Along with Soushu Hyuga, all surviving injured ninja from the former Rain Country's military camp—including Koryo Jonin—were also sent back to the Land of Lightning's occupied territories.
They had been convinced by Hatake Sakumo and chose to follow Soushu Hyuga to serve as decorated veteran jonin instructors in the Northern Border Defense Force's Instructor Corps.
As a sign of gratitude, upon returning to Hakone Camp, Soushu didn't even pause to reunite with his long-lost love, Mahiru Uchiha. Instead, he immediately issued formal appointments, naming Koryo as chief staff officer of the Border Forces, then appointing the veteran jonin who followed him as training instructors—each receiving the same treatment as registered jonin in active combat units.
This respectful gesture moved many veteran jonin deeply. Though not yet enough to inspire unwavering loyalty, it did manage to shift their initial "work-for-pay" mindset, planting in them a renewed sense of belonging.
The five hundred shinobi originally transferred from the Kinki Main Camp to form Shinsengumi had dwindled down to only about three hundred survivors after marching thousands of miles into battle. These ninja, tempered through real warfare, were also seen by Soushu as reliable forces. He incorporated them into the Instructor Corps for intensive training to adapt them for frontline operations along the border. Moreover, since most of these training instructors came from civilian origins, there were no significant communication or class barriers between them, making team integration and training proceed relatively smoothly overall.
After handing over responsibility to Uchiha Takahiro for overseeing the training schedule, Soushu—who had been overwhelmed for days—finally returned to his mansion to share a long-awaited moment with his beloved Mahiru-chan.
While Konoha basked openly in the glow of victory, unrest had already begun stirring beneath the surface.
Hatake Sakumo's Revised Policy Agenda and the Hokage Tower's meeting notice stirred endless speculation among the leaders of various ninja clans. Led by the head of the Hyuga clan, most of Konoha's ninja clan leaders—excluding the Uchiha—gathered frequently in the Hyuga District to exchange views ahead of the meeting, attempting to establish a unified stance before the official session.
Even the Ino–Shika–Cho triad [the historic alliance of Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans]—a core supporter of the Hokage faction—sent representatives under subtle hints from Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi to meet with the Hyuga head, trying to gauge certain inclinations. Though the tight-lipped Hyuga clan leader revealed nothing concrete, they still managed to pick up bits of information from other clan heads who kept visiting the Hyuga District regularly.
"Opposition clans led by the Hyuga generally support direct election of jonin and will request the establishment of a permanent Ninja Clan Summit as an institution equivalent to the Jonin Units."
Inside the Hokage Office, Nara Clan Leader said solemnly to Konoha's Inner Circle after acquiring partial intelligence from the Hyuga District.
"If we allow them to keep forming alliances like this, our position will become increasingly disadvantageous!"
"So what do you suggest?"
Homura Mitokado asked without hesitation.
"Don't wait for Hatake Sakumo to return," replied the Nara Clan Leader. "We must convene an emergency Ninja Clan Summit immediately—and while we're at it, use the momentum of that summit to drive a wedge between them and the civilian jonin!"
"Explain further!"
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed urgently.
Although the Nara clan had gradually fallen from Konoha's upper echelon after losing the position of Jonin Unit leader to Hatake Sakumo, they were now merely a mid-sized ninja clan within Konoha. That's why regaining a seat in the Jonin Unit was now their top goal—and it went without saying that they'd back every move made by Konoha's F3.
Compared to the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans, the Nara had deeper historical ties with the current Hokage's Sarutobi clan. Outside the usual Ino-Shika-Cho triad alliance, Nara members often worked as strategy advisors for high-level Sarutobi jonin, which gave them a different outlook and shared interests.
Especially with the village currently showing signs of subtle instability, the sharp-sensed Nara clan felt increasingly uneasy.
Yet due to their deep entanglement with Sarutobi interests, the Nara had effectively lost any opportunity to switch allegiances. They had no choice but to stick firmly to one path and attempt to break through toward a better future.
"I plan to propose a bill on subdividing voting rights for jonin during the Ninja Clan Summit," said the Nara clan leader, pulling a document from his robe and respectfully handing it to Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. "We'll use this as bait to stir up tensions between the ninja clans and civilian-born shinobi."
"Voting right differentiation?"
Hiruzen looked slightly surprised but quickly opened the document to read through it.
His expression shifted to astonishment as he glanced several times at the Nara leader behind this clever ploy, then passed the document to Homura Mitokado.
Homura briefly scanned the pages, his eyelids twitching visibly. Internally he exclaimed how truly cunning the idea was. Then he silently passed the document to Koharu Utatane, who was barely containing her eagerness.
