Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe

Daniel's words caused Nagato and Konan to fall into deep thought. They had never considered the idea of uniting all nations and villages under one rule. Nagato's plan had always been to use the power of the Nine Tailed Beasts to force the nations into peace through fear, but the concept of governing them all was foreign to him. Even during the Warring States period, or in the age of the Sage of Six Paths, no one had ever considered uniting the entire world.

Although the Naruto world surpassed Qin's Moon in terms of raw power, it lagged behind in terms of large-scale governance, ideology, and institution-building. Figures like Qin Shi Huang, Han Fei, or even Lord Changping and Prince Dan of Yan would have fundamentally altered the course of history in the ninja world had they been part of it.

However, considering the two worlds were so different, such comparisons were hardly appropriate. The greatest flaw in the Naruto world lay in its lack of cultural and ideological continuity. Even in the best-case scenario, the ninja curriculum in Konoha, for instance, focused only six years of education primarily on training to become a ninja, with very little instruction on matters of statecraft or society.

It was often said that the establishment of the Five Great Shinobi Villages marked the end of the Warring States Period. However, this was merely an illusion. The period of strife continued in many ways. Small villages and clans were still frequently destroyed. For instance, the Hidden Cloud Village exterminated countless smaller clans in pursuit of new bloodline limits, while under Danzō's leadership, Konoha committed similar atrocities. All five great villages were guilty to varying degrees, with only minor differences between them.

"Why do ninjas have to limit themselves to mercenary work? Have you ever considered that ninjas could pursue other careers?" Daniel asked, breaking Nagato and Konan's silence.

In the Naruto world, the role of a ninja was exceedingly restricted. In larger villages, ninjas could serve as firefighters or police officers, but in smaller villages, the mission system was often the only source of income. Desperate to compete, small villages often lowered mission fees, resulting in fewer resources for their ninjas. Over time, the only options left for them were to abandon their villages or become wandering mercenaries.

Many of the rogue ninjas and bounty hunters in the world were once part of such small villages.

Ninjas were trapped in this limited role for two main reasons. First, many villages and clans were unwilling to let go of the honor associated with their status as shinobi. They believed that success lay in growing stronger at any cost. Clans like the Fūma Clan, for instance, turned to Orochimaru in hopes of revitalizing themselves. Although they avoided being turned into test subjects thanks to Daniel's intervention, Orochimaru had simply sent them to serve as operatives for the Hidden Sound Village instead.

The second reason was the feudal lords. The structure of the ninja world bound ninjas tightly, keeping them in check. Even though ninjas had gained recognition as legitimate soldiers, there were still those, particularly among the samurai class, who viewed them with disdain. Some smaller nations, like the Land of Iron, preferred to rely on samurai forces rather than ninja, and if they had the military power to do so, they would likely have waged war against the ninja villages.

Feudal lords intentionally kept ninjas confined to a narrow professional role, ensuring that they remained dependent on the mission system. Should ninjas break free from this system, they would pose a significant threat to the existing power structures in the world.

In Konoha, for instance, the Fire Daimyō controlled a vast array of resources and had the backing of many factions, including the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Fire Temple, and various noble clans. If Konoha attempted to seize power, it would lose these critical resources and supporters, potentially crippling the village in a conflict.

These conclusions weren't speculative on Daniel's part. After mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, Daniel had been able to delegate much of his technical training to his clones. This allowed him time to investigate the intricacies of the ninja world, particularly its economic and political systems.

With one clone assigned to practicing swordsmanship and another dedicated to perfecting martial arts in the style of Isaac Netero, Daniel used a third clone to investigate the mission system in the Hidden Sound Village. He also consulted with Kabuto, who had deep knowledge of the five great villages' operational structures.

The findings were clear. Most economic activities, including the production of essential goods like food and other daily necessities, were monopolized by the state. Ninja villages had little control over these industries, especially smaller ones like the Hidden Sound Village.

As a result, the lower-ranked ninjas were often quite poor. The "rookies" of Konoha's graduating class, including Naruto and the others, couldn't be considered typical genin. In reality, most genin lacked the chakra control and skill to perform even basic jutsu, relying instead on their physical abilities, which were only slightly superior to average civilians.

"In time, the number of ninjas will continue to grow, but the number of available missions will remain static. This imbalance is what inevitably leads to wars. The ninja wars have always been used to thin out the ranks of excess ninjas, maintaining the balance. This is how the daimyōs keep ninja numbers in check."

Daniel's words rang out decisively in the silence that followed. These were the same arguments he had once used to convince Sasuke.

In Boruto, the technological advancements made by Katasuke pointed to the future of the ninja world—one where ninjas weren't solely confined to mercenary work but diversified into various fields.

"This… makes sense."

