Chương 114: No Roofs Removed, No Windows Opened

Time marched past the New Year, ushering in the 51st Year of Konoha. Zhen Dongye found himself another year older. In his previous life, he had always been in a hurry to grow up, imagining that adulthood was a sanctuary of freedom where no one could tell him what to do. Then, in the blink of an eye, middle age arrived, and time began to slip away with such predatory speed that his memories felt like a film edited by a stranger. Having been granted a second life, he no longer harbored such naive urges.

Even with a soul significantly older than his physical frame, he cherished the sensation of growth. Every few months, he would insist on dragging his parents to the local photo studio, documenting the steady passage of their lives. Mortals cannot grasp the river of time, but they can use photographs to crystallize moments in its current.

Shortly after the New Year holidays, the children returned to the Academy and the shinobi resumed their posts, all straining to pull the village back into its normal operational orbit. Deep within the Hokage Building, a high-level summit was underway to chart Konoha's developmental course for the coming year. Present were the newly inaugurated Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the four Konoha Elders, the various department heads, and members of the Jonin Council who were not currently deployed on missions.

Since abdicating his throne, Hiruzen Sarutobi had assumed the role of Hokage Advisor. Officially, he was there to offer his experience to his young successor; unofficially, he served as a buffer, shielding Minato from the formidable political firepower of his three old teammates. He knew better than anyone that his peers were anything but pusillanimous. The strict confidentiality of the Hidden Village ensured that no public records of such meetings would ever exist.

Only a few classified scrolls, sealed under the highest security clearance, would document the proceedings. Following a brief midday recess, the afternoon session commenced. Fugaku Uchiha, acting as the Head of the Konoha Military Police Force, stood to provide a concise overview of the previous year's internal security and the roadmap for the year ahead. Once the standard procedural business was concluded, he ventured a proposal.

"Due to the significant attrition our clan suffered during the war, I would like to move for the approval of my previous request: to allow the recruitment of non-Uchiha shinobi into the Military Police Force." The four Elders narrowed their eyes, sensing a deeper game at play. Did the Uchiha not understand the nature of the Police Force? Of course they did. Even if most of the clan were obstinate, straightforward hotheads, Fugaku was a different breed. He had a vision.

In previous years, such requests were made in writing and summarily dismissed by the Third before they ever reached the floor. To propose it openly today was a calculated deviation. Danzo Shimura's lone eye—his only eye—seemed to pierce through the "accursed" clan's intentions. Minato Namikaze maintained a calm, pleasant expression, betraying no surprise. The other clan heads and Jonin members focused on their laps, appearing as if the matter were entirely beneath their notice.

Only the newcomers to the council actually bothered to weigh the pros and cons; the old hands already knew the outcome. Danzo was the first to strike.

"Impossible, Fugaku. The Military Police Force was a policy established by the Second Hokage himself. It is a role specifically tailored for the Uchiha. There is no need for outside interference."

"I am well aware of the history, Lord Danzo," Fugaku replied evenly.

"But the reality is that we are critically shorthanded."

"Is it a lack of hands, or a lack of competence?" Danzo countered, his voice cold.

"According to my intelligence, the current number of Uchiha shinobi is more than sufficient for daily patrols. So, Fugaku, are you admitting your clan is incapable? If so, look for the fault within yourselves rather than dumping such a trivial problem at our feet." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Fugaku's face flushed with a flicker of anger.

"Lord Danzo, isn't that a bit excessive?" I'm trying to loosen the shackles on my family, and you respond with personal insults? The Uchiha are incompetent? Which clan in this village would dare claim that? Fugaku thought bitterly. Not to mention the previous wars—we were just bleeding on the front lines against the Mist, the Stone, and the Cloud. Where were you stirring your pots then? You think our shortage is due to mass suicide? He kept the thoughts strictly internal.

To vocalize them would be to invite the combined wrath of the Third and the other two advisors. Minato chose that moment to step in as the mediator.

