The next day
"Clan Head Fugaku, do you know why you called us here?"
"I still have to keep an eye on the renovations over at the Senju Clan Compound."
The Great Elder, the Third Elder, and the others spoke excitedly.
After all, those of the older generation had been rivals with the young people of the Senju Clan ever since they were born.
Naturally, they were thrilled at the thought of moving into the Senju Clan Compound.
Hearing them, Uchiha Fugaku cleared his throat and began.
"Here's the thing. Yesterday, I took a walk around our Uchiha Clan and noticed a problem."
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At the mention of a problem with the Uchiha, the other elders settled down and asked,
"Clan Head Fugaku, what problem is that?"
Seeing the elders' questions, Uchiha Fugaku explained.
"Because I possess the Eternal Eye, I have an ability that lets me observe the physical problems of the younger generation."
"And based on those problems, I can devise suitable training methods to make them stronger."
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Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, Uchiha Setsuna, the Great Elder, immediately caught on.
"Clan Head, are you suggesting that we put the clan members through Taijutsu training?"
At Uchiha Setsuna's words, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes lit up at once.
"Exactly."
The other elders hesitated, then said,
"Clan Head, we all strongly support your proposal."
"But training everyone in Taijutsu would take a great deal of time."
"Besides, our Uchiha Clan is a clan of dōjutsu users. We only need to awaken our eyes as usual to gain the strength of a jonin."
"Taijutsu training would improve our strength too slowly."
"And it's exhausting. It also consumes a lot of resources, which would place an added burden on the clan."
"It really doesn't seem like a very good choice."
"That's true."
Uchiha Fugaku agreed, but then shifted gears and began explaining the benefits of Taijutsu training.
"The Taijutsu training I'm talking about isn't the kind that simply pushes people to exhaustion to build physical strength."
"I'm doing this for the sake of the Uchiha Clan."
For the sake of the Uchiha Clan?
Could Taijutsu training have benefits they didn't know about?
Seeing the elders deep in thought, Uchiha Fugaku stopped keeping them in suspense and got straight to the point.
"Taijutsu training strengthens the body."
"And when our clan members get stronger, they'll naturally be healthier."
"Healthy, strong clan members are more likely to have healthy children. And being in good shape can also..."
"I'm sure none of the elders here have any problems in that department."
As he spoke, Uchiha Fugaku winked at the elders.
The savvy old hands of the Uchiha Clan understood what he meant. Their faces reddened, and they coughed awkwardly.
"No, no, we're all doing just fine."
Then Uchiha Fugaku revealed his real goal.
"After Danzo's rampage, the Uchiha Clan has fewer members now than we did during the Warring States Period."
"I want our clan to flourish again."
"And our population is the biggest obstacle."
"I thought it over carefully before deciding to begin Taijutsu training."
"First, we have the means. My Eternal Eye can devise suitable training plans."
"Second, a strong body will increase the chances of survival for those who leave the village on missions."
"Third, there's the matter of awakening the Sharingan. My research has shown that awakening it puts a tremendous strain on the body. A body strengthened through training will help clan members seize the opportunity when it comes."
"Keep in mind that awakening too early is bad for the body. Madara Uchiha only managed to awaken his eyes rapidly over a short period after his body had matured."
"Lastly, there's the matter of the Uchiha Clan's future generations I mentioned. A strong, healthy body greatly increases the chances of having a healthy baby."
"Besides, chakra is extracted from spiritual energy and cells. A strong body can also raise the upper limit of our clan's shinobi."
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, the other elders fell silent in thought.
Honestly, they hadn't imagined Taijutsu training could offer so many benefits.
Seeing their hesitation, Uchiha Fugaku pressed his advantage.
"Actually, I have a way to stimulate the clan members to awaken their eyes without any risk."
"It just places very high demands on the body."
At those last words, Uchiha Setsuna, Kagami Uchiha, and the other elders no longer hesitated.
"Then we'll do as the Clan Head says. I'll notify the whole clan today."
"We'll be counting on you tomorrow, Clan Head."
"However..."
Hearing Uchiha Setsuna's final words, Uchiha Fugaku looked puzzled.
"What is it, Great Elder? Is something still bothering you?"
In response to Uchiha Fugaku's question, Uchiha Setsuna voiced his real concern.
"Taijutsu training requires a great deal of food and medicine."
"The Uchiha Clan's finances can't support that kind of expense."
Hearing Uchiha Setsuna's concern, Uchiha Fugaku smiled and replied,
"There's no need to worry in the short term. The village will grant the Uchiha Clan one hundred million ryo in compensation."
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One hundred million ryo?
The elders were stunned. The Uchiha Clan's annual expenses didn't necessarily even reach one hundred million ryo.
That meant the Uchiha Clan could maintain its current standard of living for a whole year without doing any work.
Still, Uchiha Setsuna kept his wits about him and asked why.
"Clan Head Fugaku, why is the village giving the Uchiha Clan such a huge sum?"
At the Great Elder's question, Uchiha Fugaku answered casually,
"Isn't it because of what happened the night Shimura Danzō attacked the village? He destroyed so much of our clan compound that I think one hundred million ryo is too little."
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The other elders were shocked again. Too little?
That was more than enough to renovate the entire clan compound.
Before any of them could speak, Uchiha Fugaku continued,
"Don't worry. As long as you cooperate with me fully, getting a little money will be a piece of cake."
"For now, go and prepare the clan members."
"Tomorrow's group Taijutsu training will include everyone except the essential Military Police Force personnel."
"All the other young adults and the children staying at the clan compound must take part."
"Every child with Uchiha blood."
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, Uchiha Setsuna, Kagami Uchiha, and the other elders nodded to show they understood.
After all, this really would benefit the clan.
And Uchiha Fugaku had already dealt with all the potential problems.
What reason did they have to object?
The elders divided up the work and began notifying the Uchiha Clan.
Before you continue