ALL NOVEL 79. The Unfair Distribution of Power Inside Konoha
As the group, led by notable figures like Sakumo Hatake and joined by leaders from Konoha's famous clans, entered the venue, everyone could feel the importance of the assembly they were about to be part of.
They walked into a large, spacious room designed with serious discussions in mind, yet it still looked elegant and rich.
The room, while prepared for war-time talks, was decorated in a way that reflected Konoha's pride and heritage. The room was very well lit despite it being deep underground through some kind of special lamps.
Beautiful artwork that told stories of the village's past adorned the walls, serving as a reminder of what they were all fighting for.
At the center of it all stood a huge circular table, meant for only the key players in the meeting. This table was more than just furniture; it was a symbol, with its shiny surface and chairs that spoke of the significance of those who would sit there.
Around the table, a giant symbol of Konoha was proudly displayed, connecting everyone there back to the heart of the village.
Around the edges of the room, there were spaces for assistants, bodyguards, and the rest of the attendees' support teams. They could sit or stand in these areas, arranged so everyone could follow what was happening at the central table.
Beyond the inner circle of the village's most influential leaders and the outer circle composed of their entourages, there lay another significant layer to this assembly – a third circle comprising all the civilian Elite Jonins and some civilian Jonins of Konoha.
This group played a crucial role in the day's proceedings. They were not just spectators but active participants whose presence ensured the integrity and implementation of the decisions made within the council.
The 'Hokage's' faction had already taken their seats by the time the others arrived, showing that all sides of Konoha's leadership were now present. The atmosphere was filled with a mix of anticipation and the understanding that the discussions here would have a big impact.
Taking the most prominent spot in the room was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. His position at the top end of the table, a bit higher than the others, clearly showed his role as the leader of the village.
Meanwhile, even Hikari, who was usually so steady and almost robotic in his thinking, found himself taking a deep breath as he looked, for the first time, around at all these famous figures from the story he knew in his past life.
Now seeing them in real life, they weren't just 'cartoonish' characters from a story anymore; they were real, living people of 'flesh and blood'.
This moment made Hikari feel even more a part of this world he had ended up in. Everything seemed so vivid and real, yet it felt almost dreamlike at the same time, making him confused.
As Hikari absorbed the gravity of the moment, the Hyuga Patriarch, Hirayoshi, caught his eye, signaling it was time to move to their designated seating area.
The place reserved for the Hyuga clan was clearly marked, and together with their entourage, they approached the vast table, finding their names written next to 'Hyuga'.
Only Takumi, Hikari, Hiashi, and Hirayoshi took their seats at the table, representing the Hyuga clan, while their support team found places behind them, outside the circle of the main table but within a close distance.
Similarly, the Uchiha clan, led by Fugaku, Sakumo Hatake, both the current Jonin Commander of Konoha and the leader of the Hatake clan, along with representatives from the Aburame, Inuzuka, and various smaller clans, were guided to their respective spots by attending shinobi and Anbu members.
Despite the diverse affiliations, all groups were strategically seated close to each other, a deliberate arrangement stemming from a prior agreement to maintain open lines of communication among these two general rival factions, allowing them to be designated to sit closer within their own interest groups.
As Hikari and the other representatives of the Hyuga clan settled into their seats, they found themselves in close proximity to key figures from the other clans of their broad coalition.
Alongside the Hyuga, Fugaku, and Setsuna from the Uchiha clan, Kiyomi, Sakumo Hatake, Shibi Aburame of the Aburame clan, Tsume Inuzuka from the Inuzuka clan, and the heads of smaller clans like the Yuhi, Gekko, and Sumi, all took their places at the table near them.
On the other side of the table, surrounding Hiruzen, sat the core members of his faction, a group composed of his closest allies and the leaders of Konoha's key departments and clans.
Tsunade Senju, recently appointed as the head of Konoha's Medical Department, Jiraiya, overseeing the village's expanded, though unofficial, Spy Network, and Orochimaru, at the helm of the newly established Scientific Research Department, were prominent figures, all disciples of Hiruzen.
Danzo, the secretive leader of Root and the Shimura clan Patriarch, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, Hiruzen's principal advisors and influential leaders within the village's business and administrative spheres alongside their clans that they were also heads of, represented the strategic backbone of the Hokage's support system. Shinsuke Sarutobi, Hiruzen's son and the current Sarutobi clan Patriarch, led the Anbu as its Commander.
Strategic and advisory roles were also filled by notable clan heads such as Shikaku Nara, serving as the Hokage's main war-time advisor, and Yamanaka Inoichi, who spearheaded Konoha's consolidated Intelligence Department. Choza Akimichi, now leading the village's Education Department, brought a new perspective to the development of future shinobi.
Among these leaders, on the table, near Hiruzen, also sat other highly regarded and powerful individuals, including S-level Elite Jonins like Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, further bolstering the assembly's validity.
However, within the 'Anti-Hokage' coalition, the only other notable administrative roles, besides Sakumo's, were held by Fugaku Uchiha, leader of the Konoha's Military Police Force, and Hirayoshi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga's Border Surveillance Division.
This stark contrast in the distribution of leadership and administrative roles made the presence of nepotism within Konoha's structure all the more evident in the eyes of many people who could reason objectively in Hikari's opinion.
Observers couldn't help but notice how administrative power seemed tightly concentrated the most within a select group closely allied with Hiruzen highlighting a significant imbalance.
The creation of numerous new consolidated divisions and administrative positions by Hiruzen in the past two years, with an excuse of the incoming war often used, was a strategic move to strengthen his control over the village and centralize power under pretext.
