Just as the purge campaign in the Land of Rice Fields got off to a promising start, Hyuga Soushu successfully completed the full transition of power at the rear base camp.
After stirring up the reserve ninja—those reserve ninja who had long been treated as expendable assets—he quickly hosted a banquet for the ten Jonin officers responsible for commanding those squads. As drinks flowed freely, the mood turned surprisingly open and sincere.
During the meal, Hyuga Soushu openly expressed his unease over *"a rival sleeping within arm's reach,"* earnestly asking for advice on how to ease the natural insecurity any new commander would feel in such circumstances. In response, the ten Jonin were remarkably candid—they admitted their own limitations and suggested that continuing in their current roles might hinder the proper execution of orders from command. Therefore, they all hoped to be rotated into more relaxed positions where they could still contribute modestly to the Ninja Forces headquarters.
They even swore on their honor that these thoughts were entirely their own, with no connection whatsoever to the ten Uchiha ninjas standing guard outside the main tent!
"Principally speaking, gentlemen like you are all elite talents from Konoha, exemplary Jonins, and the pillars supporting the Ninja Force. Whether publicly or privately, you are undeniably the treasures of our Northern Front headquarters."
Hyuga Soushu's tone was full of sincerity.
As the saying goes, *only the adaptable become heroes.* Since these officers had shown such understanding, it would have been ungracious of Soushu not to offer them a few sweet rewards.
The Jonin officers felt deeply honored and humbled, humbly stammering their thanks while eagerly listening for what Soushu would say next.
"In any case," he pointed out in an ostensibly neutral tone, "the reserve brigade—the reserve squads—are the most crucial part of the foundational military force and must be strengthened. Of course, due to past issues such as short command terms or inefficiency, they failed to fulfill their intended role—a fact we cannot deny."
Though Soushu added many qualifiers, the tension in the officers' hearts eased slightly.
At least for now, Soushu hadn't directly blamed these already mediocre officers for much of anything, instead attributing the problems to external causes. They began thinking things wouldn't go too badly—surely they wouldn't be forced into retirement from the Ninja Forces and sent back to the village to live an unremarkable life as mere squad-leading Jonin, stuck dealing with annoying Genin recruits day after day.
Under the anxious but hopeful stares of the ten Jonin officers, Soushu calmly took a sip of wine before slowly speaking again: "Considering your past efforts in maintaining operations and the urgent need to strengthen our overall combat effectiveness, I intend to establish an Instructor Corps above the reserve squads. What do you think, gentlemen?"
"Brilliant idea!"
The Jonin officers shouted in unanimous approval.
Although forming such a unit entirely based on Soushu's personal authority went against traditional Konoha military structure, within the Northern Front headquarters—and especially at this moment—whatever Soushu said became the rule! This was beyond question.
Moreover, by establishing an Instructor Corps, each reserve squad would now have an additional higher-level administrative authority overseeing their operations. At least their current positions were safe—so in the grand scheme of things, this was barely a loss at all.
Especially considering the current situation, a small loss was essentially a small gain!
Therefore, the jonin officers' minds began racing immediately. The banquet table quickly filled with laughter and insincere praise.
Hyuga Soushu didn't elaborate on the exact structure or formation of the Instructor Corps, and those jonin officers also had the good sense not to ask further questions. After all, as long as they weren't directly dismissed or removed, everything else could be negotiated amicably.
After the banquet, Hyuga Soushu immediately issued his fourth order since taking office—the official announcement regarding the formation of the Instructor Corps.
Because when the twenty operational squads went into battle, several capable chunin teams had been drawn from the reserves for reinforcement, the number of ninja remaining at camp wasn't particularly large. Still, Soushu's official announcement stirred up quite a reaction within the camp.
Previously, through the general assembly of the reserve squads, Hyuga Soushu had already stirred up excitement among the reserve ninja with his three promises; now, this announcement on forming the Instructor Corps became part of fulfilling those promises.
In short, Soushu shattered the original two-tier system of operations and reserves within the Ninja Force headquarters, forcibly inserting a third level—the Instructor Corps—as the training institution for ninjas.
Simultaneously, the powers originally held by the reserve squads over reorganization, training, and evaluation were stripped away and transferred entirely to this newly established Instructor Corps.
