"Outrageous!"
Mitokado Homura slammed his hand on the coffee table, making the teacups rattle.
"Absolutely outrageous!"
"A village-wide wanted notice?"
"Who are you planning to put on it?"
"Root operatives?"
Mitokado Homura's finger trembled as he pointed at Chikage, spittle flying everywhere.
"Do you even know what Root does?"
"It's a force that carries out classified missions in the shadows to protect Konoha!"
"And now you want to plaster wanted notices all over the streets to arrest them?"
"You're trampling the village's reputation into the dirt!"
"Uchiha Chikage, do you have any understanding of the bigger picture?"
"You're deliberately undermining the village's internal unity!"
Watching Mitokado Homura fly into a rage, Chikage waved a hand in front of his face.
"Advisor Mitokado, calm down. Watch your blood pressure."
"I'm acting strictly in accordance with Konoha's laws."
"Article twenty-one of the Public Security Administration Regulations is very clear."
"Anyone who obstructs the Konoha Military Police Force in the performance of its duties, illegally detains an active police officer, and refuses to hand them over..."
"The Konoha Military Police Force has the right to designate them as a suspect in the case and issue a village-wide notice requesting assistance in the investigation."
Chikage opened the yellowed booklet and pushed it straight in front of Mitokado Homura.
"It's printed right here in black and white."
"If you think this regulation is unreasonable, you can petition Lord Hokage to amend it."
"But until it's amended, this is Konoha's current law."
"As Deputy Captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, how am I disregarding the bigger picture by enforcing the law?"
Mitokado Homura stared at the booklet, his face livid with anger.
"Don't try to browbeat me with those scraps of paper!"
"Rules are rigid, but people aren't!"
"If Root took Uchiha Yashiro away, then naturally there were classified reasons that cannot be disclosed."
"Making such a public fuss will only give spies from other villages something to laugh at!"
Chikage took the booklet back and tucked it into his pocket.
"Classified reasons?"
"Letting members of the Shimura Clan extort protection money in broad daylight is classified too?"
"That must be one profitable secret."
"So the bigger picture means you senior officials can trample the rules whenever you like."
"But when our police force demands someone's release according to the law, we're undermining unity?"
"You've really mastered the art of double standards."
Utatane Koharu could no longer bear listening from the sidelines.
"Uchiha Chikage, watch your tone!"
"You're speaking to the village's senior advisors!"
Chikage spread his hands, innocence written all over his face.
"My tone is perfectly fine."
"I'm just discussing the regulations with you two advisors, aren't I?"
"If our captain Yashiro were here to discuss them..."
"He probably would've flipped the table by now."
Just as the tension in the office reached breaking point...
The heavy tapping of a cane sounded in the corridor.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound drew closer, then stopped outside the Hokage's office.
Someone pushed the door open from outside.
Shimura Danzō walked in leaning on his cane, his expression grim.
His single eye swept around the office before settling on Chikage.
"Let me see for myself."
"Who dares run his mouth in the Hokage Building?"
"And wants to issue a village-wide wanted notice for my Root operatives?"
Danzo walked to the side of the desk and stared coldly at Chikage.
"Has the Uchiha Clan grown this arrogant?"
"You don't even respect the village's senior officials anymore?"
Chikage turned and looked Danzo up and down.
"You must be Aide Danzo."
"Seeing is believing. You certainly have an intimidating presence."
"But you've come at just the right time."
Chikage picked up the case file from the desk and held it out to Danzo.
"Sorry for the trouble, but please take care of this ticket and compensation bill first."
Danzo did not even glance at the file, his single eye filled with icy hostility.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Chikage slapped the file down on the coffee table in front of Danzo.
"Your nephew, Shimura Ken, led a group smashing up shops on South Street this morning."
"He not only extorted the shopkeepers, but openly resisted arrest."
"I used compulsory measures against him in accordance with the law, and he's now in a private cell at the Konoha Military Police Force."
"This is his questioning record, with his own thumbprint at the end confirming it."
"There's also a joint compensation claim from the South Street shopkeepers, along with eyewitness testimony."
"The fine, security deposit, and advance compensation come to three hundred and fifty thousand ryō."
