Escape From Konoha

Shiraishi came out of the laboratory and went to the corner of the research institute building, near the window sill of the corridor. Very few people usually passed by here, and only the surveillance equipment installed around them acted as a warning.

Sasuke followed Shiraishi closely and came to a remote corner of the building. The quiet atmosphere surrounded the two of them, and the refreshing breeze blew in from the open window, bringing a bit of comfort.

"As expected, the Fifth Ninja War will officially begin in mid-October. Although it is still autumn, fighting in winter is unavoidable at all costs."

Shiraishi looked out the window. The air was gradually refreshing, slowly getting away from the heat of summer. The weather was getting cooler, and the season was transitioning from summer to autumn.

Considering that the autumn in the war zone is very short, there will be a biting and icy winter in two months.

In such a cold season, even ninjas who fight outside for a long time will inevitably be affected.

Listening to Shiraishi's words, Sasuke nodded slightly. He knew that in order to deal with this situation, the Kingdom of Ghosts had already prepared various supplies for winter operations.

Theoretically speaking, if the Kingdom of Ghost now takes the initiative to start a war, it can directly have a huge impact on the Alliance of Five Powers and Akatsuki, because while the other two parties are not yet fully prepared, the Kingdom of Ghost has already completed the reserves of supplies and soldiers, and can Gain a huge advantage in the early stage, and then use tough measures to make this advantage last for a long time.

However, in this way, it will inevitably be attacked by the cooperation of the other two parties. Therefore, although you can gain an advantage by attacking first, you will also lose more, and the situation will quickly become uncontrollable.

After all, neither Akatsuki nor the Alliance of Five Powers can adopt a blitzkrieg and annihilate them in one battle.

Moreover, the melee between the three parties also makes the situation much more complicated than the past Ninja War. The specific end time is currently unpredictable.

"I have already prepared for this kind of thing. For me, this war is also an opportunity."

Sasuke said in a firm tone.

Compared with the war era, the promotion speed in the peace era is too slow, the military merits that can be obtained are also very limited, and there are great restrictions for ninjas of his level.

The most important thing is that he is still a person who came from nowhere. Even though he has accumulated a lot of credit with Orochimaru, it will take some time to fully digest it.

But war has no such troubles.

He checked the comparison of information on the promotion speed of ninjas in the ninja war and peace eras in various countries, and said this to Shiraishi after thinking about it.

"Do you have a sense of expectation? This is indeed in line with the values ​​​​of most young people who are passionate and want to make achievements. However, be mentally prepared for this. I want to ask, are you really ready for this?"

While Shiraishi felt amused, he glanced sideways at Sasuke, with a hint of seriousness in his smiling eyes.

As if aware of the distrust and doubt in Shiraishi's eyes, Sasuke would not be angry at such a provocation, and just replied in a calm tone: "Whether it is the attack on Konoha or the experience at the border this time, I also have my own experience. Set rules of conduct.”

"Really? Okay, if you have any questions, just ask them directly. Seeing that you look worried, there should be something you want to tell me."

Shiraishi said.

"I do have some questions that I want to answer."

Speaking of this, a complex look appeared in Sasuke's eyes.

"Is it because of your brother Uchiha Itachi?"

Shiraishi's precise gesture made Sasuke feel slightly uncomfortable, but he still nodded and acknowledged this.

"Your brother Itachi was born the year I left Konoha, and he entered the battlefield at a young age under the guidance of your father. His confidence in carrying everything by himself negates this troubled world. The ideas of the times must have been forced to form in that extremely cruel environment.”

Shiraishi's words made Sasuke slightly surprised, and then he frowned and asked:

"Have you checked Itachi's memories?"

Although Itachi's body was now recovered by him, it was buried in the form of an unnamed monument on a piece of land behind the Nanga Shrine in the Kingdom of Ghosts.

