Chapter 198 Go ahead and stir things up.
Yuan Yuxie's words made the prince, who was just excited, freeze in place. So you're saying that killing him is aimed at me?
However, Minamoto no Yuuki didn't give the other party any time to react, shouting towards the door, "Uncle Asuma, take this guy to the teacher!"
A figure appeared behind Minamoto noda like a ghost. This pampered nobleman didn't even have time to react before he lost the ability to resist. After Asuma subdued Minamoto noda, he turned to look at Minamoto no Yuuki and smiled helplessly, saying, "Your Highness, you can just call me by my name."
"How can that be?" Minamoto no Yuuki shook his head, "Putting aside the fact that you were one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja who protected my father, you are also Konohamaru's uncle. Konohamaru and I are like brothers. How can I call you by your name?"
Minamoto noda, who was being restrained by Asuma, widened his eyes and struggled desperately, shouting angrily, "Minamoto no Yuuki! I am your great-uncle! How can you do this to the spirit of your deceased father?"
"You dare call yourself my uncle?" Seeing the old man acting arrogantly, Minamoto no Yuuki immediately retorted, "The Land of Fire is thriving under my teacher's rule, yet you slander a pillar of our nation for your own selfish reasons! Guards, strip him of all his titles!"
"Um, Your Highness, the stripping of titles requires the presence of officials from the Imperial Clan Court," a eunuch beside Minamoto no Yuuki reminded him.
"I don't care! I don't want to see this guy with his title in court tomorrow, understand?" Minamoto no Yuuki said, sounding somewhat unreasonable. At this moment, he truly resembled an eight-year-old child.
"Then, I'll take this guy to see the Hokage first?" Asuma said.
"Remember to give my regards to my teacher. Also, please post a cricket-catching mission in the mission hall. I've heard there's a special kind of cricket in the Land of Grass that's extremely ferocious. If possible, please bring one back for me," Minamoto no Yuuki said.
"Alright..." Asuma glanced at the boy before him with a complicated expression. The former daimyo, while not necessarily brilliant and powerful, was at least a wise and capable ruler. But this boy, Minamoto no Miyako, was a bit too playful.
However, considering the current state of the Land of Fire, under Uchiha Touko's leadership, its development was several times faster than during the former daimyo's reign. Asuma felt it was good for the boy to continue living carefree.
Of course, more importantly, after Hiruzen Sarutobi's retirement, his strained father-son relationship with Asuma had improved considerably. After getting married, Asuma had matured and was more receptive to his father's advice than the impulsive young man he once was. Hiruzen Sarutobi had also made it clear to him that the ninja world was about to enter a new war, and at this time, they absolutely could not allow Uchiha Touko to become a hindrance.
Although he was quite pleased that his father had been ousted by a young man, he couldn't understand why his father, after stepping down, had started supporting Uchiha Touko in various ways.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer was very simple: because he was now the Hokage.
Even if they had fought to the death within the village before, that was internal strife. But now, Konoha and the Land of Fire were facing pressure from an external war. Furthermore, regardless of how Uchiha Touko rose to power, once he became Hokage, he was, in a sense, naturally on the same side as Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Soon, Asuma brought the bound and gagged Gennoda to the Hokage's office.
After Asuma explained his purpose, Uchiha Touko approached him with a cold face and questioned in a deep voice, "You are the mastermind behind this coup d'état by those young officials, aren't you?"
"Hmph, what's there to say now? The affairs of the Land of Fire have fallen into the hands of a treacherous minister like you. I really don't know what my nephew was thinking, letting you become the Grand Minister of State. My grand-nephew has also been deceived by you, holding the position of Daimyo, yet he spends his days indulging in pleasures." Gennoda said defiantly.
"That's easy to say." Uchiha Touko glanced at him disdainfully. "Then I would like to ask, during my years in power, has there been any problem with the development of the Land of Fire?"
Gennoda was about to speak, but Uchiha Touko didn't give him the chance.
