IX

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Arc X Chapter 4

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Asami sighed. Another day, another debate, another heated discussion in the council with her directly in the line of fire. Discussions ... Discussions never change.

This time, Asami enjoyed the privilege of clashing with Kaoru, representative of the Fuma clan, her most senior military advisor, and unofficial Minister of War.

Kaoru didn't exactly appreciate her new title and the wide range of responsibilities encompassed, but such was life. Every administration required a solid structure and organisation, a clear hierarchy and effective leadership.

Kaoru and her clan oversaw all military related matters and were responsible for implementing her structural and doctrinal reform. So far, her reform program proceeded smoothly, with only minor instances of friction between her and the Fuma clan. Relationships were mostly cordial and amicable.

Asami leaned back in her chair before addressing Kaoru across the room. “Lady Kaoru, no need to dramatise beyond reasonable limits. We are friends here. At least, I assume so.“

Kaoru didn't share her assessment. “You of all people accuse me of dramatising? 80,000 men ... 80,000 men ... 80,000 men!!! That's out of the question! With all due respect, Lady Asami, your proposal is the definition of insanity!“

“I must concede you have some valid points, but I hardly consider 80,000 men ... a sizeable force. 80,000 are frankly nothing. A minuscule force, a glorified police force at best. 500,000 ... 600,000 ... 700,000 ... A million, that's where we start to talk about adequate force projection. A million men under arms ... That's what I call a proper army.“

Kaoru threw a glance at Masanari, Asami's right hand within the council and de facto minister for civilian affairs.

He was agreeing with this madness?

Masanari merely shrugged. It wasn't him who made the policies.

Asami folded her hands. “But let's return to the original topic, I am acutely aware of our limited manpower pool, so I settled for more modest dimensions. 80,000 strikes me as a reasonable size, all things considered.

We need mass, Lady Kaoru. We need boots on the grounds to challenge the Hidden Villages. 80,000 men will have to suffice for our purposes. Not that we have much of a choice in that regard. 80,000 is all we have. We must use them with care.“

Kaoru still remained unconvinced. Her doubts hadn't subsided yet. “Still ... 80,000 ... Such a force will strain our manpower to the absolute maximum. Even then, I don't see how Amegakure is supposed to muster a force of this size ...“

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“Lady Asami ...“

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Silence.

Asami stared at the distance as time passed. Silence was truly a potent weapon.

“Si vis pacem para bellum ...“

Her words startled Kaoru. Words of a long dead language from a different time and age, of a meaning unknown to this world.

Asami clenched her fist. “If you wish for peace, prepare for war. Lady Kaoru, ultimately, it is not a matter of our own volition. What we want, or what not, what we can do, what can not, is quite irrelevant in the eyes of history as the strong take what they can, and the weak suffer what they must. If we shall thrive in this cruel world, we must take matters in our own hands.“

“...“

Asami displayed a slight grin. “Mark my words, Lady Kaoru, Amegakure shall raise 80,000 men. I did the calculations.

The village proper and the metropolitan area provides roughly a population of 300,000 upwards. The hinterland an additional estimated 400,000, which gives us, in total, a population of soemthing around 700,000.

We are talking here about a mobilisation level of ten percent and slightly above, far away from the unsustainable fifteen to twenty percent. And even that is more a matter of your demographic structure. A 80,000 men strong army is perfectly viable in my opinion without seriously impacting our civilian economy.

I doubt we will experience any manpower shortages in the foreseeable future if we implement universal conscription. And if, then we still have the option to employ foreign manpower, mercenaries and other various specialists.“

Kaoru clicked her tongue. “How ... How can you be so sure?“

Asami offered an enigmatic smile. “Don't be mistaken, Lady Kaoru, this is neither my first war, nor will it be my last one. You might say, I have personal experience in this.“

“...“

The case was settled, with an innocent smile.

Kaoru hesitated. “I guess, ... I stand corrected, but what about training? Conscripting people with no experience is one thing, is another matter entirely.

I have barely any ninja at my command, around 3,000 at most. I can hardly train a force thirty times my size, not to mention in such a short time. Individual quality will inevitably suffer among the new recruits. I don't want them to end up as cannon fodder.“

Asami reassured her. “I promise they won't. 80,000 sounds more dramatic than it really is. In fact , we aim for little more than 40,000 ninja, a number we hope to decrease further through various measures.“

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?“

Asami continued her soliloquy. “We will field a combination of ninja and conventional forces. 40,000 ninjas. 40,000 soldiers. That's the plan.

Our ninjas will serve as the tip of the spear, while the latter will secure the rear area and perform other occupation duties. They should be able to quell unrest and fend off minor attacks on their own.

We will completely replace non-essential elements with non-ninja personnel. I see no point in rear services such as command, communications, supply, and medicals units being composed of ninjas. They contribute little to the actual fighting, but absorb a significant number of ninjas for non-combat duties. Too much tail. Too little tooth. We will change that.

We will rely on a reserve system and regular rotation. Maintaining a standing army of 80,000men is inadvisable, and far from inconspicuous.

We are not alone. The other villages are watching us. It would be foolish to assume that they wouldn't take notice of our force expansion. We can justify a maximum 20,000 under the pretence of territorial defence and without arousing unnecessary suspicion.

We will reform the academy. The academy in its current form is an outdated institution, antiquated and inadequate in terms of size and scope.

The academy will be massively expanded and the current curriculum drastically altered. Too much time and effort is wasted on useless and periphery subjects. Too much school. Too little academy. It's not our job to teach them reading, maths, geography, and common sense. That's what a school is for, not the military.

It's the reason why we will raise recruitment age to fourteen. We need able-minded and able-bodied recruits, and not a bunch of undisciplined children.“

“...“ Kaoru and Masanari stole a discreet glance at each other. Wasn't that a bit rich coming from a girl that was fourteen at most herself?

“We will cut down academy graduation to six months. That's enough time to provide them a basic training.

The new improved curriculum will be far stricter and more selective with a stronger emphasis on practical orientation and fieldwork, such as leadership, tactics, formations, and manoeuvring. It will provide them with a solid foundation for later.

In general, we will eliminate ninja missions. Our ninjas shall focus on their personal development and capabilities. Missions are just an unnecessary diversion of time and resources. Not something we can afford.“

Kaoru sighed. This was too much for her, a kunoichi of the old school. The little princess' reforms were radical, so much was clear. They would change the lives of Amegakure's ninjas forever.

“Lady Asami, I sincerely hope you know what you are doing. You are tearing down the very foundations of ninjahood ...“

Asami shed few tears about their untimely demise. “Lady Kaoru, new times often necessitate radical change.

As so many other things, missions are an obsolete system. Missions might have once served a purpose, but they have long since outlived their usefulness. The time has come to dispense with them, hasn't it?“

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