Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

These numerous tasks are a sweet burden for Konoha.

Many ninjas couldn't even spend the New Year in the village, constantly on missions. This was especially true for the Jonin, who were given important tasks; their legs were practically worn out. Kakashi, the "tool" of the group, was a prime example. He finally managed to return to the village with the army for a night's rest, only to be given an S-rank mission by the Fifth Hokage the next day, and after completing that, another one...

It wasn't just the ninjas on missions who were working non-stop; the ninjas in various departments who stayed in the village were also not idle. The Uchiha clan members in the police department spent the New Year on duty. The prosperity of Konoha did not bring all good things; in the unseen shadows, the flowers of sin were also growing wildly.

Don't say anything else,

The influx of foreigners accompanying the further prosperity of commerce brought a large number of cases to Konoha. The cells in Konoha Prison, which were used to hold ordinary prisoners, were already full, so construction had to begin in January to expand the prison.

"Itachi, you're here again. How many is this today?"

"The third one."

"What has this unlucky fellow done now?"

"He was caught stealing from a shop owner and stabbed him with a knife."

"Oh, someone got hurt! Well, there's nothing we can do about it then. Looks like he'll be stuck in there for a while. It's just a pity that Narukami-senpai's hair is almost all gone, hahaha!"

The police department's lobby was bustling with people, either members of the Uchiha clan in police uniforms or criminals who had been brought in. Itachi Uchiha and Kimimaro were also part of this crowd, with the young Itachi constantly responding to the greetings from his clansmen.

Despite his young age and lack of experience, the Uchiha clan doesn't really care about age or seniority. Strength is the true symbol of status. Uchiha Itachi proved his abilities on the battlefield, and naturally earned the respect of his clansmen.

The lobby was so noisy it sounded like a boiling pot, but fortunately the police department building had excellent soundproofing, so the offices upstairs weren't affected by the noise downstairs.

"Is this just a reform plan for a winter break?"

Zongxian finished reading the document in his hand and squinted at Shisui sitting on the sofa.

"That's right, that's my idea."

Uchiha Shisui nodded.

"Zongxian, what do you think? Is there a problem?" he asked somewhat nervously.

The war was over, but the work was endless. Sogen had not forgotten their promise. After returning to Konoha, Sogen began to think about reforming the police department and unceremoniously dragged Shisui into the matter to worry about it as well.

do not forget,

Shi Shui was also the first director of the Legal Affairs Department of the Police Department.

So far, this director has not done a single thing properly. He has been busy fighting with Danzo and the Third Hokage, or following Sogen in battles. Only now has he been able to calm down and have time to fulfill his duties.

then,

At Zongxian's request, Shisui spent the entire winter break figuring out how to reform the current police department, and finally, he has produced a result.

"Of course there are problems."

Zongxian said.

Shisui took a breath and held it in his mind.

"However... overall it felt okay, but the enforcement standards were a bit too detailed. I think we should leave some room for frontline staff to adapt to different situations. Apart from that, there weren't any major problems."

"Is it okay to recruit people who are not from the Uchiha clan into the police department?"

Shisui looked at Zongxian with some uncertainty.

He wrote this in his report with the expectation of being reprimanded, and this is the reaction he got?

Was Kimimaro an Uchiha?

Zongxian asked casually.

"Uh, no."

"That's settled then, isn't it?"

Shisui was stunned. Was that all?

Is this matter really that simple? You have to understand that there are only so many positions in the police department right now. Not every member of the Uchiha clan can squeeze in. Moreover, over the past few decades, the Uchiha clan has long regarded the police department as their own territory. Not everyone is willing to let outsiders come and take a share of the pie.

The reason why Kaguya Kimimaro's joining the police department did not cause any opposition was because Kimimaro was alone and a child. At first, many clansmen were just watching the spectacle. Later, they discovered that Kimimaro was not an ordinary child, but no one could bring themselves to argue with a child from outside the village.

"Zongxian, if we really follow the method I wrote, it might provoke a lot of opposition from the clansmen!"

Zhi Shui offered a reminder.

Zongxian was amused by this and looked at Zhishui, "Isn't this the solution you came up with? Why are you hesitating now?"

“What I mean is, if you really do that, Zongxian, you should be prepared to face opposition from your clan.” Shisui didn’t laugh; his expression was quite serious.

"Alright, I understand. To be honest, your ideas are too conservative." Zongxian flicked the document in his hand. "Why would the clansmen object? It's because bringing in outsiders would mean diluting the clansmen's rightful benefits. So as long as the clansmen's benefits are not diminished, that's fine."

"That's easy to say. The police department is only so big. How can we ensure that the interests of our people are not harmed?"

Zhi Shui stared wide-eyed.

"…Shisui, use your brain, okay? Is all your talent really focused on cultivation and combat? Don't forget that your legal department only has you as a person. If reforms are implemented, your legal department will definitely need to hire more people. It's impossible for you to do all the work by yourself."

"Since I can establish a Department of Justice, I can establish a second agency. If you ask me, the current structure of the Police Department is outdated and it's about time to tear it down and rebuild it. Also, to be honest, the powers of the Police Department are quite ambiguous in many aspects. It would be a good thing to take this opportunity to clarify the boundaries of its powers."

Zongxian said with a smile.

This wasn't some brilliant solution that only Sogen could come up with; it was simply that the police department of the past had no ability to change itself, and the conflict with the Hokage meant that the Uchiha clan had to use all their strength just to protect themselves.

And now,

With the downfall of the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura, who were hostile to the Uchiha clan, the Uchiha clan also demonstrated its strength to everyone during the war. In addition to serving as the head of the police department and the head of the Uchiha clan, Sogen also served as the Hokage's assistant.

This identity granted him immense power.

