Anya's sudden surge of spiritual pressure nearly shattered Nohara Rin's soul. Realizing this, he quickly retracted his power.
After stabilizing her soul, Rin looked deeply shaken. In her soul state, she felt the gap between them was like that between Hotarubi and the moon—vast beyond measure.
"Big Brother, you were really scary just now."
"I'm sorry, I lost control." Anya quickly asked, "Can you tell me specifically? What exactly was that rumor?"
Rin thought for a moment before replying, "I didn't hear it clearly, but from what I gathered, it seems he gave up a mission to save someone."
He gave up a mission to save someone? Anya thought. Doesn't sound that bad. But for a ninja to abandon a mission, there would definitely be consequences. Still, given The Third's usual character, the punishment likely wouldn't be too severe.
Still, Anya couldn't shake off his unease. A faint unease stirred within him. If this information had reached Tsunade, then surely she already knew. So deliberately keeping him secluded with her for research must have been intentional. Could this matter actually be serious? No, I need to go find my teacher.
Anya said to Rin Nohara, "Thank you for telling me this. Your soul is almost at its limit—end the [Spirit Transformation Technique] now."
"Okay."
Anya walked toward the drowsy Tsunade and suddenly demanded, "Are you hiding something from me?"
Startled awake, Tsunade replied, "Why would you… ask such a question?"
Anya reminded her, "Don't forget—I can use the Spirit Transformation Technique. My body may be confined, but my soul is free."
Sighing, Tsunade said, "I did it for your own good. This matter is complicated—you shouldn't get involved."
Anya asked, puzzled, "What could be so complicated? Isn't it just giving up a mission to save a life? At worst, he can just redo the mission after saving the person."
A faint bitter smile appeared on Tsunade's face. "Hearing that from you makes me realize how young you truly are. You still don't understand the complexity behind it. If a ninja walks away from their duty—no matter the reason—are they still worthy of the title?"
Her words hit Anya like a lightning bolt. The truth was, even though he'd done plenty of missions, he'd never really thought deeply about them or poured his heart into them. He hadn't considered the core principles of a ninja, viewing it merely as completing tasks for profit. Now, Tsunade's words made him fully aware of the seriousness of this situation.
Without another word, Anya turned and started to leave.
"Wait," Tsunade blocked his path, speaking solemnly, "Believe me, don't go. Even if you do, it won't make any difference. Also, trust the Hokage—he will handle it properly."
Anya took a deep breath and coldly replied, "If your mentor encountered trouble, would you stand by doing nothing?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade stiffened. With a sigh, she stepped aside.
Leaving the laboratory swiftly, Anya arrived at the White Fang's House. Kakashi, long unseen, was inside his home. Clearly, he already knew about the village rumors and was sitting alone, gloomy and troubled—so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Anya's arrival.
Anya approached and called out, "Kakashi, where's the teacher?"
When Kakashi saw Anya, a faint smile flickered across his face. This was the first person brave enough to come forward since the rumors had spread—truly worthy of being his student. He pointed toward a room to indicate that White Fang was inside.
It was the first time Anya had ever seen his teacher like this—utterly dejected and lifeless. His bloodshot eyes were vacant, and even the beloved White Fang Blade lay discarded beside him, no trace of the mighty warrior he once was.
Seeing this, Anya's heart clenched painfully. Instinctively, he said, "Teacher, it's just a teammate. If he got captured, it means his strength wasn't enough. Why put yourself through this torment?"
At those words, White Fang's expression shifted slightly. In a hoarse voice, he replied, "Even you think that way? Then have you considered—if it were you who was captured, how would you want me to respond?"
Damn it! Anya immediately realized he had spoken wrongly, but for now, he couldn't find the right words to comfort his master. He stepped forward, crouching solemnly in front of him and said, "When the master is in trouble, the disciple must act. I will resolve this matter—please trust me, wait for my return. Promise me, you must wait."
After speaking, Anya turned and walked over to Kakashi, reminding him carefully, "The teacher's state of mind isn't right. Watch him closely. If you notice anything unusual, go to Tsunade immediately, understand?"
Kakashi confidently thumped his chest. "Relax, I'm already a chunin now—I'll definitely take good care of Father."
"Hmm."
Anya patted Kakashi lightly on the shoulder before vanishing with a Shunshin. Without delay, he arrived at the Hokage's office door and knocked.
"Come in."
The Third showed no surprise whatsoever at Anya's arrival: "I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up."
Anya quickly spoke up, "Hokage-sama, I request the information regarding my master's mission. Since the master couldn't complete it, as his disciple, I will finish it myself—this shouldn't count as abandoning the mission, should it?"
Sighing heavily, the Third responded, "This mission is highly covert. Even your master could only gather intelligence after long-term infiltration behind enemy lines. Now the intelligence has already been intercepted by another village. Even if you go now, your chances of success are almost nonexistent—you could end up dying there. I won't allow it."
Anya stated bluntly, "Hokage-sama, regardless of the documents, I'm going anyway."
The message was clear—he wasn't asking for permission, just letting them know.
If this were Raikage with a temper, he might have slapped him already, but the Third was different. He understood Anya's current feelings, and was actually somewhat moved by this deep bond between master and student. Still, he hesitated—unwilling to send Anya to his death, and unable to dispatch a large team along with him, otherwise the recently calmed fires of war might ignite anew.
"Have you really thought this through?" Eventually, the Third still retrieved the top-secret file.
"Yes."
"Then… fine. I won't stop you."
"The Third decided to take a gamble," said Danzo as he handed the documents to Anya. "I'll announce publicly that this mission hasn't been abandoned—it's been passed on to White Fang's student. If you complete it, I believe many doubts will fade away. But if you can't finish it, don't force yourself—just stay alive, no matter what."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Anya let out a breath of relief. He solemnly accepted the document that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, then without hesitation, sped straight toward the unknown destination. Time was running out—he needed it most of all now. The memory of his recent reunion with his teacher stabbed at his heart like a blade, filling him with desperation.
At that moment, Danzo—who had originally intended to walk in through the door—halted his steps. Without a sound, he turned and slipped away. Soon after, he arrived underground where several Root members surrounded him. His voice was low and chilling as he spoke, "Have Nocturne memorize the content on this paper. Tomorrow, send him to White Fang's house. Also, increase our propaganda efforts. Tomorrow, I want every single person in Konoha village to know that White Fang has abandoned the mission."
The Root members responded sharply: "Yes sir."
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