In the office, Shiraishi held a stack of papers in his hand. These papers encapsulated everything Kazuhime had observed and experienced in the Land of Fire and Konoha, meticulously detailed on each page.
While Shiraishi acknowledged that the report may have had its shortcomings from his perspective, he valued the fact that Kazuhime had covered crucial issues within the Land of Fire and Konoha, making the minor flaws inconsequential.
"I see you've been attentively observing the various aspects of the Land of Fire and Konoha, studying their beliefs and institutional structure and conducting a thorough analysis. To be honest, it's a bit beyond my expectations,"
Shiraishi remarked as he set down the report. Considering the writer was a nine-year-old child, the work was nothing short of excellent.
While continuous improvement was commendable, Shiraishi believed there was no need to rush the process. Growing up too quickly might not necessarily be a positive development.
"In other words, I've passed the test, right?"
Kazuhime asked, lifting her head. She had worked really hard to make this report. Over the past two years, she had travelled through the entire Land of Fire via the Land of Demons's channels. Konoha, in particular, had become a focal point of her observations.
In reality, the many problems had manifested without much searching. The Land of Fire and Konoha voluntarily revealed their issues.
Kazuhime attributed this to her upbringing in the Land of Demons, where she had abruptly transitioned to a nation with a radically different system, ideology, and culture. This stark contrast allowed her to swiftly identify these problems.
Regarding the ninja system, Kazuhime perceived that ninjas, from the Warring States Period to the present, had not undergone any fundamental changes.
In the historical Warring States Period, the way ninjas survived involved accepting employment from various daimyo across nations to assist in winning wars.
Later, Senju Hashirama, the head of the Senju Clan, revolutionized this approach, ushering in the era of one country and one village, and establishing the first ninja village in the ninja world - Konoha.
After then, other nations followed suit, officially entering an intense era marked by the five major powers vying for dominance.
After Senju Hashirama's death, this contradiction intensified with each passing day. Countries hesitated to act due to Senju Hashirama's power, but the looming threat would naturally dissipate after his death.
Beneath the facade of apparent peace, the fundamental problem persisted. The employment model for ninjas. It remained the same as the warring states period, with ninjas functioning as a group of mercenaries rather than genuine soldiers tied to a specific nation.
While Konoha was slightly better in the scenario, where ninjas occasionally provided free assistance to ordinary villagers, the practice changed beyond Konoha. Even neighboring villages had to pay for ninja services.
To eradicate bandit issues, residents of the Land of Fire were required to fund ninja assistance. Konoha ninjas did not offer their strength without charge.
On the surface, it seemed like a fair transaction, but Kazuhime perceived it as a distorted arrangement. Who covered the military expenses of Ninja Village? Nobles? Not at all.
Ninja Village's military expenses were funded by the countless low-level laborers in the Land of Fire. These laborers have to pay a heavy annual tax collected by the daimyo and major nobles. A portion of this tax was then allocated to the ninja village to fund its military development.
Fundamentally, it was the low-level laborers who were generating the real wealth, not the daimyo, nobles, or ninjas.
This was because ninja villages rarely engaged in production of goods. They retained the traditional practice of using people's funds to eliminate challenges..They were essentially no different from bounty hunters in the underground black market.
In Kazuhime's perspective, when civilians paid taxes, the country was obligated to protect them, not to amass additional funds, burdening the people unnecessarily.
Because the richer the citizens, the higher the taxes, leading to better national development. It is a virtuous circle.
However, in the Land of Fire and Konoha, Kazuhime didn't see these phenomena. Over 90% of the country's wealth was collected by the daimyo and nobles, distributing only a fraction to the ninja village to maintain their "contract."
Ninja Village, having received development funds, would not naturally engage in fighting against daimyo and nobles to uphold justice for the laborers at the bottom who generated real wealth.
Essentially, ninja villages also operated from the perspective of those with vested interests.
Taking hard-earned money from the bottom-level laborers without genuinely serving the country's lower personnel was a far cry from the role soldiers should play.
This was why Kazuhime thought that ninjas were not soldiers. Konoha's ninjas were essentially mercenaries, leading lives funded by the people's money to avert disasters. Ninja Village, bluntly stated, symbolizes a country's military might but, more accurately, serves as a sizable training ground for mercenaries.