"The reason you say all this is simply because the reforms I spearheaded have blocked your path to wealth," Uchiha Touko said with a sneer. "The four newly built factories in your fiefdom have provided tens of thousands of jobs for the surrounding people, thus affecting the land rent on your land. That's why you're jumping around like a clown. And what's even more ridiculous is that before Gato and the others invested in the factories in your territory, I even had them visit you specifically to ask if you needed to invest in the factories. I believe I've already given you old nobles enough face, but you don't appreciate it."
"Hmph, I'm standing up for the sake of my Land of Fire!" Haruno retorted defiantly.
"You dare to talk to me about the country? You look down on these merchants, thinking your noble hands shouldn't be tainted by this stench of money, but as long as it affects your own little corner of the land, you jump out and stir things up!" Uchiha Touko looked down at his opponent with hatred, pointing his finger directly at his nose as he cursed.
"The other nations of the entire ninja world have never ceased coveting my Land of Fire's land. And now, anyone with even a modicum of foresight can easily see that a war is brewing beneath the calm surface. Everything I've done these past years has been preparation for this future war. But what are you doing? Trying to undermine our resources at this crucial moment, all for your meager land rent! Go ahead and stir things up, stir things up until Konoha lacks supplies for future battles, until we suffer defeats, until..." "The Land of Fire is in chaos, it's been destroyed!"
Uchiha Touko drew the Swift Lightning Blade from the nearby sword rack and held it to Harunoda's neck. The cold glint of the blade and the crackling lightning startled Harunoda, who instinctively looked towards Uchiha Touko. However, he was met with undisguised killing intent in the other's eyes. Harunoda, a pampered and useless nobleman, couldn't withstand the murderous aura that Uchiha Touko had cultivated on the bloody battlefield, and he fainted under the shock of that aura.
"Inahi, take this guy to the guard unit and lock him up with those suicidal guys. Let the Yamanaka clan give them a good talking to." Uchiha Touko glanced at Harunoda with disdain before turning to Uchiha Inahi and ordering him.
...
The next day at the court assembly, Uchiha Touko, who hadn't attended court for a long time, appeared in the court and stood in the head position of the civil officials.
Miura Kazuo, who would have stood in that position, obediently stood below Uchiha Touko, head bowed and silent, which immediately made some people sense something unusual.
However, before these people could think about it, as Minamoto no Yukichi entered the palace surrounded by a group of officials, the court assembly officially began.
Minamoto no Yukichi, upon taking his seat, immediately saw Uchiha Touko standing at the forefront of the civil officials, and his face immediately lit up with joy: "Teacher, you've arrived! Someone, offer Teacher a seat!"
"Your Highness, there's no need for that," Uchiha Touko refused somewhat speechlessly. Although he knew the boy might mean well, he was only in his early twenties and not yet at the point where he needed a seat after standing for a short while.
"Uh, alright then." Genji no Miyako nodded.
"Speak if you have something to say! Dismiss the court if you have nothing to say!" At this moment, the eunuch beside Genji no Miyako shouted at the top
of his lungs. At this moment, Miura Kazuo, who had been keeping his head down and not speaking, turned around and winked at a subordinate behind him.
"Reporting to Your Highness, I have something to report." Upon receiving the signal, the subordinate immediately stepped forward, "I accuse Tajima Yukio, Yamamoto Masahiro, Shimizu Ken… and fifteen others of forming cliques for personal gain, embezzling public funds, neglecting their duties, and committing insubordination."
After he took the lead, other members of Miura Kazuo's clique also stepped forward one after another, accusing the officials involved in the attack on Uchiha Touko. The charges were more outrageous than the last. In the end, when someone couldn't make up any more, they simply accused them of rape and kidnapping.
"What? Such vermin are hiding in the court of my Land of Fire?" Genji no Miyako was furious upon hearing this.
"Your Highness, there's a problem in the court of the Land of Fire. As the Grand Minister, I cannot shirk my responsibility. I beg your forgiveness." At this moment, Uchiha Touko spoke calmly.
"What are you saying, Master? As the Hokage, you dedicate yourself to the safety of the Land of Fire every day. How could you blame me for these insects?" Minamoto no Yuuki said, turning to look at Miura Kazuo. "As for the Left Minister, you've always handled the trivial matters of the court. Now that there's a problem in the court of the Land of Fire, how do you explain this?"
