In the aftermath of Hatake Sakumo's death gradually subsiding, Uchiha Ying Yue successfully used the Soul Sealing Technique to preserve Sakumo's soul temporarily. He had also begun working with Orochimaru and the others to create a new body for him.
Ying Yue pulled his mind away from the resurrection plan and turned his attention to another, far grander project—how to enable ordinary people to cultivate senjutsu as well.
Holding the Essential Arts of Peace in his hands, Ying Yue explored the secrets within this ancient legacy while contemplating the future of the shinobi world.
If senjutsu could be widely spread, then not only shinobi but ordinary people could wield the natural energy between heaven and earth. It would completely transform the balance of power in the shinobi world.
But Uchiha Ying Yue knew well that the shinobi world's current state went far beyond that.
After the Second Shinobi World War ended, the apparent peace was merely a brief period of recuperation for the major shinobi villages.
War was a continuation of politics, and politics could not be separated from economic interests. War was therefore never caused by hatred alone, but by struggles over economies, resources, territory, and profit.
Among the Five Great Nations of the shinobi world, the Land of Fire, where Konoha was located, possessed the richest lands, a pleasant climate, and abundant crops.
By contrast, the other four great nations were in far harsher circumstances:
Most of the Land of Wind was barren desert, lacking resources and unable to feed itself.
The Land of Earth had rugged terrain, with hills and deserts obstructing development and leaving it poor in supplies.
The Land of Lightning lay on a plateau. Though it possessed formidable military strength, it likewise faced a shortage of resources.
The Land of Water was surrounded by