What is the Will of Fire?
In Sakumo's heart, the Will of Fire meant using one's life to protect and trust the important people around you.
It was precisely because he believed in the Will of Fire that he chose his comrades over the mission.
But the result was...
The ninjas scorned him, and even the comrade he had personally saved stepped forward to accuse him.
"Did I really make a mistake? Is the Will of Fire not what I understood it to be?" Sakumo, holding a spatula, completely forgot about the food in the pan as he muttered to himself.
It wasn't until the smell of burning reached his nostrils that Sakumo snapped back to reality and hurriedly checked the dishes in the pan.
...
Feng Bai stared at the food before him with a bewildered expression.
Uh, what's this black lump? And what's that other black lump? And this paste-like substance that looks like it was just fished out of some sketchy cafeteria...
"Ha, haha, well, my performance seems a bit off today." Sakumo laughed awkwardly twice, scratching his head while still wearing his apron.
It seems this incident has really affected Uncle Sakumo deeply.
At times like this, comfort won't work—he needs to regain some confidence.
With this thought, Feng Bai steeled himself and picked up his chopsticks, selecting a barely intact piece of something unidentifiable. He quickly put it in his mouth and swallowed it directly, skipping the chewing process entirely.
"Ugh!"
As expected, Feng Bai threw up.
Feng Bai, who had eaten Danzō's cooking for a year without vomiting once, finally broke his streak with Sakumo's meal today.
"Dad, let's go eat ramen." Having witnessed Feng Bai's ordeal, Kakashi put down his chopsticks and made a suggestion.
Going for ramen meant leaving the house.
Leaving the house meant facing the villagers' accusations...
Sakumo hesitated for a moment, but looking at the faces of the two children before him, he finally agreed.
Along the way, the villagers who would normally greet Sakumo warmly now kept their distance. Though they didn't voice any mockery, this avoidant attitude still left Sakumo feeling defeated.
This situation continued until they reached Ichiraku Ramen.
Lifting the curtain, the group entered and took their seats, meeting eyes with Teuchi, who was cleaning dishes.
"If it isn't Mr. Sakumo—what an honor! Please, have a seat." After recognizing Sakumo, Teuchi warmly invited him to sit down.
"Bringing the young masters for a meal today?" Smiling at Feng Bai and Kakashi, Teuchi stood by the stove, chatting with Sakumo while waiting for their orders.
"Yes, I'll just have a regular ramen. Kakashi, Feng Bai, you two can order whatever you want from Teuchi."
Nodding in agreement with Teuchi's words, Sakumo casually ordered a regular ramen, then looked at Feng Bai and Kakashi.
Judging by his tone, his mood is much better than before.
Nice, Uncle Teuchi! No wonder he was Naruto's original beacon of hope!
Feng Bai gave Teuchi a mental thumbs up.
"Alright, all done! Please enjoy." After bustling in the kitchen for a while, Teuchi brought out the ramen and placed it before Sakumo and Kakashi: "Just a moment—Feng Bai's order is coming right up."
Since Feng Bai had ordered the premium deluxe set, his side dishes needed to be arranged on a serving tray, so Teuchi prepared his last.
"Um, boss, in my bowl..." Seeing Teuchi set down Feng Bai's portion, Sakumo quickly called out and pointed to the large pork cutlet in the bowl.
"Haha, that's complimentary, Mr. Sakumo! You've made so many contributions to the village—it's because of your efforts that people like us can maintain this little stand peacefully."
Teuchi flashed a hearty smile: "You know I don't have the talent to become a ninja, so please allow me to support you in this way."
"I'm... nothing more than a failure..." Faced with Teuchi's praise, a flash of defeat crossed Sakumo's face, his tone becoming somewhat dejected.
In his view, having failed the mission and caused the village to suffer losses, he was nothing but a bitter failure.
"How can you say that? You're the hero of the Second Shinobi World War, the White Fang of Konoha who single-handedly defeated an entire Sand Village mobile unit. To tell you the truth, my daughter greatly admires you—if there's a chance, I hope you can meet her."
"Is that so? I'd be deeply grateful." After speaking, Sakumo picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of ramen in front of Teuchi, sincerely praising:
"This is absolutely delicious."
"Haha, as long as you're satisfied!" Hearing Sakumo's personal praise, Teuchi proudly raised his head.
So, while Teuchi and Sakumo were conversing, what was Feng Bai doing?
Feng Bai was eating ramen.
The abundance of side dishes meant that the noodles were completely buried underneath. Every random grab with his chopsticks brought up either fish cake or char siu.
The group finished their meal in a relatively warm atmosphere.
When settling the bill, Sakumo insisted on paying for the pork cutlet despite Teuchi's objections, but ultimately couldn't overcome the other's stubbornness. The mighty White Fang of Konoha was finally defeated at checkout by Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku.
"It's getting late—let me walk you home, Feng Bai."
As the streetlights began to flicker on, Sakumo, worried that it might be unsafe for Feng Bai to return home so late, asked for his opinion.
Feng Bai, his stomach bulging from the meal, nodded with difficulty. The deluxe Ichiraku experience was indeed a bit much for him to handle.
But he hadn't forgotten his true mission for coming here tonight.
"Uncle Sakumo, in my view, you are someone who truly possesses the Will of Fire." Feng Bai looked up, meeting Sakumo's eyes directly.
"I... let's not discuss this matter for now, Feng Bai..." Sakumo smiled bitterly, knowing this child intended to comfort him, but right now...
Thinking of the villagers' stares, Sakumo's emotions, which had lifted somewhat due to Teuchi's treatment, sank once again.
"No, Uncle Sakumo, I must speak. Otherwise, you'll definitely fall into self-doubt and be unable to escape—burp!"
Feng Bai let out a loud burp and quickly covered his mouth, while Kakashi helplessly rubbed his forehead.
This guy really did eat too much—such a waste of his delicate features.
And at such a crucial moment, too.
"The reason the villagers don't understand your actions is because they have absolutely no idea what the Will of Fire truly means."
Feng Bai knew that to prevent Sakumo from falling into self-doubt, he had to rebuild his confidence.
Therefore, he strongly endorsed Sakumo's philosophy: "Although the villagers talk extensively about the Will of Fire, they don't truly understand it—they're just echoing the Third Hokage out of respect. Only you have put this ideology into practice through your actions."
"So you absolutely cannot give up! You must use time and actions to prove that your approach is correct. If even you admit defeat, who will lead Konoha's new generation to understand the true Will of Fire?! Burp!"
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