Chapter 25: I Hate This Era, Is It Not the Fault of Your Era?

"..."
Mito Uzumaki felt a jolt in her heart.
How harsh the Nine-Tails' response within her was! Yet, how undeniably true it rang. Why would Konoha expect goodwill from a saint who cared nothing for the Sage of Six Paths?
"Lord Emiya."
After hearing the Nine-Tails' explanation, Mito realized her own arrogance and felt a pang of shame, wishing to offer an explanation.
"I am truly sorry... My question was far too abrupt."
She felt deeply apologetic for her bluntness. Because of the Nine-Tails' revelation, her guilt only deepened, and she regretted having asked that question on impulse. And now, look at the result...
The Nine-Tails had provided an answer that left her feeling inferior. It made Mito feel as though she and the people of this era could not hold their heads high in front of Emiya Shiyuan.
"Mito's perception must be wrong!"
Hashirama Senju quickly tried to stop his wife. Still clinging to the idealized image of his childhood hero, he spoke up defensively: "Using the Nine-Tails' chakra for the first time must have..."
"There is no mistake."
Emiya Shiyuan laughed magnanimously. As if unaware that Mito could discern his true thoughts through the Nine-Tails, he waved his hand dismissively: "The question you wanted to ask is quite familiar. I recall someone asking me that a long time ago..."
"..."
Mito felt a bit embarrassed. Indeed, the Nine-Tails had asked this very question, and she already knew the answer; she had been trying to find a way to smooth things over.
However, what Mito could never have imagined was that this question—and its answer—was one of the original reasons Emiya Shiyuan and the Nine-Tails had first connected. Because the Nine-Tails' chakra mode could perceive human malice and hostility, Emiya Shiyuan had detected this potential risk early on and acted to prevent future complications.
Yet, Emiya Shiyuan had not expected that this question, which should have been delayed by decades, would be posed to him at this very moment. Perhaps this was the byproduct of the friendship he had forged with the Nine-Tails.
"Your attitude was not abrupt."
"In fact, I feel your attitude was perhaps too gentle."
Emiya Shiyuan calmed Mito, his voice gradually turning cold. "I do not know how accurate your perception is, but perhaps you should have sensed that I do not merely hold goodwill toward you—I may even harbor some disgust..."
"!!!"
Everyone present was shocked.
"I do not despise you for desecrating my corpse and shattering the crystal coffin I left for the medical ninjas of future generations, nor do I despise you for disturbing the peace of my soul. In fact, I am somewhat glad to have returned to this world."
Emiya Shiyuan expressed his thoughts with absolute candor, his arms slightly outstretched as he looked at his own hands.
"It would be even better if I hadn't discovered while fighting that this forbidden technique used to bring me back from the underworld required the sacrifice of a living person's life..."
"Tobirama..." Hashirama looked toward his brother again.
"That was my oversight."
Tobirama Senju did not care about his own error and explained with indifference: "Ninjas of our era are vastly different from those of Lord Emiya's time. Our methods toward enemies are extremely harsh; we do not concern ourselves with how we utilize their lives..."
Was such a thing even worth making a fuss about? It was simply a difference in the philosophies of two eras.
"Perhaps."
"Perhaps I am just too sensitive."
Emiya Shiyuan seemed to accept Tobirama's explanation and continued calmly: "However, the fact that someone used a living person as a sacrifice to create a forbidden technique means that they do not respect life itself, treating human existence merely as a tool or a consumable..."
"..."
A hint of unease appeared on Tobirama's face. Wait—wasn't this accusation... a bit too heavy?
"I apologize."
"The truth is, I rather dislike this era."
"As a medical ninja, saving a single life is a difficult task. But for the ninjas of your time, killing is as natural as breathing. Killing is a standard practice that I cannot understand and cannot accept..."
Emiya Shiyuan looked at the ashamed Hashirama and Mito, then at the grim-faced Tobirama, and spoke the words he had most wanted to express today.
"If you feel that I harbor no goodwill toward you, or that I might even feel some disgust at your actions, please do not find it strange."
