"Talent, potential, will, attitude!"
Namikaze Minato said.
Sarutobi Asuma continued with a smile, "Patriarchs, you can submit your lists first. I will select from them and then schedule the training!"
The ninja clans had money, but it wasn't inexhaustible.
One spot cost 50 million.
It was impossible to fit everyone into the special training class.
For the larger ninja clans, selecting two or three people was already a significant number.
For the smaller ninja clans, one person per year was the limit; any more might be unsustainable.
Of course.
The remaining five spots, decided by the village, or rather, by Namikaze Minato, wouldn't necessarily all go to civilian ninjas.
As the saying goes.
It all depends on the person!
If there were no civilian ninjas worth training, Sarutobi Asuma and Namikaze Minato wouldn't hesitate to train talented individuals from the ninja clans instead.
Konoha was, after all, one entity!
With the matter concluded, everyone returned home with their own thoughts.
However.
Soon after, Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi arrived at Nara Shikaku's home for a discussion.
The Ino-Shika-Cho formation had always acted as one, and this matter affected them the most.
The potential leakage of their clan's secret Ninjutsu was a matter of life and death!
"Shikaku, Fourth Hokage, what exactly are Asuma and the others planning?"
As soon as they sat down, Akimichi Choza asked eagerly.
He had a feeling that Sarutobi Asuma was deliberately showcasing Ninjutsu from their same system this time, and that both the Fourth and Third Hokage had prior knowledge. Clearly, there was a purpose, and it was more than just the plan for the special training class.
However, Akimichi Choza couldn't figure out what that purpose was.
Yamanaka Inoichi also looked at Nara Shikaku, speculating, "Could it be that the Fourth and Asuma intend to push forward the policies of the Second Hokage from back then?"
Akimichi Choza's expression immediately turned serious. "Are they trying to completely decentralize the major ninja clans?"
The two giants who established Konoha over forty years ago, the Uchiha clan, were now gradually being marginalized, even though they controlled the police force.
And the other, the Senju clan, had already vanished.
There wasn't even a single person bearing the surname Senju anymore.
Had the Senju clan truly gone extinct?
No!
Tsunade was a member of the Senju clan, a direct descendant of Senju Hashirama.
And currently, among Konoha's major ninja clans and even its civilian ninjas, there were quite a few people with Senju blood.
The current situation in Konoha was not solely due to the heavy casualties from the First and Second Ninja World Wars.
Nor was it solely due to the heavy casualties during the Wood Release experiments.
The root cause was that the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had personally dissolved the Senju clan, allowing them to completely integrate into Konoha.
Nawaki and Tsunade not using the surname Senju was a direct result of Senju Tobirama's policy.
In today's Konoha, the emergence of geniuses from the civilian population and the various ninja clans also had a significant connection to the scattered Senju bloodline throughout Konoha.
For example, Namikaze Minato's bloodline, traced back, could also be linked to the Senju clan.
As well as the Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, and so on.
Many women from the Senju clan had married into these families back then.
And the Ino-Shika-Cho were no exception.
In the eyes of Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi, Senju Tobirama was undoubtedly great.
However, the fate of the Senju was not what they desired.
Looking at the fate of the last direct descendants of the Senju, they absolutely did not want their own descendants to be so withered one day.
If the Senju clan had not been dissolved back then.
Would Nawaki still have died?
Namikaze Minato likely wouldn't have had the chance to become Hokage.
The position of Fourth Hokage would certainly have gone to Tsunade!
Of course.
They didn't consider the position of Hokage, but they didn't want their clans to disappear.
"In the end, we are just mortals!"
Yamanaka Inoichi sighed.
It was difficult for them to achieve the great magnanimity of the First and Second Hokage!
However, Nara Shikaku shook his head and said, "Although Asuma's strength is great, this is no longer the era when the village was first established."
"Moreover, the disbandment of the Senju Clan back then may not necessarily be more beneficial than detrimental now."
"Furthermore, Konoha is surrounded by enemies. The war has just ended, so it's impossible to promote a policy of de-clanification."
"Even if the Sarutobi Clan were to disband directly, like the Senju Clan did back then."
