"Hey, hey, hey..."
Guy's voice came through the loudspeaker, accompanied by a little static.
Everyone looked up at the speaker.
White Fang looked up, too.
Then he heard his own name.
"Senior Hatake Sakumo!"
White Fang's whole body stiffened.
The gazes around him swept over him in an instant.
Piercing.
Curious.
Mocking.
Gloating.
White Fang lowered his head.
He instinctively took half a step back.
He wanted to run.
To hide.
To find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
But his feet felt as heavy as lead. He couldn't move.
The voice from the loudspeaker continued.
"Three days ago, Senior Hatake Sakumo was on a mission when he encountered ninja from Iwagakure!"
White Fang clenched his fists.
"He could have completed the mission! If he'd just abandoned his comrade, he could have come back and reported success!"
A murmur rose from the crowd.
"Yeah, he could've just left him behind..."
"Throwing away a mission for a comrade? What an idiot..."
White Fang's face turned pale.
He didn't dare look at anyone.
He just lowered his head and stared at the ground.
What was that kid going to say?
Was he taking revenge on him?
Was he going to stab him again in front of everyone?
After all, his son had beaten the kid up.
It was only natural that they'd want revenge.
White Fang closed his eyes for a moment.
Fine.
Let him say whatever he wanted.
He was already at rock bottom.
The voice from the loudspeaker paused for a few seconds.
Then it continued.
"But! Senior Hatake Sakumo didn't abandon his comrade!"
"He turned back! He went to save him!"
"The mission failed! But that man survived!"
White Fang froze.
Slowly, he raised his head.
"That man's name is Tobitake Tonbo. He's still alive! He can still go on missions! He can still serve Konoha!"
The crowd fell silent.
People began whispering to each other.
"Tobitake Tonbo? I know him. I saw him just last month..."
"Yeah, I think he's the one White Fang saved..."
The voice from the loudspeaker continued.
"Lord Third once said! What is the Will of Fire? It's protecting the people you hold dear!"
"White Fang did just that!"
"He protected the comrade he cherished!"
White Fang's lips moved.
He wanted to say something.
But his throat felt blocked.
"But—"
The voice from the loudspeaker suddenly changed.
"And yet now everyone is cursing him!"
"They say he brought shame on Konoha! That he doesn't deserve to be a ninja!"
"They say he should die!"
White Fang swayed.
He'd heard those words countless times over the past few days.
Every time, they were like knives.
"I'm asking you!"
Guy's voice suddenly rose.
"Was he wrong?!"
The crowd fell silent.
No one spoke.
"Which of you has never been saved by someone?!"
Still, no one spoke.
"Which of you has never saved someone else?!"
The women exchanged glances.
One man opened his mouth, then shut it again.
"If your family were captured, would you abandon them or save them?!"
White Fang stood there, dazed.
That kid...
What was he saying?
"You can do another mission if you fail one! But can you bring back a comrade who's dead?!"
Guy's voice grew louder and louder.
"What matters more, the village's rules or a human life?!"
No one answered.
Only the wind blew past.
Then Might Guy's resolute voice rang out from the loudspeaker.
"In the world of ninja, we call those who break the rules trash!"
He took a deep breath and shouted the final words with all his strength:
"But!!!"
"Those who don't know how to value their comrades are worse than trash!!!"
"Senior White Fang!! You were right!!!"
His voice echoed down the entire street.
It struck the walls.
It struck the trees.
It rang in everyone's ears.
Time stood still.
The entire area in front of the school gates was silent.
White Fang stood frozen.
He raised his head and looked at the loudspeaker.
His eyes went from empty to bewildered.
From bewildered to shaken.
And then—
Tears spilled from his eyes.
Inside the broadcasting room.
After shouting those final words, Guy's hands were trembling.
Outside the school, White Fang stood motionless.
The tears kept streaming down his face.
He'd heard it.
Every word that kid had said.
He'd heard every one.
Someone came over beside him.
A hand rested on his shoulder.
White Fang looked up.
Dai stood in front of him, his eyes red.
"Senior White Fang."
Dai gave him a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming.
"I knew you were right."
White Fang opened his mouth.
"Dai..."
"When you saved me back then, you didn't stop to wonder if it was worth it, did you?"
Dai grinned.
"I was a burden back then, but you never looked down on me."
"You said everyone had their own way of living."