With that, Emiya Shiyuan bowed his head slightly to Mito as an apology, hoping she would forgive his bluntness. From now on, he believed no one would doubt him further. The only lingering risk was that when the truth was eventually revealed, more people than just Black Zetsu might find their moods quite soured.
"..."
Mito quickly stepped back, knowing this was not Emiya Shiyuan's fault.
"This is not Lord Emiya's fault."
Hashirama sighed, his face filled with shame: "It is the error of our era. We are the ones who should feel most ashamed..."
"Even so..." Tobirama frowned, though in the end, he did not argue, merely sighing: "This is still the best era in a thousand years."
"Hmph..."
"Just listen to him talk."
"He is always worrying about those patients and the weak," the Nine-Tails muttered, lounging in Mito's sealing space. Relying on the fact that Emiya Shiyuan could not hear him, he mocked him with indifference. "We should just keep doing what we do..."
"That fellow is naive..."
"Many people in this world deserve to die, yet Emiya Shiyuan always insists on holding onto that foolish belief of respecting life..."
"How truly naive and foolish..."
"Back in the ancient era, he saved many people who shouldn't have been saved. It was the Slug who had to secretly follow him and kill those ill-intentioned wretches!"
"But..." Mito frowned, unable to stop herself from defending Emiya Shiyuan within the sealing space. "Respecting life is not Lord Emiya's mistake..."
"Hmph..."
"He is too soft-hearted!" The Nine-Tails grinned, revealing a malicious smile. "Just now, I wanted him to become a jinchuriki, hoping he would learn how to kill..."
"You must know..."
"A good person like him..."
"Will surely be used by the wicked."
After saying this, the Nine-Tails immediately used Tobirama as an example: "Now that his soul cannot rest in the underworld, isn't that exactly because he was used by you people of Konoha?"
"..."
Mito felt even more ashamed.
"Tobirama."
"Undo the Reanimation Jutsu on Lord Emiya."
Hashirama's voice had calmed. "People of our era should no longer disturb the peace of Lord Emiya's soul. Having his soul manifest in our time is a desecration of his spirit..."
Generally speaking, the calmer Hashirama was, the more resolute his stance.
"Hashirama..." Mito looked at her husband with concern.
"Brother!" Tobirama tried to persuade his brother to stay calm, quickly seeking a justification: "The internal situation in the village is unstable, and other ninja villages are eyeing the Land of Fire, where Konoha is located, with hostility..."
Hashirama's resolve was exceptionally firm, his face turning stern: "If I cannot change the ninja world before I die, that is my failure!"
"And there is the threat of Madara..." Tobirama brought up the threat of Uchiha Madara once more.
"I will resolve the trouble with Madara before I die!" Hashirama's determination was absolute.
"..."
Emiya Shiyuan fell silent. Had he... perhaps pushed a bit too hard?
"Fine!"
Tobirama began to slowly clasp his hands to form seals, his gaze glancing sideways at Emiya Shiyuan as he spoke, seemingly in passing: "Even if my brother's life were to end one day, and Madara were to destroy Konoha, causing the ninja world to fall back into the Warring States period, I would still stake my own life..."
"There is no need for that."
Emiya Shiyuan hurriedly stopped Tobirama.
Fortunately... Tobirama had offered him a way out! Even if Tobirama hadn't, Emiya Shiyuan had intended to persuade them, but it was always smoother when someone provided a step down...
Perhaps it was the tacit understanding between those who enjoy manipulating situations. Emiya Shiyuan felt that he and Tobirama were occasionally quite in sync. He lowered his eyes slightly.
"First Hokage of Konoha, I have learned of your story from your brother. He was right about one thing: your life is tied to the peace of this era..."
"As it happens..."
"I also wish to stay a little longer..."
"To see if I still have the ability to change this era..."
Emiya Shiyuan reminded those present not to mind his potential hostility toward them: "I hope that while we are together, you will not mind that I may not be particularly fond of your ways..."