The advisors fell, as the people demanded

"Stop the carriage." Sasuke pinned the bloodstained note beneath his toe and looked toward the South Gate. "Don't let the envoy enter the Hokage Building."

The Third Hokage's expression darkened at once. "Sasuke, the Daimyō's Envoy isn't a prisoner."

Sasuke bent down, picked up the note, and handed it to Shikaku. "Then all the more reason to protect him. Root operatives have infiltrated the convoy. If the envoy dies at Konoha's gates, how do you plan to explain that, Lord Hokage?"

Mitokado Homura seized the opening, pointed at Sasuke, and shouted, "You dare stop a convoy from the Daimyo's Residence? Sasuke Uchiha, you've gone mad!"

"Why the rush, Lord Advisor?" Sasuke looked at him. "Root operatives are hiding in the convoy. The envoy gets killed, and Konoha takes the blame. You're so eager to let them in-who do you want dead?"

Mitokado Homura's face twitched. "I'm merely upholding the dignity of the Daimyo's Residence!"

Hiashi sneered. "Where was your concern for the Hyuga's dignity when our compound was breached?"

Shikaku unfolded the note and handed it to Inoichi. "The blood is fresh. This is the paper commonly used at the Daimyo's Residence's relay stations. Whoever sent it should be near the convoy."

The Third Hokage raised a hand. "ANBU, go to the South Gate and escort the envoy."

Sasuke stepped directly in front of the stairs. "ANBU can go, but the Konoha Military Police Force, the Hyuga, and the Yamanaka must accompany them. Root got hold of an access seal for the Hokage Building. Who knows whether there's another one within ANBU?"

Kakashi stood to one side, the shadow of his bamboo hat falling across his eyes. "I'll lead the team and accept joint oversight."

The Third Hokage looked at him. Only after a long silence did he say, "Go."

Outside the South Gate, the convoy had already stopped beside the Suspension Bridge.

The Daimyo's Residence Envoy sat inside his carriage, its curtain half raised, his expression grim. Guards beside the carriage had drawn their swords, while Konoha's ANBU and the Konoha Military Police Force faced off a few paces apart.

When Sasuke arrived, the head guard immediately barked, "Who gave Konoha's ninja the nerve to stop a convoy from the Daimyo's Residence?"

Sasuke ignored him, his gaze sweeping over a coachman at the rear of the convoy who kept his head lowered.

The coachman's shoulders were narrow, but his feet were planted far too firmly. There was mud beside the carriage wheels, yet his soles were clean.

"Yamanaka clan head." Sasuke lifted his chin. "The last carriage. The coachman."

The coachman's fingers had barely touched the reins when a Hyuga ninja activated the Byakugan. "There are seals inside his body-at the root of his tongue, over his heart, and in his left arm."

The coachman raised his head, revealing the numb expression of a Root death squad member.

The envoy's face changed sharply. "What's going on?"

The Root death squad member drew a kunai with a backward sweep of his hand and lunged straight for the carriage. Kakashi unsheathed his short blade and intercepted the kunai. Neji cut in from the side, striking the man's inner elbow with Gentle Fist.

The man's other hand crushed a paper talisman inside his sleeve, and black sealing patterns lit up beneath the carriage.

Sasuke raised his hand, driving a kunai into the seal's focal point beneath the wheel. "Trying to set off an explosion under the envoy's feet? Danzo certainly knows how to pick a spot."

Takaya led his men in prying open the carriage's underside and pulled out three explosive tags.

The envoy saw Root's hidden mark on the tags and snapped his folding fan shut. "Shimura Danzō's men?"

Mitokado Homura arrived just in time to hear that and immediately shouted, "Lord Envoy, the Uchiha staged this! First he stops the convoy, then he arrests someone. He's clearly trying to drag Konoha High Command into this!"

Without even looking at him, Sasuke walked up to the death squad member and planted a foot on his wrist. "Who sent you?"

