Man's Heaviness

"Hey, hey, hey..."

Guy's voice crackled through the loudspeaker, laced with static.

Everyone looked up at the speaker.

White Fang looked up as well.

Then, he heard his own name.

"Senior Hatake Sakumo!"

White Fang stiffened.

The surrounding gazes shifted in a "whoosh," all landing on him.

Piercing.

Curious.

Mocking.

Schadenfreude.

White Fang lowered his head.

Subconsciously, he took half a step back.

He wanted to run.

He wanted to hide.

He wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

But his feet felt like they were filled with lead; he couldn't move.

The voice from the speaker continued.

"Three days ago, Senior Hatake Sakumo was on a mission when he encountered ninjas from Iwagakure!"

White Fang clenched his fists.

"He could have completed the mission! If he had just abandoned his comrade, he could have returned and turned in his report!"

A buzz rose from the crowd.

"Yeah, why didn't he just abandon them..."

"Delaying a mission for a comrade, what an idiot..."

White Fang's face turned pale.

He didn't dare look at anyone.

He just kept his head down, staring at the ground.

What was that kid trying to say?

Retaliation?

Stabbing him in the back in front of everyone?

After all, his son had beaten the kid up.

It was only natural for them to seek revenge.

White Fang closed his eyes.

Forget it.

Let him say it.

He was already at rock bottom.

The voice in the speaker paused for a few seconds.

Then, it continued.

"But! Senior Hatake Sakumo did not abandon his comrade!"

"He chose to turn back! To save that person!"

"The mission failed! But that person survived!"

White Fang froze.

He slowly raised his head.

"That person's name is Tobitake Tonbo! He is still alive today! He can still carry out missions! He can still serve Konoha!"

The crowd fell silent.

People began to whisper to one another.

"Tobitake Tonbo? I actually know him, I saw him just last month..."

"Right, it seems he was the one saved by White Fang..."

The voice from the loudspeaker continued.

"Lord Third once said! What is the Will of Fire? It is to protect those you hold dear!"

"White Fang did that!"

"He protected the comrades he held dear!"

White Fang's lips moved.

He wanted to say something.

But his throat felt blocked.

"But—"

The voice from the loudspeaker suddenly shifted.

"Now everyone is cursing him!"

"Saying he brought shame to Konoha! Saying he isn't fit to be a ninja!"

"Saying he should go die!"

White Fang's body swayed.

He had heard these words countless times over the past few days.

Every time, they felt like knives.

"I ask you!"

Might Guy's voice suddenly rose.

"Was he wrong?!"

The crowd went quiet.

No one spoke.

"Which one of you has never been saved by someone?!"

Still, no one spoke.

"Which one of you has never saved someone else?!"

The middle-aged women looked at each other.

One man opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"If your family members were captured, would you abandon them, or would you save them?!"

White Fang stood there blankly.

That child...

What is he saying?

"A failed mission can be retried! Can a dead comrade be brought back to life?!"

Might Guy's voice grew louder and louder.

"Is the village's rule more important! Or is a human life more important?!"

No one answered.

Only the wind blew by.

Then, Might Guy's firm voice rang out from the loudspeaker.

"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are called trash!"

He took a deep breath and roared the final sentence with all his might:

"But!!!"

"Those who don't know how to value their comrades are even worse than trash!!!"

"White Fang!! You were right!!!"

The voice echoed throughout the entire street.

It slammed against the walls.

It slammed against the trees.

It slammed into everyone's ears.

Time stood still.

The entire school gate was deathly silent.

White Fang stood frozen in place.

He raised his head and looked at the loudspeaker.

His gaze shifted from hollow to bewildered.

From bewildered to shaken.

Done--

Tears welled up and spilled over.

Inside the broadcast room.

After shouting the final sentence, Might Guy's hands were trembling.

Outside the school, White Fang stood rooted to the spot.

Tears streamed down his face.

He had heard it.

Every single word that child said.

He had heard them all.

Someone walked up beside him.

A hand pressed onto his shoulder.

White Fang looked up.

Dai stood before him, his eyes rimmed with red.

"Senior White Fang."

Dai gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing.

"I just knew it. You were right."

White Fang opened his mouth.

"Dai..."

"Back then, when you saved me, you didn't think about whether it was worth it, did you?"

Dai grinned.

"I was a burden back then, but you never looked down on me."

"You said that everyone has their own way of living."

"Your way of living is to save people!"

White Fang looked at him.

He looked at this eternal Genin.

