Both sides had spoken at length, trading arguments back and forth, but neither gained the upper hand.
After all, how do you decide what matters more, rules or righteousness? In different circumstances, each weighed heavier than the other. Both sides had their logic, their truths, tangled together into a knot no one could untangle.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sharp sound at the door cut through the heated silence.
"Chief," came a voice from outside, "the prisoner's statement has been taken, and the fine has been paid. May we release him?"
Uchiha Gen rose from the sofa, crossed the room, and opened the door himself. His voice rang out loud and clear:
"Of course we release him. For the greater good, for peace, how could I, a loyal son of Konoha, hold a grudge simply because he attacked me?"
One of his subordinates, Uchiha Sanji, immediately seized the chance to flatter. "Chief, such generosity! Truly noble!"
The Konoha Elders, the so-called F4, exchanged looks, their faces twisting with revulsion.
So young, yet already this shameless?
But Gen's shamelessness wasn't born of vanity. It was deliberate strategy; poison against poison, guile against guile, evil controlled by greater cunning.
As the old saying went, to defeat a corrupt official, you had to be even more devious than him.
"Oh, right," Gen added casually, "bring some tea. Our guests have been here so long without even a cup, it's terribly impolite."
Sanji bowed quickly. "My apologies, Chief. That was my oversight. The tea will be brought at once."
"Mm. See to it."
Gen returned to his seat, his eyes glinting with eagerness. "Now then, gentlemen. Where were we? Let's continue the debate. Speak freely, the tea will be here soon."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching him, did not step in again. His prestige could not afford further erosion. Besides, he had realized something dangerous about Gen; the boy was unyielding, yes, but also clever.
Stubborn, yet strong. Too relentless to be moved by persuasion.
For Sarutobi, maintaining even a shred of his image mattered more than wrestling Gen directly.
Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, however, were left speechless. This brat… disgusting. Shameless. The goal had already been achieved, what was the point of more arguing?
So, they fell silent.
The room grew still, broken only when the tea arrived. The Elders, though sour-faced, did not refuse it like petulant children. They were thirsty. Mature men did not harm themselves out of spite. Hunger strikes and self-denial were the tools of the immature, and no one here intended to play that fool.
Not long after, the sound of heavy footsteps came echoing down the hall. The Kumogakure delegation burst into the office with Raizo at their head, voices raised in complaint and threats.
In an instant, the office room became a chaotic marketplace.
Bang!
Gen slammed his hand down on the table, his Sharingan flashing.
"Silence!" he roared.
"This is the office of Konoha's Police Chief, not some filthy street corner! What is this disgraceful clamor? If you want to speak, then only your leader stays. The rest of you out!"
The Cloud-nin froze in shock. Was this man truly so arrogant, so domineering, right here in front of the Hokage and the village's top officials?
Was there no law left in Konoha?
Raizo turned, scanning the faces of Hiruzen and the others. None of them moved to stop Gen. His jaw tightened.
"…Wait outside," he ordered his men.
"Yes, Leader Raizo."
Though reluctant, the Cloud shinobi obeyed, filing out until only Raizo remained. He chose a seat without invitation, sat down heavily, and said,
"Hokage-sama. Beyond the explanation you already owe us, I demand one more, for today's disgrace."
Hiruzen did not answer. Instead, his eyes slid sideways to Danzo, Koharu, and Homura.
As old comrades, they understood the look instantly; buffer this, soften the blow, leave me room to maneuver.
"Ahem… Raizo-sama," Homura said smoothly. "Head of the Police Force, Uchiha Gen, insists on upholding Konoha's public order laws. As senior advisors, we cannot simply break those rules ourselves."
Raizo's teeth ground audibly. "Fine. We'll accept the statements and fines. But what about his deliberate insults to Kumogakure?"
"Hm?"
The Elders turned at once to glare at Gen. If true, that was no trivial matter, it was open provocation, disruption of peace, even grounds for war.
Gen only shrugged, palms up, expression innocent.
"Insults? I never insulted Kumogakure. Everything I said is fact. If your village dares to commit such deeds, why shouldn't I speak of them? Are you so overbearing that truth itself must be silenced?"
"What did you say, exactly?" Hiashi Hyuga asked suddenly, his voice calm but edged with ice. His hatred for Kumogakure, who had tried to steal his daughter, made him eager to drive the knife deeper.
Gen repeated, word for word, the condemnation he had delivered in the hotel, the Byakugan abduction, the Whirlpool raid, the Nine-Tails plot. Each word made Raizo's face darker, until it was almost pitch-black.
The Konoha officials twitched at the vulgar bluntness of it. Yes, Kumogakure's reputation was poor. But to fling it so viciously in their faces was brutal.
"Hokage-sama," Raizo said at last, voice cold, "where do you stand? If this outrage is not answered, then the peace talks are over. Prepare for war."
A weary sigh escaped Hiruzen's lips. "For the greater good… for peace… Gen, just apologize."
Danzo and the others smirked inwardly. Now let's see him wriggle free. Surely not even he could talk his way around this.
Gen's lips curled in a sharp sneer.
"Apologize—for speaking the truth?"
Danzo and the two Elders leaned forward, ready to strike, but Gen cut them off with a laugh.
"Impossible. I will never apologize. Not in this life."
His gaze turned to Hiruzen. "And Hokage-sama, do not be cowed by their threats. Raizo is an envoy, nothing more, not the Raikage, not even a high councilor. How can he unilaterally nullify peace talks decided at the highest level?"
Hiashi spoke firmly at Gen's side. "Exactly. And my Hyuga Clan owes no apology either. Trespassing into my home, abducting my child, death was deserved."
Danzo and the others stiffened, eyes darting to Hiruzen. Had Hiashi just openly sided with Gen? They hadn't heard this part yet.
But Hiruzen's face remained unreadable. He had known already.
It was Gen's hand behind this alignment, of course.
How cunning. How vile.
Raizo rose, his face grim. "If you will not yield, then we'll see soon enough…"
He made to leave, but Danzo, Homura, and Koharu scrambled up, fawning, trying to stop him with conciliatory words.
Hiruzen's eyes locked on Gen and Hiashi instead, his voice stern.
"If war does break out, will you take responsibility?"
Hiashi's heart lurched. He dared not answer. His pale eyes shifted toward Gen.
Gen's reply was immediate, his face solemn.
"Yes. We will take responsibility."
Danzo seized the opening, his lips twisting. "Easy words, boy. But how will you take responsibility?"
Gen shot him a mocking look.
"Danzo… aren't you Konoha's so-called iron-blooded hawk? Why so spineless now? Kumogakure rattles its saber, and you rush to lick their boots?"
Danzo's face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his temple. "Peace! Things concerning peace cannot be called licking! Enduring humiliation for the greater good... that's true strength!"
His words tangled, tripping over themselves until they made little sense. Gen and Hiashi broke into laughter, their voices ringing bright in the heavy room.
But joy was not shared.
To Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu, the laughter was nothing but noise, their aged faces tightening with displeasure. They heard mockery not just of Danzo but of themselves.
Bang!
Hiruzen's palm slammed onto the table, his voice sharp as a blade.
"Enough! No more games. If war breaks out… how exactly will you take responsibility?"