The Reason

On the way to the Juvenile Correction Center, Kanna went over the whole affair in his mind.

It was all so absurd. Were people from Kirigakure always this arrogant? Their attempt to frame him was laughably crude.

He'd spent all this time focused on his training, never picking a fight with anyone, and somehow he'd still gotten dragged into this?

It was infuriating! Absolutely infuriating! Kanna was practically itching to kill someone.

People who trained in martial arts often let their hot blood and confidence in their strength get the better of them, picking fights and coming to blows. That was even more true of shinobi, whose entire profession revolved around combat. Kanna had trained to this point without earning any particular reputation, but he still thought he was pretty capable. How could he let just anyone bully him?

The angrier he got, the more his temper flared. By the time the two of them reached the Juvenile Correction Center, he was still wearing a scowl, looking thoroughly displeased.

The Juvenile Correction Center was a separate branch of the Kirigakure system, set up specifically to educate children. It stood in the eastern part of the village, near the sea, far from anywhere bustling with people.

To toughen up the unruly kids, the center required them to get up, go to bed, and work on schedule. Causing trouble was strictly forbidden, and anyone who broke the rules could have their term extended.

Kanna met the director in an office: a middle-aged shinobi named Gotō Shinnosuke, who rarely smiled. According to the bespectacled shinobi who had brought him here, Gotō Shinnosuke was quite a figure. He had once been an elite jōnin of Kirigakure, skilled in sword styles including Ittō-ryū, Nitō-ryū, Shingetsu-ryū, Kesa-ryū, and Hayane-ryū. Unfortunately, he'd lost his left arm during a mission, and all his teammates had been killed. He'd never regained his old drive, and had volunteered to become the center's director. As he put it, "When I look at these kids, I see who I used to be." He was the tragic sort.

Kanna had never heard of those sword styles. As for shinobi who specialized in swordsmanship, well, that was already outdated.

Gotō Shinnosuke didn't seem to mind Kanna's sour expression. Every child brought to the center looked the same way.

"Sit," Gotō Shinnosuke said, pointing to a chair. He took a form from his desk drawer and asked, "Name? Age? Rank? Family?"

"Kanna. Not quite eleven. Genin. My father is Kanna Tokiomi." Kanna steadied himself before answering.

"Oh, you're the Mizukage Aide's son?" Gotō Shinnosuke seemed a little surprised. He looked Kanna over again. "Does your family know you're here?"

Kanna frowned. "No."

Gotō Shinnosuke nodded, quickly filled out Kanna's information, and slid the form across the desk.

"Sign here. We'll notify your parents. No, which village rule did he break?"

The bespectacled shinobi, No, rubbed his nose and smiled wryly. "Uh, fighting. He used chopsticks to break the proximal and middle phalanges of the right middle finger of Aoki, a Chunin in the Security Force."

"Hmm." Gotō Shinnosuke fell silent for a moment, then said, "Three months of correctional labor. And listen carefully, Kanna. This center answers directly to the Mizukage. Even your father can't interfere, so here's my advice: don't cause trouble. Serve your three months, and you'll be released."

"Understood," Kanna replied coolly.

"Good. Wait here for a while. Your parents will probably arrive soon. Once you've seen them, you'll be officially admitted."

Kanna was taken to a nearby room. Half an hour later, Kanna Morishita Mai arrived.

"I know what happened." Morishita Mai still wore her usual gentle expression. She didn't blame Kanna. "This incident actually had nothing to do with you, but to keep you from getting drawn into an even deeper conflict, you'll need to stay here a little longer."

"What?" Kanna stared at her. "Stay longer?"

"Yes." Morishita Mai sighed softly, then lowered her voice. "Your father didn't want you to know, but I think you're old enough and capable enough to help shoulder some of his burden. The Lord Third wants to push through reforms—not just to the exams, but in other areas too. That's why the village has been in a bit of turmoil lately. Things should settle down eventually."

Kanna asked in surprise, "What's going on in the village?"

Morishita Mai looked at him seriously. "Some clans believe that because the village's system has lasted for so many years, it must be the right one and doesn't need to change. But the Lord Third doesn't want the clans to control all the village's major affairs, so he had your father receive a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire. They're trying to bring all the trade under the village's control this time."

By then, Kanna had a general idea of what was going on.

Money! It all came down to money!

Kanna still hadn't fully immersed himself in this world, and he wasn't particularly interested in money. But other people didn't think that way.

How had the corrupted Akatsuki grown so powerful? They'd taken advantage of Kirigakure's turmoil, accepting missions on a massive scale and making a fortune. Then they'd built up a large network of outside members and supported several S-rank missing-nin.