This dead-last who was always the butt of everyone's jokes.

This idiot wearing a faded green jumpsuit.

Tears welled up again.

"I..."

He couldn't find the words.

Dai patted his shoulder.

"No need to say anything."

He turned around and pointed toward the base of the utility pole.

"That child, he's my son."

"What he said is exactly what I wanted to say."

After saying this, Dai turned and ran toward the broadcast room.

"Might Guy!!!"

Dai rushed in and pulled Might Guy into a hug.

"My good son!!! You said it so well!!! Your father was moved to tears listening to you!!!"

Might Guy's eyes rolled back as he was squeezed.

"Dad... let go... I can't breathe..."

"I won't!!!"

Dai was sobbing uncontrollably, smearing tears and snot all over Might Guy's face.

Might Guy struggled, but he couldn't break free.

Just then, a voice came from the side.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here, you know."

Dai froze and turned his head.

Ikkaku Umino stood at the doorway, holding a cup of tea with a helpless expression.

"You two, father and son, mind your image."

Might Guy seized the chance to break free from Dai's embrace, gasping for air.

Dai hurriedly wiped away his tears and snot, offering a sheepish smile: "Teacher Ikkaku..."

Ikkaku Umino waved his hand and walked over to the window.

He pushed the window open and looked outside.

In the center of the crowd, White Fang stood there.

His head was bowed, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Ikkaku Umino picked up his teacup and raised it toward him from afar.

He didn't speak.

He simply nodded.

Then he turned around to look at Guy.

"Next time you use a megaphone, give me a heads-up."

Guy was stunned.

Ikkaku Umino curled his lip.

"I never said you couldn't use it."

He took a sip of tea.

"Besides—"

He looked out the window.

"Senior White Fang truly shouldn't be treated like that."

Ikkaku Umino muttered to himself.

Outside, the murmuring continued.

But the tide had turned.

"White Fang did save those people..."

"I would have saved them too if it were me..."

"But what about the failed mission?"

"If the mission fails but people are alive, that's still better than them being dead."

Some people began to nod.

White Fang stood where he was, listening to those voices.

He raised his head and looked at the sky.

The sunlight was blinding.

He hadn't seen the sun in three days.

It was so bright.

Kakashi stood not far away.

He had been standing there the whole time.

Watching his father.

Watching Guy.

Watching the expressions of those people change bit by bit.

He clenched his fists.

Then he walked toward Guy, stopped right in front of him.

The two locked eyes.

Guy grinned: "How was that?"

Kakashi was silent for two seconds.

Then—

"Thank you."

His voice was very soft.

But Guy heard it.

He scratched his head.

"What are you thanking me for? I didn't really do anything."

Kakashi looked at him.

He was covered in wounds, his face was swollen, and there was blood on his clothes.

He called that not doing anything?

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.

But Guy had already turned around.

"Alright, alright, we're going to be late for class."

He walked forward.

After two steps, he looked back.

"Behind the school after class, keep sparring?"

Kakashi was stunned for a moment.

Then he nodded heavily.

"Good."

Guy smiled.

He gave a thumbs-up, revealing his White Fang.

The bell for class rang.

Students flooded into the classroom.

Ikkaku Umino stood on the podium, looking at the seat by the window in the last row.

Guy was slumped over his desk, panting.

Kakashi sat in the front row and turned his head to glance at him.

Their eyes met, then both looked away at the same time.

Ikkaku Umino smiled.

He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard.

"Today, I will tell a story."

He paused.

"A story about a ninja..."

Outside the window, the sunlight was perfect.

White Fang stood at the school gate, looking inside.

He watched for a long time.

Then he turned around.

He walked in the direction of the Chao Family.

His footsteps were much steadier than when he arrived.

[Congratulations on completing the hidden mission: Sakumo Hatake's Fate]
[Obtained: Monk Points +100]
[Obtained special training item: Man's Heaviness (a pair of leg weights)]
[Attribute: Equipment can automatically adjust weight from 0 to 10,000 jin.]

"Weighted leg guards? Good stuff!"

In the classroom, Might Guy's eyes lit up.

With this thing, his rate of progress could speed up quite a bit more.

Guy clenched his fists.

Now that White Fang's fate had been changed, he was even more convinced that his path was the right one.

"Next up is Dad's!"

Three years! Three years at most!

The Third Shinobi World War would break out!

During the war, Might Duy would die from opening the Eight Gates to save Might Guy.

"But this time, the ending is destined to be different!"

Might Guy's gaze was incomparably firm.