"From academy student to Genin, from Genin to Chunin, every advancement in status within the Shinobi World has never been achieved simply by signing up. The same applies to our society."
"After the society is established, it may nominally possess an organizational structure, regulations, and a declaration, but in reality, it will not yet have undergone any trial."
"Therefore, every member, including myself and everyone sitting here, will merely be people who have signed up. None of us is qualified to be called a full member yet."
"The purpose of our society is to return to the essence of being a ninja and explore a path for chakra beyond killing and conflict. The goal sounds simple, but when put into practice, it will inevitably face pressure from all sides."
"There may even be people who attempt to undermine us from within. When that time comes, among the people currently sitting around this table and among everyone standing below the stage at the future founding ceremony, how many will truly be able to withstand it?"
"How many will refuse to retreat when questioned, refuse to waver when pressured, and refuse to abandon their original ideals when tempted by interest?"
"And becoming a full member is a very serious matter. Therefore, I have set the threshold extremely high. After the society is officially established, all initial members, whether it is I as the President, the directors elected here today, or every future recruit, will all be probationary members, and there will be no exceptions."
Ren Inuzuka's eyes widened slightly. He seemed about to say something, but swallowed the words back down.
"The probationary period will last at least one year. During that year, the performance of every probationary member will be recorded. One year later, only the first group to pass the assessment will become full members. Only on that day will we be able to say that this society has truly established itself."
"And before that, those who cannot withstand the tests, or those who joined merely because they thought it looked cool and signed up on a whim, the earlier they leave, the better it will be for everyone."
The conference room fell silent for several seconds.
Shinku Yuhi slowly nodded, while Shibi Aburame remained silent as ever.
Minato Namikaze appeared thoughtful, and after a moment, he set down his pen and spoke.
"I think the President's reasoning makes a great deal of sense. For an organization to endure, it cannot rely on temporary enthusiasm. Its success is not determined by how lively it is when first established, but by how steadfast the people who remain are. Setting a higher threshold and extending the observation period are both beneficial for society."
He paused before continuing.
"Moreover, this aligns with our society's purpose. We are trying to prove that this path can work despite doubt and pressure. If someone cannot endure even one year, then it simply means that this path is not suitable for them, and leaving earlier is better for both sides."
Shinichi nodded slightly and picked up where Minato left off.
"Since no one has further questions regarding the membership regulations, let's move on to discussing the specific arrangements for the founding ceremony..."
The group then continued to discuss the ceremony's time, location, procedures, and, most importantly, who should be invited.
When the discussion reached the invitation list, Shinku Yuhi put down the list in his hand and raised a concern.
"President Shinichi, inviting people from the Village Hidden in the Mist, and perhaps even recruiting members from among them, isn't that somewhat inappropriate? After all, we're still at war with them... What if..."
"Representative Shinku means, what if there are spies among them trying to steal the society's technology or intelligence?"
Shinichi finished the sentence for him.
Shinku Yuhi nodded, and the others also turned their attention toward Shinichi.
Shinichi smiled faintly.
"Even if there are spies, so what?"
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.
Shinichi continued, "Our society has never been a secret organization, nor is it some underground association that must hide in the shadows. Our beliefs and ideals are meant to be open, upright, and aboveboard."
"We are destined to let everyone know about us, understand us, and ultimately recognize us. That is determined by the very nature of our purpose. From the very beginning, we were never going to walk a path concealed in darkness."
He paused briefly and swept his gaze across everyone present. "In the future, all kinds of people with all kinds of motives will join. Some will genuinely believe in our ideals. Some will come under orders. Some may even be sent specifically to infiltrate us."
"All of that is inevitable. It cannot be completely prevented or eliminated. Of course, basic screening and precautions must still be taken, but more importantly, we need to focus on doing our own work well and spreading our ideals openly and honestly."
"At their core, human beings pursue good things in fundamentally similar ways. A genuine ideal that seeks a future for ninja and aims to reduce suffering in this world possesses the power to win people's hearts on its own. This is true whether one is a ninja of Konoha or a ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mist."
"Those who step through the doors of our society intending to gather intelligence, after they spend day after day coming into contact with our beliefs, participating in our discussions, and witnessing our work with their own eyes, some of them will begin to waver."
"They will discover that these are not empty slogans, but goals that they themselves are willing to strive for. When they enter the society, they may be spies, but when they leave, they may instead become like-minded companions."
"There is a saying: the more you understand, the more you support. Anything that truly has value can withstand repeated scrutiny, even from its enemies. If, after staying here for a period of time, these people find that they can no longer tell whether they are carrying out a mission or have genuinely begun to identify with the path beneath their feet, then that proves we are doing the right thing."
At this point, Shinichi smiled slightly. "Think about it, everyone. If our society can influence and change even hostile spies, then what is there that can stop us?"
"Well said, President Shinichi!" Kushina Uzumaki, who was responsible for taking notes, had stopped writing at some point and was the first to applaud, her eyes full of admiration.
Minato also smiled and nodded in agreement. "That's right. If even opponents who came with hostility can be transformed, then what could possibly stop us?"
The others nodded one after another as well.
Seeing this, Shinichi continued, "Since no one has any objections, we'll consider this section approved. Next, let's discuss today's final topic: society's assets. As a civilian academic society, we will cooperate with the village in the future and may even engage in exchanges with ninja villages from other countries."
"Before that, we must have an independent and stable source of income. Not to mention that the society's very purpose is to explore what applications chakra might have beyond combat and killing. This is both the society's core subject and directly related to the series of practical projects we intend to promote next."