Haku's Troubled Heart

A while later, the camp's Deputy Commander, Aono Shinichi, arrived.

Aono Shinichi, Minamoto Shizuka, and Rion are all Deputy Commander. After receiving the rescue from Haku, it was Aono Shinichi who dispatched Uzumaki Riori was closer to the area, to provide assistance.

However, besides visiting Haku and the others, Aono Shinichi had another matter to discuss.

"Senior Sister Kusaka, Teacher Yichen wants you to go back," Aono Shinichi said to Fujii Kusaka.

Fujii Kusaka thought about how she had been on the front lines for a while now, and that Yichen should be absorbing the second Death God by now, so she nodded.

Fujii Kusaka was about to say goodbye to Shiro and Kamizuru Tsuruhime were standing next to her.

Bai said, "Kusaka, I'll go back with you."

Fujii Kusaka and Kamizuru Tsuruhime were somewhat surprised to hear this.

Bai explained, "The group of Cloud ninja we encountered was probably the strongest among the fleeing Cloud ninja. After they were scattered, the remaining Cloud ninja can no longer cause any trouble."

"I happen to have some questions I'd like to ask Teacher Yichen when I get back."

Kamizuru Tsuruhime said, "Then I'll go back with you. I've been out for a while, and I need to go back and continue raising new Little Bee."

Fujii Kusaka and Shiro both nodded without saying a word, but Shiro's expression was somewhat complicated, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Fujii Kusaka's injury wasn't fatal, and she recovered quickly after Karin's treatment.

The day after returning to the village, she began absorbing the second Death God in cooperation with Yichen.

With the precedent of the first Death God, this absorption seemed very natural.

This time, Yichen not only invited Neji, but also asked Izumi Uchiha and help.

Rather than offering help, Yichen actually wanted Izumi Uchiha to learn from Neji how to control the Giant Sharingan.

In particular, Neji will be using the Giant Tenseigan's abilities related to the soul this time.

Izumi Uchiha could just put that into practice.

With the combined efforts of Neji and Izumi Uchiha, Fujii Kusaka dealt with the Death God with incredible speed.

This time, Yichen simply absorbed the souls of two Death God at once.

This caused Yichen's already doubled Soul Power to double again.

This sudden surge in his soul power left Yichen feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

However, Yichen was not flustered, because he had a lot of data to process.

This kind of mental work can help me adapt well to the changes brought about by the surge in my spirituality.

Yichen needs to sift through a large amount of raw data to develop a feasible solution for the seventh layer analysis of the Five Elements Fusion.

This workload was enormous, large enough for Yichen to fully adapt to the sense of unease brought about by the surge in his Soul Power.

With his Soul Power surging, Yichen processed this data much faster than the Little White Ball Research Group could collect data from the Little White Ball.

So the massive amount of data that had piled up in the lab was finally processed by Yichen after about a month.

After finishing, Yichen sensed his current soul state.

Although I still feel a bit bloated, that feeling of being unsteady and out of control is gone.

With this in mind, Yichen decided to help Sokai awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan as well.

However, when Yichen emerged from seclusion, he found that Bai had been waiting for him for a long time.

Bai hasn't left the village to carry out any tasks for the past month. He comes to Yichen's house every day, only to be told every day that Yichen hasn't come out of seclusion yet.

When Yichen saw Bai, he was startled by his appearance.

At this moment, Bai's eye sockets were sunken, with deep dark circles, and his eyes were lifeless. He was slightly hunched over, clearly indicating that he had not rested well during this period.

Even the Chakra within his body seemed somewhat chaotic.

"Bai, are you injured too?" Yichen blurted out.

Yichen learned about the danger Bai Ji and his group were facing from Fujii Kusaka.

They also knew that Fujii Kusaka and Kamizuru Tsuruhime were injured, while Shiro was simply exhausted.

Logically, after a month of rest, Bai should have recovered long ago, so why is he in this state now?

Bai shook his head and said, "Teacher Yichen, I'm not injured, I'm just feeling a little sad."

Yichen blinked, invited Bai into his home, poured him a glass of water, and then said, "Tell me what's wrong."

Bai took a sip of water, thought for a moment, and said, "This time, because of my misjudgment, the village suffered many losses."

"My three men have all died in battle. Teacher Yichen, am I a very incompetent captain?"

Yichen was taken aback and immediately understood what Bai was struggling with.

In order to save the two Iwa ninja squads, Haku chose to ambush the Cloud ninja before Uzumaki Riori arrived.

His tactics were risky, and the results proved him wrong.

Of the two teams of eight people he rescued, only one Jonin managed to escape.

More importantly, three of Bai's subordinates were also killed in the process.

