Natsuhiko himself hadn't expected that his proposal regarding Kakashi taking over the ANBU would pass without a single objection.
Whether it was the clans supporting him or the civilian representatives who had initially looked confused before eventually reacting and expressing approval, everyone voiced support for Natsuhiko's decision.
That made Natsuhiko's expression become rather strange.
Even the clans standing in opposition to him had remained completely silent, which was honestly a little too unusual.
Still, Natsuhiko reacted quickly, and soon he shook his head helplessly with a bitter smile.
"So I ended up making a small joke right at the beginning."
He truly felt like he had made a fool of himself.
The ANBU was the Hokage's direct military force. The appointment of its commander never needed to be discussed publicly in the first place.
And even if it was brought up, people outside the ANBU simply didn't dare interfere in such matters.
That was precisely the situation now.
Although both the clan shinobi and civilian shinobi found the matter somewhat strange, they understood perfectly well that the ANBU was not something they could meddle with.
Especially the clan shinobi.
Most of them believed Natsuhiko had intentionally used this issue to give the meeting a strong opening.
Whether it was to create a sense of participation for everyone or to establish his authority by obtaining unanimous support, they all felt Natsuhiko's goal had already been achieved.
None of them would ever imagine that Natsuhiko had genuinely made a minor blunder.
After all, his reputation had always been excellent.
Especially after how impeccably he had managed the ANBU, which only further highlighted his extraordinary abilities.
Thus, Kakashi becoming the next ANBU Commander was approved almost effortlessly.
Unfortunately, Kakashi himself was not present in the conference room.
The ANBU had a rather interesting characteristic in its organizational system—shinobi serving within the ANBU technically did not possess standard ninja ranks.
They might have ranks before joining, but once inside the ANBU, those distinctions effectively disappeared.
Even Natsuhiko himself had once been uncertain whether he should still be considered a chunin or jonin during his time there.
Although Kakashi had originally been a jonin, after entering the ANBU, those records were no longer counted in the normal system either.
As a result, he technically did not qualify to participate in this meeting.
Natsuhiko was already considering restoring the ninja ranking system within the ANBU in the future.
Moreover, for meetings of this scale, the ANBU should also possess the right to participate.
"Still, the promotion standards inside the ANBU will need to be much stricter. The personnel limits should also remain tighter, while the benefits should be improved significantly. After all, there are far too many monsters hidden in the ANBU…"
The ANBU was a gathering place for elites.
There were simply too many powerful shinobi inside it.
If it were recklessly and completely opened up, no one could predict whether disastrous consequences would follow.
This was something Natsuhiko would need to carefully study later.
Of course, he could also leave the matter to Kakashi—or even Namikaze Minato in the future.
He still had plenty of options available.
After settling the ANBU matter, Natsuhiko began adjusting several other positions as well.
He left the Administrative Department untouched.
Nara Shikaku had done an excellent job, so naturally Natsuhiko had no reason to interfere with him.
However, when Shikaku voluntarily chose to resign from the position of Jonin Commander, Natsuhiko did not try very hard to stop him.
In the end, Natsuhiko personally took over the role himself.
Shikaku understood very clearly just how much authority the jonin would possess moving forward.
He had no desire to create unnecessary misunderstandings with Natsuhiko.
Thus, voluntarily surrendering the position of Jonin Commander was a decision where everyone benefited.
However, aside from leaving the Administrative Department untouched, the changes Natsuhiko made elsewhere caused the expressions of everyone present to shift dramatically.
Especially the various interest groups that had once stood behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At this moment, they genuinely wanted nothing more than to tear Natsuhiko apart alive.
"Konoha is a great village," Natsuhiko said calmly, "but its administrative structure is unbelievably chaotic. Therefore, starting today, I've decided to completely reorganize it."
"As I said before, since Konoha has opened a new chapter, then Konoha's system of governance must also turn over a new page."
At this point, Natsuhiko paused briefly before continuing with a smile.
"So I've decided to fully restructure Konoha's administration.
"From today onward, there will officially be eight departments.
