https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-690-The-Opportunity-to-Seek-Immortal-Arts/12937985/
Chapter 689: Yu Sheng Mu Yue's Firm Stance
Chapter 689: Yu Sheng Mu Yue's Firm Stance
"Then let me ask you, Advisor Monen, are you aware of the costs required for such reforms?" Yu Sheng Mu Yue didn't answer Mizuhoto Monen's question but instead posed one of his own.
"An additional year of schooling. The increased number of grades will require more teachers, leading to higher teacher salaries, and there's also the cost of constructing new school buildings and classrooms," Mizuhoto Monen explained, trying to cover all the potential expenses.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue glanced at Water Gate, who stood up and placed a small booklet in front of Mizuhoto Monen.
"Revising primary school textbooks, creating new middle school curricula, school expansion..." Water Gate began detailing the various expenses required for the reforms.
Mizuhoto Monen mentioned some, but Water Gate had them all covered, even those that Mizuhoto Monen hadn't thought of.
As Mizuhoto Monen listened, he flipped through the booklet and realized that Yu Sheng Mu Yue had already estimated the various expenses.
"Since you are aware of the significant manpower and financial resources required, why insist on these reforms?" Mizuhoto Monen remained unconvinced.
Even with a prepared budget, who could guarantee the quality of future students?
Perhaps Yu Sheng Mu Yue, with his teaching experience, could ensure this, but as the Hokage, he couldn't possibly teach at the Ninja Academy himself.
"The Second Hokage's Ninja Academy inspired all ninja villages in the ninja world to follow suit. For decades, no other ninja village has undertaken major reforms. Doesn't this prove the superiority of the current Ninja Academy?" Yu Sheng Mu Yue took a sip of tea to soothe his throat, ready to engage in a heated debate if necessary.
"Exercising the body increases its demand for capabilities, requiring more food and money. Advisor Monen, didn't you exercise when you were younger?" Yu Sheng Mu Yue questioned.
Mizuhoto Monen was about to respond that it wasn't the same, but Yu Sheng Mu Yue quickly continued, "Fortunately, Advisor Monen was born towards the end of the Warring States Period; otherwise, the Ninja Academy might not have originated in Konoha. After all, when the Second Hokage proposed the Ninja Academy, every ninja village in the ninja world was still using the Warring States Period's training methods."
"According to your logic, Advisor Monen, the fact that everyone was using the Warring States Period training methods proves that they were excellent, and there was no need for the Ninja Academy." Yu Sheng Mu Yue's words were sharp, almost insultingly so, despite not containing a single swear word.
Mizuhoto Monen wanted to refute this, but he couldn't find the right words to counter Yu Sheng Mu Yue's argument, which was based on his own previous statements.
Chojirou Kamizuru's gaze towards Yu Sheng Mu Yue shifted, sensing a change in his demeanor.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue was incredibly articulate, his words sharp and incisive, a stark contrast to his usual gentle nature.
"If other ninja villages aren't making changes, why should we? How can Konoha maintain its lead over other ninja villages without these reforms?" Yu Sheng Mu Yue emphasized, rapping his knuckles on the table.
Although this wasn't his initial intention, it didn't stop him from making a bold statement.
Enma fell into deep thought after hearing Yu Sheng Mu Yue's words.
Konoha was already strong, and its future looked even brighter.
But was this strength something Konoha was destined to achieve? No, it was the result of Yu Sheng Mu Yue's influence.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue possessed not only formidable strength but also exceptional teaching abilities. He had cultivated several highly promising disciples and a large number of capable students.
If Yu Sheng Mu Yue were to reach the end of his life, and a new era emerged without another like him, could Konoha maintain its strength? This was an unknown that Enma dared not contemplate.
During Senju Tsunade's lifetime, the ninja world was peaceful, and no one dared to provoke Konoha.
After Senju Tsunade's passing, the ninja world swiftly descended into war, and Konoha found itself at the center of the conflict.
Enma sincerely hoped history wouldn't repeat itself, even though he knew he wouldn't live to see that time.
Before Enma could speak in support of Yu Sheng Mu Yue's reforms, Yu Sheng Mu Yue turned to Water Gate and said, "Water Gate, please continue."
Water Gate nodded, placing several documents in front of Enma and the others, and said, "Just now, we discussed the reforms for middle school. In the Ninja Academy reforms, there will also be a university above the middle school level. The university program will be three years, and only those who meet certain academic requirements upon middle school graduation will be eligible to continue their studies there."
Enma's mouth opened in surprise, and although he wasn't yet familiar with the concept of a university, the mention of a three-year program was already giving him a headache.