That's not the most important thing. If Uzumaki Riori had arrived any later, he Kamizuru Tsuruhime, and Fujii Kusaka would have all perished there as well.

Yichen thought about it and realized that although Bai's background was somewhat bizarre, his life had been very smooth.

He grew up surrounded by a group of geniuses, and was mentored by two Kage-level experts, the Third Tsuchikage and Kitsuchi.

Kitsuchi and Shion completely regarded Bai as their own son.

After graduating from the Ninja Academy, he became a disciple of the Fourth Tsuchikage, and Yichen's guidance goes without saying.

He rose smoothly from Genin to Chunin, then to Jonin, and finally to Elite Jonin.

He encountered almost no setbacks; he grew up amidst the envious gazes of others.

During this time, he also gained a younger sister. Although the process of rescuing his sister was somewhat bumpy, the outcome was still satisfactory.

He doesn't need to worry about the relationship between Kirigakure and Iwagakure, because his allegiance was promised to the Tsuchikage by the Mizukage himself.

He had never experienced a true life-or-death separation. The Iwa ninja had been winning one victory after another over the years, and not many ninja had died in battle.

His senior classmates rose to fame in one battle after another, and he was also expected to achieve great things. He also longed to gain everyone's recognition.

But this time he suffered a major blow. His three subordinates had followed him shortly after he left Yichen's Squad.

They spent a long time together.

He taught the three a lot, and they didn't disappoint him. He estimated that in another year or two, the three, who originally had mediocre talent, might be able to advance to Special Jonin, or even Jonin.

But suddenly, all three of his men were killed in battle. He felt guilty and distressed that all his efforts had been in vain.

These days, Bai sees the three figures whenever he closes his eyes.

The memories of his time with the three of them always come to mind.

This made Bai feel very guilty, and he wanted to talk to someone. He knew that his state was not right, but he couldn't find a suitable person to confide in.

The older generation in the family rarely takes care of them now, and with the youngest, Yuki Kinuyo, graduating, Kitsuchi and Shion pay even less attention to the children.

In their view, the children have all grown up and become qualified ninjas; they must walk their own path in the future.

Although Ōnoki is now only Honorary Advisor, he is still vigorous and has a lot to do.

So Bai couldn't find any elders to confide in, not only because the elders didn't have time, but even his older brother didn't have time.

Deidara is an official advisor, and he has been working very diligently ever since he was tricked by Yichen into inheriting the Will of Stone.

His goal is the Fifth Tsuchikage! As Kage Level born and raised in Iwagakure, he cannot lose to an outsider.

While Sokai may not live long, he lacks intelligence. Moreover, as Izumi Uchiha's inner conflict is resolved, their relationship quickly heats up, and he, deeply in love, has no time to care about anything else.

Most importantly, these people were unaware of this and failed to notice that Bai's mindset was problematic.

So Bai has been wandering around the village like a zombie these past few days, but he still can't find anyone to answer his questions.

Yichen took a deep breath, inwardly cursing himself for being too careless. Fortunately, Bai's thinking was not seriously flawed; he still knew to come looking for him.

Otherwise, if he continues to be decadent, he won't be able to discover it.

I've been too focused on my training lately and forgot about the Tsuchikage's most important task: brainwashing.

Tomorrow I'll take stock of these disciples to see if there's anything I can guide them on.

However, Yichen needs to consider first how to help Bai get out of her self-blame.

Bai was troubled by two issues: one was his misjudgment, which led to even greater losses for the village.

The village was originally supposed to lose a maximum of eight people, and if those eight had chosen to scatter and flee from the beginning, perhaps a few more could have escaped.

Once Uzumaki Riori arrives, those twenty-odd Cloud ninja will have no chance to kill anyone.

But because of Bai's decision, the village lost a total of ten people, which was actually more.

The second was the death of a subordinate he had worked with for a long time, which made Bai feel sad and guilty.

The first question is easy. Yichen patted Bai on the shoulder and said, "Bai, what do you think is the most important thing for a ninja?"

Bai had no time to think about these things; he simply shook his head.

Yichen wasn't annoyed. He said, "The most important thing for a ninja is willpower. Our Iwagakure possesses the Will of Stone!"

"Bai, do you know what the Will of Stone is?"

Bai's attention focused a bit more at this point. He thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Unity?"

Yichen nodded, then shook his head, and said, "Unity is part of the Will of Stone, but not entirely."

"The Will of Stone is also a code of conduct! It is our Ninja Way!"

"Our Iwagakure is the Great Ninja Village in the Ninja World, and we haven't lost a single war in recent decades."

"This environment has shaped the unique characteristics of our Iwa ninja."

"The villagers of Iwagakure are confident, and Iwa ninja will is generally stronger than that of other ninja villages."