In this proposed voting rights subdivision, the Nara clan leader suggested hierarchically classifying jonin into different tiers, each assigned varying weights of voting power.
Simply put, Tokubetsu Jonin would have one vote each, while regular Jonin would count as two votes apiece—an arrangement already aligned with Konoha's existing ninja ranking system. Given the actual difference in abilities between these ranks, such an adjustment seemed reasonable under Konoha's tradition where power settles disputes and the strongest earns the Hokage title.
But the second half of the proposal was where things really got interesting.
The Nara clan leader further proposed adding two honorific ranks atop the current two-tier system: Elite Jonin and Veteran Jonin, both enjoying voting power equivalent to three ordinary votes!
Though Konoha civilians sometimes referred to exceptionally strong Jonin as Elite Jonin, this title wasn't officially recognized in Konoha's formal ranking hierarchy. Now, the Nara leader sought to formally establish it as an official honorific, suggesting it be conferred upon all Konoha shinobi either born into Kekkei Genkai bloodline clans or possessing such inherited abilities.
Indeed, compared to ordinary ninjutsu specialists, Kekkei Genkai wielders possessed extraordinary combat capabilities. For example, a Sharingan-awakened Uchiha Jonin fighting against typical Jonin could easily handle two opponents simultaneously—this also clearly carried implications of meritocracy based solely on strength.
The so-called Veteran Jonin referred to those who had held the rank of Jonin for at least fifteen years and remained registered in Konoha. The reason given by the Nara clan leader in the proposal for granting them additional voting rights was to reward their continuous dedication and contributions, emphasizing that Veteran Jonin were invaluable treasures of Konoha.
Of course, such reasoning might fool ghosts, but certainly not humans—especially not shrewd tacticians like Konoha's F3.
Everyone knew exactly where the Nara clan leader was pointing and what his intentions were!
Which clans had the most Kekkei Genkai ninja? No question about it—the two elite bloodline clans, the Uchiha and the Hyuga!
Especially the Hyuga clan, whose Byakugan bloodline limit seemed to be passed out like standard-issue gear. If this new system were truly implemented, it would effectively triple the Hyuga clan's influence during Hokage elections!
But who would suffer from this change? Naturally, the Civilian Jonin wouldn't benefit, and even smaller to mid-tier ninja clans who relied on Ninjutsu and Secret Jutsu as their hereditary systems would also be negatively impacted.
And the creation of the Veteran Jonin category was an even more clever move!
Because this honor tier also came with a hidden moral obligation, dressed up under the banner of honoring elders. However, after enduring the ordeals of two Great Ninja World Wars, which group consisted mostly of still-active Jonin?
It was certain they weren't among the frontline Civilian Jonin, since these lacked both the backing to avoid conscription and the deep-rooted skills necessary for survival. Thus, they naturally couldn't emerge unscathed from the all-consuming battles that swept across the ninja world.
Therefore, this so-called Veteran Jonin status would inevitably favor the Hokage faction and all established ninja clans.
So, when this matter was brought up before the Ninja Clan Summit, whose members were entirely clan leaders, what kind of outcome could one expect?
How would civilian Jonin loyal to Sakumo Hatake react upon hearing about this proposal?
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about this and couldn't help but laugh aloud.
Although theoretically speaking, splitting the legislation would deepen the divisions within Konoha's various social strata, for the Hokage faction, which was already struggling to maintain its footing, village division was still preferable to factional annihilation—it was a case of where you sat influencing how you thought, a classic "where you stand depends on where you sit" kind of thing.
"This subdivision bill must remain confidential until the Ninja Clan Summit convenes," Homura Mitokado proposed. "Except for the top Jonin leaders of the four gates and three great clans, we shouldn't reveal its details to others just yet."
"Exactly! The Hyuga and Uchiha aren't fools; we can't allow them time to analyze and collude beforehand!" Koharu Utatane quickly caught on to her old friend's meaning and added, "We should wait until the Ninja Clan Summit begins to suddenly unveil this bill—that way, we'll catch them completely off guard!"
"And even if the Hyuga and Uchiha clan leaders resist the temptation of increased voting power," the Nara clan leader continued, supporting the two elder advisors' ideas, "their respective clan Jonin may not show the same restraint."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a pleased nod, clearly satisfied with the Nara clan leader's mature and measured approach.
The two major demands for power and responsibility in the Subdivision Bill were, bluntly put, a deliberate provocation meant to incite tensions between ninja clans and civilians, as well as between regular ninja clans and the more aristocratic, powerful ones. Even a casual observer could see through it immediately.