But before that, Itachi's body was in Shiraishi's hands. If he had taken away the Mangekyō Sharingan at that time, he had used ninjutsu to read Itachi's memory...

"No, I have not read his memory." Shiraishi shook his head and said: "I only made judgments about Itachi based on various intelligence. Ninjas who have the same idea as him, in the war years It’s not uncommon, but most people died in the war and did not have a strong will or talent after the war, so even if they had such an idea, they could not put it into action and live in a hurry. But your brother Itachi is different, he has the determination to realize his ideals, and his super talent...that's why he stands out."

"...That's it."

Sasuke didn't know what to say.

He has not witnessed the war era, but Shiraishi is someone who has seen it and been deeply involved in it.

Were there many people like Itachi...in war times?

"Is there really any hope for peace...?"

Sasuke asked the question that had been bothering him.

He used to hate Itachi extremely, and although he still hates Itachi now, after understanding all of Itachi's experiences, while he held hatred, he also had a little more pity and sympathy.

Itachi's initial tragedy was caused by his father Fugaku.

Then came Danzo's malicious guidance, which made Itachi go astray even further.

The Third Hokage was hesitant, and Itachi could only make his own choice.

When the weight of his family was weighed against the weight of 'peace' in his heart, he found that the weight of stopping the war was greater, so he abandoned his family without hesitation.

But after that, Konoha regarded Itachi as a traitorous ninja.

Sasuke couldn't understand what Itachi was thinking when he was carrying such a heavy burden.

At the end of his life, was he still fantasizing about the 'peaceful' world in his mind?

Konoha...did he complain at the end?

However, with Itachi's death, Sasuke will never know these questions.

war.

Peace.

It implements Itachi's tragedy and sinner's life.

It seems that as long as such a dream is fulfilled, no matter how many things you have, you can give up.

But only... he let his brother go in the end.

The only downfall.

There is no absolute loyalty to Konoha.

The practice of ideals is not thorough enough.

Being strong was an excuse for him to cover up his weakness. Everything he really wanted to do ended in failure.

In Sasuke's opinion, Itachi was a complete loser.

Even with extraordinary willpower and strength, one cannot hide this fact.

Therefore, he wanted to ask Shiraishi, this successful person.

Compared to Itachi, what Shiraishi did can indeed be called a success.

Although many people hate him and curse him to die soon, they believe that the sixth largest country he created has broken the international balance and turned the originally stable international environment into chaos.

But in Sasuke's view, the idea of ​​relying on balance to maintain peace is the self-righteousness of some people. At least when the Kingdom of Ghosts rose, the five major countries' methods of suppressing many small countries were greatly restricted. With the support of the Kingdom of Ghosts, many small countries have become more flexible and richer.

Although many victims were created in the process.

However, Sasuke, who traveled to those countries with Kakashi, found that the people there had no resentment towards Shiraishi and the Kingdom of Demons. On the contrary, they began to actively support them. Even though the five major countries now form an alliance and begin to secretly instigate and threaten, these countries still firmly follow the Kingdom of Ghosts and completely break with the five major countries.

If there is anyone in this world who can answer his doubts, Sasuke thinks Shiraishi has the best chance of doing so.

This man was hated and hated by the most people in the ninja world.

"Peace, when you asked this question, I almost thought you were the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki of Konoha."

Shiraishi did not answer directly, but smiled teasingly.

"..."

Sasuke also thought of the stupid face of a certain yellow hair in his mind. Although he knew that Shiraishi was joking, he had to say that it was very vivid.

Then he shook his head and threw away such illusions.

"In my opinion, no matter how bad order is, it is better than disordered freedom. This sentence is the same when it comes to peace and war."

Shiraishi turned his head, put his hands on the window edge, and looked at the blue sky in the distance.

Sasuke chewed the meaning of these words carefully.

