Senju Wakama didn't harm the man, merely restricted his movements. Only after other bystanders came to their senses and helped subdue him did Wakama pick up the fallen knife through his sleeve and toss it into a nearby trash can with a lid.
Having done this, Senju Wakama didn't linger. He ignored the shouts of the people around him and quickly left the scene.
"Brother Zetsu, I'm sorry. I want to see which innocent people will die in his place now that I've stopped this victim from being killed."
Senju Wakama said this as he slipped into the crowd, the shouts behind him gradually fading away.
If even becoming a god means you can't do as you please...
...then what's the point of escaping the "box"?
It wasn't that Senju Wakama was particularly kind.
The victim he had just saved was clearly no saint either.
His wife and child were trembling nearby, yet the man was only concerned with venting his own emotions, giving no thought to how his outburst would affect them.
If the attacker had landed that blow, the victim's wife and child, given where they were standing, would have been sprayed with his blood.
Zetsu chuckled. "Wakama, you couldn't understand what they were saying, could you? But, do as you please. As long as you don't cause too big a commotion in this world and force Mom to come clean up your mess, it's all fine."
Senju Wakama looked curious. "So, what were they arguing about?"
"Just some night market squabble," Zetsu said nonchalantly. "The family with the wife and child said the owner overcharged them. The owner insisted they ate that much. Neither side would back down, the man said some nasty things, and the owner couldn't take it anymore, so he snapped."
Senju Wakama raised an eyebrow. "Something like that escalated to murder? I've saved that man now, so which innocent person gets to be unlucky next?"
Zetsu chuckled. "Well, it counts as attempted murder now. Whether they settle or press charges depends on the family's choice. Since no one died, the sentence probably won't be too harsh."
"I want to know the consequences," Senju Wakama sighed.
"You really want to know?" Zetsu chuckled lightly. "Let me check. Give me a second. What was that guy's name again, hmm..."
A few minutes later.
Zetsu's voice sounded again.
"The family was scared, so they pressed charges to the end. The shop owner was sentenced to three years."
"The day he gets out of prison, he'll use a ride-hailing app to call a taxi from the prison gate. Then, while the taxi is stopped at a red light, he'll suddenly pull out a knife and stab the driver, a complete stranger, to death. After stabbing him, he'll run. Two hours later, he'll be caught and arrested at the scene of the crime. For attacking someone again, he'll get the death penalty."
Senju Wakama's brow furrowed. "If I hadn't intervened just now..."
"Then the shop owner would have killed that man on the spot, been arrested a few hours later, and sentenced directly to death," Zetsu finished for him.
Senju Wakama was lost in thought. "So, you're saying if I hadn't done anything, that man would have died just now, and the killer would have died shortly after."
"But because I acted, an innocent taxi driver will die in that man's place three years from now, and the killer will be arrested then and subsequently executed?"
Zetsu gave an affirmative reply.
Senju Wakama was silent for a long time. When he reached a sparsely populated riverbank, he picked up a stone and, imitating his big brother Hashirama skipping stones, threw it across the water's surface.
The stone seemed to dance on the water, skimming across the river for a long time before finally sinking without reaching the other side.
Senju Wakama asked faintly, "So... Brother Zetsu, you said before that in the ninja world, I was supposed to have died before the age of ten, ambushed by adult ninja from the Hagoromo and Uchiha clans, right?"
"Correct..." Zetsu let out a low chuckle.
"But I'm still alive, because of Tsukuyo..." Senju Wakama narrowed his eyes slightly. "My being alive... does it mean someone else had to die in my place?"
"The Hagoromo clan... died in your place," Zetsu said grimly. "In that original destiny, the Hagoromo clan would have lost to the Senju clan, but not to the point of extinction. But as things stand now, the Hagoromo clan has been wiped out."
"You and your younger brother Itama survived. The price was the complete annihilation of the Hagoromo clan. They bore that fate in your stead..."
Senju Wakama looked up at the tranquil night sky and asked softly, "Does Tsukuyo know about this?"
"Of course she knows. That's why she orchestrated the Hagoromo clan's annihilation," Zetsu replied. "Maybe you should find an internet cafe, pull an all-nighter, and watch a movie. Watch The Butterfly Effect. After you see it, you might understand what I'm talking about and grasp more deeply what kind of consequences your seemingly insignificant actions can have on the future."
Senju Wakama looked at the brightly lit, bustling city across the river. He smiled and nodded. "You're right. I should continue to learn with a sense of awe."
Zetsu spoke again. "When do you plan to die?"
Hearing this, Senju Wakama's eyes narrowed slightly.
Zetsu added, "In the ninja world, I mean..."
"After the village is founded," Senju Wakama said after a moment's thought. "When the opportunity arises, when my sister gives me the chance. Didn't you say she wants to repair her 'Godhead'? Founding the village is to give her a safe environment to fix her system. When she's in that state, she'll probably need to go into seclusion, right? She can hand her duties over to us. That will be the best time..."
"Good," Zetsu didn't object. He said with a mischievous grin, "By the way, Wakama, it's still early. We can find an internet cafe and stay all night. I can provide you with an ID and money. While we're watching The Butterfly Effect, we can also check out an anime called Naruto."
Senju Wakama: "Hmm, I remember seeing that in the phone's app store. Isn't it a game?"
Zetsu: "The anime came before the game. Want to go check out the plot? It's all about ninja, so you might learn something."
"Sure, let's go."
Senju Wakama strode off, his figure receding into the distance against the backdrop of a night sky tinged red by neon lights.
Several hours later.
In a private room at an internet cafe near the coast.
Senju Wakama stared expressionlessly at the computer screen in front of him, which displayed the Reanimated forms of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Senju Wakama: "????"
Huh?
Hokage?
Konoha Hidden Village?
At first, Senju Wakama had started watching the anime with an entertainment mindset, but gradually, he began to realize something.
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