Leading the Opposition

Sarutobi Sasuke took the tea and sipped it, wetting his throat before he spoke. "You've probably heard the rumors. The village really does need a department like this to maintain public order and security."

"I've heard the rumors." Uchiha Eisen looked at him. "But what does this have to do with the Uchiha?"

Sarutobi Sasuke grinned. "Of course it has something to do with you! The way you put it, you'd think the Uchiha weren't part of the village. What in the village doesn't affect everyone?"

Uchiha Eisen found the high-minded talk nauseating, but he couldn't exactly tell the man to cut the crap. He could only nod and humor him. "You're right. It does concern us."

Sarutobi Sasuke found his expression amusing and continued, "Here's the situation. The Security Force is important, so we need capable people to organize it.

"And it'll take a lot of people to keep it running. Otherwise, how could it do its job? Given the village's current situation... you understand, don't you?"

"Understand?" Uchiha Eisen raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"To build this force, we need to recruit enough shinobi, and they need to be strong."

Sarutobi Sasuke smiled. "If shinobi cause trouble in the village, we can't send ordinary people to stop them, can we? That'd just be sending them to their deaths."

Uchiha Eisen nodded along, a faint smile appearing on his face. "That makes sense."

"But that's where the difficulty lies." Sarutobi Sasuke changed tack. "You know what's happened recently. The Senju Clan simply can't spare enough people to take on this responsibility right now.

"The other clans aren't quite strong enough. As for civilian shinobi..." He shook his head. "Set aside how many there are. Whether they're strong enough is another question. And even if they are, there's no telling whether they'd dare arrest people with 'status.'"

Sarutobi Sasuke didn't beat around the bush. "So, after discussing it back and forth, everyone at the Hokage Building agreed that the Uchiha Clan is the best fit for the job."

Uchiha Eisen couldn't hide the delight in his eyes and brows, but he quickly reined himself in and asked, "I'm not so sure about that.

"Isn't the Hyuga Clan a prominent clan too? They have plenty of people, their standing is high, and they don't have any other major responsibilities. Why didn't Lord Hokage consider them?"

Sarutobi Sasuke knew exactly why. Lord Tobirama had never intended to involve the Hyuga Clan.

On the surface, the Security Force was meant to maintain public order. In truth... it was supposed to give the restless Uchiha something legitimate to do, so they wouldn't spend all day huddling together and scheming about this and that; protect the reputation of the Senju and Uchiha building the village side by side,

and avoid accusations that they were "tearing down the bridge after crossing the river"; and, by bringing the Uchiha into the open, make them easier to keep an eye on.

But he couldn't say any of that aloud.

So he smiled. "The Hyuga Clan was on the list at first. But after thinking it over, we decided the Uchiha were a better fit.

"Why? Well, the Hyuga are known for being a beat slow, and they have plenty of rules. They drag their feet when they get things done.

"What does security work require? Speed, precision, and decisiveness! Efficiency is the point. The Uchiha are much better at that than they are."

Uchiha Eisen nodded, deeply convinced. It wasn't that he looked down on the Hyuga, but when it came to acting swiftly and decisively, the Uchiha really were several steps ahead. He accepted the reasoning.

"True," he said, his tone lighter. "The Hyuga do have that problem. Giving them this job would be a little short-sighted. Lord Hokage really has thought this through."

"Then that settles it." Sarutobi Sasuke smiled. "I came today on Lord Hokage's behalf to ask what the Uchiha Clan thinks. Would you be willing to take on this difficult task, despite everything else on your plate?"

Uchiha Eisen had long been eager for his clan to enter the village's circle of power. How could he refuse?

He declared at once, "If Lord Hokage has asked, then as members of the village, the Uchiha should do our part! It doesn't matter how busy we are. No matter how much we have to do, we'll follow the instructions and get this done beautifully!"

"Excellent!" Sarutobi Sasuke's grin widened, his smile beaming. "With your word, we can rest easy. I'll go report back to Lord Hokage and make sure the force is set up as soon as possible."

"Sorry for the trouble of coming all this way. Let me see you out." Uchiha Eisen was suddenly warm and welcoming, as if he were a different person. Good news really did lift one's spirits.

Sarutobi Sasuke waved him off. "There's no need. I know the way. We'll be seeing plenty of each other from now on."

"Haha, naturally! We're all family, so we should visit more often!" Uchiha Eisen laughed heartily.

But just as Sarutobi Sasuke was about to get up, he paused as if he'd remembered something. He asked, tentatively, "By the way, there's one more thing... I heard the Uchiha have some reservations about the Ninja Academy..."

Uchiha Eisen wasn't surprised in the least. From the moment Sarutobi Sasuke had brought him this "wonderful opportunity," he'd known there were probably strings attached.

If Sarutobi Sasuke hadn't brought it up, Uchiha Eisen would have thought something was wrong. He immediately changed the subject with a sigh. "Ah, some of the clan members just need a little time to come around. I'm working on convincing them!

"We need to think long-term and stop focusing only on our own little patch of land. We should be thinking about the whole village. Don't you agree?"

Sarutobi Sasuke naturally didn't call him out. He simply nodded in wholehearted agreement. "Exactly. We need to look at the long term. You've got a clear head, Eisen. You understand what matters."

