Konoha Village has always been known for its proud Will of Fire.
Generations of Hokage had repeated the words of Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Where the leaves dance, the fire will never go out." This flame symbolized inheritance, sacrifice, and the belief that the next generation would carry on the dreams of the last.
Similarly, the Hidden Rock Village had its own philosophy—the Will of Earth, which spoke of unyielding perseverance and immovable resolve. Even small villages like Kusagakure possessed their own guiding ideals, such as the Will of Grass.
Every village, every leader, every generation carried a belief system. These ideals were born from the times, tempered by blood and fire, and left behind as legacies.
And now—Uchiha Makoto was faced with the same challenge.
As the leader of Akatsuki Village, as its "Light and Shadow," he too needed to establish a unique guiding will. Something that would outlast him, bind the clans together, and give his village a spirit worth dying for.
Yes… his Akatsuki Village needed a Will of Light!
---
The First Doubt
Kazuma, standing at Makoto's side, frowned slightly. He considered his master's words carefully before speaking.
"Master Makoto… are you referring to the Ninja Tool Theory?"
The Will of Light was still just a vague concept. Kazuma had no way of knowing what his lord envisioned, so he tried to connect it with the current mainstream philosophy that had shaped the shinobi world for generations.
Makoto, however, did not immediately reply. He closed his eyes, his expression unreadable.
---
The Shadow of the Ninja Tool Theory
The so-called Ninja Tool Theory had been around since the Warring States period. It was a cruel way of thinking, reducing shinobi to nothing more than disposable weapons.
Children raised under this ideology were taught one thing from the very start: "A ninja is a tool. A tool exists only to fulfill its mission."
Such an idea was terrifyingly effective. Trained in this way, countless shinobi threw away their lives without hesitation, rushing into battlefields like moths to flames. They were reliable, tireless, obedient—qualities employers craved.
And in a world that revolved around endless war, reliability meant survival.
For a clan, high completion rates meant a steady stream of missions, prestige, and income. If a clan failed too many assignments, their employers would simply switch to another family. Without missions, there was no money. Without money, there was no food. Without food, there was no survival.
It was a brutal, merciless reality.
Even now, despite the founding of the great shinobi villages, the Ninja Tool Theory remained the dominant philosophy of the time. It was only many decades later—under the leadership of Sarutobi Hiruzen—that the ideology began to shift.
During Hiruzen's reign, the world enjoyed a rare era of stability. The so-called "Twelve Guardian Ninja" grew up in a relatively peaceful environment. With material needs met, shinobi began to seek something greater than survival. Bonds, companionship, and love began to rival the importance of missions.
But here and now, such thoughts were considered heretical.
Thus, even though Makoto despised the cruelty of the Ninja Tool Theory, he could not simply defy the tide of the times.
To overturn it now would not only invite rebellion but also risk destroying the fragile foundation his village stood on.
---
The Spark of an Idea
Yet Makoto was no ordinary man.
He would not simply inherit the will of others. If there was to be a Will of Light, it would not be a simple repackaging of the Ninja Tool Theory.
He would take its essence, strip away its poison, and add something new—something uniquely his.
Kazuma, watching him fall silent in deep thought, felt a chill run down his spine. His master's silence was never ordinary. It meant that great ideas were forming.
Finally, he asked cautiously, "Then… what do you mean, my lord?"
Makoto's eyes opened. His gaze was sharp, filled with determination.
"Loyalty," he said firmly. "What I need is loyalty!"
---
Loyalty—The Foundation of Order
Kazuma froze. "Loyalty…?"
Makoto stood up, his cloak rustling lightly as he began to pace. His voice carried weight, like the tolling of a great bell.
"Think carefully, Kazuma. Right now, there are many clans in Akatsuki Village. If my orders ever conflict with those of their clan leaders, who do you think they will obey?"
Kazuma lowered his head. The answer was obvious.
"They would obey their clan first…"
Makoto nodded. "Exactly. And that cannot continue."
---
Lessons from the Samurai
Makoto continued, his tone steady, almost like a teacher.
"For centuries, the wars of this land were fought not by shinobi but by samurai. And what is the greatest difference between the two?"
Kazuma hesitated, then answered, "Their loyalty."
