Dog-Eat-Dog, Fur Flying

Utatane Koharu hurried to stop him.

Her voice trembled.

"Calm down! They killed Danzo without a second thought. What makes you think you can fight them?!"

The hall fell silent.

Sarutobi Ryota turned to her in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

"I said, stop provoking them!"

Utatane Koharu gripped Sarutobi Ryota tightly. "We lost every one of our elite fighters on the Amegakure battlefield. The Konoha Military Police Force has surrounded our clan grounds. We can't fight them anymore!"

"Shut up!"

Veins bulged on Sarutobi Ryota's forehead.

"The Third Hokage is barely cold, and you're already thinking of surrender?!"

"What else are we supposed to do?!"

Utatane Koharu's voice rose sharply.

"Do you want everyone to die with you?!"

"Enough!"

Mitokado Homura slammed a hand onto the table.

Thud!

The sound echoed through the main hall.

"Both of you, be quiet."

He slowly raised his head and looked at Shikaku.

"Shikaku, are you here to negotiate terms or give orders?"

"Is there a difference?" Shikaku asked.

Mitokado Homura's gaze darkened.

"Of course there is."

He pointed toward the door.

"If you're negotiating, there should be room to bargain. If you're giving orders, then what you've brought today isn't goodwill. It's a threat."

"Are you still in a position to bargain?"

Shikaku set down his teacup.

"Of course we are."

Mitokado Homura's eyes shifted slightly.

Shikaku looked at him without a hint of a smile.

"You can choose the second path."

Mitokado Homura's expression changed.

Shikaku pointed outside.

"Kakashi and the Konoha Military Police Force have sealed off this place."

"Not because Konoha is afraid of you."

"But because I want you to understand that, before you leave this hall, you have one last choice to make."

Mitokado Homura fell silent.

He understood perfectly.

How was this a negotiation?

They had