Jin didn't keep them in suspense.
"During this war, we've fully secured control of the Land of Waves," he said calmly. "And by now, Shisui should already be at the Daimyō's court."
The moment those words fell, everyone stiffened.
Then—
Excitement flared.
Minato suppressed the surge in his chest, though his voice still trembled slightly.
"Does this mean… the reform begins early?"
According to their original plan, everything was supposed to wait until Minato officially became the Fourth Hokage and gained true authority within Konoha's power structure.
But something had clearly happened on the Mist front.
Jin nodded.
"Plans rarely survive reality."
"I met someone on the battlefield."
"Who?" Minato asked, genuinely curious.
Who could possibly make Jin alter a long-prepared strategy?
"Gatō."
Minato blinked.
He searched his memory carefully.
Nothing.
Jin chuckled.
"Don't bother. He's not a shinobi."
"He's a businessman."
"The president of the largest maritime shipping company in the world."
Understanding dawned.
Minato wasn't well-versed in civilian economic affairs. Few shinobi were.
Jin continued.
"Gatō is among the richest men alive. His company practically monopolizes global sea transport."
"In other words—wealth rivaling nations."
"This time, he was smuggling weapons through the Land of Water. We happened to intercept him."
"Ordinarily, tracking him down would not have been so easy."
Minato's gaze sharpened.
"So… you've already secured him?"
"And his assets?"
Jin nodded.
"Control Gatō, and we control an endless revenue stream."
"With sufficient funding, many obstacles disappear."
"And for the first time—"
"We have the confidence to begin."
Minato fell silent, weighing the implications.
Beside him, Akimichi Dōtō frowned.
"Jin… shinobi targeting civilians…"
"That crosses a line."
There was an unspoken rule in the ninja world: shinobi did not casually interfere with high-status civilians—daimyō, nobility, ruling elites.
It had existed for generations.
All major villages adhered to it tacitly.
"Rules?" Jin smiled faintly and looked at Dōtō.
"Rules are dead things."
"People are not."
"Have you forgotten our ultimate goal?"
Dōtō straightened instinctively.
"To completely change this world."
Since the birth of shinobi millennia ago, conflict had never ceased.
From the clan wars of the Warring States Era—
To the era of hidden villages and great nation wars—
Peace had never truly endured.
Even the so-called final masterminds of history claimed to seek peace.
That alone revealed how deeply war had scarred this world.
Jin had gathered like-minded individuals under that banner.
Now his tone shifted—serious, deliberate.
"Changing shinobi alone isn't enough."
"How many shinobi exist in this world?"
"At most, two hundred thousand."
"And how many people live in this world in total?"
"Hundreds of millions."
"Shinobi make up less than one ten-thousandth of the population."
The perspective stunned them.
Jin continued.
"Originally, shinobi were hired specialists."
"They accepted missions."
"But because of overwhelming force, hiring one genin became more cost-effective than hiring ten samurai."
"Gradually, shinobi were reduced to tools."
"Mission machines."
"Over time, shinobi became the ignition point of every conflict."
"But the root?"
"Was never shinobi."
"It was the struggle between those who hired them."
"From ancient times until now, shinobi wars have been extensions of civilian power struggles."
"If we only reform shinobi and leave the foundation untouched—"
"War will never end."
The air grew heavy.
Jin's voice lowered.
"I know this path is thorn-filled."
"I don't know if we'll reach the end."
"But in every era, there are always those who pursue peace."
His eyes burned.
"One lifetime's sacrifice—"
"For ten thousand lifetimes of peace."
"If the burden must be carried, I'd rather one generation endure the suffering of three."
"I'd rather fight three generations' wars myself—"
"Than pass the problem to our descendants."
Silence followed.
But it was no longer uncertain silence.
It was resolve.
Minato's eyes shone like twin flames.
In another timeline, he might have believed more strongly in destiny—perhaps entrusted unsolvable problems to the future.
But now—
Under Jin's influence—
He no longer believed in inevitability.
There were no unsolvable problems.
No insurmountable barriers.
Even failure would not be meaningless.
It would carve away a wrong path for those who followed.
That—
Was responsibility.
Dōtō spoke first, his deep voice steady.
"Jin… you see farther than any of us."
Minato added quietly,
"In truth… you may be more suited to Hokage than Orochimaru or I."
Jin shook his head lightly.
"Suitability for a position isn't determined by ability alone."
"It's timing."
"It's structure."
"It's leverage."
"And Hokage…"
He smiled faintly.
"That's only the beginning."
"Our road doesn't end in Konoha."
"Our destination—"
"Is far beyond it."
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