Kisame jolted, unable to believe those words had come from her mouth. He was about to object, but Sarada kept talking, continuing to dissect the fates of Akatsuki's two successive leaders.
"Yahiko devoted himself to peace. He treated people gently and always gave ground, but what did he get in the end? Hanzo of the Salamander and Konoha High Command conspired against him, and he lost his life for nothing. The peace he sought never came to pass."
"Nagato wanted to create a deterrent. He gave everything he had to reshape the world's order, and he ended up dead."
A trace of coldness flickered in Sarada's eyes, and her tone grew even more clearheaded and pragmatic.
"Their goal was to save the entire Shinobi World. But in the end, they couldn't even protect the Land of Rain they watched over, or keep their companions alive."
"I won't follow in their footsteps."
"I'm not that noble. I can't claim to care about the whole world."
"The only things I want to protect are the Land of Rain and the people who've followed me this far."
"I don't care even if the outside world descends into chaos."
"But what have those innocent civilians and ordinary people in the other Shinobi Villages done wrong?" Kisame's brow tightened into a deep furrow. "The Fourth Shinobi World War left countless people dead or wounded. Everyone finally managed to find some peace, and now you want to drag them all back into war for the Land of Rain's freedom?"
Sarada's gaze was indifferent, her tone blunt and cold. She made no attempt to conceal what she truly thought.
"Uncle Kisame, let me put it plainly. From the very beginning, I've never cared whether the entire Shinobi World falls into chaos."
"Which of the Five Great Hidden