Danzo could not back down.
For decades, he had painstakingly built his influence in Konoha. The ironclad authority that held Root together rested on his refusal to ever yield to the Uchiha.
No compromises, no bowing his head. To protect the village, he would employ the coldest, most ruthless methods.
If he was forced to sign this Payment Receipt today, the ruthless authority he had maintained within Root for years would begin to crack.
Would Root members have to carry a copy of the Konoha Military Police Force's schedule of fines whenever they went out on secret missions from now on?
By Danzo's logic, this was not a matter of 350,000 Ryo at all. It was a question of whether Root could retain the right to operate outside standard procedures!
But he had not expected what came next.
No sooner had his defiant words fallen than his three old friends sternly rebuked him, one after another.
"Shut your mouth, Danzo!"
Mitokado Homura waved a hand brusquely and seized Danzo's sleeve.
The old advisor, who had spent most of his life managing finances and domestic affairs, was so agitated that his eyes had reddened.
"350,000 Ryo! It's only 350,000 Ryo!"
"Can the Shimura Clan not even afford that much to compensate the merchants and uphold public order?"
Mitokado Homura tugged hard on Danzo's arm, his voice urgent.
"Danzo, I'm not speaking up for the Uchiha. I'm protecting what little credibility the Higher-Ups have left!"
"We hold high office, so we have an even greater duty to lead by example. We cannot openly defy the laws established by the Second in front of the villagers!"
"For Konoha's stability, for the trust between the Higher-Ups, the villagers, and the clans, listen to me!"
"Pay! The Shimura Clan will cover the payment first, then recover it from Shimura Ken!"
Utatane Koharu also seized Danzo's shoulder, jabbing a finger hard at the Case File beneath Chikage's hand.
"Danzo! Do you even understand what the bigger picture is right now?"
Utatane Koharu had had enough.
If they let Chikage steer the conversation back to "the Will of Fire becoming empty rhetoric," he would tear away the very foundations of the Hokage Building's authority.
"Chikage brought Physical Evidence, merchant testimony, and an itemized list of losses!"
"If someone damages the South Street merchants' property, they must pay proper compensation. That is the bare minimum expected of a senior official!"
"Never mind that Shimura Ken only broke a leg. Even if he had been permanently crippled, that would not erase the losses he caused by leading people to smash up those shops!"
As Utatane Koharu scolded Danzo, she watched Chikage's mouth out of the corner of her eye.
Only when Chikage stopped sighing and calmly turned the file to the payment registration page did her pounding heart ease a little.
Rebuked in turn by his two old friends, Danzo's forehead bulged with veins.
He shook off Mitokado Homura's arm in disbelief and slammed his cane against the floor.
"Hiruzen! You appointed me Hokage Advisor!"
Danzo turned his attack on the Third Hokage, who stood at the front.
"Are even you going to help the Uchiha trample all over my dignity and that of every core member of Root?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave.
The situation within the village was extremely delicate. Countless eyes outside were watching them, and nearly a hundred Uchiha stood in the plaza below, brimming with murderous intent.
If this escalated into a fight, it would become a bloody internal conflict, perhaps even giving foreign enemies an opening.
Having the Shimura Clan pay the 350,000 Ryo first would shut down Chikage's most lethal line of argument and preserve the Konoha High Command's still-intact image of fairness.
However humiliating it might be to pay, that money was far cheaper than an internal uprising!
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped over to Danzo and firmly gripped the wrist of the hand clenched around his cane.
The elderly Hokage's eyes held none of his usual mild desire to smooth things over. Only an uncompromising resolve remained.
"Danzo! You really are losing all sense of propriety!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his voice, defining the nature of the entire affair with a single statement.
"The witness testimony and Physical Evidence corroborate each other. The facts concerning Shimura Ken and his accomplices' destruction of the South Street shops have been largely established."
"The Konoha Military Police Force carried out the arrests under the Public Security Regulations. The entire process fell within the scope of duties established by the Second Hokage."
"You bear great responsibilities in Konoha. You should be upholding the law, not leading the resistance against it!"
"Pay! The Shimura Clan will first cover the offenders' fines, compensation, and bond, then recover the money from Shimura Ken!"
"No matter how strongly you object today."
"Pay! You must pay immediately!"
Chapter 24: Danzo snapped, and Root's prison released its prisoners!
The air in the office froze.
Danzo's sole remaining eye went wide.
He stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing before him.
They had been friends for decades, yet today, for the sake of a mere Uchiha Genin, Hiruzen was forcing him, the Hokage Advisor, to bow his head and pay.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
Danzo squeezed the words out from deep in his throat, struggling to suppress his uncontrollable fury.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not yield an inch.
"If I don't force you to pay now, all of Konoha will know tomorrow that the Higher-Ups shield their relatives and resist law enforcement."
"That is when I would truly regret it."
Seeing that Danzo was still refusing to budge, Mitokado Homura picked up a pen from the desk and thrust it into his hand.
"Hurry up and sign."
"It's only 350,000 Ryo. It's not as though the Shimura Clan can't afford it."
"Don't disgrace all the Higher-Ups over this little bit of money."
Utatane Koharu joined in, urging him on.
"Hurry. Nearly a hundred Uchiha are still downstairs waiting for the outcome."
"Do you really want this to spiral beyond control?"
The hand holding Danzo's pen trembled continuously.
He turned to look at Uchiha Chikage, seated in the chair opposite him.
Chikage was leisurely holding his teacup, even lowering his head to blow on the leaves floating on the surface.
Noticing Danzo's murderous glare, Chikage set down his cup and considerately pushed the Payment Receipt a little closer.
"Lord Advisor, the signature goes in the bottom-right corner."
"You may use a seal if that's what you prefer. If you'd rather leave a thumbprint, though, you'll need red seal paste."
"I happen to have some with me. Would you like to borrow it?"
As he spoke, Chikage actually pulled a small box of red seal paste from his pocket and placed it on the desk.
Danzo felt as though his blood pressure had shot straight through the top of his head.
He snatched up the Payment Receipt.
The pen tip struck the paper hard, scratching across it in rapid strokes.
He pressed so hard that he nearly tore through the paper.
After signing his name, Danzo grabbed the seal paste and forcefully pressed his thumb into it.
Then, with a sharp smack, he stamped his reddened thumb beside his signature.
"Take it!"
Danzo flung the receipt onto the desk.
Chikage picked it up without any hurry.
He carefully inspected the signature and thumbprint, then nodded in satisfaction once he confirmed everything was in order.
"Lord Advisor, you understand the greater good and are willing to lead by example in obeying the laws laid down by the Second."
"That sense of duty is indeed something every member of the Konoha Military Police Force should learn from."
Chikage neatly folded the receipt and slipped it into an inner pocket.
"Rest assured, once we receive the 350,000 Ryo in fines, compensation, and bond, we will record the payment in accordance with the law."
"As for Shimura Ken, he must still spend fifteen days in the Konoha Military Police Force's detention."
"You may send someone to collect him at five in the afternoon, fifteen days from now."
"During that time, we will ensure he receives basic meals and medical treatment, and we will not subject him to any additional interrogation under torture."
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