Hatake Sakumo’s Suicide

It was an ordinary day in Konoha, year 44.

Rumors began circulating in the village, claiming that the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, a hero as renowned as the Sannin and feared by enemies, had abandoned his mission for the sake of his comrades, resulting in significant losses for the village.

This anonymous news spread from nowhere and intensified, creating an unprecedented storm.

Many people criticized Sakumo, saying he was unworthy of being a Konoha hero since he couldn't even complete his mission, and this sentiment even spread to the schools.

Both Shintaro and Kurenai heard about it.

Kurenai asked, "Isn't the White Fang truly a hero?"

Shintaro responded to her doubts: "Of course, the White Fang of Konoha is a hero. Can't heroes make mistakes?"

Kurenai showed a cute expression of realization and said, "Yes, heroes can make mistakes too."

Shintaro added: "And whether it's a mistake or not should be seen in detail. People who are deeply hurt by the rumors might not know the truth like we do, and they just slander heroes with a single mouth. As everyone knows, their contributions to Konoha might not even be a fraction of what the White Fang of Konoha has done."

Kurenai agreed with this viewpoint and repeated it several times.

Both of them thought this was just a village uproar that would soon subside.

However, what no one expected was that the storm would not only worsen but also lead to a tragedy.

Hatake Sakumo committed seppuku at home.

This outcome was something Shintaro never anticipated.

"White Fang is so strong, yet he was so foolish? Why did he let those common people's words affect him to the point of suicide?"

"And are all the top leaders of Konoha idiots? They allowed a village hero to be attacked by villagers."

"Or is there some hidden agenda behind all this?"

Shintaro was quite shocked by this, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

He then decided to visit Kakashi, the son of the involved party, to inquire about the specific situation.

That evening, Shintaro told Kurenai that he wouldn't be home for dinner and went to the Hatake residence alone.

When Sakumo was still alive, Kakashi had invited him to his home for a meal.

So Shintaro knew where the Hatake residence was.

Speaking of that meal, Sakumo had asked him to look after his useless son in the future.

Unexpectedly, his words became a reality as Sakumo committed suicide.

Now Shintaro came to the Hatake house to look for him, fulfilling Sakumo's instructions.

The Hatake house was somewhat similar to Shintaro's house. The similarity was that both were very secluded and large houses.

When he reached the front door of the Hatake residence, it was already dark, and Shintaro noticed with his Six Eyes that Kakashi was not home at that moment.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long before Kakashi returned home carrying three fish.

Kakashi lifted the fish in his hand and said, "Why are you here? Do you want to stay for dinner? I just caught three fish."

Shintaro replied: "Okay."

The two of them entered the house. Kakashi started to prepare the three fish and get ready to cook.

At this moment, he said: "You must be here to comfort me, right?"

Shintaro generously acknowledged: "I came to see how you're doing now."

Kakashi felt the concern from his friend and, after a moment of silence, said: "...I really am not used to being alone right now."

He shed tears, and the knife in his hand, which was splitting the fish, trembled slightly, but he was strong enough to hold back his sadness.

"I have lived like this for three years." Shintaro said lightly.

Kakashi was stunned for a moment; he didn't know much about the family situation of the boy in front of him who had defeated him twice.

Unexpectedly, Shintaro's parents had died just like his, and this had happened two years ago.

Shintaro then added: "My mother died a year after giving birth to me, and my father died when I was five years old. He entrusted me to the Uchiha Clan before he passed away, and that's why I am where I am today."

"It was initially very difficult to adapt to living alone. I experienced many inconveniences at home, such as cleaning, washing, and cooking. All of these affected my daily studies and training."

"But these are the easiest things to adapt to. The hardest thing to adapt to is the psychological dilemma."

"It's tough living alone."

"I thought the rest of my life would be like this, but Kurenai's father asked me to have dinner with Kurenai every day and to accompany each other."

"At first, I didn't think much of it, but over time, I felt that the loneliness in my heart indeed lessened. Now, I am very grateful to Kurenai and her father."

Shintaro showed maturity beyond an ordinary person, and his words made Kakashi understand deeply.

Kakashi sighed with a bit of envy, "You're indeed lucky to have met Kurenai."

Shintaro jokingly said, "Isn't it the same for you? I have Kurenai and you have Rin."

Kakashi shook his head slightly, instead of discussing the topic directly, he changed the subject.

He split open the bellies of the three fish, removed the internal organs, and washed them under the faucet. He turned to Shintaro and asked: "If you were my father, facing that situation, would you go and save your friend or continue the mission?"

Shintaro looked at him and felt that this young man was not as strong as he appeared.

His heart was greatly shaken by his father's death.

But Shintaro didn't lie to spare Kakashi's emotions. He expressed his inner thoughts in detail: "I think your father was wrong, but the mistake he made was not in saving his friends, but in committing suicide because of the rumors spread by the villagers."

"Saving your friend might not have been the best choice, but it was your father's choice. In this regard, the choice is no longer about right or wrong."

"In my opinion, if there's a trade-off between a companion and a mission, I would consider it based on the situation."

"If the companion is a stranger to me, I would complete the mission first and then try to save them after completing the mission."

"But if the companion is someone I cherish, like Kurenai, I would abandon the mission and save the companion as soon as possible."

It was a quiet night, and Shintaro's words echoed clearly in the house, even reaching outside through the open window.

Kakashi was carefully thinking about his words. At this moment, movements outside the window distracted him and drew his attention.

"Come out, I'll make more, let's eat together."

Obito scratched his head and stood up from the grass in embarrassment, saying, "I was discovered by you."

"Sorry." A gentle woman's voice came from behind Obito.

Obito turned around in surprise and then shouted in surprise. Behind him was Rin.

"I didn't mean to hide... I just saw Obito and Rin hiding, so I hid too..." Another figure emerged from the grass, right next to Rin.

Kurenai's small face blushed; it was clear she had heard what Shintaro had just said.

Shintaro was not surprised at all by this. In fact, as soon as the three came to the window one after another, he noticed them with his Six Eyes, but he didn't say anything.

Just like that, that night, four unexpected guests arrived at the Hatake residence.