"Did you know? This kind of invisible confidence makes all the ninjas in our village train faster than those in other ninja villages."

"Therefore, the stronger our Iwa ninja village becomes, the stronger our confidence will be."

"If things continue like this, even without starting a war, we will slowly wear down Konoha and Mist ninja."

"But do you know what? Before the rise of Iwa ninja, it was Konoha that had this confidence, which is why Konoha ninja have always been the strongest in the Ninja World."

"It took me more than a decade to overturn this notion in the minds of Konoha ninja."

"You can hardly imagine how powerful this invisible force would be if it were applied to tens of thousands of ninjas in the entire village."

"This kind of confidence cannot be restored by losing one or two ninjas."

"Although you misjudged this time, your actions were in accordance with the Will of Stone and the confidence expected of a ninja from a Great Ninja Village."

"Imagine if you hadn't intervened, but instead watched your comrades being killed. Wouldn't you surviving ninjas be left with a lingering trauma? Wouldn't you regret it?"

"Now imagine if this got back to the ears of other ninjas, wouldn't their confidence be affected?"

"Now, in everyone's eyes, you are heroes who risked your lives for your comrades, and your three subordinates are even more so heroes who sacrificed themselves for the village."

"When everyone hears this, they will only feel that their confidence is correct, and that the Will of Stone they firmly believe in has not deceived them."

"In the future, even if other ninjas encounter the same situation, they will make the same choice, and they will be proud of you!"

"Compare the two: is the consequence of taking action more serious, or the consequence of choosing to stand by and watch?"

Bai was completely stunned, his train of thought swayed by Yichen's explanation.

He thought for a long time before saying, "Standing by and watching coldly will only damage the confidence of the other ninjas in the village, making the situation even worse."

Yichen smiled slightly and said, "That's right, you made the right choice!"

"As for your three comrades who died in battle, they are now heroes of the village, but if you choose to stay put, won't they feel guilty for the rest of their lives?"

"This is easy to understand. Think about yourself. If you don't intervene and watch your comrades die before your eyes, can you live with yourself in the future?"

Bai shook his head. He couldn't imagine that situation; he would definitely keep denying himself and then completely fall into depravity.

Yichen said, "Yes, you will feel guilty, and they will feel guilty too."

"So choosing to save your comrades wasn't just your idea, it was your idea together, it was the idea shared by all of us Iwa ninja."

"I think all three of them felt they made the right choice until they died!"

A glimmer of light returned to Byakugan, Yichen pressed his advantage. "Of course, they also have their share of pain and regrets!"

Bai Wenyan quickly looked up and Yichen said, "Teacher Yichen, what is it that they regret?"

Yichen said, "They will feel bad for their weakness, and they will feel bad for not being able to help their teammates fight the enemy."

Bai remained silent, but his fists had unconsciously clenched.

Yichen glanced at him and continued, "Your previous decision wasn't wrong, but your month of self-abandonment was."

"You failed to carry on their will, and their sacrifices were in vain!"

Bai hurriedly asked, "What is their will?"

Yichen said, "They felt guilty about their weakness, so you need to carry on their wishes and strive to become stronger."

"Only by becoming stronger can you avoid this regret in the future."

Their wish is that you can live on in their place, become stronger, and not blame yourself for your weakness in similar situations in the future.

Bai nodded thoughtfully, and his slightly hunched back straightened up unconsciously.

At this point, Yichen continued, "Think about it, if you were in the same position as your senior brother Kawakita, Senior Brother Shinya, or Sokai, would they be conflicted?"

"Given their capabilities, do they need to blame themselves?"

"Even if it were Senior Sister Riori saved you, in your position, would the Cloud ninja still have a chance to fight back?"

Bai lowered his head deeply, and after a long while, he whispered, "Teacher Yichen, I understand. I shouldn't give up on myself; I should cultivate even harder."

Yichen patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go back and get some sleep first, then go see their family and see if they need any help."

"Their families will need your care in the future."

Bai nodded heavily, then stood up, bowed to Yichen, and turned to leave.

Yichen then went to see each of his disciples and chatted with each of them for a few minutes.

Although Yichen had many disciples, there were not many Yichen could guide at their level.

Yichen had already said what needed to be said.

Yichen simply observed the disciples' mindsets, subtly correcting those with problems and simply chatting with those without.

Then he had a heart-to-heart talk with some of the village's Elite Jonin and young geniuses.

Yichen spent more time on these people, giving them guidance one by one.

As Iwagakure's territory expands, it needs more and more strong individuals capable of standing alone.

Although he has many disciples, most of them are not suitable to be in charge on their own, Yichen still needs these geniuses to help him manage the village.

Finally, Yichen also visited the Ninja Academy and gave the students a vivid lesson on the Will of Stone.

