Chapter 70: The Beginning of the Human Trial
Every powerful ninja eventually seeks to change the world. Once one stands high enough, it becomes impossible to ignore how flawed the ninja world truly is.
Those who possess strength far beyond the reach of ordinary people often awaken a kind of consciousness, a conviction that they alone are qualified, even obligated, to lead humanity toward a better future.
From ancient times to now, the pursuit of such ideals has always been paid for in blood. The samurai, shrine maidens, and onmyoji of old have long been replaced by ninjas, yet the desire for peace remains the same. Across all eras, humanity has clung to that longing.
Whether it was Hashirama Senju or the Kages of other lands, they were all powerful individuals who believed they could reshape the world and acted upon that belief. Yet from a human perspective, none of them ever sought the opinions of those who were absorbed or oppressed by the ninja system. As the village structure took hold, the old clan model was crushed and replaced.
The advanced always replace the old and never gently. Progress is rarely kind; it is an act of domination, not guidance. The strong gather, teach, and absorb. Those who fail to adapt are left only with death.
"So, for the sake of long term peace, we must look even further ahead, Kakashi kun."
"First, tell me… what exactly is the Human Trial?"
"What is it? Merely a test within regulations, applications of theory, compensation for ability, the realization of certain wishes."
In the courtyard pavilion, Aizen sat leisurely, drying the ink of his freshly written calligraphy. He smiled softly at Kakashi, who sat beside him.
"Kakashi, tell me, do you pity those abandoned by technological advancement? Those whose professions vanish, whose skills become meaningless, who fade away in pain and irrelevance?"
Kakashi frowned. "Yes. They failed to adapt to change, and their deaths were tragic. It's cruel."
"So, do you believe we should pity them and reject progress because of it?"
"…No. I don't."
"Exactly." Aizen's smile deepened.
He admired the bold strokes of his calligraphy, hands sliding into his haori as he gazed upon the words with quiet pride.
"Everyone can say beautiful things, like wanting a world where no one suffers, where no one gets hurt. But such perfection doesn't exist."
"No matter how far technology advances, there will always be those who can't adapt. They will resist, fail to understand, and eventually be eliminated. No amount of education or mercy can change that. It's a cruel and objective truth."
"Anyone can tell a comforting lie, a lie that pleases everyone, that makes them happy for a while. But a lie can never replace truth. The world is built upon layers of truth, harsh, unrelenting truth, and the illusions we wrap around it. Whether we admit it or not, that's reality."
He turned his gaze upward slightly, eyes gleaming with a detached light.
"That's why the world compels us to seek courage, to face its truths directly. The strong should never bend to lies, but confront suffering and reality head on."
"…."
But isn't this suffering your doing?
Kakashi's thoughts churned as he stared at the koi gliding beneath the pavilion. Was it truly necessary to cast the entire ninja world into the flames of chaos just to prove a theory or reach a conclusion?
The world was already broken, but to impose one man's vision upon it, to repaint it in his own color, something about that made Kakashi uneasy.
"You can't even say he's wrong… can you?"
Faced with Aizen's calm, knowing smile, Kakashi found himself trapped in a moral paradox.
At his age, he could recognize greatness when he saw it. Aizen was undeniably accomplishing something profound. But he never flinched from the consequences of his so called progress.
He had already manipulated wars across nations and now planned to unleash disasters to force unity through shared struggle. To him, it was as natural as driving a herd forward. But from Kakashi's perspective, Aizen's detached cruelty was unbearable.
All his life, Kakashi had been taught the ideals of compassion, the Will of Fire, the belief in self sacrifice to light the way for others.
Yet Aizen represented the opposite: the cold, inescapable face of reality.
And as Kakashi looked into Aizen's calm, unblinking eyes, he found it harder and harder to accept what Aizen truly meant by the "Human Trial."
The estimated death toll ranged between five and twenty five percent, and within a year, a large scale war could erupt. Yet this was only the first phase of Aizen's prediction.
Compared to what Aizen called the "Human Trial," the past wars of the ninja world almost seemed merciful. But even so, the goals and theories he presented were impossible for Kakashi to completely reject.
What true researcher could turn away from the pursuit of truth? What seeker of knowledge could resist the call of discovery and the chance to stand beside others who shared that same hunger?
Kakashi couldn't.