Miura Kazuo felt a chill run down his spine at Minamoto no Yuuki's words. Wait, you two are having such a good time that you're pushing all the blame onto me, huh? So I'm just part of your master-disciple game?
Despite his thoughts, Miura Kazuo dared not show any dissatisfaction and promptly knelt down, saying, "Your Highness is guilty, but I beg you to give this old minister a chance to atone for his sins."
"Then I will entrust this case to the Minister of the Left. Minister of the Left, please do not disappoint me," Minamoto no Miyazaki said to Miura Kazuo.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness," Miura Kazuo kowtowed before slowly rising.
But just then, from the back of the civil officials' ranks, a young official suddenly stepped forward: "Your Highness! Those people were all innocent! This was all a frame-up by the traitors Uchiha Touki and Miura Kazuo!"
"How dare you!" Minamoto no Yukichi was furious. "And who are you?"
The man stepped forward, standing proudly, his face filled with a death-defying resolve: "Your subject, Nishiyama Jiro, begs to execute the traitor Uchiha Touki!"
"Shut up!" Minamoto no Yukichi slammed his hand on the chair and stood up, his anger undisguised. "How dare you address my teacher by his name!"
"Your Highness!" Nishiyama Jiro knelt on the ground, his head pounding loudly.
Uchiha Touko coldly stared at the man. Almost everyone on the list the Anbu had given him yesterday had been arrested and interrogated by the security forces. Only this one escaped because he was away from Konoha due to a family emergency. However, to Uchiha Touko's surprise, this guy actually dared to come to court and even dared to challenge him like this. Even Uchiha Touko had to admit that while this guy was a bit brainless, he was certainly bold, at least much stronger than Gennoda, who had fainted in the Hokage's office yesterday.
"Your Highness, regarding this matter, the Left Minister received word yesterday and requested that the Commander of the Capital Garrison of the Land of Fire, Hatake Kakashi, send his Konoha Security Forces to investigate. It seems they already have results; perhaps they should bring the evidence up," Uchiha Touko said.
"Alright," Genno Yuuki nodded.
Before long, Kakashi led a squad of guards into the court. Each guard carried a person with a vacant stare, drooling, and making "abba aba" noises. The one Kakashi was carrying was none other than Minamoto no Taro, whom he had tried to persuade in Minamoto no Miyako's bedchamber the day before.
"Greetings, Your Highness." After entering the hall, Kakashi first bowed to the daimyo, then took out a thick stack of evidence and said, "Your Highness, this is evidence obtained directly from their memories using the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan of Konoha. However, these people have suffered mental breakdowns after being tortured. Please forgive them, Your Highness."
Miura Kazuo looked at the people sitting on the ground, drooling and making "abba aba" noises, and thought to himself, "These things are really something you ninjas do." "
The guard commander is dedicated to eradicating these pests for the country. What crime has he committed?" Minamoto no Miyako said as he took the evidence.
"Your Highness! They are all loyal to the emperor and patriots! How can you treat them like this?" At this moment, Nishiyama Jiroku cried out again.
"Whether they are loyal to the emperor or patriots, I will judge for myself. Who are you to interfere!" Minamoto no Miyazaki retorted angrily. Then, he pushed forward with both hands, "How dare you slander my teacher! Guards, strip him of his court robes, remove his official hat, and exterminate his entire family, including all these people, as a warning to others!"
"No! Your Highness!" Nishiyama Jiroku cried out to Minamoto no Miyazaki as his official robes were stripped off, but Minamoto no Miyazaki seemed to have no intention of letting him go.
After Minamoto no Miyazaki used the Imperial Escape: Nine Clans Separation Technique, the entire court fell silent. No one dared to offend him at this moment.
After a while, Minamoto no Yuuki hopped down from the throne with his short legs and came to Uchiha Touko. He took Uchiha Touko's hand and said, "Master, please don't take these treacherous ministers' slander to heart. Please take good care of the affairs of the Land of Fire."
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