"Everyone, don't worry about the bounties in the bounty pool."
"Konoha will take the lead in establishing a Ninja Association, and all bounty rewards will be covered by the Association itself."
Mei Terumi, who had been standing nearby, suddenly showed a curious expression. She turned to Tsunade and voiced the question everyone else had been thinking:
"What kind of organization is this Ninja Association? I wonder if Kirigakure would be allowed to join?"
Her performance was flawless. Even though she had already learned of this plan from Tsunade ahead of time and agreed to cooperate, she delivered the question so naturally, it sounded completely genuine.
Tsunade glanced at Ōnoki, Rasa, and the Raikage's expressions, then began to explain:
"The Ninja Association will be led by Konoha and will operate as a global mission bounty system—similar to how villages currently accept commissioned missions."
"The concept is the same: clients offer tasks, and shinobi complete them. However, with the Association, all participating ninja from across the world can take on these missions, and the Association will take a standard cut as commission."
"Villages that join will also be able to post missions, requesting supplies like ore, food, or materials. These larger-scale missions, however, will only be executable between member villages."
"The profits from the Association will be distributed at the end of each year. A portion of the income is saved for next year's reserves and development, while the remaining profit is divided among the organizing villages based on their contributions."
"That's the general framework. The finer details will need to be discussed and agreed upon later. This is just the proposal. What do you all think?"
When Tsunade finished, silence settled in the room. Every Kage present was deep in thought.
It was obvious—Konoha was baking a massive cake, and anyone with a slice stood to gain substantially. But the risks were just as large.
If the Ninja Association dominated the mission market, it could slowly siphon power from the villages themselves. In time, ninja might prefer to take Association missions rather than their village's. The prestige and influence of the Five Great Nations could erode.
The more ninja operated under the Association's banner, the more autonomous it became—and the more dependent villages became on it.
Mei Terumi already knew the plan, so her role was simply to watch and react accordingly. Ōnoki, meanwhile, reached his conclusion the fastest, though he still raised a concern:
"Based on what you've said, if the Association is going to span the entire shinobi world, there will need to be many branches. How will ownership and profits from those branches be managed?"
Uchiha Hikaru saw the trap had been set—and the old man had walked right into it.
Tsunade responded smoothly.
"As I mentioned, profit distribution will be based on the proportion of investment each village contributes."
"If a branch is established in Konoha, naturally we will bear the construction cost. Other villages can choose whether or not to invest. Ultimately, those who contribute the most will reap the most."
Uchiha Hikaru stepped in now with an example to make things clearer:
"Let's say Iwagakure is facing a grain shortage this year and needs 5,000 tons of rice."
"That mission could be posted as a public assignment through the Ninja Association. Any shinobi member of the Association—regardless of their village—can contribute by delivering grain in exchange for a portion of the bounty. The Association will then organize and deliver the food to Iwagakure."
"Alternatively, the mission can be posted as a limited task to other villages specifically, where only their shinobi are allowed to respond."
With that example, the room seemed to understand the true scope of the Association.
In essence, the system would unify the once-competing Hidden Villages under a centralized organization—offering shared tasks, resolving disputes over resources, and opening collaboration on a global scale.
While the Association would inevitably absorb the relevance and power of smaller nations and Hidden Villages, it was a necessary sacrifice to bring order to a chaotic shinobi world.
For civilians and independent shinobi, this was a rare and hopeful opportunity.
Ōnoki was the first to nod.
"Hokage, Iwagakure agrees to join the Ninja Association. I will sign on behalf of my village."
Rasa and the Raikage exchanged glances—caught off guard by the old man's decisiveness.
"Damn it! That sneaky fossil beat us to it!"
They both slapped the table at once and announced together:
Raikage: "Kumogakure will join as well!"
Rasa: "We, too, must support our ally's initiative!"
They turned to glare at one another, sparks flying between them, silently vying to be the second to join and not the last.
Meanwhile, Mei Terumi sighed dramatically, her expression filled with regret and elegance. She was the picture of charm and wistfulness.
"Lord Kazekage, Lord Raikage... you're both so quick to act. It seems I'm the only one lagging behind."
"But if all of you are joining, then I suppose I must represent Kirigakure and join as well."
Her words soothed the tension between Rasa and the Raikage—neither of them would be the last, and they wouldn't risk offending Konoha.
What they didn't know was that Mei Terumi had been part of the planning process from the beginning. She'd already met with Uchiha Hikaru, Tsunade, and the others, giving advice and shaping the very structure they were now agreeing to.
Ōnoki, Rasa, and the Raikage were still grinning like they'd won something—completely unaware they'd been manipulated from the start.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
Boom, boom, boom.
Uchiha Hikaru turned toward it.
"Come in. Looks like our next guests have arrived."
The door opened slowly, revealing a black-haired kunoichi in a red-and-black cloak stepping into the room.
Ōnoki's sharp eyes immediately recognized her.
Wasn't that Konan? The proctor for this year's Chunin Exams from Amegakure?
Why would she be here?
Konan gave a polite nod to Uchiha Hikaru and walked over to him, pulling a sealed envelope from her sleeve and handing it to him.
Hikaru skimmed the contents. A faint smile formed across his lips as he turned back to the others.
"Everyone, it appears Amegakure has also decided to join the Ninja Association."
"The Land of Rain lies at the convergence of the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind. Strategically, it's a vital region for establishing an inter-village system."
"After speaking with their leader, Hanzo, it seems they're not only willing to join the Association but are prepared to contribute fully to the growth and unification of the ninja world."
(End of chapter)
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