Chapter 276 – The Reorganization Plan
The morning sun had barely risen when Kei arrived at the Hokage's office.
After resting for an entire day, he had originally planned to check in with the Police Force — but honestly, his three squad captains could handle most of the workload without him now.
Still, as the department head — and with Konoha in its current state — there were matters only he could address.
Yet to his mild surprise, it seemed Minato Namikaze was in even more of a rush than he was.
The Fourth Hokage had already summoned a full-scale meeting to discuss reconstruction. Despite his physical weakness, Minato had no time to care for his own health — not when the village needed its leader.
When Kei entered the office, he was stunned to find that he was the last one to arrive.
And seated before him were the heads of every major clan and department in Konoha.
Feeling a bit awkward, Kei slipped into a seat beside Fugaku Uchiha, nodding politely.
To be honest, he wasn't very interested in meetings like this.
Reconstruction plans, funding allocations, urban development — those weren't his field. But he'd seen enough of Konoha's politics to know how these things worked.
You don't need to invent new systems, he thought. You just need to know how to copy what already works — and make sure the right people benefit.
Still, reconstruction meant redistribution — and redistribution always meant politics.
The Nine-Tails' attack hadn't destroyed the village entirely, but the damage was enough to trigger large-scale rebuilding.
And with that came opportunity — new districts, new layouts, new influence zones.
Who would oversee the new commercial blocks?
Which clans would guard which regions?
Who would profit from the trade routes that emerged afterward?
Kei, as Police Force Commander, technically had no personal stake in the matter.
So he remained silent, letting Fugaku handle the clan's position.
Fugaku himself looked surprisingly healthy — his bearing proud and composed.
Though Kei could still sense the strain behind those Mangekyō eyes, Fugaku's poise was unshaken.
And after his heroics the night before — controlling the Nine-Tails alongside Kei — Fugaku's standing in Konoha had skyrocketed.
Even more remarkably, Minato was openly backing the Uchiha.
He had begun implementing his long-stalled policy of reintegrating the clan into Konoha's central administration.
This time, the Uchiha were no longer being pushed to the village's outskirts.
Instead, they were granted land near the central district, close enough to the Hokage Rock to be symbolically visible — yet far enough not to provoke the elders.
It was also the area scheduled for major reconstruction,
a location destined to connect Konoha's key sectors through new streets and infrastructure.
Fugaku was ecstatic.
Kei, however, remained indifferent — content to watch the pieces fall into place.
---
"Hokage-sama," Kei suddenly said, breaking his long silence.
His voice cut neatly through the room's chatter, drawing every gaze to him.
"Apologies for interrupting. I have a minor proposal… if I may?"
Minato looked up with a faint smile — pale, but clearly in good spirits.
"You don't need to ask, Kei," he said lightly.
"If you sit through an entire meeting without saying a word, then I'll know something's wrong."
That single remark shifted the entire room.
Heads turned.
Everyone knew of the bond between Uchiha Kei and Minato Namikaze.
Many of the jonin who had fought during the Nine-Tails' night knew the truth — that the decisive tactical commands had come not from the Hokage, but from Kei himself.
Even Minato's choice in the sealing operation — dividing the Nine-Tails' chakra — had come from Kei's suggestion.
It was no secret anymore: Kei wasn't just young; he was brilliant — and deadly.
The Hyūga brothers, Hiashi and Hizashi, both of whom had crossed fists with him before, still remembered how they'd been outmatched — even humiliated — by the masked man he'd later defeated.
And after witnessing Kei's fight that night — that cataclysmic clash that had shaken the earth itself — few in the room doubted his strength.
So now, when Kei spoke, everyone listened.
Even those who distrusted the Uchiha began quietly wondering how best to align with him.
Perhaps through Fugaku, they thought. Or perhaps… directly.
Either way, agreeing with him seemed wise.
---
"Here's my concern, Hokage-sama," Kei began.
"The Police Force headquarters is positioned too far from the village center.
Because of that, during emergencies — like the Nine-Tails' attack — we lost precious time coordinating evacuation efforts."
Minato nodded slowly.
"You're right. The location is inconvenient. What are you suggesting?"
"A reorganization," Kei said simply.
"I propose establishing four Police sub-stations, one in each quadrant of Konoha."
He raised a hand, sketching an invisible map in the air.
"Each division will be commanded by one of my four captains.
Every team will be responsible for managing and securing its designated sector.
That way, in any crisis, they can mobilize instantly —
without waiting for orders from the central headquarters."
Minato's eyes lit up.
"That makes perfect sense.
Decentralized response… faster mobilization.
In fact, we could apply the same idea to other departments —
Medical, Mission Coordination, even Logistics."
Kei nodded approvingly.
"Exactly.
And we can take it further — establish a rotation system.
Every few months, personnel will rotate through the four sectors.
That prevents corruption and complacency,
and fosters healthy competition among the divisions.
We can even rank performance — reward whichever unit maintains the safest and most stable zone."
