Even among the Uchiha clan's hawks, no one would dare stage a coup without absolute confidence in success.
Just like in the original timeline…
The Uchiha clan only decided to go through with a coup because they had both Fugaku and Shisui—two Mangekyō Sharingan users—on their side.
It was precisely to stop this coup that Shisui revealed the truth to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He explained that his Kotoamatsukami could alter a person's will.
And that was when Danzō made his move—ambushing Shisui and taking his eye.
That betrayal eventually drove Shisui to leap into the Naka River, ending his own life.
Without Shisui's power, the coup lost one of its strongest pillars—and ultimately failed.
Given all that history, when Kaze suddenly dropped the word "coup", even the hardliners of the Uchiha clan found themselves at a loss.
The hawks hesitated.
As for the doves and the neutral faction, they outright rejected the idea.
Many looked at Kaze like he'd lost his mind.
Has he gone mad?
Why would he say something so reckless?
But Kaze wasn't surprised—he calmly observed everyone's reactions and silently made his own judgments.
Seeing the discomfort on their faces, he smoothly shifted gears.
He clarified: yes, a coup was necessary—but not a military one.
This would be a political coup.
One carried out without bloodshed.
The moment he said that, everyone, hawks included, exhaled in relief.
"The Third Great Ninja War ended five years ago," Kaze continued, seizing the opportunity to lay out his reasoning.
"All the hidden villages are now in recovery."
"Only Kumogakure still causes occasional friction with our Konoha…"
He deliberately raised his voice when he said 'our Konoha'—emphasizing that he still considered himself a part of the village.
"…but as long as the Raikage is willing to sit down and sign a peace agreement, even that tension will vanish."
"At that point, the Five Great Nations will enter a brief period of peace."
"Based on my calculations, Konoha will have at least eleven years of stability."
Now, it's worth noting—Kaze had run calculations.
But his certainty came not just from logic.
As a transmigrator, he already knew what lay ahead.
When Naruto was twelve, Orochimaru allied with the Sand Village to launch the Konoha Crush.
When Naruto was sixteen, Pain attacked Konoha.
And right now, Naruto was only five.
Even if he discounted Orochimaru's invasion plans, there would still be around eleven years of peace in Konoha's future.
"All of you—tell me," Kaze's sharp gaze swept across every face in the room, "in an era of peace, what do you think is the most important thing?"
Guided by his question, everyone—hawks, doves, and the neutral faction alike—fell into thoughtful silence.
"…Power," came a voice from behind Kaze—Uchiha Sei.
In his view, it didn't matter whether it was wartime or peacetime—power was always the most important thing.
But Shisui shook his head.
"If we're truly in a time of peace, then what matters most… is honesty and openness," he said. "Only through mutual understanding and tolerance can peace be preserved."
Sei and Shisui looked at each other.
Neither agreed with the other's point of view.
But before the two could continue debating—
"You're both wrong."
Kaze didn't hesitate for even a second before rejecting both of them outright.
"…Then what is the most important thing?" several of the younger Uchiha asked in unison, intrigued.
"Money."
Kaze took a deep breath and repeated it again, even more firmly this time.
"The most important thing… is money."
Fugaku: "???"
Shisui: "???"
Itachi: "???"
Sei: "???"
The hawkish elders and other clansmen: "???"
Money? What kind of nonsense is that?!
We're ninja! Who the hell cares about money?!
Why is Kaze's brain always on some different wavelength?!
He was just talking about a coup a minute ago, and now suddenly it's money that's most important?!
"Kaze, what exactly are you trying to say—no, seriously, what are you even talking about right now?" Fugaku stared at him, completely exasperated.
He felt like this kid had just gone completely off the rails tonight.
"…Sigh."
Seeing that no one seemed to understand his point, Kaze let out a helpless sigh.
"Let me ask you all something," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Why is it that the daimyo is the most powerful figure in the Land of Fire—and even has the authority to appoint the Hokage?"
He didn't immediately give his own answer, choosing instead to throw the question back at the crowd.
When Fugaku shook his head, Kaze continued, "Simple. It's because the daimyo controls the Land of Fire's economy."
"It's common knowledge that a ninja's only source of income is completing missions commissioned by clients in exchange for payment."
"From D-rank to S-rank, the higher the difficulty, the more money the mission pays."
"Half of that income goes to Konoha's leadership. The other half? That's the ninja's paycheck."
"But… now that we're entering peacetime, missions ranked A and above will basically disappear."
"Even B-rank missions will become rare. In that kind of environment, D-rank missions will become the new norm."
"I'll even go as far as to predict—seven years from now, a certain elite jōnin in Konoha will be stuck leading three genin… to pull weeds and look for lost cats."
For a moment, silence fell over the Uchiha clan members.
Because if the entire ninja world really did enter a prolonged peace… then yes, their income as shinobi would absolutely plummet.
"That's why the daimyo clutches money—no, more precisely, the entire economy of the Land of Fire—in a death grip," Kaze said.
"The Hokage controls the military. The daimyo controls the economy."
"But a military with no economic support? That's a joke."
"Why do you think Sunagakure has never been able to successfully expand its military?"
"It's simple. They're broke."
"And that's exactly why Sunagakure has always been the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages."
Kaze's voice rang with fervent conviction.
Even the hawkish elders and Fugaku had to admit—his words made a surprising amount of sense.
"…It's true. If the daimyo didn't control the country's economy, he wouldn't hold nearly as much power…" Fugaku murmured, his brow furrowing. Kaze's thought process was strange and unorthodox—downright bizarre, even.
But underneath the bizarreness… there was logic.
The only thing that unsettled him was—
Just how far into the future was Kaze seeing?
He had even factored in the eleven years of peacetime into his plans.
"That's the basic idea," Kaze said, spreading his arms slightly. "If the one who truly controls this country is the daimyo—and his control comes from managing its economy…"
"…Then we, the Uchiha, can chase after money too."
"And if we want to do that—we need to transform."
As he spoke, many Uchiha clan members began to nod slightly, eyes lighting up as understanding dawned.
Striking while the iron was hot, Kaze dropped the next bomb.
"To pull this off, we can't keep focusing our efforts on something as pointless as the Police Force."
"That's why I propose we reform the Police Force."
"We'll put out an official public announcement. Starting this year, the Konoha Police Force will begin open recruitment, accepting talent from all over the village."
"It doesn't matter if they're from other major clans or common civilians—anyone can join our Police Force."
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire gathering exploded into shocked chatter.
"Hold on! Handing the Police Force over to outsiders—that's unacceptable…" one of the hawkish elders immediately objected.
But before he could finish, Fugaku couldn't help cutting in.
"With the Police Force's current reputation in Konoha… even if you start this so-called open recruitment, who would actually want to join?"
It was a sharp and direct question.
The elder instantly fell silent.
Because… Fugaku was right.
The Police Force was already infamous in the village—its reputation stank for miles. Even little kids spat behind their backs.
Recruit new members?
Who in their right mind would sign up?
"That's exactly why change is necessary," Kaze replied calmly, completely unbothered by the mention of their reputation. "We have to change the way people see the Uchiha."
"As for the open recruitment—we can offer better benefits to attract people."
"Like… offering health insurance, pensions, stuff like that."
Fugaku: "???"
Shisui: "???"
Itachi: "???"
Health insurance? Pensions?
What kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?!
(T/N: Looks like things are starting to get interesting. Anyway hope you all enjoyed this chapter.)
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters
Keep the power stone coming.