Inside Hanzo of the Salamander's office.
The man who had just been passionately delivering a speech in the conference hall now sat behind his desk with his head lowered, his eyes dull and lifeless.
Behind him stood Uchiha Ren.
Meanwhile, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, and Uchiha Obito—who had just emerged from the Kamui Dimension—were all staring at Ren with burning excitement in their eyes.
Ren stepped out from behind the desk and looked at them with a smile.
"So, how did the meeting feel just now?"
Yahiko spoke first, his voice filled with excitement.
"Brother Ren, what you said was incredible! If one has even a spark of warmth, let it shine. Even fireflies can gather together to form a galaxy!"
"Even now my thoughts can't calm down. I just want to roll up my sleeves and start doing something big!"
Yahiko had always been a hot-blooded youth. After hearing Ren's words, he felt as if he could immediately throw himself into battle and shed blood for the Land of Rain.
The other three felt the same—even Konan, whose temperament was usually cold and composed.
Ren shook his head slightly.
"Actually, I only said half of that sentence earlier. The most important half was left unsaid."
"Ah?"
The four of them were stunned, confusion appearing on their faces.
Obito asked curiously,
"Teacher Ren, what's the other half?"
Ren didn't keep them in suspense.
"If there is a spark of heat, let it give off a ray of light. Even if it is only like a firefly, it can still shine in the darkness—there is no need to wait for a torch."
"And if one day there truly is no torch… then I will become the only light."
The moment the words fell, Obito and the others unconsciously widened their eyes.
A strange numbness spread through their bodies.
The more they pondered the sentence, the more they felt the deafening depth contained within it.
Ren then explained,
"The 'I' in that sentence doesn't refer only to me."
"It refers to you, you, you, you—every single one of you. Every 'I'."
"In the conference room earlier, I needed to establish authority for you and clear the path ahead. That's why I portrayed Nagato as the torch."
"But in truth, what I hope is that each of you can become a torch yourselves—shining with your own light, illuminating the road for others, instead of merely following someone else's path."
They were stunned.
Completely stunned.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Obito now looked at Ren with unmistakable fervor in their eyes.
His words struck them with overwhelming force.
Only Konan, whose personality was naturally calm and restrained, managed to keep her composure—otherwise she might have been swept up by the emotion as well.
Konan's gaze flickered.
After hesitating for a moment, she asked,
"Brother Ren… why did you only say half of it in the meeting?"
"Even if you wanted to build Nagato's authority, saying the whole sentence shouldn't have been a problem, right?"
In her view, the complete version of the sentence was far more inspiring. It wouldn't have harmed Nagato's prestige at all.
She couldn't quite understand Ren's decision.
Ren sighed softly.
"There was no choice."
"You have to speak differently depending on who you're speaking to. Only then will people actually listen."
"Do you really think awakening a world that has been shackled by traditional thinking for thousands of years is easy?"
"Do you think the numbness, indifference, and inertia embedded in this world's blood can be swept away overnight?"
"That is a great undertaking that requires the struggle of several generations."
"As the saying goes—too much is as bad as too little. Ideas that are too far ahead of their time are easily treated as heresy."
"The thinking of this world has been imprisoned for thousands of years."
"Under the guidance of the upper aristocracy, shinobi see themselves as tools, and civilians see themselves as beasts of burden."
"If we want to change this concept, we must proceed gradually. Otherwise, we'll easily drive some people toward extremism."
Every world was different.
After observing this world for years, Ren clearly understood that some things simply couldn't be said carelessly.
For example—
What would happen if he had said those same words today to the Uchiha Clan?
Uchiha A:
"He said I'm a torch guiding others! That's right—I'm the torch! My path is obviously the correct one! Sword in hand, follow me! Kill the Hokage! Destroy Danzō!"
Uchiha B:
"I'm the real torch! How dare you fireflies compete with the brilliance of the moon! You all deserve to die!"
Uchiha C:
"A bunch of frogs in a well! Your vision is pathetic! Die!"
…
Don't doubt it.
For the Uchiha, who tended to question others—and even the world itself—whenever they encountered problems, there was almost nothing they wouldn't do once stirred by such encouragement.
Of course, the Uchiha Clan was only one of the more radical and extreme groups in this world.
They were far from the only ones.
This world itself was fundamentally sick.
Ren looked at the four of them and continued,
"You are among the people in this world who have already awakened."
"That is why I can speak to you openly—without hiding anything."
"What you must do now is awaken even more people."
"One person wakes two. Two wake four. Four wake eight…"
"A single spark can start a prairie fire."
"One day, when most people—when everyone—strives and fights for the same goal, nothing will be able to block our path."
"And everything we do today will be an honor beyond measure."
Flames ignited in the eyes of Obito, Yahiko, Nagato, and even Konan.
Their blood boiled.
It felt as if limitless strength filled their bodies.
"Of course," Ren added, "empty words alone are useless. Everything must ultimately be put into practice."
"These past few days, I've drawn up a Five-Year Development Plan for the Land of Rain based on its current situation. Come take a look."
"Obito, you too."
"For quite some time, you'll be taking my place in controlling Hanzo of the Salamander. You can't slack off."
Ren walked back behind Hanzo's desk and opened a drawer.
Inside were several copied documents.
He handed them out to everyone.
"The Third Great Ninja War will soon come to an end."
"According to precedent, the shinobi world will enter a relatively peaceful and stable period of development afterward."
"Although the surrounding great nations will continue to impose resource blockades on the Land of Rain and restrict its development…"
"There are still many things we can do within the Land of Rain itself."
"Your top priority now is to take control of the country's political power."
"Obito, you must also keep a tight rein on those White Zetsu. They are a force that should not be underestimated."
"Also, pay attention to the actual situation in the Land of Rain. Don't follow my plan blindly."
"I drafted it based solely on the documents available in Hanzo's office. I haven't conducted any real field investigations, so there are certainly omissions."
"You must learn to adapt to local conditions and respond flexibly."
"Now, let me explain the details of these plans."
…
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