"I only know that the era in which the Buddha existed was far older than that of the Sage of Six Paths, who is said to have founded the ninja creed. It was so ancient that what the world looked like at that time, how people lived, and in what form power manifested have all long been buried in the torrent of time, leaving no trace."
"The Buddha's name may already be lost. His origins may have become an untraceable mystery. However, names can be lost, forms can be illusory, and the body can decay. What the Buddha left behind, the dharma he revealed, the principles he demonstrated, the compassionate acts of saving the world, and everything we students practice and build according to his teachings…"
"Thus, the Buddha also exists in the hearts of us students. In every act of following the true dharma, practicing compassion, and dispelling ignorance, the Buddha is rediscovered and continued. What his name is or what his origin was is no longer so important. What matters is the dharma and principles he passed down."
"Abbot Gyatso, I have been presumptuous." Shinichi slightly bowed.
"That is not the case."
Abbot Gyatso shook his head while looking at him, then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Jonin Shinichi Higashino, you have asked a very good question, and also a very difficult one. It is a fundamental question that we Buddhist students must face, explore, and pass down through generations. Perhaps the very act of seeking the true traces of the Buddha is itself a form of cultivation."
At this point, Abbot Gyatso looked toward the golden Buddha statue in the hall. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, brought his palms together, and nodded slightly to Shinku Yuhi and Shinichi.
"It is getting late, and the war in the northeast is critical. We cannot delay any longer. Jonin Shinku Yuhi, Jonin Shinichi Higashino, let us depart."
As those words fell, the three walked toward the outside of the hall.
However, just as he reached the doorway, Abbot Gyatso could not help but turn back to look once more at the golden Buddha statue in the center of the hall while recalling the young boy's question that directly touched the core.
Who exactly is the Buddha?
What is the true origin of the Buddha?
Did the Buddha truly ever exist?
Could it be that the Buddha is merely an enlightened being shaped and continuously perfected by the imagination and faith of generations upon generations of living beings amidst endless suffering and darkness?
Are the dharma and principles passed down by the Buddha truly sourced from somewhere? Originating from the direct realization and teachings of a great wise being in ancient times?
Or do they come from humanity's innate longing for goodness and order, formed over long years through the relentless efforts of countless thinkers, through thought, debate, and practice, ultimately attributed to a supreme sacred name, while in truth being the crystallization of all human wisdom?
If the Buddha has no name, no trace, and is fundamentally nonexistent, then what exactly have they worshiped, pursued, and relied upon for hundreds or thousands of years?
These questions had no answers. Perhaps they would never have answers.
Buddha, this Monk… for a moment, an immense confusion arose in Abbot Gyatso's heart, along with even a trace of fear.
Meanwhile, Shinichi, standing nearby, silently observed this scene.
Confusion? Feeling at a loss?
Isn't it just a matter of wanting a definite Buddha?
Then, when the time comes, I will give you a Buddha!
Shinichi's thoughts flashed like lightning, and a faint curve lifted at the corner of his lips.
...
Two days later, in the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, the outer area of Narumi Town.
A reinforcement force composed of five hundred elite Konoha ninja and three hundred Ninja Monk from the Fire Temple, totaling eight hundred people, finally arrived at this place after two days of forced marching.
Speaking of which, this was also Shinichi's second time coming to this place.
Two years ago, in this same season and at this same location, it was here that he carried out his very first mission.
At that time, he was just a newly graduated Genin, escorted and protected by Kosuke Maruboshi.
And now, he was already a Jonin.
"There are reception personnel ahead."
Shinku Yuhi's voice came from beside him, interrupting Shinichi's thoughts. Looking up, he saw more than a dozen figures rapidly approaching from a distance.
"Follow me."
After a brief identity verification, intelligence exchange, and route confirmation, the two sides did not delay for a moment and immediately merged forces.
Under the guidance of Orochimaru's reception personnel, they avoided several known Village Hidden in the Cloud's reconnaissance and harassment zones, heading straight toward the true main camp of the northeastern army.
Along the way, the reception personnel quickly recounted the battle situation of the past few days.
Village Hidden in the Cloud's offensive was fierce.
Generally speaking, a Kage would not easily join the battlefield in the early stages of a war, let alone personally go to the front lines.
But the third Raikage, known for his ferocity, did not follow convention. On the very first day of the war, he personally led the army in a direct charge against Konoha's defense, intending to tear open the defensive line with overwhelming force.
However, Konoha was well prepared.
Various defensive lines constructed a month in advance, carefully arranged traps, and layered barriers firmly blocked the Village Hidden in the Cloud's first wave of assault on the outskirts.
More importantly, Jonin Minato Namikaze immediately took action at the moment the third Raikage personally led the charge.
The light of the Flying Thunder God Technique flickered across the battlefield. That golden figure moved like a phantom, completely disrupting the rhythm of the third Raikage's assault.
Minato Namikaze had little way to deal with the third Raikage. This man's physical strength was unmatched in the Shinobi World. No matter how fast Minato was, it was difficult for him to inflict substantial damage.
But the third Raikage could not ignore Minato either.
Every time that yellow flash appeared, it meant the fall of a Kumogakure ninja. He might not be able to break the Raikage's defense, but for anyone other than the Raikage, the Flying Thunder God Technique was an invitation to death.
Thus, a strange stalemate appeared on the battlefield. The third Raikage was restrained by Minato alone, and the Village Hidden in the Cloud's sharpest, strongest spear was temporarily locked in place.
Meanwhile, Konoha's defensive line seized the opportunity. Under the command of Orochimaru, they stabilized their formation and withstood the tide-like fierce assaults of the Village Hidden in the Cloud's subsequent forces. Both sides fell into an extremely brutal war of attrition and tug-of-war along the border.
"As expected of Minato! As expected of the Flying Thunder God Technique!" Shinku Yuhi sighed.
During the First Shinobi World War, the Village Hidden in the Cloud had also advanced aggressively.
The second Raikage had likewise mastered powerful Lightning Style Body Techniques, but in the end, the Village Hidden in the Cloud was still defeated by Konoha under the leadership of the second Hokage, who created the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Perhaps it was precisely based on that past experience that the village sent Minato, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, to this place.
The Flying Thunder God Technique…
Shinichi listened and calculated silently in his mind.
After the northeastern battlefield settled down, perhaps he could try applying to the third Hokage to learn it.
He just didn't know if he could succeed in learning it.
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