Making Preparations for the Worst

It was over!!

At this moment, those were the only two words left in the Third Hokage's mind.

He did not dare imagine what he would face if the contents of the scroll had already spread through the village.

Not just him—Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō, and even the clans behind them.

Every single one of them would be unable to escape it.

"Hiruzen, what happened?"

The Third Hokage's reaction after reading the scroll seemed rather extreme. Utatane Koharu instinctively bent down to pick it up, but the moment her eyes swept over the scroll, her entire body froze.

Mitokado Homura glanced over. Though he had only seen the words "misappropriating funds," he already understood that the Third Hokage's misuse of village finances had been exposed.

Once the villagers learned of this, every person present would become a sinner of the village.

"Guards!!!"

After a brief moment of shock, the Third Hokage came to his senses and shouted.

"Hokage-sama."

Members of the Hokage Guard Team hurried into the office.

"Immediately notify the Hokage Guard Team. Also, send someone to inform the Police Force. Have them cooperate with you to disperse everyone protesting against the war outside. If they refuse to leave..."

The Third Hokage's face darkened. "Arrest them all, then interrogate them one by one."

"..."

Were they really going to do this?

The members of the Hokage Guard Team were utterly dumbfounded.

Dispersing the protesting villagers—if this escalated, it would greatly damage the Third Hokage's reputation. He had remained silent and refrained from dispersing them precisely because he feared the effect it would have on his reputation.

"What? Must I repeat myself?"

Seeing the Hokage Guard Team members standing there in a daze, the Third Hokage's tone turned icy.

Of course he knew that dispersing the protesting villagers