Under the rising sunlight, the battle of a thousand people had ended, and the battlefield was now strewn with Mukuro.
The surviving Ninja, dragging their exhausted and injured bodies, were clearing the battlefield.
The three youngsters stood behind Ren, staring blankly ahead, and for a moment, the cliffside was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"If you insist on acting alone, then there might be a few more bodies lying below."
Ren's voice rang out, and Suzuki trembled upon hearing it, biting his lip instinctively as he looked at the tragic scene before him.
"Remember this image."
Ren stood up, his gaze falling upon the three of them.
"What you need to strive for now is not fame and success, but to survive every battle that follows.
Never underestimate war; even a Kage can die."
"Gulp!"
Hearing this, Shio swallowed, muttering unconsciously.
"Will we… die?"
If, before this, their understanding of war was primarily as a place to achieve great deeds, the fire will had always influenced their vague worldview, leading them to naturally accept the idea of sacrificing themselves for the Village, without any precise definition of death.
But now, when they truly witnessed the corpses strewn everywhere and the constant wails from their surroundings, they gained a clearer understanding of the brutality of war.
"This war is not far from over; you have one and only one goal: to survive and return to the Village completely intact."
Ren had emphasized this more than once over the past few months, precisely to bring the three of them back to the right mindset.
Always maintain reverence for life and death.
Meanwhile, not far away, Itachi and Number One were walking on the battlefield, looking at the lingering smoke rising after the battle and the people busy setting up defenses in the distance, their moods somewhat complex.
"Water, water…"
Just then, a faint cry for help came from not far away, and the two turned their heads to see a Stone Ninja calling out.
Itachi did not hesitate, quickly rushing towards him, and Number One did not stop him, merely glancing at a spot not far away before exploding into a cloud of white mist and dissipating into the air.
When Itachi arrived, he helped the other person up, took out a water container, and held it to their lips.
As the water was poured in, the Stone Ninja's consciousness slowly returned, and he slowly opened his eyes, whispering to the blurry figure in front of him.
"So… sorry."
As he spoke, his blurry vision began to clear.
The first thing that came into view was the other person's Ninja tools, which instantly sobered him up.
He looked up, and what met his eyes was Itachi's youthful face.
Without hesitation, the Stone Ninja quickly scrambled up, grabbed a Kunai, and lunged at Itachi, his face instantly becoming ferocious.
"Pfft!"
A tearing sound rang out, but it was not Itachi who fell, but the Stone Ninja.
Watching the other person fall with a look of astonishment, then completely lose his life, Itachi retracted his Kunai, looking at the fallen corpse with a gaze full of confusion.
Why did he try to kill me when I saved his life?
Just then, footsteps sounded, and Itachi instinctively turned sideways, only to see his father had arrived beside him, calmly looking at the lifeless Stone Ninja on the ground.
"Father, why did this Ninja want to kill me? I didn't do anything."
Itachi asked his father, expressing his confusion, and Uncle Fugaku replied calmly without thinking.
"Because this is war."
"War?"
Just as Itachi was puzzled, a voice from afar answered him.
"When nations use attacks, slaughter, and other means to achieve their goals for various interests and selfish desires, that is war."
Itachi turned his head and saw Ren walking towards them, followed by the three dejected youngsters.
Itachi ignored everything else, lowered his head after hearing Ren's answer, a look of contemplation in his eyes, and whispered.
"Is there any meaning in doing this?"
"There is no meaning at all."
Uncle Fugaku crossed his arms, looking at his eldest son, and said in a deep voice.
"Everyone is engaging in meaningless slaughter with people they don't know.
Endless fighting is the world of Ninja."
After Uncle Fugaku finished speaking, he turned and walked into the distance.
As the commander of this operation, even though the battle had ended, he still had many things to do.
As for Itachi, he had achieved his purpose in bringing him here.
As the young clan head of the Uchiha Clan, these experiences were necessary for his growth.
"No meaning, huh…"
Just as Itachi's thoughts were in chaos, he noticed Ren squatting beside him, rummaging through the Stone Ninja's body, not knowing what he was doing.
"Itachi, Uncle Fugaku isn't entirely correct."
Ren paused, pulling something out of the other person's pocket while looking at Itachi, and said softly.
"Huh?"
Itachi was very confused.
He watched Ren repeat what he had just said.
"Father isn't correct?"
"Their deaths are meaningless."
Ren glanced at the item in his hand, then showed it to them, nodding.
Shio, Yao, and Suzuki, who were behind him, also gathered around.
When they and Itachi saw the item in Ren's hand, they were all stunned for a moment.
It was a photograph, slightly soiled with dirt, but it still clearly showed a young, beautiful girl holding the arm of a boy dressed in Stone Ninja attire.
Both their faces held brilliant smiles, radiating an aura of happiness.
"But if he were still alive now, the meaning of his fight would be to survive, to return to the Village and reunite with the person he loves.
But he's dead now, so it has no meaning."
Ren paused here, looking at the thoughtful expressions on their faces with a hint of relief, and continued.
"As Ninja, we fight here not for the selfish desires of others, but for ourselves, or rather, to live up to the expectations of those who care about us, for example."
Ren placed his hand on Itachi's head, seeing his touched expression, and chuckled.
"To survive, return to the Village with me, and reunite with your families—that is my expectation of you."
"Brother Ren…"
"Captain…"
The few who had been lost in confusion due to the war suddenly understood.
Ren's words were like a revelation, instantly clarifying their goals.
To live, no matter for what reason, they must live.
Death held no meaning for them now; it would only bring sorrow and grief to those who waited for them at home.
They were now like newly sprouted green leaves in the fire will, and what they needed to do was grow under the sacrifice and protection of the older generation, rather than burning themselves out at a young age, turning into a monument with so-called fame and leaving behind those who cared about them.