Konoha's White Fang

"You are the shame of the Uchiha?" White Fang looked at Kazuki meaningfully.

From Kazuki's logical and organized way of speaking, if someone like him is called the shame of the Uchiha, then the Uchiha clan must either be pretending to be stupid or genuinely foolish.

"Senior, do you remember Tenzen, the medical-nin Tenzen?"

White Fang didn't answer. Tenzen was his teammate, the one he saved but who instead criticized him. He was also the adoptive father of Kabuto.

"Senior, a stranger ninja once came to see him."

"What?" White Fang suddenly looked up and stared silently at Kazuki.

"I mean, before Tenzen criticized you, a strange ninja had approached him."

"No, that's impossible. He's not that kind of person." White Fang immediately understood the implication of Kazuki's words.

"Senior, you don't really think the Konoha police are just a bunch of useless people, do you?

Some people did see a stranger ninja visiting Tenzen, and then..."

"Enough! Don't say any more!" Konoha's White Fang roughly interrupted Kazuki.

At that moment, Kazuki noticed that White Fang's pale face had lost all color. His fists were tightly clenched, his knuckles making a cracking sound.

Clearly, he was extremely furious.

Kazuki decided to take advantage of this moment and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to White Fang.

"Senior, this is a list of 24 tasks from the Root organization, with records indicating that 15 of them harmed innocent people and 3 resulted in failures, causing damage to the village."

"What are you trying to say?" Despite his words, White Fang took the paper from Kazuki.

"Senior, I want to point out why the Root can fail a task without anyone saying anything, but when you fail, it becomes a public issue.

Have you ever thought about why that is?"

"The Root is a secret organization," White Fang tried to justify himself.

He wasn't surprised that Kazuki knew about the Root. If a Uchiha didn't know about it, they wouldn't be worth worrying about.

However, the fact that some actions of the Root had been discovered by the Uchiha left White Fang wondering whether the Uchiha were too strong or if the Root was just foolish.

"Senior, stop trying to find excuses; you can't convince yourself.

No one outside knows about the Root's actions because someone in a higher position has kept it hidden.

But for you, it's clear that someone at the top is deliberately making a public issue out of it." Kazuki asserted.

Upon hearing Kazuki's analysis, White Fang started to lose his composure.

He had never considered this angle before; why would the village's higher-ups target him? He had always acted in the village's interest.

"No, I don't believe it. You must be guessing. Uchiha brat, don't try to sow discord. It's useless. Why would the village's higher-ups target me?"

Although he said he didn't believe it, connecting the dots, White Fang already believed about 80% of it.

A person who could become a captain of the ANBU at such a young age couldn't be useless.

But he had never thought about it this way before.

"Senior, the Third Hokage is old now; he's not in his prime. What Konoha needs now is the Fourth.

And you, senior, do not fit the interests of the Third." Kazuki said seriously.

"I never sought the position of Hokage," White Fang said firmly.

"But senior, you are one of the strongest contenders for the Fourth. You have the loudest voice in all of Konoha.

An innocent person can be guilty just by having something precious. For the smooth transfer of Hokage power, Konoha doesn't need you right now.

Your past reputation is now the greatest obstacle for certain people." Kazuki calmly stated.

White Fang listened quietly, without rebutting. However, Kazuki could see that his face seemed to age ten years in an instant.

What does it feel like to be betrayed by those you trust?

"This is a ninja who has always thought about the village, yet sadly, he became a victim of the power struggles at the top." Kazuki sighed internally.

White Fang remained silent, drinking glass after glass. He found Kazuki's words impossible to refute.

Even though he had never sought the position of Hokage.

Perhaps he had once held a bit of hope for that position.

A ninja who doesn't want to be Hokage isn't a good ninja.

Suddenly, White Fang seemed to make a decision.

"The village no longer needs me. I know what I should do. Thank you, Uchiha brat, for letting me see all of this." White Fang said self-deprecatingly.

Kazuki's heart skipped a beat. Would this man take his own life like in the original story?

"Senior, please rest assured. With your abilities and the reputation you've built in the village, once the Hokage's power is smoothly transferred, the Fourth will definitely make good use of you. Those rumors against you will disappear instantly. By then, you'll still be Konoha's hero."

"Heh." White Fang chuckled lightly. "Ninjas are just tools; they don't deserve to have their own feelings. I was being sentimental."

"Uchiha brat, I really appreciate you telling me all this.

But what exactly are you here for?

Is it just to tell me these so-called truths?

Or are you trying to pull me into the Uchiha clan?"

White Fang was not foolish; on the contrary, he was quite clever. He just had a naive passion regarding human nature and power.

"If possible, the Uchiha clan still admires you, senior."

"Kid, stop dreaming. I could never join the Uchiha clan."

Kazuki smiled awkwardly and said, "Senior, I was just making conversation."

"Senior, what are your plans for the future?"

"As for me, I am a ninja. I will prove my loyalty to the village in a ninja's way."

"Senior, do you mean?"

"A ninja who dies on the battlefield achieves the greatest honor." White Fang said again, stroking his weapon, his eyes shining with determination.

Konoha's White Fang had decided to wash away his shame with his own blood on the battlefield.

Kazuki understood that White Fang's words hinted at a willingness to die.

This stubborn old man was ready to die on the battlefield to preserve his honor.

"Senior, I admire your bravery. But your cowardice makes me feel ashamed.

Konoha's White Fang, a name that strikes fear into enemies, turns out to be a coward!"

"Swish!" A white flash suddenly passed by Kazuki's forehead.

Three strands of hair fell silently from Kazuki's head.

Kazuki took a sharp breath. Konoha's White Fang was terrifying indeed.

If he had meant to kill just now, he would have turned into a corpse without a doubt.

"It's too dangerous outside. It's safest in the family."

With the system's passive skill guarantee, Kazuki decided that from now on, he would stay in the family unless absolutely necessary.