Looking at the matter from a forward-thinking perspective, it was indeed clear that the Sage of Six Paths had not made his choice at the right time, but it was not impossible to understand.
If a great enemy stood before them, then neglecting military preparedness and focusing solely on farming and development would certainly not do. Yet once one embarked on the path of militarism, it became difficult to turn back.
Whether to give up halfway or stubbornly hold on to the end, either choice required courage.
At this point, Mizuki had no mind to fuss over the Sage of Six Paths' calculations. Whatever his original intentions had been, his diligent devotion to the survival of the Shinobi World was enough to make Mizuki ashamed of himself. Even the matters after his death had been arranged openly and honorably. "Exhausting oneself until death" was not enough to praise his achievements.
As for his increasingly conservative stance, it could not be called wrong either. When one had nothing, there was nothing to lose, and one could only press forward bravely to seize a sliver of hope. But now that the Shinobi World had begun to show some signs of recovery, throwing all their chips in at once would be far too unwise.
Before they had sufficient certainty, while the future remained unclear, choosing more cautious measures was actually a good option.
The life and death of an entire world could never be decided by one or two wars. Gains and losses had to be measured in centuries, even millennia. What did a single ninja—or even an entire ninja village—amount to?
Before the great tide of events, nothing could stand against it.
"No matter what, I won..."
Mizuki said matter-of-factly.
"Though it was a little unfair, the victor has been decided. There