Inside the Star Ninja Base in the capital of the Land of Bears.
The courtyard of the Uzumaki residence was filled with the sounds of laughter. Haku and Kimimaro were playing a game of "Eagle Catching Chicks" with Karin, who was beaming with a radiance rarely seen in her younger years.
Uzumaki Kasane sat on the veranda, watching the scene with a heart full of relief. She felt peaceful and content.
Just a year ago today, she had been trapped in the Hidden Grass Village, forced to serve as a "living blood bag" to heal wounded ninjas. Her only reward then was a roof over her head and enough scraps to keep them from starving. At that time, Karin had been malnourished and skeletal, far removed from the possibility of receiving any decent education.
The life they led now was, to her, the ultimate form of happiness.
"Once the new schools are finished next year, the children can start their education," a familiar voice spoke from beside her.
She hurried to stand and bow. "My Lord."
"Don't mind me." Menma waved a hand for her to sit, then took a seat on the edge of the veranda himself.
As the Land of Bears and the Star Village stabilized, the construction of the Ninja Academy could finally begin. However, Menma's vision was broader; he intended to cultivate not just combat ninjas, but medical units, researchers, craftsmen, and other technical specialists.
It wasn't just about the Academy, either. Menma planned to establish a complete educational system across the country. This included primary schools in villages and towns to implement compulsory education for civilians, allowing them to identify children with latent talent and bring them into the Ninja Academy for specialized training.
Of course, given the current state of the nation's finances, they couldn't yet afford a full nine-year program. For now, Menma was settling for a six-year compulsory system, with the government providing the schools and teachers.
"My Lord, I've looked over the new policies you drafted. Is six years of compulsory education perhaps too long?" Uzumaki Kasane asked cautiously.
As the one responsible for implementing these reforms, she understood the sheer scale of the task.
While the Land of Bears was a small nation, it still had a population of roughly one million. Under Menma's six-year plan, every child between the ages of six and twelve would attend school, with additional vocational or night classes for those up to sixteen. In this war-torn world, children were forced to grow up early; by twelve, a child was already considered a vital part of the labor force.
"To eliminate poverty, the most important step is to eliminate illiteracy," Menma replied. He understood the power of education.
In a world defined by the extraordinary power of chakra and natural energy, educational resources were almost exclusively hoarded by Ninja Academies. The average civilian in most nations had zero access to learning.
"But we could just gather the children with ninja talent and let them study at the Academy," Kasane countered, still struggling with the logistics.
There were nearly 90,000 children in the six-to-twelve age bracket in the Land of Bears. Including those up to sixteen for literacy drives and night classes, the number would exceed 150,000. Educating that many people was a monumental undertaking.
"You will understand in time," Menma said, not feeling the need to explain the long-term benefits of a literate workforce just yet.
The shinobi world was a cruel place where those without talent remained "commoners" forever. Menma's compulsory education for civilians would focus on literacy and culture, while only the Ninja Academy would teach ninjutsu. Improving the overall quality of the citizenry would pay dividends in other ways.
For example, in the weapon manufacturing plants within the Star Base—producing kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and various blades—most of the workers were ordinary people. Their literacy levels were slightly higher than average, and they were already attending night classes to improve further.
"My Lord!"
An ANBU ninja flickered into existence before Menma, dropping to one knee. "The envoy from the Land of Birds has arrived."
Menma turned to Uzumaki Kasane. "Go and see what they want."
"Yes, My Lord." Kasane rose to fulfill the order.
In the reception hall, the envoy from the Land of Birds was initially trembling with fear.
"Are you... the new leader of the Star Village? The new ruler of the Land of Bears?" The envoy was dressed in finery but had been shaking the entire way there, terrified of being executed. He had heard the gruesome tales of how the Bear Daimyo and his nobility had been wiped out.
However, when he saw the red-haired woman sitting in the seat of authority, he froze. He hadn't expected the person in charge to be such a young woman.
"I am not the leader," Kasane shook her head, observing the scrawny man who had quickly shifted from terror to a forced sense of arrogance. "I can relay your words to my superior. I also have the authority to conduct diplomatic negotiations on their behalf."
The envoy muttered something under his breath while eyeing Kasane curiously.
Then, he put on a practiced smile. "Our Daimyo wishes to establish good relations and trade with your nation. We are prepared to recognize your new... Daimyo."
"The name 'Land of Bears' can be discarded. Let it become history."
The collapse of a small nation happened frequently during the Warring States period. Only the Five Great Nations had managed to maintain relative stability since then. Even in the fifty years following the founding of the Hidden Villages, two nations had been wiped off the map: the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of the Sky.
The rulers of other nations didn't care about a country falling, so long as it wasn't their own. The reason the Bear coup had caused such a stir in the west was that it was a revolt by ninjas against their employers—breaking the established social contract between the warrior class and the nobility.
But in the six months since the coup, the Star ninjas hadn't expanded or attacked their neighbors; they had stayed quietly within their borders. This led neighboring rulers to relax, concluding that the massacre was a private dispute between the Bear Daimyo and his ninjas.
Prompted by the Land of Earth, the Daimyo of the Land of Birds had finally sent an envoy to recognize the new regime. After delivering his message, the envoy withdrew to wait for a formal response.
Menma stepped out from the shadows.
"My Lord, how should we respond?" Kasane asked quietly.
The Land of Birds was a tiny nation without a hidden village, weaker even than the Land of Bears. There was undoubtedly a Great Nation pulling the strings in the background.
"From now on," Menma said, his gaze fixed on the distance, "let it be called the Land of Stars."
He intended to wait and see exactly what the Great Daimyos were plotting.