Hayato Ren stepped into White Fang's home and found it far from the messy disarray he had imagined. Instead, it was remarkably tidy.
There was no dust on the floor, and the furniture was arranged neatly. White Fang, who usually paid little attention to his own appearance, actually had the inclination to keep things clean.
As if sensing Hayato Ren's confusion, White Fang, walking ahead, suddenly spoke:
"All of this is Kakashi's doing. If it were just me, this place would probably have turned into a garbage dump long ago. I only have some barley tea here—make do with it."
White Fang led Hayato Ren into the living room and served him a cup of barley tea.
Hayato Ren took a sip of the barley tea; the cool sensation instantly dispelled the oppressive heat from outside.
White Fang didn't speak but stared blankly down at the empty tabletop. Hayato Ren also remained silent, continuously surveying the decor around the room.
After a long while, White Fang's hoarse voice slowly broke the silence.
"Ren, do you also think I was wrong?"
Meeting White Fang's complicated gaze, Hayato Ren shook his head and replied in a firm tone:
"You weren't wrong. Those who break the rules of the Ninja world, we call them trash. But those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash. It's not you who's wrong—it's this world."
Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on White Fang's face.
"Thank you, Ren. You're the first person to support me. I have something to do later, so if there's nothing else, you should head back now."
At these words, Hayato Ren raised an eyebrow.
"This 'something to do'—it wouldn't be trying to prove your point by dying, would it?"
Facing Hayato Ren's skeptical gaze, White Fang guiltily turned his head away.
Seeing this, Hayato Ren felt a surge of anger rise within him.
So, Hayato Ren stepped forward, grabbed White Fang by the collar, and stared directly into his evasive eyes.
"The White Fang I know is not a weak, incompetent coward. You can die and leave all this behind, but have you considered Kakashi's feelings? Are you only thinking of yourself?"
Confronted by Hayato Ren's accusations, White Fang lowered his head but offered no further words.
Seeing that words alone couldn't dissuade White Fang from his suicidal thoughts, Hayato Ren immediately decided to use the Friendship Face Breaking Fist.
No matter what, he would beat him up first and talk later.
So, Hayato Ren raised his fist and struck White Fang's head without holding back.
White Fang didn't dodge but numbly endured each heavy blow.
Three minutes later, Hayato Ren looked down at White Fang, who was lying on the floor bruised and swollen, and showed a satisfied smile.
"I've wanted to beat you up like this for a long time, and now I've finally got the chance. Have you calmed down now?"
White Fang stuffed tissues into his nostrils to stop the incessant nosebleed and nodded.
After a thorough beating, he had finally abandoned his previous notion.
"Thank you, Ren. If it weren't for you, I might have... I've decided to retire. I'm no longer fit to be a ninja."
A glimmer of life finally returned to White Fang's eyes, and only then did Hayato Ren step forward to treat the wounds on his head with Medical Ninjutsu.
Otherwise, when Kakashi returned and saw his father beaten like this, he would immediately try to fight Hayato Ren to the death.
After completely healing White Fang's injuries, Hayato Ren slowly said:
"Are you really decided?"
White Fang nodded, revealing a carefree smile.
"My savings are already enough for Kakashi to spend lavishly for a lifetime. There's nothing left for me to cling to."
Seeing White Fang's genuine expression, Hayato Ren nodded with satisfaction.
As long as White Fang didn't contemplate suicide, everything was manageable. After all, as long as a person is alive, there's always hope.
Before leaving, Hayato Ren still felt somewhat uneasy and added:
"If you ever have such thoughts again, I'll strip your corpse naked and throw it into the women's bathhouse of the Sand Hidden Village, completely ruining your reputation."
White Fang responded with a gentle smile.
"You're still as vicious as ever. Don't worry. I never go back on my word."
Afterward, Hayato Ren headed toward the Hokage Building. He hadn't yet submitted the intelligence about the Hidden Mist Village.
Although the mission reward held little appeal for him now, even a mosquito is still a small piece of meat.
Compensation earned through his own abilities shouldn't be wasted.
"Excellent, Ren. You truly haven't disappointed me. You live up to being the strongest of the younger generation ninja."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the intelligence in his hand with a satisfied smile.
"By the way, have you visited Sakumo (White Fang)? I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to see him. No one wanted to see such a thing happen."
Hearing this, Hayato Ren nodded, while simultaneously feeling a surge of dissatisfaction toward Sarutobi Hiruzen before him.
If Danzo was a true villain, then Sarutobi Hiruzen was undoubtedly a hypocrite.
As the esteemed Hokage, didn't he have the power to stop the rumors? Wasn't it just because White Fang threatened his position as Hokage? And now he says this—utterly shameless.
"I've visited Senior Sakumo. He's decided to retire."
Upon hearing Hayato Ren's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face showed a surprised expression.
He had originally intended to tacitly approve Danzo's actions, thereby causing White Fang to completely lose his qualification to become Hokage and become the sharpest blade under his command.
But White Fang choosing retirement was somewhat beyond Sarutobi Hiruzen's expectations.
Although White Fang wasn't handling affairs now, he still held the position of Anbu Captain.
If he retired, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be able to find a suitable replacement for him anytime soon.
"Has Sakumo truly decided to retire? Won't he reconsider?"
Facing Sarutobi Hiruzen's question, Hayato Ren merely shrugged, indicating he didn't know.
Just then, a voice suddenly spoke up.
"Ren is right, I plan to retire. After being a ninja for so long, it's time to properly enjoy life."
White Fang pushed the door open and entered, looking completely different from before.
The dejected aura about him had completely vanished, and his hair and beard were neatly groomed.
White Fang stepped forward and placed an envelope in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, then said:
"Hokage, this is my resignation letter. From now on, I'll just be an ordinary villager of the Leaf. Feel free to come to my house for tea when you have time."
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