Uchiha's personal opinion

Uchiha Tokumitsu's smile remained unchanged: "I simply hope that the Uchiha clan will have a status commensurate with its strength, it's that simple."

"The Uchiha clan is too big!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, spoke in a chilling tone, "If the Uchiha clan is allowed to continue expanding, the entire Hidden Leaf Village will be swallowed up and eroded!"

"I only know that weakness is the original sin, but this is the first time I've heard that strength is the cause of disaster!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu chuckled, "So... does the Hokage choose to start the war now?"

"Or... should we wait until your blue-vested ninja troops are fully trained before starting the war?"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, remained silent with a cold expression.

"Look..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu casually shrugged, "Whether to fight or make peace, what exactly are your plans?"

"The Uchiha clan cannot become Hokage!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The Hokage is the Hokage of all Konoha ninjas, not an authority that can be granted privately by a single family or clan!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu's tone was equally firm.

"Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, said viciously, "No matter how strong you are, I have a way to drag you down to the underworld with me!"

"Isn't it just those so-called forbidden techniques from the Book of Seals? Who are you trying to scare! Let me guess... is it the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu chuckled dismissively, "It can't be the Four Symbols Seal, can it?"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked even more sinister.

His drooping hands twitched slightly, as if he was about to make a move.

"Si-hai-wei-mao-xu-zi-you-wu-si!"

As Uchiha Tokumitsu recited the sequence of hand seals one by one, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't help but show a look of horror on his face.

"These are the hand seals for the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, right?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu smiled broadly, "Can we have a proper talk now?"

Beneath the gloomy face of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, lay a storm brewing.

"As long as I live, the Uchiha clan will never be able to seize the Hokage position!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, growled in a low voice, "Don't try to test my methods and resolve!"

"Lord Hokage, the ninja world changes very quickly. When the times eliminate outdated old things, they don't even give a snoring..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu's expression remained unchanged.

"...Besides, didn't you call me here to discuss how to resolve the current standoff? It seems we've strayed too far from the point."

The verbal sparring between the two intensified, and Uchiha Tokumitsu stopped using honorifics to address him.

"Tell me about it..."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, continued smoking his pipe.

In the recent verbal exchange, he gained almost no advantage.

This made him start to doubt himself.

"The Ninja Clan Council was reorganized into a permanent Ninja Clan Council and Consultation Conference, which will be held regularly to review the village's major resolutions."

Uchiha Tokumitsu still insisted on his initial request: "I think the Hyuga clan leader should have already discussed this with you, right?"

"The shogunate has too much power! If left unchecked, problems will inevitably arise."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, said, "It must be restricted!"

"The Shogun should rightfully possess the authority to wage war in various regions!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu made a slight concession, only requesting the authority to act on his behalf.

In this way, the east will be against Mist Village, the north against Cloud Village, the northwest against Rock Village, and the west against Sand Village; this is essentially an enhanced version of the original four border defense forces.

"Even the right to wage war should be subject to the control of the village!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, continued.

This is also the source of his inner turmoil.

The other three border armies were alright, but the Eastern Border Defense Force under the command of Uchiha Tokumitsu had caused far too many outrageous incidents, making him, as the Hokage, extremely embarrassed.

"Then why don't the five generals form a Privy Council and jointly manage war affairs?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu immediately dug another hole.

"The Privy Council?"

In the ninja world, this is a newly coined term.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, instinctively became alert.

Uchiha Tokumitsu often used strange-sounding words to cover up his true intentions. After suffering a few losses, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would immediately become alert upon hearing words that were beyond his comprehension.

"The five generals together form the Privy Council, with the leader of the Jonin class serving as the Privy Councilor, to coordinate the operations of the various border defense forces."

Uchiha Tokumitsu explained with a chuckle.

"The power to command ninja armies and the power to wage war belong to the Hokage!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, remained unwilling to back down.

"Naturally, total war is the highest authority held by the Hokage."

Uchiha Tokumitsu responded.

He also secretly dug another pit, namely, separating the shogunate's forces from the border troops.

Because the eastern border defense forces are a very special existence, in addition to the ninja army within the established ranks, the shogunate under Uchiha Tokumitsu also has three shogunate units composed of the remnants of the three Kirigakure clans.

