Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 162 Zhenyi asked the Buddha, "Who is the World Honored One?"

October 24, Konoha 47.

early morning.

The sky was not yet fully bright, and the gray clouds hung low, causing people's breath to condense into white mist that lingered in the air for a long time.

Several teams of a hundred men were gathering in front of the gates of Konoha.

Shinichi stood at the very front of one of the teams.

According to Konoha's custom, newly promoted Jonin are not qualified to lead a battalion of 100 people. Such a position usually belongs only to senior Jonin who have extensive experience in command and on-the-spot response.

Shinichi standing here shows that the Konoha leadership clearly regarded him as a senior Jonin from the very beginning.

No one questioned it.

The older and more experienced ninjas in the team looked at him with only calmness and trust. Many of them had just been rotated from the southwestern front and had witnessed the young man's performance on the battlefield.

"Captain Shinichi." A capable Jonin who looked to be around thirty years old with an old scar on his face stepped forward and reported, "The Fourth Battalion, one hundred men were expected and one hundred men are present. Equipment checks are complete, and everyone is in good condition and ready to depart at any time."

Shinichi looked at him and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Ueno-senpai. Back to the team and await departure orders."

"Yes!" The Jonin named Ueno turned around nimbly and returned to his place in the line.

At that moment, a figure walked from the front. It was none other than the commander of the 500-strong reinforcement force, Konoha's renowned genjutsu master and elite Jonin, Kurenai Yuhi.

"Shinichi, how is the Fourth Battalion's preparation?"

"Senior, everything is ready," Shinichi replied.

Kurenai Yuhi glanced at him, said nothing, and simply nodded slightly. Then, looking at everyone, she took a deep breath and shouted, "All squadrons, move out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the five hundred people instantly turned into afterimages and disappeared from the spot.

A cold wind howled past, stirring up the remaining snow on the ground.

In front of the Konoha gates, only an empty snowfield remained, along with a black dot gradually disappearing in the distance.

"Following the village's instructions and marching route plan."

As they sped along, Shinichi's steady voice clearly reached his ears as he raced alongside her.

As the commander-in-chief, he needed to ensure that the young battalion commander and deputy commander-in-chief understood the entire plan.

"After a day of full-speed travel, we will arrive at the Fire Temple around noon tomorrow. There, we will rendezvous with the ninja monks led by the Fire Temple's abbot, Master Tenmei. Afterward, the two armies will join forces and head to the northeastern border to support Lord Orochimaru's main force on the front lines."

"Understood, senior."

In the ninja world, especially in a full-scale war between major powers, it is never just the ninja village led by the "Kage" that participates in the war, but the entire war machine of the country is mobilized.

In the Land of Fire, Konohagakure serves as the nation's highest military force and the core of its ninja community, and the Hokage is nominally the highest military commander of the Land of Fire.

In a state of war, the Hokage has the authority to mobilize all local clans, ninja forces, and even special religious armed forces like the Fire Temple within the Land of Fire who are subordinate to the Daimyo, to fight in conjunction with the Hokage. (Note:)

Previously, when dealing with Sunagakure on the southwestern front, Konoha did not conscript these local forces on a large scale.

But this time, facing the Hidden Cloud Village, they were directly conscripted.

Moreover, the first to be conscripted was the Fire Temple, and it was supported by the head priest himself!

The Temple of Fire has a long history and a prominent position in the Land of Fire. It is not only a religious holy site with flourishing incense offerings, but also a militarized organization with a large number of ninja monks.

Its overall strength and influence within the Land of Fire are second only to Konoha Village, making it the second largest local military force in the country.

It is evident that the Konoha leadership values ​​Kumogakure far more than Sunagakure.

The Temple of Fire!

My new career term might just fall into this category.

Information about the Fire Temple flashed through Shinichi's mind. It was difficult to verify how many years this ancient temple had been passed down.

It's only known that the Fire Temple existed almost as early as the emergence of ninjas. Its existence is as ancient as that of the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans—ancient and prestigious families with histories spanning hundreds or even thousands of years, witnessing the changes in the ninja world—and perhaps even longer...

Even more ancient and mysterious.

If the profession of "monk" is indeed, as he previously speculated, an independent path separate from the ninja system, possessing a complete and extraordinary lineage.

So the Fire Temple is the most authoritative certification place in the current ninja world that is most likely to generate the profession entry for "monk".

No rush, take your time.

Shinichi snapped out of his thoughts and continued speeding forward, oblivious to the biting wind blowing in his face.

The next day, at noon.

The Temple of Fire.

The winter sun shines down, casting a faint golden hue over this ancient temple.

The bronze temple gate stands majestically, gleaming with dappled light in the sunlight. On either side of the gate, two enormous bronze statues stand facing each other.

Behind the temple gate was a wide square where three hundred ninja monks had already assembled.

They wore white monk robes underneath and purplish-black outer robes, with a striking "fire" character embroidered on the hem of each robe. Each of them held a long, black staff about the same height as them.

Mahavira Hall.

Inside the hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

Master Tenmei, the abbot of the Fire Temple, was a man of medium build, in his early forties.

At this moment, he was sitting opposite Yuhi Shinku, with several documents spread out in front of them, talking in hushed tones about the handover, checking details such as marching formations, material handover, and contact methods.

Shinichi stood aside, not participating in the conversation, his own light falling on the golden Buddha statue in the center of the hall.

The Buddha statue is tall and gilded all over, gleaming with a warm luster in the light and shadow.

The Buddha sits cross-legged, with his left hand resting horizontally on his foot and his right hand hanging down with his palm facing inward; this is the mudra of subduing demons.

