"The war... will end soon? Because of her?"
Yahiko's gaze unconsciously fell on Tsunade, bound and chakra-sealed, apparently struggling to understand this cause and effect.
"Mm... She's the best medical ninja on Konoha's current battlefield. Without her skills, cracking my old hag's poison wouldn't be so easy for Konoha. You're from the Land of Rain, so you should know how formidable Hanzō's poison is on the battlefield. My old hag's poison skills are equally matched."
Washing down three soldier pills with his fourth glass of water since returning home, Hii Kōri wasn't in a rush to have his disciples enter the shadow and evacuate. Four days of intense continuous mental work meant he needed to slow down and adjust. Besides, this explanation wouldn't take long.
'This guy, is he Chiyo that old hag's son?' Tsunade lay on the floor, face full of resentment, but her ears didn't miss a single word Hii Kōri said.
"Huh? A medical ninja?"
Hearing Hii Kōri's assessment, Yahiko and the others found it hard to accept.
After all, what they'd witnessed was this big sister jumping up to punch craters into the ground, kicking away giant salamanders—nothing indicating she was medical personnel.
"I've also said that medical ninjutsu and Yang Release overlap. Knowing how to heal others naturally means knowing how to maximize your own body's potential. It's just that most medical ninjas are too busy to learn other ninjutsu."
Since graduating, Karura complained almost daily about the medical corps' workload. She'd lost all motivation to live, like an angry rabbit whose vegetables had been stolen.
Working overtime till all hours, then falling asleep in the bath after getting home—such cases were not uncommon.
Let's just say the ninja profession was already crap; medical ninjas' working conditions were the crap's peak.
"As for her... consider her an exception. Inheriting part of the God of Shinobi's physique, it's reasonable she excels at taijutsu."
Hii Kōri paused, pulling his thoughts back from his long-unseen lover. Seeing his disciples' faces mix confusion and surprise, he added: "The Senju clan's princess, the First Hokage's granddaughter, the Third Hokage's disciple..."
"Even disregarding her function, such identity alone makes Tsunade-hime quite a powerful bargaining chip. Hanzō let them go back then partly because of her identity, didn't he?"
Hearing this, Tsunade struggled even more fiercely. Even with her mouth gagged, angry muffled groans escaped her throat.
Seeing her as if ready to devour someone, Konan instinctively leaned closer to Hii Kōri, while Yahiko frowned as if trying to shake off unpleasant memories.
'High-status' people received preferential treatment even on the battlefield. This was far too cruel for children whose families had been senselessly destroyed.
But remembering that Teacher's older brother, a Suna elder's son, had also died on the battlefield, Yahiko found it hard to voice such words.
"But... Teacher, didn't you also say that 'status' isn't always useful in war?"
After long silence, Nagato withdrew his gaze from Tsunade and asked methodically.
"Hmm. At the war's outset, Tsunade-hime wouldn't have been such valuable leverage. But now, this battle has dragged on long enough."
Hii Kōri kicked aside Tsunade, who had 'wiggled' to his feet and was thumping her head against his shin, and countered: "Remember what I said about war's essence?"
"...It's the 'extension of politics.'"
Yahiko nodded thoughtfully, answering thus.
"Mm, correct. Today I'll teach you another principle: politics is essentially the extension of interests."
"Countries, villages—almost all organizations are driven by interests."
"Regardless of reasons, goals, or claims, external political means are basically about 'securing interests through bloodless means.' War is how, when political means prove ineffective, violence is used to divide interests."
"But war can't continue forever. When losses exceed tolerable limits without securing interests, both sides become willing to sit at the negotiation table."
"Of course, my research into such matters is quite shallow; this conclusion has many inapplicable scenarios."
Sitting directly on Tsunade's back to stop her squirming, Hii Kōri spreads his hands, quite frankly admitting his limitations: "But for you, it's more or less sufficient."
"Applying this to the current war, you'll notice each participating side has different 'victory conditions.'"
