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Chapter 16 Four Asumas
"Whether it's slander or not, neither you nor I can say for sure; only evidence matters." Uchiha Touhuan's expression turned cold. "By the way, you've come at the right time. According to your accomplice, Shimura Retsuto, you were also involved in Shimura Danzo's theft of a fellow villager's bloodline limit. Security Department, arrest the suspect, Shimura Hiro!"
As soon as Uchiha Touhuan finished speaking, several Uchiha clan ninjas rushed out from the security department behind him, intending to apprehend Shimura Hiro on the spot.
"Uchiha Touhuan!" Utatane Koharu, accustomed to her high position, immediately shouted angrily when she saw Uchiha Touhuan showing her no respect and attempting to arrest someone in front of her.
"I'm listening." Uchiha Touhuan raised his head, looking down at her from the security department's steps.
"How dare you do this? Who gave you the authority to arrest someone?" Utatane Koharu questioned.
"Good question!" Uchiha Touhuan shouted, drawing his long sword. Two flashes of Lightning Release grazed past the two advisors, landing at Shimura Hiroshi's feet. The explosion from the lightning chakra forced back the Shimura clan ninjas who tried to advance, knocking Shimura Hiroshi to the ground. Members of the Uchiha Security Department swarmed in and subdued him in an instant.
"You ask me who gave me the authority to arrest him? Well, I'll tell you," Uchiha Touhuan slowly descended the steps to the two advisors. "That night, faced with Shimura Danzo's crimes, it was the Third Hokage who entrusted the entire investigation to the Uchiha clan. Is that reason enough?"
"The Second Hokage established the Security Department and entrusted the Uchiha clan with this important task precisely to protect the village and eliminate a cancerous group like Shimura Danzo who would harm their own comrades for personal gain! Is that reason enough?"
Uchiha Touhuan approached Koharu Utatane, bowed towards the Hokage Rock, and stared intently at her: "If Advisor Utatane feels this isn't enough, then isn't the vow made by the First Hokage at the founding of the village—to protect every comrade in every village—enough?"
"Today, it's not that I want to arrest him, but that the 11,000 ninja and 85,000 civilians of Konoha Village in the Land of Fire cannot tolerate such a cancer!"
"Uchiha Touhuan, you!" Mitokado Homura, standing nearby, wanted to say something, but Uchiha Touhuan had already brought up the First Hokage; what could he say?
The Security Department had posted notices recruiting civilian ninjas for two days, and quite a few ninjas had come to apply, hoping to give it a try. This scene attracted many civilian ninjas to stop and watch.
"So the Uchiha clan also has a sense of justice. It seems the rumors in the village aren't entirely true." These civilian ninjas huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.
"The Shimura clan deserves it. They've always been arrogant in the village, relying on their clan's power. They never expected to run into such a tough opponent."
The Shimura clan's reputation in the village wasn't much better than the Uchiha clan's, so the commoners naturally gloated at their misfortune.
"As for the two advisors, what are you trying to cover up by coming here in such a large group?" Uchiha Touhuan looked at the two advisors with a scrutinizing gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I've heard that the two advisors have a close relationship with Danzo."
"Shut up, Uchiha Touhuan! Don't spout nonsense!" Mitokado Homura shouted angrily. "I will report today's events to the Hokage truthfully."
"Go ahead!" Uchiha Touhuan snorted coldly, then turned and walked into the security headquarters without looking back.
"What are you two advisors still doing here? Do you expect us to escort you back?" Uchiha Fugaku then spoke up.
"Hmph." Having failed to gain any favor, the two advisors could only snort coldly and leave in the face of the strange looks from the surrounding civilian ninjas. After Shimura Hiroshi was dragged into the interrogation room, the three Shimura clan members all looked terrified. They had thought their clan leader had come with two advisors to rescue them, but instead, they were trapped.
"Take good care of our clan leader Shimura," Uchiha Touhuan ordered as he tossed Shimura Hiroshi into the interrogation room like a dead dog. "Be careful not to get any blood on him, lest we offend the spirits of our clan elders at the funeral tonight."
"Yes!" the clan members in the security unit replied in unison.
After arranging everything, Uchiha Touhuan left the security unit. To escort the Sharingan eyes that had been humiliated by Shimura Danzo back
to the clan shrine, the Uchiha clan also held a small-scale clan funeral. "Clan leader, besides the Shimura, Mitomon, and Utatane clans, all the other clans have sent funeral gifts," Uchiha Inaho rushed over to report to Uchiha Touhuan after he arrived at the clan shrine.
"I understand. Go and invite Elder Fugaku over," Uchiha Touhuan said.
"Understood," Uchiha Inahime nodded and left.
Afterwards, Uchiha Touhuan went to the area where the funeral offerings were being held.
Upon arriving at the area where the Yamanaka clan's funeral was taking place, he didn't rush to open it, but waited until Uchiha Fugaku arrived before starting to unpack it.
The top layer of the funeral offerings contained only ordinary items. However, upon opening the top layer, one could see gleaming gold and two village land deeds.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes lit up, and he looked at Uchiha Touhuan: "Is this the money you got?"
Uchiha Touhuan nodded, carefully counted the money, and frowned slightly: "This isn't enough."
Saying this, Uchiha Touhuan frowned and opened the funeral offerings of the Akimichi and Nara clans nearby, their contents identical to those of the Yamanaka clan.
"This is a warning to us." Uchiha Touhuan sneered as he tallied the value of everything. The total value of the gifts from the three clans was exactly 140 million ryo, or four Asuma. This was the protection money the Yamanaka clan paid to the Uchiha clan in the Danzo matter.
However, the meaning of the three clans sending the gifts together was crystal clear: a warning to the Uchiha clan to stop here. With the three clans working together, they had no fear of the Uchiha clan.
"Hmph, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?" Uchiha Fugaku sneered.
"It doesn't matter. The three clans aren't worth much to win over. Getting money from them is already a pleasant surprise." Uchiha Touhuan wasn't annoyed. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had maintained a close relationship with the Sarutobi clan since the Warring States period. Each generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho clan swore an oath with earrings in the presence of the current Sarutobi clan leader. Therefore, Uchiha Touhuan had never had any expectations of winning them over.
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(End of Chapter)