His face was compassionate and solemn, his eyes lowered, as if looking down upon all living beings, or as if contemplating some timeless truth.

Shinichi watched quietly when a gentle voice rang out.

"Jonin Higashino seems to have some connection with my Buddha?"

Shinichi withdrew his gaze and turned to look. It turned out that, at some point, Abbot Tenmei and Abbot Yuhi Shinku had finished their conversation, and the Abbot of the Fire Temple was standing not far away, looking at him with a smile.

"Master Tianming".

Shinichi bowed slightly, then nodded and said, "Rather than saying I have some feelings, it's more accurate to say I'm curious."

"Oh? I wonder what Jin-nin Higashino is curious about? Perhaps this old monk can enlighten me." Abbot Tenming's smile remained unchanged.

Shinichi glanced at the enormous Buddha statue, then looked back at Master Tenmei and continued, "I have heard that the Sage of Six Paths, the originator of us ninjas and revered as the progenitor of ninjas, was, before founding the Ninja Clan and spreading the method of chakra cultivation, also seemed to have been a monk who traveled the world, felt the suffering of all living beings, and sought the way to save the world."

"There is indeed such an ancient legend circulating in the ninja world."

Master Tenming nodded: "Therefore, even today, some temples and believers in the ninja world still venerate the Sage of Six Paths as a bodhisattva, grateful for his contributions in spreading chakra and pacifying the chaotic world, and they enshrine his statues as a guardian deity of our religion."

“That’s right,” Shinichi replied. “Speaking of which, it seems that there are countless connections between us ninjas and monks from the very beginning. So, in my spare time, I have read some Buddhist scriptures. Although I don’t have a deep understanding of them, a question has arisen that I can’t help but wonder about.”

At this point, he looked at Abbot Tianming, whose smile remained unchanged, and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time: "Master Tianming, I would like to ask, who exactly is the Buddha? What is the origin of the World Honored One? In various scriptures and legends, I have seen many deeds, appearances, and teachings of the World Honored One. He is infinitely wise and compassionate, and he points out the path to liberation for all people."

"However, after reviewing numerous ancient texts, I discovered an interesting phenomenon: almost all the records describe what the Buddha did, what he said, what his teachings were, and what his symbolism was, but rarely mention, or deliberately avoid, the Buddha's real name, origin, background, or even who he was and what his experiences were before he attained enlightenment and became a Buddha."

Upon hearing this, Abbot Tianming fell silent. After a long while, he slowly said, "Jonin Higashino... indeed, you are sharp-minded and get straight to the heart of the matter."

Abbot Tianming paused for a moment, his gaze also falling on the enormous golden statue of Buddha, before continuing, "As for who Buddha is, what his name is, and where he came from, this old monk also does not know."

"This old monk only knows that the Buddha existed in a time far longer than the legendary Sage of Six Paths who founded the Ninja Sect. So long ago, what the world was like then, how people lived, and in what form power manifested, have all been lost in the torrent of time, leaving no trace."

"The name of Buddha may have been lost, and the origin of Buddha may have become an unverifiable mystery. However, though the name may be lost, the form may be illusory, and the body may decay, what Buddha left behind are the Dharma he revealed, the principles he manifested, and his compassionate actions to save the world. We, his disciples, have done and established everything in accordance with his teachings."

"Therefore, the Buddha also reappears and continues in the hearts of us disciples in every practice of following the Dharma, practicing compassion, and breaking through ignorance. What the Buddha's name is or what his origin is is not so important. What is important is the Dharma and principles that the Buddha has passed down."

"Master, I apologize for my rudeness," Zhenyi said with a slight bow.

No, not at all.

Abbot Tianming shook his head at him, then smiled slightly and said, "Jonin Higashino, you have asked a very good question, and also a very difficult one. It is a fundamental question that we Buddhist disciples need to face, explore, and pass down from generation to generation. Perhaps our pursuit of the true traces of the Buddha is itself a form of spiritual practice."

At this point, Abbot Tianming looked at the golden Buddha statue in the main hall, then withdrew his gaze after a moment, clasped his hands together, and nodded slightly to Yuhi Shinku and Shinichi: "It's getting late. The war in the Northeast is raging, and we can't afford to delay. Jonin Yuhi, Jonin Higashino, let's set off now."

After saying this, the three of them walked out of the hall.

However, just as he reached the door, Abbot Tianming couldn't help but turn back and look again at the golden Buddha statue in the center of the hall, remembering the question the boy had asked so directly.

Who exactly is Buddha?

What was the true origin of the World-Honored One?

Did Buddha really exist?

Could it be that Buddha is merely an enlightened being shaped and perfected by the imagination and faith of future generations amidst endless suffering and darkness?

Does the Dharma and principles passed down by Buddhism truly have a source? Did they originate from the personal testimony and pronouncements of a great sage in ancient times?

It still stems from humanity's instinctive yearning for beauty and order. Over the long years, countless wise men have pondered, debated, and practiced, and it has ultimately been attributed to a supreme and sacred title, which is actually the crystallization of the wisdom of all mankind.

If the Buddha has no name, no trace, and is an illusion, then what is it that we disciples have worshipped, sought, and relied upon for thousands of years?

These questions have no answers, and perhaps never will.

O World Honored One! Your disciple truly...

For a moment, Abbot Tianming felt a great sense of confusion and even a trace of fear.

Meanwhile, Shinichi watched this scene unfold without making a sound.

Feeling lost?

Feeling lost and unsure what to do?

Isn't it just about wanting a clear-cut Buddha?

Then, when the time comes, I will give you a Buddha and a World Honored One!

Shinichi's mind raced with thoughts, and a faint smile curved his lips.