Ants and Humans

Sosuke Aizen's every action had been beyond reproach.

Or rather, every one of his actions had been calculated and confirmed to be flawless.

This was not to say that he deliberately schemed for anything. More often than not, he simply saw through it at a glance and went with the flow.

Aizen bore no malice toward anyone. He was merely observing everything. He understood perfectly well that his techniques would inspire fear in the other Shinobi Villages.

Blut Vene was a revolutionary combat technique. Although Konoha's Ninja had recognized that, they had failed to anticipate the enemy's fear. A combat unit that could not be killed, could still attack, and could endlessly entangle its foes was practically the natural enemy of Ninja. Upper-rank Blut Vene users in particular could rampage across local battlefields with unstoppable force.

The aggressor naturally took it all for granted, but for the victims, it was entirely different. It was like how Konoha could never understand why, when faced with the powerful Konoha Village, the Ninja World War had immediately erupted after the First Hokage's death.

They did not experience power as enemies did; they used power as its companions. Naturally, they could not comprehend fear.

Faced with such extreme fear, they could still accept it for the moment, since their offensive capabilities were limited. But once news of Blut Arterie emerged, every Shinobi Village swiftly reached the same conclusion.

If they did not stake everything on one strike, then in several decades, Konoha's combination of Blut Vene, Blut Arterie, and Medical Ninja would grind them alive through a meat grinder. Yet launching a war directly was too hasty for them.

Though they spoke of starting a Ninja World War, the major nations had not yet completed full mobilization due to the relationship between the Sand Ninja and Stone Ninja. Caught between fear, objective reality, reason, and madness, the Ninja of the Four Great Shinobi Villages made a courageous decision.

They decided to set aside their prejudices and join hands, using the most efficient means to deal with Konoha's information. Regardless of the outcome, they would share their intelligence networks. Even if they were all silenced in a single battle, they would not hesitate.

They rationally judged Konoha's movements, used the information to identify the subtle frictions among Konoha's clans, and at the most opportune moment, had all the spies of the Four Great Shinobi Villages work together to launch the most lethal strike.

Though the process had been brief, lasting only a few dozen minutes, their exquisite coordination, courage, spirit of sacrifice, and the sight of Ninja from different villages joining forces against a common enemy made even Aizen sigh in admiration.

Though he disliked meaningless internal strife, this was like the catfish effect. Their desperate struggle would fill the entire world with the tense smell of gunpowder. And that smell of gunpowder, that tension of feeling as though wild dogs were chasing from behind, was precisely the staircase of human progress.

"Now that it's break time, I'll say a little more... Lady Tsunade, have you ever seen ants fight one another?"

Seeing Tsunade's somewhat bewildered expression, Aizen's original smile returned. Seated upright in the Writing Room, he lifted a cup of clear tea.

"Ants are highly social creatures. They possess a strict hierarchy, unified command and social relationships, and mechanisms of storage and expansion much like those of humans. One version of myself once most enjoyed watching two ant kingdoms trapped in a terrarium fight each other."

"But when there is no crisis or benefit involved, ants do not actually engage in particularly fierce conflict. Nor do they think of breaking through the thick glass cover. They simply live there peacefully, each keeping to its place."

"But if you drip sugar water somewhere, or take away part of their reserves, the ants become aggressive. They evolve, plunder, and protect their homes."

Aizen spoke with a smile, as though a real ant nest had already appeared before him.

But Tsunade, sitting before him, felt a chill spread through her entire body.

Of course she understood what the man before her was comparing this to. But that was Konoha—the Konoha where he himself had lived for decades.

How could a person be so cruel and heartless, calmly watching such things happen in the place where he lived? Looking at the man before her, who seemed to hold everything in his grasp, Tsunade felt the absurdity and fear in her heart growing ever stronger.

"You... have no attachment to the village at all?"

"Attachment? The original meaning of attachment is having one's hands and feet bound, unable to move. Both characters in the word originally referred to things used to tether cattle, horses, and other animals. It is an expression of obedience and servility. We are humans; we do not need such things."

Looking at Tsunade, Aizen spoke as naturally as ever.

"What we need is not attachment, but reason, rules, order, ideals, the future, and most importantly, courage. Courage does not only mean creating the future and walking roads never walked by those before us. Admitting one's mistakes is courage. Facing one's true self is courage as well."

"In Konoha, I fulfilled my duties perfectly. I created Blut Arterie and Blut Vene, giving Konoha a decisive advantage on local battlefields. I helped ease the contradictions between the upper and lower ranks of Konoha, linking the White Fang's death to the Kazekage's death, so that the upper-rank Ninja would stop clamoring and agitating. I even exceeded expectations in a series of economic and administrative projects. So the question is, who was it that failed to follow the rules and destroyed the Results?"

