Shinji had assumed the village leadership would deliberate for days after Kakashi's report, but to his surprise, Kakashi sought him out again the very next day.
Seeing the usually laid-back Kakashi now brimming with urgency, Shinji thought to himself: I underestimated the pressure the Akatsuki is putting on the village!
Clearly, while Shinji had accounted for the leadership's wariness of him and his Mangekyo dojutsu, he had underestimated their greater fear of the looming final battle with the Akatsuki.
Compared to him, the village leadership was far more wary of the Akatsuki!
Kakashi earnestly requested: "Shinji, after learning about your 'Takamagahara,' Hokage-sama was both shocked and delighted! The village hopes you'll allow more people to enter 'Takamagahara' to conduct combat training against simulated Akatsuki members!"
"Well…" Shinji feigned hesitation.
By all logic, no Mangekyo-wielding Uchiha would so easily reveal their dojutsu to the masses.
As if anticipating Shinji's reluctance, Kakashi quickly added the village's offer: "Hokage-sama promises that if you agree, the village will recognize your team's independence, and you'll be promoted to jounin immediately!"
Shinji's expression remained hesitant.
His team already enjoyed significant autonomy. Kakashi's mention of the village recognizing his team's independence meant he would answer only to the Hokage, not any other leadership, including the advisory elders.
In other words, as long as Tsunade didn't interfere, no one in the village—not even the advisors—could command his team.
Promotion from genin to jounin was also a significant leap, bending many rules.
However, for a Mangekyo-wielding Uchiha like Shinji, becoming a jounin wasn't excessive—it merely saved him the time of climbing the ranks through seniority.
Kakashi asked: "What do you think?"
Shinji shook his head: "Not enough!"
"Not enough?" Kakashi was momentarily stunned, then pressed: "What else do you want? Feel free to name it!"
After a pause, Shinji stated his condition: "I want to rebuild the Hidden Leaf Military Police!"
"This…" Kakashi's brow furrowed. He hadn't expected Shinji to make such a request.
After the Uchiha clan's massacre, the Hidden Leaf Military Police, controlled by the Uchiha, had been taken over by the Hokage's office.
Years later, it was completely disbanded, its duties absorbed by the Anbu.
The Hokage's faction had paid a steep price to uproot the "Hidden Leaf Military Police," a thorn in their side. Now, Shinji wanted to rebuild it, putting Kakashi in a difficult position.
Soon, Kakashi relayed this dilemma to Tsunade.
Tsunade frowned: "He wants to rebuild the Hidden Leaf Military Police?"
The Third, shaking his head, sighed: "This Uchiha Shinji really picked the perfect moment!"
Advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado also furrowed their brows.
Their primary fear of the Uchiha—or rather, the Uchiha's potential for rebellion—stemmed from the Military Police.
Its existence allowed the Uchiha to openly maintain a well-equipped, highly trained shinobi force within the village—a privilege no other clan, not even the dojutsu-wielding Hyuga, possessed.
As long as the Military Police existed, the Uchiha had the means for an armed coup!
After weighing the matter, Tsunade decided: "Agree to it!"
"What!?" Homura Mitokado was shocked.
Tsunade explained: "Our priority is countering the Akatsuki threat. Other matters can wait! Besides, rebuilding the Military Police isn't something that can be done overnight or by Shinji alone. We don't need to jeopardize this life-or-death battle over a potential threat ten years or more down the line!"
The Third, puffing on his pipe, said: "Exactly. Shinji currently only has his four-person team. Even adding Sasuke, that's just a handful of people—hardly enough to sustain a Military Police. Giving him an empty title to keep him busy might not be a bad thing."
Koharu added: "So, he's been planning this all along! Heh, but this at least proves he's reliable."
The logic was simple. Shinji's request to rebuild the Military Police was clearly aimed at restoring the Uchiha clan's glory. This showed that, no matter how prodigious, Shinji was still the familiar Uchiha, bound by the clan's past glory.
Such an Uchiha might rebel but wouldn't collude with external enemies.
Tsunade continued: "It seems Shinji's 'Takamagahara' is safe. Kakashi, hurry up with recruiting the first batch of testers. The Akatsuki seems to be making moves again, and we may not have much time to prepare!"
"Understood!" Kakashi nodded and left the Hokage's office.
Without delay, he informed Shinji of Tsunade's decision.
Learning that the village had conceded and allowed him to rebuild the Military Police, Shinji was somewhat surprised.
He had made the request for two reasons: to haggle with the village and reduce suspicion around "Takamagahara," and to pose as a traditional Uchiha focused on reviving his clan's glory, diverting the village's constant scrutiny.
He hadn't expected the village to agree so readily, without any haggling.
"Well, it makes sense. I only have a four-person team. Even with the Military Police title, I can't build it up anytime soon," Shinji thought, shaking his head with a smile.
Still, the village's swift agreement showed Tsunade's decisiveness.
Meanwhile, Kakashi gathered Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, Guy, Shizune, Anko, and Hayate.
The jounin initially thought it was a secret mission, but after Kakashi's explanation, they realized they were to be the first testers of Shinji's Mangekyo Sharingan dojutsu.
"Shinji really awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"So it's true…"
"That kid sure knows how to keep a secret!"
Kurenai, Guy, and Hayate, who had just learned of Shinji's Mangekyo, expressed their amazement.
Anko, curious, asked: "Kakashi, is Shinji's 'Takamagahara' really as incredible as you say?"
Kakashi nodded slightly: "You'll see once you're inside!"