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Chapter 414 — After the Meeting
Kei sat quietly in his office, reading through the documents in his hands.
All of them had come from the frontlines.
They contained intelligence reports about the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B.
Some of the reports had been sent back by Uchiha Fugaku, while others came from Nara Kyōhei.
To be honest, Kei hadn't expected that Nara Kyōhei would end up becoming the commander of the covert unit operating behind the Cloud Village's lines.
What surprised him even more was that this appointment had been personally authorized by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Then again, the Nara clan had always been known for their brains.
Aside from their somewhat mediocre combat ability, they were excellent in almost every other field.
---
The Konoha Jōnin Reform Conference had ended nearly a week ago.
Now Kei himself needed to begin preparing for deployment to the battlefield.
The covert unit hiding behind enemy lines had essentially fallen into a state of leaderless confusion after Sarutobi Hiruzen departed.
Although the Third Hokage had clearly appointed Kyōhei as acting commander, he was still only a chūnin.
And in terms of prestige, he probably couldn't even compare to Fugaku.
Because of that, sending a commander with greater authority and overwhelming strength was absolutely necessary.
Naturally, that person would be Kei.
This had already been discussed and agreed upon between him and Minato Namikaze.
And judging from the developments over the past week, although Konoha still contained many dissenting voices, things had progressed even better than expected.
---
The meeting had been over for more than a week.
Although several loose ends remained to be handled, no one had dared openly challenge the decision.
Except for the idiot from the Shimura clan.
Kei leaned back slightly in his chair.
"For civilian ninja," he murmured to himself, "once they realize there's finally a path for advancement… their enthusiasm becomes overwhelming."
During the vote, many of those civilian jōnin had been hesitant.
Almost timid.
That was likely because ninja clans had monopolized resources for far too long.
But once they made their decision and expressed their will, their passion and support had become far more intense.
As for the opposition—
They still opposed the reform, but they hadn't caused any major trouble.
Throughout the past week, Kei had been keeping a close eye on the situation in Konoha.
He knew very well that those clans would not give up so easily.
But fortunately, the ongoing war had drained most of their attention.
Which allowed Kei and Minato to calmly secure what they needed and move forward with their plans.
Kei had stayed in the village during this week primarily to ensure stability.
For now, nothing could go wrong.
As for the future?
The clans would undoubtedly attempt something eventually.
After all, the reform had directly damaged their interests.
If they did nothing, Kei would find that far more unbelievable.
But by the time that happened—
It probably wouldn't even require Kei to intervene.
The civilian ninja had now tasted real benefits and real influence.
How could they possibly accept returning to the old era—
An era where they had no voice at all and were oppressed by clan shinobi?
"Perhaps we won't even need to do anything," Kei murmured.
"Those civilian ninja will stand up on their own."
He set the documents down and leaned back in his chair, turning his gaze toward the window.
"No one willingly gives up power," he said quietly.
"Not clan ninja. Not civilian ninja."
"But conflicts between factions are always about eroding the other side's interests."
"And the number of civilian ninja…"
"…is far greater than the number of clan ninja."
---
Outside the window, snowflakes drifted gently through the air.
They were already becoming smaller and lighter.
Winter was slowly fading.
Kei sighed softly.
Clan ninja might dominate influence, but in reality they were a minority.
Civilian ninja were the true majority.
By breaking the barriers between clan and civilian ninja and turning everyone into simply Konoha ninja, the Uchiha clan would ultimately benefit as well.
Everyone would become equal.
Different surnames—
But the same identity.
Konoha ninja.
Even if another leader like the Third Hokage, someone who strictly followed the policies of the Second Hokage, came to power in the future—
It would be far more difficult for them to target the Uchiha again.
"The clans will still exist," Kei said with a faint smile.
"They'll still enjoy enormous advantages."
"But once the barrier between factions is weakened… everyone becomes mixed together."
He chuckled softly.
"Breaking the old rules and establishing entirely new ones…"
"I really spent three or four years playing a very dangerous game."
Even Kei himself had never imagined it.
Three or four years ago, he had been nothing more than a desperate shinobi struggling to survive on the battlefield.
Yet now—
He had carved out a path that was incredibly dangerous, but carried enormous rewards.
Destroy the rules created by entrenched interest groups.
Throw everything into the furnace.
Forge a new system.
One wrong step on that path—
And everything would collapse.
It could even have triggered something like the Uchiha Clan Massacre prematurely.
But regardless—
He had succeeded.
At least for now.
Kei turned his head and looked at the intelligence report on the desk.
Inside was also a letter from Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku was extremely curious about what had happened inside the village.
Kei had already informed him about the meeting and its outcome.
Judging from the contents of the letter, Fugaku seemed very pleased.
Kei couldn't fully understand what he was thinking.
But he guessed Fugaku was happy because the Uchiha clan had finally escaped its doomed fate.
Fugaku had even expressed concern that Kei's decision might provoke backlash within the clan.
So he had sent back a letter declaring that all matters would be handled entirely according to Kei's judgment.
Kei couldn't help laughing at that.
Within the Uchiha clan, there were probably very few people who would dare openly oppose him.
Anyone who might have tried—
Was probably already reporting in the Pure Land.
As for secret resentment?
Kei didn't care.
People naturally had selfish desires.
He couldn't control what others thought.
"Fugaku's side is stable."
"Now the only variable left… is Nara Kyōhei."
Kei stretched lazily.
"That kid really exceeded expectations."
"And he's quite cunning too."
Kyōhei had indeed played a clever trick.
When he escorted the injured Hiruzen Sarutobi back to the village, he had done something else as well.
He sent back all the Sarutobi clan ninja who were fiercely loyal to Hiruzen and possessed strong combat strength.
And the most interesting part?
He let Sarutobi Masao personally select them.
