Chapter 413 – Passed!
At that moment, the tension that had been weighing on Minato finally eased.
What worried him most had always been the inaction of the civilian shinobi.
Strictly speaking, he himself had once been a civilian ninja.
But in truth—
His circumstances had long since become different.
He was Jiraiya's disciple, and in the eyes of the village he naturally belonged to the Hokage faction.
The resources he had received far exceeded those of ordinary shinobi.
No one truly regarded him as a civilian ninja anymore.
Minato himself understood this clearly.
Yet he had never allowed that fact to distance him from his origins.
Because he knew what his true identity was.
And under Kei's guidance, he had come to believe even more strongly that Konoha must become a unified whole.
That was why he had made this decision.
Admittedly, dividing the village horizontally by rank would create certain structural gaps.
But consider this—
How many genin were there in Konoha?
And how difficult was the promotion from genin to chūnin?
In reality, the connection between those two ranks was extremely close.
Genin and chūnin would naturally merge into a more unified body.
But jōnin?
How many jōnin did Konoha actually have?
That number included the Hokage himself, the department heads, and the clan leaders.
By shifting political conflicts into a rank-based structure, Minato could redirect long-standing tensions.
That had always been his ultimate objective—
An idea he had reached under Kei's influence.
Looking at the room now, where people were beginning to cast their votes, Minato allowed himself a faint smile.
The final result was still uncertain.
But he could feel it.
The initiative had already shifted into his hands.
If necessary…
I might have to manipulate things behind the scenes.
The thought made him slightly uneasy.
Kei had mentioned such tactics before.
But Minato himself had never actually done something like that.
Still—
If things came down to it…
Perhaps Kei could simply use genjutsu to control the person announcing the results.
That would solve everything.
Yet Minato felt reluctant to ask.
Not because he feared leaving evidence.
After all, even his position as Hokage had been influenced by Kei's maneuvering.
What did he have left to fear?
No—
He simply felt embarrassed.
It seemed as though he always needed Kei's help.
---
"Are you not worried?"
Beside him, Ayaka suddenly spoke quietly.
"Strictly speaking, your vote count still isn't very high. Do you really not need me to state my position?"
"No need," Kei replied calmly.
"I already told you."
"Yes, if you stood up now, it could represent my stance—or the stance I hope the Hyūga clan would take."
"But that wouldn't benefit you."
"My own position has already been made clear. There's no need for you to do anything more."
Ayaka shook her head slightly but said nothing further.
In truth, if she spoke now, the consequences might outweigh the benefits.
Not only could it erase the quiet prestige she had gained within the Hyūga clan after the Cloud Village incident—
It would also make it appear as though she was openly defying her clan leader.
And that was something she could not easily afford.
---
She quickly calculated the situation.
Head vote: four votes
Clan leader vote: two votes
Jōnin vote: one vote
Compared with the Sarutobi faction and their allies—
Kei's side still seemed to be behind.
The war had drawn much of the village's attention away.
That reduced the intensity of opposition to this reform.
But it also meant many shinobi were absent from the village—
Which cost Kei's faction many potential votes.
"I understand," Ayaka sighed softly.
"I hope you succeed."
"If things really go wrong," Kei murmured casually, "we can always manipulate the vote."
The three people beside him turned to stare at him.
Kenta.
Kakashi.
Ayaka.
All looked stunned.
Ayaka let out a cold laugh.
"That sounds exactly like something you would say."
"After all, you're the one who once said that if someone you like doesn't like you back, you can just control them with genjutsu."
"Perfectly in character."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kei shrugged. "I think it's a perfectly reasonable strategy."
Then he looked toward Minato again.
"Let's see the final result."
"Hyūga Hiashi and the Ino–Shika–Chō clans haven't voted yet."
---
Indeed—
Hiashi Hyūga had remained silent.
And so had the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance.
It was clear they were still hesitating.
Hiashi's situation was relatively simple.
He represented only the Hyūga clan.
But the Hyūga were one of Konoha's great noble clans.
Even if the number of their jōnin was not particularly high—
It was still considerable.
And most of those jōnin belonged to the branch family.
If Hiashi supported the reform—
Wouldn't that effectively weaken the main family's dominance?
Even if he had certain thoughts about the matter—
The decision was far from simple.
The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance faced similar difficulty.
Together, the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans possessed a number of jōnin rivaling—or even surpassing—the Uchiha.
And the three clans had always acted together.
Never separately.
By the time the rest of the room had finished voting—
These two factions were still silent.
At that moment, almost everyone's attention shifted toward them.
Everyone knew.
Their decision might very well determine the outcome.
---
"Hokage-sama."
Perhaps tired of the pressure—or perhaps having finally reached a conclusion—
Nara Shikaku stood up.
Beside him rose Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chōza.
"After careful consideration," Shikaku said calmly, "we believe this proposal will greatly benefit Konoha."
"Therefore, on behalf of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, we support the Hokage's reform."
The moment Shikaku announced their decision—
Two completely different reactions appeared in the room.
Some faces remained calm.
Others lit up with barely concealed excitement.
The calm ones were the clans that had opposed the proposal from the start.
Because they understood the nature of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance.
They were pragmatic.
Measured.
And rarely acted recklessly.
The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance had always followed this pattern.
They supported the Hokage to protect the stability of the current administration while also helping to balance internal conflicts.
And right now, the Hokage's side was clearly at a disadvantage.
Their choice to support Minato was therefore not difficult to understand.
Still—
It left a bitter taste for some.
After all, they were clan shinobi themselves.
But at this point, there was nothing more to say.
