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"Speak." Fugaku pretended not to know and looked over.
With Fugaku's permission, Kazuki, expressionless, looked at the elders of the hardline faction and walked forward a few steps.
"Kazuki, what are you trying to do?"
Kazuki immediately stood up, still staring at them without expression, even walking towards them. The elders began to feel uneasy.
They definitely didn't want to be sent to the hospital by one of Kazuki's genjutsu.
In the family, Kazuki and Shisui's genjutsu were famous for being strong, and these elderly men couldn't withstand it.
They hadn't forgotten the fate of the pacifist elder.
That poor guy had not only become the family's scapegoat but also a laughingstock, losing his position as an elder and hiding at home in shame.
Seeing Kazuki walking forward expressionless, they began to panic.
There was drama to be seen.
Many of the clansmen, noticing this, revealed looks of excitement, while the hardliners didn't look too pleased.
Kazuki's attitude was clearly putting pressure on the hardline faction and stirring up trouble.
Stopping in his tracks, Kazuki coldly scanned the faces of the elders before him.
"I'd like to ask the elders, why do you so desperately oppose the clan leader's proposal to reorganize the police force? Don't you realize that reorganizing the police force is beneficial for both the police and the clan?"
Kazuki raised his voice, pointing at them angrily and said:
"I, Uchiha Kazuki, even while sick, have been running around for the sake of our clan. I've been working hard to ease the tension between the clan and the village. Begging everyone for ways to ensure the clan's safety and help it integrate better into the village. But what about you? Just for a bit of power, you oppose the clan and the police reform at all costs. What exactly are your motives!?"
Kazuki seized the initiative, delivering a sharp rebuke to the elders.
"Is that true?"
"How come I've never heard of this?"
"You don't know a thing. This must be something under negotiation. They'd wait to announce it after an agreement is reached, but I never expected the elders to oppose it for their own power and interests. Sigh."
"This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous!!"
Clansmen who were unaware of the situation began murmuring among themselves after hearing Kazuki.
Some of the younger shinobi, attending a clan meeting for the first time, started to look at the elders with unfriendly eyes. This was exactly the result Fugaku wanted — to use the younger generation to build momentum.
"You, utter nonsense!!"
The head elder was furious, nearly spitting blood. Kazuki's accusation was like a heavy blow, almost crushing them. Although they opposed the reorganization of the police force, it wasn't as serious as Kazuki made it seem.
At least they wouldn't bring up these power struggles openly.
But Kazuki didn't care about any of that.
'I have no interest in fighting for the clan's power, so I don't need to care about your dignity or follow any rules. I'll just flip the table and see how you deal with it.'
"Nonsense!?"
Kazuki sneered and asked:
"Does the head elder dare to swear on the clan's honor that you did not oppose the clan leader's proposal? That you did not oppose the police force's reorganization?"
"Do you dare?"
"I..."
The head elder was panicking, truly panicking.
Kazuki had deliberately set him up. If he dared to say he didn't, Fugaku could step forward and accuse him of lying, and others could do the same. But if he admitted it, then he'd be guilty of opposing the police reform and clan changes.
No matter what, there was no good choice. Both options were problematic, especially since it was a fact that the hardliners had opposed it. As the hardline elders began to panic, more and more clansmen grew dissatisfied with them.
Fugaku, seeing that the situation was about right, finally spoke up.
"Kazuki, no need to rush. I believe the elders also have the clan's best interests in mind and are worried that too rapid of a reorganization might have negative consequences for both the clan and the police force."
"Ah... yes, yes, exactly. That's what I meant,"
The head elder, who was nearly frantic, immediately jumped at the opportunity to climb down.
As long as it didn't go further.
Fugaku pulled out a report from the police force:
"This is a report I prepared for the police captains. Regarding the reorganization, I personally consulted with them."
'Consulted with them? Why didn't I know?' The head elder was momentarily stunned, instinctively looking at the hardliners in the police force. Noticing his angry glare, a few of them quickly lowered their heads.
When Fugaku had approached them, they had not dared to make any promises, only assuring that they wouldn't leak anything to their superiors.
Who could have anticipated that the clan leader would pull the rug out from under them, announcing the decision outright instead of negotiating?
And with Kazuki's aggressive approach, the hardline elders were thrown into a tough spot.
"There are indeed some gaps in the positions within the police force, leading to situations where important cases arise but there's no higher authority to report to.
Therefore, this reorganization will involve the consolidation of police squads and the addition of three mid-level captains."
"In the future, if I'm not present at the police force or can't be found, people can report directly to the mid-level captains, who will manage and deploy the squads. These three mid-level captains will answer directly to me."
This had long been a problem within the police force. Aside from Fugaku, the police captains often had no one to turn to when they couldn't find him, leaving them stuck.
Moreover, with everyone on equal footing, no one could give orders to another.
With this reorganization, the police force would function more like the ANBU, where mid-level captains oversee teams, and the captains answer directly to the minister, perfectly resolving the issue of command and reporting.
Adding three mid-level captains to oversee squads would make the police force much more efficient.
Although Kazuki didn't particularly like Fugaku as a person, he had to admit Fugaku's abilities when it came to reorganizing the police force.
"From now on, the police force will no longer suffer from issues caused by my absence. In case of an emergency, the three mid-level captains will be able to handle things until I arrive." Fugaku explained the entire plan for the police force's reorganization.
Cough, cough "The clan leader is right. Reorganizing the police force is indeed beneficial for both the force and the clan. I was only concerned that the clan leader might act rashly and create chaos within the police force, which is why I initially opposed it."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, the head elder hurriedly expressed his support.
At the same time, he shot Fugaku a glance, indicating that they had no objections and that the clan leader should stop now. However, they still wanted one of the mid-level captain positions.
'Agreeing so easily? I've been talking for so long, and you didn't listen, refusing no matter what! But as soon as Kazuki stepped in, hit you with a moral argument, and applied some pressure, you caved?' Fugaku clearly understood Kazuki's methods, but while Kazuki could pull this off, he couldn't.
If he did, it would be seen as breaking the rules.
Plus, with Kazuki's illness being widely known, his high ground allowed him to criticize the elder while gaining sympathy and support from the clansmen.
If Fugaku did the same, it would only embarrass him.
A dignified Uchiha clan leader, arguing with the elders like a common brawler, turning a clan meeting into a marketplace scene?
"It seems there's been a misunderstanding among the elders. If no one else objects, we'll finalize the reorganization plan for the police force and begin the reform tomorrow."