As soon as Cao Ya finished speaking, a large number of Jonin jumped out and loudly condemned his decision.
"The ninja village controls the military, while politics and the economy belong to the daimyo and nobles. This is an ironclad rule established by the first ninja village when it was founded. The second, third, and fourth ninja villages followed this rule, and when you, the fifth ninja village, first took power, didn't you follow it the same way? Why do you want to change it now?"
"The Land of Fire under the rule of the Daimyo is the largest country in the ninja world. Without the Daimyo and the nobles, the order will be unstable and society will collapse."
"In short, the Five Dynasties will either cancel this topic, or... hmph."
Those people seemed to be threatening. Although they didn't say it explicitly, everyone knew that if the Fifth Hokage didn't meet their expectations, he would probably leave Konoha and join the Daimyo.
Others made veiled criticisms, speaking in a sarcastic tone:
"Without nobles, what need is there for ninjas? I think you should all go home and stop going on missions."
“Ninjas and samurai are similar in that they may have different paths, but they both serve the daimyo and nobles.”
"Gentlemen, how can we betray our professional ethics?"
"Some people can disregard morality for their own selfish desires, how can we follow their example?"
Those people were heartbroken, as if Cao Ya's plan to abolish the daimyo and end the aristocratic system was turning back the clock of history, dragging the Land of Fire and Konoha Village into the abyss of death.
Cao Ya took note of the guys who spoke, quite interested.
Whether these guys are mentally unstable or secretly colluding with the nobles and speaking on their behalf, they are no longer usable.
Find some excuse to get rid of them all... or better yet, just kill them all... these kinds of guys are a waste of food to be alive...
Cao Ya remained silent, which seemed to embolden those people, who then uttered all sorts of curses and rebukes.
Even those who were neutral were starting to find it hard to listen.
He's the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, can't you at least show him some respect?
However, this bizarre and unpredictable meal will eventually come to an end.
When the room fell silent again and everyone's attention turned to Cao Ya, his expression turned cold. He tapped his fingers on the table and said indifferently:
"Ninjas and samurai both serve the daimyo and nobles? I only ask one question, why?"
"Without nobles, there's no need for ninjas? Ninjutsu is the power to change the world, ninjas are the people who control ninjutsu, and nobles are the insignificant group."
"The ninja village's loyalty to the daimyo is an ironclad rule established by the first daimyo? I also want to ask, why should the daimyo be worthy of our loyalty? Are we acting for the common people, or for the few daimyo and nobles we can count on one hand?"
"Huh? Who can answer me?"
Cao Ya coldly surveyed the surroundings and said:
"Ninjas should be for the majority of the people, not just the very few nobles."
"Ninjas fight to the death on the battlefield, and the people are displaced by the war, resulting in countless war orphans. But what about the nobles? They indulge in debauchery and decadence, wantonly trampling on the people and looking down on the ninjas. I really want to ask, why?"
"Does the development of agriculture and people's livelihood require nobles, or does the development of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu require nobles?"
"No, we don't need any of that! Agriculture and handicrafts are the skills that the people rely on, while ninjutsu, which has the power to change the ecology of the ninja world, is the skill of us ninjas."
"Tell me, where in this are nobles needed?"
"Why should the common people and ninjas be exploited by the nobles?"
"The progress and changes in the world are driven by the people and ninjas; nobles and daimyo are the ones who hold things back."
"It's time to say 'no' to this backward and ignorant system! We must stand up and resist! We must work for the well-being of the people! We must overthrow the aristocratic system that oppresses the people and the ninjas!"
Cao Ya clenched his fist heavily:
"This is the voice of hundreds of millions of people!"
The meeting room became even quieter, with only Cao Ya's voice echoing.
After a moment of silence, a retired Jonin muttered:
"Loyalty to the daimyo and service to the nobility have always been the principles..."
Cao Ya glanced at it and questioned:
"Is it right just because it's always been this way?"
Ignoring the speechless old ninja, he stood up and paced back and forth on the stage.
Cao Ya extended his hand and asked:
"I ask you, in which aspect of the world's changes and progress has the nobility contributed?"
Still, silence.
"All men are created equal. Why should nobles be above us, standing on the heads of the people, swaggering and showing off their power?"
This time, someone objected:
"Because nobles are descendants of ancient nobles, and are born with honor."
Cao Ya almost laughed in anger:
"A nobleman? Which nobleman? What did he do that benefited the world? Even if he did, the wealth and status he left behind before his death were enough for his descendants to start from a higher point. This is not a reason for nobles to exploit the people."
"Any exploiter should die! They deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
Cao Ya spoke those last two sentences through gritted teeth, his voice filled with murderous intent.
This seemed to frighten everyone; no one expected Cao Ya to have such a cold attitude.
"I agree with the Fifth Hokage," Orochimaru was the first to speak, raising one hand and saying, "I'm just a commoner. As for nobles, who has talent that can compare to mine?"
Orochimaru seemed to have a lot to say because of Cao Ya.
He continued:
"Everyone, the benefits that those projects have brought to Konoha by improving people's lives are obvious to all. The research and development department deserves some credit for those projects, but the people who have actually benefited from them deserve even more credit!"
"Nobles only know how to take bribes and demand favors; they don't understand anything else."
Orochimaru also held the same contemptuous attitude towards those nobles.
Jiraiya rubbed his temples and raised his hand as well.
Following this, a large number of powerful figures, including Hiashi Hyuga, Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Kurenai Yuhi, raised their hands to show their support for the Fifth Hokage.
In particular, all the civilian ninjas, without exception, raised their hands.
Only some ninjas from ninja clans, especially the older ones, looked utterly dejected, muttering things like "rebellion" and "disloyalty."
But no one paid them any attention anymore.
It must be said that Cao Ya's speech was quite inspiring. Many ninjas were moved and wished they could immediately kill those nobles and restore justice and equality to the world.
Who would really be willing to serve as a servant to certain people?
Even nominally, they don't want to.
Cao Ya smiled broadly. With the integration of Konoha Village, he would have enough power to fight against the ninja world.
He also knew very well that those famous figures and nobles would never give up easily and surrender without a fight.
This is an act of overthrowing an oppressive class, and violence must be used in order to smash the armed machinery that maintains that oppressive class and to re-establish an armed institution belonging to the oppressed class.
How can this process of breaking down and rebuilding be done without violence?
Suddenly, Cao Ya's expression changed slightly. He looked outside, as if he had noticed something.
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