Guy didn’t rush to allocate his points.
He lay on the ground, turning his head to look at Kakashi.
“How is White Fang-senpai doing now?” Kakashi was silent for a while.
“He’s locked himself in his room.
Won’t come out.” Guy blinked.
“How many days?” “Three days.” Kakashi’s voice was muffled.
“Won’t eat.
Won’t talk.
I knock, but he doesn’t answer.” “This can’t go on.” Guy pushed himself up and sat, looking at him.
Kakashi said nothing.
“The best way out of pain and doubt is to take the first step out.” Guy’s face was dead serious.
“Staying locked in a room only makes the pain worse.” Kakashi froze.
He turned his head and stared at Guy with a strange expression.
This loud, brash bushy-brows guy had fought like a madman just a moment ago—and now he could say something like that?
“How…
how do you know that?” Guy scratched his head.
“My dad told me.” He passed the buck straight to Might Duy.
It wasn’t like Kakashi was going to go ask him anyway.
Kakashi was quiet for a moment, then suddenly sat up.
“Then what do I do?” He locked his eyes on Guy, his gaze burning.
“Teach me!” Guy felt a little uncomfortable under that stare.
“Teach you?” “Yes!” Kakashi grabbed his shoulders.
“You were right just now.
This can’t go on.
But I don’t know what to do.
Teach me!” Guy looked at him.
That usually cold genius, eyes red-rimmed now, his face full of desperation.
Guy thought for a moment.
“Alright, here’s the plan.
First, get your dad to come to the school.
Then we’ll…” He whispered a bunch of things into Kakashi’s ear.
Kakashi looked skeptical.
“Will that work?” Guy shrugged.
“Work or not, it’s still better than him staying home, right?” Kakashi fell silent.
True.
His father hadn’t left his room in three days.
If this kept going…
He gritted his teeth.
“Fine.
I’ll try.” But then he hesitated.
“How do I even get him to come?
He won’t even open the door.” Guy grinned, pointing at Kakashi’s battered body.
“Those injuries on you—that’s the perfect excuse.” Kakashi blinked.
He looked down at himself.
His clothes were torn.
His arms were covered in bruises.
His knees were scraped raw.
There was a bloody scratch on his face.
Then he looked at Guy—who looked even worse.
Covered in blood, face swollen like a pig’s head.
Kakashi suddenly understood.
He looked up at Guy.
“You…
you planned this all along?” Guy shrugged and said nothing.
Kakashi stared at him for a long moment.
Then he spoke.
“Thank you.” Guy didn’t say anything.
He just gave a thumbs-up, flashing his white teeth.
Moonlight fell on his swollen face.
The smile was hideous.
But Kakashi felt it was the best thing he’d seen all day.
The two of them leaned on each other, slowly walking out of the woods.
The next day.
Early morning.
In front of the Ninja Academy gate.
Students trickled in, some alone, some brought by their parents.
White Fang stood at the entrance, his expression complicated.
He hadn’t wanted to come.
For three days, he’d locked himself in his room, not wanting to see anyone.
Those stares, those whispers, those pointed fingers…
He couldn’t take it.
But this morning, Kakashi had knocked on his door—urgently.
“Dad!
Dad!” White Fang didn’t answer.
“Dad!
I got into a fight with a classmate!” White Fang’s heart tightened, but he still didn’t open the door.
“Dad!
I’m hurt!
I’m covered in injuries!” White Fang couldn’t stay put any longer.
He pulled the door open, looked down, and saw Kakashi’s terrible condition.
White Fang’s pupils contracted.
“Who did you fight with?!” Kakashi hung his head.
“A classmate…
from my class.” White Fang crouched down to examine his injuries.
They weren’t light.
Superficial wounds, sure, but for a six-year-old, they’d hurt plenty.
But that wasn’t the point.
“How badly is the other kid hurt?” White Fang asked with a frown.
Kakashi blinked, remembering Guy’s miserable state from last night.
“…Worse than me.” “I see…” White Fang fell silent.
His son—a genius, able to use the Three Basic Techniques at age six.
He’d met all the kids in Kakashi’s class.
As far as he knew, none of them could match Kakashi.
If even Kakashi had been hurt like this, how badly must that other child have been injured?
“Dad, Teacher Iruka asked you to come to the school…” White Fang sighed.
He really didn’t want to go.
But looking at Kakashi’s condition, and thinking about the child his son had beaten…
In the end, White Fang relented.
“Let’s go.” Kakashi looked up at him, his eyes brightening.
“Dad, you…” White Fang said nothing.
He took Kakashi’s hand and walked out.
Meanwhile.
At the school gate.
The moment White Fang appeared, the surrounding stares drifted toward him.
“That’s…” “White Fang!” “Why is he here?” “Did you hear?
He failed his mission…” “Abandoned the mission to save his comrades, tsk tsk…” The voices weren’t loud, but every word floated into his ears.
White Fang’s footsteps faltered.
Those stares felt like needles pricking his skin.
He instinctively wanted to lower his head, to turn around, to flee back to that dark room.
Then he saw the person standing at the gate.
Might Duy.
That Eternal Genin, dressed in faded green clothes, stood at the school entrance like a gate guardian.
White Fang was stunned.
He looked down at Kakashi.
“The kid you fought—was it that hardworking boy?” Kakashi’s eyes darted away.
He didn’t answer.
White Fang wanted to scold him, but he opened his mouth and nothing came out.
He just sighed.
His face was numb.
He let go of Kakashi’s hand and walked toward Duy.
More stares gathered around him.
Parents dropping off their kids, passing villagers, a few teachers on their way to class.
They all stopped and watched White Fang.
Whispering.
“That’s him…” “Konoha’s White Fang?
I heard…” “So shameful…” White Fang’s steps grew slower and slower.
Those words were like knives, carving into his heart one slice at a time.
Suddenly, he felt afraid.
Afraid to reach Duy.
Afraid to hear what he might say.
The great White Fang of Konoha—he’d killed countless enemies, executed countless dangerous missions, and never once knew fear.
But now, he was afraid.
Duy watched him approach, saw that numb face, those evasive eyes.
His heart ached suddenly.
Was this still that White Fang-senpai?
The one who’d taken him on missions back then, who never once called him a burden?
The one who’d smiled and said “everyone has their own way of living”?
Duy was about to speak when— SCRREEEECH— A piercing screech of static exploded from above.
Everyone looked up.
On the utility pole next to the school gate hung a large loudspeaker.
Normally used for announcements.
Now the speaker was aimed at the crowd.
“Testing, testing…” A voice came through the loudspeaker.
It was Might Guy’s voice.
Everyone froze.
White Fang froze too.
He looked up at that speaker.
Then Guy’s booming voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, echoed across the entire school gate.
End of Chapter 11