The bloody palace was deathly silent!
Even the Minister of State, who had deep ties with the Hyuga Clan, turned pale, seemingly nauseated. Though the courtiers and nobles were not decent people, at their worst they were merely corrupt—such a gory scene at such close quarters was still rare.
The Guardian Ninjas who rushed out from the rear upon the outbreak of conflict stood firm before the high seat facing the Konoha ninja, but their faces darkened, too stunned by the intimidation of witnessing a killing in front of the sovereign to take further action.
As for the nobles themselves, each calculating his own interests internally, their expressions could truly be described as all sorts of ridiculous sight.
Some looked terrified and couldn't sit still; others felt their stomachs churning and vomited on the spot; worse yet, some simply fainted dead away—these over-the-top reactions fit the stereotype of useless, gluttonous nobles to a tee.
However, among them were those sharp-minded enough to recover from shock, beginning to ponder the implications behind Soushu Hyuga's twisted words.
Though it had been outrageous indeed to publicly denounce daimyo-affiliated samurai dressed as Guardian Ninja as rebels, wasn't it actually also providing a way out?
It might be an uncomfortable step, but still acceptable. Otherwise, nobody would've known how the daimyo could respond after witnessing Konoha ninja commit murder right in court.
In short, what these nobles truly hoped now was that the daimyo would accept this convenient excuse! At worst, later on the Hokage himself could just apologize over a few cups of sake. What's the big deal? There's no need to escalate things so seriously.
After all, eighty billion out of that hundred-billion military fund was tied up in their interests!
Yet, the daimyo seated high behind the curtains showed no visible reaction, sitting as still as a wooden idol, giving absolutely no response to Soushu Hyuga's provoking words.
As the stench of blood spread outward, faint unrest stirred outside the hall, though under the Inner Minister's strict control, there hadn't been any further rash actions yet.
Some of the nobles began feeling anxious, mentally calculating how many private troops and retainers they each had, whether enough were available, and if there'd be time to mobilize them.
Meanwhile, disregarding any misunderstanding this might cause the daimyo, the Minister of State began whispering urgently with Hizashi Hyuga.
The atmosphere inside the hall grew heavier by the minute, expressions on the nobles increasingly peculiar, while even the Konoha ninjas started showing signs of unease.
They couldn't just go replacing the daimyo so quickly—not until everyone's interests were squared away!
"Murdering within the palace walls is nothing short of regicide!"
Finally, a blond male Guardian Ninja, obviously their leader, spoke up slowly.
But his words caused the Konoha ninjas to reach toward their Ninja Tool Pouches.
"Soushu Hyuga, you're only a newly promoted Tokubetsu Jonin. You shouldn't be acting so arrogantly."
The blond man ignored the killing intent radiating from the Konoha ninjas and continued, "If you tell us who's pulling your strings, maybe we can show leniency!"
"You actually remembered my name? Touching."
Soushu Hyuga raised one eyebrow slightly, eyes narrowing momentarily.
"So there really was someone pulling your strings behind this treason?"
The blond Guardian Ninja lightly brushed the flame-patterned sash at his waist, his tone turning grim: "That's a crime that could implicate an entire clan!"
This accusation hurled forward made even Hizashi Hyuga—who had been discussing post-conflict arrangements with the Minister of State—immediately change expressions.
This was outright intimidation against the Hyuga Clan!
Even Danzo extended his hands from beneath his sleeves, gathering Wind Release chakra at his fingertips, his eyes openly revealing killing intent.
"Clang!"
Provoked by intense murderous aura, Guardian Ninjas drew their weapons.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
At the same time, blades flashed among Konoha ninjas too!
In nearly an instant, the hall transformed from tense confrontation into sword-pointing standoff, just one step away from open violence.
"Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!!"
At the Inner Minister's signal, group after group of fully-armored samurai rushed into the hall—but merely scattered themselves to protect various courtiers and nobles.
Everyone in the Daimyo's court knew well about the close relationship between the Inner Minister and Uchiha Clan.
Thus, it was obvious whom these precautions were aimed at.
Expressions of Guardian Ninjas turned even grimmer!
"Do you even know what it means when a ninja loses his temper?"
Slowly lifting the torch pole in his hand toward the high seat, Soushu Hyuga bellowed:
"You're just another Branch House dog bowing your head to the floor!"
Equally fierce killing intent shone in the blond Guardian Ninja's eyes!
