As he watched the Five Kage sign the agreement, Kazemori Masaki knew they could count on at least ten years of peace. What came after that would depend on the results of the Shinobi World-wide Chunin Ninja Exams system. In the original story, Hiruzen Sarutobi had adopted the same approach, and the twenty years of peace following the First Shinobi World War could reasonably be understood as a result of that system.
But just like the First Hokage's distribution of the tailed beasts, the Chunin Ninja Exams system could not guarantee peace forever. The Second Shinobi World War twenty years later was proof of that. By the beginning of the original story, it was clear that no Chunin Ninja Exams involving all Five Great Nations had been held for a long time. Only the Land of Wind had participated that time, and even then, it had ulterior motives.
Kazemori Masaki believed that human society changed dynamically, not statically. Eternal peace was therefore impossible. There would inevitably be periods of turmoil, whether through outright war, economic competition, or a cold standoff—
As a certain philosopher had said, contradictions existed at all times. Whenever one was resolved, another would emerge. The key was how to resolve them correctly, and when necessary, war could not be ruled out.
The Shinobi World-wide Chunin Ninja Exams system condensed large-scale warfare into a small arena. These simulated military exercises could resolve certain conflicts, but not all of them. As the system gradually lost its original effectiveness, Kazemori Masaki would need to analyze the changing situation and find a new approach to replace it, just as the Chunin Ninja Exams system had replaced the distribution of the tailed beasts once that arrangement ceased to maintain the balance of power. The cycle would continue.
The Five Kage each