Chapter 196: Construction-Type Ninja and the Undercurrent
The village's investment in its ninja was paying off. The enthusiasm for becoming a ninja was higher than ever. And the extension of the training system had also given the families a greater sense of security. Compared to the old system of sending them out on missions after just three years of training, the new nine-year system was much more acceptable.
Whether their own child had the talent to advance or not was uncertain, but at least there was a hope. And if they were worried about safety, they could always go in the direction of a research-type ninja.
And so, the village, with its expanded and newly added educational resources, would train more ninja to fill its new space, creating a virtuous cycle in the future.
"It's not enough!" the Third Raikage said.
As the great development continued, the Cloud's high command had estimated that the current size of the village's ninja force could be doubled before they reached the maximum utilization of their finances and space.
After all, the Cloud now controlled its own purse strings, and it was a very fat purse.
"Not only do we need to train the children in the village," he ordered, "but we also need to absorb the best young blood from the entire Land of Lightning, and even the Land of Hot Water. The 'liaison offices' will have an additional business: to test for chakra training aptitude. Children who reach an intermediate level or higher can come to the village to attend the Ninja Academy. And expand the orphanage."
"Lord Raikage," his secretary said, worried, "won't that cause dissatisfaction among the clans? And there's also the possibility of spies infiltrating."
The children they would be recruiting, though they would certainly be talented, would mostly be civilian-born. And with the village's ongoing educational reforms to break down the clans' knowledge barriers, a large number of outstanding civilian-born ninja would be produced, which would inevitably suppress the overall voice of the clans.
"If the clans are dissatisfied," he said with a wave of his hand, "let them come and talk to me! If there are spies, then investigate carefully! Let the intelligence department do its job! We can't just stop eating because we're afraid of choking! How can we become stronger if we only rely on the children born in the village?"
A few years ago, a move like this would have certainly made some of the clans nervous. But after years of continuous reforms, the clans had already accepted the village's various institutional innovations, including the breaking of the knowledge barriers. And the abundant overall resources and the bright future had greatly eased the internal pressure, so that the clans were no longer just focused on their own little corner, on how to preserve their own training experience.
The old-fashioned clans that had chosen to do so had all suffered, left in the dust by the others.
Now, what the clans cared about more was United Iron & Steel, the great development of the Cloud, how to keep up with the pace of reform, and how to cultivate more of their own members who were qualified to enter the "specialized ninja school."
Seriously, what kind of high-level knowledge wasn't in the "specialized school"? What was the point of hoarding their own little bit of experience?
The Third Raikage had also decreed that only if a clan had contributed its own knowledge would its members be eligible to enter the "specialized school." After all, you couldn't just take from others without giving anything in return.
With his immense prestige at the time, such an order could actually be enforced.
After nearly two months of great development, the expansion of the Cloud had been basically completed. The Barrier Corps had also found a suitable method and would be using a regional barrier system. They had also been expanded, and it had taken a great deal of effort to find enough qualified barrier jutsu users, which was a testament to the fact that while the Cloud was prospering, it also had a large talent and manpower gap.
The roads, transportation, overall planning, and even the drainage and water supply had all been laid. The rest was just the finishing touches. He couldn't do it all. The plan was the plan, but he had to leave some room for others to operate.
Though he had been working in the sun and rain for over two months, when he stood at the highest point of the village and looked out at the new Cloud, though it was unfinished, its magnificent momentum filled him with a sense of pride.
In a few more years, when the village had a larger population and a more stable foundation, they could do another round, and expand even further down. He wondered if, in the future, it would become a truly epic and magnificent city.
Through this great development, the nearly fifty Earth Release ninja he had been leading had, like him, become experienced construction workers. Considering the need to enrich the village's ninja profession system, after asking for their opinions, he had proposed to the village the establishment of a third type of ninja, after the "combat-type" and "research-type," to be called the "construction-type."
Thirty-one of them had chosen to formally become "construction-type ninja." In the future, they would form a separate department, responsible for the village's subsequent development and construction work, and would provide support for other institutions in the village, such as United Iron & Steel and the research department.
Though there were only thirty-one of them, and only one Jonin among them, it was a new beginning.
He took off his hard hat and wiped his face with the white towel on his shoulder. "Ninja are all little supermen," he said with a sigh. "Their productivity is off the charts. It's such a waste to just use them for fighting. They should be on a construction site!"
If the Hidden Cloud had been a hive of activity lately, then Asuka Castle was a roiling undercurrent.
Because the Daimyo had not yet woken up.
Almost every famous doctor in the capital had been to see him, but no one could figure out what was wrong. The most skilled of them had only said that there was something wrong with his brain.
But that was a useless statement. A person in a genjutsu-induced coma... of course there was something wrong with his brain.
He had been in bed for a long time, and could only be fed a liquid diet. He had lost a lot of weight, from abnormally obese to just generally obese.
Now, everyone thought that he would not wake up. At his age, even if there was nothing wrong with him, to be in bed for two months was a great strain, let alone in his current condition.
If it hadn't been for a batch of Healing Talismans they had gotten when they were still on good terms with the Cloud, he probably wouldn't have lasted this long.
And strangely, though the Daimyo was at death's door, the banquets and parties in the capital were even more frequent than before.
The great nobles had to choose a side. The Daimyo's sons had to win over the ministers. The high-ranking wanted to climb higher, and the low-ranking needed to find a way out. And all of this required banquets and parties.
So, the sales of the high-end restaurants in the capital had skyrocketed in the past two months.
And the most sought-after person was, without a doubt, Jun'en Furuya. As the chief minister for many years, and the one in charge of the capital's affairs after the Daimyo's incident, he was the one everyone wanted to win over, or to side with.
"I will not see you out, my lord," the alcohol-reeking Jun'en said, seeing a group of people off at his gate. He then returned to his own home. Every two steps, the signs of his drunkenness would disappear, though his cheeks were still a little flushed.
After dismissing all his servants, he went to the depths of his residence.
In a side room, someone was already waiting.
The newcomer was wearing a hood, as if to hide his identity. Seeing him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He took off his hood, revealing his somewhat old-looking face. It was Prince Yukihiro.
"The Hirano family," he said, "has decided to stand with us."
He nodded excitedly, a gleam in his eyes. "Good! Good! This is it!"
Jun'en looked at him. So old, and yet so lacking in composure. A hint of dislike appeared in his eyes, but in the end, he said, "It's still too early. We only have a hope. There may still be changes. I will continue to lobby the Yamada and Suzuya families tomorrow. And you, I asked you to contact Takeo. Have you gotten a result?"
Takeo was a person of some prestige among the samurai. When the Cloud's ninja had been here, the samurai had been of little use, and no one had cared about them. Now that the Cloud had withdrawn, their role had become more prominent.
"I've been wining and dining with him for the past few days," he said, scratching his head awkwardly. "It should be fine... I think."
"Go back," he said with a sigh. "And don't be so conspicuous lately."
But he did not leave. He stood there, rubbing his hands together.
"I've been spending a lot of money on Takeo lately," he said with a smile. "Can you support me a little?"
"That way, I can continue to win him over, right, Father?"