Konoha Brothers' Affection, I Truly Have No Moves Left!

Qingyu felt puzzled, but his expression remained unchanged.

He quietly moved to the very edge of the crowd, imagining himself shielding everyone else in front of him.

He found a corner in the shadows and stood still, trying his best to minimize his presence.

Furthermore, this position had been tested by history; if any Anbu surrounded this place, Qingyu would be the first to point out who the clan head was!

Fugaku glanced at him, nodded almost imperceptibly, and then continued his speech:

"...Therefore, the official response from the Hokage's office is that the Police Force budget for this year has been cut by five percent overall.

The reason given is that 'the village's finances are tightening, and all departments must weather the storm together,' but according to my private inquiries, the Anbu budget for the same period increased by eight percent, and the Mission Department budget increased by three percent."

"This is blatant exclusion!" an extremist elder roared, slamming his cane heavily against the floor.

"The Uchiha have bled for Konoha! How much effort did we contribute when the village was founded? Now they are even cutting our basic funding! They are treating us like outsiders!"

The extremist elder suddenly slapped the table: "If the Hokage won't approve it, we will fight for it ourselves! The glory of the Uchiha cannot be earned by begging!"

"Calm down." Fugaku raised a hand, his voice steady. "Anger and complaints won't solve the problem. We need practical countermeasures—countermeasures that can improve the current situation."

He looked around at everyone, his gaze sweeping over every face.

"I propose that at next month's Jonin meeting, we formally submit a proposal to 'open up the Uchiha clan members to be incorporated into regular mission squads to a limited extent.'

Let some of the younger clan members, especially Chunin and Genin, execute D-rank, C-rank, and even B-rank missions, instead of being limited entirely to the Police Force.

This will not only increase the clan's income but also give our people more opportunities to interact with ordinary villagers and improve the Uchiha's image in the village."

"I object!" another conservative elder said immediately.

Ever since I joined the military and entered the village, my grandfather, my father—which one of them didn't bleed and sacrifice for Konoha?

They already suffered the hardships for me; you want us to take on low-level missions? No way!

"The glory of the Uchiha lies in guarding the order and peace of Konoha! To go and do those low-level missions like finding cats and dogs or escorting merchants, and to mix with those ordinary ninja—what kind of decorum is that! This would tarnish the dignity of the Uchiha!"

"But the reality is that the positions in the Police Force are already saturated." A relatively moderate elder sighed.

"There are more and more young people in the clan; every year, over a dozen Uchiha children graduate from the Ninja Academy.

Yet, there are fewer than five vacancies in the Police Force each year due to natural retirement or transfers. There aren't enough posts.

Are we supposed to let them remain Genin for life, or guard border outposts forever?"

"Then expand the Police Force establishment!" the extremist said.

"The Hokage's office won't approve it." The moderate shook his head. "They would prefer it if we had as few people as possible."

The argument began.

Qingyu shrank into the corner, trying hard to play the role of a transparent background character.

Good grief, is this the Uchiha version of a corporate board meeting? Is the Police Force's main business declining, so they need to develop a new business line?

Clan Head Fugaku's line of thinking is quite like a product manager; traditional business growth is sluggish, so we need to break into the young ninja market and create 'incremental growth' for the mission platform.

And that extremist elder, I'm familiar with that table-slapping momentum; it's exactly like the old guard who opposes company restructuring: "We make high-end products, how can we go and make a budget line!"

Honestly, this conflict is quite realistic—face or substance, traditional glory or practical survival... tsk tsk, this bowl of rice is not easy for the Uchiha to eat either.

It's a half-cooked mess...

Izuna suddenly mocked: "What kind of vermin are the Uchiha today! Back in our day, we didn't have so much nonsense; we just fought our way out!"

Tobirama sneered: "You're full of it. 'Fought your way out'? And what was the result? You were kicked to death by me like a stray dog on the side of the road."

The argument lasted for half an hour, and no one convinced anyone else.

Of course, the bickering inside his head didn't stop either.

Finally, Fugaku gave a summary, his tone brooking no argument: "Let's do this: at next month's Jonin meeting, I will submit the 'limited opening' proposal according to procedure. At the same time, we must also strengthen the training of the younger generation within the clan..."

His gaze turned toward Qingyu, and his voice rose slightly: "For example, Qingyu—his performance in this Chunin Exam is worthy of recognition!

Although his final ranking was only eighth, for a child who was previously unknown and even at the bottom of the Ninja Academy, this is already a significant breakthrough.

It proves that the potential of the Uchiha needs the right pressure and environment to be stimulated."

Swish!

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Qingyu.

Qingyu braced himself, took a step forward, and lowered his head: "Thank you for the praise, Clan Head. I still have a long way to go."

Wait, are you using me as a successful case study for the transition? Clan Head, you're painting this picture a bit too suddenly! I'm under a lot of pressure!

"I heard you are still exploring a new ninjutsu? One that combines water and fire attributes?" Fugaku asked.

"Yes," Qingyu answered cautiously, "it's still in the early stages and very immature. I hope you'll forgive my incompetence, Clan Head."

"Innovation is a good thing." Fugaku nodded. "The future of the Uchiha cannot rely solely on what was passed down by our ancestors; it also needs new blood and new ideas. Shisui."

Shisui stepped out from the crowd with a gentle smile: "Clan Head."

"Over the next month, take some time to guide Qingyu," Fugaku said.

"His parents passed away early, so the clan should take care of him more. Your attainments in ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu are exactly what he needs to avoid unnecessary detours."

Shisui nodded with a smile: "Understood, no problem! Qingyu has great potential, and I am looking forward to it as well."

Qingyu felt a jolt in his heart.

Letting Shisui Uchiha mentor him? This was one of the strongest among the younger generation of the Uchiha, Body Flicker Shisui! The very man whose eyes would be stolen by Danzo in the future!

The pressure just skyrocketed, hey!

Danzo: I have already secretly set my sights on you!

"Itachi," Fugaku said again.

Itachi stepped forward, his expression emotionless: "Clan Head."

"You are responsible for observing Qingyu's performance in the final round of the Chunin Exams and writing a detailed assessment report, covering his tactical choices, application of ninjutsu, psychological resilience, and other aspects," Fugaku said.

"Submit the report directly to me."

"Yes." Itachi's reply was concise and forceful.

Fugaku finally looked at Qingyu, his gaze deep: "Prepare well for the final round. The glory of the Uchiha requires every clansman to uphold and prove it! The clan will provide you with the necessary support, but the path is one you must walk yourself."

"Yes, I will certainly do my best." Qingyu bowed his head once more.

It's over. The two great kings of the Uchiha are acting as my private tutor and proctor? Isn't this setup a bit too high-end? I just wanted to scrape by and become a chunin! What happened to keeping a low profile and developing steadily!

The clan meeting went on to discuss some other trivial matters, such as arrangements for the clan festival and the enrollment of several children, before announcing the meeting adjourned.

The crowd left one after another.

Qingyu was walking at the very back and was just about to slip out of the shrine when Shisui caught up to him.

"Qingyu," Shisui said with a smile, his expression as warm as a big brother next door.

However, Qingyu somehow managed to detect a hint of "the senior is about to give you some serious special training" black-bellied intent behind it.

My experience is vast, just bear with it!

"Senior Shisui." Qingyu quickly stood at attention.

I'm terrified; this Konoha brotherhood, I really have no counter for it!