Times have changed!
And Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Asuma did not possess the same prestige as Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama did back then.
Yamanaka Inoichi pondered after hearing this, "If they don't intend to disband the ninja clans, then are the Fourth Hokage and Asuma's goals merely to increase the training of civilian ninjas?"
"No, it should be the policy of the Second Hokage regarding the Ninja Academy!"
Akimichi Choza also realized, "The popularization of Ninjutsu?"
During the tenure of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the system of the Ninja Academy was quite different from what it is now.
At least it wasn't as simple as just teaching the Three Basic Ninjutsu.
At the same time, the control over Ninjutsu was not as strict as it is now.
Currently, there are three ways for civilian ninjas to learn Ninjutsu.
Apprenticeship.
For example, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were apprentices of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Second, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, they are taught by their squad leaders.
However, squad leaders do not necessarily teach Ninjutsu to genin.
But with the current traditions of Konoha, they basically all do.
But what good Ninjutsu can genin learn?
By the time they become Chunin, they generally no longer have squad leaders.
Third, through promotion and meritorious service, they can select from the Ninjutsu collected by the village.
For example, becoming a Chunin or a Jonin allows one to choose a new Ninjutsu to learn.
There are also those like Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Namikaze Minato back then, who, after rendering meritorious service, could choose the Ninjutsu they desired from the Scroll of Seals.
Of course, one could also learn from Orochimaru and secretly look through those sealed Ninjutsu and Ninjutsu data.
And in reality.
Currently, in Konoha, it can be said that civilian ninjas do not lack Ninjutsu.
Because for most genin and Chunin, there's no need to master so many Ninjutsu.
And for those with high talent, there are special considerations.
The key is.
Compared to ninjas from ninja clans, most civilian ninjas have no one to teach them after graduation.
Therefore, unless civilian ninjas show extraordinary talent from a young age, the vast majority become cannon fodder on the battlefield.
Only in times of peace do civilian ninjas have enough time and opportunities to grow.
The Chunin Special Training Class and Jonin Special Training Class, and the increased efforts to train civilian ninjas are already very obvious.
But...
Yamanaka Inoichi's expression changed, "Could it be that the Fourth Hokage and Asuma intend to spread the secret Ninjutsu of the major ninja clans as well?"
Nara Shikaku said in a deep voice, "Even if we don't pass them down, Asuma's Shadow Secret Technique and the 'Size Manipulation' technique will likely be passed on."
"Can we stop it?"
Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza exchanged glances, both speechless.
Who could stop it?
Could they even defeat Sarutobi Asuma in a fight?
It's likely that even if all the clan members from the three clans united, they wouldn't be enough to fight him.
Nara Shikaku added, "Moreover, we also need to learn from Asuma now."
They could certainly cause a stir.
But would it be useful?
The disadvantages would outweigh the advantages!
Nara Shikaku saw it very clearly and said in a deep voice, "Asuma probably wouldn't refuse us learning Ninjutsu from him."
"And for him to pass on his ninjutsu to others, while it will affect ninja clans, it won't shake our foundation."
"Ninja clans have orderly traditions and greater resources."
"What's more, our clan's secret techniques, passed down through generations, truly aren't inherited through bloodlines like Kekkei Genkai."
"But they are still affected. The Shadow Secret Technique, aside from geniuses like Asuma, no one in the Nara clan is more suited to practice it!"
Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza nodded in unison.
This was a fact.
Although secret ninjutsu couldn't be passed down through bloodlines, through generations of transmission and practice, genetic traits would eventually be influenced.
Constitution would indeed become more suitable.
Akimichi Choza said, "Shikaku, so, we'll tacitly agree to this matter?"
Nara Shikaku shook his head. "No!"
"We should support it!"
"If the Fourth Hokage or Asuma invites our clan members to be teachers, we should support it, and we can even teach them our secret techniques."
"We can even recruit geniuses from the common folk and take them as disciples."
"This way, we can also gain the support of the Fourth Hokage and Asuma."
"Especially Asuma!"
Since they were all allies, Nara Shikaku spoke very directly.
It was a clear exchange of benefits!
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