Chapter 28

October, the first and fifteenth days of the month.

The investigation into the sensational attack had reached a conclusion. Most of the evidence pointed to the Land of Fire. The people of the Land of Lightning were furious and demanded an explanation, threatening war if none was given.

Late October.

The Land of Fire refused to admit any connection to the attack, citing the lack of witnesses or physical evidence.

The Land of Fire shut down many businesses owned by merchants from the Land of Lightning. This sparked protests from merchants across the countries.

Prices soared within the Land of Fire.

Early November.

A team of ordinary civilians sent by the Land of Lightning to investigate the incident was assassinated in the Land of Vegetables, and an unidentified piece of evidence was stolen.

Fujiwara Nobuyuki wrote to Akabane Hatome, sternly condemning the Land of Fire for its faithless and unrighteous conduct.

The Land of Fire's reputation continued to plummet.

At the end of the month, a blizzard struck the Land of Earth.

December.

Amid the turbulent situation, several incidents of civilian unrest broke out within the Land of Fire. The Daimyo sent shinobi and samurai to suppress them by force.

The Land of Fire proposed renewing its alliance with the Land of Wind, but the Daimyo of the Land of Wind gave no reply.

Early the following spring, the Land of Lightning declared war on the Land of Fire. The other countries declared themselves neutral.

A favorable time, place, and people.

"It's started!" Tobirama closed the file with a sigh. "Turn down all the employment requests from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire."

"Lord Tobirama." Senju Yūri furrowed his brow. "Aren't we allies with the Uchiha?" What he meant was that the Uchiha had already joined the war. Wouldn't it be rather bad for them to stand by and do nothing?

It wasn't just the Senju Clan. Half the clans that had taken part in the shinobi alliance meeting the year before last declared themselves neutral and chose not to participate in the war between the two countries.

Tobirama scratched his head. "My brother said this is a national war. The Senju and Uchiha clans are hired forces, and our alliance only applies to the Ninja World." Other people might not know, but they did! The Uchiha were clearly pulling the strings behind this so-called national war. But in politics, there was a world of difference between having a justification and having none.

Sigh, politics was just too complicated and troublesome! Better to leave it to his brother!

In his office, Senju Hashirama stared at the letters he and Madara had exchanged over the past six months, his brow deeply furrowed.

Madara, what are you really trying to do?

Madara gazed out the window at the bleak scenery. Beneath the thick, damp snow lay the unmistakable signs of the coming spring. The scent of plum blossoms grew all the colder and more remote in the crisp air. "At last, the war has begun... the war that's been brewing for seven years." Beneath his hand lay a stack of private letters from Senju Hashirama.

Stand by and do nothing? How naïve!

"When the Great Way prevails, all under Heaven belong to the people. The worthy and capable are chosen, trust is honored, and bonds of friendship are cultivated. Thus, people do not regard only their own parents as parents, nor only their own children as children. They ensure that the elderly reach the end of their lives, that able-bodied adults have work to do, and that children grow up well. Widowers, widows, orphans, the childless, the disabled, and the sick are all cared for. Men have their roles, and women have their homes. They despise seeing goods discarded on the ground, yet do not hoard them for themselves; they despise keeping their abilities to themselves, yet do not use them only for their own benefit. Therefore, schemes and intrigues do not arise, and theft, banditry, disorder, and violence do not occur. Thus, people need not lock their outer doors. This is called Great Harmony." — *Book of Rites: Great Harmony*¹

This was the first article taught in the Yi School of the Land of Lightning, and also the most widely circulated. In places where literary culture flourished, even old men carrying shoulder poles and selling buns could recite a line or two: "When the Great Way prevails, all under Heaven belong to the people."

Harmony meant peace.

The divided countries of the Naruto World were as chaotic as the Warring States period of ancient China. Yet perhaps because shinobi existed as a group with powers beyond ordinary people's, the world focused more on individual prowess, while strategy and cultural development stagnated. Even stranger, the countries' levels of technological development varied wildly. At times, Madara felt as if he were still in ancient times; at others, he felt as though he had arrived in the Second World War. Could anyone imagine a world where electric lights, movies, horse-drawn carriages, and oxen for plowing all existed and were widely used at once?

On one hand, a bright future tempted the people. On the other, years of war and turmoil dragged them into the abyss.

"All under Heaven belong to the people. The worthy and capable are chosen, trust is honored, and bonds of friendship are cultivated." Great Harmony—who could refuse such a dream?

