Chapter 170: The Function of a Sharp Blade

"Supporters, you mean..."

Uchiha Fugaku was slightly stunned upon hearing Uchiha Ri's perspective, as if he had caught onto something.

It felt like there had been a strikingly similar precedent within the clan before—Uchiha Ri must have said something along those lines back then.

However, he couldn't recall it for a moment.

"Clan Head, if you really think about the reform of the Military Police Force, you will understand."

Seeing this, Uchiha Ri stated it directly.

He drew a parallel between Minato's reforms for the village and his own past reforms in the Military Police Force, noting that the two were essentially the same.

In fact, he even suspected whether Minato had been inspired by the Military Police Force's reform when devising this new one.

Back then, the reform of the Military Police Force had also faced opposition from many within the clan, especially the elders.

Yet why had it succeeded?

The fundamental reason was that although the Military Police Force was originally exclusive to the Uchiha, its positions were nonetheless limited, functioning much like the village's promotion channels.

Not every clan member could join the Military Police Force; the vast majority were actually excluded.

And because of the Military Police Force, other departments in the village refused to allocate positions to the Uchiha, creating an ever-widening rift between the clan and the village.

Therefore, the reform at that time, while compromising the interests of a few upper-class loafers, was ultimately beneficial to the majority of the lower-tier clan members.

Consequently, at the clan meeting, with the voice of the overwhelming majority of the clan, those elders could only nod in compliance with their tails between their legs.

And now, Minato was exploiting a similar psychology.

"So that's how it is. I understand what you mean."

Prompted by this, Fugaku quickly caught on.

Giving Uchiha Ri a serious glance, the hesitation on his face began to gradually fade away.

Sighing, Fugaku said, "It seems this reform is an absolute certainty. I originally thought the major clans wouldn't submit so easily."

From the perspective of the clan, he naturally didn't want such a reform to take place.

After all, while reforms would make the village more prosperous and powerful, they represented a form of weakening for the clan itself.

Yet he now knew that once this news became public, even as the Clan Head, it would be virtually impossible for him to suppress it.

Besides, what good would it do even if he could suppress it? By obstructing the interests of so many lower-tier clan members, could he still sit securely in the position of Clan Head?

Filled with emotion, Fugaku couldn't help but exclaim, "Minato truly lives up to the name of Hokage; I'm afraid everyone has underestimated this Fourth Generation!"

He could already envision the scene that would unfold once the situation Uchiha Ri described came to pass.

If those clans refused to agree, their ultimate fate would likely be nothing short of disintegration.

This kind of upright, irresistible strategy was the most terrifying kind, because even if you saw through it, you had no choice but to step right into it.

"Clan Head, I will repeat what I said before," Uchiha Ri began. "Given the current state of the clan, we only need to support the current Hokage. Nothing else needs to be considered."

Pausing for a moment, Uchiha Ri continued:

"As long as we can achieve this, our Uchiha will remain in an unbeatable position."

"Why did the Third Generation end up having to issue a public apology two years ago?"

"It was precisely because he should have stepped down long ago, yet stubbornly clung to that position."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku did not hesitate this time: "I understand your meaning. We should make our stance clear as soon as possible, correct?"

Once is strange, twice is familiar; he was now able to keep up with Uchiha Ri's train of thought.

Uchiha Ri nodded and praised, "Precisely. This clan meeting is the best opportunity."

After a brief thought, Uchiha Ri added directly:

"In fact, I have an even more radical decision in mind. It all depends on whether you, Clan Head, dare to execute it."

"If you dare, I will truly admire you."

Hearing this abrupt statement from Uchiha Ri, Fugaku's heart sank, bringing with it a bad premonition.

Uchiha Ri was always daring; he probably had some crooked scheme up his sleeve again.

Though somewhat worried, Fugaku was also consumed by curiosity.

In the end, he decided to ask anyway, considering that almost every decision Uchiha Ri had made turned out to be correct.

"What other ideas do you have?"

From his perspective, nothing could possibly surpass the boldness of Minato's current reform.

Therefore, simply asking shouldn't lead to any trouble...

Seeing his clan head inquire, Uchiha Ri was unsurprised. A slight smile touched the corner of his mouth as he said, "Since Clan Head wishes to know, I will share this immature thought of mine."

As he spoke, Uchiha Ri pointed to the reform document still clenched in his hand and continued, "In my view, since reform is unstoppable, rather than merely adding flowers to a tapestry, we, the Uchiha, should provide timely help in the snow!"

"You mean..."

Fugaku subconsciously swallowed hard, the sense of unease in his heart growing ever stronger.

Uchiha Ri sneered, "Since this document has not yet been officially made public, we can change our approach. We will directly convene a clan meeting, proactively propose our hope for the Hokage's reforms, and submit this document to Minato as a formal proposal."

"What? Have you lost your mind?!"

Fugaku's heart skipped a beat, and he nearly leaped right out of his office chair.

"Clan Head, you still haven't grasped it," Uchiha Ri said calmly. "By doing this, we will effectively alleviate the pressure on Minato's side. While the clan will face a certain amount of criticism, the gains will definitely outweigh the losses."

Gesturing toward the document, Uchiha Ri spoke eloquently:

"The upper echelons of all the major clans know that Minato is the true source of this document."

"So, when they realize that nothing can be done and learn of our actions, what will they do?"

"Will they condemn us, or..."

Fugaku pursed his lips, uncertainly muttering, "They will follow suit and 'proactively' demand the reforms, because that serves their interests best."

Hearing this, Uchiha Ri nodded directly:

"Exactly, they will only follow our lead and do the exact same thing."

"Because this helps win over the vast majority of lower-tier clan members, as well as gaining the favor of the village's civilian shinobi!"

"This is what we call politics—there is never absolute right or wrong, isn't that so?"

Fugaku wore a bitter smile upon hearing this: "Indeed, this is politics, especially for a clan."

He completely understood Uchiha Ri's intention now, and upon careful reflection, it indeed made a great deal of sense.

Given that the reform was virtually impossible to block, they should ensure through various means that they secured the maximum possible benefit for the clan during the transition.

Blindly defying the trend of the times would only result in being utterly discarded.

However, by proactively conforming to it—and even taking the lead—it might have some impact on the clan initially, but the future would be entirely different.

The Uchiha would still be the Uchiha, and their reputation within the village would ascend to a whole new level.

They would remain a noble clan of Konoha, perhaps even earning the title of the 'New Faction.'

At this thought, Fugaku asked, "Is there anything else you wish to add?"

Through this conversation with Uchiha Ri, he knew he had been completely persuaded.

He had originally thought this reform would be a sharp blade meant to weaken the clan, but through Uchiha Ri's explanation, this blade might just be turned into a weapon for the Uchiha themselves.

Since Uchiha Ri had ideas, he might as well let him speak his mind fully.

Pondering for a moment, Uchiha Ri added with profound significance:

"Countless facts have proven that trying to hog all the benefits alone never ends well, so we must learn to share..."