"Within seven feet, all become enemies; Let corpses fall, and the nation shall mourn in white!"
Chakra began surging across Soushu Hyuga's body. Silently, his Byakugan activated—the dense blue veins at the corner of his eyes extending quietly behind his ears.
Hizashi Hyuga, standing nearby, wanted to say something, but the Minister of State gently tugged at his sleeve, making him fall silent instead.
Finally, the Daimyo seated above shifted slightly.
Here we go!
Courtiers, already tightly watching the Daimyo's every move while being protected by samurai, immediately became alert upon seeing this.
"As head of the ninja forces, failure to monitor properly and maintain discipline deserves punishment."
The Daimyo's commanding voice rang through the hall once again.
However, the assembled Guardian Ninjas felt as if they had been drenched in icy water during midwinter—stunned speechless on the spot!
"You shall take responsibility for this. Your wife and daughters will be taken into palace custody."
And the Daimyo's second sentence hit even harder—like divine retribution upon the blond Guardian Ninja who had instigated the escalation. His previously cold and rigid expression instantly collapsed; his straight spine bent as though broken.
Serves him right!
Instead of sharing any sense of mutual grief, the courtiers collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, aside from their impact on Konoha itself, the Daimyo's Guardian Ninjas also posed a threat to courtiers who couldn't afford personal ninja guards.
Especially this aggressive faction of Guardians led by the blond male—they had long been thorns in the eyes of the nobility!
After all, theoretically speaking, the Hidden Leaf Village stood beyond the political reach of the Land of Fire, providing service impartially in exchange for payment—something everyone found convenient to use. But if the radical Guardians led by the blond male had their way—and placed themselves directly under the Daimyo's command—then the comfortable lives of these noble lords would certainly come to an end!
After all, it was just about eliminating a warrior from the Land of Iron who had initiated the provocation. Before the Daimyo even spoke, this inner court Guardian Ninja took the initiative to interfere. Not only did he fail to intimidate the Konoha ninja, but he escalated the situation beyond control. If he didn't die, then who should?
Moreover, this time it's an important national matter jointly advanced by Konoha ninja clans and the Daimyo's court! A simple affair like an in-court killing was no more than a passing episode—how could a lowly court Guardian Ninja, whose rank didn't even measure up to that of a common warrior, dare to interfere?
"I—"
The Blond Guardian Ninja's lips trembled, unable to speak a complete sentence for a long time.
But then he gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and began gathering chakra in his palm.
"Father!"
A young boy among the Guardian Ninjas, sporting identical blond hair, cried out in alarm.
"When the lord is shamed, the loyal servant must die!"
The Blond Guardian Ninja bellowed, then struck his chest with mighty force.
"Pu!"
A mouthful of blood spurted out as the light of life vanished from his eyes.
Captain Uchiha shoved aside the Guardian Ninja standing before him and stepped forward. He felt for signs of life at the nose of the Blond Guardian Ninja who had taken his own life yet still lay there with wide-open eyes. After briefly examining him with secret techniques, he finally bowed deeply toward the high-seated Daimyo.
"Reporting, Your Majesty — the accused has taken his own life before judgment!"
This act essentially took partial responsibility onto the Uchiha Clan itself.
Hizashi Hyuga couldn't help but cast several surprised glances at Soushu Hyuga, puzzled about when he had established such deep connections with the Uchiha Clan.
"Good! Good! Good!"
The Daimyo's crane-like voice grew sharper while the expression beneath the curtain became distorted: "Since that's settled—"
"Minister of Treasury!"
"Yes!"
One of the courtiers below, who was in charge of managing the imperial treasury, immediately pushed aside the samurai beside him and stepped forward.
The real moment has arrived!
Even the Minister of State couldn't help but catch his breath—he had taken 3.5 billion out of the total 80 billion ryo in the special reward!
"Allot one hundred billion ryo from the imperial treasury as Special Military Fund!"
The Daimyo's crane-like voice cracked slightly.
At this point, though, no one cared about such minor details—the court officials and Konoha ninjas alike were caught up in wild elation.
"Heaven grants wisdom!"
Led by the Minister of State, numerous courtiers immediately stood upright. Ignoring the bloodstains on the floor, they knelt down one after another to offer their congratulations.
As for the two corpses lying in pools of blood within the hall, not a soul paid them any heed.
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