Naruto: The Fifth Hokage [22]
Chapter 22: Police Force
After Kakashi left, Makoto picked up the mission scroll related to the pursuit of Orochimaru.
On the Police Force's side, the Sandaime clearly intended to let Makoto decide who would participate in the mission. As for the accompanying team, the Anbu had dispatched three senior ninjas in addition to Kakashi, who led the team.
Among the three jonin, one hailed from the Utatane clan, another from the Inuzuka clan, and the last was a civilian ninja with no clan background.
Additionally, four special jonin were assigned, including Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, a well-known pair for their Konoha-style swordsmanship. The other two were a member of the Mitokado clan and another civilian ninja.
To enhance reconnaissance capabilities, two Hyuga clan's Chūnins members were also included.
After thinking for a moment, Makoto called out, "Keiko, inform Inabi and Zaito to accompany me on a mission the day after tomorrow."
Inabi and Zaito were the first to follow Makoto within the clan, and he naturally didn't mind promoting them.
Although the mission was dangerous—after all, Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin—though Makoto was confident in his abilities, he had no intention of engaging him directly in combat this time.
He formed hand seals, and with a puff of smoke, a ninja hawk appeared, landing gently on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. A unique red gleam flickered in its eyes. Makoto made an inscription seal, imprinting it into the hawk's body before patting its head.
With a long, piercing cry, the hawk soared skyward, disappearing into the clouds.
...
The next day, after working overtime for two nights, Fugaku finally finished assigning tasks to the newly recruited civilian ninjas. Their duties would begin tomorrow.
To commemorate this, he held a formal induction ceremony and invited Makoto to attend.
The Police Force's large conference room was packed with people: 227 Uchiha clan members and 254 newly recruited civilian ninjas.
When Makoto and Fugaku entered together, they quickly observed that although the civilians had joined the force, they still maintained a degree of separation. The middle row of seats remained empty, acting as an invisible line between the two groups.
Makoto sighed inwardly. The Uchiha still had a long way to go in improving their image.
As the ceremony began, Fugaku kept his speech short, knowing how invested Makoto was in this initiative. Citing unfinished work, he soon gave the podium over to Makoto.
Makoto stepped up, scanning the audience before speaking:
"First of all, on behalf of the 227 members of the Police Force, I welcome all of you. With your arrival, and guided by the Will of Fire, the village's Police Force will be revitalized."
Inabi led the applause, gradually joined by the rest of the room.
Once it quieted down, Makoto continued, "I believe everyone joined the Police Force because you have confidence in both the force and the Uchiha clan. Since we'll be working side by side, there's no need to stay distant from one another."
He glanced at Inabi and Zaito, but they seemed unsure of his intent, simply returning his gaze blankly.
Makoto sighed inwardly again. His clan's emotional intelligence still needed work.
Thankfully, Uchiha Shisui stood up from a corner and approached the civilians, inviting them to sit together. Understanding his signal, Inabi and Zaito soon followed, encouraging others to mix as well.
After a brief shuffle, the seating arrangement became more integrated.
Makoto clapped lightly, prompting another round of applause.
"Now, let's work together to make this village an even better place."
Applause rang out again.
"Next, let's address the matter everyone cares about most—salary."
Smiling, Makoto said, "Captain Fugaku and I reviewed the average income of village ninjas and the general cost of living. We've set your monthly salary at 80,000 ryo. For current Police Force members, we're increasing your salary by 20%."
Stunned expressions appeared among the civilian ninjas.
Most of them were Genin who scraped by with D-rank missions, usually earning about 1,000 ryo per task after deductions.
Completing over 20 tasks a month only netted them 20,000 to 30,000 ryo—barely enough to live on, let alone save for jutsu scrolls.
They had expected similar pay here, with access to ninjutsu being the main draw. But clearly, the Police Force had redefined what D-rank compensation meant.
Even the Uchiha members seemed pleasantly surprised, their pay getting a sizable bump.
As excitement filled the room, Makoto added fuel to the fire.
"Considering that the Police Force HQ is far from the village center, we're also providing a transportation subsidy of 6,000 ryo per month."
The buzz in the room intensified.
"Additionally," he said with a grin, "I'll be using my authority to issue the ninjutsu scrolls today, instead of waiting a month."
The room erupted into cheers. The atmosphere was electric.
Makoto looked out at the crowd, his expression calm but satisfied. The Uchiha clan had taken a major step forward—and he was just getting started.