The arrival of Team 9 signaled the end of a mission.
Hiruzen glanced at the calm-faced Ye Zi, and after a moment, turned his attention to the three members of Team 9. His gaze lingered on Guy and Kurenai for some time. Their travel-worn appearances betrayed their fatigue; though the mission hadn't lasted long, the two had clearly grown out of their youthful appearance.
They've matured… entrusting them to you was not a mistake.
Finally, Hiruzen's eyes settled on Ye Zi, a trace of satisfaction flickering within his gaze. He smiled and said, "You've worked hard. The village is still short on manpower, but you can rest for two days. If there are any tasks, we'll notify you in time."
Ye Zi nodded slightly, leading his team out of the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen watched the closed door, leaning his hand on his cheek, his head tilted slightly in thought.
Suddenly, he recalled the first time he met Ye Zi, then extended that thought to subsequent events, connecting it with Jiraiya's evaluation. This child, who resembled Orochimaru, had become a capable ninja in his own right.
Konoha's Little White Fang…
This title, coming from an enemy ninja, carried its own weight. Over the past few years, Ye Zi's task efficiency had been astounding, making significant contributions to the village. Though he did not gain fame like Konoha's Three Sannin, his contributions were not less. In some ways, he was similar to Sakumo Hatake, both being task-oriented talents.
However, while Sakumo's reputation was positive and well-known, Ye Zi's was overshadowed by negative rumors. Despite his high-level missions and significant financial contributions to the village, these achievements were meaningless as long as the negative reputation persisted.
It was deeply unfair…
Hiruzen closed his eyes slowly, his brows furrowing slightly. He knew this was unfair but could not change it. Orochimaru perhaps understood this as well, which was why he didn't press him to clear Ye Zi's name.
Recently, several young people had mysteriously disappeared, including a member of the Uchiha clan. The impact of this event was neither too big nor too small; the main issue was the lack of any leads.
As long as no one else disappeared, the case would remain unsolved, becoming an unsolved mystery. The problem was that with Ye Zi carrying the stigma of being a cannibal, even without evidence, the villagers would naturally associate these disappearances with him, especially since Team 9 had been out on a mission at the time.
"Stigma…? Hmph."
He suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. This so-called stigma was based on the condition of saving a comrade.
The long-distance mission had indeed exhausted Guy and Kurenai. Guy was tired mentally, while Kurenai was fatigued both physically and mentally.
Ye Zi and Kotoe, who had been on missions for years, felt no such exhaustion. For them, this level of task was nothing.
After leaving the Hokage office, since their residences were in the same direction, they walked together.
"I really want to sleep well," said the training fanatic Guy as they left the office building, just wanting to go home and rest.
Kurenai glanced at him wearily but said nothing.
Ye Zi kept his gaze forward and said indifferently, "You should go home and rest as soon as possible."
Indeed, it was very different…
Kotoe reflected on Ye Zi's words, thinking that such a considerate remark was something she and the Uchiha brothers had never heard before.
After leaving the Hokage office and arriving at the bustling streets,
The recovery speed of Konoha was astonishing. Even after several small-scale wars following the Second Shinobi World War, they had not hindered Konoha's recovery. The common people lived in peace, and the number of buildings and shops on the streets gradually increased.
"Look, it's Ye Zi."
"That cannibal?"
"Yes, he's eaten countless enemy ninjas."
"But he only eats enemies."
"Are you an idiot? The key is not whether he eats enemies but that he eats human flesh."
"By the way, there have been several disappearances recently. Could it be…"
"No way…"
"Who knows."
Familiar looks of disdain appeared as expected, pouring in.
The whispered voices from hidden corners were filled with human malice.
Kotoe, who often accompanied Ye Zi, had become accustomed to these looks. Unable to change anything, she could only silently stay close to Ye Zi.
Guy and Kurenai couldn't hear the malicious whispers, but they clearly felt the hateful glares directed at their teacher, which seemed irrational.
Such accumulated rumors, once they reach a certain level, don't fade away with time but rather grow with it!
Guy felt angered. Why should their teacher be treated this way just because of false rumors?
Ye Zi eats human flesh?
