Chapter 71

Send him home?

No need at all!

Children in the ninja world are a completely different concept from those in his past life.

Let alone going home alone; at four years old, they dare to kill.

"Teacher, besides ninjutsu," Uchiha Itachi spoke, "may I ask Itachi other questions?"

Uchiha Jin's expression remained calm.

He could even guess the basics of Itachi's question.

This problem child was portrayed to the fullest in the original story.

To ensure a better life of doing nothing for himself in the future, he did not mind correcting Itachi's mindset.

Otherwise, letting him stray further down the wrong path, who knows what trouble he would cause later?

After a moment of deep thought, he nodded slightly.

"Come to my house."

"Seeing your serious demeanor, I assume this cannot be resolved in the short term."

"Of course, we can also discuss it tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Itachi immediately shook his head and said, "Let's go directly to the teacher's house."

He was in a great hurry.

Since returning from the Hidden Mist battlefield, many questions had been tormenting him.

Without a definite answer, he would not sleep well even if he returned home.

Very quickly.

The two arrived at Jin's house again and sat before the guest tea table.

Uchiha Jin reached out, poured tea for both of them, and then spoke in a low, somber tone.

"Alright, speak."

"As your teacher, clarifying doubts is my duty."

"As long as I know it, I will hold nothing back."

Uchiha Itachi fell silent for a moment.

After taking a deep breath, he finally looked at Uchiha Jin.

Without the slightest hesitation, he recounted his battlefield insights word for word.

Finally, he summarized.

"Master, why?"

"I have never understood why everyone must wage war."

"Can't we just live in peace?"

"This is true for the Hidden Leaf and other ninja villages, and it is the same for the Hidden Leaf and the Uchiha."

"Why can't everyone sit down and resolve disputes in a more peaceful way?"

"Is hatred truly unstoppable?"

Pain filled Itachi's face.

Uchiha Jin looked at the boy's small face; even knowing how ruthless this character was in the original story, he still felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.

He was only a four-year-old child!

Unable to help himself, Jin reached out and patted Itachi's head, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Don't be so 'six-seven-six' painful, Itachi!"

"Originally, I did not want to discuss such a serious issue with a child like Itachi."

"But, I can see it."

"Itachi are not an ordinary child; at such a young age, Itachi have already begun to ponder such profound questions."

"If we do not shape your worldview correctly, it is certain that Itachi will eventually walk down a dark path."

Uchiha Jin could not help but sigh.

Indeed!

Which four-year-old ponders such philosophical questions?

Let alone the twenty-somethings of his past life who were still playing games and chasing girls; even in the chaotic world of the Hidden Leaf, four or five-year-olds at most aspired to become Hokage.

As for someone with such deep thinking, throughout the entire Hidden Leaf history, Uchiha Itachi was truly unique.

He knew this matter could not be brushed aside.

So.

After a moment of thought, he spoke softly.

"Itachi, let me ask Itachi a question."

"Why do wolves eat sheep?"

"Did the sheep provoke the wolf? They are honest and harmless; on what grounds does the wolf eat them?"

"Would Itachi say that wolf is utterly evil?"

"And why do sheep eat grass?"

"The grass was growing just fine and had not provoked the sheep."

"On what grounds does the sheep eat it?"

Itachi froze.

His mind went blank as he stared at Uchiha Jin in shock.

He had never considered this question before.

Now that Jin had put it this way, his train of thought instantly broke.

Indeed!

What did the sheep do wrong?

But, wait.

Something seems wrong!

His reaction was fast; he immediately shook his head and spoke.

"Master, that's wrong!" Itachi blurted out. "Wolves eating sheep is instinct; this proves nothing."

"This is completely different from the question I asked!"

Uchiha Jin's expression remained calm.

He had never expected to easily convince Itachi, so upon hearing his rebuttal, he immediately continued speaking.

"Leave that aside for now."

"Answer my question first."

"On what grounds?"

"The sheep eaten by the wolf, the grass eaten by the sheep; do Itachi think they feel wronged?"

