Chapter 384: Military Reform
"What did Hanzo the Salamander have to say about this proposal?"
Visiting late at night, Dana found that the Military Headquarters was also brightly lit. The Third Raikage and Yotsuki Arashi were engaged in their ritual of continuous self-electrocution to stay focused.
This reform plan was one Dana had helped draft. Because the scope of the changes was so massive, the high command of the Cloud Spire decided to test the waters first with their close ally, Hanzo.
The Third Raikage stretched his massive arms. "Hanzo was a bit disgruntled at first, but this old man eventually won him over with logic and a bit of heart-to-heart. The unification of the ninja world is a non-negotiable step. The era of villages acting as independent states must end. That is the core issue; there is no room for debate."
This was the Federation's bottom line. Whoever moved against it would face war.
It was a stance of absolute iron. Otherwise, the "Great Unification" would be nothing more than a title without substance.
Once the groundwork was laid, the Federation's Grand General, the Third Raikage, summoned the Kages of every village to Cloud City.
Hokage: Minato Namikaze
Mizukage: Yagura Karatachi
Tsuchikage: Onoki
Kazekage: Sasori
Amekage: Hanzo the Salamander
Accompanied by their respective Elders, the leaders of the ninja world gathered in Kumoto.
They all knew that this meeting would decide the end of the Hidden Village Era. Or rather, it was already decided that the era would end; this meeting was to determine the manner of its passing.
After a week of intense, high-pressure negotiations, the world was officially turned upside down.
The reform passed three major resolutions:
First: The command rights of the Five Great Villages (including the Rain, excluding the Cloud) were fully transferred to the Federation.
The Hidden Grass and Hidden Waterfall villages were liquidated and forcibly disbanded; useful personnel were absorbed, while the rest were dismissed.
The names and heritages of the major villages were preserved, but moving forward, the names of the "Five Great Villages" and their forehead protectors would function like "Military Unit Designations." The Kage would represent the commander or general of that specific unit.
The Federation would provide military funding to replace the original support from the Daimyos, but in exchange, the villages had to surrender their autonomy. All armed forces and generals now belonged to the command of the Grand General, with their positions officially registered at the Military Headquarters.
Informally, people might still use the old terms, but legally, there were only different divisions of the Federation Army, not independent villages.
This was a historic leap. Although the Federation might not interfere with the selection of a unit's Kage for the next decade for the sake of stability, legally, the power of appointment had moved into the Federation's pocket.
Among all villages, the Cloud remained the exception. It was the Federation's bedrock and foundation; that would never change.
However, to avoid conflict of interest and clarify the hierarchy, the Third Raikage officially abdicated his position as Raikage, passing it to his eldest son, Yotsuki Arashi.
Arashi finally fulfilled his childhood dream of inheriting the name of "A." However, since his father was still alive, the title "A" was used as an honorary rank; for clarity in daily operations, he would still use his birth name.
Second: The Federation would implement a "Ninja Specialization System" across all villages.
Adult ninja would be categorized into Combat-type, Research-type, or Construction-type based on personal preference and aptitude.
For underage Academy students, specialization would begin in their third year of study. In the future, more specialized tracks might be added.
Students from non-village schools—such as the new Ninja Academies in the various cities—would undergo the same specialized education. However, these graduates would have no affiliation with any specific ninja village; their loyalty and command structure belonged solely to the Federation itself.
It was foreseeable that students from the traditional hidden village academies would remain superior and more likely to produce geniuses, but the city-based graduates would form the Federation's true numerical backbone.
Third: The mission system, a vital part of the old world's ecology, would be overhauled.
It couldn't be abolished immediately without causing massive financial strain and social vacancies. Instead, the Federation would integrate the mission centers of every village.
Using large Katsuyu slugs for long-distance data transmission, a unified mission-posting system was established. Mission statuses would be updated across all villages in real-time under unified management.
Naturally, illegal missions—assassination, infiltration, poisoning, kidnapping—were no longer permitted. In the past, villages accepted dirty work as long as the target wasn't their own country. That era was over. Even the underground exchanges were slated for gradual "rectification."
Every resolution was earth-shaking. Each village had its own concerns, and it took a long time to reach a consensus.
