As those words fell, the Kirigakure prisoners also fell silent, complex expressions appearing on their faces.
That was true, and why would the village ever sign something like this?
How could the Bloody Village Hidden in the Mist, a place that scarcely valued the lives of its own people, ever show kindness to the members of other ninja villages?
According to the village's standards, the moment they were captured, they had already been considered dead.
"Yes, it certainly won't be easy."
Shinichi nodded frankly.
"But someone has to do it."
The Kirigakure prisoners assumed he would next explain how he intended to promote the convention, or perhaps elaborate on Konoha's position and determination regarding the matter.
Instead, his tone shifted slightly, and he began speaking about something entirely different.
"When carrying out missions, ninja are strictly forbidden from killing their employers. They must avoid conflict with their clients unless the client has seriously concealed mission details."
"During wartime, administrative officials, especially the Daimyo, must not be targeted. Even if a foreign city is captured, local officials may not be killed and must be safely escorted out after the war."
"Furthermore, attacking merchant caravans from neutral countries is prohibited, and harming civilians is likewise forbidden. There are many similar rules."
"These rules are not unfamiliar to any of you, are they? They are customs that have formed naturally throughout the Shinobi World over hundreds and thousands of years, dating back to the Warring States Period and continuing all the way to the present day."
These rules had indeed existed throughout the Shinobi World for a long time. Although no one understood why he had suddenly brought them up, the people below still nodded instinctively.
"However!"
At that point, Shinichi abruptly changed the direction of his speech.
"Don't you think something is missing?"
The Kirigakure prisoners below the stage looked at one another. Some frowned, some looked confused, and even more had no idea what he meant.
Missing what?
"What is it?"
A clear voice emerged from the crowd.
Mei Terumi tilted her head, and after thinking for a moment, she voiced the question that many people present had been unable to put into words.
"Ourselves, the ninja."
Shinichi looked at her and replied calmly.
He had skillfully changed his wording to the word "we," without any condescending stance from Konoha's side, quietly placing himself and the nearly thousand Kirigakure prisoners below the stage into the same camp, turning them into brothers of the same class.
Yet none of the Kirigakure ninja noticed anything unusual. Instead, all of them revealed thoughtful expressions.
Mei Terumi slightly parted her lips, feeling as though something had gently struck her heart.
"You see, we ninja have imposed many restrictions upon ourselves. Protect employers, protect officials and nobles, even protect civilians. These restrictions, one by one, are all aimed at ourselves. They all tell us under what circumstances we must never do certain things to others, yet not a single one has been established to protect ourselves."
At this point, Shinichi raised his eyes and looked directly at the nearly a thousand pairs of eyes below the stage.
"Is that normal?"
That's right, we ninjas had established many rules specifically meant to restrain ourselves, yet not a single clause had been created specifically to protect the ninja themselves.
Hearing this, the Kirigakure ninja remained silent, but the contemplative look on their faces deepened.
The Kirigakure Jonin took a deep breath and spoke again. "Shinichi-sama, I think I roughly understand what you mean. Perhaps we ninja really do need an agreement specifically meant to protect ourselves."
Without realizing it, he had naturally followed Shinichi's wording of, we ninja.
Then he added in a heavy tone, "However, I still say the same thing. This won't be easy. Even if such an agreement is reluctantly signed in the future, it would be difficult to enforce. If one village follows it while another does not, what should be done then?"
"As long as it is signed, even if it is only reluctantly signed, even if some villages secretly refuse to carry it out, that alone would already be a tremendous victory."
As soon as these words were spoken, confusion appeared on the faces of the Kirigakure prisoners below the stage.
If it was signed but not enforced, wouldn't that be no different from not signing it at all? Wouldn't it simply become a joke?
Seemingly noticing their confusion, Shinichi explained, "Because once it is signed, that agreement becomes a rule that we ninja must publicly follow. It clarifies what should and should not be done. It teaches what is right and what is wrong. Earlier, I mentioned those clauses that restrain the ninja themselves and protect others, especially the rule prohibiting attacks on civilians. Do you think all ninjas have followed it?"
"Of course not." The Kirigakure Jonin answered instinctively.
"But is that something that can be done openly and without restraint?" Shinichi pressed further.
"Tell me, can your Village Hidden in the Mist openly and publicly slaughter civilians or attack officials of another nation?"
The Kirigakure Jonin fell silent for a moment before finally answering in a low voice.
"No."
"So that is the key." Shinichi nodded. "Once something becomes a written rule, at the very least, it can no longer be violated openly and without restraint. There will certainly still be shady dealings carried out in secret, but as long as there is a basic level of restriction, such matters cannot be brought into the open, and there will be far fewer incidents of killing prisoners or abusing prisoners."
"That is why I say that as long as it is signed, that beginning itself is already a tremendous victory."
"Furthermore, please rest assured. Even if your Village Hidden in the Mist leadership refuses to abide by this convention after it is signed in the future, we will only hold those who violate the agreement accountable. We will never redirect that anger onto people like you."
Hearing this, the Kirigakure Jonin opened his mouth. He wanted to ask who would supervise it and who would enforce it, but in the end, he said nothing, merely nodded silently and sat back down.
Shinichi did not pursue the matter. Instead, he swept his gaze across the faces below the stage, faces that now looked completely different from before, and slowly asked, "Do any of you still have doubts, or anything you would like to ask?"
"I do! I do!"
A small hand rose from the crowd.
Mei Terumi stood up while looking at the young man on the stage. She blinked and carefully considered her words for quite some time before speaking.
"Shinichi-sama, may I ask what inspired you to come up with such an idea?"
Shinichi glanced at her, nodded, and answered without hesitation.
"The Sage of Six Paths."
Boom!
The moment those words fell, a world-shaking thunderclap exploded within the endless white space deep inside the Pure Land.
A massive black crack tore open from the center of space itself, while purple-black arcs of lightning danced wildly within the deep fissure.
The Sage of Six Paths: "..."
Naturally, no one knew of the upheaval occurring within this dimension that mortals could not perceive.
"The Sage of Six Paths?"
Hearing this, Mei Terumi tilted her little head, and the confusion in her eyes deepened.
"Isn't the Sage of Six Paths just a figure from myths and legends? Does he really exist?"
As soon as she said this, quite a few Kirigakure prisoners subconsciously nodded.