Yet lies the charm of an open and clever scheme—it may be obvious, yet not entirely transparent; even if transparent, one might still find it difficult to resist. After all, this was a blatant offer of naked self-interest! If passed, the political influence of the ninja clans would grow at least threefold!
Compared to the heavy investments of time and money required to cultivate future generations of a clan, such a quick opportunity for profit was extremely rare and precious. Missing out on it would probably make "regret capsules—just like the kind people wish existed after making a bad choice"—the hottest sellers in Konoha!
Therefore, although the subdivision proposal made by Nara Clan Leader contained many loopholes and barely attempted to conceal its ulterior motives, it remained effective precisely because of how brutally honest it was in appealing to human nature—which, after all, couldn't withstand temptation.
Inside the Main House Mansion of the Hyuga District, after finishing a day's worth of secret meetings and receptions, the head of the Hyuga clan finally met privately with his long-awaiting eldest son, Hiashi Hyuga, to discuss another important matter.
"Father."
As the Hyuga Clan Leader entered the room, Hiashi immediately stood up respectfully to greet him. Though it was a private conversation between father and son, and formalities weren't strictly necessary, etiquette was the foundation of the Hyuga clan. Even the smallest lapse in decorum was unacceptable.
"Speak plainly. What is it?"
The clan leader nodded slightly, then calmly sat down and murmured, "You are the heir to this family. Don't you have the capability to make decisions on your own anymore?"
"This matter concerns the entire family significantly, so I humbly request my father's final judgment."
Hiashi immediately retrieved a scroll from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands respectfully toward his father.
Under other circumstances, such overly formal etiquette might lead others to suspect poor relations or discord between father and son. But within the rigidly mannered Hyuga clan, this sort of behavior was perfectly normal, and neither of them saw anything unusual in it.
Nodding slightly without saying much, the clan leader accepted the scroll and began reading.
It was a top-secret military coordination order issued directly from the Hokage Tower.
Its contents were very straightforward: transferring one thousand ninja soldiers previously under Hyuga Soushu's command directly under the nominal leadership of Hiashi Hyuga—though in reality controlled by Hizashi Hyuga—at the Eastern Coastal Defense Garrison.
The justification for this reassignment within the ninja world was also clearly stated—the village finances were in dire straits, making it impossible to conscript ninja from the various clans. Therefore, they had no choice but to reallocate troops from the Northern Border Forces, which were already led by ninja belonging to the Hyuga clan, thus enabling the Hyuga clan to better fulfill its duty of protecting the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire.
Though the clan leader held little regard for members of the Branch House, he was no fool, and he quickly spotted the malicious intent behind this official order.
"How amusing."
Shaking his head with an expression of complete disinterest, the clan leader muttered, "Hiruzen must truly be getting old if he thinks he can pull off something like this with such clumsy scheming."
Hiashi kept his head lowered, silent and motionless, patiently awaiting his father's final decision.
He had seen the classified directive beforehand, and precisely because he found it troublesome had he sought his father's advice. Naturally, he wasn't willing to take a clear stance on this matter right now.
"One thousand is way too many. Just transfer five hundred from Soushu's ranks!"
The Hyuga Clan Leader said lightly, "Didn't he handpick five hundred soldiers from the Kinki Garrison to form that so-called 'Shinsengumi'? I think this Ninja Force tested by battle is quite good. Transfer them all under your command!"
"This!"
Hiashi Hyuga couldn't help but gawk.
He absolutely didn't believe his father failed to see through the Hokage Tower's intentions!
"The Ninja Clan Summit starts the day after tomorrow. Don't waste energy on such trivial matters. Focus all your attention on the upcoming struggle!"
The Hyuga Clan Leader uttered icily, "Can't you grasp something this basic yet?"
"I..."
Hiashi Hyuga didn't know how to respond.
"Are you thinking you shouldn't accept that wily old monkey's intention? Are you worried this will provoke conflict between the Main House and Branch House?"
The clan leader read his legitimate son's mind like an open book.
"Yes."
Hiashi Hyuga nodded slightly.
"Hiashi, you must always remember one thing—"
With a helpless shake of his head, the clan leader slowly stood up. Gazing intently at his somewhat uneasy legitimate son, he said firmly, "To our clan, the Main House is everything!
"The Branch House exists solely to serve the Main House. This is a timeless rule!
"What difference does transferring a few hundred Ninja Force troops from him make? Don't forget, everything Soushu has was given to him by the clan!
"What belongs to the Main House is rightfully his! What the Main House denies, he won't hold onto—not even in death!"
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