Tazuna let out a long sigh. "That child's father was killed for standing up to Gatō."
"He used to look up to his father more than anyone… he idolized him. None of us ever imagined…"
When Tazuna finished explaining Inari and his father's story, Kakashi and the others finally understood.
"Kakashi-san," Tazuna said earnestly, "the bridge that connects us to the mainland is vital. If we can't finish building it, the Land of Waves will remain forever under Gatō's rule. Our people will never escape his tyranny."
As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes.
"Father, with Kakashi-san and the others here, the bridge will definitely be completed," Tsunami said softly, trying to comfort him.
Watching Tazuna's weary face, Yoruha's expression grew complicated. "The sorrow of ordinary people," he murmured. "Those with power can shake the entire shinobi world, but those without it are like ants—this is during a time of peace, even."
"In war… how much more despair must ordinary people feel?"
For the first time, Yoruha felt a deep, aching sense of powerlessness.
To him, Gatō was nothing more than a bug—someone he could crush without effort. But to the people of the Land of Waves, Gatō was an unscalable mountain pressing down on their lives.
The country was too poor, without even a village of its own. They didn't need a jonin to take it over—just a few chunin, or even genin, would be enough to dominate it.
Yoruha finally understood why, in the end, Tazuna had named the bridge after Naruto.
To others, Naruto was just another genin.
But to the people of the Land of Waves, he was a hero who had saved their entire nation.
Kakashi glanced at Yoruha and saw the thoughtful look in his eyes. He nodded quietly to himself.
This was exactly what he wanted Yoruha to understand—that in this world, many people lived in weakness and fear. The power Yoruha possessed now already placed him far above most.
But what he chose to do with that power—whether to oppress the weak or protect them—depended entirely on his own heart.
Sasuke and Sakura, however, didn't feel the same. They couldn't fully empathize with Tazuna's suffering.
Even though Sasuke had endured the destruction of his clan, he had never truly experienced helplessness. Because of Itachi's existence, the Third Hokage had always looked after him. In the village, Sasuke had never been powerless or oppressed.
As for Sakura, she had grown up safely in the orderly streets of Konoha. She had attended the ninja academy—no one had ever dared to bully her.
After a while, Kakashi and Tazuna talked a bit longer, and then everyone went to rest.
That night, Yoruha sat on the second-floor balcony. Moonlight as pale as silver sand spilled across the wooden floor.
From the distant forest came the hum of insects and the calls of night birds. It was noisy—and yet, strangely peaceful.
Yoruha stared blankly into the darkness. He couldn't see anything, yet his gaze didn't waver.
After a long while, he felt someone sit beside him.
Without turning his head, Yoruha spoke softly. "Kakashi-sensei, tell me… when I become the strongest person in the world, what kind of person will I be then?"
Kakashi froze for a moment, then lowered his head in thought. "I believe in you," he said simply.
He didn't mock Yoruha for daring to think such a thing, nor did he try to answer the question directly.
But his words made Yoruha smile faintly. "You believe in me that much?"
"To be honest," Yoruha continued, "the power I've gained lately has started to feel… hollow. I don't even know what kind of person I'll become once I'm truly strong—maybe stronger than anyone else."
"Human desire is endless, isn't it? Tell me, why haven't there ever been shinobi who could dominate an entire era?"
"And if there were… what kind of mindset would they have?"
There was confusion in Yoruha's voice.
He knew about the system. He knew that, one day, he might really become the strongest shinobi in the world—it was entirely possible.
But when that time came, could he still hold onto his heart? Could he truly remain free of greed and ambition?
When one gains the power to rule the world, can they really remain the same as before?
Absolute strength brings absolute authority.
The ability to decide life and death with a thought, to control the fate of all—just imagining it was intoxicating.
Yoruha wondered: when he reached that point, would he still be as calm and content as he was now?
People change with each stage of life, depending on what they possess. Perhaps when he gained absolute power, he would look back and laugh at his current, easygoing mindset.
After all, right now he was still too weak to grasp the allure of controlling everything.
It was only natural for him to think he'd never change.
But… would that really be true?
Could he truly stay the same forever?
For the first time, Yoruha doubted himself.
Kakashi looked at him, sighed softly, and turned his gaze toward the distant forest as well.
"I don't know what kind of person you'll become in the future," Kakashi said quietly, "but I do know this—you won't be consumed by greed."
"I trust my own judgment of people."
Yoruha turned and smiled faintly. "And what makes you so sure?"
"Because I believe in you," Kakashi said, his tone firm and sincere.
Yoruha didn't respond. He wasn't sure what to say—or what he was truly thinking in that moment.
Kakashi spoke again. "The other night, the Third Hokage told me about the time of the First Hokage. Do you want to hear it?"
Yoruha nodded. "Mm."
Although he still remembered some things, twelve years had passed—the details had long faded.
"In the era of the First Hokage," Kakashi began, "his power was immense. So great that people called him the God of Shinobi…"
Kakashi slowly recounted the tale of that age.
Yoruha listened intently from start to finish.
When the story ended, Kakashi turned to him and said, "Yoruha, I believe that one day you'll be like the First Hokage. I used to worry that the power inside you might endanger the village."
"But now, I'd rather believe that you'll use that power well—that you'll become a protector of the village, not its destroyer."
"So I'll teach you everything I know. I'll stake everything on you."
Yoruha chuckled. "If I turn out to be the latter, Kakashi-sensei, that means you'll have made a bad bet."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Then so be it. I know you'll become unimaginably strong one day. And when that day comes—if you really do go astray—then even if I can't defeat you, I'll risk my life to stop you myself."
"But I'm certain of one thing: you'll be someone your teacher can be proud of, not the one who makes him a sinner in history."
After saying that, Kakashi patted Yoruha on the shoulder and went back inside.
Watching him leave, Yoruha smiled faintly.
"Well… whatever happens, the future can wait. As long as I don't change right now, that's enough."
He didn't know what kind of person he would become. Perhaps as his power grew, so would his desires—and maybe his easygoing nature would fade.
But for now, living in the moment was what truly mattered.
Worrying about things that hadn't yet happened was meaningless—it only added unnecessary burdens.
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