"Look at you now—broken in spirit, reeking of alcohol, nothing but a puddle of mud. Are you still the once high-spirited, driven White Fang of Konoha, the man who made ninja of the Five Great Nations turn pale at the mention of his name?! You bastard!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi swept the sake bottle off the table. Clear sake splashed across Hatake Sakumo's face, while the bottle spun several times before falling to the floor and shattering.
"One failure does not mean eternal failure. The humiliation suffered on the battlefield must be washed away on the battlefield. That is what a ninja should do."
The icy liquor gradually cleared Hatake Sakumo's mind. For a proud man, having his pride utterly crushed was often unbearable.
"Lord Hiruzen, I..."
"No need to say anything!" Hiruzen Sarutobi drew a short blade and drove it into the table. Its body was covered in black patterns and reflected no light beneath the izakaya's lamps.
"I broke your White Fang, but I do not want your spirit broken as well. This is a ninja blade I had privately commissioned from the Hourglass Group at great expense. Its form is identical to the White Fang's, and its greatest features are its restrained gleam and exceptional resilience.
"War has broken out again. I have no time to waste on you. Think it over yourself. Once you understand, go home, take a bath, shave, and report to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning with this blade. If you still cannot understand..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi casually tossed down the sheath as well.
"Then use this blade to take your own life."
With that, Hiruzen left the izakaya without looking back. Just before reaching the door, he lowered his head and patted little Kakashi's head as the boy secretly watched his father.
"Where the leaves