Chapter 122: The Art of Persuasion

The tiny avatar of Shukaku cradled the pitch-black tea kettle, rubbing it incessantly with its sand-formed body. A few minutes later, pale yellow steam drifted from the kettle, and a cup of light yellow tea was poured in front of Shiroki.

Shiroki, having no understanding of tea ceremony etiquette and being accustomed to gulping down drinks, picked up the small cup and finished it in one swallow, then... he paused slightly.

[Consumed Shukaku’s Tea, total chakra +50]

"Hah, refreshing! Great tea!" Shiroki’s eyes lit up. This tea was incredible; it actually increased his total chakra capacity.

"Hehehehe! That was my pee in the teapot, tastes pretty good, right?" Shukaku rolled on the floor laughing.

Shiroki, who had been looking completely satisfied just a moment ago, suddenly looked as if he had just eaten something foul.

"Do not listen to Shukaku’s jokes. The Bunpuku Tea Kettle is a tea set once used by the Sage of Six Paths and is also the vessel used to seal Shukaku. Tea brewed by Shukaku himself has excellent restorative properties," the monk Bunpuku said slowly.

"I used to brew tea for the Sage of Six Paths back in the day," Shukaku grinned, looking quite proud.

"I drank it too fast just now and didn't really taste it. How about another cup?" Shiroki teased, pushing the cup toward Shukaku.

"Why don't you go eat dirt?" Shukaku rolled his eyes. Brewing one cup was for the sake of Bunpuku; did he really think he was the Sage of Six Paths?

"My friend, shall we discuss this while playing a game of shogi?" Bunpuku waved his hand. Sand swirled across the wooden table in front of them, and a set of sand-crafted shogi pieces appeared on the board.

"Hmm... sure." Shiroki nodded. Although he was a terrible player, he knew the rules. However, he disliked how these monks loved to speak in riddles and refused to be direct about anything.

"You go first," Bunpuku gestured.

Shiroki scratched his head and moved a random piece.

The room fell into a dead silence. Even Bunpuku held his hand in mid-air, unable to make his move for a long time.

"What? Was that move that impressive?" Shiroki asked with a silly grin.

Nonou poked Shiroki with her elbow and whispered in his ear, "What are you doing? Who starts by moving the 'King'!"

Shiroki’s face flushed red. "Get lost! You don't know a thing about shogi. This move is called 'The Sage’s Guidance,' showing respect to the Sage of Six Paths!"

Nonou’s eye twitched as she pulled back. She had learned shogi from Nara Lukufu and had never heard of anyone playing like that.

Bunpuku said nothing and simply moved a 'Silver General' in a standard fashion. "Since my master passed away, no one has played shogi with me for decades."

Shiroki made another random move and nodded. "Loneliness is the most terrifying thing."

"Only in this environment have I truly realized the meaning of 'Love'." Bunpuku used his fingers, withered like tree branches, to capture one of Shiroki’s pawns.

"Since you understand love, Master, may I ask how many types of love there are?" Shiroki had no heart for the game, but Nonou, watching from the side, was itching to play.

"Love has no size. Using the 'Heart' to 'Receive' is love." Monk Bunpuku opened his palms, with the characters for "Heart" and "Receive" written on them; combined, they formed the character for "Love."

Shiroki hated such wordplay, finding it as nonsensical as a samurai saying their heart is set on ending war.

Was the master trying to tell him that being on the receiving end makes it easier to get 'love'? Shiroki had no patience to multitask, so he simply pulled Nonou down to play the game while he focused on debating with the old monk.

"I believe there are three types of love. Love for lovers, brothers, close friends, and parents—that is 'Small Love' for those within five steps of you; it only requires sincerity.

"Love for one's clan and village is 'Medium Love,' requiring total dedication, resolving conflicts, and unifying thoughts.

"But as for the 'Great Love' between nations and the entire ninja world, Master, could you tell me how one should handle that?" Shiroki asked sincerely.

"Only when we can accept each other with true hearts can people connect and understand one another. Without violence or strife, the ninja world can be filled with love." Bunpuku pressed his hands together, and the entire room glowed with a warm, gentle light.

"I believe that day will come, but Master, can you tell me how to choose when life and love cannot both be possessed?" Shiroki had already made up his mind. Bunpuku had spent his whole life in the temple contemplating love with Shukaku—it was a 'Small Love' within five steps. How could he understand the 'Great Love' of the ninja world? Could the strife of the ninja world really be settled by mere mutual understanding?

"Life outweighs everything, and love can be found again." Fortunately, Bunpuku was not so pedantic as to believe one should "forsake life for love."

