Chapter 65:
Ever since defeating Hiruzen Sarutobi, the office of the Chief of the Police Force had become noticeably more luxurious: genuine leather chairs, rosewood bookshelves, and even the teacups had been replaced with fine white porcelain.
These changes silently showcased Uchiha Sanpō's steadily rising status within the village.
Although his desk was piled high with various documents, most only required a signature to be resolved.
He rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window at the bustling streets of Konoha, his thoughts drifting far away.
Yūhi Kurenai
(What a boring life… Should I find two female secretaries? When there's work, the secretary handles it… When there's none… hehehe… Yūhi Kurenai… Aoi Jun!!)
Aoi Junko
Just as he was lost in this interesting idea, the office door was knocked on urgently.
Uchiha Sanpō said lazily: "Come in."
Uchiha Inabi pushed the door open, fine beads of sweat still visible on his forehead: "Chief, something's happened."
Uchiha Sanpō raised an eyebrow slightly, the pen in his fingers spinning even faster.
"Inabi, what could make you so flustered?"
Uchiha Inabi caught his breath, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"The Sarutobi, Shimura, Koharu, and Mitokado clans… they arrived at the daimyō's residence two days ago. But because of Hiruzen Sarutobi's injuries, they only finished treating him yesterday, so the daimyō hosted a banquet for them last night."
Uchiha Sanpō leaned forward slightly, the pen suddenly stopping mid-spin: "And then?"
Uchiha Inabi lowered his voice: "After the banquet… Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were killed by Kakashi on their way home."
A flash of interest appeared in Uchiha Sanpō's eyes: "Oh? Interesting."
(In truth, Kakashi assassinating Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado was an order he had given! He just hadn't expected Kakashi to be a bit sloppy and make such a big commotion.)
Uchiha Inabi wiped his sweat: "The daimyō has lodged a serious protest with Lord Fugaku! Hatake Kakashi has already been declared a Konoha rogue ninja by Lord Fugaku."
Uchiha Sanpō let out a cold laugh and slammed the pen heavily onto the table.
"Those two old bastards' corruption has already been exposed. How many people in the village are dying for them to die? Kakashi's move is probably being applauded by many."
Uchiha Inabi nodded: "Indeed. Right now, people all over the village are pleading for Kakashi."
"How does Clan Head Fugaku plan to handle this?"
Uchiha Inabi hesitated for a moment: "He… is preparing to hold an emergency meeting. It looks like he wants to sacrifice Kakashi to appease the daimyō's anger."
Fugaku really is a terrible teammate. Uchiha Sanpō stood up in annoyance: "Let's go to the meeting room. I'd like to see how he plans to deal with the son of Konoha's White Fang."
Inside the meeting room of the Hokage Building, the atmosphere was unusually heavy, with constant arguments.
The Konoha higher-ups on both sides whispered to each other, murmurs rising and falling.
Uchiha Fugaku lightly tapped the table, his face expressionless as he looked at everyone: "Everyone. Kakashi assassinated Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado in the daimyō's residence. This has seriously angered the daimyō. Now the daimyō demands an explanation from us."
The meeting room instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath.
In the corner, Senju Natsuki suddenly sneered: "An explanation? When those two parasites were embezzling, why didn't anyone demand an explanation?"
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly released his chakra, seemingly trying to intimidate everyone with his strength: "Most of the ninja village's missions are issued by the nobility. If we anger the daimyō, the number of missions the village receives will drop sharply, directly affecting our income."
Since it concerned their own interests, the atmosphere became oppressively quiet.
Representatives from several small clans had already begun wiping sweat.
Uchiha Sanpō leaned back in his chair, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
(This… foolish Fugaku really is useless at everything!)
Seeing no one objected, Uchiha Fugaku nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, we will maintain the original verdict and designate Hatake Kakashi as an A-rank rogue ninja, wanted throughout the entire ninja world."
"I object."
Uchiha Sanpō's sudden voice broke the oppressive silence.
Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly, clearly angered that Sanpō was the first to oppose him.
He narrowed his eyes and suppressed his anger: "Sanpō, if you have any ideas, feel free to speak."
Uchiha Sanpō slowly stood up, let out a deep breath, and said calmly: "The Sarutobi, Shimura, Koharu, and Mitokado clans together have 3,556 ninjas. Supporting these people costs over a billion ryō every month. But taking money without doing any work will make even the daimyō very unhappy."
The newly appointed advisor elder, Nara Shikaku, after weighing the pros and cons, added: "I agree with Sanpō. After these four clans defected to the daimyō, they will inevitably take a large share of the missions. Even without the Kakashi incident, the result would be the same."
The meeting room fell deathly silent. Even breathing sounds became clearly audible.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression grew darker: "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Hyūga Hiashi glanced around and smoothly mediated: "The deaths of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado are actually beneficial to the daimyō. It makes it easier for him to control these two clans. The reason the daimyō demands strict punishment for Kakashi is simply to give these two clans an explanation."
Uchiha Fugaku looked at the crowd, his fingers lightly tapping the table. The slight upward curl at the corner of his mouth showed he was very satisfied with Hyūga Hiashi's analysis.
Hyūga Hiashi continued: "As long as we give the daimyō a way to save face without damaging his dignity… this matter will basically be resolved. The daimyō definitely won't pursue it further. So whether we punish Kakashi or not actually doesn't matter."
The people in the meeting room began whispering again. Various opinions intertwined, and most agreed with Hyūga Hiashi's analysis.
Uchiha Fugaku was silent for a while, then tapped the table rhythmically, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he spoke: "Advisor Hiashi's suggestion is very good. Then how should we handle this matter?"
Hearing that his suggestion had received everyone's approval, the posture of this Hyūga clan head subtly changed.
Hyūga Hiashi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the expressions of the crowd, secretly pleased.
"We will publicly declare: Hatake Kakashi is designated as an A-rank rogue ninja. This way, the daimyō's face is preserved. In reality, we let Kakashi temporarily live under a new identity, for example, Hatake Kakashi East. Once the storm passes, we restore his original identity."
The atmosphere in the meeting room quietly shifted with Hyūga Hiashi's words.
The Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku, slowly relaxed his brows.
He straightened his posture and said in a deep voice: "Advisor Hiashi's plan is excellent. I'll leave this matter to him. If there are no other issues to discuss, meeting adjourned!"
Everyone exchanged glances, then stood up one after another and left the meeting room.
Uchiha Sanpō was about to leave when he heard Uchiha Fugaku call out to him.
"Sanpō, come to my office later. I have something to discuss with you…"
Early access to upcoming chapters is available on Patreon.
Support the translator and binge ahead! patreon.com/arthursink Means a lot – thank you! ✍️