"However, the current trend of the world is either in war or in the preparation stage of war. Everyone is saying that only by destroying the enemy can peace be achieved. But there is no accurate definition of what the enemy is, how many enemies need to be destroyed, and who the enemy is. A certain number. At least in my opinion, there is currently no possibility of achieving peace in the true sense. All I can maintain now is the relative peace of the Kingdom of Ghosts and some allies. Even so, it can only be maintained .As a result, the Fifth Ninja War is coming, and everything will have to be started from scratch."

Shiraishi's tone was neither heavy nor plain, but it made Sasuke feel extremely depressed, as heavy as a mountain pressing down on him.

"Does that mean it's impossible to achieve?"

"It depends on what standard you use. Everyone has his or her own opinion on peace. Even Jiraiya, one of the three ninjas, has his own purpose. Although I don't agree with it, it is also a kind of practice. Follow your own ideal way. Let me ask you, Sasuke, what is the peace you want in your heart now? Is it Itachi's legacy, or is it something you do spontaneously?"

Shiraishi turned his head and stared at Sasuke deeply.

Sasuke looked stunned, opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't say a word.

Yes, what is your own peace?

Is what he wants to realize is Itachi's ideal?

Suddenly, Sasuke realized that he had never really thought deeply about such a question.

Even thinking about war started to feel confusing.

"You are sixteen years old this year. At this age and in this era, neither outsiders nor yourself can treat you as a child anymore. But compared to the power you have now, what you have In fact, your will is not firm, and you don’t know where to go. Even the so-called peace is something Itachi brings you, not your own. If you keep applying other people’s ideas, you can’t truly become independent.”

Sasuke wanted to refute Shiraishi's preaching, but he still couldn't say a word to refute him... No, he didn't expect that he had anything to say to refute Shiraishi.

Ignoring Sasuke, Shiraishi said to himself: "In the past, I didn't like the will of fire... In other words, I didn't like the senior officials of Konoha headed by the Third Hokage who practiced the will of fire, so I chose to leave Konoha. Ye. But at that time, my thoughts were different from those now. When I left Konoha, I could only live in the Kingdom of Ghosts and be a mouse for more than ten years. Even if I wanted to tell myself, I wanted to I must rely on the power of my hands to bring something good to this world. However, compared with these fantasies at that time, the reality of oppression and survival were the first things I had to consider. When people are busy and struggling, they will Forget everything, including ideals.”

"Then what happened to you later..."

"Of course it was a step-by-step test. Fortunately, I was lucky. Although some unpleasant and unexpected things happened during the process, overall, there were no major mistakes. My ideal is not as far-reaching as peace, and there are Great. I never think about peace or war. In my opinion, this is something that must be experienced in the development of the times. It is nothing more than a matter of long-term pain or short-term pain. People are like beasts in the primitive jungle. , it’s normal to fight each other for food.”

"But alas, we are human."

"Yes, we humans will give excuses for fighting, whether before or after, disguised in the name of justice, but beasts will not. This is where we are wise and hypocritical."

Sasuke chose to remain silent.

Shiraishi's words have made it obvious that in his eyes, peace and war are inevitable things that will come when they should come and disappear when they shouldn't.

"Afterwards, I experimented with economic, political and military reforms in the Kingdom of Ghosts... To be honest, I could only be generally satisfied, but perfect things did not exist in the first place. I could only try my best to maintain it. But at that time , I don’t have any big goals, and I won’t act for world peace, I just want to do my part.”

"What you're doing... is really scary."

Sasuke was speechless.

After all, looking at Baishi's growth path, he has stepped on many stepping stones, including other big countries.

"Because the Kingdom of Demons has taken off in my hands, and the countries that have just ended the Third Ninja War have begun to notice the situation in the Kingdom of Demons... I know that in that case, the Kingdom of Demons will It's only a matter of time before the enemy is exposed. Instead of waiting for death, it's better to take the initiative and firmly hold the initiative in your own hands. While the countries are still recovering, they don't dare to launch the Fourth Ninja War at will. As an excuse, before other countries have time to react, declare war on the Kingdom of Wind, and defeat the Kingdom of Wind to lay the foundation for the Kingdom of Ghosts to become a great power."

