Chapter 516: Minato Namikaze and Sasuke
Kakashi, though bewildered, nodded in understanding. He had originally wanted to go with her, whether to plead their case or to offer something in return. He wanted to contribute to this effort in any way he could. But Ino's single phrase, "go down," gave him pause. He was afraid if he "went," he might not come back!
"Alright then, I'll be counting on you," he said dryly.
Since the matter concerned Indra's reincarnation, Ino didn't delay. She gathered her things and departed for the underworld.
She visited this place often, so her meeting with the Sage of Six Paths was uneventful. Ino didn't mention Sasuke at first. Their conversation began, as it always did, with a discussion of Ninshu philosophy and the current system of the ninja world.
True equality was nonexistent in the ninja world. Ino might want it, but the environment didn't allow for it.
As a disciple of the Sage of Six Paths, Ino had to be transcendent. You're the Sage's disciple, you're no longer human. You must place yourself on a higher plane to view these issues.
The Sage of Six Paths didn't care about the Akatsuki or Nagato, but he did care about Nagato's ideology.
Upon arriving in the underworld, Ino's first order of business was to engage the old Sage in an "academic" discussion.
"Master, Nagato believed that hatred is the bond that connects people. He believed the world is fundamentally evil and that peace could only be achieved by making others feel his pain, forcing them to understand him, to identify with him, and then to rely on fear to bring about peace..."
In truth, Ino felt all of this was just empty talk; a full stomach was what truly mattered. But she had no choice. The old Sage loved to hear this kind of thing.
If you talked to him about Sage Mode or Yin-Yang Release, he had no interest. Such simple things, what's there to talk about? You became my disciple to learn my philosophy, didn't you?
But if you discussed systems of governance with him or pondered the principles of society, he would engage in the debate with great interest.
Ino forced herself to transform from a capable fighter into a "philosopher."
Previously, when she brought up theories from her past life, she had to use excuses like, "I have a friend..." Today, she didn't have to invent a friend; Nagato was the perfect subject.
Nagato's thoughts, ideas, and life experiences became mere talking points for a sociological experiment in her hands.
The old Sage was delighted and enthusiastically discussed Nagato's ideology with Ino.
"Hatred is a double-edged sword; it hurts both the wielder and the victim. When a world is filled with hatred, it will inevitably head towards ruin. That path is wrong."
"Master, the former Fifth Hokage believed that we could eliminate conflict through mutual understanding. But can people truly understand one another?..."
Ino and the Sage of Six Paths chatted for nearly a day about the guiding role of Ninshu philosophy on the modern ninja world system. Only in the last ten minutes did she bring up her own questions about Yin-Yang Release.
Just as she was about to leave, she mentioned Sasuke's situation.
"Master, do you know of Sasuke Uchiha?"
The old man simply grunted, "Mm."
Ino scoffed inwardly. Keep pretending, old man. You've probably been watching him since the day he was born!
"Sasuke Uchiha is having some problems with his Mangekyo Sharingan, and he wants to learn Sage Mode from me. I need to ask for your opinion on this matter."
The old Sage didn't respond immediately. He pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. "You may."
"Take this." The Sage held out his hand, returning the artifact Karasuki, which Ino had previously used for time travel, to her.
The turtle-shaped artifact even waved a hand at her in greeting.
Ino was completely bewildered. "Master, why are you giving me this?"
"You will ask me for it later, so I'm giving it to you in advance."
Ino: "???"
The Great Toad Sage could foresee fragments of the future, and she strongly suspected the old man's Rinnegan had a similar ability.
I'll ask for it later, so you're giving it to me now? But I haven't asked for it yet, have I? I don't even have that thought right now.
Unable to discern the old Sage's true intentions, Ino accepted the artifact Karasuki.
She decided to think of it as a reward for teaching Sasuke Sage Mode.
Once her Kekkai Mōra took shape and her Sage Body reached its peak, she would need to put in some hard work if she wanted to rely on her physical advantages to directly awaken the Rinnegan. Madara Uchiha had spent decades grinding away, exhausting his lifespan, just to barely awaken his. Ino felt her progress would be much faster, but it would still take time—perhaps a year, maybe two, or even three or four. At that point, she would indeed need Karasuki to help her "adjust" the time.
At the same time in Konoha.
Minato Namikaze had returned to the position of Hokage. He was familiar with the duties, and after a brief period of readjustment, he had everything running smoothly.
As the village's helmsman, each Hokage had a different style of leadership.
Naruto's method of creating thousands of shadow clones and working himself like a dog wasn't worth mentioning; it was just foolishness.
The Third Hokage's era was characterized by a patriarchal style, skillfully balancing the interests of all parties, promoting his confidants, and prioritizing stability above all else.
Jiraiya's time was basically a "one-day monk, one-day bell" situation. You couldn't say he did nothing—he did what was required—but there was a sense of perfunctoriness, of just getting by.
Minato Namikaze had yet another approach.
Whether it was a ninja or a civilian, he wanted to understand their thoughts. He sought to grasp the helm of the great ship that was the village by listening and communicating with individuals.
That was how he had done it back then, and it was how he did it now.
The first person he chose to speak with after formally assuming the role of Hokage was Sasuke.
Jiraiya felt a sense of guilt toward the Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke. He believed he had failed to save Itachi. After stepping down as Hokage, he had hoped Minato would look after Sasuke as much as possible and prevent the genius from going astray.
Sasuke had gone to the Yamanaka household to find Ino, but she was still "down below" chatting with the Sage about the importance of Ninshu, so of course, he couldn't find her. With his hands in his pockets, he started walking home alone. As he turned a corner, he came face-to-face with the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"Lord Fourth," he said, thinking a simple greeting would suffice. He hadn't expected Minato to stop him.
"Sasuke, I heard you helped Naruto quite a bit when you were in Team 7. As his father, I'd like to treat you to a meal to show my gratitude. Do you have time?" Minato's tone was extremely polite.
The village leader is inviting you to a meal. Could you say, "I'm busy, get lost"? Are you trying to get kicked out of the village?
Sasuke wasn't so headstrong now. He hesitated for a moment. "Alright."
Minato could cook, but their relationship wasn't close enough for him to invite Sasuke to his home.
He had heard that Sasuke didn't like sweets, so the dango from the sweet shop and the three-color dango from the natto shop were out.
In the end, Minato took Sasuke to a barbecue restaurant.
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