"Because the Land of Fire unilaterally cut trade with the Land of Wind, our country—heavily dependent on imports—rapidly deteriorated. Suna's declaration of war on Konoha was essentially a 'retaliatory' action ordered by the Land of Wind's daimyō."
"So this war, Suna never expected to win, never intended to defeat Konoha. Just inflicting sufficient losses on Konoha, thereby weakening the Land of Fire's military, forcing them to resume trade with the Land of Wind—that's enough. If we can secure more favorable trade terms afterward, even better."
"But... they were just fighting—and now they'll resume trade?"
Konan blinked, somewhat confused.
"Ah... Suna and Konoha did the fighting. What does that have to do with the Lands of Wind and Fire?"
Hii Kōri responded quite confidently: "Ultimately, what mortal enemies exist between nations? As long as it benefits them, such things don't matter. Wind and Fire maintained trade for a long time—both freight systems and docking departments are well-established. Resuming trade has basically no upfront costs; just more pull at the negotiating table."
"Your Land of Rain, like the former Land of Rivers, is just a small country dragged in. I've explained Hanzō's response, so no need to elaborate."
"As for Konoha, as the declared-upon party, naturally they need to defeat the others."
"And Iwa is purely here to stir trouble—bully whichever side shows weakness, see if they can make money."
Counting on his fingers as he explained the participants in turn, Hii Kōri didn't forget to conceal the true intentions of Wind and Suna.
"Now, Suna's objectives are more or less achieved. And Konoha, unilaterally declared upon, naturally doesn't want to continue fighting either—avoid letting Iwa profit as the fisherman."
"Since both sides want to stop fighting, using Tsunade-hime as a stepping stone, everyone can call it quits."
Lightly patting Tsunade's head, Hii Kōri's tone was quite heavy: "Though war destroys many beautiful things, essentially it's this rash and sad."
Hearing this, the three children silently lowered their heads. Even Tsunade seemed thoughtful, ceasing resistance, letting Hii Kōri play with her hair.
"Alright. Anything you need to take? Time to prepare for departure."
After giving his disciples time to process their emotions, Hii Kōri stood, first manipulated shadow to 'swallow' Tsunade, then asked.
Yahiko ran to the table to retrieve his Water Release notes. The three children exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
They were war orphans; their so-called 'possessions' were either on them or already integrated into this hut's traces. Nothing to pack.
"Teacher... will we ever have a chance to return here?"
Watching shadow surge toward their feet, her gaze sweeping over this regained 'home,' Konan's tone held a trace of melancholy.
"Probably not. Too many traces left in this house—can't leave it behind."
Hii Kōri felt equally regretful. As the third-longest place he'd lived since coming to this world, he too held some affection for this hut he'd repaired.
He'd always been quite sentimental.
But that's just how regret works.
"Ah, damn—didn't I just tell Nagato not to be attached to dead things..."
Gently sending his disciples into his shadow domain, Hii Kōri clicked his tongue, casually taking out a pack of 'cigarettes' from his wrist scroll, tapped one out and put it in his mouth, lit it with flame from his fingertip, and took a deep drag.
Feeling the burning sensation of various herbs blending into a complex aroma spread through his nasal passages, Hii Kōri narrowed his eyes, then tossed the remaining cigarettes into the room's corner.
Consider it an offering to this cabin—though these weren't actually cigarettes.
Thinking thus, Hii Kōri calmly formed a series of hand seals. A bright yet not searing sphere materialized in the center of the living room.
As a kekkei genkai renowned for ultra-high heat, Scorch Release possessed far greater stability than Fire Release. Combining it with barrier technique concepts to create a sphere that converges most heat, only bursts under specified conditions—was certainly possible.
Scorch Release: Supernova.
A star of light that detonates like a dying star once away from the caster a certain distance.
The so-called time bomb.
"Well then... goodbye."
Hii Kōri draped his cloak and disappeared into the distant forest, watched by the hut.
Then, flames shot skyward.
***
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