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"Minister Haru, please stop mocking us," a senior official of Kirigakure said with a forced smile.
"All of us here are law-abiding citizens. The villagers' baseless accusations can't be taken seriously."
This official wasn't the highest-ranking among them, but he had been a staunch supporter of Mizukage Mei Terumi from the start.
And Uchiha Haru was known as her most powerful backer.
They belonged to the same faction.
So in this situation, he dared to speak to Haru like that.
But Haru didn't know him at all.
After all, not every small fish or shrimp was worthy of his attention. Even if he knew this man, what difference would it make?
Let alone a small fry like him, even if Mei Terumi were here, what could she do?
No one could influence Uchiha Haru's judgment.
After hearing the senior official's words, Haru sneered, "You all know exactly what you've done—and what you haven't done."
"If any of you were truly innocent, you wouldn't have been summoned here."
The forced smile on the official's face froze instantly.
He had hoped to use his connections to save face, but the result was humiliation.
He hadn't expected that despite being from the same faction, Haru would be so disrespectful. He felt a flush of anger but knew better than to show it.
In front of Haru, even a dragon must coil and a tiger hide its claws.
Of course, he dared not reveal his true feelings here.
Everyone knew Uchiha Haru was merciless and unpredictable.
No one wanted to lose their life over this.
The senior official's embarrassment deepened as he slunk back into his seat.
The other senior officials of Kirigakure paid little mind to his plight, but their hearts tightened at Haru's words.
It was clear Uchiha Haru was serious this time.
Clap, clap, clap!
Haru clapped his hands sharply.
From outside the door, several ninjas from the Police Department entered carrying a massive stack of papers.
The pages were densely filled with text.
Though the officials could not clearly read the contents from a distance, they knew these were reports.
Haru calmly scanned the assembled officials.
"These are the villagers' reports from recent days," he said. "Every detail was recorded verbatim and, after investigation and verification by the Police Department, most have been confirmed true."
"When I assumed the position of Minister of Security, I said that anyone who acts against my rules will pay the price."
"Now, tell me—how should I deal with you?"
All the high-ranking officials felt their hearts seize in unison.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
They all shared two burning thoughts:
First—was Uchiha Haru really about to strike them down?
Second—if he did, would they even be able to escape?
Some of the most nervous began scanning for escape routes.
They cursed themselves mentally for coming.
What law does not punish the masses? So many people here surely meant none would be spared.
No matter how strong Uchiha Haru was, could he make enemies of so many at once?
It had to be nonsense.
But Uchiha Haru—he truly dared to do it.
Run now, or band together to resist—either choice was better than becoming corpses here.
Though the number gathered was large—and most were elite jonin, with a few even stronger, nearing Kage-level—if a fight broke out, they would lose.
It would be no different than throwing their lives away.
From past experiences, they all knew how unfathomably strong Uchiha Haru was.
Haru seemed unfazed by the sudden silence.
He spoke slowly, "Anyone of you guilty of these crimes will be charged with capital offense."
At his last word, vines erupted from the ground, spiraling upward with terrifying speed.
Before the officials could react, they were bound tightly, unable to move.
"Minister Haru... Minister Haru... let's talk this over peacefully... please!" some cried desperately.
Most people value their lives, especially those powerful and ambitious. There are many things they are unwilling to give up.
But not everyone was so timid.
"Minister Haru, have you considered the consequences of attacking us here?" a senior official spoke up boldly.
His rank and reputation were impressive—one of the most prominent among Kirigakure's senior officials.
At his words, the others seemed to find their backbone again.
"Are you threatening me?" Haru asked with a cold laugh.
The vines binding the official suddenly tightened.
"Ah!"
The official groaned as he looked down at his arm, now red and bleeding faintly.
Yet his expression held no fear—nor did he beg for mercy.
Haru nodded inwardly.
Kirigakure was not full of cowards or fools.
But he concealed that thought on the surface, looking calmly at everyone.
"I act without scruples."
"There is no one who cannot be killed—only those who should or should not be killed."
"Minister Haru, we know we were wrong! We know! Can you leave us a way out?"
Some who feared death began begging for mercy.
Uchiha Haru dared to challenge the high officials of Kirigakure—if he could confront them, then certainly he could kill these lesser ones at will.
Though begging might not save them, what other option did they have?
No matter what, they had to fight for survival.
Others looked on with contempt.
These men may have committed countless atrocities.
But that didn't mean they were spineless.
Death was death—there was nothing to fear.
Sacrificing one's dignity for a faint chance at life was the most despicable thing of all.
They absolutely refused to stoop to that level, despising those who did.
"Minister Haru… please spare us!"
"Have mercy!"
...
Those begging for mercy no longer cared about pride or reputation.
Survival was all that mattered.
And this sentiment began spreading among Kirigakure's top leaders.
At first, only a handful voiced it.
But gradually even those too proud to plead began to waver.
Only a very small minority remained silent.
"Shut up!" Haru said coldly.
His voice was low but carried an iron edge that silenced the room immediately.
"You want to live?"
"Yes, yes, yes! We want to live!"
"We want to live!"
The pleas sparked hope in those begging.
To rise as a high-ranking official in Kirigakure, one must at least have the ability to read others' expressions.
Haru then turned to those who still hadn't spoken.
Silence.
Complete silence.
A few faces twitched; some parted their lips as if to speak, but no words came.
"Looks like not everyone shares that wish," Haru said, feigning helplessness.
"Well, then let's die together."
"Wait! Wait!"
"Minister Haru! No! We want to live, we want to live!"
"If they don't want to live, then let them die!"
...
The voices of those begging angered the silent minority who refused to plead.
"What are you cowards saying?!"
"They deserve death!"
The factions clashed in bitter argument.
But Haru paid them no mind.
The vines binding Kirigakure's leaders tightened gradually, guided by his chakra.
Suddenly, the dread of death engulfed the room.
No one wanted to die.
Slowly, some of the wavering began to surrender.
Except for a few, most chose to beg for mercy.
But Haru's vines continued constricting.
Crack! Crack!
Several bones shattered.
Blood spurted.
It splattered across the floor and those nearby.
Death.
All who refused to plead were now dead.
The deaths were horrific.
Bodies broken into grotesque chunks, like bloody pulp, filling the air with a rancid stench.
The others grimaced in pain, some trembling.
No one doubted that if Haru used more chakra, they too would bleed out on the spot and suffer the same fate.
Faces went pale; some shook uncontrollably.
Moments ago, they had stood at hell's gates.
Haru looked on coldly.
"Those who wanted to die are already dead."
"If you want to live, you must pay the price."
"Yes... yes..."
"We're willing to pay any price..."
Fear gripped them utterly.
Their minds were blank.
If survival required any cost, they would pay without hesitation.
Haru's eyes flickered with contempt.
He despised such cowardice—those who feared death above all else.
Yet, the ones afraid to die lived.
Those who chose death over surrender perished.
That was his judgment.
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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