"What kind of talk is this, Minister Guangzhi! What do you mean by 'it has always been this way'?" Uchiha Kō's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. This terrified Guangzhi, who immediately got up and knelt on the ground, trembling.
The current Uchiha Kō not only the Hokage of Konoha, but also the most powerful ninja in history. Most importantly, he's not even in his prime yet, only in his early twenties, and his brain works like a ghost.
With so many buffs stacked up, Uchiha Hirotomo's legs went weak. As a subordinate, wouldn't it be right to wish his boss a Happy New Year in advance? Even though it's only March now.
"I misspoke, please spare my life Lord Hokage- sama." Uchiha Hirotomo smiled bitterly. This was too frightening. Uchiha Kō was just smiling and solving the Uchiha Clan's organizational problem, but the next second he turned on him. It's like walking on thin ice!
Uchiha Kō snapped out of his daze and sighed, "Minister Guangzhi, please rise. It's not that serious, really not. The reason I'm angry is that while what you said is true, and it has always been this way, I feel that as officials of Konoha, we should do something today!"
"Instead of saying things like, 'It's always been this way, if you don't do it, I don't do it, how can we change it? If you don't do it, I don't do it, how can we serve the people?'"
"Furthermore, what I'm about to say about resolving the staffing issue is also about addressing this. I apologize for my impulsiveness; I frightened Minister Guangzhi. Please forgive me, Minister Guangzhi." Uchiha Kō regained his initial affable demeanor.
Uchiha Hirotomo shakily rose to his feet, glancing at Uchiha Kō out of the corner of his eye. He lowered his head and hurriedly said, "I dare not, I dare not. It was my foolishness that led me to say what I should have said. I was wrong."
Uchiha Kō pulled him to a seat and patiently said, "Don't worry, that anger wasn't directed at you, but at what you said. I know that Minister Guangzhi is always cautious, and there's nothing wrong with following ancestral rules. However, you know me. I just can't stand seeing people retreat instead of trying to overcome difficulties."
"Your subordinate knows his mistake!" Uchiha Hirotomo smiled bitterly. He was the Uchiha Clan Head and the possessor of the Mangekyō Sharingan, but he dared not disobey. He couldn't win a fight, and his status within the clan was inferior. Do you believe that Uchiha Kō could decide who the clan head was with a single word?
Uchiha Kō then said seriously, "I've decided that all prospective officers will be officially promoted and assigned to other villages. What do you think?"
Uchiha Hirotomo was taken aback, looking at Uchiha Kō with admiration in his eyes. That's right! How come he didn't think of that? Although no one had been able to solve the bandit problem before, this plan would definitely solve the problem at its root.
"I think this is a good plan, but we need to communicate with the villagers, and the officials' accommodations will also be an expense," Uchiha Hirotomo replied, looking at Uchiha Kō.
"I will send someone to the countryside to inquire about this matter. The construction costs will be borne by other villages. Land in the countryside isn't that valuable, and some building materials aren't a big deal. As for the wages, they will still be paid by Konoha. And most importantly, there can be no one-man rule."
"The cadres sent to the countryside cannot be from just one family. At that time, the Police Force will be renamed the Military Police Force, and the township will be renamed the Police Force. There will be at least three forces in each village to check and balance each other and prevent officials from being corrupt."
"Moreover, the disciplinary department will conduct inspections from time to time! Once discovered, the offender will be dismissed and investigated, and sentenced according to the crime committed and the amount embezzled, with no upper limit, up to the death penalty."
Uchiha Kō laid out all the questions to Uchiha Hirotomo Uchiha Hirotomo exclaimed in disbelief, "These... these are all things you came up with all by yourself?"
Uchiha Kō, thick-skinned as ever, nodded. "That's right, these are all my ideas. What do you think?" Uchiha Kō had seen and heard a lot about this in his previous life, so he understood it to some extent.
Uchiha Hirotomo couldn't help but admire, "It's absolutely flawless, absolutely perfect!"
"Oh, I should add something to that. Every three years, the team is reshuffled and relocated. Outstanding members can be selected for the department for further training." Uchiha Kō almost forgot about that.
"Yes! I don't know about this policy. What about other clans..." Uchiha Hirotomo approved of the policy, but the key question now was whether other clans would disagree, and whether they had been consulted.
Uchiha Kō glanced at him and nodded. "The meeting tomorrow will mainly focus on this matter, as well as the issue of collecting tribute from the villages."
"Then I think there's no problem. If the villages are willing to pay tribute, then everyone will be fine!" Uchiha Hirotomo smiled. Paying tribute is contributing to the village and can also solve some of the officials' salary problems. The key is how much tribute is paid.
We absolutely cannot impose exorbitant taxes and levies; that would be digging our own grave. Therefore, these issues must be resolved at tomorrow's meeting. Uchiha Kō's visit was to give Uchiha Hirotomo a heads-up, to let him know.
"Alright, that's all for the details. I came to give you a heads-up so you're not too surprised later." Uchiha Kō stood up, preparing to leave.
Uchiha Hirotomo smiled as he stood up to see Uchiha Kō. Uchiha Kō's move not only solved the staffing problem but also allowed more people to enter the system, which was something everyone wanted. After all, it was a secure job. As long as one didn't make any fundamental mistakes or be lazy in governance, one would have a decent income and corresponding social status.
Uchiha Kō indicated that there was no need to see him off, and then told Uchiha Hirotomo not to say anything yet, but to wait and see at tomorrow's meeting. If it succeeded, then they could announce it. Although Uchiha Kō felt that tomorrow's meeting was likely to succeed, it was not good to reveal the matter before the meeting.
The key point is that it has a negative impact!
Uchiha Hirotomo nodded. "I will obey the Lord Hokage's orders!" he said with a smile.
Uchiha Kō nodded, then walked out of the Police Force and headed towards the Hokage Building. After all, this was something he needed to discuss with Nara Rokumei. He felt a little guilty for doing such a big thing without letting Nara Clan Shikamaru know.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Office, Nara Rokumei was reviewing documents when Uchiha Kō knocked on the door.
"Please come in!" Nara Rokumei didn't even look up, continuing to handle official business. He said calmly, "Wait for me for thirty minutes. We can talk after I've finished my business. It's working hours now."
Uchiha Kō found a seat and sat down without saying a word. He watched with a smile as Nara Rokumei held the pen, sometimes frowning and sometimes relaxing, feeling very happy.
It really shows how important it is to have a reliable assistant. Look, I don't even have to worry about it; I can get things done well and understand them clearly!
In the past six months, Nara Rokumei has contacted Uchiha Kō no more than three times to ask about things he couldn't solve, and he regularly reports to him every month!