Orochimaru smiled at Fugaku's words. "Go ahead, Fugaku."
Fugaku nodded. "It's been a year since the Shinobi World War ended. The Great Ninja Villages signed treaties with Konoha, limiting most of their Ninja forces to fewer than six thousand.
"That's only half their peak strength. Those Ninja can barely keep their villages running, let alone look after the surrounding Small Nations.
"I propose that Konoha station Ninja in the surrounding Small Nations, collect a fixed annual fee, and take on missions locally.
"Given Konoha's strength, the nearby Small Nations won't refuse. If the plan succeeds, we can eventually extend it to more distant ones.
"There are countless Small Nations in the Shinobi World. At the rate Konoha's Ninja ranks are growing, this would give the village room to increase their numbers for decades without another war."
When Fugaku finished, the meeting room fell silent again. None of Konoha's Senior Officials had ever considered such a thing.
Stationing Ninja in other countries would be a first for the Shinobi World. Konoha had only done it once before, leaving Ninja in the Land of Wind for a time after signing the Staircase Mountain Treaty.
Orochimaru nodded. "It's an excellent plan, Fugaku. It would solve the problem of our rapidly growing Ninja ranks.
"Garrisons in the outlying Small Nations would also serve as an early-warning system. If the other Great Ninja Villages made a move, we could respond at once.
"That would help protect the Land of Fire. But Konoha alone can't secure cooperation with the surrounding Small Nations. I plan to visit the Capital in the next few days and speak to the Daimyo myself.
"If Konoha and the Capital send representatives together to persuade the Nations, I'm sure the Daimyo will understand why this matters."
Nara Shikaku said, "Stationing troops abroad