Slash and Burn

Slash and Burn (火田, Kaden) is the term given to designate the formation of two opposing factions in Kusagakure after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Grass Flower and Grass Fruit.

Precursor to the Division
A few years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, new ideals began spreading around the Grass Village. These views came about after a tournament of sorts was held in the Shinobi Union. Meant as a way to have fun with allied nations, this battle focused on word play and intelligence, instead of fists and jutsu. When an opponent failed to respond or fumbled their words, they lost a point.

The event had gone over well until only Kazō Yakusho, Head Diplomat of Kusa and Shikamaru Nara, Hokage's Assistant of Konoha were left. It was then that Kazō began using the conversation to accomplish another goal. Many would have just saw it as any other part of the event, unless they managed to read between the lines.

During the conversation, Kazō implied that he wanted all of the smaller nations to form an alliance like the Five Great Nations did during the war. The Grass Village would then serve as a mediator between the two alliances, until the day came when both alliances could become one. It was Kazō's belief that two groups would be easier to join together than one group with many small nations.

The goal was definitely a lofty one, but some of the various village officials would keep it in mind for future discussions. However, among those observing the event was former Grass ninja, Yasu. Intrigued by Kazō's words, he left to set things in motion in his own way.

Having snuck into the village, Yasu began indirectly planting seeds of change in the minds of the villagers. Some learned of Kazō's ideas, and took them to mean the Grass would lead the alliance of small nations. These thoughts led to more, and soon many villagers saw this as a way for their village to gain more power, eventually becoming on par with the Five Great Nations.

Overview
With ideas of growth spreading, a divide formed throughout the village. When Kazō became aware of this, he made it clear that he was not on the side of gaining power. However, this didn't stop people from talking. Kazō had their police force, led by his former teammate Oda Inagara, keep an eye on the villagers to help avoid conflicts among the sides. Oda had agreed with the sentiment of gaining power, but knew there were better ways of handling it, and trusted Kazō to choose the best course of action. Although many didn't act on the words they said, the village was beginning to feel the effects of the torn populace. Kazō began referring to this as the "Slash and Burn".

"You know, like the farming method. Cut down a forest and burn the stumps and roots down to ash. Well, I don't see much of a difference here. With all that's gone on, the village is divided. A divided village can't function when their unity is severed: the 'Slash'. If this keeps up, the whole village will suffer. A weakened village will fall into ruin, leaving nothing but charred remains: the 'Burn'." - Kazō to the Village Head and other officials

Factions
The Slash and Burn saw two distinct sides form. The faction that wanted to gain more power was called Grass Flower. The faction opposed to this view was called Grass Fruit. Though use of the names began spreading throughout the village, they had actually been thought up by Kazō.

Grass Flower
Grass Flower wanted the village's reach to spread outward, like a flower blooming. They were tired of their village's world status. As one of the smaller nations, the Grass had a harder time than the more powerful nations like the Leaf or the Sand. On many occasions, the Grass had gotten caught in the crossfire of larger nation skirmishes. Even while staying neutral, they couldn't avoid harm. They needed to grow. The small nation alliance could serve that purpose with the potential for the Grass to lead them.

Grass Fruit
Grass Fruit wanted to remain as they were and keep their power contained, like a seed within a fruit. Although they had been through much fighting, both directly and indirectly, they still had to keep true to themselves. They didn't need power to get ahead. They had knowledge. Kusa was known for their diplomacy, and they had gained extensive knowledge on other nations. This helped them to prepare for whatever came their way. Tough they were often outnumbered, they could continue to survive on the methods that kept them alive all this time. Attempting to lead an alliance could just as easily backfire, putting them at odds with the very nations they tried to align.

Effects


Trivia

 * Grass Flower and Fruit are the same faction names used in Naruto 5: Blood Prison. The sides had the same views, but the method was using the Box of Ultimate Bliss to gain power.