Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 26: Arrangement
"Grandfather, I must say the reason the Second Hokage gave so many benefits to the Uchiha Clan was to trap Uchiha Clan in this position and in the future Uchiha won't have any say in Konoha Politic," said Raiken.
Hikaku took another sip of his drink. He was the one who had accepted the offer from Tobirama so Raiken words stung him a bit.
"This position is poison if it's given exclusively to only one clan," Raiken continued. "Eventually, everyone will hate the clan that holds this authority."
"You sound very confident with your words," said Hikaku.
"Even if it were the Nara Clan or the Aburame Clan given this role, they too would be isolated. The Second Hokage gave it to the Uchiha specifically, so that no one from Uchiha clan could ever become Hokage," replied Raiken.
Hikaku sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No one likes a police force that enforces the law too strictly. That is why this position becomes poison when it is monopolized by a single clan. Unfortunately, the Uchiha have taken it on completely. So, Grandfather, I suggest we hand over the patrol and service center duties to civilians. That way, the hatred won't be focused solely on Uchiha Clan," Raiken said, trying once again to convince him.
"Thank you, Raiken. I'll inform the other elders," said Hikaku. "We may call you again."
"That's fine. I'm always willing to offer ideas for the good of the Uchiha," Raiken replied with a small smile. "Because Mikoto is my fiancee."
---Uchiha Meeting---
"What! Uzumaki Raiken really said that?" asked Yashiro, one of the Uchiha elders.
"Yes. According to him, by giving certain positions to civilians, it doesn't limit the power of the Uchiha. In fact, it indirectly allows ordinary Uchiha to become superior to civilian shinobi," replied Hikaku.
"Clan leader, what do you mean by that?" asked another elder.
"He proposed a team structure change. In a five-man team, there would be one team leader from the Uchiha Clan, while the other four members would be civilian shinobi. With this method, we maintain authority while reducing direct exposure to a civillian. It indirectly gives the Uchiha the power to command civilians and at the same time the hatred of civillian won't be focused at the Uchiha Clan," explained Hikaku.
The room fell silent as everyone considered the idea from Raiken, it is good... No it is very good. Then Yashiro asked question.
"It does sound good, but we don't have the funds to pay civilian shinobi," he pointed out.
"Don't worry. Raiken said he would donate funds to support the Uchiha Clan development after opening scroll shop. He also suggested opening shops staffed by Uchiha Clan members too, and the profits would go toward supporting civilians working within the Police Force," said Hikaku. "Maybe I'm just too old and forgot this part, but the original agreement states that every Uchiha serving in the Police Force will be paid by Konoha."
"Clan leader, you're lucky to have that kind of son-in-law," commented another elder.
Everyone laughed—even Hikaku chuckled.
"But don't you all find it strange? Why is Raiken so eager to become our ally?" Yashiro asked, prompting everyone to think deeply.
"I have a theory," said Kintaro, one of the elders. "The Uzumaki Clan was actually betrayed by the Hokage faction. That's why Raiken and the other Uzumaki chose to ally with us."
His statement shocked the room.
"Kintaro, are you sure?" asked Hikaku.
"Even though it's just a theory, based on our history and the recent movements of the new Uzumaki clan leader, I believe there's an 80% chance it's true," replied Kintaro.
"What do you all think?" asked Hikaku.
"I agree."
"Me too."
"Yes, it's actually suspicious how Konoha failed to detect the destruction of Uzushiogakure. In the past, the Senju would have sensed any attack immediately and send their forces to help them, yet now Konoha seems to have lost that ability," Yashiro added.
"Then why didn't Raiken tell us this news?" asked Hikaku.
"That's simple, Clan Leader," replied Kintaro. "At the time, we weren't officially allies. Trust takes time to build. Raiken likely feared we might leak information about the Uzumaki to the Hokage faction."
"You're right. For now, let's continue watching this young clan leader. So, who agrees to follow Raiken suggestion regarding the Konoha Military Police Force? Please raise your hands."
Everyone raised their hands in agreement.
"It looks like everyone agrees."
"Yeah, the idea is solid—why wouldn't we? It is stupid to reject it."
"I'll invite Raiken here to discuss the next steps," said Hikaku.
---Another Meeting---
"Raiken, thank you for coming here," said Hikaku, smiling.
"It's no problem, Grandfather," Raiken replied.
"We've discussed your proposal regarding opening the shop and we've also agreed to implement it," said Hikaku. "So now what do you suggest we do first, so our cooperation can run smoothly?"
"To be honest, we don't need to remove any Uchiha from the Police Force. The clause clearly states that every Uchiha who joins will be paid by Konoha. So, by bringing in every genin they can get paid, we can even bring the women and housewives and register them as members of the Konoha Military Police Force," said Raiken.
His answer took Hikaku by surprise.
"Is that really allowed?" asked Hikaku.
"Yes, Grandfather. The clause states that the structure of the Konoha Military Police Force is managed internally by the Uchiha. So even if someone works only 10 minutes a day, the Hokage can't interfere. At the end of the month, you just provide receipts, and Konoha will pay the salary to every Uchiha genin," Raiken explained with a smile.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" This time, Hikaku couldn't help but laugh. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? Besides, the Hokage wouldn't even track the Uchiha work hours they had managed for more than decades and Hokage won't even ask what they did.
As he looked at Raiken, Hikaku recalled the conversation with the Uchiha elders. He wanted to say something more about the betrayal of Konoha, but held it back. It wasn't the right time. It was better to earn each other's trust first.
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