ayane was a little flustered by Shiraishi's words and looked at him in astonishment.
"The question you're pondering never had an answer to begin with. A mission is a professional responsibility, while a comrade... is a human choice. Either can be the correct answer, or both can be wrong. The key lies in how the higher-ups define it."
"But Teacher Sakumo abandoned the mission, causing the village to suffer losses..."
At this point, Ayane realized the problem.
And she became even more confused.
What mission was Sakumo performing?
What did the village lose?
The higher-ups didn't offer any explanation, instead allowing the villagers to imagine freely.
In other words, the question of whether comrades or missions were more important never existed from the start.
Indeed, Ayane knew Sakumo valued his comrades immensely, but since the entire mission was based on a deception, choosing either option was meaningless.
Ayane understood Shiraishi's meaning.
Both answers were correct, and both were wrong.
Which one was chosen wasn't important; what mattered was how the higher-ups defined it.
Today, comrades could be more important than missions; tomorrow, missions could be more important than comrades.
In the eyes of the higher-ups, this was merely a political struggle concerning the election of the Fourth Hokage.
There was no other meaning.
The Will of Fire, centered on bonds and the idea of everyone being a family member, had unknowingly become a political tool for the higher-ups to vie for power and control the village's voice.
It was no longer the faith and soul of a village.
And the villagers were completely unaware of this, even gleefully participating in it.
There was no more despairing truth than this.
Ayane felt a chill.
She could imagine the despair Sakumo faced at that time.
This was just a ridiculous political struggle.
How to choose between a mission and a comrade was never the problem.
Sakumo didn't commit suicide because of such a problem at all.
He simply saw a village that had completely deteriorated.
"When did it start?"
The root of this decision certainly wasn't due to this incident.
The seeds were planted long ago, but what confused Ayane was when Sakumo became disappointed with the village's higher-ups.
Seeing the confusion on Ayane's face, Shiraishi sighed and retorted:
"Ayane, you can't possibly think that Teacher Sakumo was unaware of that mission a few years ago, can you?"
Ayane's face froze.
She knew Shiraishi was referring to the mission incident four years ago when they clashed with Root.
"Teacher Sakumo, he..."
"How could a person like him not understand Orochimaru's abnormal orders? He rested in the village for two months due to an injury. What kind of injury could keep someone resting for two months? If it was that serious, he should have just withdrawn from the battlefield; returning would only burden others."
Shiraishi picked up a leaf from the ground, fiddling with it with interest in his hand as he spoke to Ayane.
"Did the doubts start then? I thought our acting was convincing."
Ayane gave a bitter smile.
"The acting was fine. If the three of us hadn't returned to the battlefield lively, but instead missing limbs and looking as miserable as possible, Teacher Sakumo wouldn't have been suspicious."
Shiraishi tightly gripped the leaf in his hand, looking at the gloomy and oppressive sky, and softly uttered these words.
"So-called protecting comrades isn't about choosing between comrades and missions, but about protecting everything that must be protected. That is the core bond of the Will of Fire. It was never a tool to serve political struggles, or even to persecute and fool comrades."
Shiraishi guessed that Sakumo must have learned something himself, whether the Sannin revealed something to him, or he learned through other channels, it no longer mattered.
With the person gone, the tea grows cold. The life of the ninja known as Hatake Sakumo ended here.
And when he decided to leave, the Will of Fire he had upheld in his heart completely collapsed.
"I still can't imagine what kind of mood Teacher Sakumo was in when he committed suicide."
"Don't try to imagine it, because for those of us who don't believe in the Will of Fire, it's impossible to understand that kind of despair."
"Will the higher-ups ever realize?"
Finally, Ayane questioned.
"If they understood, there wouldn't have been this political struggle. That's why I said Teacher Sakumo wasn't suited to be a ninja; he was too pure and too idealistic. He was suited to be a teacher, educating people, not a ninja."
This was also why Shiraishi felt sad for Sakumo.
Yet, such a pure and idealistic person was a powerful ninja, and he even threatened the Fourth Hokage's plans.
The higher-ups genuinely didn't intend to force Sakumo to his death, but this method was the one Sakumo could least accept.
He knew Ayane felt reluctant, but this was Sakumo's own choice.
It was something no one could stop.
The moment his faith shattered, the White Fang of Konoha had already died.
"Yes, now we can only hope that a great Hokage will emerge in Konoha later, one who discovers this vicious cycle."
Shiraishi couldn't be sure either.
Among the current Konoha higher-ups, could such a Hokage, unblinded by the desire for power and courageous enough to reform everything, really be cultivated?
Therefore, Shiraishi held a pessimistic view of Sakumo's death as a statement.
However, Shiraishi wasn't very interested in this.
His path had never been about Konoha from the start.
Whether Konoha's future would see the kind of Hokage Sakumo hoped for had little to do with Shiraishi.
