Ling Tian's challenge

"Lord Hokage."

Those two simple words made the Third's heart skip a beat.

The civilians, who had been clamoring a moment earlier, fell silent.

The Sannin, Fugaku Uchiha, and the main force about to head to the front all wore complicated expressions.

At that moment, no one dared say another word.

Because the man who had spoken was powerful!

He was the renowned Konoha's White Fang!

And he was not alone.

In the distance.

Ling Tian walked behind his elder brother, holding Kakashi's hand.

The three of them slowly approached the Hokage Building together.

Everyone stepped aside along the way. No one dared block their path.

Or rather, no one dared stand in White Fang's way right now.

Because the Shinobi World's Greatest Swordsman wore a grim expression.

Killing intent radiated from him.

Once they drew near, Ling Tian looked at the Third and the Three Advisors and said evenly, "Lord Hokage, after everything our Hatake Clan has done for the village, is this what we get?"

The Third fell silent for a moment before smiling. "Oh, it's you, Xianyu! What do you mean by that?"

"Lord Hokage, before I was even born, my father died on the battlefield while serving under the Second Hokage. Four years ago, when my sister-in-law died, my elder brother was on the battlefield. He didn't even get to see her one last time. Over these past few years, he's devoted himself to the village so completely that he hasn't even taken care of his own son. Every time, he leaves Kakashi with me."

Watching the Hokage put on an act, Ling Tian had no intention of sparing his dignity.

"My elder brother killed so many shinobi from other villages that they fled at the sight of Leaf Village shinobi. Even the Kage of the other four villages issued an order: anyone who encountered Konoha's White Fang could abandon their mission without facing any punishment afterward."

His voice turned mocking as he continued, "Konoha's White Fang, a man who terrified the other villages' shinobi with the killing he did for this village, ended up like this over a single failed mission."

Ling Tian raised his voice. "My father died before I was born, and my mother died before I was even a month old. My elder brother raised me, acting as both my father and my mother. But did you know he went to war when I was one? And again when I was two? As far as I could remember, he was a man who neglected even his own little brother for the village."

The gathering was utterly silent. No one interrupted. They all listened quietly as Ling Tian spoke.

"I used to resent him. I resented him for neglecting me for other people. He wasn't the village's only shinobi, so why did he have to be so busy every year?"

"Four years ago, just after Kakashi was born, my sister-in-law passed away, just like my mother had. When she needed someone by her side most, my elder brother made the same choice my father had: he went to the front to fight for the village."

As Ling Tian spoke, tears slipped down his smiling face, as though he dearly missed those days. "I was eleven then, and Kakashi had just been born. Two months later, my brother came home. I'll never forget what he told me.

"He told me: Leaf Village is a village, but more than that, it's one big family. Since we live here, its villagers are our family. If he didn't go to war, many shinobi would die on the battlefield. He couldn't be that selfish."

"Back then, I didn't know what to say. But while other children had their parents beside them, he left Kakashi with me and wanted to go back to the battlefield."

"That time, I refused. As far as I was concerned, he could leave me home alone when I was little, but he couldn't be that selfish toward Kakashi too. Then he took me to the Orphanage."

"There, I saw so many orphans. Most of their parents had died on the battlefield. Suddenly, I felt that all my life, I'd never really understood what kind of man my elder brother was."

"Before he left, he gave me just one sentence: with greater power comes greater responsibility!"

"That was when I suddenly began to admire him. I couldn't cultivate chakra, so I couldn't go to the battlefield and protect the village the way he did. Instead, I would help the villagers in other ways. We truly worked so hard,

"we really did give everything we could for the village." At this point, Ling Tian looked at the four people on the platform and said in disappointment, "Our Hatake Clan has given so much to the village. We never cared about empty fame, because we were only doing what we ought to do. So why did one failed mission make him the target of everyone's condemnation? Why did all of this become my elder brother's fault?"

"Isn't it normal for an attempt to assassinate a Kage to fail? Just because he's so strong, just because he's accomplished so much in the past, does failing mean you get to humiliate him like this? If assassinating a village's Kage is so easy, why don't you try it yourselves?"

Ling Tian turned to the villagers. "Someone once told me you were ignorant, that you were a pack of ungrateful wretches, that you'd never remember the good others did for you, and that I would regret it someday. I didn't believe them then, but now I do. We actually gave so much for a pack of ungrateful wretches. Tell me, isn't that ironic?"

"Hatake Good Samaritan, that's not how it is. They've only been misled by others. We all know how much you've done for us."

It was an old man, one who had spoken up for White Fang earlier, only to be vilified by the others.

Hearing Ling Tian's words and seeing the regret mingled with disappointment in his eyes, he couldn't help trying to defend the others.

"Uncle Wang, thank you."

At those words, Ling Tian let a few tears fall at just the right moment and bowed. "Thank you for still being willing to speak up for my elder brother under these circumstances. But these people truly aren't worthy!"

"Hatake Good Samaritan, you still remember me? Please, straighten up. Without you, this old man would have died long ago."

The old man panicked at the sight of his bow.

Ling Tian nodded. "Of course I remember. Uncle Wang, your son and daughter-in-law died on the battlefield four years ago. They left behind your grandson, who's the same age as our Kakashi, and the two of you have had only each other ever since. I remember all of it."

The old man burst into tears. "Without you, I would've died years ago. My death wouldn't have mattered, but what would've happened to my newborn grandson? I never imagined you'd still remember me."

As he spoke, he lamented through his tears, "We've wronged you. We're truly sorry!"

Then he dropped straight to his knees. "It's our fault!"

"Uncle Wang, please get up. Didn't I just say that all of this was what I ought to do? I should be thanking you for still coming forward to speak up for us at a time like this."

Apart from the two of them, no one spoke.

Shame spread across the villagers' faces.

The Third sank into thought, filled with regret. Why hadn't he stepped in immediately?

Every shinobi present was also pondering the same question: had this been planned, or was it merely a coincidence?

They could hardly be blamed for wondering. The villagers had started slandering White Fang, and then the Hatake brothers had arrived, with this Great Benefactor delivering such an eloquent speech.

Just as Ling Tian went to help the old man up, White Fang spoke. "..."