The Shinobi World Never Makes Way for the Cowardly

Yamanaka Chujiu was very pleased with his performance.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzō were both Kage Level ninja. He'd controlled Danzō right to his face, leading him into making his biggest mistake.

He'd also spoken directly with Hiruzen Sarutobi, leading him to resent Danzō.

No one had realized he was the one pulling the strings in the conflict. He'd even put on a little show of tea ceremony and still managed to make everyone forget about him without realizing it.

By the end, even Shibi Aburame, the person who'd attracted the least attention, had forgotten he was there.

The key to his performance today had been the power of faith he'd gained from his believers.

This stuff not only greatly weakened the mind's defenses, allowing threads of thought to pierce through more easily, but also let him exert a stronger influence.

The next time he went to the battlefield, as long as he wasn't unlucky enough to be hit directly by a [Tailed Beast Ball], neither a Jinchūriki nor the Fourth Raikage would be able to threaten his life.

With his safety assured, Yamanaka Chujiu was overjoyed. He could let loose in all sorts of ways!

This time, he wouldn't spend the entire war timidly keeping his head down like he had when he was forced onto the battlefield at ten.

He would be brave!

This wasn't for Konoha. It was for his older brother, sister-in-law, and niece—and to make a name for himself and prepare to expand the foundation of his faith!

The Shinobi World never makes way for the cowardly, but it offers the brave one opportunity after another, helping them achieve success!

That was what Yamanaka Chujiu thought, and it was what he told Uchiha Shisui.

Shisui had only just learned that he'd been assigned to a combat unit before turning ten and would soon be heading to the Eastern Front to fight for Konoha.

No matter how talented Uchiha Shisui was, he was still only a nine-year-old boy.

When a child learned he had to go to war, fear and unease naturally rose in his heart.

Yamanaka Chujiu had predicted this in advance, giving Shisui a great deal of reassurance. It also prompted him to come over with Uchiha Itachi.

Yamanaka Chujiu gave him the encouragement and goal he needed most. "I told you before: if you want to save the Uchiha, you have to go to the battlefield!"

"This is the fate that's been set for you. Don't lose heart, don't be afraid. Go bravely."

"Make a name for yourself on the battlefield. Show your mettle. Let Konoha know, let the Shinobi World know, that you, Uchiha Shisui, are strong!"

"Then you'll be worthy of asking me about the true way to save the Uchiha."

Uchiha Shisui's gaze was resolute. "I understand, Chujiu-senpai!"

Hearing Yamanaka Chujiu's words, Uchiha Shisui finally understood the meaning of his fight and firmed his resolve.

At last, he asked curiously, "Senpai, will we be on the same battlefield?"

Yamanaka Chujiu replied, "Orochimaru-sensei told me I'll be going north to face the Kumogakure Ninja, while the Uchiha will be sent en masse to the Eastern Front to fight the Kirigakure Ninja."

Uchiha Itachi gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Sending the Uchiha, who specialize in Fire Release, to fight the Kirigakure, who specialize in Water Release—Hiruzen Sarutobi is deliberately sending us to our deaths!"

Yamanaka Chujiu put a hand on Itachi's head. "Itachi, don't complain. Complaining won't help. It'll only wear down your courage. You have to work hard to grow stronger if you want to change things."

Uchiha Itachi was breathing hard, but he couldn't help asking, "Chujiu-senpai, why are there so many bad people in Konoha?"

Yamanaka Chujiu smiled. "You think there are so many bad people because you're too weak right now. You think I'm the only one who's reached out to help you because the Uchiha Clan is too weak."

Uchiha Itachi didn't understand. "That's impossible. The Uchiha are the strongest ninja clan!"

Yamanaka Chujiu burst out laughing. "That's right. As a ninja clan, the Uchiha are so strong they have no rivals."

"But you Uchiha are in Konoha, and who in the village still plays at one-on-one fights between clans?"

"Can the Uchiha's strength surpass the combined might of the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, Mitokado, Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans?"

Uchiha Itachi understood. "No."

Yamanaka Chujiu praised him. "Good. You can face reality, but the truth is even harsher than what I just said."

"Those loyal to Hiruzen Sarutobi aren't just the ninja clans. There are at least six thousand civilian ninja, too!"

"The Uchiha are weak because you're closed off and isolated."

"When Shimura Danzō targeted the Uchiha, plenty of people thought what he did was wrong. But most Konoha ninja also felt the Uchiha were partly to blame."

"To put it bluntly, in the eyes of Konoha's ninja, when the Uchiha and Shimura Danzō clash, no one will step in to help you."

"Itachi, you have to remember: no hardship befalls the Uchiha for no reason."

"The Uchiha have had it too easy for decades. Your elders got lazy and basked in a pride they hadn't earned. That's why you're facing these difficulties now."

"The previous generation felled the trees; the next bakes in the sun."

"Now the Uchiha Clan's fortune has surged, giving rise to two geniuses like you. Of course you have to fight with everything you've got to turn things around and save the clan."

"Shisui isn't even ten yet, but he has to fight for his life on the battlefield. You, Itachi, have to be patient and hold back. Go to the Ninja Academy and study like you're supposed to."

"Itachi, don't listen to your foolish father. Don't graduate early!"

"Keep your head down, do your best to make friends, and get along with everyone. Show them a different future for the Uchiha!"

"Shisui, the same goes for you!"

"Keep your head down, get along with all your comrades, and become the Uchiha Clan's link to the outside world!"

"I'll put it plainly: if you two fail, the Uchiha, having exhausted their fortune, will have no choice but to attempt a rebirth."

Uchiha Itachi murmured, "A phoenix rising from the ashes?"

Yamanaka Chujiu said, "That's right. Rebirth."

"Most of the Uchiha Clan would have to die. Only a small number of children—ten or younger, perhaps even eight or younger—would be left to start over and reproduce under Konoha's watch."

"So it's not your pride that rests on your shoulders. It's the lives of more than ninety percent of the entire Uchiha Clan!"

"You have no right to do as you please!"

"If anyone in the Uchiha Clan keeps running their mouth, saying that proud Uchiha have no interest in associating with ordinary people, don't argue with them."

"Arguing is a waste of time and energy. It's pointless."

"When you aren't strong enough, winning an argument won't do you any good. And once you're strong enough, there's no need to explain anything—just go beat him up!"

"No one understands the Uchiha better than I do!"

Yamanaka Chujiu moved his hands in front of his chest and said confidently, "The most effective way to persuade an Uchiha is to beat the opposition to a pulp."

"If once isn't enough, do it twice, three times, or even more—until they understand you're unbeatable."