"Now I get it," Kushina said, eyes shining with realization. "No wonder Grandma Mito reacted so strongly. She thought even giving you the entire Senju inheritance wasn't enough!"
"It isn't," she added seriously. "From now on, I'll just have to rely on you, Brother Tianyi."
"Me?" Tianyi raised an eyebrow. "Wait—did I remove the Shadow Clone at home while walking here?"
"Hehe, yep!" Kushina beamed. "You and Grandma were being all mysterious, and my Shadow Clone got curious. Don't worry—I sent another one back to keep studying sealing techniques."
Tianyi rolled his eyes. "That's what you're proud of? You're something else."
"Hehe!" Kushina lifted her chin, unashamed.
"Tianyi," Mikoto said softly, her gaze warm and steady. "From now on, I'm with you. You don't need to say a word—I've already decided."
"Alright," Tianyi smiled. "I've taught you the techniques. Now focus on training. If anything's unclear, just ask. I need all of you to grow stronger."
He looked at each of them, his tone shifting slightly.
"My goal is to unify the ninja world—to end war permanently. I can do it alone, but it'd be exhausting. I need your help."
His words left them stunned.
Not only did Tianyi intend to unify the world, but he also wanted to accumulate strength, influence, and reputation to refine his luck and further evolve his wish-based talents.
Ultimately, he sought transcendence—not just dominance over the ninja world, but a path to the immortality of other worlds.
This world was merely the beginning.
"Unify the ninja world?"
"End war? For good?"
Shikaku and Minato exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Minato was the first to find his voice. "So that's your goal, Tianyi? No wonder you've been thinking so deeply..."
"Do you believe it's really possible—that only by uniting the ninja world can we bring lasting peace?"
Tianyi nodded. "Exactly. Wars in the ninja world always boil down to the same thing: competition for resources and power."
He gestured toward the dirt beneath them.
"In the Warring States era, clans fought for land, food, and survival. After the establishment of ninja villages, the conflict only scaled up."
"Hashirama failed to unify the world, so we ended up with the current system—one country, one village. It may have reduced small-scale conflict, but large-scale wars became more devastating."
"The First Great Ninja War caused incalculable losses. And it's only a matter of time before the next erupts."
He let the silence settle before continuing.
"Even if the ninja villages want peace, the daimyos—the true rulers of each nation—will never allow it."
"Why not?" Minato asked. "Wouldn't peace benefit everyone?"
"Let me ask you something first," Tianyi replied. "Do you think a daimyo wants their village's ninja to be powerful or not?"
Minato frowned, unsure. "Powerful, right? To protect the country?"
Shikaku interrupted. "No. A daimyo wants control. Too strong, and a ninja village becomes a threat. Too weak, and the country invites invasion."
He narrowed his eyes.
"To them, we're just weapons. Nothing more."
The pieces clicked together in Shikaku's mind.
"That's why they keep us in balance—encouraging wars to reduce our numbers when we grow too strong."
Tianyi gave a small, approving nod.
"Exactly. They want ninja strong enough to fight, but not strong enough to rule."
Minato's jaw tightened. "Then the whole mission system..."
"Is a leash," Shikaku growled. "They fund missions and control ninja livelihoods. If missions dry up or funds are cut, the village suffers."
"And what happens when a village is too full of hungry, underpaid ninja? It starts a war to survive."
"The daimyo create the problem, then blame us for the solution."
Tianyi stepped in. "And while they orchestrate our conflicts, they hide behind propaganda, education, and religion—convincing everyone that their power is divinely ordained."
"They aren't noble. They're just the most successful parasites."
Silence.
Then Kushina burst out, "We're not weapons! We're human beings!"
"Exactly," Tianyi said. "But their system treats us otherwise."
"Brother Tianyi is right!" Minato snapped. "We can't keep living like this!"
"We need to change the rules of the world."
Shikaku looked Tianyi in the eyes. "You want to destroy the old world and build something better. I'm with you. From today, I'll dedicate myself to helping you achieve that dream."
"Me too," Minato echoed.
"Same here," added Haizuka.
"We'll back you all the way," Kushina and Mikoto chimed in.
Tianyi smiled, heart swelling with warmth.
"Then let's begin. But keep this to yourselves for now. The world isn't ready."
He created a Shadow Clone. "Now, let's get to work."
As the clone began tutoring the others in technique, Tianyi walked away to resume his own cultivation.
After all, mastering Huxia martial arts was something only his true body could do.
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