Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window of his office, watching as the ANBU mobilized under Ryoma's command.
Even Minato had been dispatched.
One by one, masked figures appeared at the doors of every household, task lists in hand, carefully recording information about each shinobi in Konoha.
These lists stretched back decades—evidence tied to the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans. For years, their shinobi had manipulated mission assessments and falsified records.
And it wasn't just the ANBU. Hidden members of the Uzumaki and Senju clans, who had long blended into Konoha under new identities, now stepped out of the shadows to act.
For the first time in years, Sarutobi felt the true weight of the Senju and Uzumaki's hidden strength. They had lacked a unifying figure. But now… that man had appeared.
The image of young Ryoma flashed in Hiruzen's mind.
"It's good to be young," he thought, suddenly feeling old.
On the streets, villagers and shinobi curiously questioned the ANBU.
"What are you recording? Is someone about to be arrested?"
But the ANBU replied coldly:
"Today we are documenting the last twenty years of corruption—the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans have falsified promotions, stolen battle merits, impersonated mission participants, and bought or sold assignments. These records will serve as evidence against them."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
For years, rumors had circulated. Other clans had dabbled in such practices, but none had gone as far as these three. Their unchecked growth had allowed them to overshadow even the once-mighty Senju and Uzumaki, with whispers they might soon rival the Hyūga and Uchiha.
And yet… no one had ever punished them.
Now, suddenly, the ANBU were striking?
So it wasn't impossible—it simply wasn't time.
Victims began to step forward, trembling as old wounds resurfaced.
"When I fought in the Second Shinobi War, I completed three A-rank missions in the Rain Country, killed five chūnin and over ten genin. My name was replaced! In the end, my so-called promotion went to someone from the Mitokado clan!"
"I bled on the Iron Country frontlines, finished an A-rank mission, then another in the Wind Country—barely survived with permanent injuries. My credit was stolen too! After all that, I only made chūnin, and had to retire broken!"
Listening to these testimonies, even the ANBU's hands shook with fury.
The corruption of the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans was deeper than anyone realized.
When clan members of the three families heard whispers of the investigation, they panicked.
"Who gave you the right to inspect us?!" one of them demanded, seizing an ANBU by the arm.
The ANBU drew his blade without hesitation.
"Hokage's orders. Interfere—and you die."
A spray of blood hit the cobblestones.
The three clans froze in shock. Never before had the ANBU treated them this way.
What was happening in Konoha?
Runners sprinted back to their clan heads. The sky above Konoha is about to change!
Danzo stormed out of the Shimura compound, his expression dark, only to find Orochimaru waiting with ANBU at his back.
"Orochimaru, what is the meaning of this?" Danzo demanded.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with menace.
"Nothing personal, Danzo-sama. This is an order from Ryoma."
"Ryoma's order? Hmph. When did you become his lapdog?"
Orochimaru's smile turned cold.
"Be careful what you call me. Everything I do is for Konoha—not personal ambition."
Danzo sneered and brushed past him.
Elsewhere, Homura Mitokado and Masao Utatane also emerged from their compounds, faces grim as they headed for the Hokage Building.
Down below, the plaza was filled with furious shinobi—victims of the three clans' corruption.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped out to face them.
"Calm yourselves. I, too, have just received evidence. Some families have falsified promotions, stolen missions, and corrupted the system. Such actions undermine the very foundation of Konoha."
He raised a hand for silence.
"We will pursue every lead, expose every truth, and punish the guilty—no matter who they are. Konoha will not tolerate corruption!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
Outwardly, Hiruzen had secured the people's trust. Inwardly, his brow furrowed.
By siding with Ryoma, he was tearing ties with his old comrades—Danzo, Homura, and Masao. But what choice did he have? The evidence was irrefutable.
Strength ruled the shinobi world. And Ryoma had both the power and the support of hidden clans at his back.
Not far away, Danzo, Homura, and Masao watched the scene unfold. Their faces were ashen.
"So many people…" Masao whispered.
"What now?" Homura asked grimly.
"…We go back," Danzo muttered.
But before they could turn, Ryoma appeared before them, Minato at his side.
