Chapter 3

Chapter 3 White Fang Crisis

Haneda's home was in a rather remote part of the Uchiha clan's territory, close to the training grounds and the Forest of Death. As he neared his house, the number of people thinned, and by the time he reached the entrance, only a few scattered ninjas could be seen training nearby.

*Creak.*

Pushing the door open, Haneda took off his shoes, placing them neatly, and called out habitually:

"I'm home!"

No one responded. The black-and-white photos on the table gave him the answer.

That's right—Haneda was an orphan. His parents had passed away when he was young.

In the world of shinobi, having two parents barely makes a family of four.

*(Just like Team 7, right?)*

For a ninja family, it wasn't uncommon for both parents to be deceased.

It's worth mentioning that Haneda's parents were both jōnin, and they died heroically during a mission, leaving young Haneda with a substantial inheritance. Most of it consisted of money his parents had saved.

Back in those days, when the Uchiha clan was being targeted, the village gave them the lowest possible death benefits.

Haneda entered his father's bedroom, which contained a bookshelf lined neatly with various books. He walked to the shelf and pulled out a seemingly inconspicuous book from the edge.

Raising his index and middle fingers, he released a small amount of chakra, causing the bookshelf to slide aside, revealing a hidden passage.

*Tap, tap, tap...*

Descending the staircase, Haneda soon reached the basement. Inside were numerous scrolls and glittering gold. The scrolls were jutsu his parents had collected over the years.

Hameda had counted them before. There were about ten C-rank jutsu and a few B-rank ones, mostly fire-style and genjutsu techniques.

As for the gold, it had been left by his grandparents.

As the saying goes, *"In prosperous times, antiques; in turbulent times, gold."*

During the Warring States period, nations could fall at any moment, but gold always retained its value.

Haneda ignored all that and headed straight for a suitcase. Opening it revealed a large stack of cash.

Breathing in the scent of fresh ink on the bills, Haneda felt an almost sweet, intoxicating aroma in the air. He counted a few notes, stuffed them into his pocket, and, as if nothing had happened, returned to his room.

...

The gathering was held at BBQ Q, a barbecue restaurant that appeared a fair amount in the manga. It was a favorite spot for the Akimichi clan, especially for their chubby members.

Of course, the restaurant with the highest appearance rate was *Ichiraku Ramen,* but that ramen shop hadn't opened yet—it would be a little while before it did.

Due to budget constraints, the three of them sat in the main hall, where the environment was noisy and crowded.

"Haneda, this place is pretty pricey. Maybe we should go somewhere else?" Rin suggested, knowing Hatake's family situation. She didn't want him to spend too much.

"It's fine. The three of us won't eat much."

"Besides, we're already seated, and I've got the money ready. Moving now would just be inconvenient," Haneda replied with a smile.

"Exactly, Rin. Let me tell you, this guy Haneda has plenty of cash on him."

"It's rare for him to treat us, so we have to make the most of it!" Obito, sitting next to Rin, laughed. He had long wanted to get a big meal out of Haneda, especially since Haneda often called him *dead last*.

"Uh… okay." Rin noticed neither Haneda nor Obito had any objections, so she kept her thoughts to herself. She had brought some of her savings just in case Haneda ran short.

"Ladies first," Haneda said politely, handing Rin the menu. She ordered a few relatively inexpensive dishes before passing the menu to Obito.

"Hey, Haneda, what do you like to eat?" Obito asked, overwhelmed by the menu and not knowing what to choose.

"Pork belly and lettuce. I like to wrap the grilled meat in lettuce," Haneda replied with a soft laugh.

"Alright, that'll do!"

Knowing Haneda had plenty of money, Obito ordered a few pricier items. He originally wanted to pick the most expensive ones but thought of Haneda's situation—no parents. If he blew through his inheritance, how would he survive? So, with a pang of conscience, Obito toned it down a bit.

When Haneda took the menu, he glanced at the price differences between the top and bottom selections, his mouth twitching slightly. He could easily tell which ones Obito had chosen.

His evaluation of Obito? 'He has a conscience, but not much.'

"Have you heard? Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, abandoned an S-rank mission, causing significant damage to the village's interests."

"Didn't they say Lord Sakumo did it to save his comrades? Could there be more to the story?"

"Hah! The comrades he saved even criticized him to his face! If you ask me, the village's interests come first. By hurting the village, he indirectly hurt all of us!"

"When you put it that way, doesn't that make Lord Sakumo a traitor to Konoha?!"

...

Voices from the nearby table carried over, loud and clear.

"Konoha's White Fang, Lord Sakumo? Could that be Kakashi's father?!" Obito muttered, his voice rising in surprise as he spoke.

"Hey, you two! Are you talking about Konoha's White Fang, Lord Sakumo Hatake?" Obito couldn't help but walk over and loudly question the two middle-aged men at the next table.

"Yeah, we're talking about Sakumo Hatake," one of the men replied with a hint of disdain.

"Lord Sakumo is a jōnin, has completed countless S-rank missions, and is a hero of Konoha! How can you speak so carelessly?!" Obito retorted.

"A hero? A ninja who abandons a mission is no hero! And it wasn't just any mission—it was vital to the village!"

"Exactly, kid. You should read more. For a ninja, the mission is the top priority."

"And what about comrades? Aren't comrades more important than missions?!" Obito shouted.

"Comrades? Ha! Sakumo Hatake is a ninja, not a civilian. For a ninja, the mission comes first!"

Hearing this harsh criticism, Obito couldn't hold back and started arguing with them. For Obito, comrades were definitely more important than missions. Besides, they were slandering his friend's father, Kakashi's father.

'Has the White Fang's suicide incident already started?'

Hatake lowered his head, his expression deepening.

"It's the perfect time to raise Kakashi's affection..."

Lifting his head, Haneda caught sight of a white-haired boy wearing a black mask and sporting those unmistakable dead-fish eyes. There was no doubt—it was Kakashi.

For some reason, Kakashi was sitting alone, grilling meat by himself. His gaze frequently shifted toward the two men arguing with Obito.

"Alright, Obito, the meat is ready," Rin said, noticing Obito's flushed face, clearly intent on arguing until the end. She grabbed his hand, trying to drag him back to their seat.

"Rin, didn't you hear them slandering Kakashi's father?" Obito protested.

Seeing this, Rin sighed, holding onto Obito to stop him from starting a fight.

T/N: Thanks for reading. If you want to read extra chapters and support me.

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