Even though Masao understood that this decision could have consequences—
They were deep behind enemy lines.
And Hiruzen was in terrible condition.
Without powerful and absolutely loyal ninja protecting him, if a Cloud patrol discovered them—
They would all be doomed.
Whether Kyōhei had done this intentionally or not—
Kei strongly suspected it was deliberate.
Because this move effectively removed Hiruzen's most trusted subordinates from the battlefield.
If Kei took command afterward—
He would face far fewer obstacles.
"Looks like when that kid comes back," Kei muttered,
"his position might deserve a promotion."
Kei leaned his head back slightly.
He didn't care about someone's surname.
What mattered was their ability and results.
---
"It seems the situation has stabilized for now."
Inside the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze signed a report and set it aside with a smile.
Nara Shikaku quickly collected the documents and organized them.
Kei sat nearby, quietly observing.
That afternoon, he had received a summons from the Hokage's office.
He knew Minato probably wanted to speak with him.
After all, a week had passed since the meeting.
The village had stabilized.
Which meant it was time to begin the next phase of their plan.
The success of the reform had honestly exceeded their expectations.
On the very first day after the meeting, Kei had even gone out into the village to observe public reactions.
Naturally, he didn't go openly.
He used a Transformation Jutsu, and dragged Ayaka and Kenta along with him.
Kenta had originally refused.
His excuse?
"I'm not going out just to play third wheel."
But in the end, curiosity got the better of him.
So the three of them disguised themselves and wandered through taverns and streets.
Although spring was approaching, the weather remained cold.
Warm taverns had become the most popular gathering places in Konoha.
Even during wartime, the village's mood remained relatively high.
That was largely due to Uchiha Fugaku's impressive performance on the battlefield, where he had repeatedly suppressed the Fourth Raikage.
But that night—
What Kei heard from the villagers surprised him.
Even through simple conversations between ninja, he could clearly sense a powerful emotion.
Hope.
Not ordinary hope—
But the hope that their personal value and ambitions might finally be realized.
Minato had later announced new restrictions for jōnin during the meeting.
But the ninja didn't mind.
As Kei himself had said—
Rights and responsibilities must always exist together.
If you are given greater power—
Then you must also fulfill greater duties.
Even though they understood that becoming a jōnin in the future would become extremely difficult, none of them complained.
Because for the first time—
The system was fair.
After all, the civilian ninja now possessed something they had never had before—hope.
And in a sense, the new system finally gave them and the clan ninja a fair opportunity to compete.
Yes, the road ahead would be difficult for them.
But it would be difficult for the clan ninja as well.
Even if the clans still possessed better resources, one should not forget that the reforms for genin and chūnin had already been completed, and the results were proving quite successful.
From that alone, it was easy to imagine the future.
Civilian ninja might not necessarily be inferior to clan ninja.
---
"Yes, things have stabilized for now," Kei nodded.
"I deliberately spent several days observing the situation outside. I can't say much about the clan ninja, but the civilian ninja are extremely enthusiastic. After all, they've gained something they never had before."
"Still, they're quite self-aware. They understand that their foundations and background are weaker than those of the clans. Because of that, they're working even harder now."
"I'm aware of that," Minato Namikaze replied with a gentle smile.
"Regardless, this matter can already be considered more than halfway successful."
"Kei… without your help, I don't think I could have reached this point."
"And Shikaku as well. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to—"
"Hokage-sama," Nara Shikaku interrupted with a slight bow, "I only did what was expected of me."
"To be honest, I think Clan Head Hiashi contributed far more than I did."
"After all, he was the most critical decision-maker in the end."
---
That was true.
Hyūga Hiashi had indeed been one of the key figures.
Although his decision seemed to please both sides, he had skillfully avoided offending both sides simultaneously.
Of course, the opposing clans were unlikely to treat him kindly.
Because his decision had effectively separated the clan leader's vote from the votes of the clan members.
And in the end, the opposition had lost by a mere two votes.
Anyone would feel bitter about that.
What was he trying to show?
Mercy?
Or confidence in his control over the clan?
What an idiot.
---
"I've already spoken with Hiashi," Minato said with a faint smile.
"I'm grateful for his decision, regardless of his true motives."
He said no more.
Kei raised an eyebrow slightly.
Clearly, something about this felt off.
Not because of Minato—
But because of Hiashi.
Minato's reluctance to elaborate suggested that there were some sensitive details he preferred not to discuss openly.
Kei remembered clearly that during their last meeting, Hiashi had already behaved somewhat strangely.
Still—
Whatever the man's intentions might be, his final choice had produced a satisfactory outcome.
That was enough for now.
---
"Oh right, Shikaku," Minato suddenly said.
"How is the collection of ninjutsu progressing?"
"Have the clans already submitted their materials?"
"Most of them have," Shikaku nodded.
"With Head Kei leading the effort, the various clans have already submitted the ninjutsu records they were required to provide."
"However…"
"However?" Minato frowned. "Did something go wrong?"
"The Sarutobi clan has temporarily requested to wait until the Third Hokage recovers before making their decision."
Shikaku spoke calmly.
"The Shimura clan shares the same stance, along with…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Minato already knew which clans had refused to comply.
While they weren't as tightly bound together as the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance, when it came to shared interests, these clans never hesitated to stand together.
After a moment of thought, Minato spoke decisively.
"Shikaku, ignore them for now."
"But continue applying pressure."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
---
Minato then turned toward Kei.
"And Kei… it seems it's finally time for you to depart."
"I need you to head to the frontlines."
"I want you to cool down the situation with Kumogakure—but without forcing them to completely withdraw."
"Of course…"
"If that proves impossible, you may drive them out entirely."
"Just not under your current identity."
Kei nodded calmly.
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
"I'll handle it."