Shimura Kentei's mention of the Feudal Lord's Government made Tsunade's expression shift slightly. As the young lady of the Senju clan, she knew something of those secrets, such as the Feudal Lord's Government's attitude toward Konoha.
"Though I'm not a feudal lord or part of the Feudal Lord's Government, I can imagine that they must be quite repulsed by forces like shinobi and shinobi villages that lie outside their control.
"That is the proper mindset for every ruler. In my view, the establishment of the shinobi village system was a group of unofficial armed forces banding together to force the Feudal Lord's Government to recognize their legitimacy while refusing to be governed by the nation's highest ruling body, the Feudal Lord's Government.
"Although they left the feudal lords with the power to appoint the Hokage, we all know that was merely a dispensable fig leaf.
"For example, when the Second Hokage took office, the feudal lord had nothing to do with it. When the Third Hokage took office, he was directly appointed by the Second Hokage, and again, the feudal lord had nothing to do with it.
"Tell me, how could the feudal lords of every nation possibly rest easy with an armed force beyond their control?
"If the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara had not been so powerful back then, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire would likely have long since ordered his samurai legions to come and wipe them out. The Feudal Lord's Governments of other nations might even have sent samurai armies as well.
"And that wasn't all. The shinobi villages openly demanded that the Feudal Lord's Government provide vast military funding every year to maintain their operations, all while claiming it was for the defense of the nation.
"Furthermore, shinobi villages could accept missions