Chapter 23: Boiling Excitement and the Third Hokage’s Headache

"Obviously!" the Fourth Elder exclaimed as realization swept through the elders. With the matter of funding resolved, resistance to Hikari's reforms crumbled. One by one, they voiced their unanimous support.

The gears of transformation began turning within the Uchiha clan.

The Second and Fourth Elders were assigned to oversee preschool preparation and clan education programs.

The Third Elder was tasked with forming the new elite guard — an ANBU-style unit loyal to the clan yet aligned with village interests.

And the structure of the Military Police Force was reorganized:

First Division — handled high-profile and critical investigations.

Second Division — managed prison systems and criminal supervision.

Third Division — dealt with civil disputes and liaison with non-Uchiha clans.

Two Days Later – The Ripple Effect

Outside the newly renovated Uchiha Military Police Headquarters, a massive bulletin board was erected on the building's front façade. It displayed detailed information about the reforms and open recruitment.

The terms were enticing:

Competitive wages

Full medical coverage

Predictable shifts

Safe, village-based work — no dangerous field missions

Following Hikari's orders, announcements were also placed in front of the Hokage Tower itself. The message was unmistakable — the Uchiha were opening their doors.

Within hours, the news ignited the village.

"Wait, the Military Police is recruiting outsiders? Isn't that Uchiha territory?""They've always kept it within their clan. This is huge.""Maybe they're short-staffed? I've heard patrols have been stretched thin lately…""Makes sense. Konoha's population has exploded. They need the help.""No time to waste. Let's go apply before the slots fill up!""You coming?""You bet. Uchiha are cold, sure, but they're fair — and they always have your back when things go south."

From civilian-born genin to members of side branches of noble clans, the excitement spread like wildfire. Lines began to form at the Police Headquarters. A quiet revolution was underway — and it did not go unnoticed.

Hokage's Office – The Growing Storm

Inside the Hokage's Office, the atmosphere had turned grim. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe clenched between his teeth, flanked by his two advisors — Mitokado Homura and Utata Koharu.

"Well then…" Hiruzen muttered, exhaling smoke slowly. "The Uchiha have surprised us this time."

On the surface, the Hokage couldn't help but admire the move. Opening the Military Police was a sign of goodwill — a genuine attempt at integration with the rest of Konoha.

It meant that village-affiliated personnel could now join the police, observe its inner workings, and build trust. Transparency. Unity.

But beneath the surface, Hiruzen saw something more troubling. Tobirama's strategic safeguards — the very mechanisms designed to isolate and contain the Uchiha — were being surgically dismantled.

"Hikari," he whispered. "She truly is remarkable… A single woman reshaping the future of her clan and the village."

He clenched his pipe tighter. Her return to full strength was no longer a rumor — it was fact.

Hikari hadn't shouted it from the rooftops, but she hadn't hidden it either. And Hiruzen wasn't blind — there were still minds within the Uchiha clan that he had subtly influenced, whispers he could still hear.

What he didn't know was that Hikari and Gin had already identified these infiltrators. They were working to confuse them, feed them disinformation, and use their leaks to misdirect Konoha's leadership. Until their strength reached its peak, they would let the spies remain — useful pawns in a bigger game.

"Hiruzen!" Koharu snapped. "Are you still sitting here smoking!? This is a crisis! We must stop the Uchiha now before their influence spreads too far."

"If these reforms succeed, the Uchiha's reputation will be redeemed. The people might even support them as candidates for Hokage. Is that what we want!?"

Hiruzen exhaled again, slower this time.

"Even as Hokage… I can't stop them," he said gravely. "The Military Police is legally theirs. If I try to interfere now, I risk turning the entire civilian sector — and half the shinobi corps — against the leadership."

Indeed, the lines of applicants outside the Police HQ were made up of the very people the village couldn't afford to alienate — the middle and lower tiers that made the village function.

And then, the office door creaked open.

Shimura Danzō entered, calm and calculating, his presence filling the room like a cold wind.

"Hiruzen is right," he said, eyes narrowing. "We should not fight this. We should embrace it — and use it."

Koharu and Homura turned, stunned.

"Danzo…?"

"This is our opportunity," he said. "For decades, the Uchiha kept the Police under lock and key. But now… they've opened the gates. Let's walk through them."

He continued:

"We'll insert our own men. Slowly, methodically. We won't seize control immediately, but we'll gain leverage. One post at a time. One captain at a time. And once we're embedded, their monopoly will be gone forever."

The advisors exchanged uneasy looks.

The Uchiha Police Force still held extensive power — patrolling rights, arrest authority, even limited judicial privileges. It wasn't just a department — it was a government within the government.

Danzo smiled faintly.

"We couldn't infiltrate it from the outside. But now... the Uchiha themselves have left the door open. We don't need to force it anymore. All we need to do is step inside."