Sunagakure was currently the most "Zen." Sasori was cooperative because his only concern was ensuring the people of Suna lived well, not power struggles. The Suna ninja were also resigned—in the forty-plus years of the village era, Suna had never actually won a war. What was there to defend? The village era was exhausting; they were happy to see it end.
Konoha had long since been taken over, so they had no grounds for protest.
Relatively speaking, the most vocal complaints came from the Rain and the Mist. Since they had joined voluntarily rather than through defeat, they expected preferential treatment and wanted to be distinguished from Konoha, Iwa, and Suna.
The Grand General and the Consul remained firm on the core principles—not a single inch would be yielded. However, they offered "cushioning" rewards in the details, such as reserving more high-level administrative positions in the Federation for personnel from those two villages.
Indeed, an era of reform was both a crisis and an opportunity.
The more the order was reshaped, the more interests were redistributed. While the villages lost their autonomy, the clans within them gained the chance to grasp higher power and new interests. They now had the opportunity to step beyond the role of a mere "ninja" concerned with fighting and missions.
The Federation needed people to exercise its supreme authority. This naturally created a vacuum that could elevate many individuals and families.
This was why the villages finally accepted the reforms: the future described by the Federation liberated ninja from their historically narrow roles.
Rooftop of the Cloud Spire.
The terrace had been set up for an outdoor reception. After the final day of meetings, the heads of the various villages gathered here for a social mixer to ease the tension.
Onoki stood at the edge of the 251-meter-high spire, clutching a glass of juice. He felt a profound sense of "looking down on all the mountains." He had been at this height before—he could fly, after all—but the feeling now was different.
The week of negotiations was over. The arguing, the posturing, and the talking had concluded. The Federation's bottom line had held firm, but they had arrived at a plan everyone could live with.
The momentum was simply too great.
As Onoki watched all these Kages huddled together under the Federation's framework, he realized that what pushed Iwa to accept the reforms and cede its rights wasn't just Yotsuki Dana's peerless strength or the Federation's military might.
It was a fear of being left behind by the era—of being isolated from the world.
No one wanted to be a discarded pawn of history, especially when "History" might turn back around and crush whatever it forgot.
This momentum was more effective than any threat or intimidation.
Nearby, the Third Raikage was "comforting" a somewhat depressed Hanzo the Salamander. Hanzo had barely been Amekage for a few years before his power was drastically diluted, and even as an ally, he felt a bit stung. However, given the Third Raikage's methods, he would likely have Hanzo talked into a daze soon enough.
Elsewhere, Consul Yotsuki Dana was discussing future trade with Yagura Karatachi. Legally, the villages were integrated, but business was business. Trade with the Land of Water involved the investments of various Mist clans; it was the tether that kept them aligned with the Federation.
In a corner, Sasori was pestering Tobirama Senju, asking questions about the "Ninjutsu-fication of Agriculture." His thirst for knowledge was immense, but his social skills were lacking; Tobirama was clearly starting to lose patience.
In the dining area, the young Fifth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was sampling the food with Kushina. He offered occasional critiques, and one could faintly hear him whispering, "It's not necessarily better than what I make..."
Dana drained his glass of juice, once again marveling at how deeply the "Three Prohibitions of Shinobi" were ingrained. This looked like a grand banquet where every word affected the fate of the world, yet every dignitary's glass was filled with fruit juice. Some were even drinking plain water.
Dana walked to the edge of the terrace to look out over Cloud City, standing in a line with Onoki.
Onoki glanced sideways, feeling that he was getting shorter every year, while the man beside him seemed to grow taller every day.
Sharpness, brilliance... this is it.
A strong sense of melancholy washed over the old Tsuchikage.
Dana sensed Onoki's gaze and turned his head. "Tsuchikage-dono, let us strive together from now on."
Onoki dazed for a moment, then replied mechanically, "Strive together..."
A breeze blew past, scattering the dark clouds overhead and revealing a brilliant full moon.
Dana smiled, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the moon, muttering to himself:
"Next, there are still quite a few things to do..."
August, Ninja World Year 46.
The Federation established its new policies, gathering the armed forces of the entire ninja world under its banner and rapidly pushing for the reform and coverage of administrative power.
From this point on, the ninja world officially ended the "Village Era" founded by Hashirama Senju.
It had entered the brand new "Federation Era."