Better You Than Me!

Hello, me, everyone—everyone should be happy!!!

"Pretty angry, aren't you?" After everyone else left the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage looked at Hikaru, who was sitting off to the side without saying a word. Ever since the Third Hokage, the Elder Council, and the other higher-ups had discussed the implementation plan for the fine system, Hikaru had fallen silent.

"Wouldn't you be angry if it were you?!!"

Hikaru raised his head, glanced at the Third Hokage, and said speechlessly, "Third Elder, don't forget that one of those bastards is from your Sarutobi Clan."

"..."

It was unpleasant to hear, but facts were facts. What could the Third Hokage say? With a bitter smile, he said, "Who could have imagined this would cause such trouble? One side felt that their teammates were more important than the mission, while the other felt that their dignity had been trampled on. They could die, but the village's interests could not suffer."

"Neither side was actually wrong. They simply started from different perspectives."

"Wouldn't you and I have done the same?"

"Tch~~~ If I had teammates like that, I wouldn't abandon the mission to save them. I'd just kill them myself. It's infuriating! They're veteran Anbu members, yet they have no brains at all. A little anger was enough to make them lose their minds, and they dared to say anything in public."

"Those two bastards are such a headache!!! I really want to kill them in their cells."

Hikaru rubbed his forehead. He really did have a headache; he was not just saying it. So many things had happened in a single day that even he felt helpless. What was wrong with everyone? Where had their brains gone? Had dogs eaten them?

He could understand if rookies made such mistakes, but Hatake Sakumo and