Labeling them as soldiers was a significant affront to true soldiers.
If this malpractice were rectified from the very beginning, the ninja world might not have developed so distortedly. Unfortunately, the First Hokage, Hashirama, who established the era of one country and one village, failed to recognize this problem.
In other words, he simply lacked sufficient knowledge accumulation to support his vision for constructing a country with a benign system. So, Kazuhime believed that her old man was very powerful, emphasizing the importance of widespread education and eliminating illiteracy.
"Of course, for you now, being called excellent is sufficient," Shiraishi praised generously.
Growth was a gradual process, and applying acquired knowledge was essential for understanding patterns and foreseeing the road ahead. Kazuhime addressed other matters in addition to these, but, overall, these were secondary issues.
"So, how do you think this deadlock needs to be broken?"
"What way? Haven't you taken action on this matter already, old man?" Kazuhime responded disdainfully to Shiraishi's seemingly knowing inquiry.
It was merely an attempt to advance the times through war, completely destroying and eliminating inherent flaws.
The structure of today's ninja world has been deeply entrenched. The Daimyo and nobles have accumulated considerable wealth, while the lower-level laborers remain impoverished. However, the wealth amassed by daimyo and nobles over generations was looted from the lower classes. These wealthy elites maintain their status and authority as superior without fulfilling their due responsibilities.
Ninjas were no exception. Unknowingly, they became tools fo ther daimyo and nobles to oppress the lower classes.
As vested interests, they were adversaries from the start.
The disparity in systems suggests that one day, if the Land of Demons does not take action against the five major countries, these countries will extend their war minions to the Land of Demons.
Rather than allowing that, it was better to gather enough strength, launch preemptive strikes, and take complete control of the situation. This not only bought time but also disrupted the connections between the five major countries. Kirigakure serves as a prime example.
"Really? It seems you still remember what I told you about 'Akatsuki', and you didn't disappoint me," Shiraishi smiled slightly.
The Akatsuki he mentioned wasn't Nagato's current organization but a patriotic group formed by passionate youths from the Land of Rain in the past to save their country.
The had no gathered knowledge, military, and economic foundation, they were relying only on passion to save their country and people.
Shiraishi had predicted years ago that this organization would meet a dismal end.
The confusion and despair they experienced during their time were recorded in the ninja academy history books in the Land of Demons. It is a powerful negative teaching material.
Kazuhime's awareness of this history was evident in her response.
Akatsuki, led by the Ame ninja Yahiko, arose not alot from the ninja world war but from prolonged oppression at the bottom. When people could not survive, they try to resist.
This resistance also explained why bandits ran rampant in the territories of the five major countries. They originated from low-level people who have been pushed to the extreme with no choice but to turn toward banditry for survival.
Eliminating banditry won't rely on ninja violence. If there were systemic issues, violence only begets more rebels. In an era with countless people aren't' afraid of death, such conflicts persist.
"Next, rest at home for a while. Afterward, I'll arrange for you to study in Kirigakure. I've agreed with Yagura, so you'll be able to study peacefully over there," Shiraishi told Kazuhime.
Kazuhime nodded. Having observed the old-fashioned Konoha and the Land of Fire, she now aimed to study Kirigakure, closer to them. It was another opportunity.
Kirigakure served as the secret alliance ninja village with them. Her interactions aimed to strengthen the relationship between the two, it was beyond a mere study and research mission.
As Shiraishi prepared to continue speaking, an urgent report arrived through the machine on the desk. Glancing at its contents, his expression turned serious.
"I wanted to discuss other matters with you, but it seems there's no extra time now. Don't wander around. I'll be out for a few days to handle some issues."
The report detailed large-scale stone statue soldiers attacking various areas of the Land of Demons, including the western coastal area, central mountain region, and southern forest, spreading chaos.
Shiraishi naturally knew who the mastermind behind the manipulation of these stone statue soldiers was. lt was Moryo, the sealed ancient demon.
...
Land of Demons, Main Shrine.
In the shrine, only a few maid mikos awaited. the Miko had disappeared.
Shiraishi wasn't aware of this until he arrived at the shrine. And upon entering the side hall of the shrine, he noticed that the ancient stone gate in the center of the circular altar had been opened at some point.
