New Orders

Yashiro picked up the file and glanced at it. "A newspaper office?"

"That's right!" Yan explained. "This newspaper office won't prioritize making a profit. The lower the prices, the better. It doesn't matter if it operates at a loss; the Special Zone will make up the difference."

"But you must get most of the villagers in the Special Zone into the habit of reading newspapers."

"Understood!" Yashiro nodded, then continued, "What's the difference between the Weekly News and the Daily News?"

"The Daily News will focus mainly on entertainment, while the Weekly News will focus on changes to Special Zone policies. Ideally, you should also find someone to analyze the current situation."

At this point, Yan stressed,

"Remember, the Daily News can be more casual, but the Weekly News must be serious. The events and opinions you publish must be well-founded. Understand?"

"Understood!" Yashiro replied, looking over the contents of the file.

"Oh, right." Yan smacked his forehead and added, "Every issue of the Daily News must run something about Hideto. You can criticize him however you like."

"In outsiders' eyes, the more our Uchiha Clan hates Hideto, the safer he'll be around the Hokage faction."

"I understand!" Yashiro didn't want anything to happen to Hideto, either.

After all, he was the one who had recommended him, and Hideto was a clan member with great potential.

Yashiro waited where he stood for a while. When Yan had nothing else to say, he returned to his seat.

"Shisui, Tekka!"

Yan pulled another file from the desk and slid it over to them.

"These are your upcoming assignments."

"I plan to divide the ninja into separate categories: Combat Ninja, Medical Ninja, and Life Ninja."

"Combat Ninja will belong to the Military and be under Tekka's command. They'll mainly be Chunin and above. Aside from their regular training, they cannot be reassigned without authorization unless there are special circumstances."

"Life Ninja will be under local administration and Shisui's command. Their main purpose will be to improve productivity. The requirements for this category can be relaxed; all they need is the ability to use chakra."

"As for Medical Ninja... We don't have any yet, so we'll have to discuss that later."

"Go back and look these over carefully."

"..."

Shisui and Tekka picked up the files and skimmed through them. Then they straightened up and said loudly,

"Don't worry, Lord Yan (Yan). I won't let you down."

Yan nodded, repeated his earlier motions, took out another file, and turned to Fugaku.

"Vice District Chief Fugaku, you've got the most work."

"First, build several schools in the Special Zone."

"The Military School will mainly train Combat Ninja. We'll select teachers from the clan, preferably those who've seen battle. For the first three years, they'll focus on chakra control. For the next three, they'll study various ninjutsu based on their strengths. No one can graduate early unless there are special circumstances."

"The Vocational School will mainly train Life Ninja. Anyone who can use chakra can enroll. They'll specialize in one field, and the program will also last six years."

"The Medical School will mainly train Medical Ninja. As for the teachers... We'll have some before long."

"The Common School will be for children without chakra talent. The curriculum should focus on practical skills that can help them make a living."

"All these schools must teach culture classes, centered on the Uchiha Clan's beliefs and traditions, with further material built upon them."

As he listened, Fugaku looked over the contents of the file, frowning as he nodded. "I understand."

The workload was enormous. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

But that wasn't all.

Yan took a drink of water and continued,

"Second, build several libraries in the Special Zone and stock them with all kinds of books. They must include the Chakra Extraction Technique."

"Also broadcast to all the villagers that the Special Zone will take care of employment and other arrangements for anyone capable of extracting chakra."

"Third, establish a Ninjutsu Research Institute, mainly to develop practical ninjutsu for everyday life."

"It's fine if the techniques require more hand seals, and the time needed to weave them doesn't matter. What's important is that they consume little chakra, so even Life Ninja with low chakra reserves can use them repeatedly."

"That'll do for now!"

After Fugaku returned to his seat, Yan picked up his teacup and wet his throat. Then he took out another file and turned to Kyudai.

"Kyudai, you're young, eager to learn, and quick-witted. From now on, you'll be in charge of commerce. You'll also oversee the Business Alliance formed with the ninja clans."

"Remember, we must keep control of the alliance. I'll be your backing."

"..."

"Understood, Lord Yan. I won't let you down!" Like the others, Kyudai took the file from Yan and stood up straight.

That concluded the assignments.

The people in the office looked utterly serious, their eyes fixed on Yan as he sat in his chair. They seemed to feel they were carrying an extraordinary mission.

"All right!" Yan waved them away. "Go back and get some rest."

"This might be the last good night's sleep you get for a while."

"..."

After everyone left the office with their assignments, Yan leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

But he knew this was only the beginning. There would be plenty more trouble ahead!

In the days that followed,

the Uchiha Special Zone presented a busy yet orderly scene.

Yashiro threw himself into preparations for the newspaper office, carefully selecting reporters and editors to ensure the papers would both attract readers and accurately convey Yan's intentions.

The Daily News' entertainment section was full of variety and attracted plenty of attention from the villagers. The Weekly News' policy analysis was rigorous and perceptive, gradually giving everyone a clear understanding of the Special Zone's direction.

Following Yan's instructions, Tekka rigorously trained the Combat Ninja, constantly improving their fighting ability and discipline.

Shisui, however, ran into some trouble.

The main problem was that Konoha trained all its ninja as Combat Ninja.

After a long search, Shisui could only find a few dozen Genin with terrible chakra control. They were practically a pile of rejects.

Fugaku was even busier. Choosing sites for the schools, assigning teachers, setting curricula, and establishing the libraries and research institute—all of it required his personal attention.

He couldn't even get a decent night's sleep. In the middle of the night, he would often climb out of bed to deal with some sudden problem.

As for Kyudai, he also displayed considerable talent in business.

He skillfully negotiated with the other ninja clans and, with Yan backing him, successfully secured control of the Business Alliance. The Commercial Street was also taking shape at an ever faster pace.

Meanwhile, a rumor began circulating in secret among the ninja in the Special Zone.

The Special Zone's leadership might introduce a Universal Ranking System in the future.

All ninja would be at least of middle status. They would receive substantial discounts on food, housing, medical care, and all sorts of other necessities, as well as generous monthly allowances.

But it was still only a rumor because the leadership had yet to make an official announcement, and the details might still change.

Even so, having something to look forward to made them less hostile toward the Uchiha Clan.

They began actively cooperating with the Special Zone leadership's orders.