The man clenched his teeth and refused to answer.

Inoichi Yamanaka crouched down. "A Tongue-Curse Seal. A forced mind reading would kill him."

Sasuke pulled a partially burned secret order from the man's clothes and spread it out for the envoy. "Then read the words."

The envoy took it. After reading just two lines, the flesh on his face began to tremble.

The secret order read: After the envoy enters the building, trigger an explosion and create chaos. Kill him if necessary. Frame the Konoha Military Police Force and induce the Daimyo's Residence to order the removal of the Uchiha Clan Head.

There was no name at the bottom, but it bore half an impression of the Advisor's Office's deployment seal.

Mitokado Homura took half a step back. "It's a fake!"

Utatane Koharu arrived as well, her face ashen. "That seal is incomplete. It doesn't prove we were responsible!"

Sasuke straightened his collar. "Don't rush. The complete one is right here."

He took a sealed wooden box from Fugaku and opened it, revealing a stack of accounts and estate deeds.

"The stability funds from the Daimyo's Residence were meant to repair border relay stations, support the families of the war dead, and maintain the South Gate Passage. The Northern Suburbs Villa under Advisor Mitokado's name cost twenty-six million ryō. The Hot Spring Estate belonging to Advisor Utatane's nephew cost eighteen million ryō. See for yourself where the money came from, Lord Envoy."

The envoy snatched the accounts from him. His face darkened with every page he turned.

Mitokado Homura said urgently, "Those are village reception facilities!"

Sasuke pointed at the accounts. "Do reception facilities need private wine cellars? Thirty-two servants? Brocade screens bought with funds from the Daimyo's Residence?"

An uproar swept through the surrounding villagers.

Someone burst out cursing. "The border relay stations have leaking roofs, and they spent the money on a villa?"

"My brother's death benefits have been held up for two years, and they spent the money soaking in hot springs?"

The envoy slammed the accounts onto the carriage shaft. "Mitokado Homura! Utatane Koharu! You used the Daimyo's Residence's money to build private estates, then tried to use me to remove the person investigating you?"

Mitokado Homura struggled to hold his ground. "Lord Envoy, Sasuke Uchiha is abusing his power, mobilizing the police without authorization and forcing the Hokage to sign orders. He's the source of Konoha's unrest!"

Sasuke nodded. "I uncovered Root's clan extermination order, military fund embezzlement, Byakugan experiments, and explosive tags beneath the envoy's carriage. If you call those the source of unrest, Lord Advisor, then I certainly am quite a source."

A wave of curses erupted from the crowd.

Utatane Koharu shrieked, "You're an eight-year-old child! What gives you the right to take action against the Council of Elders?"

"The paperwork." Sasuke took a Temporary Investigation Order from Shikaku. "Lord Hokage signed it. Advisors implicated in the case must recuse themselves from the investigation. The ledgers, the witnesses, and the Daimyo's Residence Envoy seeing a Root death squad member infiltrate his convoy with his own eyes."

The envoy immediately turned to the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage, if these two remain in control of Konoha's Council of Elders, the Daimyo's Residence cannot provide another single ryō."

Cornered in public, the Third Hokage's face went pale. "Envoy, this matter still requires an elders' council meeting..."

"An elders' council meeting?" The envoy cut him off, pointing the ribs of his fan at Mitokado Homura. "They embezzled the Daimyo's Residence's money and attacked its envoy, and you still want them sitting in the elders' seats to judge themselves?"

Shikaku handed over a new document. "Under Konoha's established precedent, when advisors are implicated in gross misconduct and endangering the Daimyo's Residence Envoy, the Hokage, the Daimyō's Envoy, and the Clan Representatives may jointly sign a Temporary Dismissal Order."

Mitokado Homura roared, "Shikaku, you had this prepared all along?"

Holding the brush, Shikaku did not look up. "Lord Advisor, the moment those ledgers were opened, it was time to prepare."

