Chapter 19

________________________________________

The proposal to separate powers passed more easily than Toki had anticipated.

This success was due to a perfect alignment of time, location, and circumstance.

The Third Shinobi War had just ended, leaving many ninjas exhausted from battle. In the original storyline, even when Kumogakure (Cloud Village) blatantly framed the Hyuga clan's leader for killing their envoy, the Konoha ninja clans did not resist together—let alone now, when there was a suggestion of civil war within the village.

No matter how much the Uchiha clan was disliked, they didn't generate as much hatred as Kumogakure.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had initially planned to consolidate the ninja clans of Konoha under his control, using Minato Namikaze as his puppet. His ultimate goal was to gradually transfer power into the Hokage office, and eventually have his son, Asuma, take over once he had accumulated enough seniority. This was why Sarutobi often mentioned that the "young generation hadn't matured yet."

If Sarutobi Shinnosuke hadn't died under mysterious circumstances, Sarutobi wouldn't have had to return to power.

Unfortunately, Minato's death, alongside Kushina's, completely disrupted his plans.

If that had been the only issue, Sarutobi could still have regained control of Konoha using the ANBU and the well-preserved Sarutobi clan, exploiting the disunity among the ninja clans who were too fragmented to oppose him. However, the Uchiha clan had inexplicably chosen to step up and openly challenge the Sarutobi clan.

This weakened the ANBU's effectiveness as a threat to the ninja clans.

The Uchiha clan then proposed the seemingly self-sacrificial idea of separating powers—an idea that was warmly welcomed by the elders of the various ninja clans.

To them, this proposal meant they could transition from being mere cannon fodder to becoming the true rulers behind Konoha.

As the jonin of the various clans returned and reported this, their clan leaders enthusiastically agreed to Toki's proposal.

This left Sarutobi and the remnants of the civilian jonin in a precarious position—they couldn't single-handedly oppose Toki's new policy.

The other ninjas, who had suffered terribly during the three wars, were practically salivating, waiting for Sarutobi to speak out against the proposal so they could use the Uchiha to weaken him.

Thus, Sarutobi had no choice but to compromise.

The original Konoha Elder Council was immediately dissolved.

Sarutobi and Uchiha Toki now represented their respective families in the newly established village committee, each wielding 10 votes and holding veto power. The remaining 20-odd ninja clans had only one vote each, and any major decision required unanimous consent from all clans.

The ANBU was temporarily disbanded, and its members were left to seek their own paths. Since the Hokage had been reduced to a figurehead, the ANBU, responsible for protecting the Hokage, no longer served a purpose. However, nearly all the ANBU members chose to remain loyal to Sarutobi, becoming private soldiers of the Sarutobi clan. Only a small portion followed Danzo's Root division, while others, like Kakashi Hatake, left the ANBU altogether to become idle jonin.

In the following days, the newly-formed village committee began discussing legislation.

Calling it "legislation" was perhaps an overstatement for Konoha, which was essentially just a village. What they were really doing was codifying village rules.

Before this, Konoha had no formal village rules. Conflicts were resolved based on traditional customs, and the Hokage ruled by precedent. The introduction of statutory law greatly improved the village's legal system. Previously, when ninjas committed crimes, their clans would handle the punishment. In more serious cases, Danzo's Root would secretly eliminate the offenders under the guise of maintaining peace.

For example, one of Uchiha's first missions upon joining Root was to kill a member of the Aburame clan.

Konoha's previous system couldn't even be considered a proper government—it was more like a loose collection of clans.

Now, fearing that the Uchiha or Sarutobi clans might infringe on their rights, the various ninja clans were scrambling to convert their moral traditions into formal village rules and submit them to the village committee for approval.

Since every new rule required a two-thirds majority to pass, each rule needed the support of either the Uchiha or Sarutobi clan. As a result, the ninja clans were careful not to propose any overly outrageous laws, as the strength of both the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans was still formidable.

Thus, Konoha entered an unusual period of bipolar power balance, reminiscent of the political dynamics Toki had experienced in his previous life.

The Uchiha clan, under Toki's guidance, handed over control of the Konoha Police Force, instead opting to take on the responsibility of external defense for the Ministry of Defense.

While the reforms were expected to reduce the discrimination against the Konoha Police Force, Toki had deliberately chosen to relinquish control.

This was to de-escalate the tensions between the villagers and the Uchiha clan. Additionally, the Uchiha members were notoriously inflexible. They took their jobs far too seriously, strictly enforcing every rule to the point of alienating others.

Rather than continue bearing the brunt of this thankless role, Toki decided to throw it away like a burden.

Had they clung to it, the old guard in Konoha, particularly the F4, would have undoubtedly retaliated harshly.

As expected, Sarutobi wasted no time in taking over the Konoha Police Force after Toki announced that the Uchiha would relinquish the role.

Sarutobi's original plan had been for the ANBU to do the dirty work, while the Police Force took the blame.

Now that Toki had clearly expressed his disinterest in playing the scapegoat, Sarutobi gladly took control of this vital department.

Since the other ninja clans were still recovering from the wars, they didn't have enough manpower to form a new police force, making it easy for the Sarutobi clan to seize control.

Thus, a tacit understanding emerged between the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans, allowing them to divide Konoha's military power between external and internal responsibilities.

Before the meeting adjourned, Toki and Sarutobi exchanged sneers, glancing at each other before leaving.

After returning to the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Setsuna looked at Toki with concern.

"Clan leader, is this really wise? No matter how you look at it, our Uchiha clan is at a disadvantage. Defending against external threats is much more dangerous than policing Konoha. And if Sarutobi teams up with the other clans, we could be in serious trouble."

Toki sneered, "You have no idea what's coming. The next step is to start an arms race with the Sarutobi clan and recruit allies."

"And what's the best way to amass wealth, do you know?"

Uchiha Setsuna shook his head, confused.

A cold gleam flashed in Toki's eyes as he sneered.

"War profits, of course!"

________________________________________