Chapter 6: Sakumo Hatake
"Why are there so many people following us?"
Walking on the way home, Kakashi felt a headache looking at the string of chattering people behind him.
"Since you can't refuse, just enjoy it, Kakashi-kun."
Hyuga Tatsumi looked at the sky with his hands behind his head, showing no guilt whatsoever as the instigator.
He had defeated Kakashi, and according to the bet, Kakashi had to treat him to a big meal at his house. How could Might Guy, who considered himself his best friend and wanted to do everything together, be left behind?
With a big meal on the line, Uchiha Obito shamelessly followed along, dragging Rin Nohara with him. Finally, Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi also tagged along.
Now a group of people followed behind Kakashi—walking on their hands, pretending to smoke, running to help an old lady cross the street, whispering together... no matter how you looked at it, it wasn't normal!
"Sigh~"
Kakashi let out a long sigh, resigned to bringing this group of abnormal children to his home.
"Perhaps only they don't care about my father's business?" he thought silently. If he hadn't felt a lack of discrimination from them, how could he have agreed to bring these people to his home during such a sensitive time?
"Uncle Hatake, excuse us for the intrusion!"
At the Hatake residence, Hyuga Tatsumi finally saw the legendary Ninja Sakumo Hatake. How should he put it? Right now, he didn't look like a young Kage-level powerhouse at all, but rather like a dying old man.
His eyes were sunken, his appearance haggard, and his hair was a mess. His already white hair had become even whiter, devoid of any luster, completely different from Kakashi's shiny white hair.
Byakugan.
Hyuga Tatsumi quietly activated his eyes to take a look and couldn't help but sigh. Psychological trauma's devastation of a person was not weak at all. Sakumo Hatake was in his prime, yet now his internal organs had weakened significantly, and his Chakra flow had become sluggish.
At the same time, he also saw Sakumo Hatake's fate!
"It really is suicide."
Hyuga Tatsumi had a headache. Things hadn't deviated, but what could he do to stop it?
Although the other party was currently like a defeated dog, his strength and experience were still there. How could a decision he made be shaken by a five-year-old child?
Sakumo Hatake sensed Hyuga Tatsumi's eye activation. In the past, he would have definitely let the brat know the consequences of offending Konoha's White Fang, but now he couldn't even be prompted to lift an eyelid. In his current state, if someone wanted to look, let them look.
"Play by yourselves," Sakumo Hatake said lazily before slamming the door shut with a "thud" and curling up on the floor to wallow in his own misery.
"..."
Hyuga Tatsumi was speechless. The other party didn't even give him a chance for Talk no Jutsu. What could he do?
"Father!" Kakashi looked worriedly at the closed door, having no heart to entertain his friends.
"Rin, let's clean up the courtyard." Seeing the courtyard in a mess, Kurenai Yuhi simply called Rin Nohara to clean it together.
Obito shamelessly leaned in to help Rin, and Guy also shouted about youth as he went to fetch water, leaving Hyuga Tatsumi and Asuma Sarutobi staring at each other.
"Why don't you go help?" Hyuga Tatsumi said to Asuma Sarutobi.
"I don't know how. At home, the cleaning is done by specialized maids." Asuma Sarutobi shrugged, invisibly showing off his superiority as the Hokage's son.
Hyuga Tatsumi rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with him.
"Kakashi, where's the kitchen? Let's get something to eat." Hyuga Tatsumi patted Kakashi's shoulder, looking around the courtyard.
"Oh, okay." Kakashi snapped out of it and led Hyuga Tatsumi toward the kitchen, frequently looking back at the closed room along the way, the worry in his eyes unable to dissipate.
"Don't think too much. Let's make a good meal for Uncle Sakumo. Maybe his mood will improve after eating."
Hyuga Tatsumi decided to bring out the culinary skills he had honed over many years of being single to see if he could indirectly awaken Sakumo Hatake's will to live. After all, good food is the one thing that shouldn't be wasted!
"You know how to do this?" Asuma Sarutobi followed curiously. The Hyuga was a great clan. Although Hyuga Tatsumi had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal and became part of the branch house, everyone knew he was the only child in his family. Hyuga Yue doted on him boundlessly and even secretly taught him the main house's secret techniques. How could she let him cook?
