At that moment, inside the Shinobi War barrier.
Whoosh.
As space opened, Minato followed Naruto to the destination reserved for the victors of the Shinobi War.
Following behind Naruto, Minato asked, "According to the rules, I should be signing a pact with either the Seven-Tails or the Eight-Tails, right?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Although that's no longer what you're here for, Dad, we still have to go through the necessary procedures. I put a tremendous amount of effort into the Shinobi War rules."
Minato paused, then nodded helplessly.
The Shinobi War.
This somewhat fanciful-looking contest was, in fact, the most serious undertaking Naruto had ever committed himself to.
Through their conversations, Minato had come to fully understand Naruto's thinking.
Just as they had suspected, the Shinobi War was Naruto's means of replacing war.
Perhaps it was a matter of perspective, or perhaps they simply stood at different heights.
Traditional ninja like Minato fought on battlefields and waged battles of intrigue in the shadows. In the past, that had simply been their job.
Naruto disagreed.
And along the way, Naruto had offered a new answer.
Why had the First, Hashirama Senju, been able to establish the Five Great Shinobi Villages while maintaining relative peace in the shinobi world?
Because Hashirama Senju had been strong enough.
So strong that no other power could even entertain the thought of challenging Konoha.
Under those circumstances, if Konoha sought peace, the other powers naturally had to follow suit.
And Madara Uchiha's existence was proof.
Possessing strength that rivaled Hashirama Senju's...
Or rather, believing he possessed comparable strength, he had never cared about Hashirama Senju's peace.
"...Not everyone longs for peace. At the very least, their definitions of peace and the ways they pursue it are bound to differ."
"They simply aren't strong enough. Those who aren't