There were many top-tier fighters, and they were all powerful. The ranks below them were also numerous.
Even if another Ninja World War broke out now, Konoha could probably still hold off the other major villages, just as it had during the Second and Third Ninja World Wars.
But in the Ninja World Wars, almost every village had fought multiple opponents at once.
During the Third Ninja World War, Kumogakure fought not only Konoha but also Iwagakure, and even Sunagakure.
For most of the war, the various villages had been fighting one another in a chaotic free-for-all.
But with Konoha's current strength, if a Ninja World War really broke out, the village would undoubtedly win.
The military budgets of the various villages were being cut. Only Konoha and Kumogakure were increasing theirs.
Of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, only Konoha and Kumogakure were still steadily strengthening their military forces.
Sunagakure and Kirigakure were cutting back, and even Iwagakure, which had once been on par with Konoha, was reducing its military strength because of budget cuts.
The Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki, had even become a middleman because Akatsuki's rates were so cheap, passing off missions entrusted to Iwagakure to Akatsuki.
They pocketed the difference.
Temari sighed. "Your village has gotten a lot stronger."
Sakura said nothing.
Of course she knew.
Konoha was clearly getting stronger and stronger. It was far more powerful than it had been when she was a child.
Back before she had graduated,
Konoha seemed to have only one strong fighter: the Third Hokage.
There had been no one else.
Yeyu, Neji, Sasuke, and Tsunade had all appeared later.
The two chatted for a long time in the hot spring.
They mostly talked about ordinary things.
But even while chatting about these little things, Temari kept gleaning