88: A New Beginning

"Sakumo-sensei really committed suicide because of such a thing?"

It was after the funeral, and Ayane went to Shiraishi alone and asked this sentence.

From Ayane's point of view, Sakumo couldn't have committed suicide because of such a boring question and answer about the importance of companions versus missions.

The Sakumo she knew would never be such a man.

This is where Ayane is puzzled, and she hopes to get an answer from Shiraishi.

"What do you mean?"

"The cause of Sakumo-sensei's death."

"It's not important anymore."

Shiraishi glanced at her and said,

"I feel useless for Sakumo-sensei."

Ayane let out a long sigh.

"Sakumo-sensei, he is not suitable to be a ninja, he is just one of the tragic products of the ninja era."

Ayane was a little overwhelmed by Shiraishi's words, and looked at him in astonishment.

"The questions you are wondering about have no answers from the beginning. The task is professional ethics, and companionship... is a human choice. Either one is the right answer, or both of them are wrong. The key is how the upper layer defines this matter."

"But Sakumo-sensei gave up the mission and cost the village..."

Having said that, Ayane discovered the problem.

Even more confused.

What is the mission that Sakumo performed?

What did the village lose?

The upper levels did not give any explanation, but allowed the villagers to freely imagine.

That is to say, from the very beginning, the question of whether the companions or the task is more important, this question does not exist.

It is true that Ayane knows that Sakumo attaches great importance to his companions, but since the entire mission is based on deception, it is meaningless to choose one.

Ayane understood what Shiraishi meant.

Both answers are correct and both are wrong.

It doesn't matter which one you choose, what matters is how the upper layer defines it.

Today can be a partner is greater than the task, tomorrow can be a task is greater than the partner.

In the eyes of the upper echelons, this is just a political struggle about the fourth-generation Hokage election.

There is no other meaning.

With the bond as the core, everyone is a family member - the will of fire, which has become a political tool for high-level people to compete for power and gains with each other and control the voice of the village before they know it.

No longer the faith and soul of a village.

And the villagers were unaware of it, and hypocrites got involved.

There is no more desperate fact than this.

Ayane shuddered a little.

She could imagine the despair Sakumo faced at that time.

It's also just a ridiculous political fight.

How to choose between tasks and companions has never been the problem.

Sakumo didn't commit suicide because of this problem.

He just saw a village that had completely deteriorated.

"When did it start?"

The source of this decision is definitely not because of this incident.

The seeds were planted a long time ago, but what makes Ayane bewildered is when Sakumo was disappointed with the top of the village. Seeing the doubts on Ayane's face, Shiraishi sighed and asked back:

"Ayane, do you still think that Sakumo-sensei didn't know anything about that mission a few years ago?"

Ayane was startled.

She knew that Shiraishi was talking about the mission incident when they clashed with the roots four years ago.

"Teacher Sakumo, he..."

"How could someone like him not understand Orochimaru's abnormal ordering? We had to rest in the village for two months because of the injury. What kind of injury can make people rest for two months? If it's really that serious, just leave the battlefield, and returning to the battlefield will drag others down."

Shiraishi picked up a leaf from the ground, fiddled with it with interest, and said to Ayane.

"Did he start to have doubts at that time? I thought the three of us had passed the test."

Ayane smiled bitterly.

"Acting skills are not the problem. If the three of us didn't return to the battlefield alive and kicking, but instead were missing arms and legs, and we tried to dress as miserably as possible, Mr. Sakumo would not be suspicious."

Shiraishi held the leaves tightly in his hands and looked at the gloomy dull sky while spitting out these words softly.

"The so-called protection of companions is not to choose between companions and tasks, but to guard everything that must be guarded. This is the core message of the will of fire. It was never meant to be a tool for political struggle, or used to persecute and fool companions."

Shiraishi guessed that Sakumo must have learned something, whether it was what Sannin revealed to him, or he learned about it through other channels, this matter is no longer important.

A ninja named Hatake Sakumo came to the end of his life.

And when he decided to leave, the will of fire that he followed in his heart completely collapsed.

"I still can't imagine what drove Sakumo-sensei committed suicide."

"We don't need to imagine, because for those of us who don't believe in the will of fire, we can't experience that kind of despair. "

"Will the higher-ups come to their senses?"

At the end, Ayane questioned.

"If they had understood, there would not have been this political struggle. That's why I said that Sakumo-sensei is not suitable for being a ninja, he is too pure and ideal. He is suitable for being a teacher, teaching and educating people, while not being a ninja."

This is where Shiraishi felt the most sad for Sakumo.

He has such a pure ideal, is such a powerful ninja, and is a threat to the layout of the fourth Hokage.

The executives did not have the idea of ​​trying to force Sakumo to death, but this method was the most unacceptable one for Sakumo.

He knew that Ayane couldn't understand it, but it was Sakumo's own choice.

It's something no one can stop.

At the moment his faith was shattered, Konoha White Fang was already dead.

"Yeah, now I can only hope that there will be a great Hokage in the future who will end this vicious cycle."

Shiraishi couldn't be sure.

