Konoha has its Will of Fire.
For example, Hiruzen Sarutobi's oft-repeated saying:
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn."
Iwagakure has its Will of Earth.
Even Kusagakure has its so-called Will of Grass.
All these various "wills"—
During the reign of each village's leader,
they made undeniable contributions to the stability and cohesion of their respective villages.
And so—
Akatsuki Village, too, needed its own Will of Fire.
"Lord Makoto," Kazuma said after a moment's thought,
"are you referring to the Ninja-as-a-Tool doctrine?"
The Will of Fire was still in its infancy.
Kazuma didn't yet know what kind of political framework Makoto wanted,
so he defaulted to the dominant ideology of the current ninja world.
The Ninja Tool Doctrine
Makoto fell silent.
Ah yes—
The infamous Ninja Tool Doctrine.
An ideology that could be called the source of countless tragedies.
And yet… it wasn't without practical value.
In the brutally competitive Warring States era,
ninjas raised under this doctrine would do anything to complete their missions—
Even at the cost of their own lives.
This suicidal dedication was precisely what guaranteed a clan's reputation.
After all, employers cared about success rates.
Fail missions repeatedly, and clients would simply switch to another clan.
No missions meant no income.
It was a cold, unforgiving reality.
Even now, after entering the age of hidden villages,
the Ninja Tool Doctrine would remain the mainstream ideology for many years to come.
It wouldn't be until decades later—
around the middle to late period of Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule—
that this mindset would truly begin to change.
To be fair, as frustratingly passive as Hiruzen could be,
he did preside over a relatively peaceful era.
Especially during the time of the "Konoha Twelve,"
whose childhoods were largely insulated from war and enjoyed comparatively decent living conditions.
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs—
Once material needs are met,
people naturally begin to pursue spiritual and emotional fulfillment.
That was when ideas like "abandoning a mission to save a comrade" started to gain traction.
But in the present era?
Such thinking would be considered outright heresy.
Rewriting, Not Rejecting, the Era
So while the Ninja Tool Doctrine had many flaws,
Makoto had no intention of fighting against the tide of history.
Tampering recklessly with ideology was dangerous.
Instead—
He would retain its core, discard the worst excesses,
and add something new on top.
A carefully modified version.
"And what exactly do you have in mind, Lord Makoto?" Kazuma asked.
He took out paper and pen, ready to record every word.
The Core of the Will of Fire
"Loyalty."
Makoto's voice was calm but firm.
"I need loyalty."
Akatsuki Village was now filled with clans.
If Makoto's orders ever conflicted with a clan head's will,
the vast majority of clan shinobi would still obey their clan, not the Kōkage.
That had to change.
From Clans to Allegiance
Historically, the main military force of this world had been samurai.
That changed only with the rise of ninjas.
Beyond differences in raw combat power,
there was a far more critical distinction:
Samurai had a lord.
A clear object of loyalty.
Ninjas did not.
They accepted missions as clans.
They served contracts—not masters.
But now—
The Warring States era was over.
The age of hidden villages had arrived.
Clans had to become like the warriors of old—
with a clear object of allegiance.
And that object was obvious:
The village.
The village was where clans lived.
Where their families grew.
Calling it "home" posed no ideological conflict.
But for Makoto—
That still wasn't enough.
The Man on the White Horse
He thought of a certain figure—
A man who loved riding a white horse,
charging forward as triumphant music played in the background.
That governing philosophy…
Yes.
He could borrow from that.
(First, of course, eliminating the obviously wrong option—Tang Sanzang.)
Light.
Kōkage.
Will of Fire.
Wasn't he practically the embodiment of the sun?
The symbolism fit perfectly.
And with the First Shinobi World War only years away,
this hybridized Will of Fire would be invaluable for ideological unity.
The coming war would be unprecedented in scale.
Right now, the First and Second Kage were merely warming up.
All villages were resting, recovering, and stockpiling strength.
Once war erupted—
The opening phase would be a meat grinder.
By the end, many small clans would be wiped out entirely.
"I don't want casualty statistics,"
Makoto said slowly.
"I want—"
What he wanted was simple:
When he issued an order,
the clans would execute it without hesitation—
Not pack up and flee Akatsuki Village overnight.
Ideology as an Economic Tool
There was another reason.
Akatsuki Village's spending was hemorrhaging money.
Even with vast wealth,
endless consumption would eventually drain even mountains of gold.
New sources of income had to be developed.
The Tulip Scheme was a one-time opportunity.
You couldn't harvest the same field every year—
even leeks need time to grow fat again.
And frankly, that path was… unorthodox.
Makoto was the Kōkage.
He couldn't rely on crooked schemes forever.
He needed to make money openly and legitimately.
The Limits of Ninja Villages
Ordinary villages survived on mission commissions.
Makoto didn't even bother considering that income.
It was pocket change.
Once the First Shinobi World War began,
ninjas would all be deployed to the front lines.
No missions.
Only expenses.
War funding was a bottomless abyss.
The Only Answer: Commerce
So—
They had to do business.
Makoto was a village leader.
A warlord.
When has a warlord ever failed at making money?
Impossible.
And not just any business—
Monopolies.
Industry by industry,
cartel by cartel,
Establish trusts across the Land of Fire—
and eventually, the world.
Economic extraction in the front.
Military enforcement in the back.
A perfect dual-cycle system.
"I understand," Kazuma said at last.
As Makoto laid out his vision in detail—
mixing advanced economic concepts with political doctrine—
Kazuma could only marvel.
He recorded everything.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789