The Possibility of the Uchiha Clan Forming an Independent Army

"Of course I know we can't agree to that!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his brows knit together at the sharp tone, unable to stop himself from raising his voice.

He waved a hand irritably, as if to brush away the unpleasant tremors in the air, then gestured toward the seat opposite him, signaling Utatane Koharu to sit down quietly before reaching for his pipe.

The faint glow of a struck match briefly illuminated his tightly pursed lips, and as the tobacco ignited, it emitted a soft crackling sound.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag.

Thick, gray-white smoke rose, shrouding the complex expression on his face in a hazy veil.

From behind the smoke came his deliberately lowered voice, "Don't tell Shimura Danzō about this; there's no need to invite unnecessary complications."

Utatane Koharu naturally understood the temperament of Shimura Danzō and knew that if he found out, it would surely lead to a chaotic mess.

She calmed her emotions, quickly sorted through the matter in her mind, and said in a condensed voice, "Hiruzen, tell me your considerations."

After a brief pause, her tone became even more severe.

"The Uchiha Clan is suddenly demanding power this time; what they are plotting behind the scenes is certainly not just an Eastern Ninja Army. We must see their true intentions clearly."

"Homura has already departed for the Daimyo Palace, so you and I are the only ones left to discuss this."

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his throbbing temples hard, trying to dispel the heavy exhaustion brought on by a sleepless night, and said slowly in a slightly hoarse voice.

"The ninja army is the limbs upon which Konohagakure relies for action; it must never be handed over to the Uchiha Clan. Even if we were to plant our own people within it, we could never predict what those arrogant Uchiha might do, nor would it be easy to effectively keep them in check."

If the Uchiha Clan were to seize the moral high ground, driven by both status and strength, it would be inevitable that the Eastern Ninja Army would fall under their control.

The loss of a ninja army was a reality Sarutobi Hiruzen absolutely could not accept.

He shifted the focus of the conversation, "But given the attitude the Uchiha showed today, they won't let this go without a reasonable explanation."

"We don't know when Kirigakure will cross the sea to the east; we don't have much time to consider our options."

At this point, the Third Hokage, long known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu" and the "Strongest Hokage," felt a surge of emotion.

Recalling the unwavering, calm gaze of the Uchiha clan leader, a sense of indignation at being openly challenged by those who were once submissive, mixed with a feeling of powerlessness, finally broke through the dam of his reason.

He gripped his pipe tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white, and whispered through gritted teeth.

"We were all founding members of this village; why can't they, the Uchiha, be like the Senju Clan of Master Tobirama and willingly burn up everything they have for the sake of Konohagakure?!"

Utatane Koharu, who shared the same worldview and thought process, nodded in deep agreement.

Immediately, a flash of brilliance crossed her eyes as a "clever plan" surfaced in her mind—one that appeared to be a concession but actually threw the difficult problem back at the Uchiha.

"Since our standing ninja army cannot be given to them," she leaned forward, her voice low but sharp with calculation.

"Why not go with the flow and allow the Uchiha... to raise their own ninja army?"

A cold, sharp curve tugged at the corners of Utatane Koharu's mouth.

"Don't they always pride themselves on being the 'Number One Noble Clan in the Ninja World'? Surely they have the strength to form an independent army, don't they?"

"Better yet, let the Uchiha cover all the expenses and supplies for this army themselves."

"It would satisfy their 'prestige,' relieve the pressure on the village on other fronts, and even deplete the strength of the Uchiha. Isn't that a triple win?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his pipe, the gray smoke still swirling around his brows like his circling thoughts.

He carefully chewed on every word of Utatane Koharu's proposal, weighing the pros and cons and the possibilities.

After a long while, Sarutobi finally spoke in a deep voice.

"This... is not a bad direction for solving the problem."

He first gave limited affirmation, then immediately changed his tone, looking at Utatane Koharu with sharp eyes.

"But the Uchiha are by no means fools who can be easily manipulated. How could they not see the deeper meaning behind this?"

"Furthermore, once a completely independent, self-sufficient Uchiha ninja army is formed, what reins would we have left... to restrain this tiger once it has left its cage?"

Worried about the prospect of an "East and West" divided Konohagakure, Sarutobi Hiruzen ultimately shook his head.

He temporarily shelved this tempting yet perilous proposal.

"This matter is of great importance; one move affects the whole situation... it requires further deliberation."

If they could quickly defeat any one of the villages—Sunagakure, Iwagakure, or Kumogakure—the initiative to face Kirigakure would no longer be in the hands of the Uchiha, but would return to the hands of the Hokage.

Realizing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered that Utatane Koharu must have had a specific reason for coming, and asked, "By the way, Koharu, why did you come to see me? Is it about logistics?"

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen take the initiative to ask, Utatane Koharu laid out the explanation she had carefully considered.

"It is indeed about logistics and finance."

She folded her hands on her lap and said clearly, "Hiruzen, we are currently fighting on multiple fronts, and the consumption is enormous."

"Relying solely on the funding from the Daimyo—not knowing how much there is or when it will be issued—is likely unsustainable. We must open up new, stable sources of revenue."

"Right now, the greatest concentration of wealth within Konohagakure is the 'Ginza' of the Uchiha."

Utatane Koharu pointed it out without hesitation, "They make a fortune every day; the profits are staggering."

"It's just that according to the old system established by the Second Hokage back in the day, the taxes on ninja clan industries are extremely low. This was acceptable in the past, but now, it is no longer appropriate."

She looked at the Hokage with a burning gaze.

"I believe it is time to push for tax reform. We should no longer be limited to fixed-rate taxes; instead, we should model it after the commission system used for mission rewards and levy taxes based on profit percentages for all commercial activities that reach a certain scale."

"This is not targeting the Uchiha Clan, but for the overall benefit of Konohagakure."

"Tax reform... easier said than done." A bitter expression appeared on the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen. "This is equivalent to taking a knife to the purses of all ninja clans, especially the Uchiha Clan."

"In this sensitive period, wouldn't it be counterproductive and further intensify the conflict?"

"It is precisely because it is wartime that we have even more justification!" Utatane Koharu argued forcefully.

"To support the front lines and to protect the village, everyone with the means should make a greater contribution."

"We can define this as a 'Special War Tax' with a clear expiration date and specific purpose, then gradually advance it later."

"Even the Uchiha Clan would find it difficult to openly oppose this under the righteous banner of 'protecting Konohagakure.' Unless they want to bear the infamy of disregarding the survival of the village."

She paused, then added.

"We can set a high threshold for the tax, targeting primarily massive commercial entities like Ginza."

"Most small and medium-sized merchants and family businesses won't be significantly affected, so the resistance will naturally be much smaller."

"We are not trying to make enemies of all the ninja clans, but rather ensuring that the biggest beneficiaries shoulder their corresponding responsibilities."

Both of them knew exactly what those words meant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not speak, merely looking out the window at the towering Ginza—the Uchiha Clan crest shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.

"...Go draft the proposal, Koharu."