Especially after Uchiha Kei had taken the lead.
What argument could they possibly make now?
---
At this point, only one final variable remained.
Hyūga Hiashi.
The head of the Hyūga clan.
A clan whose influence rivaled that of the Uchiha.
Hiashi seemed to feel the pressure.
Yet his expression remained calm as he slowly rose to his feet.
"Hokage-sama… I apologize."
He bowed slightly.
The moment he spoke, Minato's expression shifted.
Not only Minato—
Even Kei's face darkened slightly.
But Hiashi acted as though he noticed nothing and continued speaking.
"As the head of the Hyūga clan, I cannot agree with this proposal."
"So I must decline."
"I reject this proposal."
"I see…" Minato sighed softly, disappointment evident in his voice.
He was about to respond—
But Hiashi spoke again.
"However…"
"I speak only for myself."
Hiashi raised his head, his expression resolute.
"As clan leader, I can represent my clan."
"But I believe my clan members deserve the right to make their own choice."
"I reject the proposal."
"But the jōnin of the Hyūga clan may vote for themselves."
"Regardless of whether they belong to a department… regardless of whether they are from the main family or the branch family…"
"They will make their own decision."
---
Hiashi had played a clever move.
He attempted to avoid offending the traditional clan factions—
While simultaneously avoiding offending Minato and Kei.
But in truth—
His stance had already been revealed.
He was leaning toward Minato.
Why?
Because as clan leader, he controlled only two votes.
But the Hyūga clan possessed more than ten jōnin votes.
And everyone knew how much resentment the branch family harbored toward the main family.
Just look at Ayaka.
She had entered the hall beside Kei and never once greeted Hiashi.
Even with Kei protecting her, that behavior was already pushing the limits.
The fact that she hadn't openly voted with Kei could already be considered proof that Hiashi still maintained some authority within the clan.
---
In the end, the crowd turned their attention toward the shinobi responsible for counting the votes.
Most people already had a rough idea of the outcome.
The two largest clans—Uchiha and Hyūga—were effectively supporting the reform.
The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance had also joined them.
Add the civilian jōnin—
And the result was almost certain.
Still—
They wanted to see the numbers.
If Minato had not interfered behind the scenes—
Perhaps there was still a chance.
Though in truth…
That was little more than their final stubborn hope.
---
"Has everyone finished voting?" Minato asked calmly.
After confirming that all Hyūga branch-family jōnin had cast their ballots, he nodded.
"Then… please announce the results."
With that, Minato stepped aside.
But at that moment—
He noticed something.
Kei's eyes had turned crimson.
The Sharingan.
Clearly, Kei was preparing for any unexpected situation.
He was ready to manipulate the result if necessary.
Ayaka leaned forward slightly, arms folded—blocking one line of sight.
Kenta and Kakashi subtly shifted positions, covering other angles.
Minato opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Perhaps it wasn't right.
But…
He truly wanted this reform to pass.
If Kei ensured the result—
Then so be it.
After all, it would only guarantee the outcome they had worked so hard to achieve.
---
"Hokage-sama."
Not long after, the shinobi responsible for counting the votes stepped forward.
He looked nervous.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.
Kei's eyes locked onto him.
Watching his eyes.
Watching his mouth.
By observing the shape of his lips, Kei could determine what he was about to say.
If necessary—
He could cast genjutsu in that instant.
Unlike Danzō, who foolishly maintained continuous visual control over people.
That kind of manipulation was easy to detect.
Especially for an Uchiha.
---
"According to the final count…"
The shinobi swallowed nervously.
Kei narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then—
The man continued speaking.
At that exact moment, Kei smiled faintly.
The red glow in his eyes vanished.
"Final results…"
"134 votes in favor. 132 votes against."
"The proposal… passes."
---
Silence filled the hall.
For a moment, no one reacted.
It passed?
It actually passed?
This proposal—
The one that cut directly into the power of the shinobi clans—
Had truly been approved?
The opposing clan leaders were stunned.
Even Hiashi, who had mentally prepared himself, looked momentarily dazed.
After all—
His decision had effectively pushed the reform across the finish line.
Then suddenly—
The back rows erupted in thunderous cheers.
The roar of celebration echoed through the hall.
The opposing clan leaders fell silent as they watched the ecstatic civilian shinobi.
---
"Hokage-sama."
At that moment, the head of the Shimura clan stood.
"Forgive my impertinence."
"But may we inspect the vote count?"
Minato frowned.
Not only him—
Several opposing clan leaders also frowned.
Was this man still unwilling to accept defeat?
Even if the Hokage had manipulated the result—
So what?
Every Hokage after the First had probably used questionable methods at times.
After all—
Did the Second Hokage hold a vote before appointing Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage?
Of course not.
He simply declared it.
A Hokage had the authority to issue orders without consulting anyone.
If someone truly wanted to oppose him—
This was certainly not the way to do it.
Minato was about to refuse.
But suddenly—
Kei stood.
"If Clan Head Shimura wishes to see the results," he said calmly, "I'm sure Hokage-sama will not refuse."
"But once the results are made public…"
"That means the reform will be implemented immediately."
He looked directly at the Shimura leader.
"Tell me, Clan Head Shimura…"
"Is the Shimura clan prepared for that?"
The man blinked in confusion.
"Prepared for what?"
Kei smiled faintly.
"What do you mean prepared for what?"
"Were you not listening to the Hokage at all?"
He paused deliberately.
"Very well."
"Then allow me to ask you something simple."
"How many ninjutsu will the Shimura clan contribute to the jōnin reform program?"
The room fell silent once again.
The battle—
Had just entered its next stage.