Buzz~

The moment [Water Release Mastery] activated, a faint buzzing sound echoed in Shinno's mind.

A flood of training memories and jutsu experience surged forth, pouring into the depths of his memory palace all at once. The overwhelming influx made his head throb, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

"Ugh..."

"Shinno, um, I remember you saying... 'It's never too late to turn back from the edge of a cliff, and admitting your mistakes is a great virtue…'"

Minato Namikaze's voice drifted in from outside the rickety wooden shack.

…???

"What the hell are you saying?!"

Shinno froze for a moment before it clicked. Minato—this pure-hearted ray of sunshine—had actually been corrupted by that pervy old bastard Jiraiya!

What the hell was he implying?!

Did he really think something… inappropriate had just happened between him and Pakura in the room?

Damn it!

Sure, Pakura was undeniably beautiful, with an incredible figure. Her smooth, jade-like back only added to her allure, making her one of the most attractive kunoichi in the ninja world.

But was Shinno really that desperate?

So…

Jiraiya!

You absolute bastard!

With a sharp yank, Shinno flung open the battered door and dragged Minato inside.

Minato, realizing his massive misunderstanding, flushed red from his neck to his ears under his friend's disappointed, exasperated gaze. His normally thick-skinned resolve wavered, and he hurriedly changed the subject.

"Uh… so… everything's been arranged, right?"

"What do you think?" Shinno ground out through clenched teeth.

If it hadn't been for this unexpected turn of events—his spontaneous decision to seize the Great Blade Samehada—none of this would have happened.

And now, he had to rely on Minato to cover things up in their mission report back to the village.

Otherwise, he would've absolutely interrogated him.

Like, seriously.

Had Minato ever stood guard for Jiraiya while that pervert was busy with… shady activities in the red-light district of Kabukichō?

Because otherwise, how the hell did a simple groan lead him to such wild conclusions?

"Mmm…"

A soft, pained murmur escaped from Pakura's lips as she stirred in unconsciousness.

Minato, who had just managed to cool his embarrassment, turned bright red again.

Shinno rolled his eyes.

With a quick hand gesture, he signaled their silent retreat.

Minato, too flustered to argue, quickly followed his friend's lead, and in the blink of an eye, the two vanished from the shack.

...

Not long after they left, Pakura awoke from her nightmares.

Pressing a hand against her aching head, she warily scanned her surroundings. Memories of what had happened before she blacked out resurfaced in her mind.

She bolted upright and rushed out of the collapsing shack.

What greeted her was a battlefield strewn with the corpses of her fallen comrades and Kirigakure shinobi.

She stood there, frozen in place.

For a long time, she remained silent.

Only when civilians cautiously returned to assess the aftermath did she finally stagger forward, sorrowfully beginning the grim task of collecting the bodies of her fallen comrades.

...

"Sigh..."

Leaning against the railing of the three-masted ship heading back to Konoha, Minato let out a long, heavy sigh.

Perhaps it was the shared pain of loss, or maybe Pakura's grief had been too raw, too overwhelming.

Every time he recalled the scene before they left, a lingering melancholy settled over his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Still thinking about Pakura?"

Shinno, seeing Minato sighing yet again, walked over and leaned lazily against the railing. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sea breeze against his face.

"...Shinno, what is the purpose of a shinobi?"

"Conflict."

Minato stared at him, speechless. "You really don't hold back, huh."

He knew Shinno's words were brutal, but they were also the truth.

No matter how shinobi first came into existence, one thing had remained constant throughout history: conflict.

Wealth, beauty, land, hatred, love, greed—every desire led to strife, and strife inevitably led to violence, bloodshed, and death.

The reason shinobi had survived and thrived for generations—replacing samurai, warriors, priestesses, monks, and onmyōji as the dominant force in the world—was because they were simply the best at fighting.

"Don't overthink it. You feel bad for Pakura, but what about the civilians caught in the crossfire? The innocent bystanders who lost their homes? Aren't they just as pitiful?"

Shinno yawned, his expression indifferent.

Even after nineteen years in this world, his soul remained rooted in modern sensibilities. He found it difficult to sympathize with the shinobi way of life.

To him, the shinobi villages were nothing more than a mix of mercenary groups and terrorist organizations—

Armed to the teeth.

Indifferent to human life.

Brutal. Bloodthirsty.

Children as young as five were enrolled in shinobi academies, indoctrinated and trained in the art of killing. By the age of eleven or twelve, they were forced to graduate and carry out missions—witnessing bloodshed under the guidance of their sensei.

Which modern military force would ever commit such atrocities?

"Shinobi, huh..."

Minato let out another long sigh. Instead of feeling comforted, he only sank deeper into his gloom.

A long time ago, he had asked Shinno how true peace could be achieved.

And Shinno had given him a straightforward answer.

As long as society could sustain the majority of people's basic survival and material needs, there were only three ways to achieve a temporary peace:

First, possess power on the level of Hashirama Senju—enough to single-handedly suppress all opposition and force the world into peace.

Second, wage a unification war—merge all nations and shinobi villages into one, establish a universal language, standardized systems, and unified education and culture.

Third, introduce a greater external threat—one that endangered the entire shinobi world, forcing people to set aside their differences.

Minato had always considered himself a genius, but the first option was a dream beyond reach.

As for the second option...

Only someone like Danzo Shimura would entertain such an ambition.

And not only did Minato despise Danzo, but Konoha simply wasn't powerful enough to make that dream a reality.

Which left only the third option...

"If only Madara Uchiha were still alive," Minato mused. "A man who could rival the First Hokage must have possessed enough strength to threaten the entire shinobi world."

"...?!"

Shinno stiffened.

Dude!

Bro!

What the hell are you saying?!

Madara is still alive!

Right now, everyone's still in their early stages, growing at a steady pace, minding their own business. Can't we just enjoy our low-level battles in peace?!

If that old bastard suddenly decided to "dance" again and dropped a Meteor Jutsu on us for fun…

Well, guess what?

I'd be the first to die on the spot!

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