The process from primary school to university graduation would take a full ten years! Enma couldn't accept such a lengthy timeline, let alone the ten years of cultivation. During the Warring States Period, ten-year-old children might have already experienced several battles. This process was simply too long.
"The university will offer specialized courses based on students' strengths and interests. For example, students proficient in Fire Jutsu can enroll in the Fire Jutsu Specialization..." Water Gate continued his explanation.
Mizuhoto Monen was taken aback; this was absurd! The university even categorized down to specific jutsu attributes.
Even the graduation process, from Chuunin to Jonin guidance, wasn't this detailed. This university's specialization was incredibly meticulous.
After reading through the university's proposal, Mizuhoto Monen couldn't hold back any longer. This university might even establish a Sealing Jutsu specialization.
However, this time, Mizuhoto Monen didn't interrupt Water Gate but patiently waited for him to finish.
He had realized something: although the university seemed impractical, it was surprisingly well-thought-out.
In other words, this was likely a reform plan that Yu Sheng Mu Yue had been preparing for a long time.
Mizuhoto Monen had just experienced Mu Yue's debating skills and didn't want to provoke her further.
"Assistant Water Gate, this university should be a school for cultivating elite ninjas, right?" Mizuhoto Monen immediately spoke up after Water Gate finished.
Water Gate nodded in agreement.
According to Mu Yue's proposal, the university would eliminate at least seventy percent of ninjas from middle school to university.
This was precisely why Water Gate found the university unrealistic. Currently, the Ninja Academy only graduated around two hundred students annually, and during the Warring States Period, the number might increase slightly due to various reasons, but it would still be around three to four hundred.
With this elimination rate, only about a hundred ninjas could enter the university each year, and then they would need to be further specialized, resulting in an extremely small number of ninjas in each major.
"But to cultivate such a small group of elites at such a high cost seems unreasonable," Mizuhoto Monen couldn't help but complain.
In middle school, Mizuhoto Monen had to rack his brains to find areas for improvement, but for this university, he could easily identify impractical flaws.
Compared to the resources required for the university, the middle school's needs were insignificant.
Mizuhoto Monen wasn't exaggerating when he said that if Konoha were to establish a university, it could lead to bankruptcy.
"Indeed, establishing a university is no small feat," Mu Yue acknowledged with a nod.
The Ninja University was not comparable to ordinary universities from his previous life. If a comparison were to be made, Mu Yue's university plan was akin to establishing an elite institution.
After all, his university would require the instruction of numerous Jonin, a level of strength capable of dominating small countries and overpowering ninja forces outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"That's why we need to discuss and refine the plan. I believe that through thorough discussions, we can make it more feasible and satisfactory to everyone," Mu Yue said with a gentle smile.
Chojirou Kamizuru and Mizuhoto Monen exchanged glances, vaguely understanding Mu Yue's intentions.
Mu Yue might have considered establishing a university, but not at this moment.
However, to give them a way out, Mu Yue proposed this completely unfeasible university for them to oppose.
Understanding this, Mizuhoto Monen cleared his throat and said, "Reform is indeed necessary, but it should be based on practicality. I believe converting the current Ninja Academy into an elementary and middle school system is a viable option. As for the university, the time isn't right yet."
Mu Yue's performance today had genuinely surprised Mizuhoto Monen. He hadn't expected Mu Yue to be so assertive, a stark contrast to his previous self.
When Mu Yue attended High Council Meetings as the Hokage Advisor, he rarely spoke and seldom contradicted other high-ranking officials, leaving a good impression on Mizuhoto Monen.
After weighing the pros and cons, Mizuhoto Monen ultimately decided to go along with Mu Yue's proposal.
Enma's stance was too ambiguous, and the two advisors together couldn't counter the combined influence of the Hokage and the Advisor.
"Indeed, the quality of Konoha's Genin should be improved to enhance the village's potential," Chojirou Kamizuru also agreed.
Mu Yue's previous behavior in the High Council Meetings had led Chojirou Kamizuru to misjudge the situation. If she had known Mu Yue would be so resolute, she wouldn't have touched this topic.
Chojirou Kamizuru felt frustrated, as she had assumed Mu Yue would be a gentler, younger version of the Third Hokage. Now, it seemed more like a tougher, younger version of Danzo.
"The middle school reform is excellent. As the principal of the Ninja School, I think it's a great idea," Enma finally expressed his opinion.
All the high-ranking officials agreed, and Mu Yue's Ninja School reform proposal was approved.