Shiraishi said it very lightly, but Sasuke could understand that the risks involved were very high.

But it is no longer possible to hide the Ghost Country, which is exposed to the eyes of all countries. Shiraishi's decision at that time cannot be said to be absolutely correct, but at least it will make the future road of the Ghost Country much smoother.

However, the psychological reaction of taking the initiative to start a war and break the blockade just because it may be targeted by other countries in the future is a bit excessive.

Sasuke remembered that many people said that Shiraishi was a war maniac who was keen on fighting. Now it seemed that it was true.

However, it is also possible that Shiraishi is too familiar with the operations of the five major countries, so he has absolutely no doubts about the five major nations suppressing the Kingdom of Ghosts, which is why the war in the Kingdom of Wind occurred.

After all, he was once a member of the Ninja Village System of the Five Great Nations. It was impossible not to know what actions the Five Great Nations would take against the new great powers.

"Fortunately, I succeeded in this operation, and I don't have to defect to the Kingdom of Ghosts again."

Sasuke didn't take Shiraishi's self-mockery seriously.

Although it seemed risky, Shiraishi took every step very calmly.

At that time, the countries' vigilance and fear towards the Country of Fire and Konoha were used to prevent the five major countries from becoming one. They also bribed the Country of Thunder and Kumogakure in advance, leaving the Country of Wind isolated and helpless at the armistice meeting. Moreover, the collapse of Rasa's faith in the Fourth Kazekage was also the main reason why Sunagakure's morale declined and he did not want to fight anymore.

"You have done so much, what is your purpose?"

This is what Sasuke wanted to ask.

"Ideal?"

"um, yes."

Sasuke looked at Shiraishi seriously.

"That kind of thing... I don't have it. Maybe I did, but I thought it was too thin, so I threw it away."

Shiraishi glanced at Sasuke and gave this very unexpected answer.

"No?"

"Why do we have to have such a thing as an ideal? I have a wife and children. I can be considered a happy family. I also have a job that I am satisfied with. I also have some hobbies of my own. My life is complete. If this is an ideal, it is not the best. ideal?"

Shiraishi asked rhetorically.

"But……"

Sasuke wanted to say something.

As the minister in charge of the military of the Kingdom of Ghosts, how could he be so casual?

"Why do you bother with these things?"

"I just can't believe that someone in your position would not have his own ideals."

Sasuke thought it was Shiraishi's joke, but from the look on Shiraishi's face, it was definitely not a joke.

However, don’t people live for ideals?

If there is no ideal, wouldn’t it be like a walking dead?

But from the looks of Shiraishi, he is not a walking corpse.

"People just go with the flow. No matter what exists, nothing remains the same. In this world where drastic changes can happen anytime and anywhere, the greatest ideal is to live well and do what we can."

"incredible."

"In that case, you think it's strange that I don't have ideals. So, do you have ideals?"

Shiraishi asked with a smile.

"Of course I..."

Sasuke suddenly got stuck.

What is my ideal?

World Peace?

revenge?

Peace is just Itachi's goal.

Revenge is for the dead relatives and tribesmen, not for yourself.

What is your ideal?

Sasuke looked at Shiraishi's smiling face and felt at a loss again, and began to doubt life.

Do I have ideals? Sasuke kept asking himself.

"However, I have my own set of rules."

When Sasuke was confused, Shiraishi said suddenly.

"Rule of conduct?"

"It can also be said to be a creed in life. That is, no matter where a person is, whether he is pursuing an ideal, or interpreting a certain belief, he must clearly tell himself what is a fact, and what truth can be brought by the fact? What is it? Are what you believe and what others believe in the same direction? Are the people who are willing to believe it willing? Or are they succumbing to some kind of violence and having to swallow their voices and be forced to obey because of fear. Never let yourself be You are confused by what you believe and what others believe. It is only by adapting measures to people's conditions, to the times, and to local conditions that practice has the right to speak."

