The End * Sophistry

After the performance, Izuna returned the Biwa, which he had just played a few cans of music on, and did not immediately dispel the clone.

The host approached, a broad smile on his face, his voice tinged with excitement. "Thank you for your performance Lord Izuna! Haha, well, wow, that was truly amazing! I never expected to see Lord Izuna's masterpiece here."

Izuna waved his hand and smiled politely, "You flatter me."

"Our performance was truly a waste of your skill!" the host exclaimed. "To be honest, we originally wanted to surpass you, but now we are completely convinced."

"Oh? Surpass me?"

Host: "Yes, in order to tell the story of the Death of Oda Nobunaga, we even went to the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire to do some research, trying to restore the historical facts as accurately as possible."

"I'm asking you, does the New The Tale of the Heike accurately reflect historical facts?"

The host was taken aback.

Izuna raised an eyebrow. "A good story has little to do with so-called facts; in fact, sometimes the facts are what hold you back."

"Is that so?"

"Of course."

The host seemed thoughtful, then asked, "So, why did you think of Evil Cults? Surely such organizations don't actually exist?"

"No, no, no, it just came to mind by chance. The burden needs to be carried, the burden needs to be carried, but..."

Izuna solemnly raised a finger, his expression becoming more serious. "Remember this: if someone tells you life will get better, but at a price, they're absolutely bluffing. Never, ever believe them, understand? Life may be tough, but there's no need to make it tougher."

The audience applauded.

But some of them were genuinely thinking about it.

A white-haired female ninja touch her chest.

Underneath the fabric hung a necklace with a circle enclosing a triangle.

The host clapped along, exclaiming, "The words may be rough, but the meaning is sound. So, this lady... Shinrei?"

The Pseudo-Tobirama corrected him expressionlessly. "It's the Pseudo-Tobirama!"

"Oh, Mr. Pseudo-Tobirama," the host readily corrected himself, "Do you have anything to say?"

The Pseudo-Tobirama revealed Dead-Fish Eyes: "As a clone, I feel that the original's level of abstraction has reached a height I cannot comprehend. But as long as everyone's happy."

The host was amused by his statement. "Haha, okay, okay. But I'm curious, why did you transform into this person's appearance?"

"As I said before, this guy is a passionate troll. Although he always has a straight face, he's actually incredibly chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur) and loves to roast others. Even with that facade, I feel like his roasting energy is about to explode."

Izuna, listening anxiously from the side, said, "That's why you should say less! It'll be very embarrassing if the real person hears you!"

The Pseudo-Tobirama his tug and before he could retort, the host had already chuckled and taken over the conversation, "Uh, actually, we've invited Lord Tobirama for this performance."

The air grew quiet.

Izuna froze.

The Pseudo-Tobirama's expression froze.

The two of them slowly turned their heads at the same time to look at the host.

The host, suppressing a laugh, kindly pointed out Tobirama's location.

"Look, over there."

When Izuna saw that striking white figure in the darkness, he couldn't help but cover his face.

"..."

"... Very well, goodbye."

Pseudo-Tobirama immediately dispelled the Shadow Clone. With a "bang," the white smoke dissipated, and he was gone.

The audience below the stage couldn't stop laughing. Matobuma, who had been frowning and wondering what he had done to give Izuna such a Tobirama, was also amused by Izuna's reaction, and his lips curled up into a smile as he shook his head.

Izuna stood there, still maintaining a polite smile, but his eyes were already lifeless.

He slowly turned his head, looked at the host, and said calmly, "... Why didn't you say so sooner?"

The host, feeling a little guilty at his reaction, chuckled awkwardly, "Uh, haha, well, I thought you'd come with your companions, and besides, you didn't ask..."

"May I step down...?"

"Please, please." The host quickly stepped aside to make way.

Izuna turned around and walked off the stage with an almost tragic gait, his back resembling a cabbage that had been battered by frost.

The audience was amused again, and applause and laughter mingled together as they bid him a lively farewell.

The host watched him return to his seat before turning back to the audience, clearing his throat. "Thank you again, Lord Izuna, for bringing us so much joy. That concludes our performance. Please feel free to leave now. Please check your belongings carefully and keep an eye on children and the elderly. Thank you for your support!"

The audience members gradually got up and walked out in twos and threes, still discussing the performance and their laughter drifting from the tent into the woods outside.

Izuna returned to his seat, plopped down, and buried his face in his hands.

Enma sat down next to him, her shoulders still trembling. "How did you get back here with us?"

"Shut up."

"That 'Shinrei,' haha--"

"I told you to shut up!"

Kyōnosuke peeked out from behind him, grinning, "Lord Izuna truly lives up to his reputation; today's performance was absolutely fantastic."

Izuna looked up at him, her face expressionless. "Thank you."

Kyōnosuke knew that Izuna was upset that he had revealed his location, so he couldn't help but cough to cover up his guilt.

Hideki looked at him. "Speaking of which Lord Izuna, I have a question."

