The Little Butterfly Appears

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To be honest, Ronglin couldn't understand why Baiya (White Fang) had felt so guilty that he resorted to suicide. How fragile must one's mental defenses be to commit such an irresponsible act?

"The extent of the losses, I don't know. But I do know that Uncle Baiya is one of Konoha's top-tier warriors. Even if his mistakes caused the mission to fail and inflicted significant losses on the village, shouldn't we focus less on the negatives and more on the positives? Think about it—how much has Uncle Baiya contributed to the village over the years, including during the Second Ninja War?"

Raising his hand to stroke his chin, Ronglin paused for a moment before continuing.

"So what if the losses were significant? With Uncle Baiya's strength, it's not like he can't make up for them. As for the criticism, it'll die down after some time."

A flicker of hope appeared in Kakashi's eyes, but it quickly faded into dejection. "But… what if…"

"What if, while you're on a mission and your teammate is in danger, would you abandon the mission to save them?"

Kakashi wasn't stupid. He could grasp the crux of the matter—it was just that he couldn't bear the weight of the accusations and criticisms. At only six years old, he was still a child, despite already being a Chunin. That fact didn't change no matter how skilled he was.

"Yes!"

Ronglin lay back on the ground, hands resting behind his head as he gazed at the cloudless blue sky. His answer was firm.

"If I ever faced that situation, I'd abandon the mission. Sure, failing the mission would result in significant losses for the village, but I firmly believe that people need to stay alive to bring greater value to the village in the long run."

"Similarly, I'm no saint. If anyone dares to criticize me for failing a mission, I'd beat them up. Uncle Baiya is too soft in this regard. Those teammates of his aren't even qualified to carry out missions with him, yet they dare to accuse him. If it were me, I'd beat you up every time I saw you."

"Of course, the village's losses still need to be compensated for."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ronglin sensed something was off. Though the voice sounded somewhat similar to Kakashi's, Kakashi's voice carried the youthful timbre of a child who hadn't yet hit puberty. This voice, however, was hoarse and weathered, clearly not belonging to Kakashi.

Ronglin immediately sprang up from the ground in alarm.

If these words got out, he'd be criticized by many. While Ronglin didn't care about public opinion, no one enjoyed being berated for no reason. Moreover, the fact that someone had managed to approach him without making a sound shocked him to his core.

"Uncle Baiya?"

Ronglin stared at the figure before him, momentarily stunned. The person asking the question was none other than Kakashi's father—Sakumo Hatake, also known as the White Fang of Konoha.

The legendary White Fang.

However, the White Fang standing before him now bore no resemblance to the proud warrior he once was. He looked haggard, his face pale and devoid of color.

It was clear that the past few days had been difficult for him. The accusations from the villagers and his comrades had deeply wounded him, filling him with guilt.

Knowing that his son was bearing immense pressure because of him, Sakumo had come to the training ground, only to overhear the conversation between Ronglin and Kakashi. Unable to hold back, he interjected with a question, only to receive a startling response.

Was guilt truly useful?

Rather than wallowing in self-pity, wouldn't it be better to think about how to compensate for the village's losses? As the head of the Hatake family and Kakashi's father, if he himself succumbed to despair, what would become of the Hatake clan? What would happen to Kakashi?

In the village, Danzo was secretly working to weaken the power of the major clans. Sakumo knew all too well what would happen to the Hatake family if he were gone.

The thought of ending his life, which had crossed his mind repeatedly over the past few days, now made him break out in a cold sweat. Ronglin's words struck him like a hammer to the heart, but they also dispelled the clouds of confusion that had been weighing on him, revealing a ray of warm sunlight.

"I'm glad Kakashi has a friend like you."

Sakumo forced a smile, but paired with his weary face and bloodshot eyes, it looked far from pleasant.

He was no stranger to Uchiha Ronglin. The once-confident Kakashi had suffered defeat at Ronglin's hands. The Third Hokage had shown great favoritism toward Ronglin, assigning Tsunade as his teacher.

Under Ronglin's influence, Kakashi had undergone significant changes. He no longer fixated on missions and had returned to school to continue his studies.

Furthermore, after the recent incident, everyone else had distanced themselves from Kakashi, but not Ronglin. Instead, Ronglin had taken the initiative to console him. This greatly increased Sakumo's fondness for Ronglin.

"Thank you for your praise, Uncle Baiya."

Ronglin chuckled as he scratched his head. If it were Sakumo, sneaking up on him unnoticed wasn't surprising—the gap in their abilities was vast.

"It's my fault for letting you suffer. Come back with me. The Hatake family still needs me, Sakumo Hatake, and you, Kakashi Hatake."

Looking at his visibly embarrassed son, Sakumo wanted to slap himself silly. Everything that had happened was his own doing. Not only had he failed to stabilize the morale of his family and son, but he had also wallowed in self-pity and despair. That wasn't the behavior of a man.

Had he unknowingly done something extraordinary?

Watching the retreating figures of Kakashi and Sakumo, Ronglin habitually stroked his chin, then burst into quiet laughter after a moment. He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. If Sakumo didn't meet the same fate as in the original story—dying by his own hand—things were about to get interesting.

The controversy surrounding Sakumo's actions continued to spread, but what shocked the entire village was Sakumo's subsequent behavior. He no longer sought forgiveness or paid attention to the criticisms. Instead, he went about his usual routine, frequently entering and leaving the Hokage's office.

"Do you think this is possible? Does Uchiha Ronglin have that much influence?"

Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage wore a pleased smile. He was genuinely happy that Sakumo had managed to overcome this shadow. Missions were important, but strong individuals were even more crucial, especially during Konoha's current period of weakness. However, Sakumo's request left the Third Hokage feeling both amused and exasperated.

"You giving up your position as the head of the Anbu Black Ops is one thing, but why are you lowering yourself so much?"

"I don't know. That kid always seems to pull off things that leave you in disbelief."

Tsunade wasn't as relaxed as the Third Hokage. Sakumo's actions had put her in a difficult position.

Sakumo had requested that Tsunade take over as the head of the Anbu Black Ops. Despite the position being highly coveted by many, the recommendation came from the previous head, even though he had made a grave mistake.

"What's your take on this, Tsunade?"

Placing the document in front of Tsunade, the Third Hokage gazed at her face, which hadn't changed despite the passage of time.