Moreover, unlike Danzo, who was completely suppressed by the Third Hokage, Sogen, the Hokage's advisor, had a much higher and stronger authority. Behind him stood the Uchiha clan and allied families such as Kurama, a force far surpassing the former 'Root'. At times, he could even rival the Fifth Hokage.

Of course, Zongxian wouldn't make such a foolish choice.

After returning to the village, Zongxian did not make a big show of his presence, nor did he use his power as the Hokage's assistant to interfere in the village's affairs. Instead, he stayed peacefully in his own little corner of the police department. His goal was to become the Sixth Hokage, and there was no need to rush to make his presence known everywhere.

One must eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. Becoming the Sixth Hokage is not something that can be done overnight. Changing the police department and the Uchiha clan is just the beginning.

"Zongxian, did you already have a plan?" Zhishui glared at Zongxian and said irritably, "Since you've already figured out what to do, why do you make me waste my brain? I'm not as quick-witted as you when it comes to these things. You're just deliberately making things difficult for me."

Shisui muttered to himself quietly.

"Ah!"

Zongxian glanced at Shisui, his contempt practically written all over his face.

"Who was it that said they were willing to give their lives for the family and the village? Now you want to quit after doing so little? So you were just fooling me back then, weren't you, Shisui?"

"No, no, my determination is real."

Shisui took a breath, wanting to explain, but didn't know how to refute it, and said dejectedly, "I just think that since you already have a plan, there's no need to do this kind of repetitive and meaningless thing."

"Thinking is never meaningless."

Zongxian shook his head and retorted, "I can't possibly take on all the work by myself. Even if I were made of iron, how many nails could I hammer? The change of the family cannot be achieved by my efforts alone. Shishui, if you don't learn to think, you can only be a slightly more capable henchman. Right now, I don't lack henchmen at all. What I lack is someone who can stand alone like Arashiyama and help me share the burden."

Zhi Shui was speechless.

Speechless after being refuted by Shisui, he stared at Zongxian for a few seconds before lowering his head and sighing, "I was too naive."

"It's good that you know you were wrong."

Zongxian nodded in satisfaction.

He is currently lacking capable individuals who can stand on their own. The Uchiha clan has plenty of skilled fighters, such as Uchiha Chihaya, Uchiha Akitarou, and Uchiha Inahisa. These people have not awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, but they are all top-notch fighters. However, they are only skilled fighters; apart from being good at killing, they have no other special talents.

Zongxian also disliked the overly rigid thinking of some of the steady and reliable middle-aged and elderly members of his family; he preferred to use younger people.

"Use your brain more. The more you use it, the sharper it becomes. And these things aren't as troublesome as you think. Once you get used to them, you'll find that these things aren't difficult to handle." Zongxian patiently tried to persuade Zhishui.

Shisui could only nod repeatedly.

After listening to Zong Xian ramble on for a while, he finally rubbed his temples and asked, "Zong Xian, when do you plan to make your move?"

"No rush. I still need to communicate with the Hokage about this. We can begin once the Hokage issues his permission." As the Hokage's assistant and head of the police department, according to the rules left by the Second Hokage, he has the authority to make internal reforms as long as they do not involve other departments or agencies.

However, rules are rules, and sometimes simply following the rules is not enough.

Zongxian didn't want to cause any unpleasantness with the Hokage from the start, so he was just giving him a heads-up beforehand. He figured the Hokage wouldn't bother him for no reason.

"That's it!"

Shisui nodded. "Then let me know when Zongxian is ready to start. I'll continue to think about it until then."

"and many more!"

Zongxian stopped Shisui.

"Don't rush back, there's something else I haven't told you yet!"

"what?"

"Have you forgotten what I told you on the day the Mist Ninja surrendered: the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"what!"

Shisui remembered that Zongxian seemed to have said he would try to find an opportunity for him to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"I've already spoken to the Hokage. I'll give you a chance to peruse the Book of Sealing. You can choose any forbidden technique from the Book of Sealing to learn and see if you can master the Flying Thunder God Technique." Zongxian rubbed his fingers together with some regret. Viewing the Book of Sealing wasn't particularly difficult for Zongxian at the moment.

The merits he has made alone are enough to make him read through the Book of Seals several times. However, Zongxian tried to look at the Flying Thunder God Technique and found that he was not cut out for it. As for the other forbidden techniques recorded in it, Zongxian does not plan to study them at the moment. The various mysteries in the Flame Fan, Banana Leaf Fan, and Amber Purification Bottle are enough for him to study for a long time.

However, he himself doesn't have the time or energy, but he can let Shisui, Chihaya, and Arashiyama give it a try.

Not only the Flying Thunder God Technique, but the Book of Sealing also records many powerful forbidden techniques. If they had the opportunity to master any one of these forbidden techniques, it would be a huge boost for them!

[Chapter 237. The Yakushi Nonou Family]

"The police station is in a rather remote location, too far from the village center, making it inconvenient to work. Let's find an opportunity to move it to a different location, preferably in the center of the village." Amidst a chorus of greetings, Zongxian left the police station and walked towards the village center with Shisui.

The cold wind howled, cutting like a knife against my face.

It didn't snow today, so the open view was refreshing and invigorating. Although it was a bit cold, it didn't dampen my good mood.

"Where's the seat in the village center? It's packed!"

Shi Shui made a sound.

To say that Konoha has no room for expansion is obviously nonsense. The village is surrounded by vast forests, with plenty of room for development. However, the land in the central area of ​​Konoha Village, centered around the Hokage Building not far below the Hokage Rock, is truly more valuable than gold. Almost every available space has been utilized, making it incredibly crowded.

This isn't about relocating individual households; the police department is such a large organization, covering a huge area!

It's not easy to carve out such a large area in the center of Konoha Village.