Inside the mansion's tea room, a long table stretched across the room. Tea cups were neatly arranged, notebooks stacked in orderly piles.
At the head sat Uchiha Gen, with Mikoto beside him. The rest of the clan leaders and Police Force officers were arranged according to their rank and station.
Despite now being clan head, Gen hadn't stripped Mikoto of her right to participate. In his eyes, love between man and woman was a medicine for youth, and power, too, was a kind of elixir for vitality. Perhaps it was because Gen handled things with such balance that Mikoto was willing to devote herself so completely to him.
After a sip of tea, Gen's voice cut through the quiet.
"I called you all here today to make an announcement."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"I intend for the Police Force to recruit from outside our clan. We will no longer limit membership to only Uchiha."
The room erupted in murmurs of shock.
"Quiet!" Uchiha Setsuna barked. "What kind of decorum is this? If you have something to say, speak it properly."
The Second Elder, Naruzawa Uchiha, leaned forward, voice heavy. "Clan Head, isn't this inappropriate? The Police Force has always belonged to the Uchiha. If we recruit outsiders, clan members will certainly object."
"So what?" Gen's gaze swept over him, cold and sharp. "Even if they object, they'll keep it to themselves."
He let the silence stretch before continuing.
"The raises, the benefits, the ninjutsu exchange system... I gave those for a reason. I've already considered the clan's welfare. This isn't about taking anything away; it's about adding strength. And anyone who stirs up trouble will face punishment. No exceptions."
Gen leaned back, his tone even but resolute.
"If the Uchiha truly want to grow, we can't cling only to the Police Force. To gain more influence, we must first give. Do you think the Hokage's seat can be won by Police Force support alone? Even if one of us gained it by chance, without cooperation from other clans and departments, our policies would be dead on arrival. Do you want an Uchiha Hokage who's nothing but a puppet?"
His words were hard but deliberate. "Recruiting outsiders into the Police Force is only the first step. The next is finding ways to influence other departments. Otherwise, what? Kill everyone who resists? Rule through terror? It might satisfy vengeance for a time, but it would leave us isolated and crushed under the weight of our own power. Who would handle Konoha's affairs then? Me, alone?"
He thought briefly of Tsunade, Kakashi, even Naruto, buried daily under mountains of paperwork despite having subordinates to share the load. Without support, the work of leadership was nothing but chains.
"I agree," Setsuna said firmly, raising a hand. "If the Uchiha want glory again, we can't cling to the past. We must integrate into Konoha fully, with open hands, not closed fists."
Shisui, Mikoto, Yatsushiro, Inabi, Tekka, Asa, and others quickly voiced their support as well.
The Second Elder sighed, shoulders loosening. "Clan Head, perhaps my view was too narrow. I also agree."
"There's no need to blame yourself, Elder," Gen said. "Thinking for the clan's welfare isn't a mistake. But for the sake of our future, sacrifices must be made. Even if it means cutting into our own interests including mine. We rise and fall with the clan together."
One by one, the heads around the table nodded. Some with conviction, some reluctantly but none dared oppose. Gen's presence weighed too heavily.
"Even so," he went on, "unity must be preserved. Speak to the clan members who don't understand. If they resist, warn them. If they still resist, punish them. This policy will move forward regardless of their feelings. If problems arise, the individuals involved will be punished and their superiors, meaning all of you, will share responsibility."
He swept the room with his gaze. "When outsiders join, if any Uchiha gives them the cold shoulder, their superior will apologize. If anyone deliberately discriminates, suppresses, or targets them, the penalty will be half their points and half a month's salary the first time. A second time? The rest of their points and a full month's pay. A third? Expelled from the Police Force and from the clan. We don't have room for pampered dead weight."
His voice hardened. "Tell the clan this, arrogance and disdain are not the marks of a noble house. True pride is found in humility and inclusivity. Do you understand?"
As his Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life, his killing intent swept the chamber. Even Setsuna and Shisui rose from their seats involuntarily, bowing low.
"Understood!"
The resounding answer pleased him. He dismissed them with a nod. "Good. Prepare yourselves. Meeting adjourned."
Several left with hurried steps, relief plain in their eyes.
