Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 76: Civillian
The news that the Konoha Police Force which had been monopolize by Uchiha Clan wanted to recruit people outside their clan spread like wildfire. From the Hokage to other clan leaders and even Danzo who had been confined within his home prison all heard about it.
It became the hottest topic in Konoha because never in history had anyone heard of the proud Uchiha Clan opening their Konoha Military Police Force or popular as Uchiha Police Force to outsiders.
Soon that afternoon, long lines formed at the recruitment center. It wasn't just shinobi who queued up, even civilians with no knowledge of chakra came along, hoping for a chance. Who knew? Maybe luck would be on their side.
And for one young woman, it was.
"Sir… do you mean I am accepted?" asked Kurenai, a civilian girl with no chakra control, her voice trembling in disbelief.
"Yes. Congratulations," replied Uchiha Shinobu with a calm nod.
The room fell silent. Everyone inside the interview hall looked at her in shock. They now understood the true meaning of the phrase "We will inform you if you are accepted." It was the polite way of saying rejection. But being told "You are accepted" meant immediate employment.
"I'm sorry, Uchiha-sama," one of the rejected applicants protested, his tone sharp with frustration. "But why did this girl get accepted? She's not even a ninja!"
All eyes turned toward Uchiha Shinobu, waiting for his response.
"The Konoha Military Police Force is not a place only for ninja," he explained firmly. "We need people who understand arithmetic, records, and management. Our department has mountains of documents, complaints, and reports from villagers that need to be sorted out. This girl, Kurenai, has the necessary skills. Therefore, it is reasonable to hire her."
A murmur rippled through the waiting crowd. Then, a man still in the queue raised his hand.
"You there, the one raising your hand," said Shinobu. "Do you have a question?"
"Yes, Uchiha-sama," the man replied nervously. "I'm just a civilian. I can't use any ninjutsu because I never went to the academy. Can I still join the police force? And… what about the salary?"
Shinobu gave a faint smile. "As long as you possess useful skills such as arithmetic, logistics, or clerical work, you are more than welcome to apply. Your starting salary will be equivalent to that of a newly hired genin. If your performance is good, your salary will increase over time, chunnin salary and even beyond that."
The entire hall erupted in murmurs of excitement. Many who had come out of curiosity now stood a little taller, eyes shining with hope
For civilians who had struggled all their lives, earning a chunin salary had always been a distant dream. They need to work hard become worker that civillian could do. But today, for the first time, that dream seemed within reach.
---Ino Shika Cho Clan---
"Shikajin, what do you think the Uchiha Clan are trying to do?" asked Akimichi Chosei, the father of Akimichi Choza.
"Hmmm, I don't think it was the Uchiha Clan who started it," replied Shikajin.
"What do you mean by that?" questioned Chosei.
"Raiken. I believe all of this happened because of him," accused Shikajin.
Chosei suddenly felt his throat tighten, not expecting that name. It was only when Yamanaka Inosuke arrived that he asked why the two of them had gone silent and weren't saying anything.
"We're talking about why the Uchiha Clan are willing to hire outsiders as part of their police force," said Chosei.
"So why are you both just staring and doing nothing?" asked Inosuke while mimicking their expression. "If it was Shikajin, I'd understand, since young he would sometimes stared at the sky but you, Chosei?"
Chosei smiled while Shikajin looked offended.
"Shikajin believes that the reason the Uchiha are changing their minds is because of the Uzumaki Clan leader, Uzumaki Raiken," explained Chosei.
"What? Tell me, Shikajin, why do you think it was him?" asked Inosuke.
"I was always with the Third Hokage during meetings with Raiken. I've seen how close he is with the Uchiha Clan, so I don't think this happened because the Uchiha suddenly had an enlightenment. Instead, this is a reform made by Raiken," said Shikajin, voicing his suspicion.
"Hmmm… do you think it's bad for Konoha to have someone like Raiken?" asked Inosuke.
"I don't know. I just hope it won't trigger a civil war," replied Shikajin.
The three of them fell silent before Chosei finally spoke what was on his mind.
"But what Raiken did is actually good for Konoha," said Chosei.
"Yeah, it is good," agreed Shikajin before continuing. "The reason people dislike and some even hate the Uchiha Clan is because of the Police Force. Those who arrest others are easily misunderstood. So by giving that position to others, the hatred toward the Uchiha Clan will be reduced."
"What you said have some logic," commented Inosuke. "Raiken might see by himself how the treatment of Uchiha Clan in the village and because of his status as a future grand son in law of the current clan leader of Uchiha, he decided to give them an idea how to reform Uchiha to become better than before."
"That's possible," agreed Chosei.
"I want to see what this new Konoha Military Police Force will look like. Will it become better or worse under new people?" said Inosuke.
"There's a possibility this reform will change the whole of Konoha into something new," replied Shikajin.
"What do you mean by something new?" asked Chosei.
"Before this, whenever someone was arrested, they said the Uchiha abused their power, practiced nepotism, and so on. But in the future, when other clans and even civilians become part of the police force, they can't use the same argument anymore, because those people who accused the Uchiha no longer have a valid point. So something new will happen, people won't accuse any clan of monopolizing power," said Shikajin.
"I agree with you, but this accusation also happened because of the Uchiha," replied Inosuke. "My children said some Uchiha students in the academy sometimes bully others, especially civilians, and they even threaten to arrest them."
"Yeah, you can't deny that, Shikajin. We've also seen some people from the Uchiha misuse their power," added Chosei.
"I agree with you. So let's just watch and see how all of this progresses. I hope nothing bad happens to Konoha," said Shikajin.
Author Notes: There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 104: 3 Vs 1
Chapter 105: Raiken Bloodlust
Chapter 106: Coward Hokage
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