Sasuke pushed the dismissal order in front of the Third Hokage. "Sign it. If you don't, Lord Hokage, the envoy will believe Konoha is shielding the people who tried to assassinate him."

The Third Hokage stared at Sasuke. "You even worked the Daimyo's Residence into your calculations."

Sasuke met his gaze. "They were the ones who put a blade beneath the envoy's carriage first."

The envoy snorted and stamped his seal down hard. "The Daimyo's Residence signs."

Hiashi followed with his seal. "The Hyuga sign."

Fugaku pressed down the Uchiha clan seal. "The Uchiha sign."

Inoichi and Choza signed in turn.

Shikaku put his brush to the paper last, then looked at the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage, only you remain."

The Third Hokage picked up the brush, veins bulging on the back of his hand. Mitokado Homura lunged toward him. "Hiruzen! You can't sign! If you do, this brat will tear Konoha High Command apart!"

ANBU stopped him.

Utatane Koharu pointed at Sasuke and cursed, "The Uchiha will destroy Konoha sooner or later!"

Sasuke looked at her. "Konoha hasn't been destroyed at my hands. It nearly was by your ledgers, though."

The Third Hokage closed his eyes and affixed his seal.

The moment the dismissal order became official, the crowd in front of the building erupted.

"Step down!"

"Lock up the money-grubbing advisors!"

"Investigate the estates!"

The police recruits rushed forward and fitted Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu with sealing handcuffs.

Mitokado Homura struggled. "Who dares lay a hand on me!"

Yamada Naoto kicked him behind the knee. "You're not an advisor anymore. You're a suspect."

As Utatane Koharu was dragged past Sasuke, she stared at him with venom in her eyes. "You think you've won? Danzo knows more than you think. He'll drag all of you down."

Sasuke turned his head. "Then let him. For every person he drags down, I'll collect another piece of evidence."

The two were shoved into a temporary prison wagon, which soon filled with rotten vegetable leaves hurled by the villagers.

The envoy put away the accounts. "Clan Head Sasuke, the Daimyo's Residence needs a stable Konoha. Who do you intend to appoint to the vacant seats on the Council of Elders?"

The Third Hokage spoke. "The Hokage Secretariat can send people to take over temporarily."

Sasuke set two appointment letters directly on the table. "Hyuga Hiashi and Shikaku Nara."

The Third Hokage's eyelid twitched. "You've even decided on the candidates?"

"What Konoha needs now is people who can audit the accounts, keep the clans in line, and earn the villagers' trust." Sasuke looked at the envoy. "The Daimyo's Residence doesn't want its next payment poured into someone else's private hot spring pool, does it?"

The envoy did not hesitate. "The Daimyo's Residence agrees."

Hiashi accepted his appointment letter without ceremony. "The Hyuga will investigate the Byakugan case."

Shikaku looked at his own letter and gave a bitter laugh. "I knew it. Sooner or later, you'd pin me behind a desk."

Sasuke handed him the brush. "You don't have to sign."

Shikaku stared at the brush tip. "If I don't, the Ino-Shika-Cho won't get a share of clean funds or access to clean accounts from now on."

He signed.

Sasuke put away the appointment letters and turned to head back to the Hokage Building. Shikaku tucked the documents under his arm and walked up beside him.

"Sasuke, you've tied us to your wagon. Aren't you afraid we'll turn on you someday?"

Sasuke did not break stride. "As long as you keep your hands off my plate, I guarantee the Ino-Shika-Cho will get more benefits than the Third Hokage ever gave you."

Shikaku was about to speak again when a Hyuga Scout came running from outside the South Gate and dropped to his knees on the gravel.

"Clan head! We found traces of a Root Backup Bunker in the Northwestern forest outside the village! There's fresh blood on the ground, and a white snake chopped apart!"

Sasuke took the strip of cloth the scout handed him. Half a sentence had been written on it in blood.

"Shimura Danzō wants to see Sasuke Uchiha."