Chapter Ninety-One: Taking Root in the Village Hidden in the Leaves

After hearing Minato's words, Uchiha Riku had not yet answered when Fugaku nearly sprang to his feet.

He understood all too well what it meant for the Hokage Guard Corps to represent something.

If the Uchiha could enter the Hokage's core department, there was no need to even speak of the other places.

Such news would be enough to stir the entire clan into excitement.

Riku considered it briefly before speaking. “Lord Minato, I can join the Hokage Guard Corps, but for certain reasons, I’m afraid I won’t be able to serve on duty every day.”

He naturally understood the significance of joining the Guard Corps, but he simply did not have that much time.

The main reason was that learning genetic technology would demand enormous effort in the days ahead.

Under such circumstances, having him take part in the Guard Corps’ daily shifts was unrealistic.

In fact, Riku was already considering resigning from his post as captain of the police division.

After all, with the police department having undergone reform, the distribution of power would change dramatically.

Such a joint law-enforcement body was already comparable to the police institutions in the world he had once known.

A department like this would likely be burdened with more and more miscellaneous matters in the future, and remaining within it would no longer hold much meaning for him.

So it was necessary to make these things clear in advance, to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding later.

“Riku, what are you saying? This is such a good opportunity, and you’re still making demands?” Fugaku said, a little anxious.

The benefits of this matter to the clan were immense, and for Riku personally it was also a matter of honor.

Joining the Hokage Guard Corps was tantamount to entering the Hokage’s own faction.

Under certain special circumstances, he would even be qualified to compete for the position of the next Hokage, and would be more readily acknowledged by others.

He could not understand why Riku would still be making demands over such an opportunity.

If not for his status and age being unsuitable, Fugaku felt he himself would not have been able to refuse it.

Minato, for his part, did not mind much. On his face remained that warm, approachable smile. “It’s all right. I never expected the Guard Corps to be reorganized so quickly anyway, so your request is completely reasonable.”

After a pause, Minato went on, “If there’s no essential mission, I won’t assign it to you. For now, it’ll be enough simply to keep your name on the roster.”

In order to make his Hokage truly worthy of the title, the Hokage Guard Corps would in the future completely replace the Anbu.

That would take a long time. For the time being, the Anbu would still handle various important missions.

So Riku’s inability to serve day to day would not have much impact.

Hearing this, Riku nodded and replied, “If that’s the case, I’d be very happy to join the Guard Corps.”

“Good,” Minato said. “You two can go back and wait for word. I’ll arrange for the announcement to be made immediately.”

Riku and Fugaku responded and left the Hokage’s office.

And the storm that would soon involve every person in the village quickly spread through every street and alley.

When the new notice was posted on the bulletin board, it immediately stirred intense discussion among all the villagers.

“The police department will be reformed, placed under the direct leadership of the Fourth Hokage, and will begin recruiting people outside the Uchiha. Anyone who meets the requirements may apply…”

The person at the front read the notice aloud, and the crowd behind instantly erupted.

“Did you read that wrong? The Uchiha are actually willing to give up control of the police department?”

“The notice is right here. How could it be wrong? It clearly says the Uchiha themselves requested Lord Minato to make this reform.”

“Honestly, this doesn’t seem like the first time the Uchiha have stood on Lord Minato’s side, does it?”

“Exactly. And haven’t you noticed? The Uchiha have been deliberately changing lately…”

Very quickly, the topic shifted entirely to the matter at hand.

The police department would no longer be controlled solely by the Uchiha; other personnel would be allowed in.

Just the thought of that alone made some people who had once been treated coldly and harshly by the police department feel delighted.

After all, not everyone in the village had violated some grave law.

More often, it had merely been disputes for various reasons, such as arguments with others on the street, verbal quarrels, and nothing more than that. No one had even laid a hand on anyone else.

In situations like that, a simple verbal warning or a word of restraint would have been enough.

Yet the Uchiha would rigidly follow a template, detaining people on the grounds of causing trouble, or else fining them.

But now, with other personnel being added, such problems should be improved effectively.

And while the villagers were rejoicing, the heads of the various clans were also alerted.

The reform of the police department did not merely signify the Uchiha’s firm support for the Fourth; it would also create countless new opportunities for profit.

For the clans, the only ways to enter the village’s core used to be the Anbu and the advisory council.

But both paths were, one could say, difficult beyond difficulty.

There was no need to speak much of the advisers; only those of high virtue and prestige, and those most trusted by the Hokage, could hold that position, and their numbers were pitifully small.

Even the Anbu admitted only the elite from each clan, and its numbers were not exactly large either.

But the police department was different.

Its duty was to maintain the village’s stability, and it would not involve overly difficult missions.

Thus, anyone with sufficient strength and a bit of training would meet the requirements for the post.

The police department had previously been firmly controlled by the Uchiha, which not only caused unease and imbalance, but also made others feel it was unfair.

But now everyone would have a chance to enter, and there would be no need to worry about such issues anymore.

“The moment the Uchiha made this move, the situation in the village will be completely different from now on!”

Almost as soon as they received the news, every clan head thought of this.

On the surface, the Uchiha had given up the police department and lost their exclusive benefits.

But in truth, that was not the case; what they would gain in the future would be even greater.

The newly announced Hokage Guard Corps including Uchiha members was the best proof of that.

Given this situation, if before, when Riku forced the Third Hokage to step down, they had only needed to consider improving relations with the Uchiha, then now they had to place that consideration on the agenda without delay.

Because after this reform, the Uchiha would, if nothing unexpected happened, be fully integrated into the village.

They were already one of Konoha's great houses, and that was not even mentioning the Mangekyo within the Uchiha clan, along with their formidable strength.

Now that they were willing to take the initiative and build good relations with all sides, the clans had no reason to refuse.

Thus, that very evening, after the major clans discussed how best to establish friendly ties with the Uchiha, they sent representatives to the Uchiha district to show goodwill.

Uchiha Fugaku naturally understood what this represented and received those people warmly.

And as the one who had set all of this in motion, Uchiha Riku was, at this very moment, wholly immersed in the ocean of study.

After this clan meeting, one could say the family had firmly established its footing in the village, and he would no longer have any worries weighing on him.

Then he and Terra could formally take root within Konoha.

Absorb Konoha's nourishment, and in the end become a great towering tree.