"Very good."
Uchiha Chiri nodded calmly, satisfied with the reaction of the clan elders.
"I had a fortunate encounter that led to a breakthrough in my research."
"By combining medicine and chakra, I've developed a formula that nourishes and strengthens the optic nerves and surrounding meridians."
"It can repair the damage caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan over time."
"And not just that—it's beneficial to the eyes of all Uchiha. It strengthens the eye structure and surrounding pathways."
"In the future, this medicine will be listed as a redeemable item in the newly restructured Merit Pavilion."
"Anyone who contributes enough to the clan will be able to exchange for it."
"Now," she said, voice sharp and authoritative. "Tell me—do you agree with the reform proposal?"
Over the past few years, her declining health had caused her influence within the clan to wane—especially among the younger generation.
But now, by revealing her full recovery, both in body and ocular power, she'd taken back that authority in one swift blow.
This wasn't just about clan politics.
This was a warning to Hiruzen Sarutobi and his ilk as well.
She was back.
And if they kept playing games behind her back...
They'd best be prepared for consequences.
She was Uchiha Chiri, after all.
"Ah, um…"
Everyone exchanged glances nervously.
Second Elder was the first to speak.
"I support the proposal. I believe, under Lady Chiri's leadership, these reforms will lead to the clan's future prosperity."
To be honest, what he was really doing was voicing his trust in Chiri herself.
Her abilities were beyond doubt.
Had it not been for her, the clan might've been torn apart during the chaos years ago—when rogue members were harvesting Sharingans like spare change.
It was Chiri who had invented Izanami.
And with overwhelming strength, she crushed the revolt and saved the Uchiha from internal destruction.
Then Third Elder spoke.
"I agree with the establishment of the Merit Pavilion in principle," he said slowly.
"But I'd like to raise some concerns about the Police Force reforms."
"You want to extract the elite from the current structure and form a specialized unit. Intensive training, regular evaluations—I have no issue with any of that."
"It reminds me of how the Anbu operate. Strengthening our forces that way makes sense."
"It will also free our best men from petty tasks."
"But… opening the police ranks to civilians and even other clans?"
"Giving away a squad leader title to someone outside the Uchiha?"
"Isn't that going too far?"
"After all, the Police Force has always been our private domain."
He wasn't alone. Several other elders nodded in agreement.
They were uncomfortable with the idea of handing out roles that had always been purely Uchiha.
"Fools."
Chiri's voice dropped in temperature, her Mangekyō flaring slightly again.
"You didn't understand a word I said, did you? This isn't about giving up power—it's about dumping dead weight."
"Why do you think Tobirama handed us full control over the Police Force in the first place?"
"Do you really believe he was doing us a favor?"
"No! It was a poisoned gift!"
"What I'm doing is cutting out the poison!"
"You all know this. Handling every little dispute between villagers brings us nothing but resentment. No gains, only hate."
"Over the years, our public image has gotten worse and worse."
"In the early days, we still had some friendly clans. Now? Who's left?"
"Don't give me that nonsense about how 'we don't need allies.'"
"If we want an Uchiha Hokage, we need the support of the people—and the clans."
"Even if we somehow seized the position by sheer strength, how long do you think we could hold it without support?"
"Can the Uchiha stand alone against the entire village?"
The elders fell silent, many looking away in shame.
Because she was right. Every word.
Chiri continued:
"So, no more nonsense."
"We're outsourcing the petty, hated jobs—let civilians and minor clans take them."
"We'll offer them a squad leader title to manage the workload."
"And the Uchiha will step back—only handling major cases as impartial arbiters."
"Any objections?"
No one responded.
Even Third Elder bowed his head.
They had no more arguments.
Then Fourth Elder hesitantly raised a point.
"Lady Chiri, I have no objections to the overall plan. I even support the new clan academy proposal."
"But... are the divisions perhaps too many?"
"You've proposed pre-school, after-school enhancement, genin and chūnin advanced training, and even jōnin discussion groups…"
"Not to mention the resources, manpower, and funding required… Even with our wealth, can we really sustain this?"
Second Elder added with a nod,
"It's certainly ambitious. But knowing you, Lady Chiri, I imagine you already have a solution in mind?"
Everyone looked to Chiri with anticipation.
If she could really solve the resource issue, they'd have no reason not to support her.
After all, the benefits would apply to all of them.
Chiri didn't disappoint.
"Of course I have a plan."
She nodded confidently.
"Funding will not be your concern. I'm already preparing rare and high-value goods to sell."
"Once the system is fully in place, we'll begin distribution."
In her mind, she already had several income streams lined up:
Gold from the Golden City.
Shell technology from Skypiea.
The improved version of military ration pills, now called Nutrient Pills, infused with small amounts of Sea King meat.
A mass-market version of the tonic medicine Genkei and Kureha had developed.
All of these could be sold to fund the clan.
They'd just need to scale the effects down to avoid suspicion—and they'd still outperform the competition.
And that wasn't all.
She had even more ideas tucked away.
To be honest, the gold alone could sustain the clan for years…
But they needed to keep things low-key and plausible.
Money wasn't the problem.