The reason Sarutobi Hiruzen was so enraged was simple—the contents of the so-called "interrogation report" were utterly absurd.
Assaulting fellow Konoha shinobi, peeping on female villagers during bath time, kicking in the doors of widows at night, and even dumping trash into the graves of fallen clans...
According to this report, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had committed nearly every petty, perverse, and disgraceful act imaginable.
Any rational person could see it was a blatant smear job—a fabrication, a frame-up without even an attempt at subtlety.
But this was exactly what Uchiha Byakuya wanted.
In the past, Byakuya might have hesitated to provoke the Third Hokage directly. But now things were different—he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. His power had grown immensely, and with that came boldness.
What Byakuya sought now was anger. The more Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury grew, the more negative energy Byakuya could absorb—fuel for his strange, otherworldly ability.
"How could this not be true? Sarutobi Shinnosuke admitted to everything himself," Byakuya declared coldly. "And the entire Konoha Police Force can confirm it."
As his words fell, Uchiha En and several other members of the Police Force stepped forward.
"Lord Byakuya speaks the truth. We were present during the confession."
"To think the Hokage's son could stoop so low…"
"What kind of example has the Hokage set for him?"
"I've even heard rumors that Lord Hokage himself has a habit of peeking…"
"Wait… could he have seen me during my last hot spring visit?!"
The murmurs among the Uchiha spread quickly—some sincere, others clearly exaggerated, all designed to sow doubt.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned crimson with fury.
[Ding—You have triggered Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger. +600 negative energy. Illusion +10]
[Ding—Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury continues. +700 negative energy. Ninjutsu +7]
"Excellent," Byakuya muttered under his breath, lips curling slightly. Then he gave a subtle nod toward Uchiha En.
"That's enough!" Hiruzen roared, silencing the crowd. "What exactly are you trying to do, Uchiha clan!?"
He feared the longer they were allowed to speak, the more slander would be hurled onto his family name. The situation was already spiraling out of control.
"What are we doing?" Byakuya responded, feigning innocence. "We are the Konoha Military Police. We are protecting the village—and upholding the Will of Fire."
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke betrayed that Will. He must face justice."
"What I want to know, Lord Hokage," Byakuya continued, his tone darkening as he unsheathed the ninjatō on his back, "is why you brought a squad of Anbu here, to the Uchiha compound. What exactly are you planning?"
Uchiha En and the others mirrored Byakuya's actions—swords drawn, eyes glowing red with activated Sharingan.
Tension thickened. Dozens of crimson eyes glared down Sarutobi Hiruzen and his Anbu escort. One false move, and the compound could erupt into bloodshed.
"Hokage-sama… we must be cautious…" one of the masked Anbu whispered, gripping their weapon tightly.
Even for elite shinobi, being surrounded by multiple high-level Sharingan wielders was no trivial matter.
"Stand down!" Hiruzen ordered sharply, raising his hand. "Everyone lower your weapons. This is Konoha."
He inhaled deeply, restraining the fury still burning behind his calm façade. Now was not the time for civil war. Konoha needed the Uchiha—at least for now.
"Uchiha Byakuya… you've done well," Hiruzen said slowly. "The Police Force is doing what it was created to do—maintain order."
The compliment was hollow, laced with diplomacy. No one in the room believed the words carried real warmth.
"It's all for the good of Konoha. All for the Will of Fire," Byakuya replied, bowing slightly.
Hiruzen's mouth twitched in irritation. That line was his trademark, and now Byakuya was throwing it back at him with the subtlety of a kunai to the face.
"Very well," Hiruzen continued. "Sarutobi Shinnosuke may be guilty of serious offenses… and as such, I request that the Anbu take custody of him."
"We have… more advanced interrogation methods. We may yet learn something useful."
Everyone in the room knew the real reason. Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted his son removed from Uchiha custody and protected—whether guilty or not.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't respond immediately.
"Hokage-sama speaks wisely…" he said at last. "Perhaps… turning him over is for the best."
But inwardly, Byakuya smiled.
He'd already achieved what he wanted.
"However, our Uchiha clan lacks funding..."
"Hokage-sama, what should we do?"
Byakuya stared calmly at Sarutobi Hiruzen, his Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotating as he spoke.
After the prolonged interrogation, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was slumped in the corner, his chakra nearly depleted, his body battered. Byakuya had wrung every drop of negative energy from him.
Now that Shinnosuke no longer served any purpose, Byakuya decided to exploit what was left—his political value.
He would use Sarutobi Hiruzen's son as leverage.
"Tch..."
Hiruzen silently cursed in his heart.
What does the Uchiha clan's funding crisis have to do with handing over Shinnosuke to the ANBU?
It was blatant extortion. Byakuya wasn't even trying to hide it.
Hiruzen's hands clenched under his robes. He wanted nothing more than to unleash a jutsu and end this farce.
But he couldn't. Not yet.
He had to save his son first.
The Uchiha clan could be dealt with later—quietly, politically.
Swallowing his pride, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a practiced smile.
"The Uchiha clan has long been a pillar of Konoha..."
"If you're in difficulty, it's only right that the village lend support. After all, we all share the Will of Fire."
He paused, keeping his voice calm.
"How much funding are we talking about?"
Byakuya acted as if he was considering. Then he spoke with a light smile.
"Let's start with... 100 million ryō."
"...One hundred million?"
Hiruzen's composure cracked.
That wasn't just excessive—it was absurd.
Even A-rank missions barely reached several million. Only S-rank missions with extreme risk ever broke the 10-million barrier.
And here Byakuya was, demanding ten times that.
"What's wrong, Hokage-sama? Not willing?"
Byakuya tilted his head slightly, voice laced with mockery.
"It's all for the good of Konoha, for the Will of Fire... isn't it?"
"You—!"
Hiruzen's expression twisted.
To hear his Will of Fire twisted into a weapon of blackmail—it was humiliating.
This wasn't a negotiation. It was mockery.
[Ding! Feeling Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger, +100 negative energy, Taijutsu +9...]
[Ding! Feeling Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger, +200 negative energy, Chakra +8...]
[Ding! Feeling Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger, +300 negative energy, Genjutsu +10...]