Chương 20: Destiny

The enrollment was settled by noon. The afternoon was declared a holiday, ostensibly to provide the newly admitted students time to prepare their school supplies or to enjoy a final moment of leisure. Starting tomorrow, they would be official students of the Ninja Academy—reservists of the shinobi forces and future soldiers wielding supernatural power.

Perhaps the original intent of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in founding the Hidden Village was to create a stable haven where people would no longer slaughter one another; a place to unite and protect the next generation, ensuring that underage children were no longer coerced onto the battlefield by their elders for various reasons. However, once the Hidden Village merged with the state to establish the "One Country, One Village" system, the nature of the institution shifted.

That original dream became an impossibility. The small-scale skirmishes between rival clans over mercenary contracts transformed into grand military competitions between nations and Hidden Villages. During the Warring States Period, a shinobi clan still possessed a modicum of freedom—the right to refuse a client. But once integrated into a Hidden Village and tethered to the beast that is the State, they were no longer masters of their own fate.

Once war erupted, it was larger in scale, longer in duration, and more tragic in casualties than anything seen in the Warring States. When adult shinobi casualties became too heavy, the young juniors were sent to the front regardless. Nothing had truly changed. Perhaps Madara Uchiha realized this very truth long ago—that his and Hashirama's adolescent dreams were naive. Shinobi had still not escaped their preordained fate.

Thus, he chose a different path, seeking to go a step further: to unify the shinobi world entirely alongside Hashirama, ending a millennium of conflict and leading everyone out of this chaotic destiny. Unfortunately, Hashirama Senju was already entrenched in the illusion of peace he had constructed, stubbornly refusing to allow anyone to disrupt it. To that end, he would kill anyone who threatened the village, whether it was his dearest friend, Madara, or his own kin. While he lived, there was peace.

But the moment he died, the First Great Shinobi War ignited, followed by the Second, and now the Third. Hiding in the depths, Madara watched it all with cold eyes, more certain than ever that his vision was correct. But he was scarred and broken, and the only man capable of standing by his side, Hashirama, was gone. To realize his ideal, he had to resort to other means—and fell into yet another pit, becoming the premier project manager for Black Zetsu, the CEO of an endless cycle of conspiracies.

He, too, failed to escape the fate of being controlled. At midday, Dongye Hui and Sakura Uzuki took their children out for a casual lunch. At this hour, neither felt like heading home to cook. Near the school gates, the four of them saw Gekko Hayate and Uchiha Shisui emerging with the crowd. Hayate, naturally, was looking to snag a meal, while Shisui was preparing to head back to his clan. Uzuki Yugao waved a small, fair hand.

"Over here! Hayate-niisan, we're over here! And Shisui-kun, would you like to join us for lunch?" Uchiha Shisui, who was about to bid the group farewell, paused in surprise.

"Oh, is that alright? I wouldn't want to be a bother." Dongye Hui smiled warmly.

"Child, how could it be a bother? Aren't you friends with Zhen and the others? Or is someone already waiting for you with a meal at home?" Zhen and the other two had spent much of the past year or two mingling with Shisui. The parents of all three families were aware of this and did not object. Hostility toward the Uchiha was reserved for certain individuals in high command; ordinary shinobi and villagers mostly just viewed the Uchiha as aloof or difficult to approach, harboring perhaps a slight distaste at most.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. As the clan in charge of the Konoha Military Police Force, the Uchiha frequently dealt with the populace. Because they carried themselves with the haughty pride of the "First Clan" and were often perceived as cold and unsympathetic, general dissatisfaction was common. In truth, if one actually teamed up with a member of that clan, they would find them quite reliable.

Given the Uchiha temperament, they would never dream of using a comrade as a meat shield. As for whether there were jerks in the Uchiha clan—naturally there were. But then, which clan didn't have those? Hearing Hui mention family, Shisui lowered his head and spoke softly.

