[Land of Fire, Konohagakure, Shimura Clan Compounds]
A week passed since my meeting with Hiruzen, and his command had been effective as soon as I left his office. I had returned to the Shimura Clan, and seized the power I was entitled to, the power of the Shimura Patriarch.
I had time to consolidate my position in the clan, and become the patriarch, but the previous week also helped to understand better the politics of the village.
Although the village appeared unified under the command of the Hokage, the political weight of each clan was not small, by any means, quite the contrary. This was one of the reason why Tobirama and Danzo tried so hard to exclude and eliminate them.
There were many clans:
The Senju, Aburame, Hyuga, Uchiha, Hatake, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi...Each clan had their own specialty, with the three strongest clans being the Senju, Hyuga and Uchiha clans. After all, they possessed bloodline limits, also known as kekkei gekkai.
The others were not so influential, but could still act independtly if they wanted to, depending on the policy followed by the patriarch. The Aburame and Kiba clans, for instance, were completely loyal to the Hokage's seat and would often work hand to hand with other clans.
However, this was not the only route.
Some clans could form a power by themselves, such as the Uchiha clan at the had of the police force, retaining their independance and clansmen's loyalty.
I wanted to do the same with the Shimura clan. I did not want to become the ANBU's chief, or found an organization like 'Root'. Although it probably meant more resources, the constant expectations of accomplishment would actually hurt the progress and strength of the organization.
Instead, I planned to make the Shimura clan as strong as the Hyuga, Senju and Uchiha clan, if not stronger. With my strength and knowledge, I knew I could pull it off. Genetic limits were a thing in this world, but actually, they were just a shortcut to strength. The truly strong and talented did not need to rely on this. Minato, for one, achieved greatness without those.
I looked at the report in my desk.
"12 Jonins, 28 Chunins, 112 Genins...This is not as good as I expected, but there are 3 jonin-level elders who act as advisors and have decades of experience", I muttered, trying to size the strength of my clan, disappointed at the fact that I was the only elite jonin.
This was a bit disappointing, but I accepted it nevertheless.
The Shimura Clan did not have any Hidden Art (like the Nara or Yamanaka clans) or Bloodline Limit (like the Uchiha clan). In terms of combat, it was just famous for its futon ninjutsu. The real reason why the Shimura clan managed to become a noble clan in Konoha was its strategic mind and political standing. The former was outmatched by the Nara clan, while the latter was ephemeral and could vanish in a flash.
That being said, the Shimura clan possessed a lot of clansmen.
"Danzo-sama, the elders have gathered in the war council room", Yukiko spoke
Yukiko Shimura. Part of the main family line, she was my cousin and a fairly strong jonin. She had served in the ANBU for ten years, before being dismissed under the deal that Hiruzen and I had made. Despite being older, she was however showing extreme respect towards me.
"Good. Yukiko, take this scroll and transcribe it in bulk. Then, distribute them to all genins. The Shimura clan has to go through a change. Those who cannot master the shadow shurikenjutsu under a week, have little potential in ninjutsu. They will thus turn to kenjutsu and learn the Shimura Sword Art. I heard you specialized in it, so train them yourselves"
Yukiko frowned, understanding the implications of my words. I wanted to create an army, and independant specialized force that could act without the Hokage's jurisdiction. This was not a path favoured by most clans. The example of the Uchiha was a case in point of what this could do to the relationship between a clan and the village.
"Do the elders agree-"
My hand rushed forward like a snake, choking Yukiko.
*ARGH*
Gasping for air, she muffled apologies. I showed no mercy. I needed to assert my dominance.
'How? I did not see him move his arm...', Yukiko muttered in despair, trying desperately to break free from my grip. Elite jonins possessed a lot of strength. Danzo was an all-rounder, specialized in futon ninjutsu, but truth to be told, his stats were all at the level of elite jonin. He just lacked kage-level jutsu and chakra reserves. Otherwise, he would have become a formidable shinobi.
In the series, it was the Hashirama cells that allowed him to become a kage-level figure, even if it could only qualify as low-kage level.
I cast a genjutsu on her. Though Ilacked proficiency, it was more than enough to overpower a regular jonin-level clansmen like Yukiko.
[Hell View]
Staring into her soul, I made her see the horrors of the battlefield that the old Danzo experienced. Seeing that I was approaching her limits, I stopped.
"In this world, the weak are eaten by the strong. Elders do not matter, for I am the patriarch. Make sure to remember this...And...I have to say I am quite disappointed. For a kenjutsu specialist to be taken by surprise in close combat and unable to break free from a simple genjutsu...You need to train more than that", I spoke
Yukiko started to shiver.
I will not make the same errors as Hiruzen.
Fear was the greatest force that could move mountains. And I certainly planned on making the Shimura Clan a force in itself.
By.
All.
Means.
Necessary.