Chapter 453: The White Fang Incident Begins! Kakashi's Confusion!
"My Lord, let's part ways here, shall we?"
"If we go any further, we won't want to return to Tani Hidden Village..."
In the mountains and forests dozens of miles west of Konoha.
Kakuzu and Fūchōin Ryūgetsu, taking advantage of a break, leaped onto the high tree canopies... looking at Fujiwara Tetsuya, who they had followed all this way, their tone seemed to carry a hint of reluctance.
"Heh heh~ Kakuzu, if Fūchōin said something like that, I'd believe it, but you?"
Thinking of Kakuzu's shifting gaze when he saw Senju Hashirama's statue, Fujiwara Tetsuya couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"Hmph~"
"What a boring fellow~ We're heading back to Tani Hidden Village."
"But My Lord! While a happy life is good, please don't let it dull your convictions..."
"Right now, the organization still has too few members. You need to find new members as soon as possible... After all, waiting for Fūchōin to reach Kage-level is simply too long."
Hearing Kakuzu's complaint, Fūchōin didn't dare to retort, only lowering his head in shame.
"I know about this, I'll consider it~"
"However, you'll still need to trouble you to hold on for a bit longer."
"By the way, those three little ones... Yukinemaru, Tenji, and Iwahime, right?"
"They performed very well this time. Although they lost to Kakashi and Might Guy... being able to fight Asuma and Yuhi's brats to a draw, or even gain the upper hand, is enough for them to become the backbone of Tani Hidden Village in the future."
"Train them well..."
At this point, Fujiwara Tetsuya paused, seemingly recalling the chaotic battle two days ago, where Yukinemaru, Tenji, and Iwahime clashed with Kakashi, Asuma, and others, culminating in a fierce showdown.
Although tempers flared and many of the youngsters got injured, they also forged an extraordinary friendship.
"I understand~ I'll have Fūchōin teach them well."
Hearing Kakuzu's reply, Fūchōin's mouth twitched, and he almost fell off the tree.
Did My Lord just mention me?
"Heh heh~ Then I'll leave it to you, Kakuzu, Fūchōin... I look forward to seeing you both become even stronger next time we meet, otherwise... in the surging tides of the future, you might be eliminated."
The moment his voice fell, Fujiwara Tetsuya's figure had already transformed into a cloud of mist and dissipated.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu and Fūchōin's gazes seemed to... gradually sharpen... Konoha.
After the wedding concluded and Kakuzu and Fūchōin departed.
Fujiwara Tetsuya suddenly found himself completely at leisure.
Perhaps it was to give Fujiwara Tetsuya enough time for his honeymoon... even Hiruzen Sarutobi's assignments to Fujiwara Tetsuya rapidly decreased.
It even reached a point where, over a month, he averaged less than one S-rank mission.
However, behind peace and stability, there often lie imperceptible turbulences.
Especially in Konoha, located in the core region of the Ninja World?
In mid-June, a sudden piece of news, like a surging storm, stirred up endless commotion in Konoha... and even the entire Ninja World.
"Is that so?"
"Did Sakumo Hatake abandon a readily available S-rank mission to save his comrades?"
Under the sunlight, Fujiwara Tetsuya rested his head on Mikoto's soft lap, rubbing his forehead hard.
Without a doubt!
This matter definitely had Danzo secretly stirring trouble... Clearly, Sakumo Hatake's continuously rising prestige had completely ignited Danzo's nerves.
However, remembering Sakumo Hatake's straightforward personality, Fujiwara Tetsuya couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Sakumo Hatake was different from him; his convictions were purer.
Judging by Sakumo Hatake's current approach, if Danzo and Root continued to fan the flames in the dark, Sakumo Hatake would very likely choose to commit suicide, using this resolute method... to awaken the rationality of the Konoha Higher-Ups, and even all the Ninja and Villagers of Konoha Village.
"Should I intervene?"
Lost in thought, Fujiwara Tetsuya felt this matter was becoming increasingly tricky.
Because behind this incident, besides Danzo's machinations and Sakumo Hatake's approach... there were also the attitudes of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, Homura Mitokado, and other Higher-Ups of the Hokage faction, as well as the Shinobi Clans close to the Hokage faction.
For these people, it was highly probable that they did not wish for Sakumo Hatake to rise to power.
Shh~ Shh~ Shh
A faint sound of footsteps came from afar.
A silver-haired brat, accompanied by Uzumaki Meika, arrived at the spot where Fujiwara Tetsuya was idling.
"Hmm? This is a rare visitor indeed~"
"Kakashi, I didn't expect a cocky brat like you to actively seek me out?"
Because of Sakumo Hatake's situation, Kakashi seemed much more downcast.
In his eyes, there was no longer that sharp edge... only endless confusion and hesitation.
With a light chuckle, Fujiwara Tetsuya slowly sat up and waved his hand... signaling Mikoto and Uzumaki Meika to withdraw.
"Tetsuya-senpai~"
"You... you must already know about my father's matter, right?"
"That's right, I just found out, right before you came with Meihua."
"So, Kakashi, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"
"Is it Sakumo Hatake's act of abandoning a mission to save his comrades that has left you confused?"
"Or is it the rumors within the Village that have shaken your will? Making you question Sakumo Hatake?"
Looking at Kakashi kneeling before him, Fujiwara Tetsuya stroked his chin and asked with a hint of amusement.
"As expected of you~"
"I knew coming to you would be the right choice."
Fujiwara Tetsuya's questions, without a doubt... directly touched upon Kakashi's inner confusion.
The moment he looked up, Kakashi's eyes seemed to gain a certain light.
"It seems to be both, huh~"
"Kakashi, it seems you are not yet mature... You still have a long way to go before becoming a true Ninja, a strong one."
"If it's because of the first point I mentioned, I believe Sakumo Hatake did nothing wrong..."
"On this point, Sakumo Hatake and I share the same view."
"A Ninja who cannot complete a mission is not a qualified Ninja, but... a Ninja who sacrifices the lives of comrades and subordinates to complete a mission... is not worthy of being called a Ninja."
"Clan conflicts, the opposition and clashes between Ninja Villages... have distorted the definition of a Ninja."
"In my opinion, Ninja are not machines specifically trained to complete missions."
"Only Ninja who bring hope to the weak and to others, upholding their own convictions, are worthy of being called true Ninja..."
"Without a doubt, your father, White Fang Hatake Sakumo, is such a person."
Facing Kakashi, who was lost in thought, Fujiwara Tetsuya did not try to indoctrinate him excessively.
He merely made his point... Some things, Kakashi could only comprehend and understand on his own.
Whether it was him or anyone else, even if they helped, it would at most be temporary, not for a lifetime.
"As for the second point... Hey~ Kakashi, I believe in you, you will understand one day."
"However, I still want to remind you that even though Sakumo Hatake and I also uphold this belief."
"But the Ninja World has been solidified for a long time, and the concept of 'mission first' has long been ingrained... I believe that besides Sakumo Hatake and me, many Higher-Ups, including the Third Hokage, might understand your father's thoughts, but they won't necessarily approve..."
"Kakashi, the future you have to bear is far heavier than your current confusion."