"These eight departments will be: the Administrative Department, the Finance Department, the Mission Department, the Police Force Department, the ANBU Department, the Foreign Affairs Department, the National Defense Department, and the Education Department.
"The responsibilities of the Administrative Department, Finance Department, and ANBU will remain mostly unchanged.
"At the same time, the ANBU will establish an Intelligence Division. It will function similarly to the previous Intelligence Unit, but on a much larger scale.
"I believe everyone understands the importance of intelligence gathering. Therefore, I intend to continue appointing Inoichi-sama as Division Chief, as his performance has always been exceptional."
Yamanaka Inoichi had always served as the leader of the Intelligence Unit.
Now that Natsuhiko was expanding the Intelligence Unit into an official Intelligence Division while keeping Inoichi in charge, no one present felt there was anything inappropriate about the decision.
Inoichi was well-liked, and his abilities were unquestionably outstanding.
Having him serve as Chief of the Intelligence Division was entirely reasonable.
However, Natsuhiko's method of establishing "divisions" under larger departments immediately caused many people's eyes to light up.
At present, Natsuhiko had only established eight major departments.
Whether more would be added in the future remained unclear.
But if subdivisions could be created beneath these departments, then it meant people could obtain the authority they desired without needing to stand at the very top themselves.
That seemed like an excellent arrangement.
"No objections, Hokage-sama!"
"Inoichi-sama's abilities are obvious to everyone. There's absolutely no issue with him becoming the new Division Chief."
"We fully support your decision, Hokage-sama!"
"..."
The moment Natsuhiko announced the appointment, almost everyone immediately voiced approval.
Perhaps because of the earlier "ANBU proposal" serving as groundwork, the response this time was even more positive.
The noisy wave of support did not last long.
Once the room quieted down again, Natsuhiko smiled and continued speaking.
"Very good. Thank you all for your support.
"And Inoichi-sama, I hope you'll handle this responsibility properly and live up to everyone's trust."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yamanaka Inoichi immediately stood up and gave Natsuhiko a respectful bow.
He appeared relatively calm.
After all, Natsuhiko had already given certain promises beforehand, so the surprise factor naturally wasn't too overwhelming.
Still, he was genuinely happy.
And not just him.
Every clan that had received promises from Natsuhiko was equally pleased, because this proved one thing clearly—
Natsuhiko was a man who absolutely honored his word.
Of course, they also understood that if they failed to perform adequately, Natsuhiko would very likely remove them later.
But at that point, the problem would be their own.
The greatest difference between intelligent people and foolish people lay in whether they searched for the cause of failure within themselves when problems arose.
Konoha had never lacked intelligent people.
What it lacked were opportunities.
...
From that point onward, the meeting proceeded almost exactly according to plan.
Since Natsuhiko had promised that everyone would share the benefits together, naturally he had no intention of slapping his own face by going back on his word.
Everything he promised, he delivered.
Right in front of Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and the various clans hostile to him—whose expressions had already darkened completely—Natsuhiko calmly announced every single decision.
The Administrative Department would naturally remain under Nara Shikaku.
As for the Finance Department, Natsuhiko handed it directly to Senju Shoma.
Before this, the Finance Department had never truly existed as an independent department.
It had functioned more like a subordinate office, though its authority had always been enormous.
And the person controlling that authority had been Koharu Utatane.
Natsuhiko could practically be said to have struck directly at them without the slightest restraint.
Everyone present clearly understood just how important the Finance Department truly was.
Whether clan shinobi or civilian jonin, all of them understood the implications behind this move.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had never separated the Finance Department in the past. Instead, he had kept it attached to the Administrative Department while still maintaining a high degree of independence.
His intentions had always been obvious.
He wanted to keep absolute control over Konoha's finances and prevent anyone else from gaining too much room to maneuver.
In truth, Natsuhiko's current actions were not necessarily any nobler than Hiruzen's.
He was openly placing his own people into leadership positions, and the meaning behind it was obvious to everyone.
However, compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the resistance Natsuhiko faced was actually far smaller.
Because now that he had formally separated the department, it also meant everyone would have opportunities to compete for it in the future.