The air in the side hall was refreshing, devoid of the past depression and dullness, but Shiraishi didn't find joy in it. This stone gate sealed the soul of the demon. With the gate now open, it meant the Moryo's had broken free from its shackles.
His palm touched the open stone door, revealing recent signs of Moryo's soul breaking free.
The floor and walls of the side hall showed serious signs of wear and tear with numerous cracks. There had clearly been a battle here, likely caused by the Miko and the demon's soul.
Since they were both absent, Shiraishi could only think of one place where they might be—the Land of Swamp.
Moryo's soul have always been sealed separately. The Miko guarded the soul, while the body was isolated, sealed in an active volcanic shrine in the Land of Swamp.
For the demon to achieve complete resurrection, it needed to obtain its physical body sealed in the Land of Swamp's volcano to recover its full strength.
If the Miko aimed to thwart Moryo, she must be headed over there, to reseal it again. Having deduced these details, Shiraishi quietly left the shrine.
Orders were conveyed. In anticipation of the stone army's eventual appearance, ninja troops were stationed in various city areas. While these stone army couldn't be eradicated, preventing them from entering towns and causing damage posed no problem.
The real challenge lies with Moryu. As long as its power continued spreading, these stone army won't cease their attacks. They will persist, producing more soldiers to assault towns where humans settled.
....
The sky above suddenly darkened.
One moment, the sky was clear; the next, it was covered by ominous clouds.
Mighty stone soldiers emerged on the mountain path, wielding massive stone blades with red eyes and walking with heavy steps. Every setp they took caused earthquakes.
At first glance, it resembled a galloping army of thousands.
In the distance, a kunai, carrying an exploding tag, was hurled towards a stone soldier.
Ding!
The kunai bounced off the stone soldier's iron-like body, with sparks appearing. The tag ignited, enveloping the nearby stone soldiers in flames.
When the flames dissipated, the surface layers of the stone soldiers couldn't be said to be unscathed, but they were only worn out with some unimpeded openings. One could imagine how strong the bodies of these stone statue soldiers are. Their strength rivaled steel.
These stone soldiers formed a legion, capable of inflicting heavy casualties even on a ninja legion in direct confrontation.
Fortunately, these stone statue soldiers were cumbersome and had no intelligence at all. They didn't have the ability to automatically search for enemies, and they could only rely on the controller to maintain their actions. The key to defeating them lay in locating and neutralizing the controller behind the scenes.
Ayane stood atop the mountain, idly toying with a kunai, gazing contemplatively at the approaching army of stone statues marching towards the ghost country town below.
These stone statue soldiers were impervious to swords, water, and fire. Even using explosive tags were challenging to pose a fatal threat to them. Engaging these stone statue soldiers head-on would undoubtedly result in heavy casualties for the ninjas.
"Ayane-sama, I brought the charms made by the nearby shrines,"
A ninja rushed forward, placing a wooden box on the ground.
Ninjas gathered around as the box was opened, revealing neatly cut charms similar explosivw tags made by the mikos from various shrines.
Unlike explosive tags, these charms could inflict significant damage on puppets like stone soldiers being indirectly influenced by Moryo.
Ayane picked up a charm, wrapping it around the kunai's handle, and without hesitation, she launched it at a stone soldier on the mountain path.
This time, the kunai didn't bounce away but directly penetrated the stone soldier's body. The charm around the kunai's handle ignited blue sparks, engulfing the entire stone soldier. Once the sparks faded, only a heap of crumbling stones remained on the ground.
This display surprised many of the ninjas. The charm, seemingly lacking powerful destructive power, managed to disintegrate the stone soldier's body from the inside, reducing it to useless scattered stones.
Under Ayane's observation, the blue sparks eradicated the purple-black chakra within the stone soldier's body. These chakra served as the formulas controlling the stone statue soldiers. Erasing these chakras turned the stone soldier into a pile of useless stones.
Impressed by the power of the charm, Ayane nodded and directed the ninjas beside her: "I'll leave this to you, and We'll handle the controller."
"Our team has it under control now,"
Assured the ninjas, exuding confidence. With these charms, the threat of the stone soldiers was significantly diminished.
At that moment, a blood-red sword light extended from a distant location, descending from the sky and crashing into the narrow mountain road with a resounding bang.
A large number of the stone soldiers had their bodies and stone blades torn apart, turning the battle into a one-sided massacre.