How had Gato taken control of the Land of Waves? By controlling the country's trade and hiring countless wandering shinobi, including Momochi Zabuza.

How much was the head of the Lord Third's son, Sarutobi Asuma, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire's Fire Temple, worth? Just five million ryō!

Kirigakure was overseas, and there were countless things it needed to import. A merchant wealthy enough to be called a major trader must have brought a substantial amount of goods. Now that Kirigakure wanted to cut those clans out, of course some of them wouldn't agree.

Without money, why would those shinobi work for you? Why would they obey your orders?

If the village had enough funds, would it still have to care what the clans thought? Would it still be held back at every turn by the various clans?

You had to admit, the First's ability and determination had shaped Konoha's system and political landscape. Just look at Konoha: the First, Hashirama Senju, had subdued all the shinobi with his strength, so the clans and shinobi of Konoha centered around the Hokage. Kirigakure was different. The Mizukage still needed the support of the various clans. Without it, he couldn't get anything done!

So Kanna had simply been caught in the crossfire. A clan wanted to attack the Mizukage Aide and show its displeasure with the Mizukage at the same time. The first shot had landed on him, the Mizukage Aide's son.

"Is the conflict that bad?" Kanna asked gravely.

Morishita Mai patted his shoulder reassuringly. "The Lord Third and your father will resolve it. Don't worry. There's not much you can do to help right now, so you'll have to put up with staying here a little longer."

"I understand." Kanna let out a long breath. "Looks like this place is actually pretty good. It doesn't belong to any other branch of the village system, right? So, as long as I don't break any of the village's prohibitions, the other departments can't do anything to me until my term is over?"

"That's right." Morishita Mai smiled. "Senior Shinnosuke is a good man. If you need anything, you can ask him for help."

Kanna tapped the desk. "Then how long do I need to hide here?"

"The merchant will probably stay for two months. After he finishes his inspection, he'll return to the Land of Fire, and then the first trade will take place." Morishita Mai sounded apologetic. "So, probably four or five months."

"Nearly half a year..." Kanna snorted. "Fine! I'm not letting this go. Mother, tell me who ordered the Security Force to arrest me."

Morishita Mai hesitated and said nothing.

"You don't need to hide it from me, Mother. I'm not a child anymore, and I'm not stupid," Kanna said calmly. "If I can't beat them, I won't retaliate. Believe me."

Morishita Mai shook her head helplessly. "It wasn't just one clan. Too many people were involved. Unless you can completely change the situation, revenge is just a pipe dream."

At that, Kanna closed his eyes and sighed.

"Is that so? I understand. Fine, then. I'll find a way to extend my term."

Kirigakure wanted to centralize power, while the clans wanted to protect their interests. Which side was right?

How could the conflict between the individual and the group be resolved?

Kanna knew from history that there was no peaceful way to resolve Kirigakure's predicament.

A system that had lasted more than forty years wouldn't be easy to change.

Morishita Mai left, leaving Kanna alone in the chair, lost in thought.

How could he escape the whirlpool that was Kirigakure?

Strength! Only if he was strong enough could he break through every obstacle! Only then would he have the right to pursue freedom!

After leaving the room, Kanna was on his way to see the director and complete his admission when a group approached from the other direction.

"Amayuri? You're here too? No, wait—why did you only get here now?" Kanna blurted out, startled as he looked at her.

Amayuri was a little surprised too. She snorted and said coldly, "I was just brought over from the Security Force."

She'd just been brought over from the Security Force? That meant she'd been held there since last night.

So the Mizukage Aide's son really did have some clout. Less than half an hour after he'd beaten someone, the Juvenile Correction Center had taken him in. Meanwhile, Amayuri had been held for almost a full day. And she wasn't even thirteen yet?

"Is that so?" Kanna's thoughts raced. He stepped forward and blocked Amayuri's path. "How long are you going to be here?"

Amayuri wasn't upset. She answered coolly, "Six months for excessive self-defense."

"Six months?" Kanna curled his lip. "Those people are definitely waiting outside to come after you. Six months isn't long enough, is it?"

"Hm?" Amayuri narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Kanna rubbed his knuckles and grinned. "What do you think? Want to add a few more months?"

By now, Amayuri understood what Kanna meant.

"Interesting." The corner of Amayuri's mouth curled up. She nodded slightly. "I agree. A few more months would be good."

"Hey, Amayuri! And you, kid! What are you talking about?"

The staff member accompanying Amayuri was starting to feel uneasy. What did they mean by adding a few more months?

"Fine!" Kanna laughed, then his expression changed.

"You! I've been sick of you for a long time, you bastard! I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

With that, Kanna surged forward and jabbed a finger at Amayuri's forehead.