Guy wasn't sure if it was true, but from their interactions, not only had he never seen Ye Zi eat human flesh, but Ye Zi's behavior was kind despite his cold demeanor. How could he be the monster described by rumors?
Kurenai also felt unwarranted anger, with the same confusion as Guy.
The three were thus angry, while Ye Zi remained indifferent, as if the malicious glares from around didn't exist.
He didn't care about these looks. His focus was on a different level entirely and thus didn't waste time on such matters.
He vaguely sensed the anger from the three behind him was for his sake, which made him smile faintly.
As they passed one street and moved to another, the growing malice from the surrounding people made Ye Zi realize the rumors about him were gaining more strength.
"Foolish people." He still didn't care. To him, such rumors held no power.
His indifference wasn't because he was particularly strong but because, to him, such matters were insignificant compared to returning to Earth.
Team 9 passed Ichiraku Ramen, and after walking a hundred steps, they would part ways.
At this moment, a tall man leading a boy emerged from Ichiraku Ramen, facing Team 9.
The man and boy, both with somewhat similar appearances and rare white hair, were Sakumo and Kakashi.
Sakumo, holding Kakashi's hand, stopped upon seeing Team 9. Young Kakashi stared intently at Ye Zi, gripping his hand with a bit more force than usual.
Noticing his son's subconscious grip, Sakumo glanced at him, then at Ye Zi's black-and-white hair. He showed a warm smile, slightly bowing and saying, "Nice to meet you. I am Sakumo Hatake." He then released Kakashi's hand, gently patting his head and smiling, "This is my son, Kakashi."
Sakumo, who was of equal standing to Konoha's Three Sannin, bowed slightly with genuine sincerity.
"Hello."
In response to the courtesy from Konoha's White Fang, Ye Zi naturally reciprocated.
Although they had never met before, they recognized each other by their respective titles.
Ye Zi identified Sakumo by his white hair, while Sakumo recognized Ye Zi by his black-and-white hair.
The titles of Konoha's White Fang and Konoha's Little White Fang were not in conflict. In fact, Little White Fang derived from White Fang. Their commonality was that the blade of their respective titles was equally swift and fearsome.
Ye Zi was aware of Sakumo's existence, and Sakumo knew of Ye Zi. It was just that neither had sought to meet each other until this chance encounter.
Sakumo was very interested in Ye Zi. He often kept an eye on the younger generation's elites. Compared to the highly capable Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, he found Ye Zi, with the title of Konoha's Little White Fang, more intriguing.
This was an obvious legacy. Corresponding to Konoha's Three Sannin, the next generation's pillars were represented by three prominent figures.
He maintained his smile, then glanced at the three behind Ye Zi. The once brash child with the thick eyebrows had undergone a remarkable transformation since their last meeting.
The passing of his father, was it due to Konoha's Little White Fang's influence? His progress was rapid; soon, he would catch up to you, Kakashi…
He slightly bowed to Ye Zi and his team, then stepped aside.
"Is this the Konoha White Fang? Not as sharp as his blade, but his blade is indeed as astonishing as his reputation."
Ye Zi mused silently, giving a slight bow to White Fang before leading Team 9 away.
Throughout, Guy's gaze remained on Kakashi, while Kakashi's eyes were fixed on Ye Zi's retreating figure.
"Father, what kind of person is Konoha's Little White Fang?" Kakashi asked, looking at Ye Zi's receding figure.
Sakumo also watched Ye Zi's back, reflecting on the escalating voices in the village and Ye Zi's unaffected demeanor. He said, "He is a powerful person."
"Oh." Kakashi stared blankly at the disappearing figure. Since Ye Zi received the title of Konoha's Little White Fang, he had been dissatisfied, feeling it was leveraging his father's reputation. But even his father acknowledged the strength of Konoha's Little White Fang.
"Kakashi." Sakumo suddenly patted Kakashi's head again, saying, "Don't always focus on distant goals; sometimes you need to pay attention to the challenges behind you. Remember the rival I mentioned last time? He is now stronger than you."
"Hmph." Kakashi scoffed, unimpressed. How could the last place finisher surpass him?
Seeing Kakashi's disdain, Sakumo could only smile wryly.
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