Whether through proper elections or through future political bargaining and distribution of benefits, at the very least, everyone now had a chance to reach into a domain they previously could never even touch.
From this alone, one could see just how strongly some people supported the resolution—
And just how fiercely others opposed it.
Unfortunately for the opposition, no amount of resistance had any effect on Natsuhiko.
Though Natsuhiko quietly added another mark to his mental ledger.
And as he continued announcing more and more resolutions, the number of people he "remembered" only increased.
The resentment against him also deepened further and further.
For example, when it came to the Mission Department, Natsuhiko placed the Aburame Clan in charge as department heads, while the deputy position was given to the Inuzuka Clan.
That instantly caused Homura Mitokado to lose his composure.
After all, the Mission Department had originally fallen under his control.
Now not only had Natsuhiko split it away entirely, he had also completely kicked him out of it.
How could Homura possibly accept such a decision?
Unfortunately for him, Natsuhiko didn't even need to personally argue against the objections.
A massive group of supporters immediately stepped forward to refute Homura on his behalf.
In the end, the resolution passed without much difficulty.
As for the four major departments—the Police Force Department, the Foreign Affairs Department, the National Defense Department, and the Education Department—Natsuhiko "carefully listened to everyone's opinions" before ultimately making the final decisions.
The Police Force Department would continue to remain under Uchiha management.
The department head position was handed to Uchiha Haru, the son of Uchiha Shin.
And Uchiha Haru immediately made a solemn declaration.
"The Police Force belongs to Konoha, not the Uchiha Clan. I will absolutely lead the Police Force to an even better future!"
Faced with such a declaration, Natsuhiko merely smiled before offering a few words of encouragement.
In truth, everyone understood something very clearly.
As long as Natsuhiko remained in power, the Police Force would truly belong only to Konoha.
After all, the connection between the Police Force and Natsuhiko was something nobody could fail to see.
At the same time, many people also noticed that the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku, remained unusually silent throughout the entire process.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Of course, nobody particularly cared either.
The internal conflict within the Uchiha Clan was already something everyone had heard about.
Perhaps after today, all of it would finally come to an end.
As for the National Defense Department, Natsuhiko handed it over to the Hyuga Clan.
This decision, however, remained somewhat controversial.
Although the Hyuga Clan was Konoha's largest clan aside from the Uchiha, their capabilities had never truly been thoroughly tested.
Even though they had contributed during the war between Kumogakure and Konoha, everyone knew perfectly well that the final stage of that war had essentially become a one-man performance.
Still, since Natsuhiko personally recommended them—and many others also voiced support, especially after Natsuhiko offered everyone anonymous voting rights—
The resolution ultimately passed by a relatively narrow margin, allowing the Hyūga Clan to secure the position of Defense Department Head.
However, to maintain balance and compromise, Natsuhiko also appointed four deputy heads.
These four deputy positions were filled by members of the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, the Akimichi Clan, and the Sarutobi Clan respectively.
That's right.
The Sarutobi Clan.
Natsuhiko had clearly noticed Hiruzen Sarutobi's willingness to compromise.
And under Hiruzen's leadership, the Sarutobi Clan itself had indeed developed into a remarkably powerful force.
To deal with them directly wasn't impossible, but Natsuhiko still had to consider what kind of destructive impact and consequences it would ultimately bring.
More importantly, for now, he had already taken back all real power. And those clans, at least on the surface, were behaving themselves.
Compared to the other factions opposing him, they were practically tame—almost sheep-like.
If that was the case, then why shouldn't he consider using them?
After all, even Hiruzen Sarutobi had already chosen to comply—albeit under pressure.
But compliance was still compliance.
Natsuhiko could use them to further polish and strengthen his own political image.
As for the Foreign Affairs Department and the Education Department, Natsuhiko assigned them respectively to two smaller clans.
It wasn't that he was treating these two departments casually—on the contrary, their importance was absolutely immense.
However, a department head was still just a department head.
The actual personnel within those departments would not necessarily all come from those clans.
After all, the number of ninjas within any single clan was not that large.
