The Almighty Question
How can I stop all of the Pain?
“Just by living, people hurt others without even realizing it. So long as humanity exists, hate will also exist. There is no peace in this cursed world. War is just a crime paid for by the pain of the defeated...”- Pain
Sometimes a nation's wealth runs parallel with another's massacre. The people enjoying their freedoms are completely removed from the harsh realities they’re funding. Outside their borders, families are ripped to bits. While within these imaginary lines, some are feasting.
The prosperity of The Village Hidden In The Leaf sadly comes at a hefty cost. While others are looking forward to starting the ninja academy, I'm just happy to see tomorrow.
Despite having an amazing culture, an astounding message of resilience via the Will of Fire, and a sincere calling to keep the peace, we can’t change history. No matter how beautiful the delivery, these truths do not negate the slaughter needed to achieve this dream.
It’s impossible to ignore that the birth of this shinobi paradise was paved with the sins of their forefathers.
Violent Repercussions
While praising the heroes of the shinobi world, it’s easy to forget the darkness required to carry out such objectives. Stupidity may praise the kunai that may have had to cut through a loving household fighting for their right to just exist. Woefully, this madness spread wasn't just limited to adults.
I was that child in the corner, terrified as my parents painted the floor red. With home being a fond memory, that kid hadn't the faintest idea of how to provide for himself. The Will of Fire became my promise of agony, while I live my life as the consequence of war.
Everything I’ve known has been reduced to ashes. With my parents dancing in the afterlife, rage and aggression flooded my veins. This home is now their grave. Leaving the tragedy behind, the only thing to look forward to is hunger and the lack of shelter.
All around me is the grieving of thousands. For so long, my village has been a playground for malevolence. While others spent time building precious moments in the present, I am left with the ghost of the past.
A Path of Peace?
Once upon a time, I had light in my eyes. A small boy whose goal now and has always been to bring a stop to all the conflict. I was gullible enough to believe that tranquility would break the cycle of hatred I've become so accustomed to. I can't believe I was stupid enough to take a bite out of the apple of deceit.
I never thought that so much blood would be on my hands.
I never knew that I was the God in the Almighty's plan.
Who would've believed that I would be the one to usher the world into peace?
I couldn't have imagined that society would first have to shower in barbarity.
The second I felt my best friend's blood run down my hand, everything changed. My will to push for peace strengthened, and the drive to bring about change, emboldened.
When I saw my inspiration’s spirit leave his body, life simultaneously lost and gained a new meaning. The road I was walking was lost in an endless haze of crimson.
Trying to appease a war-monger may have been my first misstep, but my innocence blinded me to the terror right in front. Diplomacy is useless to those who continually prey on the unfortunate.
This sacrifice will stay with me till the end of time, while his last words became my ethos. And now with this eternal sadness, I carry his memory in mind, body, and spirit. My new mission is detailed in my brother’s blood.
My fuel source switches from a place of love to one forged in resentment. I can't help but think of every last fallen soldier I've had the displeasure of witnessing. Every bit of scenery is plagued with despair. This isn't a mission of revenge but to bring a new.
My former objective has blinded me to the certainties that conflict always brings. My hatred is not a source of power, but a reminder that I can never deviate from this path of pain.
Contort my Rationality
Why are those blessed just based on the nation their born in? I question why children born in The Rain suffer so much more than in The Leaf. Some dont even appreciate the gift of being allowed to flourish in an environment that promotes bonds and social development.
While I had to scavenge in the storm because of their actions, even their orphans somehow find sanctuary. My family was carved right before my very eyes by those carrying the emblem that their village so proudly bolsters.
![Nagato's Parents REAL FOOTAGE [DEATH] - YouTube](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FA4u!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3c4213c-b1c5-41e9-89af-4c424d11ec8b_1280x720.jpeg "Nagato's Parents REAL FOOTAGE [DEATH] - YouTube")
With The Leaf embracing honor, camaraderie, and relationships, one could question why they’re so privileged in the first place. How can their role models judge my actions that are a direct result of their cause?
How can a person, let alone a teenager, give me a lecture on life? Absent-minded to the knowledge that his village has caused ten times the amount of bloodshed as my little visit could’ve ever hoped to imagine.
What have I become?
The path that I walk on may end the despair, but the rules of the old world must die. Justice and vengeance can be easy to confuse, and my quest is much deeper than retribution. Bringing about equality by making all share the same agony may sound extreme, but how can those truly understand that their actions have consequences?
After unleashing a wave of toxicity through my dead friend's fingertips, there’s no room for regrets. With all the death I've caused, I can see the smiles of those Hidden in the Rain.
With my power on full display, it didn't take long for others to see my potential. Many, on their own volition, saw more than just a hero. With power to control the heavens, my abilities have no bounds.
Praised by some and feared by many, how does one know that he walks the path of righteousness? Why am I shunned for my beliefs by the same state that is responsible for making my life a catastrophe?
I've brought hope to those the world has forgotten; the people I represent were nothing but an afterthought. Our culture was destroyed due to the barbaric nature of other nations, and left me to pick up the pieces.
A Savior?
I stare in the mirror and realize the man who used to be is gone. Once upon a time, you thought life to be precious. Good and evil dont really have a definition here. Everyone is the hero in their own story.
I didn't ask for any of this to take place. I was blessed or cursed with the strength that makes others see me as a deity. Even though this world is engulfed in the whirlpool of hostility, I still have hope for a better day.
‘‘But even if they're led down an ostensibly evil path, can one really say they become entirely evil? Perhaps not.”-Kishimoto
I’m watching Naruto right now, and reading this about Pain… wow, it hits differently. Never thought his story could feel so intense