Chapter 72: The Funeral, Sipping Tea on a Rainy Day
Today was Hatake Sakumo's funeral. The sky hung heavy with thick gray clouds, and a gentle drizzle fell steadily, blurring the edges of the village like tears from the heavens themselves. Though many had secretly cursed Sakumo in the past, upon hearing of his death, almost everyone felt a deep, somber worry.
The shinobi who had risen to prominence during the Second Great Shinobi World War—the Legendary Sannin and Konoha's White Fang—were nearly all gone. Tsunade had left the village, Jiraiya's whereabouts were unknown, and only Orochimaru remained among them. Now, even Konoha's White Fang was lost.
A great tree that had once sheltered the village from storms had fallen—not due to enemies, but because of the slander and suspicion of his own people. The tragedy was as bitter as the irony was sharp.
Those who had once cursed the White Fang now felt the sting of regret. The funeral drew an unusually large crowd: senior Konoha officials, ANBU operatives, patriarchs of various clans, and many shinobi who happened to be off-duty all gathered to pay their respects.
Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen personally carved Sakumo's name onto the stone cenotaph. One by one, attendees laid bouquets of white flowers before the grave, offering silent prayers. Kakashi sat kneeling in front of the shrine, his eyes hollow and unfocused, his head bowed in quiet grief.
Suddenly, a stir rose from the crowd. People parted, making way. Tonan appeared, holding a black umbrella, his expression blank and unreadable. He made his way to stand behind Kakashi.
Tonan's gaze settled on the name etched into the stone. He stood there silently, unmoving for a long moment. Behind him, the crowd—especially those who had fought alongside Sakumo—glared fiercely, suspicion and resentment lingering in their eyes.
Kakashi's eyes twitched. Recognizing Tonan's footsteps, he muttered tiredly, "He's weak-hearted, isn't he?"
Tonan bowed slightly toward the headstone and spoke softly, "You don't understand White Fang-sama."
Anger flashed in Kakashi's eyes. His fists clenched, voice rising in anguish, "Just because some villagers spat words at him, he chose to end his own life? How is that not weak?"
Tonan's eyes narrowed, and with sudden force, he dropped the umbrella, grabbed Kakashi by the collar, and shook him fiercely. "White Fang-sama didn't die because of petty rumors or cowardice. He took responsibility with his own life. His heart was resolute in that decision. He was a remarkable shinobi, a true samurai. A man who placed duty above all else—fearless in the face of life and death!"
The summer rain mingled with a rising mist from the earth, as if nature itself echoed Kakashi's tear-filled eyes. Tonan closed his own eyes, inhaled deeply, then released Kakashi's collar. Kakashi collapsed weakly to the ground, drained of strength.
Tonan bent to retrieve his umbrella, brushing off the dirt with a wry sneer. "I doubt you have what it takes to carry on the Hatake style. If that's true, then my blade will be very lonely."
With that, Tonan fixed the umbrella into the ground, blocking the rain just enough for Kakashi, then turned and walked away. He cast a sideways glance back and said, "And by the way, I won't be coming over to train with you anymore. If you want revenge, come challenge me anytime. But if you can't pull yourself together, you'll never be my match."
After Tonan's sharp departure, the eyes of the surrounding villagers and shinobi softened, their resentment fading into quiet respect.
Namikaze Minato knelt beside Kakashi, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Kakashi, cheer up. White Fang-senpai would want you to keep pace with Tonan."
Kakashi nodded slowly, raising his head with a broken whisper, "That bastard…" His voice cracked as soft sobs escaped.
Tonan returned directly to the Hatake clan district after the funeral. With the matter settled, he had no other business in the village. Instead, he sought out the Great Elder for some tea. In Konoha, only with the Great Elder did he feel free to drop all pretenses.
Jingle.
The wind chime beneath the eaves tinkled softly in the rainy breeze. In the spacious living room, Tonan and the Great Elder sat facing each other in seiza, calmly sipping tea.
The Great Elder lifted his cup, inhaled the fragrance of the tea, and remarked, "There are rumors swirling around the village—whispers that you killed Hatake Sakumo."
Tonan smiled faintly. He gently blew on his cup before taking a slow sip. "He was going to leave this world anyway. Since we were acquaintances, I only helped him on his way."
The Great Elder chuckled softly. "I like your spirit. No matter how you look at it, you don't seem like an Uchiha."
Tonan set his cup down, picked up the teapot, and poured more tea into the Great Elder's cup with a slight lean forward. "To achieve something meaningful in life, one must break the mold and constantly transcend their limits."
The Great Elder nodded, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "But there's one thing I don't understand. There was no gain for you in killing White Fang. It only brought you trouble and ruined your relationship with Kakashi. Don't tell me you deeply respected him. And his death wouldn't advance your Sharingan either."
Tonan refilled his own cup, set down the teapot, and raised his cup with a pointed question, "Is White Fang strong?"
"Of course. He was very strong."
Tonan leaned forward, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "But his surname is Sarutobi, not Uchiha."
The Great Elder laughed heartily, immediately catching Tonan's implication. He raised his cup in agreement, clinking it lightly with Tonan's in a quiet toast.
Just then, a toddler of two or three years ran into the room from the garden, sucking his thumb. His innocent eyes searched for the Great Elder as he called out, "Grandpa!"
The Great Elder beamed, scooping up the child. "Come here, give Grandpa a hug."
Tonan took another sip and casually asked, "Is this your grandson?"
The Great Elder nodded with a smile. "Yes. His parents have been busy with their duties, so he's been staying with me lately. Shisui, say hello to Tonan-san."
The boy shyly looked at Tonan and sweetly said, "Hello, Tonan-san."
Tonan smiled gently. "Shisui is adorable." The Great Elder's smile deepened. "Kids are like that. Once he grows older, I'm sure—like many Uchihas—he won't be quite this cute."
"No, Shisui will definitely be a kind boy. I've always been good at reading people," Tonan said as he pulled out his wallet, counted out 800 ryō, slipped it into a red envelope already prepared, and handed it to Shisui.
The boy stared at the envelope blankly, then glanced up at the Great Elder. The old man smiled warmly, "Go on, take it."
Only then did Shisui reach out his pudgy hand to accept the red envelope. "Thank you, Tonan-san."
Tonan gently ruffled Shisui's hair. "I like well-behaved and sensible children the most. And from what I see, Shisui is very talented."
The Great Elder smiled knowingly. "Don't flatter him. He's still too young to tell what his talents might be."
Noticing a fleeting expression on Tonan's face, the Great Elder's heart tightened with unease. He hurriedly set Shisui down. "Shisui, don't stay cooped up all day—go outside and play with your friends."
"Okay…" The boy obeyed and darted outside into the curtain of rain.
Tonan casually pointed toward the sky with a small smile. "It's raining outside…"
The Great Elder cleared his throat. "Children love to play in the mud, and a rainy day is just perfect for that."
Tonan nodded, as if realizing something, and chuckled softly. He raised his teacup and said, "The tea today tastes particularly good."