Chapter 560: The Uchiha's Abundant Martial Morality
Chapter 560: The Uchiha's Abundant Martial Morality
"Reforming the Police Force will definitely benefit the development of the Uchiha clan." Itachi continued.
"The Police Force controls important rights in Konoha, and with the Uchiha clan monopolizing it, other clans and regular ninjas will inevitably become suspicious and distrustful of the force."
The more Itachi pondered the Uchiha's issues, the more he felt the terror of Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
This man truly understood the Uchiha, and his strategies ran deep.
If tasked with dealing with a particular clan, Itachi would never have thought of establishing a police force.
On the surface, it appeared that the Uchiha clan was granted special treatment due to their contributions during the founding of the village, allowing them exclusive control over a department.
However, in reality, Tobirama used the Police Force to isolate the Uchiha from other clans and regular ninjas.
The Police Force's special status meant that the Uchiha clan had to assign many of their strong shinobi to it. If they failed to perform their duties adequately, the Hokage would have a justifiable reason to punish the clan.
With more Uchiha ninjas joining the Police Force, their interactions with other ninjas would decrease. Coupled with the monopoly-induced suspicions, the Uchiha would become increasingly insular.
Moreover, a subtle yet crucial point was that while the Police Force seemed to have broad and important powers, such as arresting ninjas and establishing Konoha's regulations, a large portion of its authority was actually overshadowed by the ANBU. The ANBU could oversee matters pertaining to both the ANBU and the Police Force, but the Police Force had no such reciprocal authority.
As for establishing regulations, the Hokage had the final say. Any proposal that they disagreed with would never pass, and attempting to push it through would be seen as an act of rebellion.
In Itachi's view, the Police Force had become a cage for the Uchiha clan, and today, he intended to help them break free.
"Itachi's words do hold some truth," thought Kiku Uchiha after a moment of contemplation.
Allowing outsiders to join the Police Force without affecting the Uchiha's influence could actually bring about some benefits.
However, Kiku still did not openly support Itachi.
Upon further reflection, one would realize that Itachi's suggestion was overly idealistic.
Once the door was opened for non-Uchiha ninjas to enter the Police Force, would the Hokage truly allow the Uchiha clan to maintain their dominance over it?
"Since it won't affect anyone's position and can even expand the Police Force, I think it's a good idea," said Inabi Uchiha, expressing his support for Itachi.
While Inabi and Itachi weren't particularly close friends, he felt that he understood Itachi to some extent and didn't believe he would act against the clan's interests.
"It does sound good. The Hokage also needs supporters, right? If Itachi's proposal improves the other clans' impression of us, it's worth considering," added another Uchiha ninja.
Most Uchiha ninjas didn't care much about the opinions of outsiders. However, even they knew that having no supporters would make it difficult to become the Hokage.
"I think Itachi makes sense," said Obito, who had been daydreaming, suddenly snapping back to attention as Itachi prodded him with his finger.
While entering the Southern Shrine together didn't signify much, Obito's explicit support for Itachi's proposal would lead others to view them as a united front.
"What should we have for breakfast tomorrow? And how should I greet Rin?" Obito continued, his mind already wandering again.
Regardless of Obito's subsequent behavior, the Uchiha clan members present at the meeting knew one thing—the clan's two strongest geniuses had formed an alliance.
Obito's statement further shifted the dynamics of the clan meeting.
The Uchiha ninjas didn't know much about Obito, as he had few Uchiha friends and had only attended one clan meeting, during which he had argued with the Uchiha ninjas present due to Itachi's expulsion.
However, that didn't matter. They knew that Obito was strong—he was, after all, the second-ranked genius in the Chuunin Exams.
In the Uchiha clan, strength commanded respect.
Many young Uchiha ninjas began discussing Itachi's proposal, ultimately expressing their agreement.
"He's really going to make it happen," thought Fugaku Uchiha, a hint of surprise in his heart.
Itachi had gained more supporters than he had anticipated.
"Let me reiterate," said Shoji Uchiha, his voice firm. "The Police Force being led by the Uchiha is the decision of the Nidaime Hokage. If anyone suspects us because of this, they are nothing but jealous and incapable individuals.
Why is the Police Force led by the Uchiha? It is because we Uchiha are capable and strong! We have the power to lead!"
Shoji was resolutely against reforming the Police Force, as it would mean surrendering their initiative to the Hokage.
If the Sandaime Hokage wanted to make changes to the Police Force, they could protest by citing the Nidaime's arrangement.
However, if they followed Itachi's suggestion and reformed the force, it would never return to the Uchiha's monopoly.
Listening to Shoji's impassioned words, many Uchiha ninjas straightened their backs, feeling a sense of pride.
Clearly, they believed that Shoji was speaking the truth.
Aside from their own clan, the Uchiha, the strongest in Konoha, no other clan had the qualifications to monopolize a major department.
"Perhaps it starts with a single ordinary position, but who can guarantee that the Sandaime Hokage won't take this opportunity to reclaim the Uchiha's privileges? They might even appoint an outsider as the captain," Shoji continued, fixing Itachi with an intense gaze.
Once again, the tide of the clan meeting shifted.
The question of whether or not the captain's position would be affected was irrelevant to Shisui; after all, the Police Force was already a cage for the Uchiha clan.