"practice……"

Sasuke was confused again.

"The times I have experienced and the things I have worked hard cannot be taught as experience, because they are my things. Will will be constantly distorted and misunderstood by others during the transmission. Even if you follow it, you will not be able to teach it. Maybe if you copy it exactly the same, it will change through experience. Just like the will of fire passed down from generation to generation in Konoha, some people regard it as a creed of life, some people regard it as the weight of life, and some people use it as a political tool... …The will has been twisted, can the ideal remain pure?”

Shiraishi's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Sasuke's heart fiercely, making his body tremble.

"Compared with useless things like will and ideals, I think the most important thing to do is to consider actual practical problems. If some people don't have enough to eat, then think about how to produce more food; if some people are trapped in poverty, Then guide them to create more wealth; if someone will be bullied, then give them weapons for self-protection. If someone wants to destroy me, then destroy the enemy. So I never believe in will or ideals, I just Believe in what you get through practice.”

These words brought Sasuke a long silence.

He didn't know whether Shiraishi's approach was right or wrong, but he thought that in the other person's heart, it was something more noble than will and ideals.

With such a thing, will and ideals are no longer necessary, but dispensable.

While he was still confused, the other party had already passed the age of asking who he was, and he carried it out unremittingly, never getting confused.

Regarding 'growth', Sasuke felt a little more in awe from the inside out.

"Finally, let me ask you the simplest question. You told me before that you were fully prepared for war. Are you really ready? Or are you just telling me based on what you read in books? Can you bear that weight?"

Shiraishi looked directly into Sasuke's eyes, making him look up.

Sasuke felt that Shiraishi's intimidating gaze was so dazzling that he couldn't help but want to shut it up.

A stubborn temper came over him.

"Of course, I have personally practiced the same things as you said. I have experienced the so-called cruelty many times."

Sasuke thought that he was already good enough in this regard.

At the same time, he was dissatisfied with Shiraishi for looking down on him.

"Really? I allow you to reorganize the language."

what is this? Is he a ninja school student?

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked seriously into Shiraishi's eyes.

"unnecessary."

"Really? Then, in your opinion, you must view war as an act of killing a large number of people."

Shiraishi confirmed Sasuke's thoughts in a questioning tone.

"Is not it?"

"No, that's correct. No matter what form war is waged in, it is killing people, and this cannot be changed. But you know, killing is not the cruelest thing."

Shiraishi shook his head.

"Then what's the cruelest thing?"

Sasuke asked with a frown.

The corners of Shiraishi's mouth raised slightly, revealing a weird smile that reminded him of nightmares.

"Do you know? On the battlefield of the Second Ninja World War, I once saw hills with corpses piled up everywhere. However, Ruri, Ayane, and the dead Sakumo-sensei, I didn't think it was strange, but were accustomed to it. Under the mountain of corpses, we were chatting as if we were at home, talking about what to eat tonight. At that time, I only had one thought: human life is as cheap as the meat hung on hooks in the slaughterhouse."

After hearing this, Sasuke's pupils suddenly shrank, and an icy chill ran up his spine.

I just fantasized about that scene - a scene where I was sitting in front of the hill of corpses, chatting and laughing with a group of people about what to eat for dinner.

Is this romance? No, I just feel that there is an indescribable weirdness and distortion.

Sasuke suddenly shuddered, his whole body became stiff and unable to move, and even his quick thoughts of making great achievements began to turn into self-loathing.

"Sasuke, if you can do this kind of thing with a normal heart, you are barely qualified. Remember, no matter how reluctant peace is, it will be happier than the most just war."

With these words behind him, Shiraishi walked forward along the corridor, fading away from Sasuke's sight.