svetikya Chapter 154 Similar Memories, Different Mindsets
Chapter 154 Similar Memories, Different Mindsets
Chapter 154 Similar Memories, Different Mindsets
Upon regaining consciousness, the first order Shiba Kiyokawa issued was—
"After tallying the results, I will personally award medals to the fallen members of the organization."
All those who sacrificed their lives in this battle will receive the honor of martyrdom. Any bodies that can be recovered will be wrapped in the Akatsuki flag and subsequently sent back to the Land of Rain along with their medals.
Shiba Kiyokawa understood very well that no amount of righteousness could change the cruelty of war, so it was especially important at times like these to make everyone see the meaning and value of the battle.
He looked at Xiao Nan, "Remember to tell Kakuzu who stayed in the country to stop trying to save money now and to make sure that we spread the word about our achievements!"
The payment of pensions and benefits for martyrs must also be in place!
Every sacrifice deserves to be rewarded, and we must make sure that everyone in the country knows the significance of our struggle!
The warriors who lie buried here secured resources, time, and space for the Land of Rain to develop! They are heroes!
The premise that slogans can win people's hearts is that Shiba Kiyokawa has always fulfilled every promise he made to his subordinates! He has charted a clear path and provided them with a firm belief!
An empty will can only brainwash people temporarily. If they cannot see the meaning of the battle, then as time goes by, their hearts will eventually be devoured by numbness and fatigue.
Just like Konoha at this moment.
Both times it was after a war, and both times it came after enormous sacrifices, yet Minato Namikaze was dealing with a different problem—
"Lord Minato, many squads have expressed their dissatisfaction because they have seen many ninja squads withdraw from the battlefield before the end when the battle was going badly."
"Lord Minato, what should we do with these ninja clans?"
At that moment, Minato Namikaze felt a deep sense of weariness.
The words that Shiba Kiyokawa had asked him on the battlefield seemed to echo in his ears once again.
Do you know the meaning behind your fight?
"You keep saying you hate war, yet you can't even find a way to end it!"
In the original Naruto manga, almost 90% of the ninjas were tired of war, and one of the most important reasons for this was that they had no real sense of the meaning of their battles!
The gains from the Ninja World War were too meager, which made many ninjas not understand the meaning of their involvement in the war.
There was never any publicity about this in the villages, so in the end, the driving force for ninja battles was simply hatred.
Minato Namikaze was like this, and so are the various ninja clans today.
Therefore, when they realized that the battle was going badly, they all chose to preserve the strength of their own families.
All of this is thanks to the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His compromises and weakness largely negated the significance of Konoha's fight in the last Shinobi World War;
His subsequent actions in preserving the Sarutobi clan opened Pandora's box.
From then on, the atmosphere in the entire Hidden Leaf Village became strange.
In the past, Minato Namikaze wouldn't have been overly critical of these ninja clans; he would have simply spoken with a firm gaze and unwavering confidence.
"Don't blame them, they just lack confidence in victory. I'll show them hope!"
When things are going smoothly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with him saying that!
The original work has already proven that when things are going well, Konoha can be very united, with all the major ninja clans working together and everyone being a staunch follower of the Will of Fire.
When things are going well, even the Root members are willing to risk their lives; Danzo is a great loyal subject.
But the problem is: what to do when there's a headwind?
The winds are blowing against us. All of Minato Namikaze's past confidence will turn into indulgence of selfishness!
He didn't punish those ninja clans who retreated in the face of battle too severely back then, so now he's only in a more difficult situation.
After a long silence, Minato Namikaze asked wearily, "Where are those ninja squads that retreated in the face of battle?"
The subordinate gave a helpless report.
"Several Hyuga squads had been urgently recalled to the village by their main family before this."
Three more members of the Sarutobi squad left this morning. We tried to stop them, but they said it was with Shinnosuke-sama's permission.
Minato Namikaze once again felt a wave of fatigue and exhaustion.
It was at times like these that he could more directly perceive the gap between Konoha and Akatsuki.
This is the difference between a warrior with faith and a ninja without faith!
That afternoon, despite his slightly improved health and pale complexion, Shiba Kiyokawa insisted on holding an award ceremony for the fallen soldiers of this battle as soon as possible!
Five years ago, the Land of Rain was just a small, dilapidated country, suffering greatly in the midst of the war between the Great Ninja Village and the Great Ninja Village!
Three years ago, our Akatsuki organization was just a down-and-out, weak, and nobody cared about!
But today, we are able to confront the number one ninja village, Konoha! We are able to command the respect, and even fear, of the entire ninja world!
This is all thanks to you! It's thanks to the hard work of every member of the Akatsuki!
Every one of you, whether alive or fallen, is a hero of the Rain Kingdom!
Heroes deserve to be rewarded!
At the same time, in a different location, Minato Namikaze found one of the representatives of the ninja clan, the elderly elder of the Hyuga main family.
However, the other party took the initiative and asked the first question.
"Lord Minato, five years ago we won the Second Shinobi World War. We repelled the Hidden Cloud Village, the Hidden Stone Village, and the Hidden Sand Village. We won every war in the surrounding area, but what did we gain?"
Three years ago, that Hokage signed a series of alliances. For the sake of peace, he returned to the enemy everything we had fought so hard to obtain. In the end, even the White Fang who killed the enemy commander and ended the war died a humiliating death!
And now, you're asking me why the Hyuga clan isn't willing to fight to the very end...
Haha, what good is fighting to the very last moment?
Even if we conquer the entire front and sign a peace treaty after the war, the Land of Grass is ultimately destined to be returned to the enemy, isn't it?
Our clan did indeed have several teams of ninja who abandoned their missions before the previous battle was over.
They're useless! They can't complete the mission; every single one of them is useless!
But they are still ninjas of our Hyuga clan, Lord Minato. They have already been punished. Are you still going to hold a grudge?
Same time, different space, similar memories, yet completely different words.
At that moment, the feelings of Kiyokawa Shiba and Minato Namikaze were worlds apart.
The former is still steadfastly pursuing its own path!
"From now on, we will continue to live and die together, we will continue to make history! We will lead the Land of Rain to the pinnacle of the ninja world! We are on the right path! One day, we will change this corrupt world and create a bright and beautiful tomorrow!"
The latter, however, could only offer a weary and empty retort.
"We've been through so many battles together, all for the sake of protecting Konoha Village, Elder Hideki Hyuga. Don't you really believe in Konoha's future?"
(End of this chapter)