A New Punishment System!

In another interrogation room not far away, two injured men lay on stretchers. They were the ones who had spread the news everywhere—the teammates Hatake Sakumo had chosen to save at the cost of abandoning the mission. Two pieces of trash.

Anyone with even a shred of conscience would have accepted responsibility for the mission's failure alongside Hatake Sakumo in this situation, rather than questioning and cursing him, even spreading the news far and wide.

Hikaru entered the interrogation room and looked at the two men on the stretchers, his face so cold it seemed about to freeze over.

"Teuchi Sarutobi, Nikyō Hiroshi, you two are quite something. Truly quite something."

"Minister..."

Teuchi Sarutobi and Nikyō Hiroshi lay on their stretchers with their heads turned away, not daring to look at Hikaru. Now that things had blown up this badly, they were beginning to regret it themselves. At first, they had been furious. They were not afraid of death, but the mission could not fail. Yet Hatake Sakumo had abandoned the mission to save them instead, making them feel that their pride had been trampled on—especially Teuchi Sarutobi of the Sarutobi Clan.

The two had cursed Hatake Sakumo all the way back, but he still brought them home and sent them to the Medical Department for treatment. In their rage, they had cursed and accused him in every possible way. It would have been difficult for the Medical Ninja and staff not to hear about it.

With Dan Katō ignoring it as well, the news spread.

"Don't call me Minister. I don't dare be your minister. You two are impressive, truly impressive. Are you even Anbu members?!"

"Were you spies sent by the enemy? Or are you simply out to make trouble for me?"

"We didn't, it was just Hatake