Since Uchiha Ying Yue became Konoha's Fourth Hokage, he had devoted himself to breaking the monopoly of the clans and promoting fair competition between civilians and ninja clans.
He understood well that Konoha's prosperity could not rely solely on the inheritances and secret techniques of ninja clans; it needed to discover more talented individuals from the foundations of society as a whole.
In Ying Yue's view, civilians made up an enormous population, and exceptional geniuses were bound to emerge among them—geniuses who might even change the entire landscape of the Ninja World.
There were countless examples of this. Orochimaru and Jiraiya, two of the Three Ninja, had both come from civilian backgrounds, while Namikaze Minato had been an outstanding genius among civilians.
Although ninja clans possessed traditional advantages—abundant resources, secret techniques, Kekkei Genkai, and combat skills absorbed from an early age—Ying Yue realized that clan inheritances also had their limitations. Especially when facing greater threats in the future Ninja World, merely expanding clan influence would only lead to stagnation and restrict Konoha's overall development.
To confront potential future threats from more powerful external enemies such as the Otsutsuki Clan, Ying Yue understood that Konoha had to fundamentally elevate its overall strength, break the clans' monopoly over resources, and provide opportunities for talented civilians.
To that end, Uchiha Ying Yue implemented a series of reforms centered on a "contribution system" and a "compulsory education system."
The contribution system Ying Yue introduced ensured that every Konoha ninja, whether civilian-born or from a clan, could earn equal opportunities through their own contributions. A ninja's contributions were not limited to combat strength, but also included scientific research, administration, teaching, and other fields.
As long as they made sufficient contributions to Konoha, civilian ninja could also obtain hard-to-acquire resources and rare ninjutsu.
Ying Yue also