The Cancer Shiraishi Yoshijo

I have to admit, when Takemoto Shuichi got imposing, the old man practically left Shiraishi Yoshijo stunned into submission.

He had been trapped in a vicious cycle for a long time.

The Will of Fire clearly conflicted with his own personal will, and he had long wanted to leave Konoha.

Yet, he worried about his clansmen and the Takemoto Clan living here, fearing that his departure would bring a catastrophe upon them.

The final instructions Shiraishi Eizawa gave before his death still swirled in his mind to this day.

He had been searching for a way to handle this properly all along.

Now that Takemoto Shuichi had guessed his intentions, he actually felt a sense of relief.

Some things had been weighing so heavily on his heart that he had long wanted to discuss them with someone and pour his feelings out.

"Grandpa Shuichi, since you put it that way, are you saying you agree with what I'm doing?"

"I do not."

Shiraishi Yoshijo felt his head fill with black lines.

If you don't agree, why were you being so impassioned just now?

"What I don't agree with is your current approach; it's too petty!"

"As for your goal, is it really just to become a homeless, lonely, and aging rogue ninja?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo gradually began to catch on, his eyes lighting up.

"What exactly do you mean, Grandpa Shuichi?"

"First, tell me why you even came up with the idea of wanting revenge, defecting, and destroying Konoha?"

Since he had been completely seen through by this old man, Shiraishi Yoshijo stopped hiding or holding back.

"I don't agree with the Will of Fire. I am a selfish guy, and I have no interest in risking my life for some so-called Will of Fire."

"You might get angry hearing me say this, but I have to say it: my clansmen and relatives died for this so-called Will of Fire. In a sense, they were killed by the Will of Fire."

"The Will of Fire is just nonsense used to trick people into dying, just like the way the family treats Ninja Butterfly as if they were kin—it's all a lie."

"I want to live authentically, not live inside an illusory dream."

After saying all this in one breath, Shiraishi Yoshijo felt much lighter in his heart.

The Will of Fire or whatever—it was just the most annoying thing ever.

After listening, Takemoto Shuichi shook his head and said, "You keep harping on about the Will of Fire, but do you actually understand what the Will of Fire is?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo curled his lip; he didn't speak, but the expression on his face was one of utter disdain.

"Let me tell you what the Will of Fire is. The Will of Fire is about protecting the future; it is a legacy connected by blood."

"The Will of Fire killed your clansmen and relatives?"

"If you insist on thinking that way, then they were killed by you. You are their Will of Fire."

Shiraishi Yoshijo froze, the expression on his face gradually turning bitter.

"If you understood what I said, then you should know what you need to do."

Shiraishi Yoshijo slowly regained his composure and said, "Grandpa Shuichi, the future is too far away. I only care about the present; I am just a selfish guy."

"I cannot and do not want to become that kind of person. At the end of the day, I simply don't have the Will of Fire."

Takemoto Shuichi sighed, though a strange glint flickered in his eyes.

"Do you feel annoyed staying here, thinking that there is no future for you here?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo nodded calmly.

"Then do you want to go and find your own future?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo nodded again.

"Then that's that. Being selfish isn't a bad thing."

"Your grandfather was much more selfish than you when he was young. If there was food, he had to take a bite before letting me have any; he had to master a Ninjutsu himself before he would teach it to me."

"He wouldn't even let me get married before he did. Do you think I should hate your grandfather for that?"

"On the contrary, I think your grandfather was remarkable."

"He was selfish toward me because he treated me as one of his own. He only allowed himself to bully me, and he never let anyone else do it."

"Later, when he became the clan head, he remained very selfish, only the object of his selfishness shifted to the clan. He only allowed himself to bully his clansmen, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to."

"Whoever dared to bully us, he—a guy who treated us like his own property—would definitely fight them to the death."

"Your grandfather always acted selfishly, and he didn't care what others said about him, because he knew himself that he was a selfish person."

"But is this kind of selfishness bad?"

"You were born, and your grandfather felt that the policies of the Second Hokage would endanger you, so he went to fight for the position of Hokage without hesitation. When he failed, he took the entire clan to the battlefield to die."

"The whole clan knew your grandfather was only doing it for you, yet they still went to the battlefield."

"Why? Isn't it because they believe you will treat their descendants as your own property to protect, just like your grandfather did?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo fell into a long, profound silence.

"You believe there is no future here and want to seek out a future of your own. Since that is the case, why would you leave your property to others?"

"Didn't you say you were a selfish person? Then show me that selfishness. Take all your property with you and go find this so-called future of yours."

"The Will of Fire is indeed the future, but our Will of Fire has nothing to do with the Will of Fire of Konohagakure."

"Our Will of Fire is you, and those children in the clan who have yet to grow up."

"The Will of Fire of Konohagakure is merely the continuation of the village. This village existed because of the people first, not the other way around."

"If one puts the clan aside simply for the sake of the village's continuation, it is nothing short of putting the cart before the horse."

Hearing these words from Takemoto Shuichi, a flush rose to Shiraishi Yoshijo's calm face; he finally understood why he always felt so out of place in this village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had to make all sorts of compromises for the sake of the village's continuation, and Danzo had to purge the ninja clans for the same reason.

They valued the interests of Konohagakure too highly, while ignoring the people who made up the village.

This was the true meaning of putting the cart before the horse.

They used this inverted Will of Fire to hoodwink generation after generation of Konohagakure villagers.

Even someone as powerful as Uchiha Madara was defeated under this inverted Will of Fire.

Senju Hashirama would not allow Uchiha Madara to harm this village.

Senju Tobirama perfectly inherited his brother's will and carried it forward.

Influenced by the first two Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi also inherited this inverted Will of Fire.

A country must have people first, and only then can it evolve into a nation.

It is precisely because one lives in this country that one contributes to it.

If the country abandons you, why should you still remain in it?

For Konohagakure, they must ensure the supreme status of the Hokage.

Because this is a development that benefits Konohagakure.

Therefore, outdated things like ninja clans have become a malignant tumor.

This tumor would cause the development of Konohagakure to become deformed, which is why Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were so desperate to cure the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chose the relatively gentle approach of traditional medicine.

Danzo chose the approach of a witch doctor, hacking away wherever it hurt.

As for Shiraishi Yoshijo, well, he was the biggest tumor of them all.

Even the current Uchiha clan was not as much of a tumor as he was.