Meeting

Ignoring Choji's stiff expression, Samu Kokaze turned to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, you came at just the right time. There are a few things I'd like to ask you to investigate for me."

"What?" Still shocked by Samu Kokaze's appetite, Shikamaru answered reflexively when he heard the question.

"Here's the situation..." Samu Kokaze roughly repeated what Tanaka Keishi, who had just arrived in the room, had told him.

"You want me to check whether what he said is true?" Shikamaru asked after a brief pause.

"Exactly!" Samu Kokaze nodded and said solemnly, "After what happened yesterday, I can't trust them anymore. I can only ask you for help."

Shikamaru frowned and agreed. "I'll ask my father to look into the specifics, but I think you should stay out of this. They were bold enough to kill someone in Konoha. If they attack you again without caring about the consequences, then with your current..."

Before Shikamaru could finish, Ino, who had been listening nearby, suddenly rushed to the bed, hugged Samu Kokaze's arm, and shouted, "I won't let you get involved in this anymore!"

Looking down at the worried Ino, Samu Kokaze smiled gently. "Don't worry! Once was already enough for something like this! I promise nothing like that will happen again."

Then he turned and said, "I'll leave this to you, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru frowned at that, but he still nodded in agreement.

"Come to think of it, where's Sakura?" Samu Kokaze looked around the room and asked when he noticed someone was missing.

"Sakura's parents found out about yesterday and dragged her home."

Choji answered while eating from a bag of chips he had somehow pulled out.

"I see." Samu Kokaze nodded in understanding. Sakura's family was not like Ino's; they were just an ordinary civilian family. With something like this suddenly happening, it was only natural for them to take her home.

"Then we'll leave it at that for now. Feng, get some proper rest. Once I've investigated this matter, I'll come tell you."

Shikamaru glanced at Samu Kokaze lying on the bed as he spoke.

"Feng! We're leaving now. Tomorrow, I'll bring you even more food!" Choji slung the food box from the floor onto his back, his face full of distress.

As Shikamaru headed for the door, Samu Kokaze suddenly called out, "Shikamaru, wait!"

Shikamaru paused mid-step and turned back with a puzzled look.

A cold glint flashed through Samu Kokaze's eyes as he lay on the bed. "Help me get a few things..."

The sky darkened as the sun sank in the west, leaving only its final traces of afterglow. Several young figures walked along the streets of Konoha.

"What do you think Feng needs all that stuff for?"

Naruto, dressed in yellow and bearing three whisker-like marks on each cheek, asked curiously.

"Who knows!" Choji replied, slightly out of breath as he carried the food box.

"But if he wants it, then it must be useful."

"True!" Naruto nodded and stopped thinking about it. Looking at Choji struggling for breath beneath the food box, he thought for a moment and said, "I'll help you tomorrow morning!"

"Thank you so much, Naruto!" Choji said with a moved expression when he heard that.

"It's nothing!" Naruto grinned foolishly.

"Feng..." As she walked with the others, Ino kept glancing back from time to time, her lowered face filled with worry.

"Ino, don't worry about that guy. With his personality, he won't let himself get trapped in danger."

Shikamaru, who had been thinking ever since they left the hospital, spoke up to comfort Ino when he saw her repeatedly looking back with worry written across her face.

"I'm fine." Ino shook her head and revealed a slightly bitter smile.

Seeing that Ino was still the same as ever, Shikamaru sighed inwardly. He looked up at the sky and said, "Hurry up, everyone! My mom said that if I'm not back by six, I should prepare to get chewed out!"

A little earlier.

Inside the conference room of the Konoha Hokage Building.

Figures filled the chairs arranged in a circle. Shimura Danzō, seated in the elder's position, opened his eyes and said flatly, "The Konoha Police Force bears full responsibility for what happened last night."

Fugaku Uchiha, head of the Uchiha Clan, did not look pleased by Danzo's accusation. Ever since the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, established the Konoha Police Force, its key positions had been held primarily by members of the Uchiha Clan.

However, he did not refute it. After all, maintaining Konoha's security was the very purpose of the Police Force, and an incident had indeed occurred yesterday.

"The person in charge of the Police Force last night has already received punishment within the clan."

Fugaku Uchiha looked at Danzo across from him and replied in a low voice.

At those words, the people in the conference hall began to murmur. No matter how one looked at it, Fugaku Uchiha's response could be seen as directly confronting Konoha.

The Third Hokage, seated at the head of the table, looked down and sighed softly before tapping his pipe against the table.

As the hall fell silent once more, Danzo suddenly erupted. He slammed his hand against the table and shouted, "This is Konoha! Do you take it as your own family's affair? Punishment within the clan? The offenders must be handed over to Root!"

"Impossible!"

Fugaku Uchiha rejected Danzo's demand without hesitation.

Although he knew this would deepen the divide between Konoha and his clan, Fugaku Uchiha had no choice. The relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha was already like a powder keg on the verge of ignition, one that even he, the Uchiha Clan head, could not fully control.

By his own wishes, he was willing to pay some price to ease relations with Konoha's upper ranks, but the clan elders and the pro-war faction would never agree.

With an inward sigh, determination flashed through Fugaku Uchiha's eyes.

"Then let's vote!" Danzo was unsurprised by Fugaku Uchiha's refusal. He said calmly, "We'll decide how to resolve this matter by vote."

He had never expected to succeed this time. Danzo's true purpose was to use this matter to see who was now standing with the Uchiha Clan.

"In the name of Hokage advisors Utatane Koharu... and Homura, we agree with Danzo's proposal."

The moment Danzo finished speaking, the Hokage's two advisors were the first to voice their support. They clearly had prepared for this long ago.

Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga Clan, had watched coldly ever since entering the conference hall. Only when he heard Danzo's words did his expression shift slightly.

As one of the great clans second only to the Uchiha and the Senju Clan, with the Senju Clan now in decline, Hiashi did not actually want to see the Uchiha suffer the same fate.

For now, the Uchiha could still stand at the forefront. Once they fell, who would be next? It hardly required any thought.

And no one should claim that Konoha was incapable of such a thing. For Konoha's sake, Hiashi believed the Third Hokage could pay any price, just as he had with the matter involving Hizashi several years ago.

Ignoring Danzo's gaze, he closed his eyes and waited for someone else to speak first.

Knock, knock...

Just as Danzo was about to use the hidden pieces in his hand to press the attack, the Third Hokage tapped the table.

His face beneath the conical hat was calm. "Everyone, take a step back. Fugaku, have your people spend some time honing themselves on the front lines."

Hearing the Third Hokage break the tense atmosphere in the room, Fugaku Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.