Just as in their original fate, the shinobi clans struggling to survive during the Warring States Period had gathered together so their descendants could grow up safely and they could gain more room to survive.
The shinobi clans paid close attention to other shinobi villages of the same nature as themselves and took various measures to counter them.
Even then, however, Yanbai had already focused his attention on the daimyo and nobles of each nation.
Yanbai actively investigated what resources the various small nations possessed, what pretexts he could use to cooperate with them, and what pretexts he could use to incorporate them into the Land of Fire.
Yanbai bypassed the shinobi villages and targeted the daimyo directly.
During Konoha's early days, after the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had proven that his marriage-alliance strategy would not work.
Tobirama Senju, the elder brother closest to Yanbai, immediately implemented the contingency plan Yanbai had devised earlier-replace the daimyo.
The current daimyo was, in fact, a puppet installed by Konoha Shinobi Village, and future daimyo would also be Konoha's people.
Only once Konoha Shinobi Village was no longer constrained by the daimyo could it pursue its grand ambitions.
Decades of development had proven that this seemingly insane course of action had actually been the right one.
It was not just Konoha Shinobi Village that had become powerful, but the entire Land of Fire.
The Land of Fire taught its commoners to read and implemented compulsory education. There was certainly a risk that this would threaten its rule, but although it was a double-edged sword, the benefits were enormous.
In this world, shinobi were still far too few compared to commoners.
Commoners were the most important force in building a nation. Agriculture, commerce, and industry all required the efforts of vast numbers of ordinary