"Change?"
The Uchiha gathered in the secret chamber were all filled with confusion.
"Yes—change. The change of transformation."
Uchiha Ren took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice:
"The reason I said that having the Uchiha become Hokage is the more stable path is because the greatest obstacle on that path is not the village leadership led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, nor the other clans of Konoha, nor the ordinary villagers…"
"The greatest obstacle is ourselves."
"Although the rumors that spread through the village some time ago were initiated by the village leadership, we cannot deny that the Uchiha clan has accumulated resentment among the villagers for a long time."
"Otherwise those rumors would never have spread so quickly."
"Just like when the rumors about Hiruzen Sarutobi first appeared."
"When the villagers first heard them, their initial reaction wasn't belief—it was doubt."
"Only after solid evidence appeared and more people began spreading the news did the majority of villagers start believing those rumors."
"That is because Hiruzen Sarutobi's righteous reputation is deeply rooted in the hearts of the villagers."
The Uchiha in the chamber suddenly understood.
They had personally experienced this situation before.
At the time, they had only cursed the villagers for their double standards, without thinking deeply about it.
Only now did they realize the real reason behind it.
"But why have the villagers harbored resentment toward the Uchiha for so long?"
Ren didn't wait for an answer before continuing.
"One reason is the deliberate suppression by the village leadership, which kept the Uchiha clan's achievements hidden."
"Ordinary villagers know almost nothing about the contributions and sacrifices the Uchiha clan has made for this village."
"So naturally, they feel neither respect nor gratitude toward us."
"But the bigger reason is that the Uchiha clan itself did not do well."
"Since the founding of Konoha, the Uchiha clan has controlled the Konoha Military Police Force."
"Whether there were hidden schemes behind that arrangement is another matter."
"But the fact remains—"
"The Military Police is a channel through which the Uchiha clan interacts directly with the villagers."
"The Military Police handles conflicts between villagers every day."
"As the saying goes, even the most upright official cannot judge family disputes perfectly."
"Even if the Uchiha enforce the law fairly, it is inevitable that someone will feel offended during enforcement."
"But most members of the Uchiha clan are proud and poor at communication, which only makes it easier to offend people."
"Over time, most villagers gradually developed prejudice against the Uchiha."
"In such circumstances, once rumors start spreading…"
"The Uchiha clan naturally becomes defenseless against them."
"Under those conditions, how could we ever hope to become Hokage?"
Uchiha Ya nodded in agreement with Ren 's explanation and asked:
"Ren , if we must change, then where should the change begin?"
Ren raised one finger.
"First—"
"We must change the Uchiha clan's fixed image among the villagers."
"And the best starting point for doing that…"
"…is to reform the Konoha Military Police Force."
"Reform?" Setsuna frowned. "How? Are you suggesting we hand over the Military Police's authority?"
"Some authority must indeed be handed over," Ren replied.
"Because reforming the Military Police requires first changing the rules it operates under."
"We must establish a new legal code."
"If we want this new law to be truly fair, then the Military Police cannot consist solely of Uchiha members."
In truth, the Konoha Military Police Force held tremendous authority.
Aside from policies issued directly by the village leadership, many of the laws enforced by the Military Police could be drafted or modified by the department itself.
However, when the Military Police was first established, Tobirama Senju—who had not yet become the Second Hokage at the time—had drafted a rough legal framework for it.
That framework was created decades ago, during the earliest days of Konoha.
Naturally, many parts of it no longer suited the village's present reality.
Yet the Uchiha clan had never attempted to revise it, continuing to enforce the same outdated rules to this day.
This was also one of the major reasons for the conflict between the Military Police and the villagers.
"Legislation?" Setsuna and Ya both frowned.
They weren't familiar with such matters.
It sounded troublesome.
Ren spoke firmly:
"If the law is not strict, authority cannot stand."
"Without rules, there can be no order."
"Only by establishing a proper legal code can law enforcement gain the public's trust."
"As long as the Military Police follows these sixteen principles—"
'Have laws to follow, follow them strictly, enforce them rigorously, and punish violations without exception.'
"Even if the Uchiha appear cold or unapproachable, the villagers will have nothing to complain about."
"Because once the rules are clearly established—"
"Right is right."
"And wrong is wrong."
After a pause, Ren continued.
"In addition, the responsibilities of the Military Police must also be further divided."
"The powers of law enforcement and judgment must be separated."
"Only then can fairness and justice be maximized."
"At the same time, the Military Police doesn't need to consist entirely of shinobi."
"Using shinobi to handle neighborhood disputes is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito."
"The officers themselves feel frustrated, and the villagers being questioned become too intimidated to speak honestly."
"Besides the civilian members of the Uchiha clan, we can also recruit shinobi from other clans, independent ninja, and even ordinary villagers into the Military Police."
"We can assign those unpleasant tasks to them."
"That way, the core authority of the Military Police remains in the hands of the Uchiha clan…"
"…while the conflict between us and the villagers is shifted outward."
"Over time, the Uchiha clan's image among the villagers will naturally begin to improve."
After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Ya spoke.
"As long as the core authority of the Military Police remains in our hands, this plan might be worth trying."
"But aside from that, what else must we do?"
Ren replied calmly:
"The first step is to change the Uchiha clan's image among the villagers."
"The second step is naturally to build alliances with other clans."
"The key to alliances is exchange of interests."
"And the Military Police can also serve as a channel for that."
"Allowing ninja from other clans to join the Military Police is itself a form of interest exchange."
"Of course, the details of this are quite complicated, so I won't elaborate on everything here."
"But once we improve relations with the villagers and establish good relations with other clans…"
"…the Uchiha will finally have the foundation needed to compete for the Hokage position."
"Although Hiruzen Sarutobi and those old men seem deeply respected within Konoha…"
"The other clans are not blind to their actions."
"Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have announced his intention to step down at this time."
"So once the Uchiha clan gains the foundation to compete for the Hokage position, and we are willing to exchange certain benefits…"
"…then the seat of Hokage is not something the Uchiha cannot sit upon."
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