And Uchiha Haru's earlier declaration had not been directed at Natsuhiko alone.
"The Police Force belongs to Konoha, not the Uchiha Clan."
Then what about the other departments? Were they not also departments of Konoha?
Natsuhiko allowing them to manage these departments did not mean allowing them to turn them into private clan assets.
If anyone dared to do so, their fate would not be pleasant.
Everyone here was intelligent.
Naturally, they all understood Natsuhiko's intentions.
After all, no one who had reached this level was a fool.
"Very good. Then let's conclude the discussion on department appointments here."
After assigning all positions, Natsuhiko smiled and spoke calmly to everyone present.
"For now, the leadership positions of each department are settled. As for the subordinate divisions within each department, you may propose candidates yourselves. After approval from the Administrative Department and the Hokage's Office, appointments and dismissals may proceed."
"Now then, let us move on to the second proposal."
At this point, Natsuhiko paused slightly.
The second proposal was the reform of the jonin system, along with a series of related policies.
And once that proposal was brought up, it would be a true depth charge.
"It's coming."
Nara Shikaku sat quietly in his seat.
The moment he heard Natsuhiko's words, he immediately knew the real main event was about to begin.
He was already perfectly clear about what the core of this meeting truly was.
And he also understood just how massive the impact of this change would be.
It was entirely foreseeable—this was a super explosive bomb.
A bomb that could not only blow every fish in the pond to the surface and leave them stunned, but might also end up injuring the person who set it off.
However, he remained calm.
After all, Natsuhiko had already given them advance notice.
And through his arrangements, rumors had already begun circulating within Konoha beforehand.
This could be considered a form of advance warning—a buffer.
Even if the matter was formally brought up now, it would not cause the situation to spiral out of control.
Thinking of this, Nara Shikaku took a deep breath, though soon after he let out a faint self-deprecating smile.
Natsuhiko had gathered so many jonin in one place, yet he hadn't immediately introduced the reforms.
Instead, he started step by step, beginning with the appointment of department heads.
He even allowed everyone present to participate in voting.
This was clearly a transitional strategy—a subtle method of gradual influence.
With all of this as a foundation, once he later asked all jonin to vote on the reforms, there would likely be no further resistance at all.
"People are ultimately self-interested… Hokage-sama's methods are truly impressive." Nara Shikaku silently sighed inwardly.
At that moment, Natsuhiko finally spoke again.
"Since we've already finalized the department leadership, and since the clan heads, department leaders, and remaining jonin within the village are all present,"
"Then I'll explain my plan.
"I believe many of you have already heard some rumors recently, haven't you?"
Natsuhiko's words were met with slight nods from everyone present.
Naturally, they had already heard these rumors before—some of them had even been responsible for spreading them in the first place.
At this moment, the civilian jonin in the room looked especially excited.
Because this matter concerned them directly.
"That's right. It's about improving the welfare of ninjas."
Natsuhiko did not bother dragging things out. He directly stated the main theme of the meeting.
"In truth, I did consider whether we should start reform from the genin and chunin levels step by step. After all, those two tiers are more suitable for trial and error.
"But after careful consideration, I decided to begin with jonin instead. Only by understanding the upper limit of jonin-level reforms can I determine the boundaries for chunin and genin in the future.
"And everyone here should understand this clearly.
"Jonin are the highest-ranking ninja within Konoha's system.
"They are also, in the truest sense, the reserve candidates for all major positions.
"Every jonin present is an elite of Konoha!
"But even elites face countless difficulties."
"For example, at times they lacked sufficient funds to maintain their training or compensate for losses incurred during missions."
"So, after discussions with Shikaku-sama, we have reached the first conclusion.
"Increasing jonin welfare benefits.
"From now on, every jonin in Konoha will receive a fixed monthly allowance provided directly by the village.
"This amount will not be small, and it will not interfere with mission earnings in any way.
"With this support, jonin will be able to train and operate without any worries holding them back."
Natsuhiko understood very well that jonin welfare reform had to be rolled out step by step.
And the first point he proposed was the simplest—but also the most practical.
Money.