In the future, Uchiha Tokumitsu also plans to expand his army extensively within the framework of the shogunate, recruiting idle ninjas from Konoha and wandering ninjas from the ninja world to jointly conquer Kirigakure.

"The matter concerning the Privy Council still requires careful consideration..."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, felt that he could not figure out Tokumitsu Uchiha's intentions in a short time, so he chose to put it aside for the time being.

"The Uchiha clan's ninja forces should stop causing trouble in the village!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, continued, "This standoff must also come to an end!"

"Please also recall those blue-vested ninja soldiers, Hokage. The police department will then return to the North District and lift martial law."

Uchiha Tokumitsu nodded. "Also, the Hokage and the Daimyo should pay attention to the operational details of their large financial transactions..."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, changed his expression drastically.

Uchiha Tokumitsu bowed slightly, then turned and left.

Chapter 186 Konoha Reform

If you were to ask what Uchiha Tokumitsu was best at, his answer would definitely not be something as superficial as eye techniques or ninjutsu.

The answer is: people's hearts.

Uchiha Tokumitsu believed that his greatest strength was understanding people's hearts and manipulating collective emotions.

This is also a dimensional reduction attack on the cognition of the semi-medieval, semi-modern ninja world by a modern person born in the era of information explosion.

After Kageyama left, Uchiha Tokumitsu took Uchiha Himon to the Jonin team office to meet with Hatake Sakumo and reconnect with Mimura Yoru, reminiscing about their time fighting side-by-side in the Land of Rivers.

Since the border troops returned to the village and threatened the Hokage, the four of them have been separated and have had difficulty reuniting.

"...The construction of the shogunate's headquarters faces two major challenges: funding and the length of the term of office..."

When discussing the construction of the shogunate's residence, Mimura Yomaki complained.

The land of rivers is a notoriously poor and desolate place, so even if Mimura Yomaki were willing to stoop so low as to plunder the land, she wouldn't be able to extract much money.

Besides, if the land of rivers hadn't been so impoverished, Mimura Yomaki wouldn't have gone to such lengths to develop land reclamation in the shogunate's territory.

Regarding the issue of term limits, Uchiha Tokumitsu had a different opinion.

"Since the term of office wasn't specified, then the position of general is for life and may even be hereditary!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu expressed his opinion: "As long as we have enough ninja under our command and our own strength is strong enough, no one can do anything to us!"

"That's true..."

Mimura Yomi nodded at first, but then shook her head: "But no matter what, the Land of Rivers can never compare to Konoha..."

As Mimura Yomi spoke, she kept an eye on Hatake Sakumo's changing expression.

Due to a shortage of manpower under his command, many people in the Yoru-no-maki Shogunate were members of the Reform Society dispatched by Hatake Sakumo.

In addition, there was really no income to be made in the remote and impoverished areas, and the Sand Village in the Land of Wind, which was being defended, was also known as a poor village. As a result, Mimura Yoru, who felt that the power of the shogunate was relatively useless, gradually began to think about returning to the village to find a job.

While the Land of Grass, controlled by Uchiha Himon, wasn't wealthy, it at least had various livestock as its main products, which could be sold to other regions under the military protection of the Uchiha clan.

Although Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo had the aura to suppress the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the real power of the branch positions was still in the hands of the Hokage's faction, so there was no suitable position to exchange with Mimura Yoh.

We can't just hand over the police department or the Jonin squad to Mimura Yomaki!

Hatake Sakumo also felt that this was a bit difficult, so he looked at Uchiha Tokumitsu for advice on how to deal with it.

"Within five years!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu pondered for a moment and said, "If Jonin Mimura is interested, how about being transferred back to the village within five years to take on another position?"

It wasn't hard to guess what Mimura Yoru was thinking, since the amount of power held by officials in the capital and those in local areas was different.

Uchiha Tokumitsu understood this, while at the same time plotting how to seize control of the western border defense forces.

"The timing is about right..."

Although he didn't understand why Uchiha Tokumitsu could give a five-year period, Hatake Sakumo still agreed, "For now, you will continue to handle the affairs of the western border defense forces. If there is a vacancy, we will recommend you."

"The most important key moment now is the upcoming Ninja Clan Council Consultation Conference."

Uchiha Tokumitsu continued.