Danzo snorted coldly and turned away, refusing to look at Chikage again.
He feared that one more look at the little bastard would make him form hand seals and unleash Wind Release on the spot.
Fugaku stood to one side, having watched the entire exchange.
Even now, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Chikage had actually cornered the four men at the heart of Konoha's power with a single copy of the Public Security Regulations.
Not only had they refrained from immediately holding Chikage accountable for breaking Shimura Ken's legs, but Danzo had been forced to sign a pledge to pay three hundred and fifty thousand ryo on his behalf.
In the past, Fugaku would never have dared imagine such a thing, even in his dreams.
"Lord Hokage, since everything has been settled..."
Chikage stood and straightened his Konoha Military Police Force uniform.
"We'll take our leave."
"Please arrange for the Anbu to collect Captain Yashiro as soon as possible."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a weary hand.
"Go on, go on."
"Yashiro will be brought to the square shortly. Once you've received him and confirmed that his life isn't in danger, get everyone outside to disperse."
Chikage turned to Fugaku.
"Uncle, let's go."
Fugaku nodded and followed Chikage out of the Hokage's Office.
The moment the door closed, a heavy crash sounded from inside.
Danzo had probably smashed something else.
Chikage walked down the corridor in excellent spirits.
He looked up at the clock on the wall.
Twelve fifteen.
His lunch break had been delayed, but he had secured the Payment Receipt and dealt Danzo a major blow in the process.
Not a bad trade.
The two headed down the stairs.
Walking beside Chikage, Fugaku studied the young man's profile, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.
"Chikage..."
At last, Fugaku could no longer keep silent.
"What you did today really caught me by surprise."
"I thought we'd definitely end up falling out with the high command, perhaps even coming to blows."
Chikage smiled.
"Uncle, why fight when we can get things done through the rules?"
"We're the Konoha Military Police Force. We enforce the law."
"A law enforcer's most important weapon isn't the blade in his hand, but the regulations written in black and white."
"As long as we have the rules on our side and put the evidence before everyone, the high command at least won't dare turn on us in public."
Listening to him, Fugaku suddenly saw things clearly.
Indeed, the Uchiha had always relied too heavily on force.
Whenever they faced injustice, all they knew was to intimidate others with the Sharingan and fight back with their blades.
In the end, they gained nothing and instead drove the villagers and the other shinobi clans into opposing them.
Chikage's approach was what could truly put the Uchiha in the right.
The two emerged from the Hokage Building.
Seeing their clan head and deputy captain come out unharmed, the Uchiha gathered in the square immediately perked up.
"Clan Head!"
"Deputy Captain!"
Everyone shouted in unison, their voices full of vigor.
The villagers and informants from the various clans watching nearby all looked on curiously.
They had expected a major battle to erupt here, yet the Uchiha had walked out without a scratch.
Chikage stepped up to the stairs and motioned for everyone to quiet down.
"Thank you all for your efforts."
"The South Street case has been resolved. A relative of the person involved has signed a Payment Receipt and will settle the fines and compensation within the prescribed deadline."
"Lord Hokage has also signed an order for Captain Yashiro's immediate release."
"Once we've received Captain Yashiro and checked his condition, everyone can go home and rest."
At those words, the Uchiha clansmen froze for a moment, then burst into cheers.
They had won the outcome they wanted!
On the Konoha High Command's own turf, they had not only avoided being branded rebels, but had also forced Danzo to cover the compensation and the high command to order Yashiro's release.
Nothing like this had happened to the Uchiha in recent years.
In the crowd, Uchiha Hikari gazed at Chikage on the steps, her eyes filled with admiration.
The deputy captain really did it.
Meanwhile, in the Root Base beneath Konoha.
The dark, damp cell reeked of blood.
Uchiha Yashiro was bound to a cross-shaped torture rack with thick iron chains.
His shirt had been stripped off, and his body was covered in lash marks and bruises.
Several Root shinobi wearing animal masks stood before him.
One held a red-hot branding iron that radiated heat.
"Uchiha Yashiro, don't make us do this the hard way."
The Root shinobi holding the branding iron spoke coldly.
"Just sign this confession and admit that the Military Police Force organized resistance against a department directly under the Hokage, and you can spare yourself some pain."
Yashiro raised his head and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
"Pah!"
"You dared arrest a commanding officer of the Military Police Force without the Hokage's Order, and you think you have the right to make me sign?"
"Kill me here if you've got the guts."
"Otherwise, once I get out, I'll bring my men to shut down this dungeon you're using for illegal interrogations!"
Yashiro's attitude enraged the Root shinobi.
"Still running your mouth!"
"If you want a taste of the branding iron, I'll oblige!"
He raised the red-hot iron and pressed it toward Yashiro's chest.
Yashiro closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the agonizing pain to come.
Just as the branding iron came within three centimeters of Yashiro's chest...
Someone kicked open the cell's iron door.
An Anbu ninja rushed inside.
"Stop!"
"Lord Hokage has ordered Uchiha Yashiro's immediate release!"
The Root shinobi holding the branding iron froze.
He turned and stared at the Anbu ninja in disbelief.
"What did you say?"
"Lord Danzo personally ordered this interrogation. How can we just release him?"
The Anbu ninja stepped forward and produced a written order bearing the Hokage's seal.
"Take a good look. Lord Hokage signed this order himself."
"Release him immediately."
The Root shinobi exchanged glances.
In all their years in this underground prison, they had never encountered anything like this.
The Hokage's release order had arrived at Root before they had even extracted a confession from their prisoner?
And from what this Anbu ninja said, the Uchiha had already surrounded the Hokage Building.
The Root shinobi holding the branding iron shot Yashiro a resentful look.
But with the Hokage's Order right before him, he dared not openly disobey. He could only toss the branding iron into a nearby bucket of water.
With a hiss, a cloud of white steam rose from the bucket.
"You got lucky."
He stepped forward and unlocked the chains binding Yashiro.
Without the Torture Rack to support him, Yashiro pitched forward.
Two Anbu immediately stepped in to catch him, refusing to let the Root shinobi touch him again.
Yashiro barely managed to open his eyes. As he looked at the Anbu ninja before him, his mind remained a tangled mess.
They were releasing him?
Just like that?
He had been prepared to suffer terribly in Root's prison, perhaps even be secretly executed.
Yet less than two hours after he had been locked up, the Hokage's release order had arrived?
"What on earth is going on?"
Before you continue