Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"Scientific Ninja Tools?"

Minato Namikaze finally understood what Kagetsu meant. If ninjutsu could really be released through tools, and if it could spread on a large scale, then everything Kagetsu said might actually be possible.

But then, how would they solve the problem of chakra as the source?

All ninjutsu requires chakra to be activated!

Minato knew he wasn't as technically skilled as Orochimaru or Kagetsu, but even he understood that no matter how advanced a tool was, you still needed chakra to power the ninjutsu.

Take the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, for example.

Aside from Samehada, which was a living weapon, the others still required the wielder's chakra to unleash their full potential.

The powers built into those blades were like powerful jutsu that didn't require hand signs.

Minato didn't hesitate to ask his question directly. He was genuinely curious about Kagetsu's plans. Deep down, he felt like this idea might be a real path toward peace.

Although he came from a civilian background, as a Jonin and a candidate for Hokage, Minato had witnessed countless battles and conflicts throughout the ninja world.

On top of that, he had a teacher who always talked about the "Child of Prophecy."

With both experience and guidance, Minato had developed his own thoughts on war and peace in the ninja world.

Especially after becoming a village advisor, and learning more about the inner workings of different villages, Minato's perspective had broadened significantly.

Take war, for instance.

While most ninjas and civilians believed other villages waged war out of malice, Minato saw it differently.

While that was part of it, the root cause was usually competition over resources.

The First Hokage had founded the hidden village system, ushering in a new era for the ninja world.

But at the same time, with so many ninjas gathered together, and without any drastic change to their way of survival, new problems naturally followed.

The most obvious problem—was money.

In the past, ninja clans and groups used to act independently. Life was hard during the chaotic times, but as long as they had enough missions, they could survive and support their clans.

But after the shinobi world shifted to the ninja village system, the burden became more centralized.

Over time, ninja changed from acting as individuals to working as a collective. However, their way of survival still depended on completing missions.

The First Hokage had thought about the financial burden of gathering so many ninja in one place.

At the time, he and Madara decided to attach the ninja village to the largest, most populated, and wealthiest nation.

By forming a cooperative relationship with the daimyo of that country, they secured funding.

In return, ninja would protect the daimyo and nobles with their strength, while also continuing to take on tasks like escort missions for merchants.

Later, other ninja clans and groups followed this example and aligned themselves with the most powerful and stable nations of the time. This led to the formation of the current Five Great Nations.

Because of this, the shinobi world did enter a period of peace.

During this time, the survival and birth rates of ninja improved significantly.

Stability led to population growth, but the number of missions was limited. When the balance between population and missions broke, internal conflicts started to rise.

As village leaders, the Kage had no choice but to seek outside resources to support their people.

The First Hokage's death was the first straw that broke the balance.

Every time the number of ninja reached a certain point, a great war would break out in the shinobi world. It became a cycle that repeated itself.

But if there were enough resources, could wars like the Great Ninja Wars be avoided?

Even if they couldn't be stopped, could their arrival at least be delayed?

Maybe by then, they could find a better way to solve the problem.

Like Jiraiya, Minato also wished for peace and stability in the ninja world. However, unlike Jiraiya, Minato didn't place all his hopes on some vague "Child of Prophecy."

"Wouldn't it work if we just created ninja tools that can store chakra? As for the source, we could pay ninja to contribute a portion of their chakra, or look for an alternative solution.

If it really comes down to it, can't the Tailed Beasts—who are essentially chakra entities—be used for that purpose?

We'd just be changing their role from military deterrents to energy sources.

Back in the day, the First Hokage distributed the Tailed Beasts, so each of the Five Great Nations has one," Kagetsu replied softly.

"They'll try to copy us, won't they?" Minato caught the meaning behind Kagetsu's words.

It was true—since the beginning, the other four Great Villages had always tried to copy Konoha's systems.

Anything that benefited the village, they would try to replicate—like the ANBU, the ninja academy, barrier teams, and sealing squads—unless they simply didn't have the ability to do so.

"They might become even more militaristic. But no matter what, the emergence of scientific ninja tools helps reduce the risks of war.

They might not matter much against powerful ninja, but strong enemies should be handled by strong allies.

What the village lacks right now is a solid lower and middle tier."

Kagetsu didn't elaborate further, but Minato, as an advisor, understood right away.

The village could still handle a war if needed—but it would mean forcing all the major ninja clans to bring out everything they had left.

Though he didn't want to admit it, Minato knew those clans had already suffered heavy losses in previous wars.

What remained was essentially their last reserve of strength and vitality.

As for civilian ninjas?

Civilian ninjas suffered the most during the previous wars.

Most of them hadn't even mastered a few jutsu.

Some had just graduated from the Ninja Academy during the later stages of the war.

Before they could get proper training or preparation, they were forced onto the battlefield with no choice.

Right now, the village isn't lacking in Jonin-level ninjas.

What's really in short supply are Genin- and Chunin-level ninjas. Many of those who were newly promoted to chunin or jonin during the war, if they didn't join the ANBU, have already started mentoring students—passing on their experience to train the next generation.

"That large-scale mission involving the Land of Wind—does it have a similar purpose?" Minato suddenly asked, shifting the topic to the joint mission between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.

"If they gain more resources and grow stronger, wouldn't they become an even bigger threat to us?"

The mission had successfully forced the Daimyōs and nobles of the Land of Wind to invest heavily.

After a small experimental oasis was successfully created in the desert, those Land of Wind nobles practically went mad with excitement.

"When their lifelines and interests are tied tightly with ours, Sunagakure will become our most loyal ally!"

Fighting one against three or four may sound impressive, but the reality is that it always ends in barely surviving—and with a heavy price.

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