"Everyone, we are all here for the good of Konoha. There is no need for such heated rhetoric. Furthermore, I believe Chief Fugaku's proposal has merit. Having grown up in this village, I've observed that the Uchiha temperament isn't always the best fit for handling domestic disputes among civilians. I think we could recruit regular shinobi to handle the mundane tasks, while the Uchiha members could be transitioned into the Intel Division, the Torture and Interrogation Force, or high-level front-line missions.

It would help them integrate more naturally into the greater family of the village. Don't you agree, Lord Third?" Hiruzen Sarutobi drew several slow puffs from his pipe, remaining silent. He saw the play clearly. This was likely a policy pre-arranged between Minato and Fugaku. As the new Hokage, it was natural for Minato to be eager to make his mark, and under normal circumstances, he should be supported. But Minato was still too young. He didn't grasp the severity of the "Uchiha Problem."

It was common knowledge that the Namikazes and the Uchihas shared a personal rapport, and Hiruzen feared the young Hokage's judgment was being clouded by friendship. To govern by personal ties was a dangerous precedent. However, as the predecessor, Hiruzen couldn't directly oppose him without appearing as though he were undermining the new Hokage or clinging to power. He shifted his gaze, offering a subtle look to his two other teammates. Homura Mitokado spoke up.

"Fourth, you are still green. You don't understand the intricacies of the Uchiha situation. It is not as simple as you imagine."

"Advisor Homura," Minato said, his brow furrowing slightly, "it is precisely because there are problems that we must solve them. Doing something is better than doing nothing. If you feel a complete overhaul of the Police Force is too disruptive, we can start small—perhaps a pilot program with two squads of regular shinobi." Koharu Utatane was far more blunt than her colleagues.

"No means no. This is not a matter for negotiation. This policy was forged by the Second Hokage, and it is sacrosanct." Minato went silent. Fine then, he thought. Logic has left the building. You're simply hiding behind 'ancestral laws' to shut me down. If every policy had to follow the old ways, what was the point of having a Fourth Hokage at all? He realized then that while the room was full of Konoha's elite, true power rested with only five. And currently, it was one against four.

The odds were not in his favor. Catching Minato's frustrated gaze, Fugaku Uchiha let out a silent sigh of his own and retook his seat, the weight of a dozen unvoiced grievances heavy on his shoulders. The remainder of the meeting was a hollow affair, the atmosphere still thick with the tension of the previous exchange. On the threshold of his new life at the summit of power, the Fourth Hokage began to suspect that his path would be anything but smooth.

After the meeting, Minato stood by the window of his office, staring out at the Konoha skyline. He analyzed his failures, absorbing the lesson of the defeat. The Hokage's seat was proving to be far more troublesome than developing a new S-rank jutsu. At least with a jutsu, every problem had a solution if you put in the time. Managing a village, however, presented him with Gordian knots that seemed impossible to untie. He knew the Uchiha situation was volatile.

He wanted to guide things toward a better resolution—they were, after all, part of the village. They were comrades. But the prejudice held by Hiruzen and the others was more entrenched than he had ever imagined. He also realized his own tactical error. As the Hokage, he shouldn't have been the first to lead the charge. It would have been better to have a staunch supporter—someone like Bekumi Memura—propose the idea first.

That way, he could have mediated rather than entering into a direct confrontation with the previous generation. The Lord Third does exactly that, Minato mused. A lesson worth learning. It went against his nature, but if he was to occupy this seat, he had to learn to change. Hiruzen Sarutobi approached the office and paused. Sensing that the usually sharp Minato hadn't even noticed his arrival, he knew the young man's spirit had taken a hit.

He prepared to go in and offer a heart-to-heart—to provide some "guidance" and explain the reality of the Uchiha. Minato was still a young man, after all. He still needed a mentor. If Minato could mature quickly enough, then perhaps Hiruzen could finally, truly retire and enjoy a quiet life.