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There's no official organization in the shinobi world that comprehensively ranks the military strength of the Five Great Nations.
However, if one were to insist on ranking the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure of the Land of Wind would likely be placed last.
Whether in terms of population, economy, or military might, it paled in comparison to the other four.
Firstly, the military.
Although Sunagakure pioneered military reform by incorporating the One-Tail, Shukaku, sealed within a temple since ancient times, into the village's forces and dedicating itself to researching the militarization of tailed beasts… the One-Tail's power was undeniably limited. It was precisely because of this limited power that other major villages didn't consider it a factor in the "balance of power."
Look at the other villages; they all start with at least two tailed beasts.
Konohagakure has the strongest, the Nine-Tails, while Sunagakure, despite being a Great Village, only has the One-Tail, which they've had since ancient times.
To compensate for this disparity, Sunagakure developed various ninja arts that allowed them to fight outnumbered: Puppet Mastery, Magnet Release-which maximized their terrain advantage-and a series of brutal training regimens designed to cultivate powerful ninja, barely maintaining their status as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Next, the economy.
As everyone knows, if you want to prosper, you must first build roads. Sunagakure, however, was constrained by its geography. Most of its territory was covered by desert, while forests lay beyond its borders, offering no benefit.
Sandstorms and tornadoes were daily occurrences. While Kirigakure was separated by a vast ocean, merchant ships could still safely reach its ports. In Sunagakure, trade was not only risky but also time-consuming.
Due to these factors, Sunagakure received very few commissions from foreign countries, relying mostly on domestic trade.
But relying solely on domestic commissions to sustain a village was impossible. The village and the nation were one; a poor village meant a poor nation. The financial aid from the daimyo was also limited.
Out of necessity, successive generations of Sunagakure leaders had to resort to using Magnet Release to pan for gold in the desert.
The Kage themselves having to step in to earn money to supplement the village's expenses was a matter of great shame.
It was akin to the Raikage, A, becoming a fitness instructor, Onoki a quarry worker, Mei Terumi her own… tool, Minato a high-speed deliveryman…
Desperation bred conflict, and internal strife within Sunagakure was fierce, with factions vying for control of the village's precious resources.
Water was particularly valuable in Sunagakure. In the past, water shortages had even led to several internal uprisings. These were only quelled through the forceful intervention of the Third Kazekage's faction, led by Chiyo.
It wasn't that they lacked water to meet their basic needs, but rather human greed that drove them to fight over any scarce resource.
In a village like Sunagakure, the more rare resources one controlled, the greater their influence in the Council of Elders and the appointment or removal of the Kazekage.
…
…
Sunagakure.
It was a rare day without a sandstorm. More villagers than usual filled the streets.
Despite its low ranking, Sunagakure was still one of the Five Great Villages. Its population and market were significantly larger than those of smaller hidden villages.
Pakura, wielder of the Scorch Release kekkei genkai and hailed as the "Hero of Suna," strolled through the streets, aimlessly enjoying this hard-earned peace.
In the shinobi world, the more a ninja was burdened with the title of "hero," the more bloodshed they witnessed, and their fates were usually tragic. Konoha's White Fang chose suicide, while Sunagakure's hero, Pakura, ultimately met a gruesome end, impaled through the back.
"The shinobi world is becoming turbulent again."
Not long ago, Pakura had been assigned a top-secret mission to Kirigakure. Just as she was about to depart, news of the Kirigakure unrest broke, followed by the joint statement from Konoha and Kumogakure, and the announcement of the Konoha-Kiri Treaty…
Each piece of news was enough to cause significant ripples in the shinobi world, yet they had all emerged in rapid succession.
The Third Shinobi World War had only recently ended, yet Pakura already sensed the looming shadow of another war.
However, due to the upheaval in Kirigakure, her mission there had been cancelled, allowing her the leisure to wander the streets of Sunagakure today.
