Inside the Jonin meeting room of the Hidden Leaf, Jie Uchiha sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the assembled leaders of the major ninja clans.
"I assume you've all heard the rumors about the purpose of this meeting," Jie said frankly. "I'll confirm it right now. They are true. We are here to reshuffle the balance of power in Konoha."
The clan leaders shifted in their seats, their expressions turning heavy.
"I know many of the clans in this room hold high positions and wield serious authority," Jie continued. "Let me be clear. The main power structure will largely stay the same. However, from now on, no single clan will be allowed to completely monopolize any one sector of the village. No exceptions," he added, his voice cool.
The clan leaders frowned.
Shikaku Nara, for instance, understood exactly what this meant. The Nara clan was famous for its high intellect and practically ran the deployment and administration of the village's lower-ranking shinobi. Judging by Jie's words, other clans would now be stepping in to share those duties.
Besides, when talking about monopolizing power, was there any clan with more absolute authority than the Uchiha? They held total control over the Konoha Military Police Force.
Could the wildest rumors actually be true? Did Jie really plan to restructure the Police Force and cut down his own clan's power?
While Shikaku was still questioning the Fifth Hokage's sincerity, Fugaku Uchiha slowly stood up.
"The Uchiha clan fully supports the Fifth Hokage's vision," Fugaku announced smoothly. "Therefore, we will take the lead in this reform. The Uchiha clan will hand over a portion of our authority over the Konoha Military Police Force."
Fugaku scanned the room. He secretly relished the sheer disbelief plastered across the other clan leaders' faces.
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule, the Uchiha had been systematically pushed to the margins. Now, with Jie sitting as the Fifth Hokage, the Uchiha were the ones controlling the board.
"Currently, the Military Police Force relies on three patrol brigades to monitor the village," Fugaku explained. "Following the Fifth's orders, we will be expanding. We are adding two new patrol brigades and creating a brand-new position: Deputy Commander."
He looked around the table. "To staff these new brigades, I ask that you, the clan leaders, put forward your best candidates."
He paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "And as for the role of Deputy Commander... I believe Lord Hiashi of the Hyuga clan would be a perfect fit."
The meeting room instantly exploded into murmurs.
Were the Uchiha actually serious? They were voluntarily giving up two entire patrol brigades and a high-ranking executive seat? That was basically tossing away half of their absolute power in a single stroke!
Excitement rippled through the crowd of clan leaders. The Military Police Force handled the security of the entire Hidden Leaf. It had its own independent administration, an exclusive supply chain for ninja tools, and its own massive budget.
Historically, the Uchiha had kept an iron grip on every single one of those perks. Now, Fugaku was just handing pieces of it out.
But out of everyone in the room, Hiashi Hyuga was the most stunned.
Never in a million years did he think Fugaku would nominate him for Deputy Commander. As the two greatest noble clans in the Leaf, the relationship between the Uchiha and the Hyuga had always been ice-cold. Some would even call it openly hostile.
Before this meeting, Hiashi had been a nervous wreck. He was terrified that Jie would use his new power as Hokage to suppress the Hyuga.
This olive branch was the absolute last thing he expected.
"Ahem."
Jie cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to the head of the table. "What are your thoughts on my father's proposal, Lord Hiashi?" he asked calmly. "Do you accept, or decline?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Hiashi's face.
Truthfully, he had no desire to drag his clan into the Uchiha's political games. The safest route was to just decline and protect their neutrality. He opened his mouth to politely refuse, but then, a memory of his daughter's words flashed in his mind.
"That older brother from the Uchiha clan has a really nice smile. He must be a good person."
Thinking of Hinata, Hiashi abruptly changed his mind. He gritted his teeth.
"Since Lord Fugaku has extended the invitation, the Hyuga clan has no reason to refuse. I will accept the position of Deputy Commander."
If even little Hinata instinctively trusted Jie, Hiashi decided it was worth the gamble. If he won this bet, the Hyuga would cement their place at the very core of Konoha's power. If he lost? Well, it couldn't be any worse than being sidelined forever.
A faint smile touched Jie's lips.
Hiashi's agreement was the key. With the village's two greatest clans publicly working together, the rest of the meeting would be a breeze.
And indeed, things played out exactly as he expected.
Emboldened by Hiashi's acceptance, the remaining clan leaders descended like starving wolves seeing fresh meat.
They fiercely negotiated for the open spots in the two new patrol brigades. Everyone was desperate to cram their own elite shinobi into the roster and grab a slice of the Police Force's power.
Watching the frenzy, Jie and Fugaku exchanged a quiet, knowing glance.
To outsiders, it looked like the Uchiha clan had made a massive concession. But in reality? They hadn't lost a single thing.
They still held absolute control over the original three brigades, and Fugaku was still the Commander-in-Chief. Even with a new Deputy Commander and two extra brigades, the true power rested firmly in Fugaku's hands.
They made a show of giving up their monopoly, but they were really just tossing out scraps.
Both father and son understood the game perfectly. The two new brigades were nothing but bait. To Jie, it didn't matter which clans filled those squads, as long as they bled to maintain the Hidden Leaf's security.
Leaving the clan leaders to bicker over the rosters, Jie smoothly moved on to the next item on the agenda... the reform of Konoha's other administrative departments.
With the Uchiha clan's "generous" sacrifice setting the tone, the other clans were practically salivating at the prospect of gaining influence in other sectors. After all, everyone wanted their own people in high places to secure future favors.
However, since the Uchiha had made the first major concession, the room naturally deferred to Fugaku as the restructuring talks began. They waited in hushed silence for the Uchiha Patriarch to make his first pick.
"Since you are all being so modest, the Uchiha clan won't stand on ceremony," Fugaku said with a gracious smile.
"Lord Fifth, we may not be experts in every field, but I believe our track record managing the Military Police Force proves our organizational skills. Therefore, the Uchiha clan would like to request a primary seat within the Hidden Leaf's Financial Department."
Fugaku looked up at Jie, his smile widening.
The realization hit the other clan leaders like a physical blow. The Uchiha's true strategy was suddenly glaringly obvious.
They silently cursed the Old Fox and the Little Fox who had orchestrated this charade. But outwardly? They had no choice but to nod in enthusiastic agreement. After all, they could hardly deny the Uchiha some compensation after they had just publicly surrendered half of the Police Force.
Without a single dissenting voice, Fugaku's motion passed unanimously.
Jie leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. As far as he was concerned, the rest of this meeting was just a formality.
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