However, the students at the Ninja Academy weren't very happy, because Yichen indicated that he would likely not have time to take on disciples in the future.

However, Yichen also mentioned that he has urged his students to take on more disciples.

So even though you can't become Yichen's disciple, being a disciple of his disciple is still pretty good.

What Yichen didn't expect was that after he finished his rounds, Bai found him again.

But by this time, Bai had already regained her usual serene demeanor; her previous disheveled appearance was long gone.

Most importantly, judging from his aura, he was already a near-Kage level cultivator.

Yichen looked at Bai in front of him, patted him on the shoulder, and felt somewhat speechless.

How did it suddenly become a film? Is advancing to the next level for a genius really that simple?

Yichen said, "Teacher Yichen, I want to be your mentor."

"I will carry on the Will of Stone that you taught me."

It turned out that he had come to respond to his call, which Yichen was naturally happy to see.

Yichen patted his disciple, whom he had successfully brainwashed, with satisfaction, and then enthusiastically shared some of his experience in teaching disciples.

"Bai, with recent graduates, you need to use reverse psychology more often. Talk to them and brag about how you were when you were a kid."

"Once you've won their admiration, they'll listen to you."

"What if the child doesn't want to practice? It's simple, tell them that you were just average-talented back then, and you only became successful through hard work."

"Never tell your child that you relied on talent and practiced casually; this will damage their self-confidence."

"Teaching disciples can get tiring after a while, so you need to find some fun, like occasionally giving them a hard time. Seeing them get frustrated will make you happy."

White:...

After offering Bai a string of wise words, Yichen shared the good news with the other senior executives.

However, the Iwagakure is no longer as surprised as it was at the beginning by the sudden appearance of a Kage Level.

Everyone congratulated Yichen smoothly, and then Bai picked an S-rank Ninjutsu and that was it.

On an island far from the Ninja World, a group of children are practicing Taijutsu.

The children practiced very seriously. Although they were all young, they didn't talk to each other, and their faces didn't show the liveliness that children their age should have.

Not far from the children, there were some closely packed houses. It was clear that these houses were newly built, and there weren't many of them.

On the edge of the island, a burly figure stood gazing out to sea.

This person is none other than Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B of the Cloud ninja.

Killer B fled the battlefield, abandoning the Cloud Ninja Army and the Kumogakure, just to come here.

Killer B is standing on Turtle Island, Turtle Island can move, making it difficult for the Iwa ninja to locate them.

Therefore, before the final First Shinobi War, the Fifth Raikage, Darui, fearing defeat, transferred some of the most talented children to Turtle Island.

Darui had already transferred the Cloud ninja's Ninjutsu Scroll and a large amount of wealth to Turtle Island.

The Cloud ninja deliberately caused extensive damage to the village before it was captured in order to confuse the Iwa Ninja and prevent them from discovering that the Iwa ninja Cloud ninja had transferred their wealth.

Killer B stood on the beach for a while when a woman with gray hair, dark skin, delicate features, and an exaggerated figure walked over.

Killer B turned around and said, "Mabui?"

Mabui nodded; he wasn't surprised that Killer B spoke like a normal person.

He hasn't rapped since the destruction of the Kumogakure.

Mabui nodded and asked, "Has Samui not returned yet?"

Killer B a moment, then said, "It's a day later than scheduled. I'm afraid something has happened."

A worried look appeared on Mabui's face. She turned and looked at the children who were practicing for a while.

Then he said to Killer B, "Killer B, do you think we still have any hope of returning to the Land of Lightning?"

Killer B shook his head and said, "I don't know either. We definitely have no hope on our own; in the end, it all depends on Konoha."

Mabui asked curiously, "Konoha? Konoha's strength is currently inferior to Mist ninja's. Does Konoha have any hope of defeating Iwa ninja?"

Killer B said, "The potential of Kirigakure is not as good as that of Konoha. Konoha has the potential to produce geniuses who surpass the Kage Level, but Mist ninja, like us, does not."

"My eldest brother once told me that since the Third Hokage, our four clans have always been at odds with Konoha because we were afraid—afraid that Konoha would produce another Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha."

"I just didn't expect that while Konoha was suppressed, Iwa ninja produced a Yichen."

"What I didn't expect was that Yichen could actually train so many Kage-level experts."

"The number of Kage Level ninjas he has trained is more than all the Kage Level ninjas in the entire history of Cloud ninja."

Mabui remained silent, wondering if Konoha still had any hope of rising again against such a powerful Iwa ninja.

Or rather, given the current strength of Iwagakure, even if Konoha produced another Hashirama Senju, would it still be of any use?

Furthermore, does this Hashirama Senju still have time to grow?