"Why would you impersonate Sugemori and call the Pseudo-Tobirama 'Shinrei' when using a brand new deception? If it were a meeting between friends, it would be easier to impersonate fellow Ninjas like Takuichi and Shintarō. At the very least, Sugemori and Takuichi are closer friends."

Izuna stroked his chin. "Hmm, as for Sugemori, I found him quite interesting because he's rumored to be the only Taira general to survive the Battle of Dan-no-ura, so I borrowed his identity for a bit."

"As for Shinrei... it's probably his choice, right? After all, at the age I'm playing, Shinrei is the one who took care of him since he was little, so it's normal for him to seek help from someone more reliable."

Hideki suddenly realized, "I see! As expected of Lord Izuna!"

Izuna crossed his arms, tilted his head back, and said, "Hmph, remember that setting the story is a fundamental skill for creators!"

Hideki gave him a round of applause as a gesture of respect.

"But speaking of which, how did you know about the New The Tale of the Heike? I remember I only performed it once in the Capital the Land of Fire, right?"

Yuansheng's expression was strange. "You really don't know how much influence you have."

"What influence?" Izuna frowned. "Tobirama said that, why are you all saying the same thing? I'm just a lousy pianist, where would I get any influence?"

Yuansheng couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Enma explained helplessly, "Have you forgotten that you were the one who added Ninjas to the Tale of the Heike?"

"I remember that. But would Ordinary People really allow a Ninja -themed chant to spread?" Izuna said. "The nobles all want to fight now, they wouldn't allow something of this nature to circulate, would they?"

"If you only added Ninja elements, of course it would," Enma said, "But you also saw the performance of the Death of Oda Nobunaga this time."

"Uh..." Izuna showed a subtle hint of disgust.

Seeing his emotional outpouring, Enma sighed again, "I understand that you, as the originator, may not appreciate it, but compared to the past repertoire that only consisted of singing and dancing, this is already an outstanding repertoire."

"Even this play can't compare to your performance. The acting was unsatisfactory, and even the singing was far inferior. Therefore, everyone is vying to imitate you; not only Ninjas, but even some nobles are talking about it with great relish."

Izuna was somewhat surprised, "There are nobles too?"

"Refined taste is something every nobleman pursues," said Kyōnosuke. "Your performance has perfectly embodied the concept of refined taste. Even nobles who cannot accept the inclusion of Ninja narratives will appreciate its literary value after their initial criticism."

"And they also want ninja like Takuichi, Shinrei, and Shintarō." Kyōnosuke looked at the still elegantly dressed nobles who hadn't completely left. "They saw the unique loyalty of Ninjas in the play. Sometimes, compared to the rigidity of Samurai, someone like Ninja who can move nimbly and doesn't reveal secrets is more popular."

Izuna looked at him. From the moment he saw him, he had noticed one thing: this guy's identity was probably not ordinary. Normal people, even geniuses like Enma, would be somewhat cautious in his presence, but this person was completely different.

Upon noticing his gaze, the resolute-looking, kind-hearted red-haired man gave him a friendly smile.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind, "Izuna."

Izuna froze, knowing there was no escaping it, and looked up with a sense of utter despair.

Madara, Hashirama, and Tobirama were found.

Izuna looked up to the sky and sighed, "My life is over—"

Tobirama amused and exasperated. "What do you mean 'end'? I won't do anything to you."

"But it's so embarrassing... I feel like I did something wrong and you caught me."

Tobirama was speechless. "Then why did you choose me as your partner in the first place?"

"Ah, I've complained."

A hush fell over the room, and everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken.

Hashirama stroked his chin. "Eh... my brother really is a passionate tsukkomi (straight man)... how amazing..."

This remark caused the people around, who hadn't yet dispersed, to burst into laughter again.

Ban was laughing so hard he could barely stand, and he leaned against a nearby pillar, laughing like a lump of sea urchin.

Tobirama, his Dead-Fish Eyes, said, "Big Brother."

Hashirama immediately said, "I'm sorry."

Tobirama couldn't help but sigh, but said nothing.

Hashirama chuckled at him, then looked at Kyōnosuke seriously, "It's been a long time, Lord."

Kyōnosuke nodded to Hashirama.

"As I suspected, you are indeed the ruler."

Kyōnosuke looked at Izuna, "Oh? You guessed it? When?"

"Just now," Izuna said, looking at Tobirama, "Tobirama wouldn't let Hashirama embarrass himself in front of important guests."

Tobirama raised an eyebrow. This guy can even understand such details; it seems he really knows Tobirama well.

"Furthermore, your attitude towards me was very normal, like that of a typical elder. Therefore, I deduce that you hold a high position, so high that you don't need to consider my status. Such a person is either an old man who doesn't understand anything or the ruler of a country."

"Impressive, no wonder he can tell the New The Tale of the Heike."

"But I have a question."

"What?"

Izuna looked confused. "Who Genichi? I've never seen him before?"

He thought he was going to ask some important question, like why the ruler of the Land of Land of Whirlpools would be here Kyōnosuke was both amused and exasperated. "Genichi is the man in black who just played Oda Nobunaga on stage."

