The Tumor That Was Shiraishi Yoshijo

I have to say, when old Takemoto Shuichi got fired up, he left Shiraishi Yoshijo utterly awestruck.

For a long time, Yoshijo had been trapped in a vicious cycle.

The Will of Fire clearly clashed with his own convictions, and he had wanted to leave Konoha for ages.

But he worried about the people of his clan and the Takemoto Family living here. He feared that his departure would bring disaster down on them.

Shiraishi Eizawa's dying words still echoed in his mind.

He had always been searching for a way to resolve things properly.

Now that Takemoto Shuichi had guessed what was on his mind, he actually felt relieved.

Some things had been weighing heavily on his heart, and he had long wanted someone to talk them over with.

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

"I don't."

Shiraishi Yoshijo was at a loss for words.

If you didn't agree, why had you sounded so impassioned?

"What I don't agree with is what you're doing now. You're being too timid!"

"As for your goal, is it really to become a homeless rogue ninja and die alone?"

Yoshijo gradually understood. His eyes began to shine.

"Grandpa Shuichi, what exactly do you mean?"

"First, tell me why you came up with the idea of seeking revenge, defecting, and destroying Konoha."

Since the old man had already seen right through him, Yoshijo stopped holding back.

"I don't agree with the Will of Fire. I'm selfish, and I have no interest in risking my life for some Will of Fire."

"You might get angry when I say this, but I'll say it anyway. My clan and my family died for that so-called Will of Fire. In a sense, the Will of Fire was what killed them."

"The Will of Fire is just a lie that tricks people into dying. It's like the claim in our clan that we should treat Ninja Butterflies as family. It's all a lie."

"I want to live honestly, not in some illusory dream."

After saying all that in one breath, Yoshijo felt much lighter.

The Will of Fire and all that? He couldn't stand it.

After listening, Takemoto Shuichi shook his head. "You keep going on about the Will of Fire, but do you really understand what it is?"

Yoshijo curled his lip. He said nothing, but the disdain on his face was unmistakable.

"Let me tell you what the Will of Fire is. It's about protecting the future; it's a legacy passed down through blood ties."

"The Will of Fire killed your clan and family?"

"If you insist on seeing it that way, then you were the one who killed them. You were their Will of Fire."

Yoshijo froze. Bitterness gradually surfaced on his face.

"If you understand what I'm saying, then you should know what you need to do."

Yoshijo slowly regained his composure. "Grandpa Shuichi, the future is too far away. I'm only concerned with the present. I'm just a selfish person."

"I can't become that kind of person, and I don't want to. When all is said and done, I simply don't have the Will of Fire."

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

"Do you find it tiresome staying here? Do you think you have no future here?"

Yoshijo nodded calmly.

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

Yoshijo nodded again.

"Then what's the problem? Being selfish isn't a bad thing."

"Your grandfather was far more selfish than you as a boy. Whenever there was something to eat, he had to take the first bite before giving me any. He had to master a Ninjutsu himself before he'd teach me."

"He wouldn't even let me marry before he did. Do you think I hated your grandfather?"

"Quite the opposite. I thought he was remarkable."

"He was selfish toward me because he considered me one of his own. Only he was allowed to bully me; he never let anyone else do it."

"Later, when he became clan head, he was still selfish. The only difference was that he became selfish for the clan. Only he was allowed to bully the clan members; he wouldn't let anyone else do it."

"If anyone dared bully us, that man who treated us like his property would fight them to the death."

"Your grandfather always acted selfishly. He didn't care when people called him selfish, because he knew he was a selfish person."

"But was that kind of selfishness really so bad?"

"When you were born, your grandfather thought the Second Hokage's policies would put you in danger, so he went all out to compete for the Hokage position. When he failed, he led the entire clan to the battlefield to die."

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

"Why? Because they believed you would protect their descendants as your own property, just as your grandfather would have."

Shiraishi Yoshijo fell into a long silence.

"You think there's no future here and want to go find your own. If that's the case, why leave your property behind for someone else?"

"Didn't you say you're selfish? Then show me how selfish you can be. Take all your property with you and go find that future you claim to want."

"The Will of Fire is indeed about the future, but our Will of Fire has nothing to do with Konoha's Will of Fire."

"Our Will of Fire is you, and the children of the clan who haven't yet grown up."

"Konoha's Will of Fire is merely about the village's continuation. People came first; Konoha came later."

"If you put the clan aside just to ensure the village continues, you've completely reversed your priorities."

At Takemoto Shuichi's words, a flush spread across Yoshijo's calm face. He finally understood why he had always felt out of place in this village.

For the village to continue, the Third Hokage had to make all kinds of compromises. Danzo had to purge the ninja clans.

They placed far too much importance on Konoha's interests and ignored the people who made up Konoha.

That was the real reversal of priorities.

They had used this twisted version of the Will of Fire to deceive generation after generation of Konoha villagers.

Even someone as powerful as Uchiha Madara had been driven back by this twisted Will of Fire.

Senju Hashirama wouldn't allow Uchiha Madara to harm the village.

Senju Tobirama inherited his elder brother's will perfectly and took it even further.

Under the influence of the first two Hokage, the Third Hokage inherited this twisted Will of Fire as well.

A country needs people first; only then can it become a country.

People contribute to their country because they live in it.

If the country abandons you, why should you stay?

As far as Konoha was concerned, the Hokage's supreme authority had to be secured.

That was what best served Konoha's development.

So the ninja clans, outdated as they were, became tumors.

These tumors would make Konoha's development lopsided, so the Third Hokage and Danzo were both desperate to cure the village.

The Third Hokage chose traditional medicine, with its relatively gentle effects.

Danzo chose the witch doctor's method: wherever it hurt, he hacked away.

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

Even the Uchiha Clan wasn't as much of a tumor as he was.