Chapter 75: I Acted for the Village, with Konoha in My Heart

Hiruzen could no longer sense any trace of Danzō's chakra.

The entire scene fell into heavy silence as everyone's eyes turned toward him.

He slowly lifted his pipe to his mouth, took a drag, then exhaled a cloud of smoke.

Danzō wasn't just a high-ranking member of Konoha—he was one of the village's core strategic forces.

If word of his death got out, it might give other villages a chance to strike.

And as for Kaze…

His actions this time directly challenged the authority of the Hokage.

But then again—

Konoha was currently at a precarious moment, plagued by both internal instability and external threats.

"If Kaze was able to kill Danzō—who had both Hashirama's cells and multiple Sharingan—""It means his strength has already reached an incredible level."

"Not to mention the fact that he recorded the entire enforcement process."

Though Hiruzen remained silent on the surface, his mind was racing to weigh the consequences.

From his perspective, Danzō had indeed crossed a line—Stealing Sharingan, implanting Hashirama's cells...

Trying to suppress Kaze over this could easily backfire—

And ignite discontent within the Uchiha clan.

Before, there was Shisui to help mediate, but now, even Shisui was gone.

Moreover...

Hiruzen could clearly feel from the looks in the Uchiha clan members' eyes that they had acknowledged Kaze as a leader. Any rash decision now could trigger a chain reaction.

Not to mention that the Land of Lightning—with its war-hungry culture—was already watching Konoha like a hawk.

Kaze's methods may have been radical, but the fact that he took down Danzō in under ten minutes—And was now standing there without a single scratch, his uniform immaculate...

That said everything.

This wasn't some hard-fought victory where he narrowly survived.

This was a complete and utter domination.

And Kaze was only fifteen years old.

Hiruzen's heart was churning like a sea ravaged by a storm, waves of shock and awe pounding one after the other.

He was forced to admit—

Kaze's current power might already surpass even Shisui and Itachi.

And in the future, he might very well reach the heights of Uchiha Madara himself.

The thought made Hiruzen suck in a cold breath.

At that moment, Fugaku stepped forward, unable to endure the prolonged silence. He steeled himself and spoke up, hoping to defuse the situation.

"Although Kaze acted on his own this time, the fact remains that Danzō did steal multiple Sharingan.""I believe if you must punish him, then it should at least be lenient."

"Perhaps… this matter could be handled by me, as the head of the Konoha Police Force."

Fugaku gathered his courage, openly taking responsibility.

On one hand, he wanted to show Hokage-sama that the Uchiha clan wasn't defying the village. They still respected the chain of command.

Secondly, Fugaku had spoken up to shield Kaze from being dragged into an even bigger mess.

But who could've predicted—Not only did Kaze not appreciate Fugaku's well-intended cover...

He fired right back.

"Punishment?"

Kaze raised an eyebrow."Why would there be any punishment? On what grounds?""I didn't do anything wrong."

His voice wasn't loud, but each word rang out with unshakable clarity.

"Wasn't the whole purpose of founding the Konoha Police Force to maintain law and order in the village?"

"And, Clan Head, perhaps you could explain—what do you mean by 'acting on my own'?"

Kaze met Fugaku's gaze head-on, his commanding presence leaving Fugaku momentarily speechless.

"This operation wasn't about some personal grudge against Danzō, nor was it about snatching Shisui's Sharingan for myself."

"I acted out of a commitment to Konoha's heart. Everything I did—was for the village."

"Which is exactly why I determined—'this had to be done.' So I did it."

"And let me be clear—""Not only should I and the officers who participated not be punished—""We deserve to be commended!"

"It was our actions that upheld the law and brought justice to a criminal!"

As Kaze spoke, his gaze swept across every face present.

"Do any of you truly wish to live in a village without the rule of law?"

His words were resolute, his demeanor radiating righteous conviction.

The Uchiha officers behind him were visibly stirred.Kaze's bold declaration deepened their admiration and confidence in him.

To them, this was exactly the kind of leader Konoha's Police Force needed—Someone with vision, with backbone.

"Back during the clan assembly, I even questioned whether Kaze was qualified to be deputy captain of the Police Force…""Looking back, I was such a fool.""Forget deputy captain—he could take the captain's seat right now, and it'd be completely justified."

Uchiha Sei was filled with mixed emotions.

His gaze instinctively drifted toward Fugaku.

Both had lost someone dear in Shisui's death—Yet Fugaku, as captain, had only ever sought compromise.Even on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack—

He hadn't stood up for the Uchiha.Instead, he'd helped the village elders pacify the clan's outrage.

Compared to Kaze's firm, decisive stance, the contrast was stark.

No—

Uchiha Sei shook his head.

This wasn't just about who should lead the Police Force.

If one day, Kaze ever chose to vie for the position of Uchiha clan head—Uchiha Sei would back him without hesitation.

And this wasn't just Sei's private opinion.

A significant number of Uchiha present were also leaning toward Kaze.

As for Fugaku...He had been completely silenced by Kaze's words.All he could do was turn and look at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"As for this matter," Hiruzen finally spoke, "I'll wait until I've reviewed your enforcement footage before making any conclusions."

But he didn't outright condemn Kaze.Instead, he chose to stall and defuse the situation—for now.

"No problem," Kaze nodded calmly."I'll have Sei prepare a backup and deliver it personally to the Hokage Tower."

At the mention of backup, Kaze deliberately cleared his throat.

As for the original footage?That, of course, would remain in his hands.

After all, if the video were to be lost or tampered with...That would be a real headache.

As for the destroyed Root base—That had nothing to do with the Konoha Police Department.The ANBU could handle the cleanup.

"Our task here is complete.""If there's nothing else, please allow us to take our leave."

With that, Kaze made a gesture.Uchiha Sei and the rest of the Police Force silently turned and followed him out.

As for Shisui's remaining right eye—It would be preserved as evidence and securely stored in the Police Department's archives.

"Kaze..."

Fugaku furrowed his brows as he watched Kaze prepare to leave.The Third Hokage hadn't even finished speaking—how could he just walk off?

Some of the ANBU who had accompanied Hiruzen instinctively shifted, ready to block Kaze's path.

But—

"Let it go..."

After weighing the situation internally, Hiruzen finally waved his hand and spoke up after a long silence.

"Let them return."

Right now, Konoha couldn't afford internal conflict.This wasn't the time for open confrontation.

(T/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.)