[In those days, practitioners of Ninja Creed trained chakra with the intention of connecting with one another, communicating with one another, and transmitting understanding; that lonely souls could resonate with one another, and divided people could unite.]
[The character Nin originally meant enduring suffering, bearing the burdens of others, and helping others through one's own efforts. It did not mean concealment and assassination, yet over the centuries, war has never ceased, and slaughter has never ended.]
[Chakra gradually became a tool of warfare, and practitioners of Ninja Creed transformed from those who connect hearts into tools for killing; they made slaughter their profession and destruction their specialty.]
[The word Ninja has become synonymous with killing and terror in the mouths of the people. And we ninjas ourselves have gradually forgotten the original mission carried within our bloodline.]
[This subordinate believes that this was not the original intention of the Sage of Six Paths, our ancestor, nor is it the path that we ninjas should follow.]
[Fortunately, the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was precisely the one who perceived this predicament. With supreme power and extraordinary magnanimity, he brought an end to the warring states chaos that had lasted for hundreds of years and joined hands with the Uchiha Clan to establish the Konoha…]
[The Will of Fire created by the first Hokage had, at its core, the protection of comrades, the protection of the village, and the protection of the hard-won peace… the Senju and the Uchiha were hereditary enemies, yet they were able to set aside generations of bloodshed and stand shoulder to shoulder. This is the most powerful proof of the Will of Fire… the Will of Fire has been passed down like an eternal flame and has never ceased…]
[Perhaps this very will is the echo of the original mission bestowed upon us ninja by the ancestor of all ninja… the first Hokage has already opened the path for future generations, and we, the descendants, should naturally inherit his aspirations… just as the Senju and the Uchiha were able to cast aside old grudges and walk together… Based on the beliefs stated above, I respectfully request the establishment of the Ninja Way Origins Research Society.]
[The society shall take as its purpose the tracing of the origins of ninja, the exploration of the original intentions of our ancestor, the Sage of Six Paths, and the inheritance of the first Hokage's aspirations. It shall systematically organize the thousand-year evolutionary history of Ninja and conduct in-depth research into the diverse applications of chakra and Ninjutsu beyond warfare…]
At this point, Shinichi's pen paused; his article began by taking the Third Shinobi World War as its point of departure, tracing back to the mission and essence bestowed upon ninja by the Sage of Six Paths when he founded Ninja Creed. It then shifted to the aspirations of the first Hokage to pacify the chaotic age, and to the Will of Fire passed down through generations in Konoha.
Finally, it proposed establishing a society dedicated to tracing the essence of the Ninja and upholding the first Hokage's will. The logic advanced layer by layer, each point linked seamlessly to the next, persuasive both in reason and emotion.
Although the Shinichi Society was publicly presented as an open civilian organization under the banner of returning to the original spirit of ninja and inheriting the first Hokage's will, strictly speaking, it did not require any formal application to the village, but there was no helping it.
There were simply too many Konoha ninja interested in joining the Shinichi Society. Preliminary estimates placed the number at over one thousand, perhaps close to two thousand, including quite a few Jonin.
This was an extremely powerful force, and if it continued developing like this, then in a few years, should the third Hokage refuse to step down, he could practically launch a coup d'état.
Of course, that was merely a joke.
Given how highly Konoha's leadership currently valued him, even if he did not proactively submit an application and even if the Shinichi Society grew larger and more powerful, the higher-ups probably would not say anything, whether openly or privately. Yet, Shinichi still took the initiative to write this application.
After all, since the leadership respected him so much as a subordinate, then as a subordinate, he ought to be considerate of the leadership as well.
His pen touched the paper once more as he continued writing: "The Ninja Way Origins Research Society, abbreviated as the Shinichi Society, carries the meaning of returning to one's true nature, all things returning to unity. It is not a private association belonging to one individual or one clan name, but a public fellowship for all like-minded companions under heaven..."
Damn it, this is way too hypocritical!
Even someone as thick-skinned as Shinichi found it difficult to keep a straight face after writing that.
After pondering for a moment, he simply crossed out the entire line. No longer bothering with the interpretation of the name, he picked up his pen again and began writing the society's ideological principles, organizational structure, regulations, authorities, functions, and other content in a straightforward manner.
Who knew how much time had passed? By the time the first faint rays of dawn began appearing on the horizon, Shinichi finally put down his pen and reviewed the document from beginning to end once more.
After confirming that there were no omissions, he carefully sealed the document and rose to walk toward the window.
Outside, the darkness of the night was gradually being diluted into a gray-blue hue along the eastern horizon. The outline of Konoha was also becoming increasingly clear amid the morning mist.
Then he gazed at the gradually brightening sky, yet his thoughts had not fully detached themselves from the application he had just written.
The Shinichi Society would initially exist merely as an open academic association, a legally registered civilian organization officially recognized by Konoha.
Its external positioning in the early stage would be that of a purely academic group dedicated to returning to the essence of the ninja and seeking new paths for the ninja, with its core mission being to serve the public, accumulate goodwill, and expand its influence.
Shinichi had been extremely cautious not to grant the society any politically colored functions, nor any substantive authority that might conflict with Konoha's administrative institutions.
Even the society's internal professional departments were currently limited to only four. In fact, during the initial stage, he might end up serving as the head of all four departments himself.
Still, that was normal. When countless matters had only just begun, capable people naturally had to shoulder more work. This has always been the case throughout history.
Moreover, for a very long time to come, these four departments would merely provide supplementary services to Konoha's existing system. They would not conflict with any of Konoha's administrative departments in terms of function; they would only supplement and provide services!
Of course, all of this was temporary.
In the future, these four departments would continue to split into additional specialized branches and increase in number.
Then, as the functions they carried gradually penetrated every aspect of village life, civil affairs, healthcare, education, logistics, and more, and as more and more people grew accustomed to and dependent upon the supplementary services provided by the society…
These professional departments, originally subordinate to the Shinichi Society, would, one after another, grow into powerful institutions capable of replacing Konoha and even the corresponding sectors of the entire Land of Fire.
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