Uchiha Jin was thoroughly annoyed.
He could understand why so many Uchiha were excited; although this batch of clans wasn't large and their quality didn't match the first wave, their defection signaled a trend.
From today on, the balance of power flips.
Even without a single civilian Ninja joining, the force the Uchiha now commanded was enough to stand toe-to-toe with Konoha High Command—or even to found a new Konoha outright.
But still…
Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? Did they have to drag him out of bed in the middle of the night?
However…
Annoying as it was, now that he was up he probably wouldn't get back to sleep.
So, fine.
If he'd been woken up, no one else was sleeping either.
He called outside, "Tadashi, get in here!"
"Elder Jin!" Uchiha Tadashi's eyes shone with adoration.
Clearly…
The man who had dragged the Uchiha out of the mire and returned them to their peak already had Tadashi's sworn life.
And to that…
Uchiha Jin remained impassive; every Uchiha had worn the same look lately.
Awkward at first, he'd long since grown used to it.
"Notify every Ninja Clan to send a representative."
"We're holding a meeting."
Uchiha Tadashi nodded and left at once.
Setsuna couldn't help asking, "A meeting this late?"
"Problem?" Jin inquired.
Setsuna only shook his head.
Still…
Something felt off; Jin had always hated meetings before.
Of course…
Had he known Jin had simply dragged everyone out of bed because he himself was in a foul mood, he'd have found it even more unbelievable.
Half an hour later…
In the front-hall conference room everyone had taken their assigned seats.
Most were bleary-eyed, roused mid-slumber.
Seeing that, Jin finally felt a little better.
Good.
Exactly how it should be.
Why should he suffer alone? Let everyone share the misery.
Yet…
That was only a small part of it; there was real business—originally slated for tomorrow, merely moved to tonight.
"First item!"
"Perhaps my Will of Fire burns too brightly; so many have flocked to the Uchiha that the Compound is bursting. I've decided to expand the district outside the Village around Naka Shrine."
"Tonight I want a plan for allotting land to each clan."
"Don't worry about running out—our land borders the Forest of Death; we can simply keep pushing outward."
"Second: we need a complete scheme for barrier defense, patrols, and hidden sentries—reorganized at top speed. Our enemies won't grant us time."
"We must weld our strength into a single battle-ready force and secure the clan district."
Uchiha Jin wasted no words.
His style: state the problem, solve it. He had no patience for factional squabbles.
He set the framework; the rest would build it together.
And to that…
Uchiha and allied-clan delegates alike were drawn to the novel meeting style.
Thereafter…
Under Nara leadership, it took two hours to hammer out unanimous agreement.
No clan bickered.
All knew this was temporary; the real carve-up would come only after Hiruzen and the rest were toppled.
For now?
Make do. Keep the clans running; nothing more could be expected.
After all, they'd arrived with little more than portable wealth; reclaiming their industries would take time.
At that point Nara Shikaku spoke: "Lord Jin, a question."
"Ask away." Jin nodded. "Speak freely."
"We're all in the same boat now; I won't run a one-man show. Good ideas get vetted together."
"The rest of you as well."
"If something feels off, voice it—let's sort it out collectively."
Everyone exhaled in relief.
They'd braced for Uchiha domination, yet Jin proved approachable, willing to consult on every issue.
Their gamble looked smarter than ever.
And so…
Shikaku cut to the chase: "How are you thinking of handling the Village?"
"What's your take, Shikaku?" Jin countered.
Without hesitation Shikaku replied, "The Village is weak; there's no point dragging this out."
"Convene the Jōnin Council, expose Root's crimes, strip Hiruzen of the Hokage title."
"There may be turmoil, but we'll purge the rot and focus on the other Villages."
The others voiced approval.
Having sided with the Uchiha, they'd already steeled themselves for battle against Konoha.
The Uchiha, especially, burned for action.
Had Jin not held them back, they'd have wiped out the Sarutobi and the other three clans.
Only Jin stayed silent, then turned to Nara Shikaku.
"Shikaku…"
"You spent the most time in the Hokage Building—what do you know of Hiruzen's cards?"
"If we clash, what trump aces can he play?"
To that…
Shikaku, who'd hoped to stay invisible, sighed and after a long pause answered, "I wasn't inner-circle; details are thin."
"On paper there are twelve thousand civilian Ninja—one hundred thirty-two of them Jonin, though their average strength lags behind clan Ninja."
"The four clans themselves are huge."
"Each has about fifty registered Ninja, six or seven Jonin at most."
"But I often entered the Sarutobi compound for talks, and a fleeting glance told me their true Ninja count is at least twenty times higher."
"The other three clans are similar."
"They've embezzled so much Village revenue and rarely see frontline action—exact numbers are impossible."
"Of Anbu and Root, roughly half—about three hundred—are civilian-born elites, a major headache."
"Beyond that, both groups hide additional personnel; I'm sure of it, though I lack figures."
"Lastly…"
"Hiruzen the 'Professor of Ninjutsu' holds the Forbidden Scroll—who knows how many forbidden jutsu he's mastered."
"So if you face him, watch for those techniques!"