Development and Change

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was July of Konoha Year 53.

The summer sun blazed fiercely, pouring down without reservation upon every corner of Konoha.

The village streets bustled with crowds and noise.

Some ninja hurried along while others strolled leisurely, their figures especially vivid amid the interplay of light and shadow.

A gentle breeze swept past, carrying the distinctive fresh scent of the Konoha forest.

Over these past few months, the Special Zone had developed rapidly. Though it still could not compare with Konoha, it had barely become capable of standing on its own.

Yakushi Nonō truly lived up to her reputation as an elite ninja; the same held true in the medical field.

The establishment of the Medical Department went smoothly, and with the cooperation of the Nara Clan, there was no need to worry about medicinal herbs at all.

Yan understood how to share. He would never keep everything for himself.

So-called social connections were, in truth, connections of interest.

Tied interests were the most reliable kind.

Yan knew well who his enemies were and who could be won over.

For example, among the Medical Ninja and physicians under the Utatane Clan's charge, those who could be recruited were retained, while Yan found excuses to politely dismiss those who could not.

At the same time, several schools had all been completed and were recruiting students on a large scale.

The other schools were one thing, but the establishment of the Common School caused an enormous uproar within the Special Zone.

This was the first time anyone had established a school specifically for admitting ordinary people, and it even included political courses.

This also caused the Uchiha Clan's reputation within the Special Zone to grow increasingly better.

Naturally, the Newspaper Office also deserved much of the credit.

The Weekly News mainly introduced the Special Zone's upcoming new policies and even hired people to analyze them specifically.

It also set up feedback submission points.

The Special Zone's upper ranks would make certain adjustments to policies based on the content of those submissions.

This move gave the villagers a sense of participation and greatly increased their recognition of the Special Zone.

At the same time, the Military Police Force was reorganized. While Radical Faction members were removed and Conservative Faction members brought in, a large number of positions were opened up for recruitment. Whether ninja or civilians, all could apply.

Of course, the treatment of ninja and villagers differed, roughly at a ratio of ten to one, but both enjoyed many social benefits.

Some sharp-nosed villagers also made quite a bit of money by exploiting the information gap created by policy changes.

Some even achieved financial freedom outright.

Naturally, taxes still had to be paid, and the tax rate was not low.

But the advantage was that no physical labor was required. It all depended on one's brain, and the hours were relatively flexible.

This further led to the emergence of an entirely new industry.

In the Daily News, aside from the routine criticism and insults aimed at Uchiha Hideto, it was basically entertainment-focused.

For instance, an Uchiha youth fell for a civilian woman, but she looked down on him and rejected him repeatedly.

Yet he bore no resentment and devoted himself wholeheartedly to her. In the end, he successfully won her hand.

Or perhaps the Military Police Force encountered difficult villagers while enforcing the law, but ultimately reasoned with them and moved them with sincerity, causing them to come to their senses.

And so on.

Naturally, Yan was behind that particular piece.

Its purpose was to send a message to the outside world: the Uchiha Clan accepted intermarriage.

As for the rumor about the Universal Ranking System, it spread more and more wildly, reaching quite a few Konoha ninja.

As it was passed from mouth to mouth, the benefits described became increasingly exaggerated.

But after all, it had not been officially announced yet, and there was not even a trace of it in the Weekly News.

This left those Konoha ninja interested but mostly still watching from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Konoha seemed to have sensed a crisis as well.

It actually followed the Special Zone's example and established a Newspaper Office of its own, with Uchiha Hideto in charge.

There were still certain differences between the two.

For instance, they published a daily paper, likewise focused on entertainment and likewise criticizing and insulting the Uchiha Clan, but they had no Weekly News centered on political analysis.

This gave those Konoha villagers who knew the situation a sense of imbalance.

As for Yan, during this period, he refined a large number of Yin-Yang Release ninjutsu and some simple applications, greatly increasing his strength. However, the problem of excessive consumption remained unresolved.

But at this stage of the Ninja World, it was more than enough to keep himself alive.

The plan to leave the village could also be put on the agenda.

But before that, Yan still had one important matter to handle.

The former Uchiha Clan compound, now the political center of the Special Zone.

Before an open clearing, a large number of Uchiha clansmen had gathered. They were almost all jonin. There were still just as many Three Tomoe users among them, but there were now many more Two Tomoe jonin as well, bringing the total to around seventy or eighty.

This was also something Yan found somewhat unsatisfactory.

There had previously been fifty or sixty jonin in the clan, yet nearly a year had passed and only a dozen or so more had emerged—not even twenty.

As for civilian jonin within the Special Zone, there had originally been seven. Four had left, and the number had only grown to around ten now.

That was even with Yan sparing no expense and putting every effort into training them.

No matter how he looked at it, it felt like all that development had been for nothing!

In a world of the extraordinary, having money without strength only made one a cash machine for the strong.

According to incomplete statistics, the Hokage faction alone—including Sarutobi, the Anbu, Root, the Koharu faction, and Mitokado—had at least a hundred and fifty jonin combined.

If the Ninja Clans and civilian ninja supporting them were included, that number would climb even higher.

With the Fire-Lightning Conflict about to end, Yan could not help feeling anxious.

Thus, he made a bold decision.

"Yan, have you really decided?" Shisui asked with a worried expression. "What if it fails..."

The clansmen beside him shared the same concern. They looked at Yan anxiously and chimed in.

"Yes, Clan Head. The Uchiha Clan is developing quite well right now."

"There's no need to take such a risk!"

"My life doesn't matter, but nothing can happen to you, Clan Head!"

"..."

Faced with the persuasion of the surrounding clansmen, Yan shook his head, determination in his expression.

"My mind is made up. You need not say any more."

"And I definitely won't be in danger. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gathered all of you here. You can rest assured of that."

"Lord Yan!" Tekka said solemnly. "I support you, and I believe in you."

"Just as when you led us to obtain the Uchiha Special Zone, you certainly won't fail."

Yashiro and Kyudai exchanged a glance, then shouted in unison, "Us too!"

"..."

"Fine." Seeing this, Shisui could only nod in agreement. "Yan, be careful."

"The clan can afford to lose some of its foundations, but nothing must happen to you!"

"Don't worry." Yan reassured him. "I never do anything unless I'm certain of it."

Shisui nodded at that, then turned to look at the many clansmen behind him.

He found that all of them had already opened their crimson Sharingan. The tomoe within their pupils swam ceaselessly like tiny tadpoles.

"Then let's begin!"

Yan's eyes changed. The three tomoe in his eyes rapidly merged into an eerie pattern, and immense ocular power erupted at the same time as he shouted.

"Susanoo!"