366. The First Director of the Security Department

"Me? Become an advisory elder?"

Upon hearing Danzō's words, Uchiha Fugaku pointed at himself, completely stunned.

He never imagined that he, in his lifetime, would ever be associated with the title of "advisory elder."

Seeing Fugaku's reaction, Danzō raised an eyebrow and said, "This is a decision that Minato and I have carefully considered. After the defection of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, the positions of Konoha's elders have remained vacant and need to be filled. As one of Konoha's prominent clans, the Uchiha have recently made significant contributions to the reform of the Military Police Force. As the clan head, you are the most suitable candidate to become an elder."

"Of course, if you have no interest in the position, there's no need to force yourself..."

Hearing that Danzō might retract the offer, Fugaku immediately panicked.

"Elder Danzō, since this is a decision made by the higher-ups, I, Uchiha Fugaku, will naturally adhere to and carry it out without question!"

His voice was firm, his expression resolute, as if he were ready to sacrifice himself for the village at any moment.

Only the barely suppressed curve of his lips betrayed the overwhelming joy in his heart.

This was the position of an advisory elder, a tremendous honor second only to the Hokage!

Who could resist the excitement and elation of such an opportunity?

Danzō wasn't surprised by Fugaku's reaction.

However, he raised his hand to calm the man down and continued, "Don't get too excited just yet. While serving as an advisory elder, I also need you to take on the role of Director of the Security Department."

"Director of the Security Department?"

Hearing this, Fugaku was once again thrown into confusion.

It was normal for advisory elders, as part of Konoha's leadership, to hold concurrent important positions.

After all, the title of elder was largely honorary, and their primary role was to advise the Hokage on decisions without holding any specific authority.

For example, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had concurrently served as heads of the Medical Department and Logistics Department, respectively.

But the question was, what exactly was this "Security Department"?

Having lived in Konoha for decades, Fugaku had only ever heard of the Military Police Force, not a "Security Department."

Could it be...?

Suddenly, he thought of something.

Sure enough, Danzō quickly explained, "I intend to restructure your Military Police Force into the Security Department, which will report directly to the Hokage through the Director of the Security Department."

What Danzō meant was that he planned to formalize the Military Police Force, which had long been under the control of the Uchiha, and integrate it into the village's official departments.

This also meant that the Uchiha would no longer be able to treat the force as their private army.

Once integrated into the official department, Danzō would inevitably recruit more non-Uchiha ninja to dilute the Uchiha's influence.

In other words, the higher-ups' appointment of Fugaku as an elder was more like a trade—exchanging the position of elder for the Uchiha's control over the Military Police Force.

Fugaku had no complaints about this trade.

Or rather, he had no right to complain...

Given Danzō's current power and influence, it wouldn't be difficult for him to directly strip the Uchiha of their control over the Military Police Force.

The fact that he was willing to offer the position of elder in exchange already showed considerable sincerity.

After all, if Fugaku successfully became an elder, it would mean the Uchiha had re-entered the core of the village's power structure.


This was of immense significance to the entire Uchiha clan!

For the time being, the Military Police Force—or rather, the Security Department—would remain under Fugaku's control.

As for the future... well, that would have to be dealt with later.

Fugaku was well aware of Danzō's strong desire for internal village reforms.

If the Uchiha, represented by him, didn't know when to stop, there might not even be a "future" to worry about...

Once he understood this, Fugaku immediately declared, "Fugaku firmly supports the village's decision!"

Seeing how readily Fugaku agreed, Danzō smiled with satisfaction.

He pulled out a document from his robe and handed it to Fugaku, saying, "These are some of my thoughts on the structure of the Security Department. Take a look."

Hearing this, Fugaku carefully took the document and began to read it thoroughly.

"You plan to recruit some genin into the Security Department to alleviate the shortage of personnel?"

As he read the contents of the document, Fugaku's face showed a hint of surprise.

The Military Police Force, as an important security force for the village, had always required Uchiha clan members who had passed the Chunin Exams to be eligible for positions within it.

Danzō's current plan would significantly lower the quality of personnel in the Security Department and potentially affect their efficiency in law enforcement.

However, Danzō had a different perspective.

"As Konoha's population continues to grow and the situation becomes increasingly complex, the Security Department will need more personnel. But the number of ninja in Konoha is limited. After accounting for those stationed in various regions and those on missions, the number of ninja we can allocate to the Security Department is actually quite small."

"Moreover, the daily tasks of the Military Police Force mostly involve trivial matters and dealing with ordinary civilians. Genin should be more than sufficient for such duties."

Having led the Military Police Force for nearly a decade, Fugaku largely agreed with Danzō's assessment.

The primary function of the force was to maintain public order, and they mostly dealt with ordinary villagers.

Even in the event of a serious incident, genin-level strength would be adequate.

But what if they encountered rogue ninja? If the enemy were chunin or jonin, these genin would be no match.

Danzō had already prepared for this issue. "The Security Department can be divided into two branches: one composed of genin and chunin to form the General Security Bureau, handling ordinary crimes and violations. The other will be an elite Special Security Bureau, composed of a small number of chunin and jonin, to handle major incidents involving ninja."

"This way, the two branches can complement each other, ensuring sufficient manpower without wasting high-level combat strength."

Hearing Danzō's further explanation, Fugaku finally accepted the changes and nodded decisively. "Then let's proceed as Elder Danzō suggests!"

"Then the security of Konoha will be in your hands, Fugaku."

Danzō spoke like a seasoned leader, his tone encouraging as he addressed the first Director of the Security Department.

Fugaku immediately straightened his posture and declared, "I will not fail in my mission!"

Seeing Fugaku's enthusiasm, Danzō's face was filled with amusement.

This guy had no idea just how busy the Security Department was about to become...

After all, Konoha was about to experience a massive wave of immigration.

Among this influx, a variety of issues were bound to arise.

While none of them would be major problems, the sheer volume and complexity of the situations would undoubtedly keep Fugaku, the Director of the Security Department, thoroughly occupied!