Uchiha Itachi frowned deeply.

Although he felt something was off, since his master said so, he naturally had to start thinking about it.

After a long while, there was no answer.

So he could only say: "It is their instinct. If wolves do not eat sheep, they will starve; if sheep do not eat grass, they will starve too."

"Hmm, Itachi are very smart," Uchiha Jin said with a smile. "That is actually the answer."

"Itachi asked me why there is war, and why everyone cannot live in peace."

"The answer, Itachi have already given."

"They will starve to death!"

Itachi looked utterly bewildered.

Is this the answer?

After thinking for a long time, he still could not understand.

To know what Itachi know, and to know what Itachi do not know—that is true knowledge.

Uchiha Itachi would never pretend to understand what he does not.

"Master, I apologize," Itachi shook his head. "I still do not understand."

Uchiha Jin nodded.

He had not expected Itachi, at such a young age, to grasp these concepts directly.

What has been said so far is merely the appetizer.

Organizing his thoughts, he spoke to Itachi again.

"It is fine. No harm done."

"Now that we have discussed animals, let us speak of humans."

"First, Itachi must understand one thing: humans are simply thinking animals."

"Humans also get hungry."

"Itachi are born of the Uchiha clan and the son of its leader; I imagine Itachi have never known hunger."

"But I have."

"I can tell Itachi with certainty: when a person is truly starving to the extreme, they cease to be human."

"They become beasts, scum, worse than swine or dogs."

"Itachi could use words a hundred times more vicious than these to describe those starving to the extreme."

"When I was starving to the extreme as a child, all morality, humanity, and dignity..."

"...were gone!"

"My mind, my body, every single cell in me, screamed at me to find food."

"I would use every ounce of strength to find food; at that moment, I even felt I could trample upon all the laws of the world..."

"...all for a single mouthful of food!"

"Can Itachi understand this?"

Uchiha Jin's tone was grim.

To be honest, he had exaggerated slightly; in truth, he had never gone hungry in this life.

The inheritance his parents left was meager, but it was enough to survive until adulthood without issue.

Yet, similarly,

he had not lied.

In his past life, his education was more comprehensive, and after graduating from a mediocre university, he had indeed gone hungry for over half a year while unable to find work.

Meanwhile, on the other side,

Uchiha Itachi remained silent.

He had never experienced the feeling of hunger, but fortunately, he was smart enough.

So, after a moment,

he looked up at Uchiha Jin. "Master, I cannot empathize, but I can understand."

"When a person is starving to the limit, they are indeed prone to committing evils to survive, but does this have any relation to my question?"

Yes.

On this point, he still could not understand.

He felt his master had spoken at length about matters completely unrelated to the question he was pondering.

Uchiha Jin smiled and spoke.

"Do not rush; this is merely the appetizer."

"Only by letting Itachi understand these most basic things can Itachi truly comprehend what I am about to say."

"Now, let us delve deeper."

"The Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind; do Itachi know their situation?"

Uchiha Itachi's mind began to race.

After thinking for a long while, he spoke in a calm tone: "I only know that the Land of Wind has a harsh climate, with eighty percent of its territory being desert. Among the Five Great Nations, the Hidden Sand Village is relatively weak."

"Mm, to summarize," Uchiha Jin said, "the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind is very poor!"

"Due to the harsh climate, the land is unsuitable for growing grain. Even the Hidden Sand Village's military budget is meager, resulting in their lack of strength."

"Now, think about the other regions."

"The Land of Water is surrounded by seas, the Land of Lightning is full of mountains, and the Land of Earth consists of rocky terrain."

"So, have Itachi noticed?"

"The other four nations all have their own problems to varying degrees. Only the Land of Fire enjoys favorable weather, distinct seasons, and abundant resources."

"If Itachi were born in another ninja village, would Itachi not be tempted by the Land of Fire?"

"Everyone else struggles to get by, while your Land of Fire is so wealthy it makes people envious."

"Everyone else is starving, while Itachi eat until oil drips from your mouth."

"Why should we coexist peacefully?"