That day, when Natsuki got ho from school, he saw Tenten standing blankly in the courtyard.
So, she had already returned from her mission.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Tenten turned her head to glance at him—then suddenly threw herself into Natsuki's arms. She didn't cry or make a sound, just quietly stayed like that.
"What's wrong?" Natsuki asked, heart aching a little.
"Natsuki... my heart feels heavy," Tenten said in a soft voice.
"What happened? Can you tell ?"
"Mhm. Our mission this ti was to wipe out a group of mountain bandits... and I killed soone for the first ti."
"What kind of bandits?"
"They were scum. They killed so many villagers... including won and children. They really deserved to die. But when I saw the villagers hugging the corpses of their loved ones, crying like their world had collapsed... I just... I couldn't stand it."
"I see."
Natsuki understood, but he didn't know how to comfort her with words. He could only hold her tightly, letting the warmth of his embrace speak for him.
After a long while, Tenten finally cald down. She seed more spirited and even gave Natsuki a quick kiss. "Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. I knew from the mont I chose to beco a ninja that I would have to go through these things. It's just... this is the first ti I've truly felt how fragile life can be—and yet there are still people who trample on it without care."
Seeing her recover, Natsuki finally let out a sigh of relief. He had genuinely been worried she'd develop a psychological scar.
Thinking about it... she's only twelve. Still just a child. To suddenly be exposed to death, to even be forced to take a life—it's not sothing you can easily brush off.
And yet... Fugaku had dared to bring his four-year-old son onto the battlefield. That's inhuman.
All that "learning to think like a Hokage from a young age" talk—how could you not think about life and death when traumatized like that?
Whatever others do, Natsuki didn't care. As long as Tenten was okay, that was all that mattered.
"Oh, right—Guy-sensei asked about the ti you passed out from pain. I told him you were overtraining. He said he'd teach you a lesson when he gets a chance," Tenten said suddenly.
"...Thanks to my most beloved girlfriend for covering for ," Natsuki replied with a wry smile. Secrets really were hard to keep. "So, Guy-sensei wants to see tomorrow? Is it sothing important?"
Tenten nodded. "Our class just ca back from a mission, so we have two days off. Guy-sensei said that Kakashi-senpai is in the village lately, so he wants to take the opportunity to introduce you two. You're about to get your hands on the Hatake swordsmanship you've been dreaming about!"
Oh? Tomorrow?
Natsuki's eyes lit up. Guy-sensei really kept his promises.
That worked out—he had just been wondering how to improve next. If the Hatake style was within reach... whether Kakashi would be willing to teach him or not was another question. He'd just have to try.
"Natsuki, could you tell more about the Hatake style? Or rather, Hatake Sakumo-senpai?" Tenten's curiosity was finally let loose.
She had wanted to ask for a while now, but between missions and training, she was always too tired when she got ho. Now was the perfect ti.
Natsuki imdiately recalled the story. "Sakumo-senpai, well... his story's pretty tragic. He was once the captain of the ANBU directly under the Hokage. He often took on extrely dangerous missions. But he was unbelievably strong—S-rank missions were nothing for him. And that sword style of his made all the other villages tremble. The enemies... uh, affectionately called him the White Fang of the Leaf."
Affectionately?
Tenten resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her boyfriend definitely liked to exaggerate when telling stories.
"Ahem! Anyway, the Hatake swordsmanship is incredibly powerful. Back then, the White Fang's fa even surpassed the Legendary Sannin. So people even said that if he hadn't taken his own life, he might've beco the Fourth Hokage instead!"
"What?! He took his own life? But he was so strong! Why...?"
"Well, it's a complicated story. On one mission, he chose to save his comrades rather than complete the mission. But when he returned to the village, he was criticized. Even the comrade he saved blad him. In the end... he couldn't take it anymore..."
"That's awful!" Tenten covered her mouth in disbelief.
She couldn't understand how such a powerful person—soone who survived countless life-and-death missions—could end up taking his own life. Maybe that's what Natsuki ant by 'it's complicated.' The reasons behind his suicide weren't sothing people today could easily understand.
Still, she felt angry on his behalf.
He gave up the mission to save a comrade—sure, maybe he should've been criticized—but the one person who had no right to bla him was that very comrade. What kind of backstabber would do that?
Maybe... maybe Sakumo-senpai felt betrayed. Maybe that's why he did it.
Tenten's head hurt just thinking about it—it was too hard to understand...
"Don't dwell on it," Natsuki said. "We don't know what things were like back then, and it's best not to speculate. Also... it's better not to spread this around. We're just talking about it between ourselves, alright?"
Tenten nodded, then thought of Kakashi. "Then... what about Kakashi-senpai? How is he doing?"
Natsuki sighed. "He was still young when it happened, so he was hit hard. He beca obsessed with the idea that the mission was everything. When doing missions, he barely cared if his teammates got hurt or died. Nobody wanted to team up with him. If not for Guy-sensei being so persistent, Kakashi might've completely gone down the wrong path. Later on... sothing else happened, and Kakashi wasn't so extre anymore. But I heard he accidentally broke Sakumo-senpai's sword, and after that, he never used the Hatake style again."
Tenten's eyes welled up. "Kakashi-senpai... that's so sad... huu huu..."
Uh... no need to cry—Kakashi's already moved on... I think.
Yeah, he doesn't dwell on his father's death anymore. Thanks to Obito and Rin, he finally understood the importance of his comrades and ca to accept his father's decision.
But the fact that he never continued the Hatake swordsmanship... such a waste!
That's why Natsuki planned to inherit it himself!
"So, what's Kakashi-senpai like now?" Tenten pressed.
"Uh... kinda gloomy. He's in his 30s or 40s and still single. Always reading Make-Out Paradise, with that dead-fish stare. Honestly, he just lacks energy... Tenten, we're not getting involved, alright? Kakashi-senpai isn't soone we need to pity or save. Don't bring up what I said in front of him either..."
"Natsuki! We have to find a way to inherit the Hatake swordsmanship!"
"Uh, sure! That was my plan anyway!"
Natsuki sighed in relief. Telling stories was one thing, but he didn't want Tenten getting involved unnecessarily. Kakashi was a top-tier jonin—if even he couldn't sort himself out, who were they to try?
Eventually, they'd run into Obito again. So, for now, there was no need to worry.
(End of Chapter)
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