As Uchiha Yamakaze watched his captain—the newly appointed Police Force Captain—fall into deep thought, he couldn't help but speak up:
"Captain, is there something about this Kumogakure envoy delegation that's bothering you? You look like you're really concerned…"
Chiyu simply shook his head. "How's Aoki?"
Yamakaze gave a genuine smile.
"He's a lot better now. Still hasn't woken up, but the doctors say he's out of danger. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared come here to see you…"
"That's good," Chiyu murmured, letting out a small breath of relief.
"Captain… thank you…"
"Don't waste your breath on that kind of talk."
Yamakaze scratched his head with a chuckle. "Right, sorry…"
"But we really did cause a big mess this time—Aoki and I were too young and naïve, falling into the enemy's trap…"
Chiyu spoke in a low, steady voice. "I've taught you from the start: never blame yourselves—blame the villains. They schemed carefully; you can't prepare against every possibility."
"You're right, Captain. I understand now…"
He hesitated. "Captain… they say you've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Mm."
"S-something that amazing… I wish I could witness you unleashing its power on the battlefield," Yamakaze said in awe.
The Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't easy to master, coming at a steep price. Chiyu didn't bother explaining further to this young man.
Then Yamakaze seemed to want to speak but held back. Chiyu noticed.
"Say it."
"…Actually, I'm just curious. If you've gained such incredible power, Captain, why not simply break with them completely? Like with that traitorous Shisui, and—"
He broke off nervously, glancing around the prison's darkness. Chiyu, of course, understood.
"Yamakaze, I've said before: I'd rather think of you all not just as subordinates, but as—
'successors to my will.'"
Yamakaze nodded. "Yes, we… we're absolutely your followers, Captain!"
"Then besides honing your combat abilities, you need to start thinking more. Thinking?"
"That's right."
For once, Chiyu's tone became almost instructive, solemn:
"Sure, I've become stronger, but that doesn't mean the entire Uchiha clan is strong. Indeed, if one person grows powerful enough, they can rule this grim ninja world by sheer force.
"But I'm nowhere near that point.
"Even against Shisui alone, I can't guarantee I'd win.
"Never underestimate your enemy," Chiyu added when Yamakaze sounded unconvinced.
"Uchiha Shisui's not so simple. He's got fearsome Fire Release, shurikenjutsu, a Taijutsu-Kenjutsu blend called 'Sword-Leap Blaze,' plus that famed Body Flicker Technique. Then there's his dual Mangekyō Sharingan, known for its peerless illusions…
"And beyond that, there's likely the highest Uchiha ocular power: Susanoo."
Yamakaze paled. "Susanoo—the legendary power?! He… he's actually—?"
Chiyu said, "Why else would Sarutobi Hiruzen go to such lengths to recruit and indoctrinate him?
"In a direct fight, maybe I wouldn't lose. But that's just one-on-one. A war between the entire Uchiha clan and all of Konoha is a different matter.
"No way could I protect every clan member. Even at best, it would be mutual devastation. Probably we'd lose outright."
The young, hot-blooded Yamakaze realized pure passion wouldn't solve everything. Chiyu saw his thoughtful look and kept going:
"Moreover, hypothetically, if we miraculously crushed Konoha's upper ranks and seized all authority—if the whole village became ours—what then?"
Yamakaze hesitated. "…Then…"
"After that, would the countless shinobi and villagers sincerely obey and recognize our rule? Would all the great clans meekly accept being dictated to by Uchiha? Would the skilled and powerful ninjas bow to us? Would the Land of Fire's Daimyō acknowledge it all? And what about the other four great nations—would they let us finish reorganizing if we were weakened from a bloody civil war?
"Have you thought about these things?"
Yamakaze's face went pale. "I… I never thought that far…"
"It's not your fault," Chiyu told him.
"In fact, neither the clan's radicals nor conservatives have genuinely considered it. They mostly act on anger, hatred, grudges, or personal benefit. Our clan isn't even united—so how could we expect to defeat the Konoha higher-ups and take the village?"
Yamakaze frowned. "So, Captain, what's your plan?"
Chiyu said, "Having listened this far, you might think I'm only worrying about the clan's interests, trying to save the Uchiha from our 'destiny.'
"But that's not my ultimate goal.
"My goal… is for the entire village—no, the entire ninja world—to know real justice and fairness. For right and wrong to be crystal clear, and for evil to be punished. A world where kind people don't live in fear, and the wicked can't hide from retribution, all abiding by law and morality.
"Not this rotten, depraved ninja world, full of bloodshed and savagery, where it's survival of the fittest and people live like ghosts, not humans."
Yamakaze stared with wide eyes, equal parts admiration and bewilderment.
"Captain… You put it so well… But can such a world exist? Even if it does, can we ever achieve it?"
Chiyu shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's forever out of reach. But no one and nothing can stop me from heading that way. Absolutely not."
Yamakaze's heart pounded with both excitement and the weight of reality.
"So how does that tie into our current predicament, Captain?"
Chiyu said, "It doesn't. At least, it's not about the 'situation' as much as about me. About how I choose to act.
"Yamakaze, do you think I'm a bloodthirsty killer?"
Yamakaze froze, then scratched his head, uncomfortable.
"Well, to be honest…you do sort of come across that way…"
"Then you're mistaken."
"But… isn't that how everyone sees it?"
"Then everyone is wrong. Everyone I've killed deserved death. If I was truly bloodthirsty, do you think I'd have left a single soul alive in this prison? I'd have slaughtered them all."
Yamakaze felt an icy tingle.
But he also knew Chiyu was telling the truth.
"So you mean…"
"Put simply, it's a matter of choice," Chiyu explained. "This ninja world is like a diseased creature riddled with rotting flesh, and I'm a scalpel, slicing away all the filth and decay.
"If, in the end, it survives, great.
"If it dies completely, then I'll build a new world on top of the corpse of the old."
~~~
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