Flame Ninja Village
"Judging by the planning alone, it's far more mature than Konoha." He scanned the entire town's layout, clearly pointing out its strengths and weaknesses.
"The commercial and residential areas are clearly separated and do not interfere with each other. The level and number of city defenses also far exceed the existing configuration in Konoha."
This cannot be accomplished simply by throwing resources and manpower at it; it must have been orchestrated by someone with a deep understanding of urban planning and military strategy.
Ban remained silent, not participating in their conversation. His gaze swept across the bustling streets and alleys, landing steadily on the city wall, slowly passing over several clan crests engraved side by side.
The insignia of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Kaguya Clan, and Yuki clans stand neatly side by side, firmly supporting the foundation of this village.
Most notably, there is not a single official emblem of the Land of Fire to be found on the entire city wall.
He saw through its deeper meaning at a glance.
Uchiha King readily accepted the Land of Fire Daimyo's aid, using external forces to solidify the village's foundation, but he never relinquished even a shred of sovereignty.
Cooperation is mutually beneficial and symbiotic, and protection is external assistance, but he will not yield an inch of the foundation of the ethnic group and the core sovereignty of the village.
This person's keen sense of propriety and steady ambition are evident.
"Let's go in and take a look."
Natsu spoke calmly and took the lead in walking towards the city gate.
The Yaoyu and its Yakumi followed closely behind. Madara still stood with his arms crossed, his posture cold and aloof, but as he walked, his gaze lingered for a moment longer on the Uchiha clan crest on the city wall.
The city gate was bustling with people, mostly travelers and merchants from all over. The few travelers in plain clothes did not attract attention, and the ninja on duty did not approach them for inspection. The four of them passed through the city gate passage smoothly.
The main street of the city suddenly opened up, lined with shops selling everything from ninja tools and medicinal herbs to daily necessities.
The street scene was exceptionally vibrant, with ninjas dressed in Uchiha Clan Uniform strolling leisurely, commoners in plain clothes bending over to carry goods, and members of Clan Uniform standing on the street, calmly negotiating prices with vendors.
All ethnic groups live together in harmony, each fulfilling their respective duties, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
Yaoyu's gaze was quickly drawn to a three-story building on the street corner.
That was the village's mission hall, with a huge notice board at the main entrance, densely covered with all kinds of missions, from the simplest D-level miscellaneous tasks to the extremely risky A-level bandit suppression missions, with clear levels and complete categories.
There is also a dedicated Guard Corps on duty next to the lobby, with dedicated personnel responsible for connecting with clients, sorting out tasks, and guiding people in an orderly manner.
"This scale is comparable to the mission hall in Konoha," Yaoyu couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Moreover, in terms of overall structure and orderliness, Flame Ninja Village is more like a well-established ninja village with a mature system, rather than a newly built village."
The scent of Yakumi swept across the entire hall, revealing its operational structure. He calmly added, "Their mission divisions are several times more refined than Konoha's, and they even have a dedicated Guard Corps to handle external affairs. Konoha still relies on ninjas queuing up to accept missions, a chaotic and inefficient system. The two are simply not on the same level."
Only then did Madara slowly speak, his clear, cold voice carrying a profound understanding of the true nature of things.
He looked at the well-organized Guard Corps in front of the hall, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
He was managing the ninjas using military tactics.
"The mission hall forms the logistical foundation, the Guard Corps the regular combat force, and the city's fortifications the strategic barrier." He slowly dissected the village's system, each word precise.
"This is not simply imitating Konoha's village-building model; it surpasses Konoha's existing system in every aspect."
Natsu's lips curved into a slight smile.
Uchiha King certainly didn't disappoint him.
He turned to look at Ban and asked softly, "You should have noticed it too, the layout of this village is very similar to a mature combat architecture that only took shape in the later stages of the future world, right?"
Ban silently pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Exactly." A profound look flashed in his eyes. "This person is not speculating about the future out of thin air; he is certain that the future development of the Ninja World will follow."
Natsu withdrew her gaze, strode towards the center of the village, and walked with a leisurely pace.
His curiosity grew stronger, and he longed to meet the mysterious Uchiha King.
In just one year, amidst the aftermath of chaos, a new ninja village was built from scratch, complete in structure, powerful in combat, and orderly. Such a feat could never have been accomplished by mere ruthlessness and political scheming.
The four walked steadily along the main street. The closer they got to the center of the village, the more orderly and meticulous the layout became. The streets and alleys were clean and tidy, and the functional areas were clear at a glance.
Looking at the peaceful and tranquil scenery along the way, Yaoyu couldn't help but sigh softly, "Honestly, this doesn't feel like a village that's only been built for a little over a year."
"Look at these Uchiha clansmen, they look relaxed and at peace. Compared to their clansmen in Konoha, who live in constant suspicion and estrangement, they are in much better condition."
Natsu did not respond, but silently kept these words in her heart.
The overall structure, governance system, and atmosphere of Flame Ninja Village do not resemble a hastily produced product of the early Warring Sengoku period; instead, they exude the maturity and stability of a well-established ninja village system.
It seems that this time, he must meet Uchiha King in person to thoroughly understand this person's background and origins.
The four walked steadily along the main street, Natsu's demeanor even more somber than usual.
He casually glanced at the scenery along the street, but his gaze had already taken in the entire operating system of the village.
The meticulous hierarchical delegation system of the mission hall, the dual security structure of the Guard Corps and the patrol team, the clear-cut commercial and residential zoning, and even the width of the street drainage ditches and the spacing of the watchtowers on the city walls were all rapidly sorted out, compared and deduced in his mind.
These seemingly insignificant yet crucial arrangements, taken individually, could not have evolved naturally in the turbulent late Sengoku period.
At this moment, Konoha was still in a rudimentary stage of adjustment after the end of the chaotic era. Everyone was in a dazed state of putting down their weapons and barely coexisting, only hoping that the various clans would live in peace, without any systematic planning.
However, this Flame Ninja Village skipped the initial stage of unbridled growth and established a complete governance system that only a mature Ninja World would possess.
"Natsu, you've been silent the whole way. What are you pondering?"
Yaoyu keenly noticed his unusual behavior and subconsciously turned her head to ask him in a soft voice.
Natsu stopped upon hearing the sound, her gaze fixed on the sign of the ninja tool shop on the street corner.
The wooden plaque is polished to a warm, glossy finish. The Uchiha Gunbai pattern and the Uzumaki Clan pattern are engraved side by side, with neat and clean lines. It is by no means a hastily made perfunctory style, but rather a work of meticulous craftsmanship and solemnity.
He gazed at the scene silently for a moment before speaking slowly, his voice light yet carrying profound meaning.