What Is the Will of Fire?

What was the Will of Fire?

In Sakumo's heart, the Will of Fire meant using one's life to protect and trust the important people by one's side.

It was precisely because he firmly believed in the Will of Fire that he chose his companions over the mission.

But the result was...

The shinobi scoffed at him, and even the companions he had personally saved stepped forward to condemn him.

"Did I really do something wrong? Was the Will of Fire not actually what I understood it to be?" Sakumo, spatula in hand, had completely forgotten about the food in the pan as he muttered to himself.

It was not until the smell of burning reached his nose that Sakumo snapped back to his senses and hurriedly checked the food in the pan.

Kazashiro looked at the dishes before him with a strange expression.

Uh... what was this black lump? And that black lump? And that paste-like substance that looked as though it had just been scooped out of Old Eight's Cafeteria...

"Ha, haha, well, it seems I didn't perform very well today." Sakumo laughed awkwardly and scratched his head, having even forgotten to take off his apron.

It seemed this incident had indeed affected Uncle Sakumo deeply.

At a time like this, comfort was useless. He needed to give him some confidence.

With that thought in mind, Kazashiro braced himself and picked up his chopsticks. He selected a barely intact, unidentifiable piece of something and quickly stuffed it into his mouth, skipping the chewing process altogether and swallowing it straight into his stomach.

"Bleurgh!"

As expected, Kazashiro threw up.

Kazashiro, who had not vomited even after eating Danzo's cooking for a year, had broken new ground today by vomiting after eating Sakumo's food.

"Dad, let's go eat ramen." With Kazashiro as an example before him, Kakashi put down the chopsticks after already picking up a piece of food and made a suggestion.

Eating ramen meant going out.

And going out meant facing the villagers' accusations...

Sakumo hesitated for a moment, but when he looked at the two children before him, he ultimately agreed.

Along the way, the villagers who would normally greet Sakumo warmly kept their distance. Though they did not openly mock him, their attitude of avoiding him at all costs still left Sakumo somewhat discouraged.

This continued until they arrived at the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen.

Lifting the curtain overhead, they entered and came face-to-face with Teuchi, who was clearing away the dishes.

"Isn't this Mr. Sakumo? What a rare guest. Please, have a seat." Once Teuchi recognized him, he warmly invited Sakumo to sit down.

"You brought your sons out for a meal today?" Teuchi smiled at Kazashiro and Kakashi, then stood by the stove and chatted with Sakumo while waiting for him to order.

"Yes, I'll just have a regular ramen. Kakashi, Kazashiro, tell Teuchi whatever you two want to eat."

Sakumo nodded along with Teuchi's words, casually ordered a regular ramen, then looked toward Kazashiro and Kakashi.

Judging by his tone, he was in much better spirits than before.

Nice one, Uncle Teuchi. No wonder he was Naruto's first true love!

Kazashiro gave Teuchi a thumbs-up in his heart.

"All right, it's ready. Please enjoy." After bustling about in the kitchen for a while, Teuchi brought out the ramen and set it before Sakumo and Kakashi. "Please wait a moment. Kazashiro's portion is coming up next."

Because Kazashiro had ordered a high-end deluxe set, his toppings had to be served on a plate, so Teuchi had put his order last.

"Um, boss, there's..." Seeing Teuchi set down Kazashiro's serving, Sakumo hurriedly called out to him and pointed at the pork cutlet in his bowl.

"Haha, that's a complimentary gift, Mr. Sakumo. You've contributed so much to the village. It is because of your efforts that people like us can peacefully keep a little stall like this running."

Teuchi revealed a hearty smile. "You know I don't have the talent to become a shinobi, so please allow me to support you in this way."

"I am, at most, just a failure..." Faced with Teuchi's praise, a trace of discouragement flashed across Sakumo's face, and his voice became somewhat subdued.

In his eyes, he was merely a bitter failure who had failed to complete a mission and caused losses for the village.

"How can you say that? You're the hero of the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha's White Fang, who single-handedly defeated the entire Sand Hidden mobile unit. To be honest, my daughter admires you greatly. I hope you'll have the chance to meet her someday."

"Is that so? Then I am truly grateful." After saying that, Sakumo picked up his chopsticks, lifted some ramen, and took a bite in front of Teuchi before sincerely praising it.

"It is absolutely delicious."

"Haha, as long as you're satisfied!" Hearing Sakumo's personal praise, Teuchi proudly raised his head.

So, while Teuchi and Sakumo were talking, what was Kazashiro doing?

Kazashiro was eating ramen.

There were so many toppings that they completely covered the ramen. Whenever he casually picked something up, it was either fish cake or char siu.

The group finished their meal in a fairly warm atmosphere.

When it came time to pay, Sakumo insisted on paying for the pork cutlet despite Teuchi's objections. Yet in the end, he still could not prevail against him. The mighty Konoha's White Fang was ultimately defeated by Otsutsuki Teuchi at the checkout.

"It's getting late. Let me take you home, Kazashiro."

As the streetlights along the road came on, Sakumo, worried that it would be unsafe for Kazashiro to return home too late, asked for his opinion.

Kazashiro, his belly stuffed round, nodded with difficulty. The deluxe Ichiraku set really was still a little too much for him.

But he had not forgotten his true mission in coming here.

"Uncle Sakumo, in my eyes, you are someone who truly possesses the Will of Fire." Kazashiro raised his head and looked directly into Sakumo's eyes.

"I... let's not talk about that for now, Kazashiro..." Sakumo gave a bitter smile. He knew this child was trying to comfort him, but in his current state...

Remembering the villagers' gazes, Sakumo's spirits, which had risen somewhat because of Teuchi's treatment, sank once more.

"No, Uncle Sakumo, I have to say it. Otherwise, you'll definitely fall into self-doubt and be unable to pull yourself out—burp!"

After letting out a loud, full belch, Kazashiro hurriedly covered his mouth. Kakashi, standing beside him, helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.

This guy had indeed eaten a little too much. It was such a disservice to that handsome face of his.

And it had happened at such a crucial moment.

"The reason the villagers cannot understand what you did is because they simply do not understand what the Will of Fire truly is."

Kazashiro knew that if he wanted to keep Sakumo from falling into self-doubt, he had to rebuild his confidence.

Thus, he strongly championed Sakumo's beliefs. "Although the people in the village constantly talk about the Will of Fire, they do not truly understand it. They merely echo the Third Hokage out of respect for him. Only you have put that belief into practice through your actions."

"So you absolutely cannot admit defeat. Use time and your actions to prove that what you did was right. If even you surrender, then who will lead Konoha's new generation to understand the true Will of Fire?! Burp!"