Uchiha Itachi was not one to pretend to understand something he didn't.
"Teacher, I'm very sorry." Itachi shook his head: "I still don't understand."
Uchiha Jin nodded.
He hadn't expected Itachi, at such a young age, to fully grasp these concepts immediately.
What he was saying now was just the appetizer.
He organized his thoughts and spoke to Itachi again.
"It's alright, don't worry."
"Now that we've talked about animals, let's talk about humans."
"First, you must understand one thing: humans are just animals that can think."
"Humans also get hungry."
"You were born into the Uchiha clan, and as the clan leader's son, I imagine you've never experienced hunger."
"But I have."
"I can tell you very accurately that when a person is truly starving to the extreme, they are no longer human."
"They are beasts, scum, worse than pigs and dogs."
"You can use words a hundred times more vicious than that to describe those who are starving to the extreme."
"When I was starving as a child, things like morality, humanity, dignity…",
"They all vanished!"
"My brain, my body, every single cell in me, was telling me to find food."
"To use all my strength to find food. At that time, I even felt that I could trample all laws in the world for it…",
"Just for a bite to eat!"
"Can you understand this point?"
Uchiha Jin's tone was chilling.
To be honest, he was exaggerating a little; in reality, he had never truly starved in this life.
His parents hadn't left him much, but it was enough to get by until adulthood.
But, at the same time.
He wasn't lying either.
In his previous life, he received a more comprehensive education, and when he graduated from a mediocre university and couldn't find a job for half a year, he truly did experience hunger.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Uchiha Itachi was silent.
He had never truly experienced the feeling of hunger, but fortunately, he was intelligent enough.
So, after a moment.
He looked up at Uchiha Jin: "Teacher, I cannot empathize, but I can understand."
"When a person is at their limit from hunger, they are indeed prone to doing evil for survival, but how does this relate to my question?"
Yes.
He still couldn't understand this point.
He felt that his teacher had said a lot of things that were completely unrelated to the questions he was pondering.
Uchiha Jin smiled and began to speak.
"Don't rush, this is just the appetizer."
"Only by letting you understand these most basic things will you truly be able to grasp what I'm going to say next."
"Now, let's delve a little deeper."
"The Sunagakure Village in the Land of Wind, do you understand their situation?"
Uchiha Itachi's brain began to work furiously.
After thinking for a long time, he spoke in a calm tone: "I only know that the Land of Wind has a harsh climate, with eighty percent of its area being desert, and Sunagakure Village is considered one of the weaker existences among the Five Great Nations."
"Hmm, to summarize." Uchiha Jin said: "The Sunagakure Village in the Land of Wind is very poor!"
"Due to the harsh climate, the land is not very suitable for growing food, and even Sunagakure Village's military budget is very low, which leads to Sunagakure Village's lack of strength."
"Now, think about other places."
"The Land of Water is surrounded by sea on all sides, the Land of Lightning is full of mountains, and the Land of Earth is all rocky terrain."
"So, have you noticed?"
"The other four Great Nations all have problems to some extent, but only the Land of Fire has favorable weather, distinct seasons, and abundant resources."
"If you were born in another ninja village, would you not be tempted by the Land of Fire?"
"Everyone else is living frugally, while only your Land of Fire is so prosperous that it makes people envious."
"Everyone else is starving, while you are eating until your mouth is dripping with oil."
"Peaceful coexistence, why?"
Chapter 72: War? Itachi, you are too naive!
Uchiha Itachi looked stunned.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he could only remain silent.
Yes, why?
Must the Land of Fire be given up for the sake of so-called peace?
If he were to ask himself, even he wouldn't be willing.
"But, is it worth it?" Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but ask: "Is it worth everyone fighting like this just for a bit of land and resources?"
"So many wars, so many people sacrificing their lives."
"…"
He still couldn't understand.
Although through Jin's words, he understood that hatred accounted for only a very small part of these wars, and the vast majority was still for resources and land.
However.
In his opinion, it was no big deal; everyone could still sit down and talk, and resolve it through other means.
Uchiha Jin, however, remained calm.
"It's worth it, absolutely worth it."
"The struggle for resources and land, and even hatred, are only a very small part of the reasons for war."
"Just like how the village wants to deal with the Uchiha, do the other villages not have internal problems?"
"You must remember one thing: war is the continuation of politics, and it is the last resort."
"For example, the Third Shinobi World War this time, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, was the initial fuse."
"But was it truly Konoha's doing?"
"Any normal person would know that it's impossible."
"What benefit would capturing or killing the Third Kazekage bring to Konoha?"
"None!"
"Not to mention the death of Konoha White Fang Hatake Sakumo, and Konoha's Sannin leaving the village; Konoha is currently in a period of absolute weakness."
"Are Sunagakure Village's leaders idiots? Can't they see even this problem?"
"Of course not, impossible!"
"Fools don't become high-ranking officials!"
"Then why would they still go to war with Konoha?"
"The reason is simple: to divert internal conflicts!"
"You see, with the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the election of the Fourth Kazekage was imminent, but Sunagakure Village had many internal conflicts. If they were to elect the Fourth Kazekage at that time, they might have to fight internally first."
"In addition, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind cut military expenses, leading to a shortage of funds for Sunagakure Village. Even for training ninja within the village, the Kazekage had to use his Magnet Release to pan for gold in the desert."
"Under such harsh circumstances, Sunagakure's solution was simple: directly go to war with Konoha."
"Since people would die in internal strife anyway, it's better to make good use of them and kill a few more Konoha Ninja."
"Whether the war succeeds or fails is not important, as long as the goal is achieved."
"Sunagakure's main goal was to prevent internal strife and determine the next Kazekage."