After the meeting, Water Gate and Mu Yue returned to the Hokage Office together.
"Yu Sheng Mu Yue, you truly are remarkable. Everything unfolded just as you predicted." Water Gate couldn't help but praise him.
Before the meeting, Yu Sheng Mu Yue had conducted a rehearsal with Water Gate, forecasting the reactions of the other High Command members and formulating strategies accordingly.
Even though it was his first time attending the meeting and the other members were twice his age, Water Gate remained calm throughout.
"It's because they're so easy to understand," Yu Sheng Mu Yue said with a smile as he sat down.
Enma may not have liked power, but Monen and Chojirou Kamizuru were certainly reluctant to give up their advisory rights.
Even after Enma's death and Kakashi's retirement, when Naruto became the Hokage, these two old men still held onto their positions in the High Command, never giving younger generations a chance.
Driven by their desire for power and taking advantage of Yu Sheng Mu Yue's overly kind nature, it was only natural for these two old men to try to assert their seniority over him.
In truth, Yu Sheng Mu Yue didn't mind sharing power because the greater the power, the busier one becomes. Yu Sheng Mu Yue didn't have the time to deal with political affairs.
The main issue was that these two old men lacked the capability. Having been in the High Command for so long, Yu Sheng Mu Yue had never seen them make any significant contributions.
"I believe it's more than just understanding them; you also possess exceptional political talent," Water Gate said, shaking his head.
If it were merely a matter of predicting the advisors' reactions, then one could say they were easy to understand, or that Yu Sheng Mu Yue had insight into them.
However, Yu Sheng Mu Yue effortlessly presented solutions, which made Water Gate realize the gap in their political prowess.
"It's not talent, just a little research and study," Yu Sheng Mu Yue replied.
Although he hadn't officially started working within the system, to go further, he meticulously studied various TV dramas frame by frame, read realistic officialdom novels, and even sought advice from a retired relative who was a veteran cadre.
However, Yu Sheng Mu Yue believed that the most crucial factor in resolving this issue wasn't political wisdom but his strength and attitude.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue's power and popularity ensured that he would become a highly influential Hokage.
Monen and Chojirou Kamizuru weren't isolated individuals; they had families and relatives.
If they offended Yu Sheng Mu Yue, how would those related to them fare in Konoha in the future?
...
Night fell.
Zhi Shui and Teuchi headed to the Minato Shrine to attend the Uchiha Clan's meeting.
Teuchi usually didn't participate, but when Zhi Shui mentioned something important, he decided to accompany him.
"Teuchi, if you want to become the Hokage, it's not enough to improve yourself; you also need to gather sufficient support," Zhi Shui said on their way.
Teuchi had helped him a lot, and Zhi Shui was happy to support Teuchi's dream.
"For example, if there are over twenty Jonin in the clan, and they all support you as the Hokage, you'd have more than twenty votes directly," Zhi Shui explained.
"That's true. The Cold-Faced Uncle only has twenty-eight votes," Teuchi realized the Uchiha Clan's influence.
"Of course, I'm just giving an example. I don't want you to waste your energy within the clan. If you are nominated as a candidate, the Jonin in the clan will undoubtedly vote for you," Zhi Shui added, concerned that Teuchi might misinterpret his words.
The Uchiha Clan had a strong sense of family honor. Even if they weren't familiar with Teuchi, as long as he was the only Uchiha candidate, the Uchiha Jonin would undoubtedly vote for him.
"I understand that. I'm just thinking about how to take action," Teuchi replied.
Suddenly, Teuchi thought of the kind elderly people in the village.
"How about creating numerous Shadow Clones to help the elderly in a grand gesture?" Teuchi's eyes lit up.
If he could gain the support of all the elders in Konoha, it would be as good as having the support of the entire village. After all, they wouldn't disregard the words of their grandmothers and mothers.
Zhi Shui: ...
Was this still the language of the Fire Country? He couldn't quite understand it.
As they spoke, the two arrived at the Minato Shrine.
"Zhi Shui, Teuchi, you're here," many Uchiha greeted them.
In the Uchiha Clan, strength took precedence over seniority. When facing powerful individuals, even if they were of a lower generation, clan members would not put on airs and would proactively greet them.
Due to the large number of people greeting them, the two didn't respond individually but merely nodded and entered the Minato Shrine.
"Suspend the activities of some of the Police Force ninjas and assign them to take on missions as Konoha ninjas," Uchiha Fugaku announced the topic of discussion for the clan meeting.
PS: I accidentally slipped into the underworld again.
I hope it doesn't affect the National Day binge-reading! We will win!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
