"You…"
Temari hadn't expected Teizawa to come up with an excuse like that.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Even Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, who had been about to speak, got choked up by those words.
Elder Chiyo, who had remained seated the whole time, silently shook her head, her gaze complicated as she looked at Teizawa.
The ninja who had taken part in Teizawa's embezzlement and bribery all let out relieved breaths.
In an instant, they lifted their heads to look at Teizawa, their eyes full of gratitude.
The daimyo's envoy forced down the anger in his chest and said in a low voice, "Teizawa, you need to understand that this sum is enough to keep you in the Land of Wind's prison for the rest of your life. Think carefully before you answer."
"And the daimyo is furious about what you've done. No one has ever dared to challenge the daimyo's authority like this."
"If you cooperate with our investigation and confess every ninja who participated in the embezzlement and bribery…"
"I believe the daimyo will consider reducing your punishment!"
Teizawa's face stayed calm, without the slightest hesitation.
"No one was involved."
"Good. Good. Good…"
The envoy's face flushed red with rage, three "good"s in a row.
He snatched up another document and said coldly, "The three thousand tons of Akimichi clan grilled meat you approved for your subordinates to buy from Konoha last year? You ran it through official accounts, in the name of Sunagakure…"
He bared his teeth. "Don't tell me you ate it all by yourself!"
"Yes." Teizawa nodded again. "I have a very big appetite."
He actually dared to claim he'd eaten it all alone.
The envoy shot to his feet, eyes bloodshot. "Teizawa, are you really going to shoulder every last charge by yourself?"
He was starting to panic…
By the daimyo's orders, this trip to Sunagakure wasn't only about dealing with Teizawa.
It was also meant to "clean up" Sunagakure—to make the village understand who the true master of the Land of Wind was.
But if Teizawa took every bit of blame onto himself… things got tricky.
What, is this guy sick in the head?
"If that's the ending you want to see, then I'll give it to you!"
The envoy was so furious he'd lost his restraint. He barked, "Guards! Take Teizawa to the prison. At daybreak tomorrow, send him to the daimyo's estate for judgment."
"Envoy-sama!"
Hearing that the envoy intended to send Teizawa to the daimyo's estate, Elder Chiyo—who had been sitting to the side listening—snapped her head over and said sharply, "This matter requires further investigation. Don't rush to a final verdict."
Was he joking?
If Teizawa got hauled off to the daimyo's estate, how was the kid supposed to survive?
And did the envoy even understand what Teizawa had done?
He'd hired rogue ninja to kidnap the daimyo's most favored concubine.
Then he'd staged a heroic rescue.
And after that, he'd collected an enormous reward from the daimyo.
None of that was even the real problem.
The real problem was…
After she went back, that concubine started screaming that she wanted to elope with Teizawa…
How could the daimyo possibly swallow that?
The daimyo wasn't some long-suffering saint.
"Elder Chiyo, this case is already perfectly clear."
The envoy waved a hand. "If you weren't dozing off just now, you should've heard everything."
"Teizawa has confessed to the crimes he committed. With the facts this clear, what else is there to discuss?"
He paused, then suddenly rose again, voice like a blade.
"Sunagakure jōnin Teizawa embezzled five billion ryō in public funds and bribed numerous ninja within the village."
"I, on behalf of the Land of Wind Daimyo's Estate, hereby declare: Teizawa is sentenced to death. Tomorrow, he will be escorted to the daimyo's estate for execution!"
The moment the words fell, the Kazekage's office exploded.
Ninja on both sides stepped forward almost simultaneously.
Even Elder Chiyo and Ebizō lurched to their feet, staring at the envoy in disbelief.
"Envoy, you don't have the authority to pass a death sentence on a Sunagakure jōnin!"
"I confess! Since the day I started following Teizawa-jōnin, I've received a total of seven hundred thousand ryō from him!"
"Anyone who tries to take Teizawa-sama away will have to step over my corpse!"
"Teizawa-sama is a good man! If he hadn't supported us all these years, we never would've made it this far. He embezzled for our sake!"
As more and more ninja stood up, the Kazekage's office plunged into chaos.
Several of them even seized the moment to rush to the front—
They were about to take Teizawa and leave by force.
Seeing the room boil over, the envoy went blank. "What are you doing? Do you people have any respect for the daimyo at all…"
He truly couldn't understand.
A ninja who'd embezzled and taken bribes, coerced the daimyo,
Even seduced the daimyo's concubine—
Why were so many people protecting him?
Shouldn't taking him down be justice?
Shouldn't this be restoring righteousness to Sunagakure?
"Ah, sheesh. You're seriously too loud…"
At that moment, Ebizō stood up.
A vast, invisible pressure rolled out with his chakra—
And the entire room fell silent in an instant.
Ebizō didn't even bother lifting his head.
Only after the office quieted did he speak, lazy and unhurried.
"You youngsters are so jumpy. It's noisy."
"Sis, I've got a feeling I won't live through tonight. I'm heading back."
With that, Ebizō didn't hesitate for a second.
He turned and left.
Then Elder Chiyo's sharp eyes swept over every officer present.
She frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "This is the Kazekage's office. No shouting."
"Teizawa's embezzlement and bribery, and his collusion with rogue ninja to commit insubordination and threaten the daimyo, are facts. The chain of evidence is solid."
"If anyone dares to make trouble here, don't blame me for being ruthless."
After tossing out that warning, Chiyo didn't linger either.
She turned and strode after her younger brother Ebizō, leaving the Kazekage's office.
At the same time, the jōnin Baki—Gaara's teacher—glanced at Teizawa, who was now being shielded by several ninja.
Then he turned in silence and walked out as well.
With the two elders gone, and Maki leaving right after them,
Many other ninja got up and filed out too.
In no time at all, the only higher-ups left in the Kazekage's office were Gaara and his siblings, along with the daimyo's envoy.
Temari didn't leave.
When everyone's eyes turned to her, she rose slowly and spoke, measured and steady.
"Envoy, Teizawa's embezzlement, his bribery, and his cooperation with rogue ninja to earn rewards—those are all facts. If you handle it according to the law, we won't object."
"But…"
"He's still one of Sunagakure's own. His crimes… his crimes don't warrant death."
"And you need to understand something. Over the years, he's saved the lives of many of our comrades. Including mine…"
At that, Temari gave Teizawa a complicated look.
Then her gaze shifted to the ninja standing protectively in front of him.
"Everyone, please calm down. Kazekage-sama will give you an explanation. I promise."
The storm eased—because the two elders left in succession,
And because of Temari, the Fifth Kazekage's older sister, speaking those words.
Faced with Temari's special status, and the elders' abnormal reaction,
The envoy didn't say anything else.
But he'd clearly been rattled by the angry crowd of ninja.
Teizawa was only a mere jōnin.
Was this really worth such a dangerous response?
Once he'd cooled off, he stopped running his mouth.
He only ordered Teizawa to be taken to the dungeon to await further proceedings.
And with that, the tribunal against Teizawa came to a quiet end.
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