Although it was shocking that Hanzo of the Salamander had been placed under Uchiha Ren's Genjutsu, Yahiko hadn't forgotten what Ren had said—he had a way to resolve conflict.
After gaining a preliminary understanding of the nature of war, Yahiko was eager to learn how to end it.
Nagato and Konan also turned toward Uchiha Ren, equally curious.
Ren didn't beat around the bush.
"The method is actually very simple—change your standpoint."
"Change our standpoint? What do you mean?"
The three of them looked confused.
Ren smiled slightly and explained,
"The situation in this world is complicated, so let's simplify it—start small, then expand."
"Imagine we remove all other factors and lock two people in a cage, giving them only one bun per day. What do you think will most likely happen?"
"They'll fight over it!" Yahiko answered without hesitation. "One bun isn't enough for two people. If they want to survive, they have no choice but to compete for that single bun."
Ren nodded.
"There are many admirable aspects of human nature, but when survival is on the line, most people will fight for that one chance to live."
"In this scenario, the cage represents the world, the two people are competitors, and the bun is limited resources."
"Now, let me add a variable. What if the two people in the cage are close friends, brothers, or even father and son? What happens then?"
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan froze, exchanging glances.
Nagato spoke firmly,
"If it were me and Yahiko, I would give the bun to him."
"Nagato… you…"
Yahiko turned to him, deeply moved.
Ren smiled and said to Yahiko,
"And you would do the same, wouldn't you?"
"Of course!" Yahiko replied without hesitation.
Ren continued,
"Think about it—what changed compared to before?"
Yahiko hesitated.
"Because Nagato and I are friends? So… we should use love to move people?"
Ren: "..."
Scratching his head, Yahiko asked, "Was I wrong?"
Ren coughed lightly.
"On the surface, yes—but fundamentally, it's about a change in standpoint."
"At the beginning, both people in the cage act from their own individual standpoint, which leads to conflict."
"But when the two people become you and Nagato, your standpoint changes—you stand on the same side."
"So you yield to each other, and you'll even work together to solve the shortage of food."
Realization dawned on Yahiko. He slapped the table.
"So the best way to resolve conflict is to get everyone to stand on the same side!"
"Exactly." Ren nodded approvingly. "You're quick to understand."
"It's because you explained it so clearly, Ren!" Yahiko shook his head, then added,
"But changing standpoints sounds simple. It must be very difficult in practice, right?"
"That's what I'll explain next."
Ren's expression grew serious.
"What do you think a village is?"
"A village…?" Yahiko frowned. As someone from the Land of Rain who wasn't part of Amegakure, he struggled to answer.
Ren continued without waiting.
"Before the one country, one village system was established, this world was in the Warring States Period. Ninja clans and organizations constantly fought over resources."
"It's like placing your cage and Nagato's cage among countless other cages."
"At that time, you and Nagato share the same standpoint—you're one clan. The other cages represent different clans or forces."
"And your standpoint toward those other cages becomes different again."
"Then, decades ago, the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan stepped forward and united other clans to establish the first village."
"That effectively merged dozens of cages into a single standpoint."
"As a result, conflicts between those cages decreased. Internal disputes could be managed or redirected outward—forming a united front."
"Just like the beginning of the Third Great Ninja War."
"The beginning?" Yahiko was puzzled. "Wasn't the war triggered by the disappearance of the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure?"
Ren shook his head.
"That was merely the fuse, not the true beginning."
"In reality, after losing the previous war and due to conflicts with the Wind Daimyō, Sunagakure fell into financial deficit. Internal contradictions intensified."
"When those contradictions couldn't be resolved, the only option was to eliminate their source."
"So they used the Third Kazekage's disappearance as a pretext to unify the village, covering small conflicts with a larger one—shifting the contradictions outward by starting a war."
"After the war, reconstruction required manpower everywhere, and those smaller internal conflicts faded away."
"The same applies to Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and others—they joined the war for similar reasons."
"In the end, every war is a major reshuffling of internal interests."
"That's also why Sunagakure—clearly the weakest among the Five Great Nations—dared to declare war on Konohagakure, the strongest."
Yahiko and the others fell silent, their expressions heavy.
"So… this is what lies behind war…" Yahiko murmured. "I really had been thinking too simply."
