After new firearms entered the Ninja World's battlefields, the upper echelons of every major ninja village quickly recognized the strategic value of these weapons. Reports from the front lines especially showed that Konoha's firearms had greatly enhanced the combat power of genin and chūnin.
As a powerful war machine, Kumogakure naturally received a detailed report on Konoha's use of new weapons, and the Third Raikage, A, moved swiftly.
Kumogakure had always emphasized the development of military strength and technology. Especially in its conflicts with other ninja villages, maintaining an advantage in combat power had always been Raikage A's central objective.
As early as when the Land of Whirlpools first introduced single-shot rifles, Kumogakure's technical department had conducted tests. Their conclusion at the time, however, was that the weapon lacked sufficient power and could not compete with traditional ninjutsu and weapons.
As a result, the technical department considered firearms to be dispensable, useless weapons—suited for ordinary people's self-defense, but incapable of having any decisive impact on ninja battlefields.
However, as Konoha achieved remarkable results on the battlefield with improved firearms, reports from the front lines refuted those past assessments.
During Kumogakure's battles with Konoha, its ninja repeatedly encountered the overwhelming firepower of these automatic rifles. Their efficiency was especially obvious in close- and medium-range combat.
For a time, Kumogakure's ninja forces suffered considerable losses, and their combat strategies were forced to adapt.
When the Third Raikage, A, summoned the technical department to demand answers, the technicians had no choice but to admit that they had underestimated the potential of firearms.
The single-shot rifles tested in the past had indeed been nothing to fear, but Konoha was now using improved automatic rifles.
These new firearms not only offered sustained firepower, but were also simple to operate, greatly improving the long-range combat abilities