By the way, it had been almost a year since Hyuga Tatsumi was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, and Hyuga Yue still didn't have a boyfriend, not even a prospect!
"A Ninja can't just eat Food Pills while out on missions, can they? Or do you want to wait for others to cook for you?" Seeing him idle, Hyuga Tatsumi pointed to the stove and said, "Go start the fire."
"Fine." Asuma Sarutobi shrugged, walked over to the stove, and began forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
Bang!
Thick smoke enveloped the kitchen. Fortunately, Hyuga Tatsumi slapped Asuma Sarutobi out of the kitchen before the sparks ignited; otherwise, Kakashi's house would have burned down.
"Are you insane? Using a B-rank Ninjutsu just to start a fire!"
Hyuga Tatsumi was about to explode with anger. So what if you're the Hokage's son? Is that how you use a B-rank Ninjutsu?
"Uh, I can't use it?" Asuma Sarutobi scratched his head. This was an Advanced Ninjutsu he had begged for a long time to learn, and he just wanted to show off in front of Hyuga Tatsumi and Kakashi, but he didn't expect to be interrupted.
After studying at the Ninja Academy for over half a year, although he didn't want to admit it, Asuma Sarutobi understood that Kakashi and Hyuga Tatsumi were much stronger than him. Everyone called them geniuses.
Not only were the two talented, but they were also very hardworking. He had heard from Might Guy that Guy couldn't even complete the physical training they were doing now.
This hurt Asuma Sarutobi. Putting aside his status as the Hokage's son, he seemed inferior to the two of them in every way.
He was also proud. If his Taijutsu couldn't compare to theirs, couldn't he work hard on Ninjutsu?
But when Hyuga Tatsumi hit him just now, he was quite far away. It seemed to be the Hyuga Clan's Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, a B-rank Ninjutsu no weaker than Ash Pile Burning. This hurt him deeply. While secretly cursing Hyuga Tatsumi for being a freak, he could only dejectedly go and clean the courtyard with Kurenai Yuhi and the others.
Without Asuma Sarutobi's interference, Hyuga Tatsumi and Kakashi worked together to quickly prepare a sumptuous dinner. It must be said that the Hatake family was still very wealthy; whenever Hyuga Tatsumi needed some expensive Materials, Kakashi could always pull them out from some nook or cranny.
"Wow, it smells so good!"
"Tatsumi, if you don't become a Ninja, you could definitely live well by opening a restaurant!"
"Great! If Tatsumi opens a restaurant, I'll definitely go every day."
The young companions were shocked. At an age where you can't even hold your pee, why are you so outstanding?
"It's just so-so!" Hyuga Tatsumi was casually humble, but his smug look made people want to punch him.
"Kakashi, invite your father out to eat with us."
"Mm, okay."
Kakashi lightly knocked on the closed door, but unfortunately, there was no movement inside.
"Eat by yourselves, I'm not hungry." It wasn't until Kakashi had knocked seven or eight times that a despondent voice came from inside.
Kakashi's face immediately filled with worry. Hyuga Tatsumi took a deep breath, walked over, and kicked the door open!
"!!!"
The young companions were stunned, and so was Sakumo Hatake. When had anyone ever dared to kick his door?
Before Kakashi could stop him, Hyuga Tatsumi had already walked up to Sakumo Hatake, staring at him and asking, "Uncle Sakumo, do you think those who cannot complete a mission are trash?"
The young companions were all startled, looking at Hyuga Tatsumi with worry. A sick tiger is still a tiger; how did a little insect like Hyuga Tatsumi dare?
Sakumo Hatake didn't care about Hyuga Tatsumi's rude behavior. He still looked half-dead and asked weakly, "Are they not?"
Hyuga Tatsumi said solemnly, "Indeed, those who cannot complete a mission are trash, but those who do not cherish their comrades are even worse than trash."
Obito: I feel like I've lost something... "Those who do not cherish their comrades are even worse than trash..." Sakumo Hatake chewed on these words, finally gave a cold laugh, turned over, and continued to sleep.
Hyuga Tatsumi... What's going on? Talk no Jutsu isn't working?
He looked helplessly at Obito. Big Bro Obito, how did you successfully use Talk no Jutsu on Kakashi?
Obito: Why are you looking at me? I don't have any lines