367. Who Says Danzō is Senile? Danzō is Amazing!

"Shinobi World United News, Konoha, November 17, Year 53 of the Leaf Calendar."

"The Konoha high council has officially passed a resolution appointing Fugaku Uchiha as an advisory elder."

"Additionally, the original Military Police Force has been disbanded and replaced with the Security Department, responsible for maintaining internal village security."

"Fugaku Uchiha, the newly appointed elder, will serve as the first head of the Security Department."

This news sent shockwaves through the village.

The position of advisory elder is second only to the Hokage in Konoha's hierarchy, making it a true high-ranking role within the village.

After the executions of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, Danzō was the only remaining advisory elder in Konoha.

As a result, many respected clan leaders had been eyeing the position, hoping to claim it for themselves.

No one expected Fugaku Uchiha to take the spot so quickly...

This choice came as a surprise to everyone.

After all, the tension between the Uchiha clan and the village leadership was no secret, and it had nearly reached a breaking point.

If not for Danzō's sudden intervention, using his overwhelming power to intimidate the Uchiha and taking Shisui as his disciple to stabilize the situation, Konoha might have already been plunged into civil war.

Not to mention, just a few months ago, Danzō had severely disciplined the Uchiha, effectively crushing their arrogance.

And now, a resolution had been passed to promote Fugaku to the position of elder.

What was going on?

While others were still reeling from the news, Shikaku Nara, who was playing a game of shogi with his father, Shikasa Nara, shook his head and smiled.

"As expected of the legendary 'Darkness of the Shinobi.' With this move, the Uchiha, given their nature, will likely become completely loyal to Danzō." As one of Konoha's top strategists, Shikasa Nara, the former head of the Nara clan, immediately understood Danzō's intentions.

The Uchiha clan, though proud and unruly, were also deeply emotional.

Now, at a time when they had been suppressed, Danzō had presented them with such a grand gesture, enough to make all the Uchiha reconsider their stance and feel genuine gratitude toward him.

In a sense, Danzō's move had completely undone the chains that the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had placed on the Uchiha clan.

They were no longer seen as dangerous elements but were now able to truly participate in Konoha's politics, becoming an integral part of the village.

The benefits of this were numerous. For example, it would allow the Uchiha to contribute to their fullest potential and increase their sense of belonging to the village.

However, the drawbacks were equally apparent.

If the village's leadership lacked the ability to keep the Uchiha in check, they could potentially bring about a catastrophic disaster.

The Uchiha's temperament was too volatile, and their destructive power was overwhelmingly strong.

This was precisely why the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had chosen to suppress the clan.

"I hope Minato can wield the Uchiha as a double-edged sword effectively in the future," Shikasa Nara said, placing a shogi piece on the board with a meaningful tone.

Shikaku, who also served as one of Konoha's strategists, understood his father's concerns and reassured him with a smile, "Don't worry, Dad. Elder Danzō is still in great shape. He likely has enough time to cultivate a reliable successor."

Hearing this, Shikasa Nara was momentarily stunned before he could only chuckle helplessly.

Because his son was absolutely right.

Though he and Danzō were around the same age, their physical conditions were worlds apart.

Danzō, despite being nearly sixty, was still capable of dominating the battlefield, defeating the reanimated Madara Uchiha, and slaying the Third Raikage.

In contrast, Shikasa Nara's physical abilities had severely declined, and his chakra reserves were nearly depleted.

The strength he could muster now was far less than half of what it had been at his peak!

There was simply no comparison.

And it wasn't just him. The same could be said for the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the two previous elders.

It seemed that a shinobi's prime was far too short.

Especially when they held high-ranking positions and were burdened with administrative duties, maintaining their former combat prowess became incredibly difficult.

For someone like Danzō, who was nearing sixty and still growing stronger, there were few examples in the entire shinobi world.

Perhaps only the legendary God of Shinobi and the Shinobi World's Asura could compare.

Therefore, given Danzō's current physical condition, it was entirely possible that he could cultivate a successor capable of controlling the Uchiha within his lifetime...

Thinking this, Shikasa Nara quietly let out a sigh of relief and took a sip of the green tea beside him.

However, at that moment, Shikaku placed a piece on the shogi board with a soft click.

"Checkmate!"

Looking at the board, Shikasa Nara realized that he had unknowingly fallen into a trap.

Seeing his son, who was both steady in character and exuding a confident aura, Shikasa Nara suddenly smiled in understanding and gently placed his remaining piece on the table.

————————

Unlike the shock felt by others, the Uchiha clan was overjoyed upon hearing the news of their clan leader's appointment as an elder.

They completely reversed their previous hostile attitude toward Danzō, admitting that they had been too loud in their criticisms.

Shimura Danzō was, in fact, a fair and wise leader who sought the welfare of the villagers.

The Uchiha clan would firmly follow Elder Danzō's lead and contribute their light and heat to the future development of the village.

Amid the impact of the news about "Fugaku becoming an advisory elder," the large-scale reform of the Military Police Force went largely unnoticed.

By the time people turned their attention back to this matter, the original Military Police Force had already been reorganized under the leadership of Fugaku, the new elder.

The reorganized force was officially renamed the Security Department, divided into two branches: the General Security Bureau and the Special Security Bureau.

It also began recruiting from the entire village, with the entry requirements relaxed to include genin, as per Danzō's instructions.

Of course, Fugaku did impose some age restrictions, requiring applicants to be at least sixteen years old.

Additionally, he selected a group of elite Uchiha to form a training unit.

This unit was tasked with providing specialized training to the newly recruited Security Department members, teaching them the content and methods of law enforcement.

The training materials were based on the "Security Department Law Enforcement Guidelines," personally written by Danzō, and were overseen by Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the department.

This was to prevent the new members from picking up some of the bad habits of the older Uchiha...

Furthermore, before they could officially take up their posts, they would have to undergo a final trial, with Hokage Minato, Hokage Advisor Danzō, and Security Department Head Fugaku serving as examiners.

It was safe to say that the difficulty of graduating from this first batch of Security Department members was absolutely hellish.

But this couldn't be blamed on Danzō, as these individuals were seen as the foundation for the future development of the Security Department.

If they could pass this trial, their future prospects would be boundless!