"If a person is starving to death while someone passes by who is so rich they would rather feed meat to their dogs than give it to the poor, should that starving person steal it?" Shiroki spoke even more bluntly.

"...I know what you are trying to say. Are you still talking about the war between Sunagakure and Konoha? I still believe we should live in a peaceful way, rather than through slaughter and plunder." Bunpuku shook his head.

"Peace and love are what we pursue as well, but we seek a balanced ninja world where extreme disparities do not exist. People only consider love and etiquette when they have food and clothing. Countless starving refugees in the desert struggle for generations, unable to even dream of a full meal. Hunger destroys human reason, leading even to cannibalism. No matter how great the love, it is insignificant in the face of starvation."

"Lord Bunpuku has spent his whole life in the temple and has never seen the tragic sights in the desert tribes. In a single dry season, how many people die in vain? They cannot fight against the heavens, so they can only fight against men. To survive, they must seize more fertile land." Shiroki said with heartfelt pain.

Maki and Pakura lowered their heads in silence. Nonou was also indecisive. Why were they born into the miserable desert, while others were born on fertile land?

"War is definitely not the only way to solve problems..." Bunpuku shook his head in disappointment. He had thought this young man came to discuss love, but it turned out to be another attempt to recruit him for war. The tea was a waste.

"Yes, I see that now. Sunagakure has long deviated from its original purpose for war. Plunder, arson, and slaughter are not for survival, nor for saving the commoners of the Land of Wind, but to satisfy selfish desires. They are wrong, and the Kazekage is wrong." Shiroki surprisingly agreed.

Maki and Pakura wanted to speak but stopped themselves. It was true; their initial goal was indeed to compete for the fertile land of the Land of Fire. However, the rugged, fierce nature of the desert people and their low moral standards led to looting and rape becoming the reality.

Pakura had suggested otherwise many times, but the Kazekage, Rasa, not only did not stop it but encouraged it. He needed morale. Verbal morale only lasts for thirty minutes, but a raid that unleashes the most evil human desires can keep morale at its peak.

"You... actually hold such thoughts?" Bunpuku looked at Shiroki again.

"War is wrong, but inequality exists. As long as extreme inequality exists in the world, people cannot accept each other, cannot truly feel the other, let alone generate love." Shiroki spoke with increasing passion, sounding more and more like a leader.

"So... how does your Excellency believe we should eliminate this extreme inequality?" Bunpuku was now as humble as a student.

"Since Lord Bunpuku is a monk of the Temple of Wind, do you know the original intent of the Ninshu monks who came to preach in the desert?" Shiroki countered.

"The great Ninshu monks... their original intent was to use ninjutsu to transform this desolate land, turning the desert into an oasis suitable for survival. They taught ninjutsu to everyone in the tribes... but everyone used ninjutsu to fight each other... and even killed the monks who taught them." Whenever Bunpuku spoke of this history, he felt immense pain, pressing his hands together to pray for the souls of the monks.

"Exactly. We should help them complete their unfinished will. Change the Land of Wind through peaceful means, use ninjutsu to benefit humanity, let the commoners of the Land of Wind have clothes to wear and food to eat, and build a wealthy and powerful nation. That is the true 'Great Love' between nations." Shiroki opened his arms devoutly.

"The will of the monks... if there is anything I must do, I will give my all, even if it means discarding this decaying shell." As if receiving a mandate from his predecessors, Bunpuku’s originally hunched body seemed to fill out under the infusion of the Tailed Beast’s chakra.

"Let’s go! Let's call this operation: 'I’m Digging Oil for the Motherland!'" Shiroki clenched his fist and shouted.

[Mission Complete: Abduct the Jinchuriki]
[Reward Received: One Random Skill Draw]

"System, this time I want a long-range attack type, something with high power. Preferably not a consumable item like the butcher knife throw," Shiroki stated his small wish.

"Picky, aren't you? It's arranged!" the system laughed.

[Once upon a time, there was a monster. He kept eating, but he could never get full. So in the end, he ate himself!]
[Obtained Hero: Kog'Maw]
[Obtained Skill: Caustic Spittle. Condense a mouthful of corrosive saliva to deal corrosive damage to enemies, with devastating effects on metal and bone structures. Each use consumes 20 chakra and one mouthful of spit.]

Shiroki’s smile gradually vanished.

"Even if I, Shiroki, run out of ammo, even if I’m hung up and beaten, I will never use spit as a weapon! Heh—ptui!"

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Seeking recommendation tickets.