And though Aizen's first phase was designed to test humanity through conflict, it could also be overcome through unity. That thought comforted Kakashi somewhat. The more people came together, the stronger and wiser they would become.
He didn't say it aloud, but deep down, he realized something unsettling, he was starting to think like Aizen.
His morals were fading, buried under the weight of reason. Yet somewhere in his heart, a faint voice, his conscience, still whispered warnings about human ethics. It made him hesitate.
He knew, rationally, that supporting Aizen was wrong. But emotionally, the intricate brilliance of Aizen's plans, the sheer precision of his logic, filled him with curiosity. What kind of world would emerge from such a vision?
"Feeling uneasy, aren't you?" Aizen's tone was calm, almost kind. "Your old ethics are trying to keep you from accepting this, but allow me to show you something simple. The facts of this world. It might seem incomprehensible to adults, but for you, it will make perfect sense."
He drew a thick stack of data from within his robes and handed it to the young Hatake Kakashi. The boy's eyes scanned the pages, and as he read, his expression shifted, from focus to shock, then to quiet fear.
Aizen watched him with a faint, almost affectionate smile.
To him, there was nothing wrong with telling the truth to a child. Geniuses, after all, were not bound by age. Their minds were freer, unshackled by the ignorance that came with maturity.
"Do you see now?" Aizen said softly. "This world changes according to the will of the powerful. Not by swaying hearts or gathering followers, but by sheer strength. Power dictates the path of the world. It was true for Hashirama Senju… and it will be true again for someone like Madara Uchiha."
He gently patted Kakashi's snow white hair, earning a small frown of annoyance from the boy. Smiling, Aizen turned his gaze toward the koi pond, where ripples spread lazily across the water.
"They never asked what others wanted, nor what the world itself desired. They decided, alone, how the world should move, using the power of one person to bend all of reality to their will. Hashirama even forced the world to accept his so called peace through the sheer weight of his existence."
Aizen's reflection shimmered over the water as he continued, his voice as calm as ever.
"The ninja world praised them for it. Now, I use a gentler, more refined approach, and yet, I'm condemned. How ironic. I possess the same power to reshape this world, but I chose not to rule it. Instead, I walk beside it, guiding it forward. That shouldn't be a crime."
He paused, his tone lowering.
"Besides, there are deeper forces within this world, ancient powers hidden beneath the surface. That's why human trials are necessary. They allow us to progress in stages, uniting this fractured world into one capable of pursuing the truth together."
He looked back at Kakashi, his eyes gleaming with quiet conviction.
"You don't want to just stare at the beauty of the universe from afar, do you? You want to touch it, feel it for yourself."
"…Can you guarantee that everything written here is true?"
Kakashi's voice trembled slightly as he gripped the documents. The papers were filled with horrifying details, records of chakra's connection to the world itself, and Aizen's long pursuit of something he called the "original signal."
If the records were real, then Aizen's work might indeed be the first step in freeing the entire ninja world from an unseen bondage. But that meant betting the future of humanity on one man's gamble.
Could anyone truly justify that?
"This isn't about truth or lies," Aizen said gently, pushing his glasses up. "Whether you believe it or not, the result remains the same. The world will move forward. I'll simply lead the way. You can observe, if you wish."
His polite smile never wavered, though his words carried an undercurrent of inevitability.
"Lunar Eclipse," he said calmly. "Using the moon as a chakra amplifier to broadcast distorted thought signals, gradually altering human consciousness. The countermeasure is simple. I only need to follow the chakra flow along the moon's trajectory, locate the ground based seals I've established, and dismantle them. Straightforward, isn't it?"
Kakashi's palms trembled as he listened, veins visible beneath the tension of his skin.
"And in truth," Aizen continued, "this plan wasn't even mine. I merely borrowed it from the old architects of this world. Those so called elders who shaped the age of ninjas. Perhaps… they're still watching us, even now."
He chuckled quietly, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
"Sometimes, the veterans simply need to be reminded of what the new generation is capable of."
Like a stage magician, Aizen produced a small bowl filled with breadcrumbs and sprinkled them into the koi pond.
Dozens of fish swarmed, competing fiercely for every falling crumb. Among them, a massive koi with scales of crimson and black bullied the smaller ones, devouring most of the food for itself.
Aizen's eyes glimmered as he adjusted his glasses. His smile deepened.
"See, Kakashi kun?" he said softly. "Even nature understands it. The strong will always decide the course of the world."
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]