"If you're posting bail for him, will you be paying in cash or banknotes?"
Danzo's face visibly darkened.
Veins bulged on the hand gripping his cane. He was clearly furious.
"Utter nonsense!"
"Why would Shimura Ken collect protection money on South Street?"
"This is clearly a frame-up by you Uchiha!"
"You deliberately caused trouble on South Street to smear my name!"
Chikage could not help rolling his eyes.
"What a waste of imagination. You should write novels."
"There were plenty of shopkeepers and villagers watching on South Street."
"They all saw Shimura Ken kick a Ninja Tool Shop's sign to pieces."
"Are you saying we Uchiha bribed everyone on South Street?"
Chikage tapped the questioning record.
"The physical evidence, shopkeepers' testimony, and officers' records are all here."
"If you think he's been wronged, we can bring Shimura Ken to the entrance of the Hokage Building."
"And have him confront the South Street shopkeepers one by one in front of the whole village."
Danzo's expression was frighteningly dark.
Of course he knew exactly what his nephew was like.
He had ordered the Shimura Clan to provoke this confrontation on South Street in the first place.
His goal had been to make Yashiro cross the line in anger, then have Root step in and take over the case.
Once he had evidence of violent law enforcement by the Uchiha, he could shut down the relocation negotiations and force Fugaku to yield.
Who could have expected a bastard like Chikage, who refused to play by the script?
He had not only arrested Shimura Ken, but brought the witnesses, physical evidence, and compensation claims out into the open.
"Even if Shimura Ken was at fault, that doesn't give your police force the right to use excessive violence!"
Danzo seized on the only point in the file he could use to strike back.
"You broke his leg. Doesn't that count as violent law enforcement?"
"I had Root take Yashiro away precisely to investigate whether the police force had abused its authority!"
At those words, Chikage laughed out loud.
"Aide Danzo, you've finally said something that makes a little sense."
"Shimura Ken refused to cooperate with his arrest, and his accomplices surrounded the officers with kunai."
"Lord Hokage can arrange an inquiry into whether I used excessive force."
"I won't shirk any responsibility I should bear, and I'll submit to any investigation I should face."
Chikage took a step forward and looked straight into Danzo's single eye.
"But that doesn't mean Root can act without a warrant or any transfer paperwork."
"And simply snatch a police captain off the street while he's handling a case."
"Doesn't Root have a little too much power?"
"What if tomorrow you decide you don't like Lord Hokage?"
"Can you send people to take Lord Hokage away too, and give him a thorough investigation?"
That accusation struck at the heart of his intentions.
Danzo's expression changed dramatically, and he jerked up his cane to point at Chikage.
"Insolent!"
"You dare sow discord between Hiruzen and me!"
"Guards!"
"Arrest this madman for slandering the Hokage's aide and deliberately inciting internal unrest!"
The two Root ninja outside immediately rushed in, weapons in hand, ready to attack.
Sitting behind his desk, the Third Hokage saw that the situation was about to spiral out of control.
He knew he could not let Danzo carry on any longer.
There were still dozens of Uchiha elites in the square outside.
Fugaku was also heading over with a large force.
If they actually arrested Chikage in this office, the Uchiha would absolutely tear the Hokage Building down today.
"Stop!"
The Third Hokage slammed his hand heavily on the desk.
The loud bang stopped the Root ninja in their tracks.
"Danzo, have them stand down."
There was a warning in the Third Hokage's voice.
Danzo gritted his teeth and waved his subordinates out.
The Third Hokage relit his pipe and took a couple of puffs.
Looking at Danzo, he began trying to smooth things over.
"Danzo, your subordinates did handle this matter improperly."
"The police force was enforcing the law on the streets. Root intervening directly without the proper paperwork was indeed against the rules."
The Third Hokage gave Danzo a meaningful look, trying to offer him a way to back down.
"I imagine you certainly didn't send people to South Street with the intention of arresting Yashiro."
"It was simply that events unfolded suddenly, and Root's operatives wanted to establish the facts as quickly as possible."
"So they invited Captain Yashiro to Root to assist in investigating what happened, correct?"
Before you continue