Chapter 462: Ninja Way Origins Research Society’s Founding Ceremony (Part 7)

"By appointment of the third Hokage of Konoha, I, Shinichi Higashino, speaking on behalf of Hidden Leaf Village, hereby issue a formal appeal to every nation and every ninja village in the Shinobi World to jointly establish the Rinkai City convention, a public humanitarian agreement. This convention will clearly stipulate that during war and missions, anyone who has lost the ability to fight, laid down their weapons, or declared their surrender..."

"Of course, what I’ve just described is only a preliminary proposal. The final content of the agreement will require discussion among all nations and ninja villages throughout the Shinobi World. Konoha will soon send formal diplomatic notices to every village through official channels."

"We hope to convene an international conference in the Land of Iron at a later date, bringing together representatives from across the Shinobi World to discuss the specific provisions of this humanitarian agreement, as well as how it should be observed and implemented."

"And Konoha hopes this conference can take place before the end of this year."

The moment his words fell, an uproar swept across the entire venue.

Unlike the shock caused by the hybrid rice earlier, no matter how significant that achievement might be, everyone knew it would still take several years before its effects became reality.

But this matter concerned war, the reality standing before everyone at this very moment.

A wartime humanitarian convention to be observed by the entire Shinobi World?

This was the first time a ninja village, or indeed, the first time any ninja, had publicly proposed such an idea before the world.

Could such a thing really be accomplished?

Expressions of astonishment erupted everywhere, and in the press section, camera shutters clicked without pause as flashes continuously lit the venue. At the same time, the envoys from every nation displayed a wide range of expressions.

"Here, I ask all our friends from the other four great ninja villages that after returning today, you make sure to report this matter in full to your villages."

"And one more thing!"

Shinichi turned toward the invited journalists seated in the viewing section, who had been constantly photographing and documenting the event from the very beginning.

"I also ask all of you, reporters, that when you return to write your articles, you give this matter the publicity it deserves."

"Shinichi-sama! I have a question!"

"Captain Shinichi! I have one too!"

As soon as they saw Shinichi’s gaze turn toward them, the reporters all raised their hands in unison, eagerly competing for the chance to ask questions.

Shinichi remained completely unhurried. He casually selected several reporters seated in the front rows and answered their questions one by one.

Most of their questions centered on the specific provisions of the Rinkai City Convention, its signing process, and its proposed timetable.

Shinichi answered them calmly and candidly, and whenever details had not yet been finalized, he concealed nothing, frankly stating, "Those specifics will have to wait until all the great ninja villages are seated together to work them out."

As Shinichi answered the reporters’ questions, quiet discussions continually rose and fell throughout the crowd.

Some quietly debated the convention’s practical impact on the fighting at the front lines. Others argued over how sincere the great ninja villages really were about sitting down to negotiate. Still others had already begun wondering whether this so-called hybrid rice could truly be as miraculous as claimed.

In any case, today’s conference had presented far too much information.

Every single announcement was significant enough to require a long time for those present to fully digest.

At the edge of the crowd in the plaza, Madara remained expressionless throughout. Beside him, Genjo suddenly smiled faintly and turned toward him.

"Senior brother, aren’t you going to step forward and debate that benefactor Shinichi Higashino?"

"There is no need."

Madara replied indifferently.

Before coming to Konoha, he had indeed considered that if the boy’s words turned out to be utter nonsense, he would personally take the stage and, before the eyes of the entire world, completely dismantle the arguments of that arrogant young kid who claimed to be the successor of the Sage of Six Paths.

But now, after standing in this plaza and listening to everything, from the original ideals of the Sage of Six Paths to the diverse applications of chakra, from hybrid rice and the Growth Acceleration Technique to the complete declaration of the Rinkai City Convention, he realized that there was surprisingly little in the boy’s words that he could refute.

Connecting people’s hearts through chakra and using Ninjutsu to serve the people’s welfare were indeed the original intentions behind the Sage of Six Paths’ founding of the Ninja Creed.

There was nothing wrong with any of that, and there was no need for him to argue against it, but those were only part of the Sage’s original ideals, not the whole of them!

What Shinichi Higashino had said certainly sounded impressive, but what was chakra? It was a supernatural energy that stood above the martial power of all ordinary people.

And what were Ninjutsu? They were the most lethal application of that supernatural energy.

No matter how Shinichi Higashino chose to package it, whether he described it as a bridge connecting people’s hearts or as a tool for benefiting society, it could not change its fundamental nature.

As the saying goes: he who possesses a deadly weapon will inevitably harbor the intent to kill.

Once someone mastered a power capable of effortlessly taking another party’s life, it was impossible for them to spend eternity obediently using it only to farm, heal the sick, or build roads and bridges.

Even if the first one or two generations were willing to uphold that ideal, human nature could not withstand the test of time.

People became greedy, competed, and compared themselves to one another.

There would always be irreconcilable conflicts between people. If someone gained something, someone else would go without. If someone found fulfillment, someone else would be denied it.

Those who were denied fulfillment would become unwilling to accept it, and those unwilling to accept it would fight, and when all was said and done, Ninjutsu would once again degenerate into nothing more than a tool for killing.

The Sage of Six Paths must have seen this from the very beginning. The earliest students of Ninja Creed may indeed have used chakra to connect with one another and employed Ninjutsu to serve others!

But in the end, the Sage of Six Paths understood human nature all too well. He knew that people could never truly understand one another, that they could never erase the greed and obsessions they were born with, that people’s hearts would inevitably stray, and that ideals would inevitably shatter.

That was why, outside of Ninja Creed itself, he quietly left behind a final contingency upon the stone tablet passed down through the Uchiha Clan across generations, the Infinite Tsukuyomi!

Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi and nothing but the Infinite Tsukuyomi!

Within that eternal dream, every person’s obsession could be fulfilled, and every longing could receive an answer.

There would be no struggle, because no one would feel that they lacked anything.

There would be no hatred, because no one would feel that they had been wronged.

This was the ultimate salvation the Sage of Six Paths had left for this land.

Not some mere Rinkai City Convention.

Not a few stalks of rice that yielded a little more grain.

Not endlessly patching and mending this broken world.