A moment later, the two exchanged glances. Shinku Yuhi gave a wry smile and said, "President, you must be joking. The two of us were just thinking things through on a whim. We don't even know whether this path is viable, so how could we possibly be qualified to become the founders of a new school of thought?"
"Senior Shinku, senior Kurama, I am not joking in the slightest."
Shinichi shook his head and said seriously, "The significance of this direction is indeed enormous. Perhaps it will not immediately attract much attention in the early stages. After all, a war is still being fought right now. People are more concerned with how to stay alive, and few have the time to care about the mental health of others. But once the war ends, those ninjas who survive the battlefield will inevitably carry all kinds of psychological trauma."
"Moreover, as peace is restored and material living conditions gradually improve, people will begin to seek more than mere survival. When that happens, issues concerning the mind and mental well-being will emerge and receive increasing attention. By that time, the step you are taking today will become the origin of the entire mental healthcare system of the Shinobi World."
"And when the two of you truly pioneer this field, then as the president, both publicly and personally, I should properly reward you for it..."
At this point, Shinichi paused and frowned slightly, as though he had suddenly remembered something.
A moment later, he continued, "Come to think of it, I've only just realized that our society still hasn't established a proper reward system. In particular, we have almost nothing in place for members who make groundbreaking contributions. How about this: After the society is formally established, I will personally provide funding to create a special prize dedicated to recognizing outstanding contributors within the society."
"With one-year evaluation cycles, the returns generated by this fund each year will be used to reward individuals or teams within the society who make exceptional contributions in fields such as the civilian application of Ninjutsu, medical innovation, and improvements to people's livelihoods."
"I haven't decided on the name of the award yet, but the areas of recognition can roughly be divided into several categories."
Shinichi spoke calmly and steadily, as though this framework had already taken shape in his mind long ago.
"Ninjutsu application innovation, recognizing breakthroughs that transform chakra into civilian technologies; medicine and health; recognizing those who achieve major advances in physical or mental healthcare; agriculture and food production; recognizing those who contribute to crop cultivation and increased food output."
"In addition, there should be a peace category, specifically recognizing individuals or organizations that make tangible contributions toward resolving longstanding grudges between ninja villages, promoting ceasefire negotiations, building channels of communication, fostering mutual understanding, and advancing humanitarian development."
"Oh, right. Cultural dissemination and education are also very important. Perhaps that should be included as well. Hmm, there are probably still some omissions, but those can be added later."
"At the beginning, this award will be conducted experimentally within the society itself. Once the society's influence gradually expands and its systems become mature and stable, we can formally promote it throughout the entire Shinobi World under the banner of the Ninja Way Origins Research Society, opening it to all ninjas and even non-ninja professions, recognizing their outstanding contributions in these fields."
"Of course, these are only preliminary ideas. The specific regulations will need to be refined gradually after the society is established."
Having said that, Shinichi looked at the two of them and smiled slightly.
"What do you think?"
The two exchanged glances, and then Shinku Yuhi spoke first while nodding in approval.
"President, I think this is an excellent idea. However, this funding shouldn't be borne by you alone. since it is a society award, it should naturally be financed by the society as a whole..."
"Let's discuss that during a later meeting."
Without changing his expression, Shinichi smoothly steered the conversation past the topic.
If it wasn't funded by him personally, then how could it bear the name of Shinichi Higashino?
After all, what he had in mind was an award called the Shinichi Prize, intended to parallel the Nobel Prize from his previous life.
What Shinichi wanted was exactly the same effect as the Nobel Prize: to have the name Shinichi Higashino permanently engraved on the base of the trophy, so that every recipient who stepped onto the podium would first speak his name amid the applause of the crowd.
Then again, the society itself already had a name: the Shinichi Society. Even if the funding came from society, it seemed his name could still be attached to it indirectly.
There was no need to dwell on that now, and he could simply guide things in that direction when the discussion eventually took place.
"I've wandered off topic a bit. Let's return to the project itself."
Shinichi brought the conversation back and looked once more at Shinku Yuhi and Murakumo Kurama.
"Personally, I support approving this project and listing it as one of the first core initiatives after the society is formally established. However, society has its own procedures, and none of them can be skipped. Later, we'll convene a special meeting and hold a formal vote."
"Once it passes, you can begin refining the existing framework. Give me a general proposal outlining what kind of facilities and equipment will be required, how much initial funding is needed, and what professional skills need to be added to the team."
"Also, based on my own medical experience, your direction might be integrated with the existing medical system."
"For example, you could try developing calming and sleep-aid medicines. The market for such things is quite substantial. After all, trouble sleeping doesn't only affect ninjas who have been on the battlefield; it troubles quite a few wealthy people as well, doesn't it?"
At that, Shinichi smiled and made a joke.
"President, what specific suggestions do you have?" Shinku Yuhi asked.
"My suggestion is that during this period, you should sit down and talk with some of the society's members who have medical backgrounds. If you really can't find anyone, you can ask me. Oh, and Tsunade-sensei will be returning in a few days. Her experience within the medical system should be a tremendous help. Besides that..."
At this point, Shinichi suddenly stopped.
What he had originally wanted to say was that they might also try combining the concept with sealing scrolls.
Specialized scrolls designed to seal Dark chakra that soothed and calmed the mind, or support-type scrolls used to dispel Genjutsu cast upon oneself, creating medical scrolls specifically for the field of mental healthcare.
But after a second thought, the project had only just begun. Even its basic framework had yet to be fully established. Assigning too many complicated tasks from the very beginning would only make Shinku and Murakumo lose sight of their priorities. It would be better to proceed step by step.
After all, although sealing scrolls containing Dark chakra did not require special carriers like Shinichi Paper in the way Light chakra did, their complexity was by no means low. They demanded extremely high standards in both the structural design of sealing formulas and the practitioner's mental control.
Using them purely for attack purposes was one thing; the Uchiha Clan were experts in that area, but how could they be used on oneself to produce beneficial effects?
The matters involved were not something that could be solved in the short term.