The Naruto world is set on a large continent divided into separate lands ruled by daimyo who make all political decisions concerning their country. These daimyo implement shinobi to handle both internal and external conflicts, including espionage and violent missions. In this world of sustainable villages and skilled shinobi, the universe of Naruto may be better than our own.
In the political climate of daimyo dependent upon their most skilled shinobi fighting force, the Kage of each land holds immense political power that influences the decision-making of the daimyo. While the Land of Fire has an overruling daimyo that the Hokage must report to, the Hidden Leaf Village is crucial for the safety of the daimyo and the country as a whole.
Given the importance of these shinobi villages, more resources are directed toward their operations and defenses. These villages, like the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind or the Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning, are typically guarded by their own natural landscapes to make them harder to reach and infiltrate.
The Naruto villagers have a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle than the one we see in the real modern world. Not only do these villages blend into their natural surroundings for protection, but they also count on the local environment to keep them running. Villagers forage for locally sourced plants to both eat and use for medicinal applications, while also fishing and hunting for protein-rich meat. This world reduces waste and byproducts, as most things are made by hand and transportation is primarily by foot. This laidback and natural lifestyle is much different than our own, where cars and planes dominate transportation and carbon emissions are threateningly high.
While natural sustainability and the daimyo political structure of the Naruto universe already sets this world apart, the existence of shinobi and its handling of conflict is what truly separates this fictional world from the real one. Instead of using large armies and advanced weaponry to wage full-scale wars, most internal and external conflicts are handled by a select and small group of shinobi that embark on missions to gather intel or stop terrorists like the Akatsuki. These smaller teams of shinobi help limit casualties while often conducting battles far away from innocent civilians. Meanwhile, modern warfare employs armies with thousands of soldiers and high-tech weaponry that can sometimes cause mass civilian casualties, like the nuclear bomb.
However, despite the numerous benefits of using an exclusive and elite force of shinobi to handle all dangerous and hostile affairs instead of large armies, there are also several drawbacks to this lifestyle. Given the nature of powerful yet limited chakra, those born with chakra are destined to become shinobi for the good of their village and country.
These select few are offered very little choice in their career path, as shinobi villages train young children and mold them into weapons before they're even mature enough to realize the risks and sacrifices they'll have to make as full-fledged ninjas. While there's an argument to be made that the brave sacrifice of a few protects the masses, even the shinobi world can't entirely avoid civilian casualties and large-scale warfare, as seen in the four Great Ninja Wars.
Evidently, there are many differences between the Naruto world and our own, with benefits and drawbacks to each. While the shinobi world is more sustainable and their battle tactics require fewer people, the existence of chakra creates powerful humans with supernatural abilities who are born to fight. These extraordinary powers often lead to greater conflict and power-hungry terrorists who want to conquer the world. Meanwhile, the scientific and technological advancements of the modern real world make for a more convenient and safer day-to-day lifestyle.