"Don't worry." Seeing that Sarutobi Sasuke wasn't pressing the issue, Uchiha Eisen hurriedly played along. "I'll handle things within the clan. We'll support Lord Hokage's decisions and do our part for the village!"

Only then did Sarutobi Sasuke reply with a cheerful smile. "Good. With your word, we trust the Uchiha Clan to make the right decision. Still... we hope you'll make your position clear soon.

"If we can settle the Ninja Academy matter sooner, the people at the Hokage Building will be free sooner to help you set up the Security Force, right? We can't afford to let either matter fall behind."

"Of course!" Uchiha Eisen promised without hesitation, thumping his chest. "Sarutobi, tell Lord Hokage when you get back that the Uchiha will issue a statement today, firmly supporting the establishment of the Ninja Academy and standing united with the village!"

With the matter settled, Sarutobi Sasuke finally got up to take his leave. After a few polite exchanges, he left the Uchiha estate.

Watching him walk away, Uchiha Eisen narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Old fox..."

He turned to the clan members waiting in the hall and raised his voice. "You all heard what we just discussed, right? This is no longer just about the Ninja Academy. It's about whether the Uchiha can hold power in Konoha.

"Don't be fooled by how Sarutobi Sasuke acted as if we were the only choice. If we dare obstruct them, they can turn around and hand the job to the Hyuga.

"This is a trade! So forget about whether we like the Academy or not. The most important thing right now is to get the Security Force into our hands.

"Go, issue a public statement right now. Say that the Uchiha Clan cares deeply about Konoha, firmly supports Lord Hokage's decisions, and fully backs the construction of the Ninja Academy!"

He called Sarutobi Sasuke an old fox, but wasn't he one himself?

There was no denying that the First, Senju Hashirama, held enormous sway in the village. He might have done plenty of ridiculous things in private, but he was still the "God of Shinobi," and that title carried weight.

And with his younger brother Tobirama, a master of political maneuvering, at his side, all it took was sending Sarutobi Sasuke to dangle a little "bait" to settle the most difficult clan, the Uchiha.

The clans of Hidden Leaf Village ranged from small families like the single-line Hatake and Gekko Clans to great clans like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga. Many other clans filled the space in between.

But less than a day after the Hokage Building issued its announcement, the Senju Clan, the Sarutobi Clan, and the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had all quickly voiced their support.

The Uchiha Clan, which had previously seemed inclined to oppose the plan, also issued an official statement that afternoon, declaring its firm support for the Hokage's decision.

That left all the other clans, big and small, who had been waiting to see which way the wind would blow, completely baffled.

To choose sides, you needed two sides to choose from. The Senju Clan was unquestionably the leader of the supporters. As soon as they spoke up, the Sarutobi and Ino-Shika-Cho clans immediately followed. The sides were clearly drawn.

Everyone else was waiting to see whether some big shot would step forward to challenge the Senju and lead the "opposition."

The Uchiha, despite being unpopular, were the most likely choice. Their influence was no less than the Senju's.

Many clans were waiting for the Uchiha to make their position clear so they could wave their banners too—not that they were necessarily eager to stand with the Uchiha. It was all about self-interest.

But things turned out differently. The Uchiha Clan, on whom everyone had pinned their "hopes," turned around and lined up behind the Senju.

Everyone was dumbfounded. And the Hyuga Clan, the last one that might have taken up the banner, still hadn't given any clear answer. They weren't even as decisive as the Uchiha.

So now the shinobi clans of Konoha were all stuck in a miserable dilemma. They could follow the Senju Clan, but it felt like a bad deal. If they didn't, nobody was willing to carry the banner of opposition,

and with things going the way they were, it seemed impossible to stop the plan anyway. What a mess!

At a barbecue restaurant in the village, Hibari watched the crowds streaming along the street and listened to the diners around him chatter. He now had a rough grasp of the situation.

The village's political landscape had become clear.

"Hahaha, this is great!" Hibari shoved a piece of grilled meat into his mouth, chewing with grease shining on his lips. "What trick did Second Grandpa pull? I thought that stubborn bunch of Uchiha would make a huge fuss, but they just... chickened out?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen poured himself a cup of wine and took a sip before replying. "I'm not exactly sure what happened. But it was probably just some deal involving mutual interests."

"Interests? With the Uchiha?" Hibari set down his chopsticks and rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.

The fact that the Ninja Academy was being established so early suggested that the village might change course. Quite a few policies that should have been introduced later might appear ahead of schedule, just like this one.

Hibari had been mulling it over and couldn't shake the feeling that these changes had something to do with him. But he couldn't put his finger on it, so all he could do was wait and see. Either way, he was just a kid. There wasn't much he could say about the situation right now.

"Ah, being young really has its drawbacks." Hibari sighed, then turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked half-jokingly, "Hiruzen, do you think I could get a job at the Hokage Building early?"

"Call me Uncle Hiruzen!" Sarutobi Hiruzen glared at him. "You're getting more and more disrespectful!"

He didn't sound genuinely angry, though. Picking up where they'd left off, he said, "Isn't it obvious? If you keep going the way you are now, you'll eventually become the backbone of the Senju Clan's third generation.

"When that happens, getting into the Hokage Building will be the most natural thing in the world."