This chapter was written on January 9, 2026. Why are you seeing it in the first volume...?
Sigh, I meant to post chapter 119, but something went wrong with the system and I couldn't change it back. Everyone, skip this chapter. I'll just write about the Shinobi World's system here. If you have different opinions, feel free to discuss them.
Well, to understand the nations' fear of the "Daimyo" and the balance of power throughout the Shinobi World, we need to look beyond the perspective of individual ninja villages and analyze the broader "nation-village" system, the balance of strength, and internal conflicts.
The Shinobi World's basic structure was the one-nation, one-village system. The starting point for understanding everything was the most fundamental political structure of the Naruto world: the "one-nation, one-village system."
The daimyo was the secular ruler who represented the nation, handling politics, the economy, and major policies while providing the ninja village with funding and land.
The Kage, as the military leader of the ninja village, was responsible for carrying out missions, training ninja, and defending the nation.
The two sides depended on and kept each other in check. The daimyo's financial support was the foundation of the ninja village's survival, while the village's military strength guaranteed the nation's security.
However, this relationship was not always equal. For example, the Daimyo of the Land of Water disliked ninja, while the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was ambitious and actively used ninja to expand.
These differences in the relationships between nations and villages directly affected each village's ability to make independent decisions and its will to resist when faced with external threats.
Within the "one-nation, one-village" framework, the Five Great Shinobi Villages differed greatly in strength and circumstances. Konohagakure, in the Land of Fire, was located at the center of the continent and had abundant resources. It had many clans, produced a steady stream of geniuses, and had many elite Jonin compared with the other villages.
But it had suffered repeated devastating blows, such as the Nine-Tails' Attack and the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Its top fighting strength periodically suffered gaps, and internal factional struggles drained its strength, as in Danzo's case.
Kumogakure, in the Land of Lightning, was highly militarized and united internally. It had Perfect Jinchuriki, had preserved its strength intact, and was highly aggressive. They were relatively insular and tended toward direct confrontation in diplomacy.
Iwagakure, in the Land of Earth, had top-tier fighting power such as the Kekkei Tōta "Dust Release" and possessed excellent defensive capabilities.
There was a shortage of new talent to replace the old. After the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, grew old, the younger generation lacked a leading figure.
Kirigakure, in the Land of Water, had gone through the brutal civil war of the "Bloody Mist Village," and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had ended up as the three lucky treasures. Internal strife was extremely severe, the Kekkei Genkai clans had nearly been wiped out, and the Tailed Beasts were out of control, making it one of the weakest of the five great villages.
In Sunagakure, in the Land of Wind, Gaara's strength as Kazekage during Shippuden counted as formidable. But in terms of top-tier fighting power, aside from the Kazekage, and apart from Chiyo and Maki, it might not even have had any elite Jonin in the later period.
Its resources were extremely scarce, and it was in a perpetual financial crisis. It had no choice but to rely heavily on the daimyo's funding and mission income, making it very dependent on the daimyo.
Taken together, the ninja of the various nations did not fear the "Ming" without reason; their judgment was based on several factors, including the disparity in strength and internal conflicts.
Konoha had gaps in its top fighting strength, Kirigakure suffered severe internal strife, and Sunagakure's finances were exhausted. This extreme internal instability and deficit in strength left them utterly unable to deal with a powerful external enemy.
Long-standing conflict and mistrust between the ninja villages also made it exceptionally difficult for them to unite against an enemy.
The appearance of the "Daimyo" was often accompanied by a whole new set of political ideas and a new order.
For the ninja village leadership and daimyo, who were already accustomed to the "one-nation, one-village" model and had vested interests within that system, this represented enormous uncertainty.
Resistance might mean the collapse of the entire existing system, while compromise or surrender might still allow them to find a place in the new order, as in Hanzo of the Salamander's choice.
In short, the Shinobi World's fear of the "Daimyo" was the combined result of the absolute disparity in strength, the ninja villages' inherent internal vulnerabilities, and the unknowns of a disruptive new order.
In the turbulent Shinobi World, where strength reigned supreme, temporary submission or compromise was often the more realistic choice when faced with a force powerful enough to crush the existing order.
Be water, my friend!