Chapter 108: The Uchiha's Crossroads
Uchiha Tai returned to the clan compound and immediately summoned a full family council.
Uchiha Fū, the clan head, was the first to arrive. "Great Elder, what did the Hokage want?"
Uchiha Tai nodded gravely and recounted his entire conversation with Akatsurugi. "Fū, you are the clan leader now. What is your opinion on this?"
Uchiha Fū's brow furrowed deeply. He understood the logic behind the Uchiha's isolation better than most. But to simply abandon the Security Division? Wasn't that surrendering a core part of their identity and power?
As he wrestled with the decision, the other clan elders and influential members filed in. Uchiha Tai cleared his throat and laid out the Hokage's proposition for all to hear. A heated debate erupted instantly.
"Great Elder, Clan Leader, the Security Division is the very foundation of our Uchiha authority! We cannot relinquish it!" one elder stated, his voice hard.
"Fourth Elder, you are shortsighted!" another countered. "Lord Hokage is offering us a solution. The Security Division has become a millstone around our necks! The villagers resent us for it. Do you wish to see the Uchiha stand opposed to all of Konoha?"
"But what of our clansmen?" a third elder interjected. "A large portion of our ninja serve in the division. If we abandon it, how will they be provided for? We would be forced to compete for dangerous, external missions. Our income would plummet!"
"The Hyūga manage without a dedicated police force! Why can't we?"
"Precisely because the division is so contentious, we must let it go if any Uchiha is to ever dream of becoming Hokage! It is a barrier to our future!"
"The Security Division is our final bastion, our guarantee of status as Konoha's most powerful clan! We must not be reckless!"
The meeting descended into chaos, a cacophony of strong wills and deeply entrenched positions where no one could sway the other.
Uchiha Tai and Uchiha Fū exchanged a weary look. They had anticipated this. The Security Division was viewed by many as the clan's birthright.
Ahem! Uchiha Tai cleared his throat again, and the quarreling gradually subsided.
"Everyone," he began, his aged voice carrying authority. "Your points all have merit. I propose a compromise: what if we do not abandon the Security Division, but instead open its ranks? We could allow other major clans of Konoha to send members. If the force is no longer composed solely of Uchiha, the public's resentment would surely fade."
"Great Elder," the Fifth Elder countered sharply, "that does not solve the core issue. What of the large number of Uchiha who would still be displaced? How will they be provided for? They have grown accustomed to the stable, safe income the division provides. To cast them out now would cause immense internal strife!"
"This..." Uchiha Tai was stumped. The elder was right. During wartime, everyone fought. But in peacetime, who would willingly give up a secure posting for the uncertainty of the open road? The Uchiha had paid a price for their authority, and they were loath to surrender it.
The room erupted into noisy argument once more. Uchiha Tai sighed inwardly. Clinging to the Security Division was a path to ruin. Akatsurugi was their ally now, but what of the future? If they did not resolve this now, the opportunity might never come again.
While the Uchiha debated their future, Akatsurugi was unconcerned. As long as he sat in the Hokage's chair, the Uchiha would not be foolish enough to defy him. His power was the ultimate deterrent, a force that ensured every clan in Konoha, no matter how proud, would ultimately fall in line.
"Nara Shikaku, report," Akatsurugi commanded.
"Hokage-sama," Shikaku said, presenting a scroll. "These are the finalized terms for the reparations agreements. Please review them."
Akatsurugi scanned the document. "Acceptable. And the responses from Iwa and Kumo?"
Shikaku offered a wry smile. "They are... displeased, Lord Hokage. They are still attempting to negotiate."
Akatsurugi's hand came down on the desk with a quiet but firm thud. "Negotiate? A defeated village has no right to negotiate. Inform them that these are the terms. If they disagree, I will visit their villages in person and make them agree."
Shikaku's smile tightened. "Understood, Lord Hokage. I will relay the message immediately."
Exiting the office, Shikaku wiped a faint sheen of sweat from his brow. The new Hokage's sheer, unapologetic dominance was staggering. Yet, he couldn't deny the profound sense of security it fostered.
He re-entered the conference room where the Iwa and Kumo envoys were still haggling with stoic-faced Konoha negotiators.
All conversation stopped as Shikaku entered. He looked coolly at the foreign envoys. "The Hokage's final word is this: the defeated have no say. Accept the terms, or he will come to your villages and compel your acceptance personally."
The simple statement sent a visible shudder through the envoys. They had witnessed the Blaze God's power. The memory of his invincible form on the battlefield was a potent, terrifying deterrent. All arguments died in their throats. This was not a discussion; it was an ultimatum.
Shikaku shrugged. This was the Hokage's way. Disagree, and he would enforce his will. It was brutally simple.
"Very well," the envoys from Iwa and Kumo finally muttered, their defeat absolute. They had no choice but to accept.
The terms were indeed harsh. They mandated drastic military reductions for both villages and forced them to open their economies to Konoha's merchants. Most crippling was the demand for twenty percent of all mission rewards—not a share of the missions themselves, but a direct tithe from the payment. It was, for all intents and purposes, institutionalized tribute, the price of survival paid to a conqueror. But to refuse was to invite annihilation. They had no choice but to bear it.
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