"Philosophy? What does that mean?"
Uchiha Izumi couldn't help but ask. Ling Yun didn't care if Da Xiaozi heard him or not and just started speaking.
"A few days ago, at the funeral, this kid was just like now, with a thoughtful expression, asking Orochimaru-sama about the meaning of life."
"The meaning of life?"
Uchiha Izumi scratched her head. She had never thought about such a question, but she was still curious.
"Did Orochimaru-sama answer?"
"He did. Orochimaru-sama said that life has no meaning. If it has meaning, it only has meaning when life becomes eternal."
"Life becomes eternal? What does that mean?"
Uchiha Izumi understood even less.
"You still don't understand? It seems you're quite stupid too."
"You're the stupid one! If you understand, then explain Orochimaru-sama's meaning to me!"
Uchiha Izumi pouted, glaring angrily at Ling Yun. Then her expression changed slightly, and she kept winking at Ling Yun.
Ling Yun, of course, knew that Da Xiaozi had come up behind him, but he pretended not to know and continued to speak.
"Orochimaru-sama served as the supreme commander of Konoha's battlefield against the Sand Ninja during this Ninja War. After years of fierce fighting, he witnessed too many deaths and lamented the fragility and helplessness of life. Thus, he developed the idea of pursuing eternal life, which is why he spoke from the heart. But how could that kid possibly understand?"
Seeing that Ling Yun was still talking, Uchiha Izumi quickly greeted, "Itachi, you're here!"
Ling Yun turned his head to look at Da Xiaozi, whose expression was a bit angry now.
"Oh, it's the Young Master. What? Are you angry because you heard what I said?"
Itachi was indeed a little angry. After all, Ling Yun's words just now implied that he was ignorant. It would be unnatural for a young man not to be angry.
"By your words, do you consider yourself very smart? Then you answer me, what is the meaning of life?"
Ling Yun chuckled.
"Everyone is different, so naturally, the meaning of every life is also different. The meaning of one's own life can only be pondered by oneself. Of course, this is just useless nonsense. You've been contemplating for so many days; you should have found the meaning of your own life by now, right?"
Itachi snorted. His composure was far inferior to what it would be in the future. After being continuously provoked by Ling Yun, he was very unconvinced.
"Of course, I have! The meaning of my life is to protect my family, protect my entire Clan, and protect all of Konoha! For this, I will train hard and become Konoha's strongest Ninja!"
"That's wonderfully said, Itachi! I believe you can definitely do it!"
Uchiha Izumi immediately affirmed him, and Ling Yun also clapped his hands in a feigned manner.
"That's indeed well said. If you can truly achieve that, you should be considered a great Ninja."
Itachi frowned slightly.
"Are you questioning my resolve?"
"No, your resolve is very strong; I know that better than anyone. However, I have a question I want to pose to you: If one day your family and Clan, as you say, stand in opposition to Konoha, how will you choose? Will you protect your family and Clan? Or will you protect Konoha?"
Upon hearing this, Itachi immediately drew his kunai.
"Are you trying to sow discord between the Uchiha and the Village? This is a serious crime!"
"Itachi, calm down! Ling Yun doesn't mean that. Put your kunai away first."
Uchiha Izumi was startled and quickly stood between the two, almost shouting, "Stop fighting!"
Ling Yun ignored the kunai in Da Xiaozi's hand, not fearing him at all. The current Da Xiaozi was only six years old and hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet. Although an unawakened Da Xiaozi's strength far surpassed his peers, Ling Yun was not weak either. Aside from anything else, just the Flying Thunder God alone made him invincible.
"Sow discord? As the Clan leader's son, you wouldn't fail to see the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups, would you? With such limited political understanding, you're still contemplating the meaning of life? I advise you to focus, look at the present, and observe the situation carefully."
With that, Ling Yun, as if declaring his ownership, put his arm around Uchiha Izumi's shoulder and pulled her forward.
Uchiha Izumi's face turned beet red. She struggled slightly but still walked with Ling Yun.
As they passed each other, Ling Yun offered one last piece of advice.
"Think carefully about why Konoha sent the Uchiha to defend against the Mist Ninja. Although our Uchiha's Sharingan is powerful, it cannot see through Hidden Mist assassination techniques, and Fire Release is completely countered by Water Release. With both major advantages countered, anyone with a normal brain wouldn't send us Uchiha to defend against the Mist Ninja."
"If the Village couldn't find anyone else besides us, then it would be understandable, as the Uchiha, being Konoha's largest Clan, have an obligation to bear the important responsibility of protecting the Village. But why didn't they send the Hyuga Clan, whose Byakugan perfectly counters the Mist Ninja? You should know that the Hyuga are Konoha's second-largest Clan after the Uchiha, and there are many experts within their Clan."
If it were someone less intelligent, they might have argued irrationally, but Da Xiaozi himself was very smart and incredibly precocious. He just hadn't thought about it in this way before. Now that Ling Yun reminded him, he immediately discovered the problem and linked it to even more issues.
By the time Da Xiaozi wanted to ask more questions, Ling Yun and Uchiha Izumi had already walked far away.
Arriving at the Ninja Academy, Ling Yun and Uchiha Izumi were in the same class. Da Xiaozi was in another class.
After putting away her school bag, Uchiha Izumi leaned over and quietly asked Ling Yun,
"Ling Yun, was everything you just said to Itachi true? Is there really a conflict between the Village's higher-ups and our Uchiha? Was sending us to defend against the Mist Ninja this time meant to weaken our Uchiha's strength?"
"Oh~~ I didn't realize you were quite smart too."
With that, Ling Yun ruffled Uchiha Izumi's soft long hair, messing up her hairstyle.
"Don't mess up my hair~~ Hurry up and tell me, is it true?"
Ling Yun, for once, had a serious expression in front of Uchiha Izumi.
"Does it even need to be said? Besides this purpose, can you think of anything else?"
"But why? At that time, we were in a state of war, and we were being attacked by three countries. Later, if the Cloud Ninja hadn't ambushed the Stone Ninja, and if the Fourth Hokage hadn't defeated the A-B team, we might have faced a direct siege from the four great Ninja Villages. In such a state, why would the higher-ups still be thinking about eliminating dissenters?"
Hearing Uchiha Izumi's words, Ling Yun looked relieved.
"Excellent, excellent! To be able to understand all this, my teaching over the past year has not been in vain. A Quan, you now have a very good grasp of the bigger picture, and your mind is no longer on the same level as the little brats around you. I am very pleased."
"Stop bragging! Hurry up and tell me!"
"Heh heh, it's very simple. Some people's insights will become richer and richer with age, and their minds will become more open. But some people are just the opposite; the older they get, the more timid they become, and the more petty they become. Their gaze will only be fixed on trivial matters in front of them, unable to see further."
"If such a person is just an ordinary Ninja, or even a Jonin, it doesn't really matter, as long as he doesn't lead a team, he won't affect others."
"But if such a person holds a high position, the impact can be huge. Unfortunately, our Third Hokage is one such person, so..."
Ling Yun waved his hand. Although Uchiha Izumi really wanted to retort, just as Ling Yun said, her mind had grown rapidly under Ling Yun's guidance over the past year, and she could already think independently.
At the same time, as a member of the Uchiha, she was already at the eye of Konoha's storm, so she couldn't find any words to refute.