"Your way of living is saving people!"
White Fang looked at him.
At this Eternal Genin.
At this dead-last who was always the butt of everyone's jokes.
At this fool in faded green clothes.
Tears welled up again.
"I..."
He couldn't get the words out.
Dai patted his shoulder.
"You don't have to say anything."
He turned and pointed beneath the utility pole.
"That kid is my son."
"What he said is what I wanted to say, too."
After saying that, Dai turned and ran toward the broadcasting room.
"Guy!!!"
Dai rushed inside and threw his arms around Might Guy.
"That's my boy!!! You said it so well!!! You even made your dad cry!!!"
Guy's eyes rolled back as Dai squeezed him tight.
"Dad... let go... I can't breathe..."
"No!!!"
Dai sobbed uncontrollably, smearing tears and snot all over Guy's face.
Guy struggled, but couldn't break free.
Just then, a voice came from beside them.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here."
Dai froze and turned to look.
Ikkaku Umino stood in the doorway, holding a cup of tea and looking exasperated.
"You two, try to be a little more mindful of your surroundings."
Guy took the chance to wriggle free of Dai's arms and catch his breath.
Dai hurriedly wiped away his tears and snot, then gave an awkward grin. "Teacher Umino..."
Ikkaku Umino waved a hand and walked over to the window.
He pushed it open and looked outside.
In the middle of the crowd, White Fang stood there.
His head was bowed, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Ikkaku Umino lifted his teacup and raised it toward him from afar.
He said nothing.
He only nodded.
Then he turned around and looked at Guy.
"Next time you use a megaphone, give me a heads-up first."
Guy blinked.
Ikkaku Umino pursed his lips.
"I never said you couldn't use one."
He took a sip of tea.
"Besides—"
He looked out the window.
"White Fang shouldn't have been treated that way."
Ikkaku Umino murmured to himself.
Outside, the discussion continued.
But the tide was turning.
"White Fang really did save them..."
"I'd have done the same..."
"But what if the mission failed?"
"If the mission failed, at least they'd still be alive. That's better than being dead."
Some people began to nod.
White Fang stood where he was, listening to their voices.
He lifted his head and looked at the sky.
The sunlight was dazzling.
He hadn't seen the sun in three days.
He hadn't realized 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 on people's faces slowly change.
He clenched his fists.
Then he walked over to Guy and stopped in front of him.
They looked at each other.
Guy grinned. "So, what do you think?"
Kakashi fell silent for two seconds.
Then—
"Thank you."
His voice was very quiet.
But Guy heard him.
He scratched his head.
"What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything."
Kakashi looked at him.
He was covered in wounds, his face was swollen, and there was blood on his clothes.
And he called that doing nothing?
He opened his mouth, about to say something else.
But Guy had already turned around.
"All right, all right. We're going to be late for class."
He started walking.
After two steps, he looked back.
"Same place in the mountains after school. Want to fight again?"
Kakashi blinked.
Then he nodded firmly.
"Sure."
Guy smiled.
He gave a thumbs-up, showing his white teeth.
The class bell rang.
The students flooded into the classroom.
Ikkaku Umino stood at the podium, looking toward the window seat in the last row.
Guy lay slumped over his desk, panting.
Kakashi sat in the front row and glanced back at him.
Their eyes met, then they both looked away.
Ikkaku Umino smiled.
He picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard.
"Today, I'm going to tell you a story."
He paused.
"A story about a ninja..."
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly.
White Fang stood at the school gate, looking inside.
He watched for a long time.
Then he turned around.
He headed home.
His steps were much steadier than before.
[Congratulations on completing the hidden mission: Sakumo Hatake's Fate] [Reward: Monk Points +100] [Reward: Special Training Item: Man's Heaviness (a pair of weighted leg wraps)] [Attribute: The weight adjusts automatically from 0 to 10,000 jin when equipped.]
"Weighted leg wraps? These are great!"
Might Guy's eyes lit up in the classroom.
With these, he could improve even faster.
Guy clenched his fists.
Now that White Fang's fate had changed, he was even more convinced that his path was the right one.
"Next, it's my dad's turn!"
Three years! Three years at most!
The Third Shinobi World War would break out!
During the war, Might Duy would die after opening the Eight Gates to save Might Guy.
"But this time, the ending is bound to be different!"
Might Guy's gaze was utterly resolute.