"Although people in the village call me a genius, I don't really think so. I've always felt that only those who can take a flash of inspiration as fact, identify that as the correct direction and propose solutions—only those guys can be called 'geniuses.'"
"I'm actually just someone who simply envisions all situations, evaluates them equally one by one, and finds the only solution—a mediocre talent with a bit of ability."
Hii Kōri deftly peeled back the skin on Kurein's arm, traced cuts along the muscle fibers, then meticulously poured in strong acid solvent.
Amidst the Rain jōnin's short, heavy screams, he reached out again and forcibly pushed his fingers through the other's navel and into the abdominal cavity.
"If I could confine myself to a specific field, that would be fine. But mediocre talents like me also like to let their imaginations run wild—that's truly pathetic."
"The more I want to verify something, the more I have to think. The more I think, the more new problems arise. In the end, I realize there are many problems I can't solve, and those worries were just a waste of time."
"Although many people believe in and admire the idea that 'if you think positively, humans can create and enjoy beautiful things no matter their circumstances,' I'm not that positive."
While manipulating Kurein's internal organs, feeling that warm, slippery texture so different from corpses, and complaining, Hii Kōri showed an expression that those familiar with him could never imagine appearing on his face.
He should be forever proud, forever confident, forever flaunt his talents—that's what everyone who knew him thought.
"My foster parents—who aren't exactly serious people—my foster brother and sister-in-law, my cute little nephew, my lovers, and 'Vegeta' and Master Bunpuku... eh... the existence of these people is already enough to fill the void in my life. Even now, I feel there are too many people, so many that I'm at a loss and scrambling, so many that I don't have extra thoughts to consider those unimportant things."
"So I'm different from you. Villages, nations—those things don't matter either way. Although the old woman selling dates on the street corner and the uncle at the dried fruit shop are also pretty good people, they're not so good that I'd be willing to give everything to protect the village for them. I'm just trying to meet their expectations."
Life is a huge lie, tricking people into signing unequal contracts early.
Birth, living environment—there's no right to choose any of it. In the end, you can only take it for granted and ignorantly rush toward the path before you, searching for an ending, good or bad.
Someone once said that since the Babylonian era when people created wisdom, humans have become increasingly dull. But thinking carefully, this might also be an act of helplessness.
The end of wars brought apparent peace, but the dissipation of battle smoke also took away the remaining warmth of the fierce flames ignited by revolutionary tides. What remained for people was only an increasingly solid, stagnant, and chaotic era.
For people born in that other world, general tranquility was naturally something to be thankful for, even prayed for. But the apathy and stagnation in the steel jungle also allowed people to perceive their own insignificance from a perspective different from the battlefield's bloodbath.
The powerlessness derives from this confusion—how could it not overwhelm people with the force of toppling mountains and overturning seas?
If one didn't become dull-witted, it was easy to lose the courage and energy to live.
In the world where Hii Kōri once lived, this ridiculous paradox had instead become a commonplace sorrow.
Perhaps that was another reason, besides Tengen-sama's barrier, why cursed spirits are constantly born in that twisted and stagnant country.
Precisely because he had once been in that world he couldn't change, only using "anything you want experiments" to cover up the tedium of seeing through the torrent of the times, Hii Kōri hated that atmosphere even more.
But dull and ordinary life was still life. Even if it was rotting, as long as you weren't aware of it, you could still live a rotting life that might encounter some fun.
Even if you had already realized you'd been molded into a twisted and rotting form by this goddamn society, if you hadn't been exposed to distinct enough things, you could barely comfort yourself and continue living in decay.
But if, I mean if, that gloomy, heavy rain cloud really did one day dispel to reveal the sun?
"There are many things and principles in this world that each have their own logic. Figuring all that out can be exhausting, and finding a balance between various concepts is even more annoyingly troublesome. I've never intended to get involved. As long as I can find a concept that convinces myself, that's enough."
Cutting open Kurein's ribs, using the sharp bones to scratch his abdominal cavity again and again, then repairing his body with Medical Ninjutsu and Yang Release, Hii Kōri exhaled words carrying a deep cold in this damp country.
The rancid smell now floating in this world was different from the stagnant, old atmosphere of his previous life. In fact, for him, such a messed-up world was even more
like a fish in water.
But that was only when he was alone.
Just as the Third Kazekage judged, life in Sunagakure had indeed created many bonds for Hii Kōri. Although different from the former's expected love for the "village," this still made Hii Kōri much softer.
Desires that made people's eyes gleam were merely shallow wants. True longing was a throbbing that spread from the bones to every limb.
If this itch hadn't been satisfied, Hii Kōri could still endure it. But having truly been enveloped and nourished by that warmth, he could never let go no matter what.
As Bunpuku concluded back then, Hii Kōri was simply a person deeply burdened by desires.
"Actually, I think if we left the village and stopped being ninja, with our strength and minds, we could live quite well. Open a small shop in the Capital of the Country of Fire, sell some weird little trinkets, spend our remaining years leisurely—that wouldn't be bad either. But no can do, because the people I care about are all ninja. So for them, I have to work a little harder too."
Abruptly crushing Kurein's gallbladder, slowly spreading the bitter yellow-green juice into the throat of the man whose eyes had already rolled back from unimaginable pain, Hii Kōri applied Yang Release Medical Ninjutsu to him again.
"Come on, buddy. We still have plenty of time. After all, I don't need to sleep~"