Two days later, the Police Force made its announcement.
'In view of Konoha's growing prosperity and the rising strain on public security, the Police Force has decided to recruit ninja of chūnin rank and above from across Konoha. Regardless of clan or background, all willing to safeguard Konoha's stability are welcome.
Recruits will receive the same benefits as Uchiha officers, including the ninjutsu points exchange system. A total of fifty-one positions are open. Spots are limited do not miss this opportunity.'
Fifty-one. Just enough to form three full squads, spread across eleven divisions including the internal offices and the prison system. Enough to maintain Uchiha dominance, but also the first deliberate step outward.
Within the Uchiha, the news stirred no rebellion. Under Gen's firm hand, the squad leaders had done their work. A few grumbled privately at home, but no one dared voice dissent openly.
Fear of punishment and of being reported kept their lips sealed.
Konoha, however, was another story.
For civilian ninja and smaller clans, the announcement hit like a thunderclap. The Police Force was suddenly a golden opportunity; a stable position, steady income, powerful connections, and, most importantly, access to ninjutsu through the exchange system.
Mission ninja, who scraped by with dangerous work and poor pay, saw salvation in those words. For many, the Force meant leaving behind sand, snow, and rain-soaked nights on the road. It meant not gambling their lives on every mission just to bring home coin.
Lines stretched from the Police Force offices out into the street, hundreds of shinobi clamoring for the chance. The sight was unprecedented, civilian and clan ninja alike jostling shoulder to shoulder, desperate for a piece of stability.
The great clans watched closely. Gen's boldness, his willingness to shatter the old unspoken rule that the Police Force was Uchiha's private garden spoke volumes.
He was no longer content with his slice of power. He wanted more.
But crucially, he hadn't broken any law.
The Police Force had always had authority to recruit based on security needs. There had never been a written rule that it must be Uchiha-only. That exclusivity had been the clan's own doing, encouraged subtly by Tobirama decades ago. Now, Gen was reversing it and doing so with iron logic.
It left the Hokage's advisors in a bind.
In the Hokage Building's small conference room, the so-called 'Konoha F4' gathered.
Danzo was the first to explode, practically spitting in outrage. "Wolfish ambition! I told you, Hiruzen, I told you this would happen if you kept coddling him! And now look, do you regret not listening to me?!"
"Enough!" Hiruzen slammed the table, his face iron-hard. The echo silenced the room.
Koharu and Homura quickly tried to calm him, while Danzo smirked quietly to himself.
Hiruzen's glare cut through the smoke of tension. "Danzo, what are you smiling for? Yes, Uchiha Gen's move is bold, but from another angle, it also integrates the clan deeper into Konoha. Whether his motives are ambition or harmony, the result isn't entirely harmful."
Danzo sneered. "Then tell me, Hiruzen, what is it you actually want? Wasn't your policy always to suppress the great clans and support the smaller ones? If the Uchiha expand unchecked, their influence will eclipse all others. Even Kumogakure is already pressing for peace. Will you still use 'stability' as your excuse?"
Hiruzen's voice was low but sharp. "When did I ever leave them unchecked? I acted last time, and though it failed, I'll act again. But direct rejection is impossible now, and simple pressure won't work either. Ideas?"
Silence.
At last, Danzo bared his teeth. "Then I'll send Root to… remind those selected. Warn them of what they're walking into."
The other three stared at him. Volunteering for blame? Was the sun rising in the west?
"Of course," Danzo added smoothly, "I'll need another budget allocation."
Ah. So the sun still rose in the east.
"That won't work," Hiruzen said flatly. "Drive away the first batch, and they'll just recruit another. Will you threaten every ninja who applies? The numbers alone would ruin you."
Danzo faltered. He couldn't. Not without destroying his own reputation.
"At least I can scare off the elite," he muttered.
Homura considered it. "Hiruzen… it might still dull the edge. If nothing else, it reduces their strength."
Hiruzen sighed. "Fine. But control yourself, Danzo. Don't go too far."
Danzo's eyes gleamed. Funds restored, his hand strengthened. For him, it was enough.
And so, the four of them bent their minds toward countermeasures, while outside the walls of power, the line for the Police Force grew longer and longer…