Nagato and Konan both wore expressions of sudden realization. The flaws in the ninja system had never been clearer to them than they were now. They had never been exposed to this kind of thinking before. Having been orphans since childhood, they had spent their lives struggling just to survive, with little access to education or deeper understanding of how the world worked. Even Jiraiya had left them in search of an answer, hoping to find a path to peace through his travels.

He had failed to find a solution and ultimately placed his hopes in the next generation.

"You don't have to make any decisions right now," Daniel said, bringing them back to reality. "I'll give you both some books later that will help you understand the larger picture. For now, we need to focus on dealing with Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu before moving on to bigger things."

"Do you have a plan?" Konan asked after exchanging a look with Nagato.

"Can you summon them here, one by one? Once they're here, I'll trap them in this space-time jutsu and handle them. Konan, your strength isn't enough to fight them head-on. Nagato, you're just starting to recover—there's no need for you to risk yourself. Focus on healing for now."

"Obito is currently in the area, and Black Zetsu is out gathering information on the recent events in Konoha, as well as tracking the other jinchūriki," Konan explained.

"Then summon Obito first," Daniel suggested as he undid the mirror dimension and returned them to the metallic room. The Deva Path, now reactivated, moved into position.

"I'll contact him now," Konan said, stepping outside with the Deva Path. She created a paper butterfly and sent it out to summon Obito.

Soon, a rippling distortion in the air appeared behind Konan and the Deva Path. From the swirling space emerged a man in an Akatsuki cloak, his face hidden behind a spiral mask.

"Why summon me so urgently?" Obito's voice was low and authoritative, befitting his persona as Uchiha Madara.

"I've come across some new information. I thought it best to inform you, 'Madara,'" Konan replied, her tone calm.

"Oh? What sort of information?" Obito asked, his voice filled with feigned curiosity. 

"Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. I wonder if 'Madara' is familiar with those names," Konan said, her words causing Obito's body to tense.

At that moment, Daniel sprang into action. Expanding the mirror dimension, he immediately trapped Obito, the Deva Path, and Konan within its confines. The Deva Path collapsed as Nagato lost his connection, but Konan quickly caught it before it fell.

"I see you've heard of them. Or should I call you Uchiha Obito?" Konan continued as she carefully backed away, pulling the Deva Path with her until she was standing beside Daniel.

"Who are you?" Obito's visible Sharingan glared at Daniel, his voice filled with menace. Obito was no fool. He knew this stranger was likely responsible for his identity being exposed.

"Always the underdog at the academy, never once beating Kakashi in a fight. And yet, after meeting Uchiha Madara, in just a few short years, you gained the strength to challenge your teacher, the Fourth Hokage. You indirectly caused the deaths of your own master and his wife. Truly, the Uchiha are never to be underestimated," Daniel said as he clapped his hands. "And don't bother trying to use your Sharingan's genjutsu on me. It won't work."

Obito, having activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, paused, the chain he had just summoned from his wrist clinking softly as he re-evaluated his approach. If genjutsu was useless, he would have to fight.

"You know a great deal," Obito remarked, pulling the chain taut between his hands as he lunged toward Daniel.

But Daniel was already prepared.

Shifting effortlessly, Daniel tossed a kunai, which passed harmlessly through Obito's head—just as he had anticipated. 

"Trying to recreate your fight with the Fourth Hokage, are we?" Daniel thought to himself as he summoned a Rasengan in his right hand.

"Still haven't learned from your mistakes, have you?" Daniel muttered as he struck Obito in the back with the Rasengan, slamming him into the ground within the mirror dimension.

Had Daniel mastered the technique, he might have been able to leave a Flying Thunder God mark on Obito, but for now, he opted to leave a different kind of marker—one that would allow him to track Obito through space-time.

"How did you—?"

"Idiot," Daniel interrupted. "You really thought using the same tactics against me that you did against the Fourth Hokage would work? I already know your Mangekyō Sharingan ability."

Obito, now trembling and injured, glared at Daniel, his voice filled with rage. "Flying Thunder God?"

But before Obito could act, Daniel struck again, landing another blow that sent Obito reeling. Only his Kamui ability kept him from taking further damage as he phased through the ground, retreating.

"You think you can escape?" Daniel asked, his tone amused. He could tell Obito was preparing to escape into the Kamui dimension, but Daniel had already marked him.

"Want to know the truth about Nohara Rin's death?" Daniel called out as Obito began to vanish.

With a cold snarl, Obito disappeared, leaving only a rippling distortion in the air.

"He got away," Konan said, her tone grim.

"Don't worry," Daniel said with a smirk. "He won't get far."

Daniel raised his hand and drew a glowing sigil in the air. Moments later, a swirling portal opened, leading directly into Obito's Kamui dimension.

"Hello again," Daniel said, stepping through.

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