Philosophy × Persuasion

It was not that Nara Dan had never requested the secret techniques of the Gentle Fist from the Hyuga clan before.

However, back then, although he had good relationships with Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, he had not yet displayed the combat prowess and value he possessed today.

Therefore, he had been politely refused.

"You, Nara Dan, will always be a good friend of our Hyuga clan. We are willing to maintain a friendly relationship with you; sparring and exchanging pointers are fine, and discussing taijutsu is no problem."

"But if you want the core secrets of our clan, I am sorry, but that is out of the question."

Yet, later on, once Nara Dan had demonstrated talent that surpassed the clan itself, the Hyuga had no reason to hold onto their "chastity" any longer and hurriedly sent a woman to pledge their loyalty.

So, the person he was supposed to be waiting for today should have been Hyuga Nana.

"Let Kakashi in."

Nara Dan nodded. Although he hadn't waited for the person he expected, he still held a favorable impression of Kakashi.

This was not only due to the character's significance from his past life, but in this current life, he and White Fang could be considered friends who had exchanged insights on training.

However, even if White Fang had not died, he would not have had much interaction with him beyond training.

Because their natures were incompatible; if Nara Dan was a self-interested individual and a seeker of the path, then White Fang was the purest successor of the Will of Fire.

In terms of the Will of Fire, no one in Konoha could surpass him.

If it were Senju Hashirama, he would certainly have greatly admired White Fang.

After all, he was a man who could say that for the sake of the village, he would be willing to make an enemy of anyone.

As Nara Dan thought this, Kakashi had already arrived before him.

"Teacher Nara."

Kakashi called out in a dull voice, then fell into silence.

For a six-year-old child, he might be smart enough, but he certainly did not have a thick skin.

"Did you come here wanting me to guide your training?"

Nara Dan looked at Kakashi with interest, his expression playful.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi nodded slowly.

"The Hokage said that you are a ninja no less capable than my father."

Hearing this, Nara Dan shook his head.

"The Hokage was wrong. As a ninja, your father was far more excellent than I am."

"White Fang was a man who would command respect the moment one came into contact with him."

Indeed, in terms of the profession of a ninja, there was likely no one in Konoha more suited to be a blade than White Fang: obedient to superiors, kind to teammates, and cold and ruthless to enemies.

It was a pity that the Third and Danzo had gone too far, stepping over the bottom line of a ninja. Yet, even so, this blade refused to bite its master, choosing instead to end its own life.

"So."

Kakashi spat out the words one by one; he seemed to be struggling painfully to formulate simple vocabulary.

"Was what he did right?"

Under normal circumstances, Kakashi would naturally not discuss such things with others.

But Nara Dan was different from the rest.

Not only did he possess overwhelming strength, but there was also a sense of calm power within him.

Added to that, he was a friend who had associated with his father, White Fang.

Kakashi intuitively felt that he would receive a different answer from Nara Dan.

This was the reason he had come.

"This has nothing to do with right or wrong."

Nara Dan shook his head again. Children always talked about right and wrong, which was precisely why the Third or those jonin found it troublesome.

"The prerequisite for being a ninja is being a human. Everyone is a human first, and a ninja second."

"As long as one is human, there will be differences, and there will be thoughts."

"Although your father's talent as a ninja is worthy of admiration, in my view, your father's way of thinking was foolish, even ignorant."

Having said this, Nara Dan smiled dismissively, almost laughing out loud.

White Fang's actions were, in his eyes, a foolish joke. This was also why Nara Dan had never thought of changing the fate of White Fang's death, even though they had some friendship.

The difference in their philosophies destined them to be strangers on different paths.

"He was undoubtedly not a qualified father, but he did uphold his own ninja way."

"From that perspective, he is worthy of respect."

Dying calmly for one's own philosophy was not something everyone could achieve.

"Ninja way."

Kakashi fell into confusion. For him, such profound things could not be understood; at his age, the concept of conviction was something very abstract.

"That's right,"

Nara Dan said.

"For example, my ninja way is simply to be strong!"

"As long as I am strong enough, the problem of choice doesn't exist for me."

"Missions or comrades—those are questions only the weak need to answer, aren't they?"

"I can complete missions and solve problems all by myself; I always have."

Nara Dan spoke slowly, his voice carrying a certain intoxicating allure as he laid out the unchanging truth of this world.

"This world is ruled by the strong. If you are strong enough, no one will dare to gossip or speak ill of you."

"Strong enough, huh."

Listening to these words, Kakashi was deeply shaken, his eyes wide as he absorbed information he had never encountered before.

He tightened his grip on the White Fang Blade at his waist, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

That's right, my father still wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to avoid making a choice, nor strong enough to ignore the rumors.

Nara Dan's gaze was piercing, his aura as deep as the sea, as if he could see right through this world.

"According to the rules of the village, the Hokage is not the Hokage because he is recognized."

"It is because he is strong enough that he is recognized."

"So, come and pursue strength."

Suddenly, Nara Dan reached out a hand and pressed it against Kakashi's forehead, his body radiating an aura like a demon, bewitching Kakashi's youthful soul.

"You don't need to be lost; those who are strong are never lost."

"Your father was a strong man, but also a weak one—a weakling in his heart. Compared to what you are facing, how insignificant is death?!"

"He supposedly upheld his own ninja way and just died, leaving you to bear everything he left behind alone."

"You are the one destined to be strong."

After he finished speaking, Kakashi was already kneeling on the spot, his body trembling uncontrollably. The White Fang Blade he had been clutching so tightly now lay on the ground, and his expression beneath his mask was impossible to discern.

He felt a complex mix of emotions, as if his nose had been struck hard; the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy all spilled out at once, and the emotions he had pent up inside erupted completely.

He wanted to cry, but he couldn't; or rather, his soul was already weeping, but his body could not accept it.

Nara Dan did not stop him, nor did he speak. He knew that Kakashi was undergoing a transformation—a transformation of his mental universe, a rebirth like a soul-shattering explosion.

For Kakashi's semi-misanthropic state, ordinary words or actions would have no effect, and might even be counterproductive.

Because this was a dual collapse of both the rational and emotional worlds; even the later Kakashi only improved due to the gradual influence of the Minato team.

It wasn't until a soul-shaking scene like the 'death of Obito' that his psychology was completely reversed, and he finally acknowledged the significance of comrades.

But Nara Dan did not want to take it slow, to influence him gradually, or even sacrifice himself to fulfill the so-called Will of Fire.

And the later Kakashi never wanted to think—or dared not think—that if the principle of comrades being important was correct, why did the White Fang still commit suicide?

Because it went against the human nature of a ninja.

Is the Will of Fire not advanced? No, in this world, it is already considered a very advanced ideology.

Don't you see the endless stream of brilliant ninjas who were brainwashed and died for it, whether it be Itachi, Tsunade, or Jiraiya?

These powerful Kage were all trapped in this predicament, unable to extricate themselves.