In the conference hall, Nawaki's single retort left Konoha's higher-ups speechless. Everyone now understood exactly what he meant by taking responsibility.
However, one person was unwilling to simply admit defeat. Danzo fixed Shisui with a sharp gaze and asked, "Why were you and Kakashi in the Land of Fire, and why did you clash with Kirigakure's delegation?"
"I... we..." Shisui shot Nawaki a panicked glance, stammering without being able to answer. The account he had given earlier had naturally been a revised, abridged version of events, with certain details vaguely glossed over. He had not expected someone to see through the key point at a glance.
Seeing his reaction, Danzo sneered. "Why have you stopped talking? Don't tell me the two of you acted on your own without authorization? That is a grave violation of the village's rules!"
The other higher-ups realized this was an opportunity as well, and immediately chimed in. "You two were far too reckless!" "This concerns diplomatic affairs with multiple nations!" "You must be severely punished!"...
"Enough!" Nawaki cut them off with a dark expression, then said mockingly, "You're Konoha's higher-ups. You made a mistake yourselves, yet you're shifting the blame onto two juniors. Do you have no shame?"
"Lord Nawaki, you cannot put it that way!" Homura said calmly. "If the cause of this incident truly was a private operation carried out by the two of them in violation of regulations, then not only must they be punished, but you, as their direct superior, must also provide an explanation."
Homura's intentions were already obvious. He wanted to use Konoha's rules to drag Nawaki down with them. It was a shameless tactic, but one that fully conformed to the rules of politics.
For a shinobi village—or indeed any political institution—rules stood above all else. If someone