Money was always the most direct motivator.
Without money, how could one improve themselves?
Without money, how could one purchase the latest equipment or medical supplies?
Jonin mission rewards were indeed high—but only for high-ranking missions.
And one must not forget that jonin had other responsibilities.
They were required to lead genin teams, guide their training, help them adapt to life as ninjas, and protect them when necessary.
These three responsibilities alone were already a heavy burden.
Guiding training was one thing.
But helping genin survive their early development stage meant ensuring they adapted to the ninja lifestyle.
That alone made it impossible for jonin to consistently take high-level missions.
Low-level missions, however, paid very little—sometimes barely enough for a meal.
And for slightly more dangerous missions, jonin still had to protect their genin teammates, making the cost-to-reward ratio even worse.
It could be said that being a team-leading jonin was not necessarily a financially comfortable position at all.
Just this first reform point alone was already enough to make the eyes of those jonin without any official positions light up.
However, these shinobi remained relatively calm.
At the very least, they did not dare to openly express their excitement.
After all, within Konoha's system, without clan backing or sufficient authority, or in other words, without real political voice—
They had very little room to speak or act.
But now, they began to understand why Natsuhiko had let them participate in earlier discussions.
That had clearly been a form of preparation.
A way to warm up the atmosphere and gain their support in advance.
That was the first conclusion they reached almost instinctively.
None of them were fools. How could they not see the underlying signals?
However, even so, they remained restrained.
They understood their current position in Konoha.
Until the clan heads and department heads made their stance clear, there was nothing they could do.
Besides, they also wanted to see what other reforms the Fifth Hokage would propose before making any decisions.
At that moment, seeing the room fall slightly quiet, Nara Shikaku lightly nudged Nara Shiro beside him.
Nara Shiro was indeed an ANBU operative.
However, due to the special nature of his current mission—and the fact that he had made significant contributions during the recent operations—he was granted permission to attend this meeting.
In a sense, it was a rare honor.
After all, among all ANBU members, he was likely the only one qualified to be here.
Hokage-sama.
Rokushiro sighed inwardly, then deliberately asked with a slightly urgent tone, "May I ask… are there any conditions or restrictions attached to these welfare policies?"
"Of course there are, Rokushiro."
Natsuhiko looked at him with a hint of surprise, but quickly understood the intention behind the question. He smiled and nodded.
"But don't worry. Once I've finished explaining all of my ideas and measures, I will clarify everything in detail. Is that acceptable?"
Rokushiro shrugged and sat back down.
However, he also noticed that quite a few jonin around him revealed disappointed expressions at that moment.
It was obvious that they also wanted clarity on these issues, but simply lacked the courage to ask.
These were clearly the kind of jonin Natsuhiko had referred to earlier—those struggling with financial difficulties.
And in Hiruzen Sarutobi's era, people like them were quite common.
"Now that the first point is complete, I'll move on to the second."
Natsuhiko naturally noticed the state of the jonin in the room. He paused slightly before continuing.
"Money is not a problem, but resources in other areas cannot be neglected either. Therefore, I have decided to increase investment in jonin-level resources."
Increase resource investment.
That was not something that could be accomplished with a simple sentence.
But it was clear that Natsuhiko's words had already expressed his stance.
He intended to push reform forward to the very end—and was even willing to pour in more resources to achieve it.
No one could accurately quantify just how many resources jonin actually required.
But it was easy to imagine that the main focus of this investment would likely be ninjutsu.
However, ninjutsu could be considered a strategic-level resource.
Was Natsuhiko really planning to fully open up all the ninjutsu scrolls collected by Konoha—originally reserved as rewards for meritorious shinobi—and make them accessible to all jonin?
Konoha had always maintained a reward system.
Those techniques were typically controlled by the higher-ups of the village, or more precisely, by the Hokage himself.
If Natsuhiko truly opened everything up to jonin, then this would no longer be simply a "large-scale decision."
It would be an earth-shattering reform.
But that still raised questions.
What about afterward?
If jonin benefits were expanded so massively, how would the welfare system for chunin and genin be handled?