As Kei spoke, Minato leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
It was a brilliant plan — one that would not only strengthen Konoha's response systems, but also unify its departments through merit and accountability.
Of course, it would also greatly expand the Police Force's authority.
But Minato didn't care.
If it kept Konoha safe, he was willing to take that risk.
He realized then — this plan must have crossed Hiruzen's mind before,
but the old Hokage had never acted on it.
Why? Because such decentralization shifted too much power into Uchiha hands.
The old guard had always preferred balance through suppression —
keeping every faction weak enough to be controlled.
After the Second Great Ninja War, Hiruzen's "reforms" were meant to solidify his hold on the village.
He couldn't afford to provoke the Uchiha then,
but once the wars settled and the new generation took over,
he resumed his strategy of quiet containment.
Minato, however, wasn't Hiruzen.
And now, after witnessing how much the Uchiha had sacrificed for the village,
he wasn't about to repeat the same mistake.
"It's a sound proposal," Minato said at last.
"Draft the logistics and budget requirements with Nara Shikaku.
We'll move forward with it."
Kei nodded respectfully.
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
He could feel the shifting undercurrents in the room —
some faces uneasy, others calculating, but none daring to object.
Because deep down, they all knew:
This was the beginning of something new.
A reorganization not just of departments —
but of power.
It wasn't just Minato Namikaze who recognized the implications of Kei's proposal —
every shinobi in that room did.
Anyone qualified to sit in this meeting held not only rank, but intellect.
Kei's idea was, on paper, undeniably beneficial to Konoha.
No one could argue that.
But beneath the surface, they all saw what it truly meant.
He's expanding the Police Force's influence.
Quietly. Strategically.
And yet — Minato didn't seem the least bit opposed.
In fact, he looked pleased.
That, in itself, was a signal.
The room's atmosphere shifted in an instant.
Every clan head, every department leader began thinking the same thing:
If the Police Force is expanding, what about us?
They started running through possibilities —
which divisions could be split or decentralized like Kei had suggested.
Could they secure a foothold in Konoha's new quadrants too?
But the more they thought, the clearer it became —
there wasn't much left.
The Medical Division?
Out of their reach.
None of them held influence there — that was the domain of med-nin and specialists.
The Mission Assignment Office?
That was under the Nara clan's control —
and if anyone wanted a piece of that, they'd have to deal with Shikaku.
The Ninja Academy?
Out of the question.
No one sane would dare meddle with that.
Which meant…
The only real winner in this reorganization would be the Police Force.
A few clan heads exchanged uneasy glances.
Their minds were racing.
Could it be…Uchiha Kei planned this from the start?
The more they thought about it, the more it made sense.
The current Police Force wasn't the old, clan-exclusive one anymore.
Its structure had evolved —
now including civilian shinobi, Uchiha, members from minor clans,
and even a few Hyūga, despite the long-standing rivalry between the two clans.
That alone was another signal —
a message broadcast to the entire village:
The Police Force no longer belongs to the Uchiha alone.
It belongs to Konoha.
And it was precisely that inclusivity that had earned Minato's immediate approval.
The more they thought about it, the more regret began to sink in.
We underestimated him.
Many clan leaders silently cursed their own shortsightedness.
When Uchiha Jun had previously come to them —
politely extending invitations for cooperation —
they'd agreed halfheartedly, offering minimal manpower as a gesture of goodwill.
Now, that seemed laughably inadequate.
No one had anticipated that within the Uchiha clan —
once dismissed as prideful and insular —
someone like Kei would emerge:
A man with power, clarity, and strategy.
A leader who not only understood politics…
but could win at it.
---
"By the way, Commander Kei," Minato suddenly said, breaking the silence,
"with this new division plan, will the Police Force have enough manpower to operate effectively?"
The moment he said it, every clan head perked up.
Their eyes practically gleamed.
This was it —
a golden opportunity delivered straight from the Hokage himself.
If the Police Force was understaffed…
That meant they could offer their own shinobi.
And in doing so — plant influence within Kei's growing organization.
Kei seemed to anticipate the thought before it was even voiced.
"We'll be short-handed, yes," he admitted calmly.
"Once the headquarters focuses solely on administration and research,
the four regional divisions will handle all field operations.
That means each sector will need additional personnel."
"I see," Minato said with a satisfied nod.
"Then I'm authorizing you to expand your department's size.
Recruit as needed."
His lips curved into a faint smile.
"Also… have you decided where to build the new Police Headquarters?"
Kei blinked.
"Not yet, Hokage-sama."
Minato chuckled softly.
"How about near the Hokage Tower?"
The suggestion hung in the air like a quiet revelation.
Every face in the room turned toward Kei —
some startled, some wary.
To place the Uchiha-led Police Headquarters next to the Hokage's own office…
That wasn't just symbolism.
That was trust, carved into the village itself.
And it marked the beginning of a new political landscape in Konoha —
one where the Uchiha no longer stood at the edge of suspicion,
but at the very heart of the village's power.
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