[Keep sending powerstones guys]
Hikaru had not expected that his proposal for Kakashi to take over the ANBU would meet no opposition at all.
Whether it was the clans that supported him or the civilian jōnin who were briefly confused before reacting and voicing their approval, everyone expressed support for his choice.
That made Hikaru's expression turn slightly strange.
Even the clans standing against him remained silent. That was what made it odd.
But Hikaru reacted quickly. A moment later, he shook his head, half amused and half helpless.
"I didn't expect to make a small joke right at the start."
He really had made a joke of himself.
The ANBU was the Hokage's direct force. The appointment of its commander did not need to be brought out for discussion at all.
Even if he brought it up, those who did not belong to the ANBU would not dare interfere.
And that was exactly what happened.
The clan shinobi and civilian jōnin all found it strange, but they understood one thing very clearly.
The ANBU was absolutely not something they could meddle in.
The clan shinobi, in particular, assumed Hikaru was using this matter to give the meeting a smooth opening.
Whether it was to give everyone a sense of participation, or to use this matter to establish authority and make everyone show their support, they believed Hikaru had already achieved his goal.
None of them would ever think this was a small mistake on Hikaru's part.
After all, Hikaru's reputation had always been excellent.
More importantly, he had managed the ANBU so efficiently that it only further highlighted his extraordinary ability.
Kakashi becoming ANBU Commander passed without difficulty.
Unfortunately, Kakashi was not present in this office for the meeting.
The ANBU system had an interesting feature: once a shinobi entered the ANBU, their normal shinobi rank was no longer counted.
Before joining, they might have been ranked, but after entering, that record stopped mattering.
Even Hikaru had never known whether he counted as a chūnin or jōnin during his time in the ANBU.
Kakashi had once been a jōnin, but after entering the ANBU, that record had no longer been maintained.
Therefore, he had no way to participate in this meeting.
Hikaru considered that in the future, he should restore the rank system within the ANBU as well.
And for meetings like this, the ANBU should also have the right to participate.
"However, promotion assessments within the ANBU must be stricter. The number of seats must be more limited, and the benefits must be greater. After all, there really are quite a few monsters in the ANBU."
The ANBU was a place where elites gathered.
There were countless powerful shinobi inside.
If he opened it up too carelessly, no one knew whether it would lead to disastrous consequences.
This matter would need to be studied carefully later.
Of course, he could also hand it over to Kakashi, or even Minato, to examine.
Hikaru still had many options.
After dealing with the ANBU, Hikaru began adjusting several other positions.
He did not touch the Political Affairs Department.
Nara Shikaku had done very well, so Hikaru naturally had no reason to replace him.
However, Shikaku voluntarily resigned from his position as jōnin commander.
Hikaru did not try too hard to persuade him otherwise and ultimately took the position for himself.
Shikaku understood very clearly how much power jōnin would hold in the future.
He did not want any misunderstanding with Hikaru.
So taking the initiative to hand over the position of jōnin commander was the best choice for everyone.
Aside from leaving the Political Affairs Department untouched, however, Hikaru's adjustments elsewhere caused many people's expressions to change.
Especially those interest groups that had once stood behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At this moment, they truly wanted to tear Hikaru apart.
"Konoha is a large village, but its management structure is far too chaotic. So starting today, I have decided to reorganize it.
"As I said, since Konoha has opened a new chapter, its governance must also turn a new page."
At this point, Hikaru paused slightly before continuing with a smile.
"Therefore, I have decided to integrate Konoha's structure and establish eight departments.
"These eight departments are: Political Affairs, Finance, Mission Administration, Police, ANBU, Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Education.
"The Political Affairs Department, Finance Department, and ANBU will retain their core responsibilities.
"At the same time, the ANBU will establish an Intelligence Office. It will function as the former Intelligence Squad did, but on a larger scale.
"I believe all of you understand the importance of intelligence. I have decided that Inoichi will continue to serve as its office chief. After all, his performance has always been outstanding."
Yamanaka Inoichi had always been the head of the Intelligence Squad.
Now that Hikaru had decided to expand the Intelligence Squad into an Intelligence Office while still leaving him in charge, no one felt there was anything wrong with it.
Inoichi had decent connections, and his ability was unquestionable.
Letting him serve as chief of the Intelligence Office was entirely reasonable.
However, Hikaru's method of creating an office-chief position under a larger department made many people's eyes light up.
After all, Hikaru had only established eight departments for now.
Whether those would change in the future was still unclear.
