A month after the Five Daimyo Summit ended, the new system officially went into effect.
Effective immediately, all Ninja of the Five Great Shinobi Villages stopped accepting commissioned missions. They had only one duty: to devote themselves to training for the wars to come!
An army was maintained for years to be used in a single moment. The Daimyo of every nation had prepared themselves for a long-term investment.
The funding soon arrived, and the major Ninja Villages began building large training grounds.
With that weight off his mind, Shikaku Nara came to Amegakure to visit Naruto.
Shikaku was an honored guest. Naruto immediately set aside his work to meet this elder he respected and loved.
Shikaku said, "I never expected things to go so smoothly. Kakashi and I had even mapped out routes for relocating the entire village."
Naruto said, "Honestly, anyone who can reach the position of Daimyo is shrewd. They knew exactly what they were facing. It's just that their status made it difficult for them to swallow their pride without hesitation."
Shikaku said, "We really have Sasuke to thank for this!"
"We do." When Naruto learned what Sasuke had done at the Five Daimyo Summit... he shed tears of gratitude.
The relief and pride he felt in that moment were beyond words.
Naruto said, "Itachi must be proud of Sasuke too. Sasuke has truly become a leading Ninja who can shoulder responsibility on his own!"
Click! Shikaku lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a swirling haze. He leaned forward, bracing his arms on the railing, his gaze distant.
"Next, the Five Great Shinobi Villages will pour enormous sums into building training grounds. But facilities are only one part of the picture. In today's Shinobi World, you're the only person with real experience fighting