Seven days later.
Yan sat in the clan's temporary office, which was being used to handle administrative affairs.
On his orders, construction was underway on the administrative building at the former Uchiha Clan Compound.
The compound was already at the center of the Special Zone, making it the ideal place to serve as the administrative hub for the entire area.
It would also allow orders to be issued more efficiently.
As for the clan members, Yan planned to have them move to different parts of the Special Zone.
For one thing, it would help the Uchiha Clan fully establish itself in the area.
For another, the Uchiha Clan had a truly terrible reputation.
The only way to change the villagers' stereotypical impression of them was to let them interact in person; perhaps then their views would change.
After the orders went out,
many clan members didn't understand, but given Yan's standing in the clan and their trust in him, they ultimately chose to accept them.
They believed Yan wouldn't lead them astray.
Meanwhile, plans for the Commercial Street were proceeding in an orderly fashion.
With the Ninja Cat Clan's involvement, the Special Zone wasn't under much financial pressure at the moment.
So they bought up shops and land deeds in large quantities, paying prices above market value, and arranged other places for the owners to live.
As for anyone unwilling to move, the Military Police Force would have to use a firm hand.
"Lord Yan!" Uchiha Kyudai placed a file on Yan's desk and said respectfully, "This is the census report."
"Excluding the Uchiha Clan, there are 31,018 villagers in the Special Zone. Five hundred are ninja, but only seven are jonin."
"Their family circumstances, areas of expertise, and other details have all been recorded as well."
As he listened to the report, Yan glanced at the file on his desk, then looked up at Kyudai and noticed the exhaustion he could barely conceal.
"You've worked hard, Kyudai. Go home and get some rest."
"And let Fugaku, Shisui, Tekka, and Yashiro know we're having a meeting at eight tonight!"
"All right!" Kyudai nodded.
Then he turned and left the office.
Night fell.
The lights were blazing in Yan's temporary office. Several figures sat inside, apparently waiting for the person in charge.
"Creak, creak!"
The office door swung open. Yan walked in and made his way to his desk, where he sat down.
He looked at the gathered leaders of the Special Zone, cleared his throat, and said,
"Give me an update on how things have been going in the Special Zone."
When he finished,
Uchiha Fugaku spoke first. "Yan... Lord District Chief, the boundaries of the Special Zone have all been established. I've also assigned clan ninja to guard the border with Konoha, but there's one problem."
"Go on," Yan replied curtly.
"Many villagers have heard that the Uchiha Clan will be in control of this area from now on, and they want to move away. Most of them belong to ninja families."
"What do you think...?"
As he listened to Fugaku's report, Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the crisp sound filling the room. His brow furrowed as though he were considering something.
After a moment, he quietly uttered a few words.
"Let them leave!"
"But I'll give them only three days. Anyone who hasn't left by then won't need to leave."
"All right!" Fugaku nodded without asking why.
The office fell silent.
"Anything else?" Yan asked, looking around at everyone.
Tekka, Shisui, and Yashiro exchanged glances. Seeing that no one else was going to speak,
Tekka had no choice but to get to his feet and say,
"Lord Yan, most of the clan's casinos have closed, but many clan members aren't happy about it."
"When I told them it was your order, they didn't dare say anything more, but I could tell..."
"They're still a little dissatisfied."
Yan nodded. He wasn't concerned about the clan members' attitude.
"It's normal for them to be unhappy. After all, this plan really did help many clan members awaken their Sharingan. Now we've shut it down, so it's only natural that they have trouble accepting it."
"Tekka, go and reassure them. Also, use Shisui's 'Genjutsu: Anti-Gambling Addiction Technique.' I don't want gambling addiction to ruin the Uchiha Clan."
"As for other ways to awaken the Sharingan, I already have some leads, but it'll take time."
"You can tell the clan members that too. They just need to wait patiently."
"Understood, Lord Yan!" Tekka readily agreed.
Yan then turned his attention to Shisui.
"What about you, Shisui?"
Shisui rose from his seat. "Yan, I've already met with the civilian ninja in the Special Zone."
"They don't seem to trust the Uchiha Clan very much, but they don't dare defy the Special Zone's orders either. So a lot of the time, they pay lip service while doing as they please."
At his words, the office grew even quieter. The only sound was Yan's fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
This really was a serious problem.
The Special Zone couldn't develop without the villagers' support.
And the civilian ninja shaped the villagers' opinions, influencing their views.
If this wasn't handled properly, it could lead to serious backlash.
"Here's what we'll do!" After a long pause, Yan said in a low voice. "Shisui, you'll have to put in some more effort for now and keep those civilian ninja in line."
"When necessary, you can let them in on some of the leadership's future decisions, but don't spell them out. Understand?"
At that, Shisui's eyes narrowed.
"Yan, by future decisions, do you mean that one?"
"That's right!" Yan nodded. "The Universal Ranking System."
"It's not time to announce this plan yet, so when you tell them about it, pass it off as a rumor and tell them not to spread it. Otherwise, it could affect the leadership's final decision."
"Yan!" Shisui didn't seem to agree with the plan. He was struggling internally.
"Are we really going to implement it someday? It could cause a huge upheaval!"
"Shisui, I don't have a choice!" Yan sighed, then continued. "My Special Zone is only a small part of Konoha."
"In terms of money, resources, the number of ninja, and everything else, we're far behind."
"If we don't take an unconventional path, how will we ever surpass it?"
"But dividing the villagers in the Special Zone into ranks..." Shisui pressed his lips together. "That's just too cruel."
"Isn't the Ninja World a place where individual strength reigns above all else?" Yan countered. "The strong deserve to have everything."
"Only if we awaken their ambitions will they truly show us respect and willingly follow all our orders."
"As long as I'm stronger than everyone else!"
"..."
Shisui closed his eyes and fell silent.
But Yan knew Shisui was only struggling with the idea. He would still obey the order.
Leaving him alone, Yan continued, "Anything else to report?"
Fugaku and the others shook their heads.
"Good!" Yan took a file from his desk and set it in front of Yashiro. "Yashiro."
"You have a knack for manipulating public opinion. From now on, I'll leave those matters to you."
"This is the plan for the next stage."
Before you continue