From what I understand:
The Daimyo possess the ability to appoint a kage with the approval of the Village's most skilled and experienced shinobi. Also, they apparently have to approve of a war before it's enacted, although we only have evidence of the Fourth Shinobi World War being started this way (an offside, but I would love an anime arc specifically about the other three wars, but that's probably just me). I would think they were landlords or something, but if they were, then they aren't extremely dictatorial, as they directly pay for the services for the shinobi, which in turn probably helps pay for their incomes. Yet, the very first arc of this manga helps show that they still receive considerable income from outlier villages, hence while this loss of income would be harsh at first, a profitable and competent village (which there really isn't an evidence of this besides Iwagakure, but that's another offside) may be able to adapt around this loss. So they aren't 100% crucial for the funding for the continuation of Konoha's village. Finally, from the few flashbacks we were given by Kishi towards the beginnings of Konoha, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara didn't seem constricted in any way by outside forces, i.e. the daimyo (mind, they may or may not have existed at that time). Thus, I leave this wall of text here with a few questions:
1.) What true purpose do the daimyo serve?
and
2.) What incentive do the Kage have towards actually listening to the Daimyo, considering that the Daimyo depends upon the villages for protection, yet a competent village can handle its own financial affairs through funding by minor villages and wealthy individuals/groups?
The Daimyo possess the ability to appoint a kage with the approval of the Village's most skilled and experienced shinobi. Also, they apparently have to approve of a war before it's enacted, although we only have evidence of the Fourth Shinobi World War being started this way (an offside, but I would love an anime arc specifically about the other three wars, but that's probably just me). I would think they were landlords or something, but if they were, then they aren't extremely dictatorial, as they directly pay for the services for the shinobi, which in turn probably helps pay for their incomes. Yet, the very first arc of this manga helps show that they still receive considerable income from outlier villages, hence while this loss of income would be harsh at first, a profitable and competent village (which there really isn't an evidence of this besides Iwagakure, but that's another offside) may be able to adapt around this loss. So they aren't 100% crucial for the funding for the continuation of Konoha's village. Finally, from the few flashbacks we were given by Kishi towards the beginnings of Konoha, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara didn't seem constricted in any way by outside forces, i.e. the daimyo (mind, they may or may not have existed at that time). Thus, I leave this wall of text here with a few questions:
1.) What true purpose do the daimyo serve?
and
2.) What incentive do the Kage have towards actually listening to the Daimyo, considering that the Daimyo depends upon the villages for protection, yet a competent village can handle its own financial affairs through funding by minor villages and wealthy individuals/groups?