But if an "office" could be established beneath a department, allowing them to obtain the authority they wanted without having to worry about holding too high a position with no one above them to take responsibility, then it seemed like an excellent option.
"No objections, Hokage-sama!"
"Inoichi's ability is clear to all of us. There is absolutely no issue with him becoming the new chief."
"We all support your decision, Hokage-sama!"
"…"
Once Hikaru made this decision, almost everyone approved it immediately.
Perhaps because the earlier "ANBU proposal" had laid the groundwork, this decision received very positive feedback.
The noise and support did not last long.
Once everyone quieted down, Hikaru continued with a smile.
"Very good. Thank you all for your support.
"At the same time, I hope Inoichi can do this well and live up to everyone's trust."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yamanaka Inoichi immediately stood and bowed slightly to Hikaru.
He appeared fairly calm.
Hikaru had already given them certain promises, so the surprise was naturally not too intense.
Even so, he was still very pleased.
Not just him—all the clans that had received promises from Hikaru were equally happy.
Because this proved that Hikaru was someone who would honor his word.
Of course, they also knew that if they failed to do their jobs properly, Hikaru might remove them later.
But that would be their own problem.
The greatest difference between smart people and foolish people was whether they could look for the cause in themselves when problems appeared.
Konoha had never lacked smart people.
What it lacked was opportunity.
…
The rest of the meeting could only be described as everything proceeding according to plan.
Since Hikaru had promised that everyone would share the cake, he naturally would not slap himself in the face.
He gave out everything that needed to be given.
Under the dark expressions of Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the other families who opposed him, Hikaru announced every decision.
The Political Affairs Department would naturally remain under Nara Shikaku.
As for the Finance Department, Hikaru handed it to Senju Shōma.
Previously, the Finance Department had not been an independent department.
It was somewhat like an "office," but its authority was extremely significant.
And the person who had controlled that department was none other than Utatane Koharu.
In other words, Hikaru had attacked them directly and without any hesitation.
Everyone present understood how important financial authority was.
Even the civilian jōnin knew how crucial it was.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had not separated the Finance Department in the past.
Instead, he had attached it under the Political Affairs Department while keeping it unusually independent.
His purpose had been very clear.
He wanted to firmly grasp financial authority and prevent anyone from exploiting it too much.
Hikaru's current method was not necessarily better than Sarutobi's.
He was openly appointing one of his own as minister, and his meaning was equally obvious.
However, compared to Sarutobi, Hikaru's method did not meet too much resistance.
After all, Hikaru had now brought this department out into the open.
That meant everyone would have a chance to compete for it in the future.
Whether through normal selection or by receiving a portion of the cake, at least everyone now had a chance to touch a field they had once been unable to reach.
Because of this, those who supported the resolution supported it very strongly.
And those who opposed it opposed it just as thoroughly.
But no matter how much opposition existed, it was useless before Hikaru.
Still, Hikaru silently added another mark to his grudge list.
And as he continued announcing new resolutions, that grudge list grew longer and deeper.
For example, when it came to the Mission Administration Department, Hikaru handed the position of minister to the Aburame Clan and the deputy minister position to the Inuzuka Clan.
This immediately made Mitokado Homura unable to sit still.
After all, the Mission Administration Department had once been under his authority.
Now, Hikaru had not only separated it out, but had also completely kicked him aside.
How could he accept this?
Unfortunately, his objection did not require Hikaru to say anything.
A large group of people naturally helped Hikaru refute him.
In the end, the resolution passed without much trouble.
As for the Police Department, Foreign Affairs Department, National Defense Department, and Education Department, Hikaru fully "listened to everyone's opinions" before making the final decisions.
The Police Department would still be managed by the Uchiha.
The minister would be Uchiha Kū, son of Uchiha Shin.
Uchiha Kū immediately promised that he would properly manage everything within the Police Department.
"The Police Department is Konoha's Police Department, not the Uchiha's Police Department. I will make sure the Police Department develops even better!"
That was Uchiha Kū's promise.
Facing this promise, Hikaru merely smiled and offered him some encouragement.
In truth, everyone understood that as long as Hikaru existed, the Police Department would truly only be Konoha's Police Department.
It was not as though they could not see how deeply connected the Police Department was to Hikaru.
At the same time, many people noticed that Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan head, remained especially silent at this moment.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Of course, no one cared what he was thinking either.
Everyone had heard of the internal conflict within the Uchiha Clan.
Perhaps from this moment onward, everything was about to end.
For the National Defense Department, Hikaru handed it to the Hyūga Clan.
This resolution caused some controversy.
