In truth, Ui had always harbored complex feelings regarding the circumstances, experiences, and ultimate fates of the people in this world.
Did he plan to change their destinies? To be honest, there was one minor problem: Ui had absolutely no idea how the "plot" was supposed to go.
With everything unfolding in such an unfamiliar way, how was he supposed to intervene?
For instance, take someone like Nohara Rin, whom he felt somewhat close to. Ui knew she was supposed to die in this war, but what could he actually do?
He could do nothing.
He knew the ending, but he didn't know the path that led there. It was a painful position to be in—in some ways, having half-baked knowledge was worse than knowing nothing at all. He had a vague impression of big events, like the Nine-Tails' attack, but as for the rest? If he didn't know, he didn't know.
Then there was a key figure like Uchiha Obito. Ui knew he would eventually become a major antagonist, but what was the move there? Looking at Obito's current personality, there wasn't a single hint of that darkness. Was he supposed to just kill the kid "without reason"? That was impossible and, frankly, meaningless.
Who has ever heard of a final boss nearly getting taken out by a hunter's bear trap?
Perhaps he should remind Rin or Minato to be extra careful on missions, lest they die from a single mistake. But that kind of advice was redundant; on the battlefield, every shinobi is already hyper-vigilant, striving for perfection just to survive.
In war, Rin might die. In war, many shinobi might die. In war, every shinobi might die.
Ui was a shinobi too. He was not an exception.
Death was the most common currency of war. If possible, Ui obviously wanted a girl like Rin to survive. Perhaps the events would shift as the timeline progressed, or perhaps they wouldn't. No one could say for sure.
As long as one remained within the shinobi system, one had to obey its rules. During wartime, every ninja has their own mission. Ui couldn't stay by Rin's side forever to protect her; even Minato Namikaze, her own teammate, couldn't manage that. How could Ui, who was stationed on a completely different front?
Whether he liked it or not, there was something at play called "Fate." In the face of that word, Ui's status as a "traveler" was often useless. He wasn't a prophet; he faced the future with as much uncertainty as any other person in this world.
He certainly couldn't end the war by himself. A ninja like Ui was just a small component of a vast conflict. Even legends like the Sannin, Minato, or even the Hokage were merely gears in a colossal war machine.
In terms of peak combat output, Ui was indeed a bit of a "bug" in the system. But his "bugginess" wasn't nearly enough to solo the entire world. Compared to certain individuals in the original story whose power levels broke all logic, Ui was just an "ordinary" ninja.
He wasn't naive enough to think that a few "cheat codes" made him invincible. On the contrary, he was incredibly cautious—and incredibly powerless.
This world wasn't that simple. Tailed Beasts could wipe out most ninjas, and a small handful of ninjas could wipe out Tailed Beasts. Ui decided he'd wait until he could go toe-to-toe with a Tailed Beast before he started worrying about anything else.
Furthermore, who could guarantee this world was exactly as the original story depicted? Perhaps there were things hidden even deeper.
Ui was an optimist, but those who project the most optimism often hide a deep-seated pessimist within. For example, right now, something was happening that he was powerless to stop.
On the fifth day of the Konoha army's stay in the Land of Wind—four days after the Sand's defeat—messengers from the Kazekage arrived.
Their purpose was clear: sue for peace.
Yes, the Sand had surrendered. They were seeking terms in earnest. Just as the Hokage had predicted, the war on this front was over.
Of course, to ensure the peace treaty wouldn't be just a scrap of paper, both sides immediately dispatched their first-tier negotiating teams. For these initial contacts, neither the Hokage nor the Kazekage would appear personally. Only once the basic terms were hammered out would the "meeting of the Kages" take place.
However, until the accord was signed, the Konoha forces would not withdraw. This was the right of the victor. Konoha's military presence served as a threat; the signing of this treaty for the Sand was essentially a "surrender under the walls."
None of this was Ui's concern. He had no place in such high-level diplomacy.
By this time, Tsunade had fulfilled her promise. She had stayed through the thick of the war and completed her duty. Even with the late arrival of the Hokage's personal forces, the fact remained that the line had held and the victory belonged to the Leaf.
And now, the last Senju active on the battlefield was leaving Konoha.
In fact, since the day the battle ended, Tsunade had been busy handing over her responsibilities. It was the prelude to her departure. Now that the Sand had sued for peace, it was time for her to go.
The Third Hokage had undoubtedly opposed her and tried to persuade her to stay. A Konoha at war desperately needed the Slug Princess. But Tsunade's mind was made up. Given her dual status as his student and the granddaughter of the First Hokage, even Hiruzen couldn't force her to remain against her will.
Tsunade was decisive. She set her departure for early that morning. Due to her own wishes and other factors, there was no grand farewell.
Except for Ui.
"Have you decided where you'll go after leaving the battlefield, Lady Tsunade?" Ui asked. "Except for the Land of Fire, you're surrounded by enemy nations. Given your status, it's best to be careful."
Tsunade was a powerhouse, but as the saying goes: "two fists are no match for four hands." Even the Sannin weren't invincible. Though they hadn't spent much time together, Ui genuinely liked her personality.
"You don't need to worry about me," Tsunade said with a smile. "My transformation technique is the best in the world. No one can recognize me if I don't want them to."
As she prepared to actually walk away from the Leaf, did she feel regret? Surely. In truth, as vast as the world was, she had nowhere to go.
To put it nicely, she was going to travel. To put it bluntly, she was homeless. After the deaths of her brother and her lover, she had no anchor, no home to return to.
For the current Tsunade, the Leaf was a place of memories she couldn't let go of, but it was no longer a place she could bear to stay.