What should he do?
Next, if he had to say something, what could he say to firmly stand on the side of reason?
Or rather, if there was truly no other way and the examination had to be carried out, what method could prevent Taki Chiba from tampering with it?
Block off any chance he might tamper with it! Having understood his current predicament, Iwama calmed down instead of speaking. Facing those grave expressions and stares, he kept the tip of his blade against the throat of the blood-covered Konoha ninja—the "murderer" who had "killed" the Iwa diplomatic envoy—and remained silent.
At that moment, under the watchful eyes of Konoha's solemn-looking ninjas, his mind grew clearer and clearer. He became increasingly absorbed in thought, his thinking already spreading outward.
"Gulp!"
At the same time, the Konoha ninja who had endured the blade tip at his throat for quite some time could not help swallowing.
No matter what, the blade had already pierced the skin of his throat. Blood trickled down his neck in thin streams. If the man before him exerted even a little force, his throat would be punctured, and he would undoubtedly die.
Though he was highly trained, experienced, and had survived countless battles between life and death, being unable to resist at all—reduced to helpless prey with someone pointing a blade at his vital spot, able to kill him with a single movement—still left him immensely tense.
After all, he was human too. In a life-and-death battle, he might be able to cast aside life and death, fighting for those behind him, for his beliefs, and for his survival. But this was entirely different. As a murder suspect, he could not make any resisting move lest he deepen the misunderstanding and create an unimaginable situation. He could