"Shimura Danzo. Homura Mitokado. Masao Utatane. You are under suspicion of corruption. By order of the ANBU, you will come with us for questioning."
Masao trembled. "How dare you! Ryoma, what right do you have to interrogate us?!"
Before Hiruzen's name could leave his lips, Ryoma vanished in a blur and drove Masao into the ground with a brutal kick.
Bang!
Minato's eyes widened, but his heart burned with admiration.
Ryoma feared no authority. Not even clan heads could hide behind titles.
That's the kind of resolve I need to learn, Minato thought.
Ryoma said calmly, his tone sharp as steel:
"If you see this order and still dare defy the Hokage's will, don't blame me for being merciless!"
"Ryoma, you dare speak so boldly!"
"Aren't you afraid of causing outrage, treating us elders—who have contributed so much to Konoha—like this?"
"Have you no respect for us at all…?"
By now, the crowd had noticed the commotion where Ryoma stood.
"Over there—it's Danzo and Homura Mitokado! Are the ANBU running errands? Don't tell me they're trying to arrest them?"
"No way… Hokage-sama, is this for real?! Wait—who's that fat man on the ground being trampled?"
"Let me see… that's Masao Utatane, the younger brother of Koharu, head of the Utatane clan!"
"What the—?! Someone actually dared step on the clan head of the Utatane family?!"
"Look, beside him is that blond kid—Minato Namikaze, the rising star of Konoha, second only to Lord Ryoma in reputation!"
"Lord Ryoma… yes, I've heard of him. Isn't he the one who killed the Third Mizukage?"
"Exactly! And he even cut down members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the equivalent of our ANBU elites! Look—that black-haired man stepping on Masao is none other than Lord Ryoma!"
"You can't be serious!"
"I swear it's true! I once saw Lord Ryoma with my own eyes. He's kind, approachable—even as head of the Administration Department, he personally helped me resolve a sewer problem at my home that had been ignored for five years. The day he took office, he came himself!"
"Yes, yes! Lord Ryoma is truly close to the people. He even mediated a land dispute between my family and our neighbors fairly and without delay. If it had been the old Administration Department, we'd still be waiting until the end of time!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been basking in the admiration of Konoha's shinobi moments earlier. But suddenly, the voices of the crowd shifted, turning into praise for Ryoma.
What's going on?
Why were they suddenly exalting Ryoma?
He's only been in office for two days—and he's already captured the people's hearts?
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the commotion.
And then he saw it—Ryoma and Minato standing side by side, moving to arrest Danzo and Homura Mitokado, while Masao Utatane lay crushed under Ryoma's heel.
"What is this madness?!"
Sarutobi hurried forward, only to hear the furious voices of the shinobi echoing in the square—condemning Danzo, Homura, and Masao.
Ryoma finally lifted his foot off Masao and handed him over to Minato, shrugging indifferently.
"I warned you to come quietly, but you refused. Now that so many comrades of Konoha are watching, we'll hold a public interrogation right here in the square."
Danzo's face twisted with rage.
"Presumptuous! Ryoma, who gave you this authority?!"
Ryoma's eyes were cold as he answered,
"The law is clear: a clan head who breaks it is no different from any commoner."
The words struck like thunder. The crowd roared in unison:
"A clan head who breaks the law is guilty like any commoner!"
"A clan head who breaks the law is guilty like any commoner!"
"A clan head who breaks the law is guilty like any commoner!"
Danzo's expression froze. The tide of voices shook him to his core, a sense of dread gnawing at him.
Homura Mitokado, face dark, suddenly flared with chakra. From his body burst the malevolent, blue chakra of the Two-Tails, its fury gnawing at his reason.
"You insolent wretches! Do you really think you're worthy to interrogate me?!" he roared, half-transformed into a tailed-beast state.
Suddenly—
A quiet sigh.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was forced to act.
The Enma Staff grew in his hands, and with a mighty swing, it smashed directly into Homura's half-beast head.
Bang!
The impact shook the square. Homura screamed, staggered back, and was about to lash out again when Enma multiplied, splitting into dozens of staff-shafts, forming a prison cube around him.
Sarutobi's face was grim.
"Homura Mitokado! Calm yourself! Restrain him and bring him back immediately!"
...
TN:
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