However, he now had to come up with a reason to convince the Uchiha that their interests were not being compromised and that the reform of the Police Force would not harm them.
"Elder Seisei, you also said that it is because of our Uchiha clan's capabilities that we gained control of the Police Force. Do you think that with so many of our outstanding Uchiha ninjas, we would lose to a few outsiders?" Shisui said after a moment's thought.
The Uchiha ninjas were a proud lot, confident in their own abilities.
As Shisui had expected, many of the Uchiha ninjas were immediately deflated by this statement, as disagreeing now would imply that they were afraid to compete with outsiders.
"If we were to have a fair and just competition, naturally our Uchiha ninjas would be more qualified for the important positions. But we cannot be sure that the Hokage will treat our clan fairly," Uchiha Seisei rebutted.
While this might seem like treason to other Konoha ninjas, it was a widely accepted belief within the Uchiha clan that they were being targeted by the Hokage and the village.
Shisui had to admit that his skill in manipulating emotions was not as refined as that of Uchiha Seisei.
After Uchiha Seisei's speech, several Uchiha ninjas quickly spoke out, criticizing Konoha and the Hokage.
But Shisui didn't give up; he continued to think critically and looked for loopholes in Uchiha Seisei's arguments to counter them.
Shisui was not alone; many of the younger ninjas still supported him, engaging in debates with those who favored Uchiha Seisei.
"Huh," Shisui exhaled deeply, knowing that this couldn't go on.
If it continued like this, the topic would likely be suspended, and the discussion would have to be continued at the next clan meeting.
Shisui activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, focusing his breath and releasing the powerful chakra within him.
"Elder Seisei, since neither of us can convince the other, let's simplify this," Shisui said, his blood-red eyes fixed on Uchiha Seisei. "Let our strengths do the talking."
Uchiha Seisei was one of the most influential elders in the Uchiha clan, and Shisui's proposal did affect some of the clan's interests. With just words, Shisui knew he couldn't possibly convince everyone.
Shisui didn't want to resort to force, but the current situation left him with no other choice.
A heavy silence fell upon the Southern Shrine once more. The Uchiha ninjas closest to Shisui felt the powerful aura emanating from him and looked on with astonished expressions.
Hearing about someone's genius was one thing, but witnessing their strength firsthand was another.
"He's gotten so much stronger!" Uchiha Inabi exclaimed.
"Your talent as a ninja is indeed remarkable, and I admit that I am no match for you. But talent in ninjutsu does not necessarily translate to..." Uchiha Seisei grudgingly acknowledged Shisui's superior strength before attempting to downplay his abilities in other areas.
Before Uchiha Seisei could finish, Shisui interjected.
"All ninjas who support Elder Seisei can join the fight. If you can defeat me and Obito, then we will drop the proposal to reform the Police Force. Otherwise, the reform will be implemented."
"Well, do you dare to accept this proposal?" Shisui challenged, his tone leaving no room for refusal if they wanted to prove their point.
To ensure Uchiha Seisei's acceptance, Shisui's usually gentle demeanor took on a harder edge.
Uchiha Seisei narrowed his eyes, glancing between Shisui and Obito as he weighed the pros and cons.
Although it might seem like a rash decision to suddenly start fighting during a clan meeting, this was the Uchiha clan—known for their abundant martial morality and the only family in Konoha with a record of rebellion. Shisui's actions, while unexpected, could be seen as a display of a genius ninja's confidence in his strength.
More importantly, Shisui was not acting alone; he had the support of the younger generation, and this shift to physical combat was a result of a stalemate in discussions, not a last-ditch effort after a failed argument.
"Shisui, it seems that it is necessary for me, as your elder, to teach you a lesson in humility. Although you are a genius, you cannot defeat a group of us," Uchiha Seisei finally agreed, his eyes gleaming with determination.
His strength was not far behind Shisui's, and with the support of the seven Uchiha jonin and several skilled Chunin backing him up, he was confident in their chances.
Even with Obito and Shisui working together, they wouldn't stand a chance against such a formidable group.
Uchiha Seisei's earlier hesitation had not been about whether they could win the fight but rather the potential consequences of their actions.
"Shisui, we should be fighting alongside you," Uchiha Inabi said passionately, his face flushed with enthusiasm.
The other young Uchiha ninjas also voiced their willingness to join Shisui in battle.
Shisui politely declined their offer.
Firstly, Uchiha Seisei had already agreed to the challenge, and secondly, Shisui was confident in his ability to handle all those who opposed him. He had prepared for this moment.
With Obito by his side and their respective summoned beasts, they were essentially a force of four elite jonin.
While four elite jonin might not be enough to take on the entire Uchiha clan, they were more than a match for Uchiha Seisei's faction.
The battle, of course, could not take place within the Southern Shrine. Shisui and his companions found a nearby open space to commence the fight.
The Uchiha ninjas who weren't participating in the battle, led by Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku, watched from a distance.
"Perhaps this is for the best," Uchiha Fugaku thought to himself.
While Shisui might not have been able to convince all the Uchiha with his words, by defeating those who opposed him, he would ensure that there would be no dissenters for a long time.
PS: There will be another chapter coming, but the timing is uncertain. It's recommended to check back tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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