Chapter 56: The First Council Meeting
The next day.
The Hokage Building, Conference Room.
"Absolutely not!" Uchiha Madara shouted, his face dark.
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
Masahiko, Hyuga Tenjin, and the Nara Clan Head responded in unison.
Hashirama smiled. "Three to two. Madara, you lose again."
"I told you, giving Madara two votes is completely useless..." Masahiko thought to himself.
After sending the Daimyo off in the morning, Hashirama had convened the first Council of Elders to announce some decisions. The scene just now had played out many times already...
However, this time, Madara was clearly humiliated and angry. He turned to Masahiko. "Old man, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?! You'd agree to a proposal like this?"
Masahiko looked innocent. He hadn't listened to Hashirama's proposal at all; he was simply supporting whatever Madara opposed. At this point, he could only reply, "Er, the other two agreed as well. Why only ask me?" Then, feeling justified, he added, "Madara, do you think just because I'm old, I'm easy to bully?"
"Old man..." Madara gritted his teeth, looking like he was about to strike.
"Great-Uncle..." Hashirama hurriedly intervened. "My proposal just now was for all clans to make their non-secret ninjutsu public."
"Er..." Masahiko looked at the Nara and Hyuga Clan Heads, feeling a bit awkward. No wonder Madara was so furious. The Uchiha cherished their jutsu. However, his skin had long since thickened. "Then I agree too! I am just such a selfless person!"
Madara's face turned a shade of green. Hashirama quickly tried to soothe the situation. "Alright, those were all my proposals. Do you have anything to add?"
Seeing the others fall silent, Masahiko spoke up first. "Hashirama, since we're making ninjutsu public, we might as well make education public too..."
"Great-Uncle, you mean..."
"That's right. Establish a Ninja Academy! Let each clan select excellent shinobi to serve as teachers and recruit students from the entire village," Masahiko continued.
"That might not be appropriate..." the Nara Clan Head said slowly. "Many clans have their own unique jutsu and teaching methods."
Masahiko glanced at him. "It's not like that. The Ninja Academy I'm talking about is for enlightenment and basics. Children enter at age 6 and are taught for three to six years. They learn theory, basics, history... until they become Genin."
"That could work." The Nara Clan Head nodded and said no more.
"Furthermore," Masahiko added, "we can recruit civilian children and charge them tuition fees. This will not only attract civilians to move in but also solve part of our financial problems."
"Civilians?" Madara and Hyuga Tenjin questioned simultaneously. They exchanged a look, snorted coldly, and turned away.
Masahiko smiled. "What? Madara, Lord Hyuga, you aren't afraid that the children of your clans will lose to civilian children, are you?"
Masahiko used a goading tactic, and sure enough, the two stopped objecting.
"Good, since no one has any objections," Hashirama said, "then the task of preparing the Ninja Academy will be left to Tobirama..."
"I'll organize it!" Masahiko interrupted.
He thought, I spent so much effort trying to change the plot to get Witness Points. I can't let you put it back to the original timeline!
"Er, alright, Great-Uncle. You do it," Hashirama replied.
"Speaking of which," Hashirama continued, "I just remembered something else."
"Lord Hyuga, please arrange for more clansmen to patrol outside the village for a while..."
"Do we still have enemies?" Masahiko scratched his head, wondering if the other Four Great Nations had been established early.
"Hmph, old man!" Madara spoke up again.
"What?" Masahiko glared back. "Madara, do you have a problem with me?"
Hashirama laughed awkwardly. "Great-Uncle... the Nine-Tails, the Nine-Tails..."
Masahiko snapped back to reality, remembering that the Nine-Tails was about to revive... No wonder Madara had that arrogant look on his face.
"I have a proposal," the Nara Clan Head said slowly at this moment. "The safety outside the village is left to the Hyuga. Someone must also be responsible for the safety inside the village."
"Although the clans have agreed to lay down their hatred, it is difficult for ninjas who have lost loved ones to let go completely. Someone must supervise them strictly and make arrests when necessary. I think the Uchiha clan is most suitable for this task."
Uchiha Madara froze for a moment. He wanted to speak but fell silent.
He knew in his heart that this kind of job would offend everyone, but his own pride prevented him from refusing.
"What the hell is this?" Masahiko cursed silently. "First they kick Tobirama out of the Council, and now the Nara Clan Head pulls this? Is the Uchiha clan really that unpopular?"
Although Masahiko had some friction with Madara, he had no hatred for the Uchiha clan. He couldn't accept actively pushing the Uchiha toward rebellion.
"I don't think that's appropriate..." Masahiko spoke up. "Giving such great power entirely to the Uchiha clan is too worrying! I suggest that every clan contribute some manpower."
The Nara Clan Head frowned. With his shrewdness, how could he not hear that Masahiko was helping the Uchiha? He was momentarily confused.
"Hmph! Old man, are you saying my Uchiha clansmen are unreliable? Hashirama, leave this matter to us!" Unexpectedly, Madara took the initiative to claim the responsibility.
Masahiko closed his eyes. "I don't fear a god-like opponent, but I do fear a teammate like a pig."
"Fine. Teammate Pig, as long as you're happy," Masahiko muttered. Madara looked confused.
"Then it's settled," Hashirama said. At this time, the naive Hashirama still felt he was giving the Uchiha a great power and compensating Madara internally. Although it would inevitably cause the Uchiha to offend some people, he didn't think it would be a major problem.
"Is there anything else? Madara?" Hashirama asked again.
Madara was silent for a moment. Only then did he realize that Masahiko had actually been trying to help him just now. However, facing the settled decision, he shook his head to indicate there was nothing else.
"Then, this Council meeting ends here... By the way, please inform the ninjas of your clans to come to me to register their information. Afterward, I will grade the missions we receive and assign them to suitable ninjas."
Masahiko, who was about to stand up, sat back down. The ranking system in the Naruto world had never been relatively accurate. Hearing Hashirama mention this problem, Masahiko had an idea.
"Instead of having ninjas from each clan register their information, why not hold a comprehensive assessment? Because there are some differences in the grading of Chunin and Jonin among the various clans, it would be better to test them and classify them into levels corresponding to the mission grades," Masahiko voiced his thoughts.
"That is a good idea," the Nara Clan Head nodded. "This can effectively avoid unnecessary casualties during missions."
"I have no objections either," Hyuga Tenjin said.
"Hmph..." Uchiha Madara stood up and walked out. He felt that his two votes were completely useless...
"Good, then it's settled..." Hashirama said, chasing after him.
The three remaining in the room looked at each other and nodded, signaling a successful cooperation.
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