In a harsh village like Sunagakure, entertainment was scarce, for both elders and commoners.
Pakura's usual way to unwind was reading.
As a ninja, she couldn't experience different lives, but through books, she could. Immersing herself in the world within the pages, experiencing the lives of the characters, allowed her spirit to touch something beautiful.
This brought her a sense of peace.
Recently, several good books had arrived at the Sunagakure bookstores, and among them, "Iki" was the most unique in Pakura's opinion.
It wasn't a long, epic tale, but rather a collection of interesting short stories, covering the culture and anecdotes of various nations and villages.
Refined, concise, and beautiful, it perfectly captured the hearts of ninjas like Pakura.
For instance, she found the cover stories of "Iki I" and "Iki II" particularly intriguing. They focused on Konohagakure, the most powerful village in the shinobi world and a frequent adversary of Sunagakure.
Having these factual, secret anecdotes about another village revealed before her eyes, Pakura couldn't resist the allure.
Stories like Konoha villagers willingly leaving money behind after being robbed, the Hokage's advisor being just an ordinary Chunin, the shady dealings of the Konoha ANBU… these non-military tales were presented with humor and wit.
Sunagakure's intelligence department wouldn't, and couldn't, record such trivial matters. And precisely because they lacked military significance, they could be published in periodicals and read by ninja from other villages.
"Considering the release date mentioned at the end of 'Iki II,' plus the transportation time… the latest issue should be available today!"
Transportation in Sunagakure was underdeveloped, so deliveries might arrive later than in other nations. Pakura didn't mind; as long as she could read "Iki," she was patient.
Soon, Pakura arrived at the largest bookstore in Sunagakure.
It was crowded.
Unlike other nations and villages with diverse entertainment options, reading was the only pastime for many in Sunagakure. Among the Five Great Villages, aside from Konoha, Sunagakure likely ranked second in literacy.
A village materially poor but rich in spirit.
"Shopkeeper, has the latest issue of 'Iki' arrived?"
"It arrived days ago."
"Eh? It's already here? I thought it would be delayed like last time."
"I heard the merchants found a safer trade route and hired ninja escorts, which is why it arrived early. They said they aim for simultaneous release across the shinobi world for cultural publications, so everyone has equal access to books at the same time. Villages have borders, but books don't."
Overhearing this conversation, Pakura couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.
If she remembered correctly, the publisher of "Iki" was the official publishing house of the Land of Fire, making them technically enemies of Sunagakure.
With Konoha's influence, it wouldn't be surprising if "Iki" was banned in Sunagakure. Yet, Konoha hadn't done so, allowing it to be sold even in enemy villages.
"Villages have borders, but books don't… huh?"
"How noble. As expected of Konohagakure."
Pakura sighed in admiration. Her animosity towards Konoha unknowingly lessened. Although Sunagakure and Konoha had a history of conflict, even harboring deep grudges from the Third War, for them to say such things… it was truly impressive.
"If only there were no wars in the shinobi world. Then I could visit Konoha without any burden, visit the village with the most flourishing culture, browse their shops, read their books, and meet that Chunin advisor, Gojo Kaigetsu."
"Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs.'"
One's hero was another's enemy. Pakura was undoubtedly an enemy of Konoha!
"Shopkeeper, one copy of 'Iki' Volume 3!"
"Coming right up! Oh, it's Pakura-sama. I can't charge you for this; it's on the house."
The system in Sunagakure was harsh but hadn't reached the distorted levels of Kirigakure. People weren't yet segregated by a "caste" system. In Sunagakure, heroes were heroes, deserving of respect.
"Thanks, shopkeeper."
Holding the unopened magazine, Pakura found a relatively secluded spot in a nearby drink shop. After tearing open the packaging, she turned to the first page-
[There's a shop called Taiten Ninja Tools in Konoha.]
