16
Sakumo Hatake’s four ‘companions’ left.
Alone in the room, Sakumo Hatake sat blankly on the floor.
The sorrow in Sakumo Hatake’s eyes was so intense it seemed like unmelting ice.
Sakumo Hatake recalled the time when his father was still alive.
On Konoha’s Hokage Rock, he and his father gazed out over the entire Konoha.
His father proudly told him, “Sakumo, Konoha is our home. We must do everything in our power to protect Konoha and uphold the Will of Fire.”
At that time, Sakumo Hatake was still very young and innocently asked, “Father, what is the Will of Fire?”
His father told him, “The Will of Fire means that the young are the hope of the future. The older generation must trust and protect them. The sacrifices of the older generation are not meaningless; instead, they will inspire the young to become pillars who bear the future.
Just like you and I now, I will protect you as you grow up, and you too will grow into new leaves.
Where Konoha dances, firelight will continue to burn, illuminating the village and allowing new leaves to sprout.”
After Sakumo Hatake became a Ninja, he made the Will of Fire his Ninja Way and strove for it.
Sakumo Hatake possessed the ruthlessness to sacrifice for rules, yet also had feelings for his companions. But between rules and companions, no matter how many times he had to choose, he would firmly choose his companions.
However...
Now everyone thought he was wrong.
Villagers, Ninja, and even the Hokage, as the village’s leader, all thought he was wrong.
Sakumo Hatake didn’t understand: Was the Will of Fire he adhered to wrong?
Should he not inherit the Will of Fire that his father passed down to him?
Denying the Will of Fire was equivalent to denying all of Sakumo Hatake’s efforts to date.
Sakumo Hatake walked to his bed, picked up the White Fang short blade from the floor, and stared blankly at the short blade.
Sakumo Hatake could no longer find a reason to protect Konoha.
Konoha had given him a reason to fight for, but now, it was Konoha that had shattered his Ninja Way.
His will had collapsed.
With a broken and dim gaze, Sakumo Hatake slowly drew the White Fang short blade.
Sakumo Hatake’s voice was hoarse as he said, “I’m entrusting Kakashi to you. Please apologize to him for me. I’m sorry.”
Outside the house, Chiba’s voice carried regret as he said, “I will. I’ll take good care of Kakashi and help him become a capable man. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. It’s that I no longer have a reason to live. With you here, I can rest assured.”
After his words fell, Sakumo Hatake plunged the White Fang short blade into his abdomen, choosing to commit seppuku.
Listening to the sound of blood gushing inside the house, Chiba whispered, “Goodbye, Sakumo Hatake. You are no longer Konoha's White Fang, free from the shackles named Konoha.”
【Witnessed the death of important figure Sakumo Hatake. Reward: 5000 Witnessing Points.】
Chiba used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the Hatake residence.
...
Kakashi, who was venting his agitation in the forest, suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, as if someone had choked his throat, making it difficult to breathe. A huge sense of loss welled up in his heart.
It felt as if something important had left him.
Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat, quickly stood up from the ground, and ran home like a madman.
The closer he got to home, the stronger the uneasy feeling in Kakashi’s heart became.
Finally, Kakashi arrived at his house. As he was about to push open Sakumo Hatake’s door, he suddenly froze.
Kakashi inexplicably began to feel afraid.
It was as if a voice inside him was telling him that if he opened this door, he would never be able to go back.
Kakashi shook his head vigorously and took several deep breaths, but when he smelled the scent of blood, Kakashi began to tremble all over.
Kakashi bit his lip and pushed open the door with trembling hands.
The moment he saw Sakumo Hatake lying in a pool of blood, his left hand clutching the lifeless White Fang short blade, Kakashi’s mind instantly roared.
Like a walking corpse, Kakashi staggered to Sakumo Hatake’s front and stared blankly at Sakumo Hatake’s corpse.
“Father...”
Kakashi collapsed to the ground, as if all the air had been drained from his body.
Kakashi’s tears streamed endlessly from his eyes. He wanted to cry out but couldn’t make a sound. One hand clutched his chest, and the other gripped Sakumo Hatake’s now icy cold hand.
The extreme grief caused Kakashi to roll his eyes and faint on the ground.
The next day.
Kakashi opened his eyes and found himself in the Ninja Hospital.
Kakashi suddenly sat up: “Father!”
However, there was no sign of Sakumo Hatake around, only Chiba and Uzumaki Kushina.
Seeing Chiba and Uzumaki Kushina’s pained expressions, Kakashi froze.
So this wasn’t a dream; it was real.
His father had committed suicide.
Kakashi covered his face and wept: “Chiba-sensei, my father... he’s dead... Ah!”
Kakashi burst into loud sobs.
Even though Kakashi was already a Ninja, and a Chunin at that, having participated in many battles.
But Kakashi was only 7 years old now, and the death of his only close relative still left Kakashi heartbroken.
Uzumaki Kushina, seeing such a grief-stricken Kakashi, also began to sob.
Chiba reached out and placed his hand on Kakashi’s shoulder, saying nothing, only silently comforting Kakashi.
A few days later.
Sakumo Hatake’s funeral was handled only by Kakashi, Chiba, and Uzumaki Kushina.
The funeral was exceptionally quiet, with only a few of Sakumo Hatake’s former companions coming to mourn.
Kakashi stared blankly at Sakumo Hatake’s tombstone.
“Why, Chiba-sensei, why did Father commit suicide?”
Chiba said in a deep voice, “Because... Lord Sakumo was betrayed, betrayed by the very spirit he fought for his entire life.”
Kakashi’s lips moved slightly, his voice barely audible: “The fire... will...?”
Chiba and Uzumaki Kushina stayed with Kakashi at Sakumo Hatake’s grave for a while longer, then took Kakashi to their home.
Not long after the three of them left, a figure appeared before Sakumo Hatake’s tombstone.
This figure was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe in his hand, looking utterly exhausted.
When he learned that Sakumo Hatake had committed suicide at home, Hiruzen Sarutobi was extremely shocked and also realized that something big had happened.
Originally, he had intended to relieve Sakumo Hatake of his position, have him reflect at home for a period, and then return the position to Sakumo Hatake after some time.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi had never expected that Sakumo Hatake would commit suicide.
The suicide of Konoha's White Fang was a major blow to Konoha, but for other Ninja villages, it was a huge piece of good news.