In the current high-level Konoha, can they really cultivate such a Hokage who is not fascinated by the desire for power and has the courage to reform all this?

Therefore, Sakumo's aim is to change the village by dieing, and Shiraishi holds a pessimistic attitude.

However, Shiraishi was not very interested in this.

His path was not in Konoha from the beginning.

Whether the Hidden Leaf Village will have the Hokage that Sakumo expected in the future has little to do with Shiraishi.

The story that belongs to Konoha White Fang has ended here, but the life that belongs to him has only just begun.

◎

"Shiraishi-senpai, companion and mission...Which is more important?"

Returning to Sakumo's tomb, only Kakashi was left standing there.

Shiraishi and Ayane walked here, and their hearts sank when they heard Kakashi's question.

"When Sakumo-sensei made his choice, he never regretted it."

"But he died..."

"Death is just a relief, not a mistake."

"Really?"

Kakashi murmured. After finishing this sentence, he left in despair, like a walking corpse.

"Why don't you tell him the whole story?"

Ayane looked at Shiraishi incomprehensibly.

"Taking good care of Kakashi is not just the instruction of Sakumo-sensei, but it is too easy for a child with incomplete life values ​​to take the extreme road. He should see this village clearly with his own eyes."

When he learned to question, he would understand why Sakumo died.

Instead of getting tangled up in tasks and companions, this level of boring question and answer.

Even if Shiraishi said it now, it would only be counterproductive. Exposing Kakashi to the darkness of Konoha prematurely would be detrimental to his future life.

Shiraishi believes that the top management of Konoha will definitely be his best help.

He doesn't even need to make arrangements, and the top management will take the initiative to help him do it well.

In this matter, Shiraishi's confidence in these high-level executives is even more than his confidence in himself.

Come to think of it, these people have never let themselves down.

Isn't this the best proof?

Moreover, the opportunity will come soon.

Sakumo's suicide should give them a headache too.

After all, such a precious and important combat power has been 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 he will understand it himself one day without us explaining it."

As long as he practices forbearance, his ninja talent is beyond doubt.

What he lacks is the life experience to face the world, and a pair of eyes to see the essence of things.

Ayane also thinks this is a better solution.

When Kakashi asked the important question about the mission or the companion, Ayane already understood that he must have misunderstood something and fell into a dead end.

He didn't even realize what his father Sakumo chose to commit suicide because of.

There are some things that may make him wake up and question the village, but it will be more effective than simply preaching.

Right now, he probably won't listen to anything, and it's pointless to say more.

"Then, it's time for me to go back. I'll ask you to take care of yourself in the Hyuga clan."

"Don't worry, I have my own way."

Saying goodbye to Ayane, Shiraishi returned to the Uchiha clan.

At the moment when the funeral was about to end, Ruri came back first.

It can be seen that she is in a bad mood now, and even the work of the garrison has been thrown away, and she is upset.

"The funeral is over, there's no need to frown like this, right? Are you still sad about Sakumo-sensei?"

Ruri, who was sitting in the corridor, heard these words in her ears, and turned her head to look in the direction of the voice.

"You seem quite calm."

Shiraishi walked over to Ruri and sat down, holding her palm lightly, watching the scenery in the courtyard with her.

"Sakumo-sensei doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for his death, whether it's us or others, it's his own choice. He never resented anyone, he loved this village more than anyone, and the people here."

"I know. That's why I hate this kind of frivolous political struggle. The high-level people, the old guys in the clan, and those idiot villagers. The older people get, the more experience they have, the more they're in such a pitiful state."

After Ruri said such words in one breath, she let out a long sigh in the corridor, showing that she was not in a calm mood.

She never imagined that Sakumo would leave this world in such a decisive manner.

"The times chose ninjas, and the ninjas just chose this way of life."

"A choice?"

Ruri lowered her head, and after a little consideration, she gently rested her forehead on Shiraishi's chest.

Shiraishi could feel the heat on Ruri's body even through the clothes, and gently touched her snow-white cheeks with his palms.

Immediately afterwards, he put his hand on Ruri's black hair and stroked it carefully and gently.

Her hair is of good quality, dense and jet-black, and very straight, and is carefully combed every day.

After all, it's a girl.

"I'm not a child."

Ruri felt the movement in her hair, her brows wrinkled, and there was dissatisfaction in her voice.

She didn't sweep away Shiraishi's hand that was playing with her hair.

Saying no and expressing dissatisfaction, but the body is already very honest.

"Is there still something to do at the garrison today?"

"I asked for leave in the morning, and I didn't have anything important to do there anyway."

She lifted her forehead from Shiraishi's chest and began to rest on his thigh, lying on the floor of the corridor unprepared, closing her eyes and preparing for a lunch break.

Shiraishi looked at Ruri's unsuspecting state at the moment. Although it was good to be able to see her sleeping face up close, she still felt that something was wrong.

Thinking about it carefully, isn't there something missing on the other thigh?

At this time, the face of another girl appeared in my mind.

"...I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a little unhappy in my heart? Do you know why?"

"This is your illusion. It must be that you are too tired today. I will call you after dinner."