The ground was submerged in ankle-deep water, the surface trembling under the endless rain. Each raindrop splashed into the puddles, creating ripples that overlapped like soft, indistinct murmurs rising from the earth itself.
Five long minutes passed. Hayashi did not move, nor did he speak. He sat quietly on a fallen tree trunk, staring into the blurred landscape hidden behind thick, storm-heavy clouds.
Beside him, Minato sat in silence, waiting with a tense heart. He wondered what his friend would think after hearing everything he'd confessed.
Minato's determination to become Hokage and protect everyone around him had never changed.
But after experiencing death up close on the battlefield, the horrors of war left him filled with doubts. Now, what weighed on him most was the desire for true peace in the ninja world.
After voicing all of this, a heavy burden had lifted from his chest. He had spoken every concern openly because, in his eyes, Hayashi was a friend and someone he trusted deeply. Hayashi always seemed to find answers when no one else could.
"Hayashi?" Minato finally broke the silence.
Hayashi slowly pulled his attention away from his thoughts and turned toward Minato.
"Minato," he said, voice calm and serious, "your doubts are normal. Most ninjas have questioned this war at some point. We travel across borders, invade the Land of Rain, but what is the true purpose behind all of this?"
Hayashi exhaled softly. "The village speaks of peace, but that's a convenient disguise. What they truly protect is their own interest."
He continued, "The imbalance in economic development between nations and the rising militaristic ambitions in every village make conflict inevitable. Each power must fight to secure its position, or else its country, village, and people will suffer."
Hayashi locked eyes with him.
"But after every war comes poverty, starvation, and countless broken families. After all these generations of conflict, the ninja world is drowning in pain. None of us are innocent in this cycle."
Minato frowned. "Then… are you saying peace is impossible?"
"No," Hayashi replied immediately. "But to achieve it, we must first understand what peace truly means. Ask ten ninjas, you'll get ten different answers."
He nodded at Minato. "So tell me yours."
"My opinion?" Minato blinked, hesitating, then spoke. "I believe that one day, people will come to truly understand each other. When that happens… peace will become real."
Hayashi shook his head gently. It was an answer straight out of Jiraiya's teachings—idealistic, hopeful, resting on humanity's sudden enlightenment. Hayashi understood the sentiment but didn't agree with relying on such a dream.
"Minato, the ninja world is sick," Hayashi said firmly. "When someone is sick, you don't wait for them to heal on their own. You treat the illness. Hoping it magically fixes itself doesn't work."
Minato fell silent. Deep down, he felt Hayashi was right. Even he knew Jiraiya's view leaned toward naïve hope.
Hayashi continued, "The First Hokage saw this sickness too. That's why he created the one-country-one-village system, ending the chaos caused by clan wars."
But then Hayashi's expression dimmed. "However… it didn't cure anything. Instead, wars became bigger. Entire nations battle at once now, not just clans. The scale of death is unimaginable compared to the past. In that sense… the First Hokage failed."
Minato stared at him in shock. "Failed? But—"
"Think carefully," Hayashi interrupted gently. "Clan wars became country-wide conflicts. The chaos didn't end, it expanded. We simply returned to the starting point, but with far more casualties."
His words struck Minato like a wave. Ever since he was a child, every story he heard praised the First Hokage for ending chaos.
He had never once imagined that the system might have failed.
But now… standing in the middle of a brutal war, surrounded by orphans like Hayashi, Nawaki, Mikoto, Kushina, and even himself… Minato could not deny the truth.
The tragedies from the past still repeated, over and over. And maybe… someday, his own children might end up orphaned too.
Silence tightened around them.
Hayashi smiled faintly. "You didn't expect to hear that, did you?"
Minato shook his head. "Actually… what you said makes a lot of sense."
"It's the reality we live in," Hayashi said. "The First and Second Ninja World Wars have already happened. And if nothing changes, there will be a Third… a Fourth… and more. As long as villages remain divided, conflict will always return. War will never end."
Minato swallowed hard. "So you mean… we should destroy other villages?"
"Not destroy," Hayashi answered, "but unite."
"The First Hokage united clans to bring peace to the Land of Fire. We can do the same—unite the other villages, rebuild the ninja world's structure, and establish a new order. Only then can true peace take shape."
His words lingered heavily in the damp air.
Hayashi watched Minato carefully. He was still a child, and every emotion showed clearly on his face—shock, fear, confusion, and then… slowly… thoughtfulness.
Minato could see it clearly now. If nothing changed, another war was inevitable. The idea of uniting the ninja world struck something deep inside him.
"But… this is extremely difficult," Minato whispered. "Far harder than what the First Hokage faced."
"That's true," Hayashi nodded. "The relationship between villages is fragile, like a tower of cards. One wrong move, and everything collapses."
Minato added quietly, "And there are rogue ninjas and smaller nations waiting for any weakness. They watch the Five Great Nations constantly."
"So that's why we need strength," Hayashi said. "Strength powerful enough to reshape everything. Only then can we rebuild the world from the ground up."
He knew the peace after the Fourth Ninja War—far in the future—was temporary. A brief truce. Once the heroes faded, conflict would rise again.
Integration was the only true solution.
Hayashi looked directly at Minato. "Minato… to fulfill this dream, I need your help."
"Me?" Minato stuttered. "My strength isn't enough yet."
"That's not true," Hayashi replied gently. "Your talent is incredible. Your future will be extraordinary."
He knew one thing well: no one could do something this monumental alone. Even someone as strong as Madara failed to take his clan with him when he left the village. Strength alone wasn't enough—you needed people who believed in you.
"And remember this," Hayashi said seriously. "Until we gain enough power, we must act simple, stay cautious, and protect those we can."
Minato nodded deeply. "I understand. And this… must never reach the ears of the elders."
"Not until we become the elders," Hayashi said with a small grin.
He extended his hand.
"Trust me, Minato. We will succeed."
Minato reached out and shook it.
_______
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