Chapter Ninety: The Fire Shadow Guard Corps

“Since what he said makes sense, if we give up some of the police division’s authority, we stand to gain far more in return!”

“The Fourth Hokage has never been prejudiced against us in the first place. If we do this, we are certain to be rewarded.”

“The police division can only appoint a small number of clan members, but the many departments of the village are a completely different matter...”

Under the guidance of Shisui and the others, many of the peace faction began speaking up about the benefits of reforming the police division.

In an instant, their words struck a chord with everyone present, for the word fairness was something the Uchiha had desired for far too long.

Seeing this, Fugaku rose to his feet as well, his expression complicated as he glanced at Li before speaking:

“If everyone agrees, I will personally report this matter to the Hokage. I believe our clan will have more opportunities to serve in the village in the future.”

Even though he had already anticipated some of Li’s thoughts in advance,

when the situation before him so easily and completely tipped toward Li’s side, he still felt as if he were dreaming.

He had not expected Li to win over the clan with such an angle of approach.

Even he, as clan head, had no power to refute it, nor did he wish to.

Though the division of the police department would inevitably affect him as its leader, it was ultimately a good thing for the entire clan.

So this time he chose not to hesitate, and stood firmly with Uchiha Li.

Soon, after the clan head and the peace faction reached agreement, the neutral members who had been wavering within the clan also turned in favor.

In this way, the radical elders who served in the police division were completely overpowered.

With no more voices of opposition, Uchiha Fugaku made the final decision: “Then it is settled. This clan meeting ends here. Everyone return home and await further news.”

After speaking, Uchiha Fugaku paused briefly, then continued, “Li, stay behind. Come with me to see the Hokage.”

Hearing the clan head’s words, Uchiha Li nodded.

In truth, the reason he had not told Uchiha Fugaku the full truth from the very beginning was not to tease him or anything of the sort.

It was because he feared Fugaku might hesitate, and had intended to use the clan’s momentum at this moment to pressure him.

With all the clansmen fervently hoping for change, given Fugaku’s usual temperament, even if he had opposed it, he would have agreed in the end.

Unfortunately for him, this time Fugaku did not give him that chance.

That made Uchiha Li pleased, yet also faintly disappointed.

No longer dwelling on it, the clansmen began to disperse.

Seeing this, Uchiha Li said, “Yao, you should head back first. The clan head and I are going to see Lord Water Gate, and we probably won’t be back for a while.”

Uchiha Yao withdrew her gaze from the side and smiled. “That works out well. I have patrol duty today.”

With that, Yao rose somewhat eagerly and left with the other clansmen.

Uchiha Li then nodded again toward Shisui, who was standing nearby with an excited expression.

Shisui looked at Uchiha Li with admiration and gratitude, then also left the shrine.

Everything that had happened today was something he could hardly wait to share with his best friend.

...

Hokage Building

After chatting along the way, Uchiha Li and Fugaku arrived outside the building.

Looking at this highest center of power in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the two of them felt entirely differently from before.

In the past, the Uchiha had always been excluded here, but now that was a thing of the past.

Soon, after announcing themselves, they stepped into the Hokage office and met Water Gate.

Water Gate was seated at his desk, methodically handling the paperwork before him.

Seeing the two arrive, he smiled and said, “What happened? You came to report in such a hurry.”

Uchiha Fugaku looked toward Uchiha Li, signaling for him to speak.

Uchiha Li did not hesitate. “It is like this: our clan would like to discuss the matter of the police division with you. We want to relinquish some of its authority...”

At first, Water Gate had been listening to the report while continuing his paperwork, but as he heard more, the documents in his hand slowly lowered without him realizing it.

“You Uchiha are really willing to give up the police division, and you want me to oversee this matter?”

Looking at Uchiha Li, then at Uchiha Fugaku, Water Gate was still trying to make sure he had not misheard.

He had never expected the Uchiha would go this far, surrendering part of the police division.

He had once thought about something similar, but never brought it up.

He understood very well that the police division was tied to decisions made by the Second Hokage long ago.

If the Uchiha did not raise the matter themselves, he would not have been able to speak of it casually either.

But now that the Uchiha had taken the initiative, the nature of the matter was completely different.

It meant the Uchiha truly placed considerable trust in him, the Hokage.

“It is all true. We already reached agreement on this at the clan meeting.”

After speaking, Uchiha Li looked at his clan head, signaling for him to continue.

Uchiha Fugaku took up the thread. “Hokage-sama, the police division has always been part of the village, so of course other personnel can serve in it as well.”

Hearing this unequivocal affirmation, Water Gate stood up, his face full of gentle warmth.

“Fugaku, Li, it is truly wonderful that your Uchiha can think this way.”

“And this time, you have really done me a great favor...”

He was genuinely pleased by the Uchiha’s choice, because it proved he had not misjudged them.

Moreover, he had only just come to power, and urgently needed some achievement to prove himself.

At this moment, the Uchiha were handing him the police division—did that not perfectly demonstrate his abilities as Hokage?

Thinking of this, Water Gate continued, “I will notify everyone at once and summon the various clans to explain this matter.”

After a pause, he went on, “With this action taken, I believe the other departments will also have no objections to the Uchiha serving in them.”

Hearing Water Gate’s assurance with their own ears, Fugaku nearly could not restrain the excitement in his heart.

Although he had just promised the same at the clan meeting, that had only been his own word.

But with Water Gate’s guarantee, it was entirely different. It signified that the village was truly beginning to accept the Uchiha!

Taking a deep breath, Fugaku looked at Water Gate and said with earnest seriousness, “Water Gate, thank you.”

Minato Namikaze shook his head and smiled. “It is I who should be thanking you.”

Then, after a moment’s thought, Water Gate looked toward Uchiha Li and said, “Li, I would like to invite you to join my guard unit. Also, I would like your clansman Shisui to join as well.”

Since the Uchiha had shown him such consistent goodwill and sincerity, he had no reason to be stingy in return.

The Hokage Guard Unit, as the department most directly under the Hokage, could be said to be his core force.

He already had a guard unit before, mainly composed of Shinohata Genma, Ebisu Raidō, and Dōei Iwashi, the three of them able to cooperate in using the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.

However, after the Nine-Tails incident and his subsequent recuperation, the guard unit had fallen quiet.

This time, he felt it was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate goodwill and fairness toward the Uchiha while expanding and reorganizing the guard unit.

After all, the village’s Anbu had always...