Chapter 12

"Why are there so many wars?" In fact, this question is really quite easy to answer.

At least for Kaito, it's not a particularly difficult question. However, for the people of this world, it might not be such a simple matter.

Having experienced the end of the Third Great Ninja War, he was well aware of how naive and ridiculous the contemporary ninja's understanding of war was.

To about ninety percent of the ninja, the primary cause of war was hatred.

Hatred, born from various reasons, fueled the outbreak of wars. Even someone like Jiraiya understood it in this way.

It was perhaps this trend that gave rise to a preposterous idea in his mind—

As long as people can understand and communicate with each other, hatred can be eliminated, and even wars can be eradicated!

Actually, the idea is not entirely incorrect in the first half. Understanding between people can indeed diminish hatred. However, the mistake lies in believing that it can eliminate wars.

Wars have never been solely born out of hatred, even if it may be a contributing factor to some extent. It is by no means the primary cause.

"War is a heavy topic, Shisui."

Perhaps due to the somber atmosphere, Kaito's voice sounded a bit subdued. His gaze remained fixed on the flames ahead, and suddenly he spoke up, asking.

"In your opinion, what is the root cause of war, or why do wars occur?"

"Well..."

Shisui appeared hesitant, as he was more interested in hearing Kaito's interpretation. In his eyes, Kaito was someone who stood at a higher level with a broader perspective.

Shisui quietly questioned his own thoughts and insights, feeling uncertain about his own views. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke up.

"Perhaps, as everyone says, it's because of hatred. It's the continuation of hatred that leads to..."

"That's why I'm saying, your vision and thinking are too narrow."

Kaito interrupted Shisui before he could finish his sentence. He then turned his head and looked earnestly at Shisui. With a slight sigh, he slowly continued.

"You and everyone else are the same. You all see things too simplistically. I can clearly tell you that the outbreak of war is never because of hatred."

"Not because of hatred?" Shisui, although mentally prepared, was still shocked by Kaito's 'extreme theory'.

Kaito's choice of words was absolute, shattering their long-held understanding of a part of the ninja world!

"That's right, it's never because of hatred. Hatred has always been nothing more than an excuse."

Kaito earnestly nodded at Shisui.

"Because true wars are actually a continuation of politics through another means."

"Politics... continuation..." Shisui murmured those words silently. He didn't fully grasp the meaning of those words, but it seemed like he understood something.

"That's right, wars arise under certain political circumstances, and are driven by certain political motives."

Kaito didn't let Shisui dwell on it for too long and directly spoke up.

"Simply put, war is just a part of political interaction, and by no means an independent entity.

While personal conflicts between individuals may involve elements of hatred, when it comes to a war between nations or ninja villages, it's certainly not about personal hatred.

The outbreak of war is actually the result of different villages' leaders pursuing their own village's interests or their own personal interests through extreme means."

"Let me ask you a question. Since the establishment of Konoha, we have witnessed three wars. We were not born or familiar with the first two, but we were both witnesses of the Third Great Ninja War. Do you remember how it began?"

Kaito asked the question halfway and suddenly threw it to Shisui, which made Shisui start to ponder seriously.

In the past, he would have immediately attributed it to hatred, but now he knew better than to think so superficially, only considering the aspect of hatred.

Instead, he followed Kaito's line of thought and began to contemplate deeper factors, such as the political and interest-related elements mentioned by Kaito.

Although Kaito's words challenged his previous understanding, Shisui had spent a considerable amount of time in the ANBU, so he could still perceive certain things to some extent.

He hesitated for a moment before seemingly realizing something and said, "Is it... their own development issues?"

"That's right, self-development issues are crucial," Kaito nodded with a smile, noticing the changes in Shisui along the way.

If he could help Shisui broaden his perspective, this guy would undoubtedly be one of his greatest assets, even one of his strongest forces in the future.

"The Land of Wind is located in a desert region. They lack sufficient water sources and arable land, which greatly limits their own development. They can't even achieve self-sufficiency and have to rely on a large amount of grain imports, which depletes their already limited funds.

They need an oasis, they need arable land. Only then can they break free from their limitations.

"So, in order to break free from these limitations, they can only advance towards the Land of Rivers and attack us here, right?"

Shisui instantly grasped Kaito's meaning, and with the different perspectives provided by Kaito, he genuinely realized that this was likely the true source of the matter!

In comparison to hatred and the interests of the villages, they seemed truly insignificant. When standing in the position of a Kage, how to choose had become clear at a glance.

After understanding all of this, the change in Shisui's gaze towards Kaito became even more significant.

In just these few short days, Kaito had continuously shattered his worldview and challenged his previously ingrained beliefs.

However, this kind of breakthrough did not lead Shisui astray. On the contrary, Kaito provided him with a clearer perspective, allowing him to understand and observe the world from a higher position.

Whether it was the judgments within the clan, the clear demands and principles Kaito mentioned about becoming the clan leader, or now being informed about the essence of war, all of these were once vague concepts for Shisui. They were merely thoughts without substantial and concrete logic. But now, it seemed that he had gained a much deeper understanding of many things.

"That's right, war is not really what ordinary people perceive it to be. In fact, what we see is probably just what others want us to see."

At that moment, Kaito wore a smile on his face. He patted Shisui's shoulder and spoke with earnestness.

"That's why we must think carefully before taking action, and we must see through appearances to understand the essence. Only by understanding what the essence truly is, will you gain a deeper understanding of the real world."

Whether it's thinking carefully before taking action or seeing through appearances to understand the essence, these are very fundamental things that Kaito learned in his past education.

But for Shisui, it was an extremely profound lesson, and these words made him feel deeply inadequate.

Although he didn't consider himself a genius, he had always thought of himself as intelligent. However, now he realized that there was a world of difference between himself and Kaito.

Not to mention understanding the essence of war, he hadn't even grasped the essence of the internal situation within his own clan.

Let alone the nature of the relationship between the clan and Konoha, he hadn't figured out why it had become the way it was.

If it weren't for Kaito's reminder, he would likely have continued on in confusion.

With these thoughts in mind, his gaze towards Kaito began to change, becoming one of respect and even a fervent desire to learn from him.