Afterwards, a vast ocean of fire roared through the mountain path. Most of the stone soldiers, walking forward, were affected, their bodies burning red from the scorching flames, and their surfaces cracking.
The scorched black marks on the ground and mountain roads emitted heat, enduring the terrifying temperature that distorted the air.
Eradicating hundreds of stone statue soldiers that troubled the ninjas was remarkably easy. The speed was so quick that none of them could react in time.
Ayane let out a sigh and offered a helpless smile, saying, "It seems that you're no longer needed here. Go to other places to deal with the stone soldiers, and be careful not to damage the town, otherwise, the reconstruction work will be very troublesome."
"Yes."
Since the stone soldiers here have been dealt with, there was no need for them to handle it personally. Afterwards, they disappeared one by one from their current location, dispersing to other places to confront the stone soldiers.
Ruri appeared on the scene at some point, observing the mountain road below, now transformed into a searing furnace. Her eyes transitioned into the form of three-tomoe Sharingan, exuding calm and indifference.
"You're too slow. An opponent of this level shouldn't take this much time,"
Ayane turned to look at her, replying, "No way, unlike you, I'm not very good at dealing with a large number of enemies."
This statement held true, her gentle fist was better suited for singular breakthroughs.
Even the large-scale destructive gentl fist—Air god strike—was a dangerous move to use against multiple enemies. Furthermore, it consumed a h7ge amount of chakra, it needed to be used with caution.
Ruri, on the other hand, excelled in this regard.. Although these stone statue soldiers possessed sturdy bodies comparable to giant elephants, they moved slowly and couldn't adapt to the surroundings. Marching through narrow mountain roads into towns made them ideal targets for Ruri, a ninja with ninjutsu suited for large-scale cleanup.
Even if their bodies were as hard as steel, they couldn't withstand the Susanoo's blade or block the high-temperature fire release fused with senjutsu chakra capable of dissolving steel.
"The country's borders have been sealed off. Now, we just need to eliminate Moryo controlling these stone soldiers behind the scenes."
"Right.. the Land of Swamp.. From recent information I received, Shiraishi-kun has already taken a step ahead, and we need to leave soon."
These stone statue soldiers weren't formidable opponents for a ninja of her caliber, at most, they were somewhat troublesome. The real challenge lay with the demon. Regardless of how many stone soldiers they vanquished, it wouldn't matter if they couldn't seal Moryo.
The Land of Swamp, situated between the Land of Demons and the Land of Honey. The body of the demon was sealed in a volcanic shrine in the Land of Swamp. To fully revive, the demon would inevitably journey towards there.
Despite the seemingly violent and aggressive attacks by these stone soldiers, they were merely smoke bombs created by the demon, designed to create diversions in various directions.
As Ayane and Ruri prepared to leave, a scarlet evil light suddenly illuminated the still-hot mountain path below.
A stone blade swiftly pierced the air, flying towards the back of Ayane's head.
Click!
The stone blade struck Ayane's head, instantly splitting and shattering into pieces like flower petals scattering.
Witnessing this scene with scarlet and malevolent eyes was momentarily shaken.
Not only did it fail to leave a wound on the back of Ayane's head, but what shattered was the hard stone blade that was projected.
Ayane turned around as if nothing had happened and looked down.
A half-disabled stone soldier stood there persistently, holding nothing in its hand. The stone blade projected towards Ayane was its final attack.
"..Moryo?"
Ayane glanced. The stone soldiers lacked intelligence, only possessing basic mobility with their action modules quite dull. This sneak attack differed significantly from the spontaneous behavior of stone soldiers.
"…interesting…"
Only one word emanated from the mouth of the half-disabled stone soldier, and the scarlet blood in its eyes suddenly transformed into blackness. The stone soldier stood there like a sculpture, motionless, exposed to the mountain path's high temperature.
"Is your head okay? It shouldn't affect the next battle," Ruri asked.
Ayane waved her hand and replied, "It's okay; it felt like I was bitten by a mosquito. There's no need to dodge attacks at this level. Let's go; we need to hurry to the Land of Swamp to meet Shiraishi-kun. I've been confined at home for the past two years and couldn't go anywhere. Now, I can finally engage in some action."
Ruri nodded, and then, using the body flicker, both Ayane and Ruri disappeared from their location.
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