Makoto smiled faintly. "Correct. Samurai always had a master. A lord to whom they swore unwavering allegiance. Even when facing death, they remained loyal. That was their code."
"But shinobi?" Makoto's smile vanished. "Shinobi are bound only to missions and money. They serve no master, only their clan. They are tools, not retainers. That is why shinobi have always been unstable, unpredictable, and prone to betrayal."
He stopped pacing and turned sharply toward Kazuma. His eyes blazed with intensity.
"That must change."
---
The Will of Light
"The Warring States period is over. The era of ninja villages has begun. Clans can no longer exist as fragmented mercenary groups. They must become part of something greater. Just as samurai once swore fealty to their lords, shinobi must now swear loyalty to their village."
Kazuma's breath caught.
Makoto's words weren't just theory. They were doctrine.
"The village," Makoto declared, "is their true home. Their fortress, their blood, their inheritance. If they can swear loyalty to the village, they will protect their clans all the same. There is no contradiction. Only unity."
Kazuma bowed deeply. "I understand, Master Makoto."
But Makoto was not finished.
His lips curved into a faint smile as a memory crossed his mind. He recalled a man—famed in his previous life—who rode a white horse with dramatic background music wherever he went. A man whose image symbolized radiant leadership, even if his story was flawed.
No, not Tang Monk, Makoto thought with amusement. That would be ridiculous.
But the imagery—the leader riding forth as the incarnation of light—fit perfectly.
He was the sun.
He was the Light and Shadow.
And he would create the Will of Light!
---
The Looming War
Makoto's smile faded as he considered reality.
The First Shinobi World War was already beginning to stir. Its intensity would surpass anything the world had ever seen. The founding clans and the first two generations of Kage were merely laying the groundwork now. But soon—soon the entire world would burn.
The early battles would be catastrophic, a merciless meat grinder where small clans would be annihilated wholesale.
Makoto clenched his fist.
"I don't want casualty reports. I don't want excuses. I want a village that follows my command without hesitation. When I give an order, they will obey—not flee, not abandon us, but obey."
That was the essence of the Will of Light. Unyielding loyalty.
---
Shadows of Economy
But loyalty alone could not sustain a village.
Makoto knew well that war was not only fought with blades and chakra, but with coin. A ninja village devoured wealth like a wildfire devoured forests.
Even though Akatsuki Village was wealthy now, relying solely on stored treasure was unsustainable. Wealth, no matter how great, was finite.
The infamous "tulip scam" had lined their coffers once before, but such schemes could not be repeated year after year. Even leeks needed time to regrow.
Makoto raised his chin proudly. I am the Light and Shadow of Akatsuki. I cannot forever rely on trickery and deceit. I must create wealth openly, righteously, and overwhelmingly.
---
The Warlord's Path
"Most villages rely only on mission commissions to survive," Makoto said, his tone almost dismissive. "But that is pitiful. A drop in the ocean. When war erupts, every ninja will be on the battlefield. Who will be left to complete missions then? And even those missions cost more to send than they earn."
He shook his head. "No. A true leader cannot rely on scraps. A warlord must wield power in both the sword and the market."
Kazuma's pen scribbled furiously as he tried to capture every word.
"What I want," Makoto declared, "is monopoly. To establish trust after trust, to control industries across the Land of Fire and beyond. To siphon profits at every level. To build a cycle where our companies plunder wealth from the front lines of commerce, and that wealth in turn fuels our armies. A perfect dual circulation of economy and military."
His voice grew colder, sharper.
"This… is the foundation of my Will of Light."
---
Kazuma's Awe
By the time Makoto finished, Kazuma's hands were trembling.
He had written down every detail, but he knew he had only captured a fragment of his master's vision.
"Master Makoto…" His voice cracked slightly. "Your wisdom is unparalleled. Truly, I cannot fathom how you conceive such things."
Makoto only smiled faintly, his gaze turning distant.
Last night, he had felt inspiration burning within him, ideas flowing like a river. Yet now, as he tried to put them into words, he felt as though he had already lost pieces of that brilliance.
What a pity…
But even fragments of his vision were enough to shake the shinobi world.
He was Uchiha Makoto.
He was Light and Shadow.
He was the incarnation of the sun.
And soon, the world would know the meaning of his Will of Light.
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