[A wandering villager from Suna, living in Konoha, washes kunai for the shop to earn a living, just like the Konoha villagers…]
"Eh? A story related to our Sunagakure?"
Pakura readily accepted this premise, not showing much surprise.
There were emigrants everywhere, and Sunagakure was no exception. Every year, a considerable number of people, unable to endure Sunagakure's harsh environment, chose to leave, both civilians and ninja alike, becoming rogue ninja outside the village.
[…Konoha's kunai must be washed seven times!]
[An anonymous minister from the Land of Wind stated…]
Upon reading about the runaway villager from her own village being fired for washing the kunai only five times, Pakura sighed deeply. The story's credibility increased.
This was indeed something someone from Sunagakure would do, but not out of dishonesty!
It was simply due to the ingrained poverty of Sunagakure. Because water was scarce, they were reluctant to use too much, hence washing the kunai only five times.
However, putting that aside, would Konoha really rinse their kunai seven times? Such meticulousness… Presumably, the same applied to shuriken.
Pakura recalled her experiences on the Konoha battlefield. During Genin clashes that devolved into kunai and shuriken exchanges, Konoha's weapons indeed seemed sharper and more durable than those of Sunagakure.
"Could it really be because they were washed seven times?"
"Even a minister from our Land of Wind commented on this?"
Pakura was skeptical.
"Washing" seemed more like an attitude towards ninja tools. A way to ensure quality and, perhaps, a small test of the employee's character.
The sharpness of Konoha's ninja tools wasn't determined by the number of washes but by the skill of the blacksmith and the subsequent polishing at the tool shop.
Pakura suddenly realized the key point.
"Iki" was, after all, written by ordinary people who might not fully understand the ninja world. Confusing Water Release with water washing was possible. In reality, the actual polishing of ninja tools was indeed handled by Water Release ninjas.
The seven washes before being put on display were merely the final step at the tool shop.
While Pakura thought this, she couldn't help but feel envious of Konoha. The amount of water used alone… it was unimaginable. If Sunagakure were to use so much water to wash their tools for increased sharpness…
It would be sheer madness.
And the attitude of the Taiten Ninja Tools shopkeeper… if every merchant in Konoha was as meticulous, then Konoha's business practices were truly… A meticulous shopkeeper, honest customers, and a village that valued the opinions of its commoners. It was no wonder Konoha stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
Pakura continued reading with relish. The following articles were all to her liking. She lost track of time, immersed in the world of "Iki."
"Oh no, I got so engrossed! I'm going to be late for the meeting at the Kazekage Tower."
Pakura quickly closed the magazine and, using the rooftops, swiftly made her way to the Kazekage Tower.
Before even opening the door, she could hear the sounds of an argument from within.
"Are you insane? Don't you know how precious water is in Sunagakure? And you propose washing shuriken with it?"
"Hmph, what does it have to do with you conservatives? This is our share, the liberal faction's share!"
"What liberal faction's share? Aren't they all the village's resources? I will not allow such an absurd policy to be implemented!"
Due to the scarcity of resources, internal struggles in Sunagakure were fierce. The Kazekage held even less authority within the village than the Mizukage.
Unlike Kirigakure, Sunagakure didn't have powerful clans or entrenched elders. Instead, the scarcity of resources had led to the formation of various factions with differing views on the village's development.
The conservative faction represented by the First Kazekage, the martial faction represented by the Second, the reformist faction represented by the Third and Fourth… they constantly clashed over resource allocation.
With Chiyo semi-retired, the reformist faction, led by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, held most of the power within the Kazekage Tower.
And today, a reformist elder had proposed the following:
[Now that Kirigakure and Konoha have allied to develop their economies, and with the Third Shinobi World War over, a new war is unlikely to erupt soon. We, Sunagakure, should also keep up with the times and focus on economic development and internal affairs during these years of peace.]
[Reduce the military budget and allocate resources to road construction, water management, and learning from the systems of advanced hidden villages.]
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