Furthermore, in order to ensure the successful establishment and effectiveness of this much-anticipated organization, Soushu took personal command as its head, responsible for all matters concerning the Instructor Corps. In other words, all ninja about to enter the Instructor Corps for training could, in principle, call him "Chief Instructor."
Though perhaps not as imposing as a principal, under current circumstances, it was more than sufficient.
Thus, right after the announcement of the Instructor Corps' formation, Hyuga Soushu immediately released the list of the first batch of ninja selected for centralized training within the Corps—nearly two-thirds of the current reserve ninja stationed at the camp, approximately four hundred individuals.
As for the former reserve squad leaders, he assigned them various menial clerical tasks, giving them the illusion of power to soften the blow of being stripped of real military authority. Naturally, he didn't care whether it actually worked.
Meanwhile, as the restructuring within the Ninja Force headquarters proceeded vigorously, the first victory report arrived at headquarters from the Northern Border buffer states.
"Outstanding work!"
Soushu openly praised the battlefield achievements of the deployed ninja forces after skimming the war report: "These are the elite units of the Konoha Border Force! Particularly commendable is Chief of Staff Keshi Nara's 'bloom-in-the-center, annihilate-all-around' tactical strategy. Bold and brilliant, that's true artistry in command!"
However, such praise only made the messenger ninja sent back by Keshi Nara even more anxious and uneasy.
Keshi Nara and the other Jonin commanders of the operational squads weren't fools. Naturally, they had also left reliable informants behind in the camp to keep track of any changes or developments occurring there after their departure.
As Chief of Staff of the Nara Clan, Keshi naturally understood clearly the significance behind convening a full assembly of reserve ninja and establishing the Instructor Corps after deploying them to various buffer states along the Northern Border under Soushu Hyūga's command!
Superficially appearing as an ordinary training institution, it essentially restructured the entire promotion and evaluation system within the Ninja Force—a move aimed directly at the newly established Instructor Corps and the recent Reserve Ninja General Assembly. Ninja education would no longer rely on whatever scraps of knowledge their supervising Jonin or Chunin deigned to offer—it was a true structural overhaul that struck at the core of the old system!
Put differently, though they still maintained control over their respective squads at present, they had already been branded as suspicious obstacles by Soushu Hyūga.
After all, aside from their personal loyalists, most of the ninja under their command were conscripts rotated in from the village. While these ninja might enjoy small favors during peacetime, they wouldn't risk their lives for such benefits. If someone could offer greater advantages while ensuring personal safety, the commanding Jonin believed they would be cast aside without hesitation.
So in that scenario, what distinguishes a squad commander lacking capable combat ninja from a reserve squad leader whose forces have been completely devoured?
And without military power shielding them, how could they even safeguard their own interests?
Carrying such concerns, they appointed a Tokubetsu Jonin as a messenger ninja—not merely to report their success to Commander Soushu Hyūga at the camp, but more importantly to gauge Soushu Hyūga's true intentions and prepare a suitable response. Of course, open rebellion or defecting to an enemy village was out of the question because they'd just wiped out Kumo's infiltrators entirely to eliminate possible evidence and witnesses. Even if they wished to surrender to Kumo, those barbarians from Raimei Canyon would hardly believe them anyway!
Soushu Hyūga glanced briefly at the anxious messenger Chunin before signing his comments on the battlefield report regarding the Northern Border operations. Then he summoned Intelligence Director Takahiro Uchiha and ordered him to dispatch personnel to confirm the results of the battle along the Northern Border, instructing him to return with urgent news once confirming the elimination of the Kumo infiltration unit.
"Understood!"
Takahiro Uchiha displayed perfect etiquette before stepping back and exiting the Central War Tent.
"It's actually this red-eyed executioner being sent."
Though maintaining a respectful bowed posture, the messenger ninja carefully observed Takahiro Uchiha's sharp, decisive demeanor—the same man who earned his reputation for ruthlessly purging the intelligence division of the Ninja Force.
It made sense from the perspective of authority and responsibility that the intelligence chief responsible for conducting a major purge should personally handle verification of combat achievements. However, the real concern remained—would he perhaps do something else while verifying the battlefield records of frontline units?
Like offering one of those now-infamous "cups of tea" from the Intelligence Division—the kind that made even brave men shudder across the entire Ninja Force.
The messenger ninja couldn't help but start imagining the worst again, his heart sinking with fresh dread.
