"Why is there so much war?" In truth, this question was surprisingly easy to answer.
At least, for Yuhara, it wasn't a difficult question at all. But for the people of this world, it might not be so simple.
Having lived through the final stages of the Third Great Ninja War, Yuhara understood just how naïve and laughable the modern ninja world's understanding of war really was.
To over 90% of the shinobi population, the main cause of war was hatred.
Hatred formed for various reasons—this was the prevailing view. Even someone like Jiraiya believed that.
And it was that line of thinking that led to his idealistic conclusion:
If people could simply understand each other and communicate, then hatred would fade, and war would disappear too.
In truth, the first part wasn't wrong. Mutual understanding could indeed reduce hatred.
But the mistake was believing that would also eliminate war.
Because war has never been born solely out of hatred. Hatred may be involved, but it has never been the driving force.
"War is a heavy topic, Shisui," Yuhara said, his voice low and solemn, shaped by the somber atmosphere. His gaze remained fixed on the glow of the flames ahead.
Then he suddenly asked, "What do you think is the root of war? Why does war happen?"
"I…" Shisui hesitated.
In truth, he wanted to hear Yuhara's thoughts instead. To him, Yuhara stood on a higher plane—a man with broader vision.
Lately, Shisui had begun to question many of his own beliefs. He didn't feel confident about his views anymore. Still, after a brief pause, he spoke.
"I guess… like everyone says… it's because of hatred. War continues because hatred does."
"And that's why I keep saying—your thinking is too narrow," Yuhara cut him off bluntly.
He turned toward Shisui, looking him in the eye with a sigh before continuing.
"You're like everyone else. You all oversimplify things. Let me make this clear—wars never happen because of hatred."
"Never because of hatred?" Shisui had mentally prepared himself for something provocative, but Yuhara's blunt declaration still shocked him.
It was such an absolute stance that it shattered a core belief held by most of the shinobi world.
"Yes. Never because of hatred. Hatred is just an excuse."
Yuhara nodded seriously at him.
"True war... is simply politics carried on by other means."
"Politics… continued?" Shisui repeated the phrase quietly. He didn't fully grasp it, but something about it resonated deep inside him.
"That's right. War arises under specific political circumstances, driven by political motives."
Yuhara didn't give him time to ponder. He pressed on.
"To put it simply, war is just another form of political interaction. It's not some standalone phenomenon.
"Sure, person-to-person conflicts might stem from hatred. But when an entire nation or village wages war, it's not because of hatred.
"It's because the leaders—the Kage—choose war as an extreme method to pursue the village's interests… or their own."
He paused for a moment before asking, "Let me ask you—since Konoha was founded, we've had three major wars.
"We weren't born during the first two, but we both lived through the third.
"Do you remember what started the Third Great Ninja War?"
Yuhara's question snapped Shisui out of his daze. He began to think more seriously.
In the past, he would've quickly answered 'hatred.' But not anymore—not after hearing what Yuhara just said.
Instead, he followed Yuhara's line of reasoning—considering political and economic motives.
Though Yuhara had shaken his worldview, Shisui wasn't clueless. He had spent enough time in the ANBU to recognize patterns.
Eventually, he hesitantly offered, "Was it... a development problem? Their own internal development issues?"
"Exactly. That's a key factor."
Yuhara smiled and nodded. He'd seen how much Shisui had changed over the past few days.
If he could continue to broaden Shisui's perspective, this man would be one of his greatest allies—possibly his strongest.
"The Land of Wind is a desert nation. They don't have enough water or farmland. Their natural conditions severely limit their growth.
"They can't even sustain themselves and are forced to import massive amounts of food, which drains their already scarce resources."
He continued, "They need a fertile oasis—arable land. Only then can they break free from their limitations."
"So… to overcome that, they had to move into the Land of Rivers… and in doing so, they invaded us?" Shisui's eyes widened in sudden realization.
He immediately grasped Yuhara's point. With this new angle, everything made far more sense. This felt like the real reason behind the war.
Compared to a village's survival and prosperity, hatred seemed insignificant. From a Kage's perspective, the choice was obvious.
As he processed this, the way Shisui looked at Yuhara began to change.
In just a few days, Yuhara had completely overturned so many of his long-held beliefs.
But instead of leaving him lost, Yuhara had given him something better—a clearer, more elevated way of viewing the world.
Whether it was understanding internal clan dynamics, the importance of purpose and vision as a future clan leader, or now the truth behind war—everything Yuhara said had filled in the blanks in Shisui's understanding.
All the vague ideas he once had now had solid logic behind them. He finally saw the bigger picture.
"You're right. War isn't what we thought it was. And maybe… everything we've seen is just what others want us to see."
Yuhara smiled faintly. He patted Shisui's shoulder and said in a calm, instructive tone:
"That's why you must always think before acting. And more importantly, learn to see through appearances and understand the essence of things. Only when you know the truth will you understand the real world."
For Yuhara, these ideas were basic—foundational concepts from his previous life's education.
But to Shisui, they were revelations—deep, unforgettable lessons.
He'd never thought of himself as a genius, but he did believe he was smart. Now, though, he realized how far below Yuhara he really was.
Not only had he misunderstood the true nature of war, but he hadn't even seen the truth of his own clan.
Let alone the deeper issues between the Uchiha and Konoha.
Without Yuhara's guidance, he might've wandered down a blind path forever.
And now, when he looked at Yuhara, his eyes were filled with admiration… and a growing sense of reverence.