Compensation

Tejima Shinichi's roar exploded violently against everyone's eardrums and in their hearts!

In an instant, everyone was completely petrified.

The three Root Ninjas went rigid, forgetting even to breathe. Their faces beneath their masks were probably deathly pale.

The surrounding Anbu and Police Force members nearly had their eyes pop out of their sockets, their mouths hanging unconsciously open wide enough to fit an egg.

Yamato completely lost his composure. His mouth fell open, his jaw seeming almost dislocated as it nearly failed to close again.

He looked at the disciple he had taken in only yesterday, feeling as though his understanding of the phrase "outrageously bold," built over decades, had been utterly rewritten.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had remained seated at the head of the room, could no longer maintain complete calm.

The hand holding his pipe froze in midair, and his eyes could not help widening.

He knew the boy was exceptionally gifted and emotionally detached, but he had never imagined that he would be this unyielding!

This barrage of cutting accusations, wielding righteousness and the blood and tears of three generations of ancestors as a blade, was simply... so brilliant that even he, the Hokage, did not know how to interject for a moment.

As for Shimura Danzō himself—

His pupil abruptly contracted to its limit, clearly reflecting Tejima Shinichi's unflinching figure.

For the first time, the face long concealed beneath shadows and bandages showed obvious loss of control!

At last—

"Insolent!"

Shimura Danzō roared, his voice like a night owl's cry.

"You're the insolent one, Danzo!"

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his palm onto the desk and shot to his feet!

An aura far more imposing than Danzo's erupted from him, instantly suppressing Shimura Danzō!

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was livid as he glared at Shimura Danzō. As the Hokage, if he did not step forward now to take control of the situation, then it truly would be...

"Which word Shinichi said was not the truth?! His record is spotless! He is a genius Konoha raised openly and honorably! Without following any procedure, you publicly intercepted him in the village, threatened a Genin, and even after being exposed on the spot, you still want to turn the tables on him?! Do you still have any respect for me, the Hokage?! Do you still have any respect for Konoha's rules?!"

That furious roar rang through the Hokage's Office.

Shimura Danzō's face darkened as he looked at the equally enraged Third Hokage, the hand gripping his cane trembling slightly.

How many years had it been?

Other than Sarutobi Hiruzen, who else had dared speak to him like this?

Yet now, a Genin who had only just graduated had not only done so, but had humiliated him before everyone present.

What infuriated him even more was that, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's pressure, he could not lash out for the moment.

Tejima Shinichi stood where he was, his gaze toward Shimura Danzō growing ever more disdainful!

The other ninja in the office held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.

This development had exceeded all their expectations...

Sarutobi Hiruzen's chest heaved violently as he glared at Danzo.

He had only just felt gratified at the flourishing growth of Tejima Shinichi, this young sapling, and had strictly ordered Danzo not to interfere. Yet in the blink of an eye, after only one day, Shimura Danzō had dared so blatantly defy his will and directly make a move against Tejima Shinichi within the village!

This was no mere overstepping of authority. It was an open provocation against his authority as Hokage!

A betrayal, through and through!

What enraged him beyond measure was that from the moment Danzo entered this office, he had completely ignored his presence and directly targeted Tejima Shinichi. That overbearing manner... that posture as though he were Konoha's true ruler, completely ignited the anger Sarutobi Hiruzen had suppressed for so long.

"Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang through the office once more. This time, his Chakra spread out almost tangibly, firmly suppressing Danzo's cold, sinister presence.

"This is my final warning! Tejima Shinichi is a ninja of Konoha, and he is my subordinate! His affairs are not for you and Root... to meddle in!"

He stepped forward, his Hokage robes stirring without wind, his eyes locked onto Danzo's grim face.

"Put away that rhetoric of yours about doing anything for the village! Konoha's prosperity and stability rely on leaves walking beneath the sunlight, not roots buried deep underground that nourish rot! If you dare extend your hand toward the village's young ninja again, toward Konoha's future, then do not blame me for using the name of the Hokage to utterly eradicate this Root that should never have existed!"

Those words were like the harshest final ultimatum, nearly freezing the air in the office.

Everyone could feel the Third Hokage's utterly undisguised resolve at that moment—!

Shimura Danzō's lone eye contracted fiercely, and the muscles in his face twitched faintly.

The phrase "a Root that should never have existed" was no different from denying everything he had done for Konoha over all these years.

His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's unyielding gaze, he merely forced out a cold snort through clenched teeth.

"Hmph!"

Shimura Danzō abruptly turned around, his cane striking the floor heavily as he strode away without looking back, his retreating figure filled with resentment.

Seeing this, the three Root Ninjas immediately lowered their heads and followed, disappearing through the office doors.

The oppressive atmosphere eased somewhat with Danzo's departure, but the gravity in the office did not fully dissipate.

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly sat back down, seeming to have aged several years in an instant. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his surging emotions.

After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Tejima Shinichi.

"Shinichi," he said, his voice carrying a trace of fatigue, "this matter ends here. The village will give you an explanation. From today onward, Root will not harass you or your family in any form. That is the Hokage's order."

He paused, his gaze sweeping toward the Anbu Captain nearby.

"Record today's events in detail and seal them in the archives. The three Root Ninjas are confined to reflect on their actions."

"Yes, Hokage!"

The Anbu Captain immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Sarutobi Hiruzen finally turned his gaze back to Tejima Shinichi, his eyes filled with both appreciation and concern.

This child was not only astonishingly talented, but also decisive and unyielding in temperament... With his experience, how could he fail to see that Tejima Shinichi's performance just now—

Was not something someone completely ignorant of Root and Shimura Danzō could have done.

It made sense. His mother, Mori Chie, had once been a Special Jonin, while his father, Teshima Kazuto, had worked at the hospital for many years. They must have known something of the village's factions.

The boy must have heard about Danzo and Root from his parents, which was why he could respond so calmly.

But excessive rigidity was easily broken; a tree standing above the forest...