The reform of the Seven New Konoha Departments was quickly set in motion.
The Uchiha Peacekeeping Force was the easiest to establish.
On the streets of Konoha, many Uchiha could be seen walking proudly, their heads held high. For once, they weren't glared at or whispered about. They were admired.
Maintaining peace across the shinobi world — it sounded glorious.
The villagers, seeing the proud Uchiha in uniform, smiled warmly.
To them, the change in the old Security Department was welcome. Not having to face Uchiha law enforcement with their arrogant eyes and stiff backs brought genuine relief.
The formation of the Ministry of Agriculture also progressed smoothly.
After a moment of surprise, the Aburame clan quietly accepted their assignment. Reserved by nature, they were well suited to work that didn't involve much social interaction.
Pest control for rice fields? Perfect.
The only real obstacle was the new Security Department.
"You're saying the elders of the main family oppose Hyuga leading the Security Department?"
Inside the Hokage Office, Namikaze Mirai frowned slightly as he listened to Hyuga Hiashi's report.
"Yes." Hiashi replied, a headache evident in his tone.
He had initially believed that assigning Hyuga to lead the Security Department would elevate the Hyuga clan's political status within Konoha.
But the moment Mirai's decision was announced, it was met with immediate resistance from the clan elders.
Their reason?
The Hyuga were too noble to do the kind of work that the Uchiha once did. To take over a role left behind by the Uchiha, no matter how reformed, was insulting to their pride.
Repeated opposition from the elders blocked every attempt to formalize the new structure.
Even as clan head, Hiashi couldn't simply override them. The Hyuga clan's internal structure was rigid, and many elders held real authority.
"I understand." Mirai said at last, nodding slightly. "So, how do you plan to resolve this?"
Hiashi hesitated. He knew Mirai's temperament well. This was not someone easily swayed. Danzo had died by his hand, and even the Third Hokage had been quietly sidelined and placed under house arrest.
Did those clan elders really think they could win this fight?
"If they don't agree." Mirai said calmly, "I'll handle it myself."
—
At the Hyuga compound, inside the main mansion, several elders of the main family sat cross-legged in a circle on tatami mats, deep in discussion.
"If we reject Hyuga taking over the Security Department, do you think the Hokage will be offended?"
"It's only natural he'll be displeased." one elder said, stroking his beard, "But so what? The Hyuga are the noblest clan in Konoha. We don't do security patrols. That's beneath us."
The sentiment was shared around the room.
Hyuga in law enforcement? It was laughable. Letting the clan take over a job the Uchiha abandoned would only drag their reputation down.
"But what if the Hokage pushes back?" another asked. "I heard this Fifth is... not exactly gentle."
"This is an internal clan matter." Hyuga Aoki responded calmly. "Even the Third Hokage couldn't interfere in Hyuga affairs. He always negotiated and bartered. This young Hokage will have to do the same."
Their confidence was short-lived.
*Bang!*
The doors of the mansion slammed open with a deafening crash.
Startled, the elders turned—and froze.
A blond figure stepped into the room. His expression was pleasant, but there was something in his smile that chilled them to the bone.
"I heard some of you aren't too happy with my decision?"
Namikaze Mirai's tone was casual, but the pressure he radiated was suffocating.
"N-no! That's not true at all!"
"Of course not, Hokage-sama! Your idea is absolutely brilliant!"
"Yes! Putting Hyuga in charge of the Security Department is inspired!"
Each elder scrambled to speak, their previous arrogance collapsing into desperation.
Aoki felt his mouth go dry. The game they thought they could play had ended before it began.
"Since you're all in agreement," Mirai said with a light chuckle, "I'll consider the matter settled. Also, I plan to equip the Security Department with some new weapons. No objections, I assume?"
"None! Absolutely none!"
The elders nodded so furiously they looked like woodpeckers.
"A sensible response."
With that, Mirai turned and left.
From the moment he stepped in to the moment he walked out, not even a full minute had passed. Yet, the elders were left soaked in sweat, pale and trembling.
"I thought we were going to die…"
"So this is the power of the Fifth Hokage…"
—
Elsewhere, at the Hyuga clan's private training grounds, a crowd of branch family members gathered around a strange metallic object placed in the center.
"What is that?" one of them asked.
"A gun." came the answer.
Hyuga Hizashi stood beside the weapon, speaking loudly and clearly.
He had been tasked with handling distribution. A long time ago, it was Namikaze Mirai who had protected the Hyuga from Kumogakure's demands, and Hizashi never forgot about it.
"A... gun?"
Most Hyuga had never even heard the word.
The clan had always lived in isolation. Guns were foreign technology.
Could such a small tube of metal really be a weapon?
Skepticism grew in the air.
Without another word, Hizashi lifted a large sniper rifle, adjusted it to his shoulder, and activated his Byakugan.
Veins bulged around his eyes.
In that moment, he could see a target a kilometer away with perfect clarity.
Boom!*
A flash of blue light erupted from the muzzle.
In the far distance, a hole appeared dead-center in the target.
Gasps rang out across the field.
"That's incredible!"
"With something like this, who would even need to use Gentle Fist?!"
"This... is this the true purpose of the Byakugan?"
Shock turned to elation. Some of the clan members looked like they were about to weep. The possibilities racing through their minds were endless.
Full-field vision. Long-range precision. A weapon that complemented their Kekkei Genkai perfectly.
Then someone muttered something quietly.
"Wait... the Caged Bird Curse Seal... doesn't it have a range for activation?"
Instantly, the air turned cold.
The training ground fell silent.
The words hung heavily in the air.
Hyuga Hizashi lowered the rifle and turned slowly, eyes sweeping the crowd with gravity.
"Don't say things like that again." he said firmly.
Too dangerous.
The Caged Bird Seal could be triggered in two ways. Automatically if someone tried to take the Byakugan. Or manually, by command from the main family — a punishment, or execution.
For the main family, using the seal to deal with them was as casual as crushing an insect. The branch family had long suffered in silence, forced to bear the weight of their birth.
Now, with weapons like this...
Would the main family even have time to react before—
The unspoken thought burned behind their eyes.
Hizashi knew it too.
Once that thought had taken root, it could never truly disappear.
He looked at them and said nothing.
Because as a branch member himself, he understood that hunger for freedom all too well.
And Namikaze Mirai… he had just handed them the fire that could ignite a revolution.
*****
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