Chapter 81: Konoha's Version of Compulsory Education
After the generous distribution of funds, the representatives of the major ninja clans clearly became much more agreeable. The smiles on their faces grew noticeably brighter.
That reaction was only natural.
After all, who would not like a leader who handed them money?
"The second matter."
Kei looked at the clan representatives in front of him.
"This great war exposed quite a few problems."
"Many shinobi in the village have weak foundations. The techniques they master vary wildly, to the point that it becomes impossible to coordinate properly on the battlefield."
"If this problem is not solved, its long term impact on the village will be far too great."
"Therefore, starting this year, regardless of whether someone comes from a ninja clan or not, as long as they are the appropriate age, they must be sent to the Ninja Academy for unified learning."
He looked around the room.
"What do you all think?"
The Second Hokage created the Ninja Academy to train civilian shinobi while also strengthening the village's cohesion.
But judging by the results, even though certain goals had been achieved, the effect was still not significant enough.
The core reason was simple.
The major ninja clans did not send their school aged children to the Academy.
They did not feel the need.
The great clans already controlled their own training. They raised their children themselves, taught them, and passed down their secret techniques, turning them into qualified shinobi.
They had done this for countless years, long before Konoha even existed.
Since they had their own training systems, there was no reason to send their heirs to the Academy.
After all, what the Academy taught was too basic. The techniques offered were limited, and for clans with even a little accumulated heritage, sending their children there felt like wasting time.
But that choice created many problems.
The first problem was teaching quality.
The ninja clans that survived from the Warring States period all had something to rely on. Either they possessed a kekkei genkai, or they held inherited secret techniques.
The former included the Uchiha and Hyuga.
The latter was represented by the Ino Shika Cho.
Large clans had deep foundations. They had ample resources and enough techniques for their members to learn.
The shinobi they trained had few weaknesses and also mastered their clan's signature abilities, making them clearly a tier above ordinary shinobi.
But there were also many smaller clans.
Some had only a handful of shallow secret techniques, yet they still clung to them stubbornly.
Shinobi trained that way often had weak foundations and severe shortcomings outside the few techniques they specialized in.
In normal times, those flaws were not always obvious.
On a battlefield, they became fatal.
During the war, Konoha had exposed many such problems.
The second problem was leadership and cohesion.
Whether shinobi were trained by their clan or by the Ninja Academy was ultimately a question of who held the leash.
If a shinobi was trained entirely by their own clan, would they identify more with Konoha, or with their clan first?
People like Itachi, who ate the Uchiha's food and still chose to wipe out the clan, were rare.
Most people who grew up under their clan's protection would naturally lean toward the clan.
So what Kei wanted to do now was strip the ninja clans of their right to educate the next generation and, as much as possible, shape future shinobi into people loyal to Konoha itself.
He gave it a pleasant name.
Compulsory education.
"Compulsory education?"
Hearing Kei's words, the representatives were dumbfounded.
They looked at each other, half convinced they had misheard him.
"Hokage sama… what you said just now… is that truly your intention?"
The head of the Nara clan spoke up, wanting a clear confirmation.
"Naturally, it is true."
Kei nodded.
"From today onward, all school aged children in the village must be sent to the Ninja Academy for six years of basic shinobi education."
"Those who pass this basic education may be granted the rank of genin."
Regardless of background, regardless of clan, all children of the right age would be required to attend?
The room could not help but gasp.
What a massive move.
Tobirama's original intention in creating the Ninja Academy was to train civilian shinobi.
But to be honest, after a few years, the results had been only moderate.
Not useless, but far from transformative.
The limitation was numbers.
Because of teaching costs, the Academy's intake had never been large.
There were restrictions on status, and students also needed to meet a talent threshold.
It was meant to train civilian shinobi, but the structure resembled elite education.
That did not change even in later years.
Even decades later, after civilian shinobi increased dramatically, ninja clan shinobi still made up the majority.
The reason was simple.
Cost.
Training shinobi consumed resources.
Even setting aside explosive tags and kunai, all the daily materials needed for teaching required constant investment.
The burden was so large that even with tuition, the Academy could not sustain itself. Konoha had to continuously provide funding.
And now Kei wanted compulsory education?
The first thought in everyone's mind was the same.
Where would the money come from?
"To put it bluntly, do you truly intend to include all the children of Konoha?"
Koharu frowned and spoke tactfully.
"The village's finances may not be able to support this."
It was more than simply not being able to support it.
Once this plan was implemented, with Konoha's current financial situation, it likely would not last long.
Even though Konoha was not enormous, it still held hundreds of thousands of people.
Among them, the number of children suitable for enrollment, even by rough calculation, would be at least ten or twenty thousand.
With that many enrolled, setting aside whether there were enough teachers, the yearly consumption alone would be a terrifying figure.
"There is no need to worry about funding for the time being."
Kei smiled at Koharu's concern.
"The funds the Daimyo sent this time, aside from the portion allocated to the ninja clans, will all be invested into the Ninja Academy for expanding the campus and recruiting teachers."
"Even so, it can only support it for a period at most…"
Koharu hesitated, still unconvinced.
"That is the other matter I intended to mention."
Kei looked at everyone present and spoke softly.
"The village's income is too monotonous. Relying entirely on the Daimyo's support and mission commissions is far too passive."
"Therefore, starting today, a Department of Commerce and Transportation will be established."
"Department of Commerce and Transportation?"
Hearing Kei's words, everyone present could not help but exchange uneasy glances.
.....
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