One day, Charlie finally voiced his doubts. The lord sighed deeply, then said seriously, "The Land of Grass isn't about training a bunch of tool-like shinobi, nor is it about creating killing machines. It's about building the pillars of the future.
When children are young, they need to develop the right worldview, have their own ideals, learn to think for themselves when facing challenges, and love their country, family, and fellow shinobi. We want outstanding shinobi who have ideals, morals, ambition, and confidence."
He continued, "We want every shinobi to open their eyes and truly understand this shinobi world, to see it deeply, and become new Kusa shinobi."
At that moment, he felt as if the lord himself was glowing, dazzling and inspiring. Unlike other village heads who spoke of virtue and morality but acted with ruthless schemes, the lord genuinely cared about the children.
Youjin, who was accompanying the lord on an inspection tour, glanced at the slogans hanging on the academy walls, taking in the message as well.
"Let the children open their eyes to the shinobi world!" and "Cultivate shinobis well-rounded in virtue, wisdom, physical strength, beauty, and labor!"
These slogans had become Youjin's lifelong mission, just like his commitment to studying chakra, all to repay the Land of Grass for accepting him and to help it grow stronger. Nearby, Charlie paused after reading the slogans on the wall, blinking as he wiped his eyes. `Who wrote these?`
They sounded even more polished than his own words. Then, a familiar voice rang out.
"Nagato! Whether you want to join or not, you have to join now! I'm telling you, you're exactly the deputy of Akatsuki I've been looking for!
Uncover the truth, explore the mysteries! Don't you think that sounds cool?"
"That night was just an accident, just like we never realized Dad was just making friends, not selling secrets. We had no idea someone was actually pretending to be the ghost who draws poop, painting poop at the festival!"
"Come on! Let's find the truth together!"
Charlie smirked slightly as he watched Yahiko enthusiastically inviting others, Nagato quietly resigned, and Konan folding paper nearby. Yahiko really hadn't given up yet. What was so great about chasing after a ghost who draws poop?
"Heh heh! Is morning reading over?" Noticing the lord's gaze, Youjin snapped back to reality, his aged face lighting up with a smile. "They're just a bunch of adorable kids!"
"Yahiko is the most energetic and curious; he dives into anything interesting.
Nagato is calmer but always picks up on the smallest details. He's currently learning sealing techniques with the Uzumaki clan and is very talented.
And Konan, the only girl, has learned the lord's secret technique. She's a genius at origami, cheerful, optimistic, always smiling."
After briefly introducing the three children, Youjin's smile grew warmer. "Yahiko even started an organization called Akatsuki to uncover that school legend."
Just then, Charlie suddenly said, "Still not enough homework!"
Youjin froze. "???"
"Oh, nothing," Charlie replied, shaking his head with a kind smile.
"How's the homework load at the school these days?"
Youjin answered seriously, though he didn't quite understand why the lord was asking. "According to the lord's instructions, only the younger students have homework now. So it's pretty light, most of them can finish it during school without feeling overwhelmed."
"That's not enough!"
Youjin blinked, then hesitantly asked, "You mean… we should add more?"
"Exactly! Let's increase it, based on Elder Youjin's suggestion, add... some extra points!"
"..."
Was that really his idea? "What about the budget?"
"Smash!!"
Meanwhile, underground.
Time passed, no one knew exactly how long. Madara slowly stirred, hearing faint sounds around him. He opened his eyes and stretched lazily, feeling a strange emptiness ever since he went on leave.
Even sleeping hadn't felt quite right lately. But today's nap was probably the most restful he'd had all year. If he hadn't sensed movement nearby, he might have kept sleeping.
Raising his head, Madara looked toward the original White Zetsu returning. Before he could say anything, White Zetsu grinned and cheerfully asked, "Lord Madara, you're awake?"
Madara nodded quietly, his pale eyebrows arching slightly as he glanced first at the original White Zetsu and then at another White Zetsu sketching nearby. Calmly, he asked, "What intel did you gather on your scouting mission this time?"
White Zetsu sighed deeply. "Well, since the war just ended, the shinobi world seems generally peaceful. But many smaller countries are still locked in endless conflicts."
This time, he had snuck out with Black Zetsu to gather information. Although Madara had instructed them to stay under the radar for now, since true peace hadn't arrived and they mustn't reveal themselves, they still needed to watch how things were unfolding.
After all, only ongoing war could deepen Madara's despair and strengthen his resolve for his ideals. A look of disappointment crossed White Zetsu's face.
"The movements in Iwagakure and Kumogakure are strange. Even though the war ended recently, they're still preparing for something. Honestly, can't everyone just live in peace? Lord Madara longs for peace."
At those words, Madara's pale eyebrows twitched, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "As expected, that fool Hashirama's approach was wrong. Only my philosophy holds true."
shinobi villages trying to create peace? Distributing tailed beasts among the Five Great Shinobi Countries to force compromise? Ridiculous.
And what was the result? Nothing changed. Even after that fool died, endless wars continued.
"Peace isn't about compromise. It's not a dinner invitation. You can't achieve peace through negotiations. Blind compromise will never bring true peace.
Peace built on mere compromise is only temporary. Only by being strong ourselves can we achieve lasting peace," Madara declared firmly.
"We have to remember the lessons of history to strengthen our own beliefs. Hashirama... he..." Madara sighed deeply, his voice heavy with regret. "He was wrong. Dead wrong."
"...Lord Madara is right!" White Zetsu agreed, though a strange feeling nagged at him. Madara's words made sense, but something felt off. Normally, Madara would just scoff coldly and dismiss Hashirama with disdain, calling him an idiot. He was always arrogant and proud, never like this, sharing deep thoughts and urging them to hold true to their ideals.
Madara had only been gone for one winter. What had changed? Yet, hearing him now, it didn't seem wrong. So, White Zetsu kept quiet and scratched his head.
"About Lord Madara's eyes..." White Zetsu hesitated a moment before pulling a sheet of paper from his pocket and handing it over.
"Though he moved from the Land of Rain to the Land of Grass, not much has changed. Oh, and he has started training in ninjutsu. Kusagakure is small, but the Kusagakure lord's strength is solid, so teaching the boy is going well. Plus, his grades are good..."
This information was supposed to come from the drawing White Zetsu, but that one was unreliable unless closely monitored. As Madara scanned the paper, it revealed: