Uchiha Setsuna, a veteran Radical Elder who had recently stepped down from his leadership position, voiced the question that hung in the air.
"Elder Jin, there is a flaw in the Hokage's logic that I cannot decipher," Setsuna stated, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why did Hiruzen surrender the ancestral land? Konoha possesses thousands of shinobi. Why didn't he simply deploy the Anbu black-ops, or temporarily draft ninjas from other clans to replace the Police Force and restore order? It would have been easy for him."
Instantly, the entire courtyard fell silent. All eyes turned toward Setsuna, and then to Jin.
Setsuna's question struck a chord. The shinobi present suddenly realized the absurdity of the situation. Maintaining village security was a basic administrative task. Why was the Hokage willing to give up prime real estate rather than just assigning another clan to do the job?
Jin paused, genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected Setsuna, a man infamous for his hot-headed aggression, to formulate such a politically astute question. 'Did stepping down from power finally allow him to use his brain?' Jin mused silently.
Regardless of the reason, it was the perfect opening.
"An excellent question, Elder Setsuna," Jin praised, offering a respectful nod. "And one that requires a thorough explanation. To understand the Hokage's motives today, we must look at the origin of the Military Police Force itself, established by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."
Jin leaned forward, his gaze sweeping across his commanders. "When Madara Uchiha lost the election for the First Hokage, Tobirama created the Police Force specifically to 'appease' our clan. But ask yourselves: was it necessary? Look at the other Four Great Ninja Villages. None of them have a dedicated, single-clan police force. Their standard black-ops handle internal security. Why are we the exception?"
Jin narrowed his eyes, letting the question hang.
In the past, he wouldn't have bothered explaining political theory. The Uchiha were notoriously stubborn; if they didn't respect you, they wouldn't listen. And previously, Jin lacked the time. He had been solely focused on consolidating power and stopping Danzo's assassinations.
But now, the situation had changed. The Radicals were united, and the Moderates had pledged their loyalty. He was their undisputed leader, and it was time to elevate their strategic understanding. He needed them to fight with their minds, not just their Sharingan.
He gave them a few moments to think. The shinobi exchanged uncertain glances. They knew Tobirama Senju despised the Uchiha, but they couldn't piece together the specific mechanism of his trap.
After a brief pause, Jin delivered the answer.
"The Police Force was never a reward. It is a cage," Jin declared, his voice cold and precise. "Tobirama knew the Uchiha were inherently proud and lacked diplomatic tact. By forcing us to act as the village's sole law enforcement, he guaranteed we would constantly conflict with the civilian populace and the other ninja clans. Arresting people, issuing fines, and breaking up fights breeds resentment. Tobirama weaponized our duty to systematically isolate us."
Jin continued, dissecting the administration's long-term strategy. "When Hiruzen Sarutobi became the Third Hokage, he refined the trap. Taking advantage of Clan Head Fugaku's crippling fear of conflict, Hiruzen slowly stripped the Police Force of its vital authorities. We lost the right to conduct espionage, hunt foreign spies, and perform high-level interrogations. Fugaku surrendered those powers without a fight."
"Now, look at what the Police Force actually does," Jin said, his tone mocking. "We handle petty theft, drunken brawls, and market disputes. We are stuck doing the lowest-level grunt work—the exact work that generates the maximum amount of civilian hatred. This is why Hiruzen refused to send the Anbu to replace us. He 'needs' the Uchiha back on the streets. He needs us acting as the lightning rod for the village's anger. If another clan took over policing, the civilians might realize the Uchiha aren't the source of all their misery. And if that happens, the Hokage loses his justification to oppress us."
'Hiss!'
A collective gasp echoed through the courtyard.
The shinobi stood frozen, absolutely horrified. A profound silence descended as the brutal reality set in. The institution they had proudly served for decades was nothing more than an elaborate psychological weapon designed to destroy their reputation.
"Why?" a young Jonin finally choked out, his fists trembling with rage. "Why do they hate us so much? What did the Uchiha do to deserve this?"
"Damn the village!" another spat, his Sharingan blazing to life.
The courtyard erupted in furious murmurs, the shinobi consumed by righteous anger.
Setsuna, however, remained focused. He looked at Jin, his old eyes sharp. "Jin. You understand how they think. What is the ultimate reason for all of this?"
The crowd quieted down instantly, waiting for Jin's answer.
Jin sighed softly, steepling his fingers. "The reason, Elder Setsuna, is incredibly simple. It always comes down to one thing: Money."
The shinobi looked confused.
"Consider the economic state of Konoha," Jin explained rationally. "The Third Great Ninja War ended years ago. We 'won', but Konoha received zero war reparations from the enemy villages. The Fire Daimyo—the feudal lord who funds our military—refused to cover the deficit. The village is functionally bankrupt."
Jin laid out the financial crisis. "Konoha needs billions of Ryo to replace the weapons, rations, and infrastructure destroyed in the war. More importantly, they owe massive pensions to the families of the thousands of shinobi who died in combat. The administration has no money to pay them."
He let that fact sink in before delivering the final blow. "Now, track the timeline. When did the aggressive discrimination against the Uchiha escalate to this extreme level? Immediately following the Nine-Tails attack—an attack that devastated the village and compounded their bankruptcy. And what happens every single time the civilian ninjas protest and demand their overdue war pensions? Danzo suddenly launches a political attack or an assassination campaign against the Uchiha."
Jin listed the motives. "Reason One: Distraction. By pointing at the 'evil Uchiha', the Hokage distracts the starving, angry populace from his own financial failures."
"Reason Two: The Ultimate Payout." Jin's voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "What happens if they provoke us into a rebellion, or simply declare us traitors and wipe us out? Konoha seizes the Uchiha Clan's assets. A thousand years of accumulated wealth, land, and resources, instantly confiscated by the state. The administration can pay the war pensions, balance the budget, and the elders can pocket the surplus. Furthermore, Danzo gets an unlimited supply of Sharingan eyes for his twisted experiments."
Jin spread his hands, presenting the horrifying conclusion. "Sacrifice one isolated, universally hated clan, and the entire village's financial crisis is solved. It is the perfect political transaction."
He looked directly at his commanders, his eyes burning with cold resolve. "This is why I formed the Radical Faction. This is why I will never compromise with the Hokage. Konoha does not 'want' our loyalty. They want our money, and they want us dead. Appeasement is impossible when your executioner is merely waiting for the right moment to cash in on your corpse."