During the Warring States Era, ninja clans fought fiercely against each other.
Even if a daimyo from an enemy country hired them, they could attack their own country's daimyo without hesitation.
In that chaotic era, including the Senju clan, people's stances were notoriously unpredictable.
Due to money, fame, survival, and other issues, the average lifespan of humans in that era was less than thirty years.
Even children as young as four or five, as long as they were ninjas, had to pick up kunai and fight against enemies.
It is said that many of her grandfather's brothers died in battles before reaching the age of ten.
Tsunade couldn't imagine how brutal such scenes were, but since the emergence of ninja villages, the situation has improved significantly.
People's average lifespan far exceeds thirty years. The scenario of four or five-year-old children going to battle has become rare, merely isolated cases, unlike the widespread events of the Warring States Era.
"One of the issues lies in the task commissions."
Hakushi stared at Tsunade and said.
"Task commissions? What's the connection?"
"When money is offered, ninjas are dispatched. This applies not only to foreigners; even domestically, mere villagers seeking help from ninjas must provide appropriate payment."
"That's a legitimate payment."
Tsunade didn't find anything wrong with this.
"It's precisely because it's a legitimate payment that it's problematic. Let me put it this way, where does the development funding for ninja villages come from?"
"From the daimyo and the nobility."
Tsunade knows that ninjas are not engaged in production.
So, every year, the funding for ninja village development is allocated from the daimyo and the nobility.
"Then… where does the money in the hands of the daimyo and the nobility come from?"
An unprecedented idea suddenly appeared in Tsunade's mind.
Where do the daimyo and the nobility's money come from?
Tsunade is no fool; such questions only require a moment's thought to be answered.
The money and food from the civilians are handed over to the daimyo and the nobility.
The daimyo and the nobility then allocate the civilians' money and food, distributing part of it to ninja villages for military development.
However, when ninjas assist civilians in handling difficult tasks, the civilians still need to provide additional compensation.
Tsunade felt something was amiss, but couldn't immediately figure out what was wrong.
"Isn't it strange? Civilians have long since handed over a lot of money and food to support the lives of the daimyo and nobility and even sustain the development of ninja villages. Yet, when civilians seek help from ninjas, they must pay additional compensation. Tsunade-sensei doesn't find such a ninja village akin to a trading platform like the underground black market? It's just that ninja villages are fortunate to be endowed with the name of 'justice' by the daimyo and the nobility."
"How is this possible…"
Recalling the experiences of her life, Tsunade felt, for the first time, her mind was so chaotic.
The ninja village is akin to an underground black market trading platform.
Such a thing was something Tsunade dared not even consider in the past.
Yet, the task commission system of ninja villages seems to be full of such meanings.
It's akin to buying something from a merchant; after purchasing the desired item, there are no further connections with the merchant.
The task commission system of ninja villages is the same, except for monetary transactions, there's no connection between the ninja village and the people within the country.
After the money and goods are settled, the relationship becomes difficult to further develop.
As the country's defensive force, the ninja village has always maintained the most primitive money transactions with the civilians… Even if Tsunade is unwilling to admit it, she must acknowledge this is not conducive to the long-term development of the ninja village.
The connection with the civilians of the country is too tenuous and profit-centric.
Thinking about this, Tsunade began to ponder.
Hakushi seemed to have seen through Tsunade's thoughts and continued to smile, "Tsunade-sensei, are you planning to use your influence to induce change in Konoha?"
Tsunade was taken aback but nodded.
She did indeed think this way.
After all, strengthening the connection with the people, from a long-term perspective, is beneficial to the development of Konoha and can also fill the gaps in the one-country-one-village system.
However, she hasn't yet formed a complete plan in her mind.
"It's useless. Doing so will only lead to war."
"War?"
Tsunade looked at Hakushi, dumbfounded.
"Yes." Hakushi picked up a chopstick, saying, "Currently, the relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire is just like this chopstick—it's closely linked. But if Konoha tries to extend its influence to the civilians, do you think the daimyo and the nobility would really be indifferent? The method of task commissions cleverly confines the ninja village to a small place, preventing it from utilizing its inherent cohesion, so that the daimyo can govern the country."
"What do you mean?"
Tsunade felt vaguely uneasy.
"With Konoha already possessing a powerful military force, if it further gains the support of the civilians within the Land of Fire, what the next step would be, I need not deliberately clarify. The one-country-one-village system would be completely dismantled. The relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire would also split, just like this chopstick, into two segments."
Snap!
The chopstick broke in the middle, and the crisp sound echoed in the room, startling Tsunade.
This is indeed a significant problem.
She focused solely on Konoha itself, without considering the stance of the daimyo and the nobility.
"The Land of Demons is the country that I envisage, where military, politics, and economy are unified. These three systems are interdependent and influence each other. This way, a country can maximize its potential power. Conversely, any development will be hindered. Put this way, Tsunade-sensei already knows what I'm trying to say, right?"