Natsuhiko had already made it very clear that he intended to reform all three ninja ranks.
If jonin received such massive improvements, then what would happen to the lower ranks?
Moreover, once jonin enjoyed such abundant benefits, what would motivate them to strive further?
Would they all shift their goals toward administrative positions such as ministers or division chiefs?
That might not be impossible—but what about the mission system?
Originally, Konoha relied heavily on ninjutsu rewards to drive jonin to continuously pursue missions and achievements.
Of course, jonin did have other ways to obtain ninjutsu.
After defeating enemies, they could sometimes acquire valuable techniques.
But those items were usually required to be submitted to the village.
There were also occasional cases where ninjas with good relationships privately exchanged techniques—but such cases were rare.
And even then, was what one excelled at necessarily suitable for others?
Could it be that after this, jonin who made significant contributions would simply be granted unrestricted access to the Scroll of Seals?
Everyone in the room looked at Natsuhiko with confusion.
At this point, they truly could not understand what the newly appointed Fifth Hokage intended.
"I have made my decision. I will open Konoha's entire jutsu archive to all jonin."
Natsuhiko did not keep them waiting long and directly stated his decision.
"I have already discussed the negotiations with Kumogakure with Department Head Shikaku. The priority will be obtaining jutsu techniques."
"Secondly, in the future, any shinobi who completes missions may also receive additional rewards when submitting their reports. These rewards can be either money or specific ninjutsu techniques as compensation."
"Lastly, I hope all clan members will return and seriously consider this matter."
"Try your best to contribute some ninjutsu that does not fall under the category of secret techniques. This can also be considered a contribution to Konoha."
With just those few sentences, Natsuhiko set the tone for everything.
And that tone immediately made the eyes of all civilian jōnin—and even ordinary jōnin from the clans—brighten noticeably.
If they had access to more ninjutsu, their strength would undoubtedly improve significantly.
How could they not be excited about something like that?
However, while they were excited, the clan shinobi could not bring themselves to feel the same. Even those who already knew what was coming could only shake their heads helplessly.
Natsuhiko was not forcing them. They understood that clearly.
But what they understood even more clearly was that they were expected to set an example.
A soft blade could sometimes be far more suffocating than a direct strike, and right now, that was exactly what Natsuhiko was doing.
"Alright, now I will move on to the third point of the jōnin reform—the most important point!"
Natsuhiko observed everyone's reactions, and he could roughly guess what they were thinking.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was the next announcement—this was the true core of the proposal.
At his words, the entire room immediately fell silent. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi widened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko understood very well: if the previous points were still relatively restrained and only subtly weakened clan influence, then what came next would be a direct, heavy strike.
Even though many elements of the proposal would still benefit the clans in the long term, in the present moment, it was undeniably a weakening of their influence.
The backbone of Konoha's clan power structure supported Natsuhiko—that was his foundation. And if necessary, he also had the power to forcibly push these reforms through.
But he did not want to reach that final step.
He preferred a smooth implementation, because stability meant fewer deaths.
He had already decided that after this meeting, he would activate a "purge list."
Those people who had opposed him—even if they had not yet caused real trouble—would undoubtedly act in the future.
Since that was the case, he would write their names down first. And the moment they acted, he would start crossing names off one by one.
Whether it was an individual or an entire group, the outcome would not be pleasant.
Hopefully you won't be so ignorant of the situation. I never intended to be a merciful ruler—but if I must, I have no problem being far more thorough.
Natsuhiko thought this silently before speaking aloud in a calm, firm voice.
"I have decided that from this point onward, I will change the current meeting system."
"In the future, Konoha will establish a unified council system composed of representatives from the three ninja ranks: jōnin, chūnin, and genin."
"However, since the reform currently only applies to jōnin, this phase will temporarily be designated as the Jōnin General Assembly."
"In other words—"
He paused slightly.
At that moment, Natsuhiko stood up, his voice carrying absolute authority as he declared:
"From now on, all Konoha meetings—aside from department-level executives—will be attended by representatives based on ninja rank."
"No longer as clan shinobi."
"And no longer as clan heads."
...
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