After the feast, the group strolled along Konoha's streets.
Yūgao patted her over-stuffed belly. "Ahh, that was a great meal. If only there were no war, we could enjoy meat this happily every day.
"Hey, Big Brother Shin, how can we make war disappear? If anyone can do it, it's you, right?"
Over the years, Higashino Shin usually spoke the least, yet whenever the others had a question they always asked him.
Because he always gave answers they could accept, he'd naturally become the core of the foursome.
Actually, being the leader of a bunch of brats was pretty embarrassing for Shin, but fortunately none of them were childish, and he really did need friends his own age to keep his parents reassured.
He could be precocious, smart, self-disciplined, but not abnormal or withdrawn—a problem child.
Usually Gekkō Hayate and Uchiha Shisui were fine; at least their questions were normal. Only the little loli Yūgao kept asking weird ones.
But because they were in wartime, this question happened to hit everyone's curiosity, drawing the attention of the other two—even Hayate's classmate Tsubaki.
No one likes war, yet the Ninja World ironically believes that Ninja are born for war.
Shin smiled and asked Yūgao in return, "This world has day and night, men and women; likewise, where there is war there is peace.
"So guess what would happen if the world had only daytime, or only men?"
Shisui and the others pondered; Yūgao, with her external brain, refused to waste her own brain cells and pressed, "What would happen?"
"Only daytime—the sun would heat the world until it melted and all life would die out. Only men—humans couldn't reproduce, humanity would die out, but other creatures would be fine. Understand?"
"I don't really get it, but it feels like you're saying war will never disappear, right, Big Brother Shin?"
"Pretty much. That's not something for you to worry about now; go train properly."
"Okay, I got it!"
"Good. Let's head to the academy."
Shin ended the topic. Hayate and the others didn't think further, but in Uchiha Shisui's captivating large eyes there seemed to be even more unanswered questions.
There were no classes that afternoon, but the graduation celebration was being held, and Shin's group could attend to get familiar with the atmosphere.
---
The ceremony hadn't started yet, but the multipurpose classroom was already half full.
Uchiha Shisui was still mulling over the earlier conversation, trying to think deeper, yet ultimately getting nowhere.
"Shin, can we find a quiet place to talk?"
Looking at this guy who was clearly overthinking again, Shin didn't refuse. "Sure."
For Ninja, whether the school rooftop was locked made no difference—they could run up walls.
On the rooftop it was very quiet, as if the noisy classroom downstairs belonged to another world.
Shisui thought for a moment before asking, "Shin, I know you're stronger than me. Why did you refuse early graduation?"
Shin first sensed around to confirm no one was eavesdropping, then replied, "No special reason; I just want more time to Cultivate. And don't forget, we're only eight."
"But it's wartime every day; comrades die on the battlefield, the Village's Ninja numbers are dropping sharply—doesn't it need us to join now?"
"And then what? What's the point of letting seven- or eight-year-olds graduate? They'd still have to train for ages. You want to ship them to the front lines? Might as well kill them outright."
Shisui frowned. "But what you say doesn't fit the will of fire. Is this how you understand the will of fire?"
"Then tell me, what's the core of the will of fire?"
Shisui blurted, "Where leaves dance, the flame burns on. The fire will keep lighting the Village and sprouting new leaves."
"Recited perfectly, Shisui-kun. Right, the will of fire is about protection and sacrifice. But let me ask—are you the withered leaf that falls to nourish the tree, or the tender new sprout?"
"I… I… Shin, do you mean my understanding of the will of fire is wrong? Even… that Konoha's pushing us to graduate early is wrong? That Hokage-sama is wrong?"
Uchiha Shisui was shocked, waves churning inside him; he'd never imagined his friend's interpretation of the will of fire could be so unconventional.
Yet it wasn't wrong—he'd just never looked at it that way. He'd always equated the will of fire with sacrifice and devotion, never once factoring in his own age.
Looking at it today, he was only a tender leaf newly sprouted on a great tree; it wasn't yet his turn to burn.
After all, Konoha hadn't been invaded, hadn't reached a life-or-death crisis.
All at once the new interpretation clashed violently with the creed he'd accepted for years, buzzing inside his skull.
Higashino Shin gazed at the distant Hokage Rock and said slowly, "I never said that—don't pin that on me. The will of fire isn't any one person's will; it belongs to every Konoha citizen. Everyone has the right to interpret it; there's no right or wrong."
"Impossible—there has to be right and wrong, there must be, right, Shin?"
"If you insist, then fine—there is. Brother, the strongest is right. So, Shisui, if your strength isn't enough, train in peace; don't dwell on this or you'll hit a dead end."
"No. We can't use strength as the yardstick for right and wrong—that's a crooked path."
"Then let me ask: even if your will is correct, universally acknowledged, and someone stronger kills you—does your will still matter?"
Shisui blurted, "Why wouldn't it? Others will agree, won't they?"
"Yes. Correct ideas will naturally find supporters, but their voices are too faint; they need a megaphone—and great power is that megaphone."
"But, Shin, doesn't that mean whoever's strongest rules everything? Then what's the point of the will of fire?"
Higashino Shin sighed. "Essentially… you're not wrong, because this is the Ninja World. Yet power without correct ideals is chaos; correct ideals without power are empty talk."
"The correct ideal is our Ninja code; mighty force is the guarantee that this code won't be twisted at will."
"Is that so? That's what you meant? It makes sense."
Seeing Shisui finally grasp a bit of it, Shin was about to head down when he sensed a cold Chakra converging on his own eyes.
His perception was razor-sharp—there was no mistake—but it was ridiculous.
Higashino Shin stared hard: Shisui's brown-black irises reddened, began to spin, and two black tomoe surfaced.
He'd literally awakened the Sharingan on the spot—starting straight at Two-Tomoe.
Good news: Shisui would graduate early and likely wouldn't be teamed with him, so he wouldn't become the expendable catalyst for this awakening.
Bad news: the eye had indeed been awakened by him—through conversation.
Let's hope he didn't end up as the Uchiha Family's resident counselor, a professional eye-opener.
Shisui sensed something off; looking up to find Shin studying him curiously, he asked blankly, "What's wrong, Shin? Do I look strange?"
"Strange? Congratulations—you've gained impressive power. What an enviable clan."
With that, Shin raised his hand, releasing Chakra to form a smooth water mirror—child's play for him, the combined result of stage-two Chakra-control training and water-nature refinement.
Shisui stared at his reflection, disbelieving. "That's me? I've awakened the Sharingan? But the Family Seniors said you had to lose…?"
"Still don't get it, Shisui? Are the words of so-called authorities always true? This world is complex; we need to keep learning and feeling as we grow. Don't rush for answers while you're young—they're usually incomplete, wrong, or traps others dug for you."
Shisui nodded, smiling in relief. "Got it. Thanks, Shin—you're truly a good friend."
Shin leaned back slightly. Shisui's tone was sincere, but paired with those eerily crimson Sharingan eyes the effect was completely unsettling.
At that moment he understood how Senju Tobirama, that old ghost, had felt.
"Innately evil Uchiha brat—I'll personally…!" Noting Shisui still had questions, Shin quickly cut him off: "We'll talk later—ceremony's about to start, let's go downstairs."
A simple discussion of the will of fire popped you straight to Two-Tomoe; keep talking and you'll take off—probably awaken Mangekyo right in front of me.