The sky had cleared after the rain.
The earth, washed by rainwater, looked refreshed. The puddles scattered across its surface appeared frozen in place, reflecting passersby like mirrors.
Suddenly, three men in black cloaks passed over the water mirrors. Before their images could fully reflect, footsteps disturbed the puddles, splashing water all around.
Aozora and the others walked quickly, perhaps because the weight on their shoulders had lifted, or maybe eager to bring the good news back to the clan.
"Aozora, how is your mouth built? How can you talk so much?"
"Yashiro, you should ask what's in that head of his!"
"Hahaha, the Clan Head is right! Aozora, your brain truly is sharp!"
"Of course! Otherwise why would I have hired him as my assistant? This guy misses work five or six days a week! If he didn't have a sharp mind, I'd have already fired him!"
"How could the Clan Head ever let go? Aozora's not just smart—he throws those throwing knives like no one else!"
"..."
They must have been holding back for far too long. Even the usually stoic Clan Head and Captain Yashiro were now smiling and dishing out flattery.
Faced with all the praise, Aozora just smiled and played humble.
But since the two hadn't practiced many complimenting phrases before, soon they ran out of new things to say and shifted to discussing future plans.
Yashiro hesitated, "Clan Head, shall we compete for one of the Elder seats?"
He knew it was a trap by gut—but the offer was just too good to refuse.
Fugaku had a broader view. He shook his head and said, "No contest."
With a sigh, he added, "If there were three seats, trying wouldn't hurt, but if only two are available, we'll have to give way."
Yashiro nodded in agreement and regretfully muttered, "What a pity!"
Although the Uchiha had run the Police Force for years, they had always been sidelined in major village decisions. With someone in the Elders' Council, even without real power, at least the Uchiha would gain access to the information flow behind crucial village decisions.
Aozora comforted him, "This round of Elder selection was forced upon us; the Hokage Faction will surely struggle to accept the new Elder."
Yashiro nodded, then asked, "Then why not clearly state our refusal to compete during the meeting? That would win us many people's goodwill."
Aozora nodded and replied, "Doing a favor for everyone is like doing it for no one—it's only effective when shown to a few. That's how people remember the Uchiha's wisdom."
Fugaku nodded, saying, "Yashiro, you've gotten slower than before, haven't you?"
Yashiro laughed, "That's because I'm standing beside the Clan Head and Aozora. My mind doesn't spin as fast as yours anymore, so I gave up thinking hard long ago!"
Fugaku smiled slightly, "You… ah…"
Unaffected, Yashiro continued asking, "We've regained patrol and defense authority, and also received control over three training grounds. We could expand the Police Force now."
Aozora suggested, "I think the current organization within the Police Force is chaotic. Assigning one unit per district doesn't seem optimal."
Fugaku showed interest, "Oh? Aozora, do you have ideas? Share them!"
Aozora sighed, recalling the Police Force from his previous life. "We can divide the Police Force into several divisions based on their duties."
"For example, there's the prison guard division responsible for supervising prisoners, the patrol division dealing with traffic and public order, the village barrier defense division, and the special tactical squad for emergency situations!"
"Additionally, we can recruit other ninjas into the Police Force. Our clansmen don't really enjoy patrol tasks, do they? I believe there are always some average-natured shinobi willing to take those roles. And of course, we could also bring in a few prodigies to motivate our clan members! The attraction of our family's library should definitely appeal to civilian-born shinobi!"
"Hmm...I think the Police Force's current ranks are too limited to instill a strong sense of honor among our people. I suggest introducing titles like 'Outstanding Officer' or 'Valiant Officer' to recognize worthy members..."
Aozora's suggestions came one after another, flowing like a never-ending river.
The admiration toward Aozora among those present grew immensely, like a flood bursting forth uncontrollably.
...
As Uchiha basked in the sunlight after the rain, Sarutobi Hiruzen and others returned to the Hokage office to tend to their wounds.
Homura Mitokado fumed, "What audacity from Uchiha! He tricked us all! And he secretly colluded with Yamanaka and Hyuga!"
Koharu Utatane remarked, "Inoichi likely didn't conspire with Uchiha. His nephew, Fu Yamanaka, joined Anbu and was assigned directly under Danzo. Fortunately, he hasn't met Danzo yet; otherwise..."
Koharu stopped mid-sentence, but everyone understood. Meeting Danzo alone would not make one a rogue ninja necessarily, but they would still face scrutiny and carry a silent stain on their record—effectively ending their future prospects.
Hiruzen puffed thoughtfully on his pipe before saying, "Inoichi is only against Anbu. If he truly had 'betrayed,' Shikaku and Choza wouldn't have stayed silent… What surprises me though is that Hyuga secretly coordinated with Uchiha…"
Before he could continue, Tsunade, who had been sitting nearby with her ample chest prominently displayed, snapped impatiently, "Old man, I don't care about these shady little affairs. Just tell me where the hell Danzo went?"
Koharu frowned slightly, "Tsunade, mind your tone. Hiruzen is your teacher."
Hiruzen waved a hand dismissively, "The Shadow Guard Team has located him. He's still within the Country of Fire—he won't escape. As soon as we have exact details, I'll let you know immediately."
Tsunade gave a quick nod. "Fine, I'm outta here." She turned and walked straight out without waiting for their reaction.
After Tsunade left, Koharu turned to the Third and scolded, "Look at how well-behaved your students are!"
Upon hearing this, Sarutobi exhaled deeply.
The Three Legendary Sannin used to be his pride, but now—without Tsunade and with Orochimaru having defected—they had become his burden.
Seeing the atmosphere souring, Homura quickly changed the topic.
"Hiruzen, how should we deal with Uchiha moving forward? Today's plan of adding two more elders was clever, but I'm afraid Uchiha will see through it."
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully, recalling what Danzo had told him during the Chunin Exams.
Though Danzo had become a rogue ninja, he still believed he hadn't lied back then.
The Uchiha sure changed a lot after that clan meeting, especially Fugaku Uchiha—he was like a man reborn.
Behind it all was that sharp-tongued kid—Uchiha Aozora.
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought it through before saying, "The new year's coming soon. Let the Uchiha prepare for shift rotations—let those on the Front Line go home for the New Year!"
Homura Mitokado raised an eyebrow in doubt and said, "Let those lunatics come back? That'll only make the Uchiha even stronger!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window with his back to the two.
"Everything's changed now. Back then, we were afraid they'd refuse to move out of their compound. But now, the move is done. And these Uchiha have gone way too quiet!"
"Also, bring Shisui back!"
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