Nagato looked at Ren.
"Then even if people share the same standpoint, conflict is still unavoidable?"
Ren nodded.
"That's because even within a shared larger standpoint, individuals still have their own smaller standpoints."
Nagato frowned.
"Does that mean true peace is impossible?"
"Not at all." Ren smiled. "With a shared greater standpoint, conflicts can be resolved peacefully."
"And that's only the first step."
"The second step… is to liberate productivity."
"Liberate productivity? What does that mean?"
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan looked confused. They had never heard such a term.
Ren spoke seriously,
"Don't underestimate this step—it's the most crucial one."
The three of them instinctively sat up straighter, focusing intently.
Ren didn't explain immediately. Instead, he asked,
"You seek peace—but what is the purpose of that peace?"
Yahiko answered,
"So everyone can live better lives—so no one has to struggle just to survive."
"And who is 'everyone'?"
Yahiko frowned.
"Everyone means… everyone."
Ren looked at him meaningfully.
"What if I told you that peace alone won't change anything? Even without war, people would still suffer."
"That's impossible!" Yahiko shook his head in disbelief.
Nagato and Konan were equally confused.
As war orphans, they believed all suffering stemmed from war. End the war, and suffering would end—that had always been their logic.
Ren's claim was hard to accept.
Part of this was due to the unique situation of the Land of Rain.
Though it followed the one country, one village system, it was a small nation ravaged by constant conflict. It had neither a Daimyō nor a Kage.
It had only one leader—Hanzo of the Salamander.
In such an environment, survival came first. There was no fertile ground for a noble class to develop.
While some lived better than others, exploitation wasn't as extreme as in other regions.
Thus, it was natural that Yahiko and the others didn't understand the true nature of the world.
Ren asked,
"You know about the existence of nobles, right?"
They nodded.
"What do you think of them?"
They exchanged looks—they had no real understanding.
Ren explained,
"Simply put, nobles are those who control vast amounts of resources. Less than 0.1% of the population controls over 70% of the world's resources."
"To them, ninja are tools. Civilians are livestock that generate wealth. War is merely a means of redistributing interests."
"You might not imagine it, but even during the Great Ninja Wars, those nobles continue indulging in luxury every night."
"Even in times of peace, the lower classes are still exploited."
"They toil in the fields, yet most of their harvest is taken by nobles, leaving them barely enough to survive."
"One disaster—natural or man-made—can destroy entire families."
"The fortunate might sell their possessions to survive. Those with nothing sell their children into slavery or become bandits."
"In this world, outside the domains of the nobility, most places are filled with suffering."
Ren's voice grew heavy, suppressing anger.
The world seen in stories showed only its prosperity—bustling streets, thriving commerce, stable lives.
War between ninja seemed like the only flaw.
But in truth, while some technologies were advanced, most of the world remained in an agrarian age.
Behind that prosperity lay the blood and sweat of countless laborers.
Even in the original accounts, this was evident—such as in the Land of Waves, where civilians couldn't even gather enough money for a single B-rank mission.
This world shouldn't be like this.
Ninja shouldn't be like this.
"How could this be…" Yahiko muttered, his body trembling.
Even Nagato's Rennegan reflected confusion.
They had believed peace alone would bring happiness—but now they realized that wasn't true.
Ren continued,
"There are still abundant resources in this world. We've likely developed less than one percent of them."
"But a small group already enjoys the majority, so they don't care about others."
"This has solidified the class structure."
"The child of a slave remains a slave. The child of a civilian remains a civilian. The expendable remain expendable. And the children of nobles remain nobles."
"To change all this, the current system must be broken—and a new one established."
"To ensure everyone lives well, we must first unify the world under a single standpoint, then reform the system, liberate productivity, and create more resources."
This was the conclusion Uchiha Ren had reached after years of observation.
All three steps were indispensable.
Yahiko sighed, looking troubled.
"Ren… even if you're right, changing the entire system would face enormous resistance, wouldn't it?"
He wasn't foolish—he understood the implications.
If carried out, it would plunge the entire shinobi world into chaos and bloodshed.
The cost alone was terrifying.
Ren did not deny it.
"Because those people control most of the world's resources… if we want change, we'll be making enemies of the entire world."