After Kakashi left, Seiryu finally picked up the mission scroll about the upcoming operation to capture Orochimaru.
On the Police Force's side, it was clear that the Third Hokage intended for Seiryu to decide who would participate. On the ANBU side, aside from team leader Kakashi, three more jōnin were assigned: one from the Koharu clan, one from the Inuzuka clan, and one from a civilian ninja with no clan background.
Additionally, there were four special jōnin, including the up-and-coming pair Hayate and Yugao, both famous for Konoha-style swordsmanship. Of the other two, one was from the Mitokado family, and the other was a civilian.
For reconnaissance, two capable branch family members from the Hyuga clan were also enlisted.
After some thought, Seiryu called out, "Keiko, go notify Inaho and Zaito to join me on the mission the day after tomorrow."
Uchiha Inaho and Uchiha Zaito were among the first in the clan to openly support Seiryu, so he didn't mind giving them a boost.
Although this mission was dangerous—after all, they'd be facing a legendary ninja like Orochimaru—Seiryu had no intention of fighting him to the death this time.
Seiryu formed hand seals, and with a puff of smoke, a ninja hawk appeared, landing on Seiryu's shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. Its eyes glowed with a special red light.
Seiryu formed more seals, marking a special formula inside the hawk, then gently patted its head.
With a sharp cry, the ninja hawk soared into the sky, vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
…
The next day, after Uchiha Fugaku worked two extra nights, he finally finished assigning tasks to the newly recruited civilian ninja. Starting tomorrow, these newcomers could begin work. To celebrate, Fugaku held a modest induction ceremony and invited Seiryu to attend.
The Police Force's large meeting room was packed—227 Uchiha ninjas and 254 new civilian ninjas.
When Seiryu and Fugaku entered, they noticed that the civilian ninja still saw the Uchiha through a filter. Even though they'd joined, they chose to sit apart from the Uchiha. The middle row of seats remained empty, dividing the two groups like a river.
Seiryu shook his head. Improving the Uchiha's image was still a long road.
After the ceremony began, Fugaku, knowing how important this was to Seiryu, only said a few words before giving the stage to Seiryu.
Seiryu took the podium, swept his gaze over the audience, and began:
"First, on behalf of the 227 original members of the Police Force, I welcome all the newcomers. I believe that, under the leadership of the Will of Fire, our Police Force will usher in a new era with your help."
Uchiha Inaho led the applause, which grew increasingly enthusiastic.
When the applause faded, Seiryu continued:
"I imagine everyone here chose to join the Police Force because you have faith in it, and in the Uchiha. Now that we're all colleagues, there's no need to be strangers." He smiled warmly at Inaho and Zaito.
But the two didn't quite catch Seiryu's meaning, merely returning his look with innocent eyes. Seiryu sighed inwardly—his clan's emotional intelligence was an issue.
Luckily, Uchiha Shisui, who had been sitting in the corner, was the first to stand up and walk over to the newcomers, inviting them to sit together.
Inaho and Zaito caught on and joined in, and soon other young clan members followed.
After a brief commotion, the room's divide dissolved, with Uchiha and civilian ninja now mixing freely.
Seiryu applauded from the stage, and the room erupted into applause again.
"Now, let's work together to make our village a better place!" The applause came once more.
"Next, let's talk about benefits." Seiryu smiled. "Captain Fugaku and I have set your monthly salary at 80,000 ryo, based on average ninja income and village living costs. Veteran members will get a 20% raise on top of their previous clan-issued salaries."
The civilian ninjas below were shocked.
Previously, they scraped by as genin, earning just over 1,000 ryo per D-rank mission after village cuts and team splits. Even if they did 20 missions a month, they'd only make 20,000–30,000 Ryo, barely enough to save for new jutsu.
Rumor had it the Police Force paid about the same as D-rank missions, so most joined for the Jutsu, not the money.
But it turned out the Police Force's D-rank mission salary didn't include the village's cut or the team split!
As for the Uchiha, they were also delighted—now their pay was getting a 20% bump!
Seeing the crowd's excitement, Seiryu stoked the fire:
"Also, since the Police HQ is far from the village, you'll get a 6,000 ryo monthly travel allowance."
Now the civilian ninja really couldn't sit still. More?
"And, as a little use of my authority, to help everyone improve their skills and better handle future work, the jutsu originally planned to be distributed after one month will be handed out right after this meeting."
Now the room was getting out of control.
At this moment, Inaho jumped up and shouted, "Salute Deputy Captain Uchiha Seiryu!"
"Salute!" Everyone stood and raised their right hands.
"For Konoha!" Seiryu raised his right hand in return.