Chapter 64

“Captain, the Mist ninja are retreating!”

On the third day after the night raid, Uchiha Shisui brought the news to Fujinaka Genma, visibly energized.

Fujinaka Genma had just finished training; he nodded upon hearing it, then pondered, “It’s a strategic withdrawal—this war isn’t over yet.”

My deterrence is strong, but I’m not invincible.

One person can’t make the Mist ninja abandon this war so easily.

Even if they withdraw, they’ll need to plunder enough gains from the Fire Country’s coastal regions first.

Upon hearing Fujinaka Genma’s words, Uchiha Shisui quickly calmed down and asked, “Captain, how do Itachi think we can end this war?”

“End the war?”

Fujinaka Genma paused, startled.

That’s too vast a question!

After thinking, Fujinaka Genma didn’t answer, but instead asked Uchiha Shisui, “Shisui, what do Itachi think?”

Uchiha Shisui had clearly thought about this before; he shook his head. “Captain, I can’t find an answer.”

“It’s not that Itachi can’t find an answer—it’s that there is no ending to war.”

Fujinaka Genma shook his head and smiled.

Uchiha Shisui froze. “No ending to war?”

“This…”

Fujinaka Genma walked to the riverbank to wash the sweat off his body, saying, “Shisui, Itachi know the history of the Warring States period before the village system emerged, right?”

Shisui felt puzzled but nodded. “I know a little.”

“Then what do Itachi think is the difference between wars in the Warring States period and today’s conflicts between ninja villages?”

Fujinaka Genma asked again.

“Difference?”

Uchiha Shisui fell into deep thought.

What’s the difference between wars in the Warring States period and now?

Back then, it was more chaotic—ninja clans accepted daimyo contracts and slaughtered each other.

Now, it’s mostly the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Though it seemed to end the chaos, overall, the scale of war has only grown.

…

Suddenly, Uchiha Shisui realized something and looked up sharply at Fujinaka Genma. “Captain, are Itachi saying that whether now or in the Warring States period, the nature of war hasn’t changed?”

Fujinaka Genma nodded with a smile. “Whether in the Warring States period or now, why do wars keep breaking out?”

“Hatred?”

“Personal ambition?”

“All of those.”

Fujinaka Genma walked back from the river, donning his armor and divine robe again, then asked, “Have Itachi ever seen wild beasts hunting, or different beasts fighting over prey?”

Uchiha Shisui nodded thoughtfully. “I have.”

“Humans are also animals—highly advanced ones, with unparalleled wisdom.”

Fujinaka Genma gave a light laugh, then his expression turned solemn. “So the root cause of war is survival.”

“It’s about seizing living space!”

“This living space, at its most basic, is food; at a higher level, it’s status, spiritual satisfaction.”

“Whether in the Warring States period, now, or even before it, war has never ceased.”

“Even if one day humanity no longer struggles for food, war won’t stop—it will just take another form.”

The answer was brutal. Uchiha Shisui fell silent, then after a moment said, “Captain, Itachi’re right.”

“So, Shisui, when Itachi ask me how to end war, I can’t answer Itachi!”

Fujinaka Genma patted Shisui’s shoulder, then added, “But while we can’t end war, we can change how it’s fought.”

Uchiha Shisui’s eyes brightened slightly, watching Fujinaka Genma expectantly.

Fujinaka Genma leaned against a tree trunk, idly spinning a Flying Thunder God kunai. “This kind of war—directly destroying the body—is the cruelest and most primitive.”

“But someone once briefly ended it.”

Uchiha Shisui reacted quickly. “The First Hokage?”

“Correct.”

Fujinaka Genma nodded. “The First Hokage captured the Tailed Beasts and used them to balance the power of the Five Great Ninja Villages. The Five Great Villages, in turn, were hired by the Five Great Nations—this indirectly kept the Five Nations and Five Villages in a state of peace.”

“Under this system, large-scale, brutal, body-destroying wars—the kind we normally think of—rarely break out.”

“Instead, conflicts take other forms.”

“Economic competition, small-scale espionage, assassinations.”

“Political struggles, diplomatic maneuvering.”

“Compared to direct warfare, these are far gentler—fewer deaths, limited impact, and children are never sent to the battlefield.”

Uchiha Shisui nodded repeatedly, silently marveling at how much his captain understood—and then remembered how closely that history was tied to the Uchiha clan.

In fact, the peace Fujinaka Genma described was precisely what that man had ended.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Shisui’s emotions grew complicated, tinged with guilt.

Fujinaka Genma saw his expression and guessed his thoughts. “Even without Uchiha Madara, the peace led by the First Hokage couldn’t have lasted long.”

“Because the First Hokage would eventually die.”

“His death would shatter the balance of power among the ninja villages.”

“Suppressed hatred would resurface; conflicts of interest would inevitably erupt.”

Uchiha Shisui nodded.

Fujinaka Genma paused, then suddenly changed tone. “Actually, I agree with Uchiha Madara’s policy back then.”

“Huh?”

Uchiha Shisui was stunned. “Captain, Itachi…”

Fujinaka Genma raised a hand to stop him. “From what I know, the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara founded Konoha together to end war.”

“The First Hokage wanted peace, so he distributed the Tailed Beasts to balance power.”

“That wasn’t wrong—his original intention was peace, to spare children from being sent to war, to protect the young.”

“That was the original Will of Fire.”

Hearing “Will of Fire,” Uchiha Shisui’s eyes brightened further.

Fujinaka Genma smiled and continued. “Uchiha Madara’s idea was to subdue the other ninja villages—even unify them.”

“His goal was also peace, to protect his loved ones.”

“I support Uchiha Madara because unifying the Five Great Ninja Villages, even the Five Great Nations, might bring longer-lasting peace—perhaps temporarily eliminating brutal war, shifting conflict into gentler forms.”

Uchiha Shisui couldn’t help speaking up. “But war breeds hatred.”

“Even if all ninja villages were unified, once the strong leader died, conflict would return—and the result would be the same as after the First Hokage’s death.”

Fujinaka Genma nodded. “Itachi’re right.”

“But look at Konoha today.”

“The Senju and Uchiha clans once slaughtered each other, consumed by mutual hatred.”

“Now, Konoha still hides its dark corners.”

“Yet Itachi still want to die protecting it, don’t Itachi?”

Uchiha Shisui’s spirit trembled violently.

Upon hearing this, Shisui Uchiha was instantly shaken to his core.