Bringing Peace

"Minato, you said you wanted to achieve true peace. Is that hard?"

"Hard!"

Minato might have had the naivety of youth, but he was no fool. Having experienced war, he understood all too clearly that bringing lasting peace was as difficult as scaling a sheer cliff.

"In this world, filled with war and hatred, there's only one way to achieve peace. Just one."

Shiraishi paused there. He gazed at Minato in front of him and spoke slowly. "Unify this entire continent."

"Unify it?" Minato's eyes widened. Just those two words brought countless wars and deaths to mind.

Shiraishi continued, "There's no other way. The conflicts between countries and villages are no longer mere disputes over land. They're wars over survival."

"For a ninja, what's the foundation of survival?"

Minato considered the question before answering uncertainly, "Missions?"

Shiraishi nodded. "You're half right. For ninjas today, only a steady supply of missions can guarantee an income."

"For a ninja village, only enough mission requests can sustain its ninja ranks and protect the country's borders."

"Therefore, whoever claims the largest share of the mission market can maintain the largest number of ninjas and wield the greatest strength."

"That's the foundation of Konoha's power, and it's also why other ninja villages so often wage war against Konoha."

"Because Konoha, as the strongest ninja village, has a natural advantage in the mission market."

"For neutral merchants and the Daimyo and nobles of small countries, if they're spending the same amount of money, of course they'd rather choose the strongest ninja village and get the best service."

Minato listened quietly to Shiraishi's explanation, nodding from time to time. He agreed with Shiraishi's analysis. For ninjas, obtaining more mission requests was absolutely vital to their survival.

"In a competition that's a matter of survival, thinking that peace can be achieved through mutual understanding and letting go of hatred is nothing but wishful thinking."

"There's only one road to peace: unification. The sacrifice of one generation in exchange for a hundred years of peace in the future, or even several hundred."

"But unification can't be achieved through force alone. That kind of unity won't bring peace; it'll bring only oppression and resistance."

"So, to achieve peace, we must establish a more advanced system, just as the First did when he founded the ninja village system. Then, with overwhelming military strength as its foundation, we can unify the system and culture."

After speaking, Shiraishi watched Minato sink into thought and didn't interrupt him.

Everything Shiraishi had said to Minato today was laying the groundwork for the future.

Shiraishi was backing Danzo to provoke a war. But with Danzo's stubborn, extreme views and his advancing age, he couldn't become the leader who unified the entire world, let alone lead a unified empire afterward.

Compared to Danzo, Minato was younger and more open to new ideas. He also had considerable talent and strength.

Shiraishi believed Minato had that potential, so he was willing to spend time guiding him and influencing him little by little.

Shiraishi's plans and goals had never changed. He wasn't some short-sighted cultivator who would drain a pond to catch all the fish. What he wanted was a stable yield over the long term.

A sweeping war of unification would be enough to meet Shiraishi's needs to recover his injuries and cultivation.

After unification, what he needed was a more advanced approach to governance and increased productivity, so the population could boom after the war.

Shiraishi had plenty of time to wait for the fruits to ripen and be harvested. He had no need to drain the pond in his haste.

"Shiraishi, have you told me all this because you've already thought of a more advanced system?" Minato looked up at him and asked eagerly.

"We'll have to think it through together. I just don't think you should limit your sights to Konoha and the Hokage. You have the potential to accomplish something far greater," Shiraishi encouraged him.

Minato's heart stirred. He hadn't expected Shiraishi to think so highly of him or place such high hopes on him.

"I..." For the first time, Minato worried that he might let Shiraishi down.

"I believe in you, just as you trusted me back then." Shiraishi smiled sincerely.

"I'll work hard with you to bring true peace to this world." Minato held out his right fist.

Shiraishi understood what he meant. He held out his own fist and bumped it against Minato's.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over the two of them. The light gleamed gold in Minato's hair.

"This is the future Hokage I want to see. Every step forward must be grounded in reality, but we must never limit our vision to the little patch of land beneath our feet."

"Being Hokage should only be one stage of your life's ambitions. It must never become a prison that holds you back."

"Beyond Konoha, this world has far wider horizons and more beautiful sights."

"Minato!" Shiraishi gazed at him, brimming with hope. "Your future should be built on the shoulders of the First and the giant that is Konoha. You should achieve what the First couldn't, lead Konoha to unify the world, and bring true peace to it."

Minato couldn't help but shiver. A surge of passion welled up inside him. He looked at Shiraishi and couldn't help wondering, Can I really do it?

"I believe you can, Minato!" Shiraishi spoke with encouragement and hope, like a demon who understood the human heart, or a prophet who could inspire others.

Minato nodded firmly. Looking at Shiraishi, he promised solemnly, "I'll work toward that goal!"

No one had ever believed in Minato like this. Even Jiraiya had only praised him as the finest ninja and the obvious choice for Hokage.

But Shiraishi's words today had opened a door to a whole new world for Minato. He had told him that his future should be far greater.

"Shiraishi, let's work hard together!" Minato gazed at him.

Shiraishi smiled. "Yeah! Let's work hard together."

As the words left his mouth, Shiraishi stepped back into the shade of the trees. Minato remained where he was, seemingly draped in a brilliant golden cloak beneath the sunlight.

Shiraishi looked at Minato calmly and spoke in a low voice. "Minato, if one day I'm gone, carry my hopes with you and keep striving! You must bring true peace to this land, soaked in blood and tears."

At Shiraishi's words, the determination and excitement vanished from Minato's face, replaced by concern.

"Shiraishi, what's wrong? Are you in trouble?"

Shiraishi shook his head and said calmly, "You've forgotten? I'm a Root ninja. I carry out the village's most dangerous missions.

"If I die on a mission one day, don't investigate how I died. Don't avenge me. Carry on with my dream and keep striving. I'll be watching you from above."

Minato froze. His mouth fell open as if something had caught in his throat. He had so much he wanted to say to Shiraishi, but in the end, all he could manage was, "That won't happen. We'll accomplish this dream together."

Shiraishi smiled and said one last thing. "I've entrusted all my hopes for peace to you. Don't let me down."

"I promise." Minato had never been so resolute or sincere.