Hatake Sakumo

Although Minato Namikaze's actions were somewhat laughable, his words were undeniably sincere.

He seemed to possess an innate, inexplicable charisma that made it impossible for others not to feel drawn to him.

Ye Ning composed his expression and gave a serious nod.

He would, of course, do everything in his power to heal the scars within Tsunade's heart.

"Hey, what are you and Minato talking about?"

Having downed several glasses of alcohol, a clearly tipsy Uzumaki Kushina slurred her words as she turned her focus toward Ye Ning.

"Everyone else is drinking, why are you the only one who isn't!"

"Yeah, why aren't you drinking!"

Tsunade, seemingly using the alcohol as an excuse to act out, slammed her hand on the table and demanded an answer.

Of the three, only Uchiha Mikoto remained silent, though she watched Ye Ning with equal curiosity.

As a member of the Uchiha clan, Ye Ning's identity was something that warranted deep contemplation.

To be dining at the same table as Tsunade, and with such a familiar tone between them, it was clear that such a person could not be an ordinary citizen of Konoha. Yet, she had absolutely no memory of him, which was highly unusual.

Seeing this, Ye Ning couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Tsunade alone was already a handful, and now he had a lush like Uzumaki Kushina to deal with as well.

Ye Ning cast a sharp, unimpressed look toward Minato Namikaze.

This spicy woman is yours, can't you keep her in check?

But Minato Namikaze was clearly helpless against Uzumaki Kushina in this state, and could only offer Ye Ning an apologetic look.

With no other choice, Ye Ning had to handle it himself:

"My name is Ye Ning."

"Ye Ning?"

Uzumaki Kushina pondered for a moment, then shook her head: "Never heard of you... why aren't you drinking?"

"I'm still a minor, I can't drink."

"We're minors too, and we can still drink, can't we?"

Uzumaki Kushina, acting completely intoxicated, stood up abruptly. She held a glass filled to the brim, downed it in one go, and then slammed the empty glass in front of Ye Ning with a provocative glare.

No, seriously, why does it matter to you whether I drink or not!

Ye Ning's face was a mask of speechlessness.

It was truly hard to imagine that among the final words Uzumaki Kushina would give to Naruto, there would be advice not to drink to excess and to wait until he was twenty.

You're like this yourself, and you have the nerve to tell your son that?

But when it came to alcohol, Ye Ning really didn't dare touch it.

Last time, he had only been forced to take two sips by Tsunade, and he had ended up so groggy that he slept straight through until dawn. If he drank like them, he couldn't guarantee what he might do while intoxicated.

"Forget it, forget it, if he won't drink, we will!"

Tsunade curled her lip, grabbed Uzumaki Kushina, and pulled her back down to continue drinking.

Before long, a completely wasted Uzumaki Kushina collapsed onto the table with a loud thud.

Uchiha Mikoto, who had been drinking straight from the bottle the whole time, remained clear-eyed and showed little sign of intoxication.

Minato Namikaze hurriedly apologized, using every ounce of his strength to help Uzumaki Kushina away.

Once the three of them left, the absence of Uzumaki Kushina's boisterous voice made the place feel much quieter.

Only now did it dawn on Ye Ning.

So these three just came here to mooch off the food and drink?

They didn't spend a single cent, ate a free barbecue, drank for free, and then just got up and left?

Whatever, it wasn't his money anyway.

Tsunade was paying, so what did he have to worry about?

Tsunade, completely unaware that she had been taken for a ride by Uzumaki Kushina, continued to drink on her own, showing no realization that she had been fleeced like a "Big Fat Sheep."

As it happened, just as the trio left, a middle-aged man with silver hair walked in.

After entering, he scanned the shop, locked onto his target, and headed straight for them.

This guy is...

"Sakumo, you're late."

As the middle-aged man sat down beside Ye Ning, Tsunade's voice rang out.

At this moment, was there even a trace of the drunkenness Tsunade had displayed just a moment ago?

Her bright eyes were clearer than ever, instantly fixed upon the middle-aged man.

This guy is... Hatake Sakumo?

Judging by his appearance alone, Ye Ning could not tell that the man before him was the Shinobi World-renowned White Fang of the Leaf; his aura was entirely restrained, just like an ordinary person.

However, if one observed closely, they would notice an inexplicable quality radiating from within him, giving off a strangely peculiar feeling.

Hatake Sakumo wore an apologetic expression and spoke softly:

"My apologies, I was delayed for a while preparing a bento for Kakashi."

Listening to their conversation, Ye Ning realized belatedly that the person Tsunade mentioned waiting for was none other than Hatake Sakumo!

No wonder Tsunade said this person had some connection to him.

"Sakumo, about what happened a while ago... I'm sorry. I had been staying at home and was completely unaware of the matter."

"It is of no consequence."

Hatake Sakumo shook his head, then turned his gaze toward Ye Ning, his expression showing sincere gratitude: "Lord Ye Ning, thank you."

!?

Thanking me?

Ye Ning was somewhat puzzled.

He could understand the White Fang thanking him, as he had essentially saved his life, sparing him from the rumors that would have ultimately led to his suicide.

What he didn't understand was how the White Fang knew it was he who had spoken up for him.

"I told him."

Tsunade took a sip of wine and said nonchalantly:

"Sakumo is the person involved in that matter, after all; he should have the right to know, shouldn't he?"

That logic held up, but could you explain when exactly you told the White Fang?

After he discussed the matter with Tsunade, she had been either drinking or sleeping; how did she even remember to notify the White Fang?

"Sakumo, how are you feeling now?"

Tsunade tossed him a bottle of wine, her expression exceptionally calm, making it impossible to guess what was on her mind.

Hearing this, Sakumo gave a bitter smile:

"A bit disappointed, perhaps. But I don't feel that I did anything wrong. In my view, a comrade is far more important than a cold, unfeeling mission."

Ye Ning nodded inwardly.

The sentiment was certainly noble.

It was just a pity that such a positive act was not only left uncelebrated but was instead seized upon by certain people as a weakness, becoming a tool for them to attack him.

If the ninja who was saved by the White Fang—acting under Danzo's instructions—were to jump out and publicly accuse you of being wrong to abandon the mission, would you still hold such thoughts?

Perhaps it was precisely the accusation from that very ninja that was the true cause of the White Fang's suicide.

A ninja as powerful as the White Fang must have had a resilient mind.

The rumors within the village, even if they caused him some distress, could never have driven a ninja of his caliber to contemplate suicide. Perhaps the betrayal of a comrade was the final straw that crushed his spirit, plunging him into deep self-doubt and ultimately leading to the White Fang's suicide.

For a powerful ninja to die not on the battlefield, not at the hands of a foreign shinobi, but at the hands of his own people—how truly tragic.