Yahiko’s team of three and Uchiha Tonan silently walked down Kikyo Mountain toward the Land of Rain. Tonan took this set of people as irrelevant and did not think there was much to chat about with them. Nagato and Konan had no opinion anyway and were best described as two silly followers.
As for Yahiko, while he was an outgoing person, he took Tonan’s identity and his amiable attitude into consideration and was hesitant to say anything along the way. He was used to people rejecting him and his ideals, so when he met a person with a good attitude, he was a bit apprehensive to speak thoughtlessly.
The four arrived at the small bridge just like this without saying anything. Tonan took the lead to sit on the railing. He patted it with his hand, signaling the three to join him.
The three youngsters looked at each other, after which Yahiko smiled warmly at Tonan and sat down first. Nagato and Konan followed suit. They sat on the railing and looked at him curiously.
The grass here had grown long and the river was gurgling under the bridge. The sound was like a whisper but also like a giggle. The sunlight was goldish, which glimmered on the river’s surface, making it hard for people to open their eyes.
Tonan looked at Yahiko and smiled without opening his mouth, preparing to lead the conversation. Regardless of how many, the first one to strike would most likely gain sympathy, drawing people closer. If the communication was smooth, he was prepared to act according to the situation and see if any brainwashing was necessary.
His target right now was Nagato who possessed the Rinnegan. If his memory was not wrong, in the original work, Nagato’s original belief was to make people feel pain, and then because of fear of pain, no one would dare to wage a war.
This belief was suppressed after he met Yahiko but after his death, Nagato’s conviction resurged with renewed vigor. Since that was the case, Tonan decided to go along with his belief and see if he could gain Nagato’s acknowledgment.
He took off his glasses and sighed as he gently wiped the lenses with his sleeve. He asked, “Do you know why I wanted to speak with you?”
The trio shook their heads in unison. Tonan stared at the glasses in his hands absentmindedly and then with a look of reminiscence, he said, “When I was seven years old and was still in the Ninja Academy, my parents died on the battlefield of the last ninja war. I was suddenly an orphan and had to live alone.”
Sure enough, just after he said these words, the three looked at him with a hint of pity. Yahiko frowned and softly said, “Sorry, I made you remember a painful memory. Our condolence for your loss.”
Tonan smiled a little and squinted his eyes. He looked at the sun and calmly replied, “It’s alright, I should…. Perhaps, I’ve already forgotten the pain.”
Yahiko nodded but he felt that Tonan was just pretending to be calm. After all, weren’t they also like that? Yahiko took a deep breath and curiously asked, “Since you’ve experienced such a loss yourself, why didn’t you think of a way to stop the war? You are so strong and more capable than we are. If you want, you can do this. If there is no war, such tragedies would never happen again.”
Tonan shook his head in disappointment. He sighed and said, “War is inevitable. Only when more people feel the pain of war will they cherish the value of peace.”
After saying this, he glanced at Nagato from the corner of his eye. Nagato, however, simply looked silly. He had no response at all to this. Tonan frowned inwardly.
“This doesn’t provoke his thoughts? This fellow’s belief is not firm. He doesn’t seem to be an idealist but a purely emotional faction… That’s right, the true idealist would never be persuaded by Naruto’s tactless talk. It looks like it’s not time yet…”
Tonan quietly glanced at Yahiko and Konan. The emotional faction has its set of emotional attributes. It would be too much of a hassle for him to get involved. “I should just take advantage of the situation to infiltrate. It seems after the war is over, I must speak with Danzo about the Akatsuki organization and make him make a move sooner.”
In this short time of verbal exchange, Tonan had already decided to not have meaningless entanglements with the three anymore. Yahiko had already retorted by now though. He said, “I believe that it is the different opinions of people that lead to wars. But this is something that can be discussed more peacefully at the negotiation table.”
Tonan put his golden-rimmed glasses back on and stared at Yahiko. “Which pre-war negotiation has been successful ever?”
Yahiko was taken off guard but this was not enough for him to back down. He argued, “That’s because everyone didn’t put themselves in each other’s shoes. As long as everyone understands the other’s situation, the negotiation will be successful.”
Tonan smiled lightly and said, “But people have their own thoughts. How can you make them understand others? Besides, how do you know that everyone doesn’t understand each other’s difficulties? I understand why the four great nations are attacking the Land of Fire.”
Yahiko frowned and asked in confusion, “Why?”
Tonan adjusted his glasses and began his talk. “It is because of the severe inequality in population and resources. Let me explain this to you in a much simpler manner. Regard the resources as food for the moment and take the Land of Wind as an example.”
“After so many peaceful years, the population has grown exponentially, and more and more food is required to feed the people. But the Land of Wind’s food-producing capacity is inadequate. The Land of Fire, on the other hand, has abundant food in its reserves. What would one do in such a situation?”
Yahiko immediately replied, “The Land of Fire can sell the surplus food to the Land of Wind, can’t they?”