"I do not believe it was me. So tell me, who was it that truly failed to take responsibility for Konoha and failed to understand the meaning of their own existence?"

As Tsunade stood there wide-eyed, her mind in chaos and unable to say anything, Aizen shook his head regretfully.

Ninja rarely possessed the ability to connect the various aspects of a matter.

Whenever they discovered that something involved a certain person, they instinctively blamed that person. But Aizen was not particularly angry about it, because he knew it was not truly the Ninja's fault. They simply had not been educated.

Their dictionaries seemed to lack the concept of everyone performing their own duties; instead, whoever discovered something was responsible for it. Yet in truth, the ones responsible for managing such matters should have been the Hokage's direct ANBU. The ones responsible for compiling his technical information and deciding whether it should be made public were also the two Advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

The one responsible for investigating spies from the major villages within the village and monitoring their movements should have been Elder Shimura Danzō. As an Elder Advisor who was only responsible for providing recommendations and administrative measures, Sosuke Aizen had no responsibility whatsoever. No matter who it was, no matter their reasoning, they had no way to accuse him. Because it truly was not his responsibility.

Rather than reflect on the negligence of others and themselves, people blamed those more capable for failing to do even better. That was human nature. Only through education could one understand the logic behind it.

But clearly, the Ninja did not seem like the sort who could receive a higher education.

Or rather, they were indeed severely lacking in humanities education.

"I know you hope that I can save Konoha like some Omniscience and Omnipotence being, or that I will take control of Konoha and push the village your grandfather cherished to its peak, indirectly fulfilling your ideals. But I have already said it: I have my own ideals, not his."

"Humans do irrational things. When facing an absolutely closed space, when facing a future already steeped in despair, they will still devote all their strength to a vague and intangible future. That is why I admire the Ninja of the Four Great Shinobi Villages. Faced with a future that might be hopeless, they did not choose to await death with bound hands. They chose to exchange their strength and wisdom for a sliver of survival."

"So I gave them an opportunity, and I gave Konoha one as well. Clearly, they were the ones who seized it."

As Tsunade seemed to have calmed down, the force around her body gradually collapsing away, Aizen sat behind the desk with his teacup in hand, his expression compassionate.

"If it is the love of companions or the love of parents, beasts possess such things as well. Beasts will also sacrifice themselves for friends and family. But only humans will sacrifice everything for a vague and intangible hope, in exchange for an almost imperceptible victory."

"That is what I wish to see."

"Then... then what you intend is..."

"If possible, once the time is ripe, I will even establish a neutral organization. I will rescue those Ninja who, after battles end, have lost their teammates and companions and gradually wait for death."

Facing Tsunade, who seemed to understand the current situation but still could not quite accept it, Aizen pushed up his glasses and spoke in a deep voice, as though he were not joking.

"Because I do not like seeing meaningless deaths. I believe every person's death should have meaning, rather than being abandoned like an animal, left barely alive in some unknown corner until they rot into bones and sink into the soil."

"Only by understanding the value of life can one find the courage to face it. That applies to me, to those I once knew, and to Tsunade and Dan as well. Since that is so, what reason would I have to do things that benefit only one family or one nation, rather than the entire world? I would rather see the whole world improve, not Konoha alone."

"And ultimately, if Konoha must rely on my performance from beginning to end in order to stand in this world, then I do not think there is any need for me to remain here. I am greatly looking forward to the changes Konoha's people will make under the pressure of the Four Great Shinobi Villages. It should not be only me who has courage. Everyone should."

"I hope this will give you a sense of urgency and the motivation to move forward."

As Tsunade closed her mouth and fell silent, seemingly persuaded, Aizen looked at the sky, slowly rose to his feet, and smiled.

"Ah, pardon me. Afternoon tea is over. Next, I will be teaching Kakashi-kun about ninjutsu and scientific understanding. If you are interested, you may sit in. I believe it would be very useful for Ninja."

"...No, thank you."

"A refusal? I believe Ninja should study more. Possessing power without mastering one's own heart is truly a sad thing. Then, farewell."

Aizen gave Tsunade a courteous bow. His smiling figure scattered and vanished beneath the sunlight like foam, as though he had taken something away, and yet as though he had taken nothing at all.

"It's better to be a little koi fish... The more you know, the deeper the hurt."

Standing by the edge of the pond, Hatake Sakumo crouched down and muttered as he scattered the breadcrumbs in his hand into the fish pond.