"Shimura Danzō, don't forget—aside from being Minister of Education and Head of the Mission Office, I am still a registered jōnin of Konoha!"
"This is a Jōnin Council. Even if you strip me of every last title, I still have the right to speak!"
Hiruzen had made up his mind. No more circling around. No more half-measures.
If Danzō wanted a confrontation, he would have one.
The meaning was clear:
Remove everything from me if you like. I will still stand here and challenge you.
Danzō narrowed his lone eye.
He understood.
Push further, and the backlash would not be small.
Most of the room consisted of ordinary jōnin—men and women with no political office, no inherited influence. Clan heads had only sent a few representatives. The majority here were rank-and-file elites.
By positioning himself as "just another jōnin," Hiruzen had subtly aligned himself with them.
If Danzō silenced him—
Would the next voice silenced be theirs?
Even if they did not openly defend Hiruzen, resentment would take root.
And once hearts scatter, no army can be led cleanly.
Danzō had to allow him to speak.
But that did not mean he would make it easy.
"Very well… Sarutobi… Jōnin."
His tone was glacial.
"I have never forbidden you to speak. I merely ask that you choose your words carefully."
"This is an important assembly. Influential figures from across the village are present."
"You address me by name alone, without even the courtesy of 'Elder Shimura.' Have you shown the slightest respect for the office of Village Elder and Hokage Advisor?"
"Do you believe you are still Hokage?"
"And even if you were—would you not owe your colleagues the most basic respect?"
Hiruzen's fists tightened.
His molars ached from clenching.
Once the Third Hokage—now reduced to being publicly corrected over etiquette.
Had he been a transmigrator from some other world, he might have roared, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—do not mock the old!'
But this was no novel bravado.
This was humiliation.
"I agree with Elder Shimura."
A smooth voice cut in.
Uchiha Jin smiled lightly.
"Konoha is not a bandit's den. Personal familiarity is one thing, but in formal settings, titles matter."
"Especially while on duty."
He spread his hands innocently.
"I'm not targeting anyone. I'm simply thinking of the village's future."
"For example—Elder Mito Menma currently serves as Minister of Finance, and his son also holds a position in the Finance Office."
"If they greet each other as 'Father' and 'Son' in the workplace, those unaware might think the Finance Office belongs to the Mito clan."
A wave of subtle glances turned toward Mito Menma.
Everyone knew.
But knowing quietly and hearing it spoken aloud were two very different things.
Rumors could grow legs.
Menma's face flushed crimson.
He slammed the table.
"Uchiha Jin! What are you implying? You dare speak of me? The Police Force is entirely staffed by your Uchiha clan! Why not admit that the Military Police is your family's private estate?"
Jin shrugged casually.
"But it is."
"Clan-owned. Hokage-sanctioned. A privilege granted by the village."
Menma nearly choked.
The Police Force's structure was an open secret. No one contested it because it was officially endorsed.
But the Finance Office?
That was another matter.
If whispers spread, certain chairs might suddenly need to be vacated.
"Enough, Minister Uchiha."
Koharu intervened sharply.
"The Finance Office appoints based on merit. There is nothing improper."
"Elder Mito has served this village diligently for decades. What exactly are you implying?"
Jin's gaze remained calm.
"I merely stated a fact. Are you suggesting the Uchiha clan harbors ill intent toward the village?"
Koharu snorted.
"I do not know what the Uchiha clan intends. But recently, you have certainly overstepped."
She shifted gears with surgical precision.
"Let us set aside your targeting of Elder Mito."
"What explanation do you have for seizing the subsidy funds allocated to Konoha by the Fire Daimyō?"
The room erupted.
"What?! The Uchiha seized the Daimyō's subsidy funds?"
"When did this happen?"
"Why have we heard nothing of this?"
"What exactly are they planning?"
The Fire Daimyō's subsidies concerned every shinobi present—relief payments, reconstruction, stipends.
This was not abstract politics.
This was rice in their bowls.
Every gaze turned toward Uchiha Jin.
Koharu folded her hands calmly.
She had lit the fuse and stepped back.
Originally, she, Menma, and Hiruzen had agreed not to raise this issue yet. The plan had been to secure Namikaze Minato's election first—claim the moral high ground—then negotiate from a position of authority.
But Jin had cornered Menma.
She had needed a diversion.
Now the bomb had gone off.
The question was simple—
How would Uchiha Jin respond?
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