The story of the White Fang of Konoha ended here, but his own life had just begun.
◎
"Shiraishi-senpai, which is more important... comrades or missions?"
Returning to Sakumo's grave, only Kakashi remained standing there.
As Shiraishi and Ayane approached, hearing Kakashi's question, their hearts sank.
"When Teacher Sakumo made his choice, he never regretted it."
"But he died..."
"Death is merely a release; it doesn't signify a mistake."
"Is that so?"
Kakashi mumbled these words, then walked away dejectedly, like a zombie.
"Why didn't you tell him the whole story?"
Ayane looked at Shiraishi, unable to understand.
"Taking care of Kakashi isn't just Teacher Sakumo's dying wish, but for a child whose values aren't fully formed, it's too easy to go down an extreme path. Let him see everything in this village with his own eyes."
When he learns to question, he will understand why Sakumo died.
Instead of getting bogged down in trivial questions about missions and comrades.
Even if Shiraishi told him now, it would only backfire, exposing Kakashi to Konoha's darkness too early, which would be detrimental to his future life.
Shiraishi believed that the Konoha higher-ups would be his best allies.
He wouldn't even need to make any arrangements; the higher-ups would actively help him with this.
In this matter, Shiraishi's confidence in these higher-ups was even greater than his confidence in himself.
Think about it, these people have never disappointed him.
Isn't that the best proof?
Moreover, the opportunity would come soon.
Sakumo's suicide must have given them a headache too.
After all, they lost such a valuable and important combat force.
"When he goes out on missions, I'll send someone to follow him secretly. As for the truth, we'll talk about it when he understands some things. Perhaps we won't even need to explain; he might figure it out himself one day."
Becoming a Chunin at the age of six, his ninja talent was undeniable.
What he lacked was life experience in facing the world, and a discerning eye to see the essence of things.
Ayane also thought this was a better solution.
When Kakashi asked which was more important, missions or comrades, Ayane already understood that he must have misunderstood something and fallen into a dead end of thought.
He hadn't realized at all why his father, Sakumo, chose the path of suicide.
Some things, letting him realize them himself and question this village, would be more effective than mere preaching.
He probably wouldn't listen to anything right now, so saying more would be pointless.
"Well, I should head back too. I'll leave the Hyuga matter to you."
"Don't worry, I have that under control."
Bidding farewell to Ayane, Shiraishi returned to the Uchiha compound.
Just as the funeral was nearing its end, Ruri had already returned.
It was clear she was in a bad mood, even abandoning her duties with the police force, feeling restless.
"The funeral is over; there's no need to look so troubled, is there? What, are you still grieving over Teacher Sakumo?"
Ruri, sitting on the veranda, heard these words and turned her head towards the source of the voice.
"You seem quite calm."
Shiraishi walked over and sat beside Ruri, gently holding her hand, and together they looked at the scenery in the courtyard.
"Teacher Sakumo wouldn't want anyone to be sad over his death, whether it's us or others. This was his own choice. He never resented anyone; he loved this village and its people more than anyone."
"I know. That's why I hate these boring political struggles. The higher-ups, the old geezers in the clan, those idiotic villagers too. Do people become this pathetic as they get older and more experienced?"
Ruri finished speaking in one breath, then let out a long sigh on the veranda, showing her unsettled mood.
She still couldn't fathom Sakumo leaving the world with such a resolute stance.
"The era chose ninjas, and ninjas precisely chose this way of life."
"A choice?"
Ruri lowered her head, and after a moment of thought, gently rested her forehead against Shiraishi's chest.
Shiraishi could feel Ruri's warmth through his clothes, and gently touched her fair cheek with his hand.
Then he placed his hand on Ruri's beautiful black hair, stroking it carefully and gently.
Her hair was of good quality, thick and dark, and very straight; she must have carefully combed it every day.
After all, she was a girl.
"I'm not a child."
Ruri felt the movement on her hair, frowned, and her voice carried dissatisfaction.
She didn't brush away Shiraishi's hand playing with her hair.
She said no and expressed dissatisfaction, but her body was actually very honest.
"There's still work to do at the police force today, isn't there?"
"I asked for leave this morning. Anyway, there's nothing important to do there."
She lifted her forehead from Shiraishi's chest and began to rest her head on his lap, lying defenselessly on the veranda floor, closing her eyes, preparing for an afternoon nap.
Shiraishi looked at Ruri's completely unguarded state at that moment. Although it was nice to admire her sleeping face up close, he still felt something was missing.
Upon closer thought, wasn't there something missing on his other thigh?
At this moment, the face of another girl appeared in his mind.
"...I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a faint sense of displeasure? Do you know why this is?"
"That's your imagination, Ruri. You must be too tired today. I'll call you at dinner."
(PS: Who added Makoto's picture to the male lead tag... let's talk in private.)