In the capital of the Land of Bears, within Hoshinin Base.
The courtyard of Kanon's residence was filled with laughter and joy, and Haku and Kimimaro played a game of hide and seek with Karin.
Karin, who rarely had the chance to play with children her own age, wore a bright, radiant smile on her face.
Kanon sat on the engawa, watching the scene with contentment in her eyes, feeling utterly at ease.
A year ago on this very day, she had still been trapped in Kusagakure, forced to serve as a 'human blood bag', providing healing for the injured Kusagakure's Ninjas.
The only compensation she received was a place to stay and some meager food to survive. Back then, Karin had been malnourished, skinny, and frail, let alone receiving any proper education.
Compared to those days, her current life was already an immense blessing.
"Once the new Academy is built next year, the children will be able to attend." A familiar voice suddenly spoke beside Kanon.
She quickly stood up and bowed: "Menma-sama "
"Don't mind me." Menma waved his hand, signaling Kanon to sit down before taking a seat on the engawa himself.
With the Land of Bears and Hoshigakure now stabilized, the construction of a Ninja Academy could finally begin.
The goal wasn't just to systematically train combat Ninjas… Medical-Nin, Research Ninjas, Artisan Ninjas, and other specialized roles were also needed.
But it wasn't just the Ninja Academy. Menma planned to establish a comprehensive education system across the Land of Bears, setting up schools for ordinary civilians in villages and towns, implementing compulsory education to uncover children with ninja talent and enroll them in the Ninja Academy for systematic training.
Of course, given the Land of Bears' current financial situation, nine years of compulsory education was still unaffordable. For now, Menma intended to implement a six-year compulsory education system, with schools and teachers provided by the government.
"Menma-sama, after reading your new policies, I wonder… is six years of compulsory education too long?" Kanon cautiously voiced her doubts.
As the executor of these reforms, she understood the sheer scale of this policy.
Though the Land of Bears was a small nation, it still had a population of around one million. Under Menma's six-year compulsory education system, children aged six to twelve would receive mandatory schooling, with additional education for those between twelve and sixteen.
In this war-torn Ninja World, children matured quickly. By twelve, many were already valuable laborers.
"To eliminate poverty, the most important step is to eliminate illiteracy." Menma understood the importance of education all too well.
In a world like this, where Chakra and natural energy systems existed, educational resources were overwhelmingly skewed toward Ninja Academies. Ordinary civilians in most nations rarely had access to schooling.
"We could gather children with ninja talent and have them study at the Ninja Academy, couldn't we?" Kanon still didn't fully grasp the reasoning.
Just counting children aged six to twelve, the Land of Bears had around eighty to ninety thousand! And if additional education and night classes were provided for those under sixteen to encourage literacy, that number could exceed one hundred and fifty thousand.
Educating such a massive population would be an enormous undertaking!
"You'll understand in time." Menma didn't rush to explain the purpose of universal compulsory education to Kanon.
The Ninja World is a very cruel place… those without ninja talent would remain ordinary civilians their entire lives.
The compulsory education Menma was promoting for civilians focused mainly on literacy and basic knowledge. Only the Ninja Academy would teach Ninjutsu and combat skills.
During the compulsory education phase, civilian children discovered to have ninja talent would be sent to the Hoshinin Academy in the capital for specialized Ninja Training.
But even ordinary compulsory education would greatly improve the nation's overall quality.
The simplest example is the ninja tool production factory in Hoshinin Base, which produces kunai, shurikens, explosive tags, and various other weapons.
Aside from a few master craftsmen who were Artisan Ninjas, the dozens of other workers were ordinary civilians with no ninja talent. Their literacy levels were only slightly higher than average, and they now attended night classes for further education.
"My lord!" An Anbu's Ninja landed before Menma, kneeling respectfully, "The envoy from the Land of Birds has arrived."
Menma turned to Kanon, "Go and see to it."
"Understood." Kanon stood up and accepted the order.
…
In the reception hall, the envoy from the Land of Birds had initially been trembling in fear.
"Are you the new leader of Hoshigakure and the ruler of the Land of Bears?" The envoy, who is dressed in lavish robes, had been shaking the entire journey, terrified that he might be executed. He had heard plenty of rumors about how the Land of Bears' Daimyo and nobles had been slaughtered.
But when he saw the red-haired woman seated at the head of the room, he was taken aback. He hadn't expected the one in charge to be such a young woman.
"I'm not the leader." Kanon shook her head and looked at the envoy, who had gone from nervous to arrogantly dismissive in an instant.
"If you have something to say, I can relay it. I also have the authority to conduct diplomatic discussions on behalf of our nation."
The envoy muttered something under his breath, his eyes scrutinizing Kanon before he finally said with a smile: "Our Daimyo wishes to establish friendly relations and trade with your nation and formally recognize your new ruler."
"The name 'Land of Bears' can be discarded. Let it become history."
The fall of a small nation was nothing unusual, and during the Warring States Period, it happened frequently. Only the Five Great Nations had managed to maintain relative stability.
Even in the fifty-plus years since the Warring States Period ended, two nations had been destroyed: the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Sky.
The Daimyos and nobles of other nations didn't particularly care about the fall of neighboring countries… as long as it didn't happen to them.
The reason the Land of Bears' upheaval had caused such a shock among the western nations of the continent was that this time, it was Hoshigakure of the Land of Bears who had slaughtered their own Daimyo and nobility, breaking the traditional employer-employee relationship between rulers and Ninjas.
But in the six months since the coup, Hoshigakure's Ninjas had not expanded outward or attacked other nations, remaining peacefully within their borders.
The Daimyos and nobles of neighboring countries gradually relaxed, and a new theory emerged… that the Land of Bears' Daimyo had provoked a personal conflict with Hoshigakure, leading to the massacre.
So, under the instigation of the Land of Earth's Daimyo, the Land of Birds' ruler had sent an envoy to Hoshigakure, offering recognition of their new leadership.
After delivering his message, the envoy stepped back to await a response.
Menma emerged from the shadows.
"My lord, how should we respond?" Kanon asked in a low voice.
The Land of Birds was a minor nation without a Ninja Village, so its military strength is weaker than even the previous Land of Bears. There was undoubtedly a greater power pulling the strings behind this.
"From now on, our nation shall be called… the Land of Stars."
Menma decided to wait and see what these Daimyos were truly plotting.