Boiling a Frog in Warm Water!
"Let's begin, Koki. Tell us what you think." Fugaku wasted no words and gestured to Koki.
Koki nodded slightly to Fugaku, rose, and walked to the center. Facing everyone, he said, "I imagine everyone here has heard about yesterday's incident. That old bas... Shimura Danzō, he planted two moles within the Uchiha and even tried to have Root keep us under surveillance."
The room erupted in indignation. Even the members of the doves could hardly conceal their displeasure.
Uchiha Yashiro was particularly agitated. He was eager to stand up and speak, and even Uchiha Inabi, sitting beside him, could not hold him back.
He sprang to his feet in anger and demanded loudly, "Danzo and the others have gone too far! We've given way again and again, and this is how they repay us! We've always done everything we can for Konoha, yet they still suspect us and won't even give us basic respect!"
His words stirred up a storm, striking a chord with everyone present.
"That's right! Ever since the Second Hokage's time, we've been driven into a corner of the village. Wasn't that just to keep us away from the center of Konoha?"
"They've always suspected us!"
"Clan head, we can't keep putting up with this."
"They just keep pushing for more!"
Uchiha Yashiro was Fugaku's most loyal subordinate. He had stood by his side for years, watching him struggle to support the entire Uchiha Clan step by step, work hard to manage the Military Police Force, and compromise with the village again and again, only to get nothing good in return. How could Uchiha Yashiro accept that?
He also knew that the clan head had to keep his emotions in check and stay calm to manage the entire clan. He would voice the grievances the clan head kept buried in his heart.
"All right, quiet." Fugaku gave him a cool glance, and Uchiha Yashiro obediently sat back down cross-legged. The others stopped arguing as well.
"I know the clan's anger has reached its peak. Some have even started planning a coup." Koki glanced at the first elder.
"Ahem." Uchiha Kazuma had not expected Koki to make the matter public and coughed awkwardly. Although everyone knew about it without saying so, how could he save face with it brought up so openly?
"However, I don't recommend that we act rashly now."
Ignoring the complicated looks everyone gave him, Koki continued, "In truth, a strange balance has always existed between the Konoha High Command and the Uchiha. Both sides are really just talking big... They're both testing each other, but neither will actually make a move. Once either side breaks that balance, both are bound to suffer."
"The High Command might not want that, but the same might not be true of Danzo." The first elder narrowed his eyes.
"Then are we helpless?" The third elder hated Danzo to the core.
"We're not without options. Other clans naturally couldn't stand against an entire village on their own, but the Uchiha can! It's just too soon. Although our clan has dozens of Jonin and around a hundred Chunin, we have no powerhouse with the strength of the Mangekyō Sharingan. If we force a mobilization now, I'm afraid it will only end in failure, or perhaps even leave both sides devastated." Koki had hit the nail on the head.
Koki did not know whether Fugaku had told the clan about his Mangekyō Sharingan, though he most likely had not.
Fugaku nodded gently, keenly aware of the gravity of the situation.
Indeed, the clan had no top-tier powerhouse capable of standing above all others. It would be unwise to start a war rashly now.
"We can hide our strength first, pretend to be weak, and then make our plans gradually."
"What do you mean?" The fourth elder asked earnestly.
"First, we give up our work in the Uchiha Military Police Force!" His words were like scalding water poured onto ice, stirring everyone's emotions.
"Outrageous! The Military Police Force is the last scepter of our Uchiha."
"Utterly absurd!"
Sigh. Seeing their reaction, Koki could not help rubbing his head. The Uchiha were all far too straightforward. None of them knew how to hide their true selves, much less play at schemes and tricks. No wonder others had them wrapped around their fingers and exploited them so thoroughly.
Seeing Koki rub his forehead, Shisui felt a pang in his heart. He quietly rose, moved to Koki's side, and said softly, "Everyone, hear me out. Sometimes, deliberately showing weakness isn't a bad thing. Why do we draw back our fists? Isn't it so we can throw an even fiercer punch the next moment?"
Koki nodded. "Let's all take a longer view and not focus only on the little Military Police Force right in front of us. Besides, do you really think serving in the Military Police Force is a good job?"
"I once conducted an experiment called boiling a frog in warm water. As the name suggests, imagine suddenly putting a frog into hot water. It would immediately feel the scorching heat and quickly leap out of danger. But if you put it in warm water and slowly heat it, the frog will let down its guard. It may even grow comfortable as the temperature rises, enjoying a moment of peace. By the time the water reaches its hottest, the frog will want to escape, but it will no longer have the strength to move. Tell me, when that frog wants to jump out, can it still move?"
No one present was a fool. They immediately understood what Koki meant. Was he not comparing the Military Police Force to warm water and the Uchiha to frogs?
Everyone's expression turned sour.
Shisui was quick to grasp Koki's meaning and spoke up. "When people live in comfortable surroundings, they can easily be lulled by them, eventually growing listless, self-indulgent, and corrupt. They gradually become numb to danger and lose their vigilance. We mustn't be lulled by comfort and habit. We must stay alert at all times and not let our surroundings gradually worsen until we lose the ability to react and act as we should."
Koki gave Shisui an appreciative look, but inwardly he was even more puzzled. How could a brilliant boy like Shisui have been so naive as to tell the High Command about a broken ability like Kotoamatsukami? Had he simply wanted the village and the Uchiha to reconcile too badly?
"I learned from ancient texts that Second Hokage Tobirama Senju was a man of great political wisdom. He was always wary and vigilant of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan abilities. I believe there must have been layers of deeper intent behind his decision to establish the Uchiha Military Police Force."
Koki looked squarely at the members of his clan and said in a serious tone, "What I'm about to say may offend you, but for the sake of our future, I have to speak frankly.
"The Second Hokage established the Uchiha Military Police Force and drove us into the most remote corner of the village. How remote? To put it bluntly, going through the main gate to leave the village would probably be a detour for us. We could just climb over a wall and be out, and we're right next to the prison, too.
"His intention was plain: he wanted to keep us away from Konoha's political center. The Military Police Force is essentially nothing more than security guards protecting Konoha, a job that easily offends people. He wanted us to earn a bad reputation, gradually lose the villagers' respect, and make them hostile toward us."
"What a pity that none of his disciples, not even the Third Hokage, saw his true intentions. They even mistakenly thought it was a great honor for the Uchiha Clan to have the Military Police Force in its hands!"