Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 230: Taking a Risk

In just a short amount of time, Terumi Mei had managed to organize so many things with such precision. As a Mizukage, she had done an excellent job—arguably better than Tsunade, who was often hindered by Konoha's advisors and elders. Terumi Mei, on the other hand, could push through sweeping reforms in Kirigakure without such resistance.

> "In misfortune lies fortune. Fate indeed left a sliver of light for Kirigakure, which was teetering on the brink."

Widespread ninja education was, without a doubt, a great long-term strategy. But it needed time—at least three years of groundwork and accumulation. In that time, Kirigakure could train a large batch of genin and a few chunin, who would then be able to handle the daily missions and minor tasks. That would free up the elite forces for real operations, enhancing the village's strength and reputation, creating a virtuous cycle.

But if Kirigakure couldn't endure this period of quiet development, then these reforms would be the source of its further decline. The key to pulling ahead in widespread education—assuming similar innate talent—is the investment of manpower and resources. Ultimately, it's about pouring limited resources into mass-producing genin.

Why, even knowing the effectiveness of Konoha's education system, had so few other villages copied it? The answer was simple: most couldn't afford the massive cost of universal ninja education. Before they could enjoy the fruits of that investment, they'd collapse under the weight of it. That's why the master-apprentice model—focused on cultivating a few elite shinobi—remained the mainstream across the ninja world. Only Konoha and perhaps Kumogakure had the depth and resources to maintain such a system. As for Sunagakure, their ninja school existed only due to dire necessity. Normally, their unique specialties—puppetry and poison—were passed down only within trusted circles or bloodlines.

Kirigakure, like Sunagakure, had followed a selective elite-training path for decades. Trying to switch tracks now required at least two or three years of stability. To secure that, they'd even accepted treaty terms that clearly favored Konoha. Terumi Mei was determined to open the nation, engage with the shinobi world, and acquire resources to weather the storm. Her efforts were no small feat.

Unfortunately, the leaders of all five great ninja villages had underestimated the might and destructive potential of the Akatsuki. When it came to threats on an apocalyptic level, everything still came down to the battles of top-tier powers.

From afar, Mizuki watched a group of children awkwardly practice shuriken-throwing. Under the stern supervision of a few chunin, the kids dared not slack off. Mizuki shook his head.

Fresh from the horrors of the "Bloody Mist" era, these Mist ninja still hadn't learned how to relax and enjoy life. Their teaching approach—harsh and demanding—would only alienate the children. Filled with nothing but killing techniques, these shinobi were far from qualified educators.

> "There I go again—teacher's instincts kicking in. How others educate their kids isn't my problem."

Mizuki chuckled at himself and turned to leave the crude training grounds. But he didn't get far before a figure stepped into his path.

"You?" Mizuki said, raising an eyebrow. "Captain 'Ken'? What brings you here?"

It was the ANBU captain who hadn't even appeared during the official ceremonies the day before. Mizuki had sensed a few watchful eyes earlier but hadn't paid them much attention. Apparently, they'd now decided to approach him directly.

"Please don't be alarmed," Captain Ken said calmly. "I mean no harm. I simply have some matters I'd like to consult with you about—as a former ninja academy instructor."

Mizuki was a little surprised. He hadn't expected this to be the issue.

"Former?" he said with a smirk. "I haven't received any orders removing me from the post yet."

Though technically true, it was just Mizuki being cheeky—everyone knew he wasn't going back to babysitting academy students anytime soon.

Ken chuckled but didn't argue. "As you've seen, we're attempting to establish a training program for young shinobi. I'd like to hear your professional opinion."

"Opinion?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "Do you want the truth or something pleasant?"

"There's a difference?" Ken blinked, then chuckled wryly. "Start with the pleasant version."

"Far-sighted and visionary. Your village has a promising future."

"That's it?"

Mizuki nodded. "A ninja village can't thrive without a solid number of shinobi."

Ken nodded, then asked, "And the truth?"

"Overreaching. Too ambitious. If you don't have enough funding to last until you see results, this whole thing will collapse."

Mizuki didn't sugarcoat it.

"That bad?" Ken frowned.

"Call it fear-mongering if you want," Mizuki replied with a shrug.

Ninja academies were money pits. No matter how inspiring the ideals behind them, they existed for one purpose: to mass-produce chunin and genin. They weren't meant to train elites—they existed to provide a basic foundation to those with potential.

The longer a village could sustain such a system, the more it stood to gain. And if that village had a large population and sufficient resources, the academy system became a powerful tool for building comprehensive strength.

But for a place like Kirigakure, things were trickier. Dirt poor and resource-starved, they simply didn't have the means. Just look at the cost of the kids' training tools alone—that was a serious drain on resources. Then there was the large space needed for the school, and the significant number of shinobi acting as glorified babysitters instead of completing missions. The overhead was enormous.

"To be honest," Mizuki said, "I respect your bold reforms right after a period of civil unrest. But I have to say—the risk is very high."

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