The Confucian ideal of a peaceful and well-governed world, its righteous spirit and quiet warmth, was undoubtedly the perfect weapon for winning the hearts of the people. Given the different historical context, Madara had drawn on his memories to revise and compile works such as the Book of Rites, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean into a single book, Ming Studies. He had deliberately downplayed or omitted certain ideas about "loyalty to the ruler" and emphasized "the people as the foundation." When preparing the second edition, he had thought it over, then maliciously adapted one of Mencius's passages about King Xuan of Qi², changing the setting and the characters' identities before adding it to the book.

Now, Ming Studies, whose thought was rooted in this book, had become the largest and most influential school of thought on the entire continent. Other schools had arisen in its wake, and after years of upheaval, literature had reached a small golden age.

Great Harmony was the most visible banner. What Madara truly wanted to instill in people's hearts were ideas such as "unification," "the people as the foundation," and "All under Heaven belongs to the people of the world, not to one person; only the virtuous may rule." He wanted to guide the current state of division and clan domination in the direction he desired.

Those standing behind Uchiha Madara were not just the Uchiha Clan, but also countless people who wanted to change the world—for peace, for revenge, for status, or to realize their own worth... After years of cultivation and exposure through various channels, they provided tremendous support for Madara's plans, both in intellect and in strength.

How could the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, with only a group of advisers and a retinue of disloyal subjects, resist?

Likewise, how could the daimyō of the other countries, with only their own advisers, noble retainers, and samurai vassals, resist?

The Land of Fire was only the starting point. He had spent over a decade laying the groundwork and seven years preparing in earnest. How could he have done all that for the sake of just one country?

Once the balance between the five countries was broken, the continent's fragile situation would inevitably collapse into chaos. Peace that demanded no effort or sacrifice did not exist. After enduring the trials of blood and fire, the whole world would greet a painful rebirth.

The storms outside did nothing to disturb the peace of the clan compound. The adults hurried about, while the children remained carefree as ever. Their only complaint was that their martial arts lessons had suddenly increased, and that restrictions on going out had grown stricter.

Fujiwara Uye had sneaked over again. Looking at the empty school, his bright eyes dimmed, and he felt dejected and miserable. He had been here for half a year, and hadn't seen his father or mother in all that time. The Uchiha Clan strictly controlled who could enter and leave the compound. Uchiha clansmen couldn't act as his full-time caretakers, so he had to do everything himself.

He had met plenty of people and made a few good friends, but he always felt there was something between them. The children at the school studied both literature and martial arts, while he could only spend all day poring over books. They often went to the "General Training Ground" on the outskirts, while he was only allowed to move around the middle section. They rarely had time to play together. The middle section was spacious, and there were plenty of clansmen, but he still felt all alone.

"Young Lord—"

Oh, right. There was also that pesky follower!

"Don't call me Young Lord!" The child turned and snapped at him in a sulk. The other boy wasn't from the Uchiha Clan, so he didn't have to hold back.

Hoshino Zhan's face darkened. He had feelings too, you know! He thought of how the child before him was the young lord, the future Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, and a great man who would "be remembered through the ages"—someone he was determined to serve. He drew a deep breath. Stay calm, Zhan. You have to stay calm!

"Then what should I call you?" he asked patiently. "Young Master? Fujiwara-kun? Uye? Uye-kun?"

"Shut up!" the child cried, embarrassed and annoyed. "Stop following me around!"

"Lord Madara told me to look after you." Hoshino Zhan deliberately invoked Uchiha Madara's orders. The young lord immediately fell silent. Hoshino Zhan nodded with satisfaction. That was more like it!

"Don't be so temperamental. You need to study." He took Fujiwara Uye by the hand. The little hand tried to wriggle free twice, but failed. Its owner pouted slightly and went along with him.

They arrived at the clan's shared library, and Hoshino Zhan found a quiet partition. "Sit here and behave. Don't go wandering off. I'll go get some books, then we'll begin today's lessons!"

"As the future heir to a country, you can't afford to be ignorant!" Hoshino Zhan held a fist loosely to his mouth and coughed, putting on a stern expression. "Did you finish the assignment I gave you yesterday?"

Fujiwara Uye nodded.

"Good. Recite it for me."

Fujiwara Uye reluctantly recited three chapters from Ming Studies. The young lord had an astonishing memory: he could memorize something after hearing it once, recite it after hearing it twice, and recite it backward after hearing it three times. Hoshino Zhan couldn't help darkly wondering if it was a perk of his Uchiha blood... Why had his own older brother made him suffer so much over memorizing books? Boo-hoo-hoo!

"Just memorizing it isn't enough. So many people in the world study Ming Studies, so why are there only a few true talents? You also have to understand it and put it into practice!" Hoshino Zhan adopted the full air of a teacher. "Your assignment today is to write an analysis of the first passage of the Great Learning: 'The way of the Great Learning lies in manifesting one's bright virtue, in renewing the people, and in resting in the highest good.' Hand it in before dinner!"