"Make them feel pain and understand pain?" Konan murmured to herself, as if she were trapped in a twisted belief system.
Nagato looked at Seiki with eyes full of longing for approval. "Senior, do you think my vision can be realized?"
Seiki shook his head slightly. "I don't know."
Nagato blinked in surprise. "Don't know?"
"I'm just like you—someone searching for the truth," Seiki said with a smile. "I can't possibly give you an answer to something that big! Truth is, there might not even be one right answer to that question!"
"The age of the ninja villages created by Hashirama Senju, and the age of the shinobi sect established by the legendary Sage of Six Paths—they both aimed to bring peace to the world, but from a long-term perspective, they both failed! If even they couldn't achieve it, how could I, just an ordinary person, offer any definitive answers?"
"I see..." Nagato appeared somewhat dazed.
"However, based on my experiences and observations, I can at least offer you some reference."
"Thank you Senior."
After a moment's thought, Seiki continued, "I completely agree with your belief that shared experiences form the basis of understanding. However, saying that no one else can grasp the meaning of pain feels somewhat biased to me."
"Isn't that exactly what happens?" Nagato suppressed his anger. "If people from those great nations truly understood what pain means, why would they still wage wars?"
"Because pain fades over time. Like now, anti-war sentiment is strong among the villages, but after ten or twenty years, how many will still remember the wounds left by war?" Seiki sighed.
"Furthermore, the roots of war are complex—political, economic, social, cultural, racial differences—any single difference might spark conflict. Even if they do understand pain, that understanding alone won't stop war."
Nagato looked confused. "Even with understanding pain, peace cannot be achieved?"
Konan asked hopefully, "Senior, do you personally have a method to achieve peace?"
Seiki spoke solemnly, "I can only share my personal views. In my humble opinion, there are two ways to achieve peace—either through a unified government or having a common enemy!"
Both Nagato and Konan tilted their heads curiously. "Eh?"
"If the shinobi no sekai becomes one unified nation, then the differences between countries will disappear. Without these differences, the roots of war will also vanish." Seiki explained, "Of course conflicts will still happen, but likely not escalate into all-out war."
"No way!" Nagato blurted out, eyes wide. "So what about the common enemy idea?"
"A shared enemy can temporarily unite different nations, making them cooperate and trust each other. As long as the enemy remains, this situation won't change."
Nagato's eyes lit up. "Then what if we formed an organization to unify the shinobi world? Even if we couldn't become the first type of unifying force, we could instead become the entire shinobi world's enemy. Either way, as long as our organization continues to exist, lasting peace could be maintained throughout the shinobi realm!"
"This indeed seems like a good approach, but it's also a path full of thorns!" Seiki expressed admiration while continuously shaking his head with a sigh. "Others won't understand your intentions; they'll only see you as ambitious power-seekers, dictators disrupting peace. You will shoulder hatred and condemnation, bear every sin, and even become enemies with the entire world!"
Nagato wasn't frightened by the picture Seiki painted; instead, he became increasingly passionate. "As long as peace can be achieved, no matter how much blame I must endure, it's worth it!"
Seiki gently clapped his hands together. "What incredible conviction!"
Konan, somewhat puzzled, added, "But isn't this basically what Nagato originally said?"
"Of course there's a difference," Seiki slightly shook his head. "Focusing solely on causing pain is terrorism, making innocent civilians at the bottom suffer too!"
"On the contrary, challenging the current order means declaring war openly, calling for reform and overturning the existing shinobi world structure. To put it simply, it's the difference between terrorist organizations and Revolutionaries!"
"Revolutionaries?" Both of them gleamed with excitement; indeed, that name sounded far better than being called terrorists.
Thinking about this, they couldn't help but glance toward Yahiko nearby—if Yahiko were to wake up now, surely he would enthusiastically discuss this very topic with his senior!
Realizing the time was almost up, Seiki spoke, "Let's call it a day; it's about time for me to leave."
People never truly appreciate what they gain too easily. Instead of rushing to offer it, it's better to let them seek you out on their own.
Nagato felt reluctant, "Senior, you're leaving already? Why not wait until Yahiko wakes up—he'd definitely want to personally thank you!"
Konan nodded eagerly, "We haven't properly thanked you yet either!"
This was the first time she had felt such warmth from an elder outside Jiraiya-sensei's presence.
"No, I have my own matters to attend to," Seiki stood up and started walking away. Yet halfway through, he suddenly paused.
"Before I depart, let me give you one final piece of advice!"
Both nodded in unison, behaving as obediently as students listening to homework assignments from their teacher.
"It's a teaching I've known since childhood: Though all beings suffer, still refrain from evil! Although you've experienced much pain, I hope you don't let hatred cloud your vision; this world still holds many beauties!"
"'Though all beings suffer, still refrain from evil?' The two were deeply moved. When they lifted their heads again, he had already vanished.
"I think what Senior meant was that he hopes we won't pass our hatred and suffering forward."
"One could also say he wishes us to remember why we started!"
Right then, a whisper came forth from beside them.
"Is this... hell?"
Upon hearing this voice, both immediately disregarded their 'senior's' advice and rushed over anxiously to Yahiko's side.
"Yahiko, you've finally woken up!"
After staring at them both in confusion for a moment, Yahiko couldn't help but feel sorrowful, "Konan, Nagato... Have you died too?"
Hearing Yahiko's silly words, Konan couldn't help but burst into laughter. "We're still alive—and so are you!"
"Am I not dead?" Yahiko foolishly patted his chest, then quickly stood with hands on hips, laughing loudly, "Wahahaha! This great master is back alive again!"
Still wearing a grin, Yahiko suddenly got serious and asked, "By the way, what exactly happened?"
Then Nagato and Konan gave him a detailed account of everything that occurred afterward.
Yahiko kept nodding as he listened.
"So it turns out we were all saved by a kind senior!"
"Revolutionaries? Heroes who shoulder the world's sins? That's one seriously epic idea!"
After hearing their explanation, Yahiko regretfully clapped his palm, "That senior was way too sneaky!"
Nagato couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "What's wrong? Wasn't the senior pretty good to us?"
Yahiko cried out in despair, "The senior must've somehow found out about my nickname 'Annoying Little Sprite,' worried I'd recruit him, so he deliberately fled before I woke up!"
Konan tilted her head curiously and asked, "Then don't you plan to recruit this senior?"
"Of course… that's impossible! There's no way I'd let someone this awesome slip through my fingers!" Yahiko excitedly raised his right fist, "I've made up my mind. I'll make this senior my strategist!"
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