The Land of Fire was formed by integrating the previously independent feudal lords. Under the new national system, these non-ninja lords still retained certain privileges. Within their own territories, they held considerable administrative power.
However, their most important military authority was stripped away. They were no longer independent and essentially became officials with hereditary power under the Land of Fire.
The unified Land of Fire needed a new ruler. Ultimately, Hashirama Senju chose a nobleman with ancient royal bloodline as the Land of Fire's Daimyo, responsible for managing the entire country.
In return, the Daimyo ceded a large area of land surrounding the Senju and Uchiha territories to the soon-to-be established Konohagakure, as its ruling territory.
Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, leading the Senju and Uchiha clans, established Konohagakure, managing all the ninjas in the Land of Fire, including the ninja clans who were previously feudal lord factions.
Thus, Hashirama Senju, with his immense strength and in a society yearning for peace, relied on the "Country and Village" system, which maximized the interests of all parties. He ended the war with minimal casualties and established the Land of Fire and Konohagakure.
Under the "Country and Village" system, the Land of Fire government manages the country's administration and economy, overseeing a vast population of ordinary citizens and providing economic support to the ninja village.
Konohagakure controls the country's military and diplomacy, managing all the ninjas nationwide and providing the country with military force to defend against invasions.
At the same time, the ninja village enjoys a high degree of autonomy within its own boundaries, possessing the right to independently manage economic, political, and cultural affairs.
The Land of Fire Daimyo holds the actual highest national administrative power and the nominal highest national military power. The Hokage of Konoha holds the actual highest national military power, serving as the village's supreme administrative and military leader.
They only nominally answer to the Land of Fire Daimyo. Their appointment requires the Daimyo's consent.
Therefore, nominally, the Land of Fire Daimyo holds a higher position than the Konoha Hokage. In reality, they are equals.
Even the Konoha Hokage holds a higher position, as the Daimyo himself was chosen by the Hokage.
However, if the village ever falls into chaos or weakens, this nominal power could have real-world implications.
Shortly after the establishment of the Land of Fire, powerful entities in other parts of the world, seeking to counter the large, unified force of the Land of Fire, adopted the same model of the Land of Fire and Konohagakure. They established the Land of Earth and Iwagakure, the Land of Wind and Sunagakure, the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure, the Land of Water and Kirigakure, and several small nations and ninja villages in the buffer zones deliberately left between the Five Great Nations.
Thus, a new era dawned upon the world. The era of ninjas had arrived.
“I see. This answers many of my previous questions!”
The old man's account of Konoha's founding differed slightly from what Chen Yue knew from his previous life, but it also provided details not mentioned in the original story.
For example, were the major ninja clans actually former feudal lords?
This wasn't strange. It was natural for the wielders of great power to control a region. It would be more perplexing if they couldn't.
This context also explained why Konoha allocated private territory to the major clans when it was founded.
It was obviously compensation for the loss of their original lands!
Why did Hashirama Senju choose to create the "Country and Village" system, a separation of military and political power?
Simply put, the Naruto world is created by a story made by people from Japan.
The country and ninja village are just like the imperial court and the shogunate in the Warring States period of Japan, aren't they?
Of course, there are also valid explanations.
First, the "Country and Village" system, filled with compromises, achieved peace with minimal cost.
The original vested interests did not lose much. Under the threat of powerful forces, they would easily compromise.
Second, according to Uchiha Hokaku's explanation, the First Hokage believed that ninjas, who possess the power to inflict great destruction, need to be restrained.
Konoha was founded to stop the fighting among the ninja clans and factions. But shouldn't Konoha, a ninja organization with even more destructive power, be restrained?
Hashirama Senju made the Hokage's position nominally lower than the Land of Fire Daimyo, a form of restraint.
Even the domineering Madara Uchiha didn't oppose this. Because, in his view, Konoha, which controlled military force, held the true power to interpret matters.
Could the Land of Fire Daimyo object to any decision made by Konoha?
Although Madara Uchiha agreed with Hashirama Senju's "Country and Village" system, they clashed on another policy.
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