Naruto's Strongest Force

Konohagakure

The Hokage's office.

"This is your idea? Do you know how much foot traffic has decreased on Eighth Street?"

"The complaint box is overflowing with letters from villagers!"

"Several shinobi clans with shops in that area have all come to me to complain!"

The Third Hokage knocked on the desk, visibly displeased with Danzo.

Danzo's eyes were filled with impatience. "The Uchiha were prepared. I didn't expect them to react this way."

The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe. "Leaving your Root members in the police force was a bad move. It's done no good."

"Go ask around the village. Root's reputation is terrible. People avoid them like the plague. How can they function as police?"

Danzo's face darkened. He had trained Root members to be loyal and skilled killers, not community police officers.

Danzo grunted. "I will think of another way."

"Why not just withdraw your men from the police force?" the Third Hokage suggested coolly.

"Impossible!" Danzo snapped. It had taken great effort to place Root members in the police force. Despite their shortcomings, the positions provided future opportunities.

The Third Hokage's tone turned cold. "The Hyuga clan's elder has visited me twice, asking about the honorary elder position. Did you not promise him this?"

Danzo snorted. "He wants the position before delivering results?"

The Third Hokage threw a stack of complaint letters onto Danzo's desk.

"Then you handle these."

Danzo's eyebrow twitched as he fell silent.

The Third Hokage softened his tone. "The old Root base is still sealed and unused. We could give that to the Hyuga elder as compensation if you move your Root members out."

Danzo pondered this. Root members were unfit for police work, and obtaining the old base was beneficial.

"Fine. Give me the appointment letter for the honorary elder position, and leave the name blank."

The Third Hokage agreed without hesitation. The Daimyo's orders had to be followed, and Danzo would manage the position.

...

Under immense public pressure, the Root police members were withdrawn.

When the villagers learned that the Root members were no longer patrolling, they celebrated and flocked to Eighth Street.

Sure enough, all the Uchiha shops reopened as promised.

The delicious foods drew crowds, and Uchiha shop owners were overwhelmed with business.

...

The Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage smoked his pipe, deeply troubled.

The Uchiha were impervious to both soft and hard tactics. And he couldn't act directly against them.

Danzo had been humiliated and was temporarily inactive.

The Uchiha's non-violent, non-cooperative stance left the Third Hokage at a loss.

He summoned Koharu Utatane, who arrived after some time, holding a cup of bubble tea—another famous Uchiha invention.

The Third Hokage was surprised to see Koharu, typically stern, enjoying such a trendy beverage.

"Koharu, how are the Uchiha doing with mission assignments?" The Third Hokage decided to address the issue through mission quotas.

Ninjas needed to work to support themselves, and the Uchiha had a high rate of elite members who completed lucrative missions.

Koharu sipped her tea, an odd sight given her age.

"I've brought the latest statistics on the Uchiha's mission completions."

The Third Hokage nodded in approval. Koharu had anticipated his request and came prepared.

He reviewed the report, frowning. Despite losing over a hundred elites, the remaining Uchiha should still number over a hundred. Yet, their monthly mission completion was less than thirty percent of what it used to be.

"Are the Uchiha not taking missions to support their families?"

Koharu explained, "Many Uchiha are focusing on having children, so fewer are taking missions."

The Third Hokage was puzzled. "Shouldn't they work harder if they're having children?"

Koharu shook her head. "Natsuki issued a reward for childbirth before leaving. Each child brings a large monetary reward."

"Thus, many ninjas are not taking missions, instead staying home to have children. Those who do take missions opt for simpler ones."

The Third Hokage examined the mission details. About fifty Uchiha were taking missions, completing only seven C-rank missions monthly, with most being D-rank.

D-rank missions were menial tasks like finding lost pets or cleaning.

"How much is this large monetary reward?"

Koharu admitted she didn't know.

The Third Hokage paced the room. The Uchiha's actions indicated they were indeed profiting from their businesses.

He needed to curb the Uchiha's progress.

"Let's amend the mission assignment rules."

The Third Hokage devised a plan.

"Jōnin must complete at least one B-rank mission or three C-rank missions monthly."

"Tōkubetsu Jōnin must complete two C-rank missions or five D-rank missions monthly. Chūnin must complete at least one C-rank mission or three D-rank missions."

He omitted genin due to the wide range in their skill levels.

Koharu applauded the plan. This requirement was minimal for most ninjas, but it significantly increased the workload of the Uchiha.

Few Uchiha genin were left; most were involved in business or family life.

The remaining Uchiha doing missions were primarily chūnin and a few tōkebetsu jōnin, the clan's core strength.

Sending them on missions would reduce their presence in the village, decreasing their threat.

"What if they refuse to comply?" Koharu asked.

The Third Hokage replied, "We'll lower their commission rates, treating them as outside the village."

In Konoha, mission fees were divided, with the village taking twenty percent and the ninja keeping eighty percent. Outside ninjas or wanderers received a smaller share, sometimes only thirty or twenty percent.

Despite this, many ninjas preferred to take missions through large villages for the information network and resources.

If the Uchiha didn't comply, their earnings would plummet.

While childbirth bonuses were helpful, they couldn't sustain the clan forever. Ultimately, the Uchiha would need missions to support themselves.

The Third Hokage's strategy was cunning.

If the Uchiha complied, they would be too busy with missions to pose a threat.

Fugaku would have to negotiate if they didn't, giving the Hokage leverage to address their businesses.

The Third Hokage's scheme was now in motion.