Everyone was stunned.
If earlier Torifu's words seemed like a defense of Hiruzen, in truth, they were a subtle jab at him. But now, Fukuyama was outright cursing him to his face.
Scoundrel, beast, parasite...
What kind of savage language was this?
Sure enough, Hiruzen's expression visibly darkened. He stared coldly at Fukuyama and said, "Are you implying something with your words?"
"Am I?" Fukuyama replied with a confused look. "I just think you deserve some justice. Or did I express myself poorly, causing you to misunderstand?"
Hiruzen didn't dwell on the matter and instead asked, "Investigate? I have no objection. But how? Who will investigate? If someone with ulterior motives is put in charge, they could stir up trouble even if there wasn't any to begin with."
"Exactly!" Torifu clapped in agreement. "Which is why I think this should be done like this…"
Seeing everyone's attention on him, he continued, "We absolutely can't let just one person investigate. A specialized investigation team must be formed. And every member of the team should be a person of high moral standing. The group should work together and supervise each other to ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Oh?" Hiruzen asked, "Do you already have candidates in mind?"
"Of course!" Torifu replied. "The Hyūga clan leader, being the leader of Konoha's second most prominent clan, is certainly a respected figure. I recommend him as one of the team members."
Ryohei was momentarily dumbfounded when Torifu called him out by name.
What the hell does this have to do with me? Why are you dragging me into your political struggle?
And what's this about the second most prominent clan? Who decided we were second? Say it clearly!
His face was extremely unpleasant to look at, but after seeing Fukuyama looking smug and justified, he decided to swallow his anger for now.
Ignoring Ryohei's reaction and without waiting for Hiruzen to speak, Torifu continued, "Next, Homura, as an elder, has worked hard and served diligently. He's careful and patient by nature, so naturally, he should be included too."
His back-to-back recommendations left everyone stunned.
Wait, is Torifu really unaware or just pretending? Aren't both of those people Hiruzen's men?
Even though many clans didn't get involved in Konoha's political power struggle, things were now so clear that no one could claim ignorance.
"I wonder if you are satisfied with these two candidates I've proposed?" Torifu didn't even look at Ryohei or Homura and directed his question at Hiruzen, who sneered inwardly, but his expression remained neutral.
"These two are fair and just, so naturally, I have no objections. But didn't you say you wanted to form a team? Does that mean just these two?"
"Of course not." Torifu, uncharacteristically assertive, continued, "The team I envision will have five members. Besides the two I've just mentioned, I also recommend Fukuyama. As the leader of Konoha's most powerful clan, he is certainly highly respected."
Ryohei: ...@#￥%…WTF…&§()&§!!!
"As for the fourth member, I originally wanted to recommend Koharu, but since this matter involves her, she should recuse herself. As for myself, though unworthy, I'm willing to take up this responsibility and join the team. And the fifth member, naturally, should be Tsunade. She hasn't had a day of rest for the past ten-plus days because of this issue. Her involvement is what the people want. With the five of us leading the investigation, supported by a group of medical ninja and resource production ninja, we'll carry out a thorough investigation."
"I wonder what you think?"
"Very well!" Hiruzen agreed without hesitation.
He knew that appointing only his own people would be inappropriate. Including people from both factions would help avoid infighting and ensure this otherwise uncontroversial issue wouldn't turn into a mess. However, deep down, he was already filled with resentment.
Torifu, huh?
Look at how smug you are, as if you're the Hokage!
Very well. Once this matter is settled, it'll be your turn next.
---
In front of Konoha's strategic warehouse, inside the tent Tsunade had set up. At this moment, Shin was leisurely making tea, then handed a cup to Tsunade.
He didn't really know how to appreciate tea, but his posture and demeanor were convincing enough to fool others.
"Whew…" After taking a sip and exhaling deeply, Tsunade asked Shin, "You really haven't gone in to inspect the warehouse?"
"I really haven't." Shin smiled. "The warehouse's barrier was jointly created by Tobirama and Ashina. It's quite complex. To avoid alerting anyone, I didn't attempt to break the barrier or sneak in to inspect or tamper with anything."
"Then how can you be so sure there's a problem inside?" Tsunade asked, still looking worried. "Didn't you say the supplies inside were replenished?"
"Hiruzen did make one good point," Shin chuckled. "Information is king. During the six months you were working part-time in the Medical Department, I wasn't doing nothing. I've been planning today's trap for quite a while. There's no way I'd allow it to fail."
"But if nothing is missing from the supplies… then where exactly is the issue?" Tsunade still looked uneasy.
"The quality," Shin explained.
Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean they used substandard materials? That they sent low-quality supplies and medicine into the strategic storage?"
"Alright, they'll be here soon, I've got to go," Shin said. "It's not appropriate for me to be here. If I'm going to show up, I need to do it as one of the bystanders. Hiruzen probably thinks he has it all under control right now. He'll definitely put on a show, just play along."
"I'm off."
Before Tsunade could say anything else, Shin had already vanished, and just then, she heard a commotion outside the tent.
Then someone shouted from outside, "Lady Tsunade, the Hokage has sent people to investigate the warehouse. Please come out."
When she lifted the tent flap and stepped outside, Tsunade saw Hiruzen arriving at the warehouse entrance with a large group of people.
Upon seeing Tsunade, Hiruzen immediately stepped forward and said with concern, "Tsunade, you've worked hard!"
Tsunade, however, showed no warmth and replied coldly, "There's no hardship when it's for Konoha."
"Well said!" Hiruzen praised loudly. "If everyone in Konoha were like you, how could the village not flourish?"
"But…" He raised his voice, sounding a bit heartbroken. "You really could've just spoken to me. There was no need to act so impulsively. Like you said, if no issue is found, you'll go guard the borders for three years and no longer involve yourself in Konoha's affairs. That's far too rash. To say something like that… Do you actually want to find a problem? Wouldn't it be better if there wasn't one?"