Although the Hyūga Clan was the largest clan in Konoha after the Uchiha, their abilities had not truly been tested much.
Even though they had contributed during the war between Kumogakure and Konoha, everyone knew that the final stage of that war had essentially become Hikaru's personal stage.
However, since Hikaru recommended them, and many people supported it, especially after Hikaru allowed everyone present to vote anonymously, the resolution ultimately passed by a narrow margin.
The Hyūga Clan successfully obtained the position of minister of the National Defense Department.
However, for the sake of balance and compromise, Hikaru also selected four deputy ministers.
These four deputy ministers came from the Senju, Uchiha, Akimichi, and Sarutobi clans.
Yes.
The Sarutobi Clan.
Hikaru had seen Sarutobi Hiruzen's compromise.
And under Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership, the Sarutobi Clan had indeed grown significantly.
It was not impossible to suppress them, but Hikaru also had to consider the destructive impact and consequences of doing so.
Besides, as things stood now, Hikaru had already taken back all authority.
Their behavior had also been relatively obedient.
Compared to the other clans opposing him, they were practically sheep.
Since that was the case, why should Hikaru not consider using them?
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already become obedient.
Even if that obedience was forced, Hikaru could still use them to improve his own image.
As for the Foreign Affairs Department and Education Department, Hikaru handed them to two smaller clans.
This did not mean these two departments were unimportant or that Hikaru had casually assigned them away.
On the contrary, both departments were also extremely important.
But a minister was only a minister.
The personnel inside the department would not necessarily all come from that minister's clan.
After all, shinobi clans did not have that many people.
And Uchiha Kū's earlier words were not only meant for Hikaru.
If the Police Department was Konoha's Police Department, then were the other departments not also Konoha's departments?
Hikaru allowed them to control these departments, but he was not allowing them to turn the departments into family property.
If anyone dared do that, their ending would likely not be pleasant.
Everyone present was intelligent.
They naturally understood Hikaru's thoughts.
After all, no fool could reach this level.
"Very good. Then the ministerial proposal will end here for now."
After Hikaru finished allocating all the positions, he smiled and spoke softly to everyone present.
"The ministers of each department are temporarily settled.
"As for the office-level divisions beneath each department, each department may propose candidates themselves. After approval from the Political Affairs Department and the Hokage Building, appointments and removals may proceed.
"Now, let us move on to the second proposal."
At this point, Hikaru paused slightly.
This second proposal concerned jōnin reform and its related supporting policies.
Once this proposal was brought out, it would truly be a deep-water bomb.
…
"It's here."
Nara Shikaku sat silently in his seat.
The moment he heard Hikaru speak, he knew the main event had arrived.
He knew better than anyone what the focus of today's meeting was.
He also understood how great an impact this change would bring.
It was easy to imagine.
This was practically a super bomb.
This bomb could blast every fish in the pond out of the water and knock them senseless.
But it could also injure the person who threw it.
Still, Shikaku remained calm.
After all, Hikaru had already discussed it with them beforehand.
And after Shikaku's own arrangements, similar rumors had long since spread through Konoha.
That could be considered giving everyone in Konoha a precautionary dose.
Even if the matter was formally brought up now, the scene would not completely spiral out of control.
Thinking of this, Shikaku took a deep breath.
But very quickly, he laughed at himself.
Hikaru had gathered so many jōnin together.
But he had not raised these reforms immediately.
Instead, he had first started with the promotion of department ministers.
He had also taken the initiative to let everyone present have the opportunity to vote.
This was a transitional method.
It was also a subtle method of influence.
With those matters as a foundation, if Hikaru later allowed all jōnin to vote, then everything would likely proceed without issue.
"People are ultimately self-interested. Hokage-sama's move is truly impressive."
Shikaku sighed inwardly.
At that moment, Hikaru spoke.
"Since we have already filled the ministerial positions, and the clan heads, ministers, and most of the jōnin remaining in the village are present, I will now explain my plan.
"I believe everyone has heard some rumors recently, correct?"
Everyone present nodded lightly.
Of course they had heard those rumors.
Some of them had even helped spread them.
The civilian jōnin, in particular, became especially excited at this moment.
Because this matter concerned them directly.
"That's right. I am referring to the improvement of shinobi benefits."
Hikaru did not keep them in suspense.
He directly stated the theme of this portion of the meeting.
"I did consider whether I should start reform step by step from genin and chūnin.
"After all, those two ranks are easier to trial and adjust.
"But after some consideration, I decided to begin with jōnin.
"Only after understanding the upper limit of what jōnin should receive can I decide where the limits for chūnin and genin should be.