"My parents are gone. It's just me at home." Sakura Uzuki added, "What an independent and sensible child. Come along, then!" The two mothers had intended to take the trio to a simple set-meal diner, but with their children's friend joining, they decided on something better. Yakiniku Q was the destination. During the meal, seeing his two friends cared for by family, a flicker of envy and longing appeared in Shisui's eyes. Being a clever child, he kept his head down so no one would notice.

Suddenly, several large pieces of grilled meat, radiating an enticing aroma, appeared on his plate.

"Eat more," Dongye Hui said.

"You too, Hayate. You both are a bit on the thin side. You need to bulk up a bit like Zhen." Shisui looked up with a bright, happy smile.

"Yes. Thank you, Auntie Hui." Hayate looked at Zhen's sturdy physique and muttered inwardly, I want to, but my constitution won't allow it. Zhen himself wondered what was going on with Hayate. His strength had improved significantly, yet he couldn't put on weight. Was he spending his days using Transparent Release to haunt the women's bathhouse? Unlikely—the guy hadn't even mastered that god-tier technique yet. After the meal, the group went their separate ways.

Dongye Hui watched Shisui's departing figure and murmured, "Actually, the Uchiha sacrifice quite a lot in every war, but it seems no one ever publicizes it. The village only sends them to the front when manpower is low. I don't know why things between them and the village ended up like this." The shinobi profession is one of pervasive secrecy, and the Hidden Village is no exception.

The long-standing grievances between the Uchiha and the village—including the final battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju—were classified as top secret. As a commoner family, the Dongye had no way of knowing the intricate details.

"Why, Mother? Do you want to know the reason?" Hui was surprised.

"Do you? That isn't something someone your age should know."

"Because of fear. Those in power fear a force they cannot control. Some fear the rise of another Madara Uchiha, because Konoha no longer has a God of Shinobi." Hui had always known her son was precocious, but she suddenly realized she didn't know the half of it. A chill ran through her, and she looked around nervously.

"Zhen, those words don't align with the Will of Fire at all. Don't ever say that again."

"Don't worry, Mother. No one is eavesdropping. But please, don't discuss such things in public—not even at home. It invites trouble."

"Arey, look at you lecturing me. Fine, fine, I understand."

"So, are we heading home now?"

"No. Follow me." Hui took Zhen to a florist to buy several bouquets, then headed to the Konoha Cemetery on the back mountain. They placed flowers on two separate graves. This was where shinobi who died in service to Konoha were buried—their names carved into the Memorial Stone, including Zhen's grandfather and uncle. The cemetery for ordinary citizens was elsewhere. Of the many festivals in the Land of Fire each year, three involve ancestral rites, so Zhen had visited this place fairly often.

As Hui cleaned the dust from the graves, she said, "Your grandfather died near the end of the First War. Your uncle died near the end of the Second. Both passed just as the wars were ending. Your uncle had planned to marry after the war, intending to grow the Dongye family during the rare time of peace. He didn't make it. Seeing you grow up so clever, your father and I planned to give you a sibling... but then the war came again. The Dongye family's luck always seems a bit lacking."

"Now your father has gone to the front, and his fate is uncertain. Only you are left, Zhen."

"Are you worried about something, Mother?"

"Your father told me about your strength. You are a true genius, son. But if possible... don't follow Kakashi's example and graduate early. Stay quietly in the school for a few more years."

"I have no problem with that. But sometimes, it isn't our choice. If this war becomes too brutal or lasts too many years, and the village's strength is depleted, our generation will eventually be sent to the front line anyway."

"I know. Perhaps this is the fate a shinobi can never escape."

"Fate? Perhaps. If shinobi, who wield supernatural power, are content to be mere tools and weapons, then that fate is indeed inescapable." Hui, being a traditional shinobi, didn't quite grasp her son's words.

"Aren't shinobi supposed to be weapons? It has been so for a thousand years."

"No, Mother. Just because it has always been this way doesn't mean it's right. That's what's called a 'mental seal'."

"Then, Zhen, why do you still want to be a shinobi?"

"Because I haven't experienced it. I want to feel the excitement of the profession. But that doesn't mean I agree that the current state of the shinobi is reasonable."