Chapter 45: The Sage's Enterprise, Cut Short Mid-Venture

Watching the cat laze about on a bench across from him, basking in the sun, Habara felt himself starting to doze off.

This time, this place… it really made a person sleepy.

Habara wasn't particularly on guard. He was genuinely relaxed, because even if something did suddenly happen in Konoha, it wouldn't be something targeting a nobody like him.

After he'd been asleep for only a short while, Habara suddenly felt someone approach. He immediately opened his eyes and saw an old man sitting on the other end of the bench.

Habara was visibly startled for a moment when he saw the man's face, but he nonchalantly looked away and continued staring straight ahead at the cat… because the old man sitting next to him was no ordinary old man. He was a retired old man, puffing on a pipe.

Probably because he was retired, he had some free time and was starting to figure out what retirement life should be like. So this encounter made perfect sense; it was just two people bored out of their minds.

"A ninja? Seems so. Why be so unkempt at such a young age? You need to be energetic, or at least look energetic. Otherwise, how will good fortune ever find you?"

The old man's way of speaking was different from what Habara remembered. He recalled the man being more of a "good old boy," but what he was saying now definitely had that "old geezer" vibe.

Still, there was nothing wrong with what he said. Habara did look a bit disheveled… Ever since he'd arrived in this world, he hadn't really bothered to take care of his appearance.

"You're right. Young people should be more spirited."

Some things really were kind of mystical. People who lacked spirit really did seem to have bad luck. Wasn't there a common saying about having a "face like misfortune"?

Habara was agreeing, but to the old man beside him, it sounded strange. Then he realized why… this young man's position shifted fast. How did he suddenly join him in criticizing young people?

"Just back from the front lines?"

"Yes. I experienced some… unpleasant things."

"War is inherently unpleasant. Every ninja goes through all sorts of helplessness. When I was your age, I was the same."

Habara thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "There are still some differences, after all. Certainly in terms of strength, but more importantly… I've been to the front lines several times, but to this day, no one has ever taught me a single ninjutsu."

Ninjas were certainly not all the same. Some were disciples of the Hokage and could basically learn whatever they wanted. But what about people like Habara? He learned jack squat. He'd even been self-taught in elementary school.

The old man didn't overthink it, because it was common for young ninjas to complain about their lack of strength or unfair treatment.

"Regardless, the war is coming to an end. Even if unpleasant things happened in the past, you can now start to imagine what your future life should be like. It's no longer an unattainable dream."

Hearing this, Habara turned his head and looked at the old man's wrinkled face.

"Have you ever heard this story? There once was a religion. When it was first founded, the priests would earnestly and equally preach the doctrine to believers and potential converts. But as the religion established a church and became highly organized, a hierarchy began to form. The authority to interpret the doctrine was firmly held by the church, and while ordinary believers were also members of the church, all they could do was pray. Isn't it contradictory? They were supposed to equally spread the word of god, but those who received the 'divine revelation' first monopolized this right. Isn't that unfair? The wise and the foolish, the capable and the incapable—if those distinctions are determined solely by who came first, isn't that unreasonable?"

"Religious theory? Things certainly don't develop that simply, but generally speaking, your point isn't entirely wrong."

The old man had stepped right into the trap.

Habara nodded and continued, "Legend has it that in ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths founded Ninshu and began to equally spread the secrets of chakra to the world. But this equality was only the equality of that time. Or, you could say that the equality of that time created the inequality of today… Nowadays, the difference between civilian ninjas and those from ninja clans is vast. But many years ago, weren't ninja clan members also civilian ninjas?"

In fact, apart from the Otsutsuki family, everyone was a civilian ninja.

"In the current ninja war, civilian ninjas are not inactive on the battlefield. Yet, even if they risk their lives, their impact is ultimately limited. Why is that? Because they only benefit from the spread of chakra, not the spread of jutsu… Jutsu have never been spread. So, if you ask me what I want to do after the war ends, I have only one small wish. That is to prove that, given equal education and training, civilian ninjas are no worse than ninjas from the ninja clans…"

Even though there was already a living example proving this point, that case was often regarded as an extreme outlier.

Weren't you supposed to be a scruffy young man? Why do you have such a sharp, almost murderous, ambition…

The retired old man finally understood what Habara was saying.

He'd just been looking for someone to chat with casually, to check on the mental health of a young ninja. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such an unexpected situation.

Although Habara's last sentence sounded like youthful stubbornness, what he was actually after could be better described with two other words: "equal rights."

Hadn't he started his story with the Sage of Six Paths?

So, Habara's implication was that the Sage of Six Paths' enterprise was cut short mid-venture, so he would take over from here.

The retired old man was a little stunned. He hoped young people would have ideals, but this ideal was a bit too grand. So, the old man's feelings could also be summed up in one sentence…

Damn it, you didn't teach yourself elementary school, you dropped out of art school, didn't you?

In the face of such an ideal, the retired old man felt like he'd become a representative of the "backward, conservative forces."

"It's a good idea, but it will definitely encounter a lot of resistance."

From the Hokage's perspective, Habara's statement would inevitably receive support; from the perspective of the clan heads, it would inevitably be opposed.

"I'm just idling anyway. It's worth a try," Habara said casually.

Support or opposition? Habara didn't really care. He'd just been telling a story. Konoha was already rotten enough, so why not try stirring it into the biggest mess possible?

He was just idling anyway. There was nothing to lose if he failed.