"Everyone, jōnin are the highest-ranked shinobi in our Konoha shinobi system.
"At the same time, jōnin are also the true reserve candidates for all important positions.
"Those who reach the rank of jōnin are Konoha's elites.
"And every single person seated here is one of Konoha's elites.
"But even elite jōnin encounter many difficulties.
"For example, there are times when they may not have enough money to maintain their training or make up for losses suffered during missions.
"Therefore, after discussing it with Minister Shikaku, I have decided on the first point: increase jōnin benefits.
"From now on, every jōnin of Konoha will receive a fixed monthly support stipend issued by the village.
"This amount will absolutely not be small.
"And this money will not conflict with mission earnings in any way.
"With this money, jōnin will have no worries holding them back."
Jōnin benefit reform naturally had to be released bit by bit.
Hikaru understood that very clearly.
And the first point he raised was the simplest, but also the most practical.
Money.
Money had always been the key thing that attracted people.
Bluntly put, without money, how could one improve?
Without money, how could one purchase the newest equipment and medical supplies?
Jōnin received high mission pay, but that only applied to high-level missions.
But one must not forget that jōnin also had other duties.
They had to lead Konoha's genin, guide their training, help them survive the genin stage, and protect them at critical moments.
Adding those three points together made things difficult.
Guiding their training was one thing.
But helping them through the genin stage meant helping them adapt to the life of a shinobi.
In that case, they naturally could not accept many high-level missions.
Low-level missions paid very little.
To put it bluntly, the reward might disappear after a single meal.
If a mission was slightly more dangerous, the jōnin had to protect the genin as well.
That was often not worth the cost.
In other words, team-leading jōnin were not necessarily wealthy.
With only the first point of reform, the eyes of the jōnin present who held no official posts had already lit up.
However, they remained very calm.
They did not dare express their thoughts too strongly yet.
After all, in Konoha's system, without clan support, without enough official position, or without enough say, there were very few things they could participate in or express.
But now they understood a little why Hikaru had allowed them to participate in the previous matters.
That had been preparation.
It had also been a way for them to show their stance and give him more support.
This was the first thought that appeared in their minds.
These people were not fools.
How could they not notice some key information?
Still, they made no moves for the time being.
They knew their current position in Konoha.
If the ministers and clan heads did not state their views, what could they do?
Besides, they also wanted to see what other reforms this newly appointed Fifth Hokage had planned.
Seeing the atmosphere turn slightly quiet, Nara Shikaku nudged Nara Shikashiro beside him.
Nara Shikashiro was an ANBU member, yes.
But because his current mission was special, and because he had rendered great merit this time, he had been allowed to appear at this meeting.
That could be considered an honor.
After all, he was probably the only ANBU member allowed to attend.
"Hokage-sama."
Nara Shikashiro sighed helplessly in his heart, then pretended to ask somewhat anxiously, "Will there be any restrictions on these benefit policies?"
"Of course there will, Jōnin Shikashiro."
Hikaru was slightly surprised to see Nara Shikashiro speak.
But he understood what this meant, so he smiled and nodded.
"However, don't be impatient. Once I finish explaining all my ideas and measures, I will explain those details as well. Is that acceptable?"
Nara Shikashiro shrugged and sat back down.
But he also noticed that many jōnin showed looks of regret at that moment.
Clearly, they also wanted to understand these matters.
Unfortunately, they really did not have the courage to ask.
It could be seen that they were precisely the type of jōnin Hikaru had described—jōnin who lacked money.
During Sarutobi Hiruzen's era, there truly were many people like them.
"Now that I have finished the first point, I will continue with the second."
Hikaru naturally noticed the state of those jōnin as well.
He paused slightly before continuing.
"Money is not the only issue. Other resources cannot be neglected either.
"Therefore, I have decided to increase resource investment for jōnin."
Increasing resource investment was not something that could be achieved with a simple sentence.
But Hikaru's words had already made his stance clear.
He intended to push the reform process forward completely.
And to achieve that goal, he did not mind investing more resources.
No one could fully calculate how many resources jōnin required.
However, it was easy to imagine that Hikaru's investment would most likely focus on ninjutsu.
But ninjutsu could absolutely be considered a strategic resource.
Did Hikaru really intend to open all the ninjutsu materials Konoha had collected—materials originally meant to reward jōnin—to them?
Konoha already had a reward mechanism.
It was used to reward shinobi who had rendered merit.
Naturally, the jutsu used as rewards were controlled by Konoha's leadership, or more precisely, by the Hokage.