"Keshi—are you even listening?!"
Just as the messenger ninja got lost in his thoughts, Hyuga Soushu's sharp voice suddenly cut through his daze!
"Forgive me, Lord Soushu. I was just so exhausted that I spaced out for a moment,"
Startled out of his daydream, the messenger snapped upright and bowed deeply: "Forgive me, Lord Soushu!"
He didn't dare say the customary "I accept whatever punishment you deem fit," for fear that if Hyuga Soushu decided to make an example of him, it would become a serious problem.
"Discipline is what most clearly distinguishes Konoha ninjas from rōnin! Never forget that!"
Soushu raised his voice dramatically but then softened his tone, quickly changing the subject: "Furthermore, operational squads must redeploy across the buffer states along the Northern Border as soon as possible. As the second-in-command of the Ninja Force, Chief of Staff Keshi Nara must take full responsibility for this."
"I will ensure it gets communicated properly."
Though tempted to press for more details, the messenger hesitated, mouth opening and closing a few times before finally giving in—after all, it was Soushu's order.
In any case, while Takahiro Uchiha had been dispatched to verify reported combat results along the Northern Border, whether or not there was a hidden meaning behind Soushu's words about the second-in-command, one thing was certain—the twenty operational squads currently stationed in various buffer states wouldn't be returning to the main camp anytime soon.
No one could yet tell whether this would prove fortunate or unfortunate.
"Also, wounded comrades must be sent back to the main camp for proper medical care at once. Deploying injured ninjas into battle again violates the Will of Fire!"
Soushu added thoughtfully.
"Yes sir! I will immediately relay this to the Northern Border command and Chief of Staff Keshi Nara!"
Internally sighing, the messenger ninja outwardly maintained a grateful demeanor, respectfully bowing once more before asking permission to leave.
"What? Not planning to bring back those troublemakers?"
After the messenger had left, Uchiha Mahiru stepped gracefully from behind the tent flap, asking curiously, "Aren't we supposed to resolve the issue with the operational squads as soon as possible?"
"Trust the people you use—or don't use them at all."
Hyuga Soushu brushed off casually.
"You're lying!"
Uchiha Mahiru, being her usual intimate self, naturally recognized this as mere evasion.
"After clearing out the Kumo infiltration unit, do you really think those barbarians at Raimei Canyon will just sit still?"
Pulling Mahiru-chan into his arms, Soushu kissed her luscious lips before countering, "Even if exaggerated, according to Keshi Nara's report, they've already eliminated up to seven hundred Kumo ninjas!"
"That kind of Kumo brute considers anything less than a major gain equivalent to a huge loss—they definitely won't give up easily!"
Uchiha Mahiru responded instantly without hesitation.
"Huh!"
But she quickly caught on: "But if we just let these troops…"
"Don't worry, I won't send them to die," Soushu brushed off her concern, shaking his head. "They just need to prove themselves first."
"If it's not total loyalty, then it's no loyalty at all."
Hyuga Soushu continued, "Since they've already dared to collude with Kumo and split the mission revenues like this, they must prove their reliability through actions!"
"Especially regarding those disgraceful deeds of theirs—I haven't even reported those to the Hokage Tower yet!"
"But even if those guys at the Hokage Tower knew, they'd probably cover it up anyway, right?"
Mahiru Uchiha's head nuzzled into Soushu's chest, her delicate nose taking in his scent as her breath began to quicken.
"They're way beyond just being careless—they've gone full-on crooked!"
Hyuga Soushu naturally replied, "These audacious bastards have embezzled hundreds of millions in mission rewards—and that's just a rough estimate based on what's public. Who knows how astronomically high the actual corruption figures are!"
"Those old geezers at the Hokage Tower are already broke and desperate—finding out about this would probably make them blow their tops."
"And many of these people are also supporters or—"
Mahiru immediately caught on.
"Enough of this boring stuff. Let's focus on our favorite missions instead."
Soushu twisted his waist and flipped over, pinning Mahiru-chan beneath him.
"It's broad daylight though!"
Even as she said that, Mahiru's hands moved swiftly through a series of hand seals, erecting a soundproof barrier around them.
Daylight outside, spring's warmth within — a joy so complete, even Konoha felt like a distant memory [just like the tale of Luoyang's pleasures making one forget Shu].
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