Izuna's eyes widened. "But isn't he black-haired? And didn't they say his surname Mitarai?"

Yuansheng glanced at him, "People can dye their hair, and haven't you heard of stage names?"

"Oh." Izuna exclaimed in sudden realization, "So that's how it is, there's such a move..."

Enma and Hideki laughed beside them, and Kyōnosuke chuckled as well, "It feels like even ordinary conversations become more interesting when I'm with Izuna."

"I was just speaking normally."

That's why it's so rare.

"Your Majesty."

Kyōnosuke looked at Hashirama, who had called out to him, and noticed that Hashirama's face showed a rare, slightly displeased expression.

But it didn't seem to be because he left him hanging, but because he talked to Izuna too much.

So protective of them?

Kyōnosuke raised an eyebrow. "I was too hasty. This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."

They left the makeshift theater and walked out through the woods behind the Atago Shrine.

The sky was already setting in the west, and the sun hung on the shoulder of Mount Atago, dyeing the entire forest a warm orange hue.

Kyōnosuke walked in front, with Hashirama following half a step behind him.

The slight displeasure on his face had faded, but he didn't initiate conversation as he used to; instead, he was whispering something to Ban.

Kyōnosuke listened intently and discovered that Hashirama was simply learning gambling techniques from Madara.

Looking again at Izuna, he was with Homura and Enma, arguing with Yuansheng Hideki whether or not it was okay to tell those scary jokes in Mansai.

That's blasphemy! Blasphemy against the dead!

Compared to Yuansheng's seriousness, Izuna's tone was far too nonchalant. "Do you even know what blasphemy means? You're just using it blindly."

"In such a farcical setting, you shouldn't have mentioned those heroic deeds!" Yuansheng's voice rose slightly, and the people walking in front turned around to look at him. "But you not only mentioned them, you made everyone laugh."

"So what?"

"You!"

"The way you're saying that makes it sound like you've never experienced any hardship."

Yuansheng paused for a moment, then caught up, his lips pressed into a thin line. "How could I not! You have no idea who I've lost!"

"But if you don't speak out, who will know you're suffering? Who will understand you?"

"We're talking about two different things." Yuansheng turned his face away, his voice muffled.

"That's one thing," Izuna said. "I hope you understand that when I bring up sad things, I don't mean to bring them back to the light of day, to intensify the sadness, or to make others sympathize with those people. I bring them up to show those who hear them their bravery, not to affirm their suffering."

Yuansheng paused for a few steps, then asked, "Can this be told as a joke?"

Izuna did not answer immediately. He walked along the forest path, the setting sun filtering through the leaves and casting dappled light and shadow on his face.

I lost my sight when I was eight years old.

His tone was calm and even, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

Ke Yuansheng paused.

Everyone else looked over in shock, especially Ban, whose eyes widened and whose expression was somewhat bewildered.

"I lost my eye, but I got an incredibly cool glass Artificial Eye that glows even in the dark."

Izuna raised his hand and pointed to his right eye. "Although my eye socket can't bear that much weight, I'm very grateful to my mother who ordered this eye for me."

"Izuna..." Madara's voice was tense, as if he wanted to stop her.

Izuna ignored him and continued, her tone light as if she were talking about someone else's business, "When it first happened, we were all shocked, terrified, and furious at the culprit. But it has already happened, so I think..."

"Hmm... Now that I'm one-eyed, does that mean I can squat by the roadside in the middle of the night, pretend to be a ghost, and randomly scare a passerby to death with my one big, bulbous eye?"

"I tried it that night, and I actually scared someone, but it was my mom. So I experienced my first ever bamboo shoot and pork stir-fry."

Hideki couldn't help but burst out laughing, then desperately covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking.

The expressions of the others also changed from serious to bewildered and amused.

Ban gave a look that suggested he was amused but didn't really want to laugh; his brows were furrowed, but the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards. "Don't joke like that."

"Why?" Izuna raised an eyebrow, seemingly a little smug. "Laugh, you should laugh. Making a joke about a serious topic doesn't mean I'm not taking it seriously; it just means I'm not letting it control my life."

"I've experienced countless awful things in my life. If Tenten dwell on them all the time, I won't be able to do anything else. I might as well be more optimistic and just let these terrible things go like a fart."

Yuansheng fell silent. He slowed his pace, stopping half a step behind Izuna. "... I'm sorry."

Izuna turned around, revealing Dead-Fish Eyes. "Very well, you still don't understand. If Madara didn't give me a beating if I took my eyes off now, I would definitely take them off and scare you to death!"

Kyōnosuke walked ahead and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Yuansheng was both amused and exasperated. He recalled Izuna's earlier comment about randomly scaring someone to death while pretending to be a ghost, and thought to himself, "I almost became the person you scared, didn't I?"

Seeing his smile, Izuna looked up smugly and said, "That's more like it! People should be optimistic. The real strong ones are those who can turn hardship into a joke!"

"What kind of fallacy is this?" Yuansheng finally smiled. "That's pure sophistry."