If Hikaru directly opened them all to jōnin, then this was no longer simply being generous.
Still, there were some questions.
What came after that?
For example, after jōnin were fully opened up, how should the benefit systems for chūnin and genin be handled?
Hikaru had already said clearly that he would reform all three shinobi ranks.
If the scale of reform for jōnin was so large, how should the other ranks be treated?
In addition, after receiving such generous benefits, how would these jōnin continue striving in the future?
Would they focus entirely on becoming ministers, office chiefs, or obtaining other official posts?
That was not impossible.
But then, what would happen to the mission system?
Originally, Konoha relied on those ninjutsu rewards to motivate jōnin to keep working hard.
Of course, it was not impossible for jōnin to obtain more ninjutsu through other means.
After defeating enemies, they could also find ways to obtain good things.
But the problem was that those things had to be turned over to the village.
Some shinobi with good relationships would privately exchange ninjutsu.
But such things were still rare.
Especially when it came to jutsu they personally specialized in—would those really suit others?
Could it be that in the future, if jōnin achieved major merit during a mission, the Scroll of Seals would be opened for them to study?
Everyone present looked at Hikaru in confusion.
At this point, they truly could not understand what this newly appointed Hokage was thinking.
"I have decided to open Konoha's stored ninjutsu inventory to all jōnin."
Hikaru did not keep them waiting long.
He directly stated his decision.
"Regarding negotiations with Kumogakure, I have already discussed it with Minister Shikaku. Our priority will be obtaining ninjutsu.
"Second, in the future, if shinobi complete missions and turn in recovered jutsu, they may also receive rewards.
"These rewards may be money, or they may be specific ninjutsu exchanged in return.
"Finally, I hope the clans present will return and think carefully.
"As much as possible, please contribute jutsu that do not fall under the category of clan secret arts.
"This will also count as a contribution to Konoha."
With these words, Hikaru directly set the tone.
And this tone caused the eyes of all civilian jōnin, as well as ordinary jōnin from the clans, to brighten even further.
If they had access to more ninjutsu, their strength would absolutely rise greatly.
How could they not be excited about such a good thing?
But while they were excited, the clan shinobi were not so pleased.
Even among those who already knew this news, many still shook their heads helplessly.
Hikaru did not mean to force them.
They understood that very clearly.
But they also understood that they had to set an example.
Sometimes, a soft blade was far more helpless than brute force.
And Hikaru was doing exactly that now.
"Very well. Now I will discuss the third point of jōnin reform.
"This is also the most important point."
Hikaru looked at the reactions of the shinobi present.
Naturally, he could guess what they were thinking.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was what he was about to announce next.
That was the true core topic of today's meeting.
Hikaru's words immediately made all the shinobi present fall silent.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen had widened his eyes and was now watching Hikaru closely.
Hikaru knew very well that the previous content had only weakened the strength and influence of clan shinobi in a subtle, indirect way.
It was not too excessive.
But what came next would be a true heavy blow.
Even if many parts of this proposal would still benefit clan shinobi in the future, at least for now, it would truly weaken them.
Konoha's central clan powers supported Hikaru.
That was Hikaru's confidence.
Of course, Hikaru also had the strength to force these proposals through.
But he truly did not want to reach that final step.
He preferred these proposals to be advanced and executed normally.
That would keep Konoha more stable.
It would also mean Hikaru did not need to kill more people.
He had already decided that after this meeting ended, he would definitely create a "Great Purge" list.
Those who opposed him had not caused him any real trouble so far.
But he could tell that they would act later.
Since that was the case, Hikaru would put their names on a list first.
Once they moved, he would begin crossing those names off one by one.
That name might belong to an individual.
Or it might belong to an entire group.
Either way, the final result would not be pleasant.
"I hope you don't fail to appreciate the chance I'm giving you.
"I really don't want to be a tyrant.
"But if I have to, I don't mind doing it thoroughly."
Hikaru murmured inwardly.
Then he spoke seriously.
"I have decided that from now on, I will change the existing meeting system.
"In the future, I will establish a meeting structure composed entirely of representatives from the three shinobi ranks: jōnin, chūnin, and genin.
"However, since only jōnin reform is currently being implemented, it will temporarily be defined as the General Jōnin Assembly.
"In other words…"
At this point, Hikaru paused slightly.
Then he stood.
His voice became firm and powerful.
"From now on, in Konoha's meetings, aside from minister-level members, everyone else will attend under the title of rank-based shinobi representative.
"Not as shinobi of a certain clan.
"And not as clan heads."
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