Seeing this, Hyuga Hiashi nodded and turned to leave the Hokage Office.
Just before reaching the door, he shot Ao a cold, vicious glance. If Hokage-sama hadn't still needed to negotiate with the Hidden Mist Village, today would have been Ao's final day.
Ao's initial fury slowly faded into numbness, then silence, as he was forced to accept the reality that his Byakugan had been taken.
Only then did Uchiha Ran order his subordinates to carry Ao to the hospital for comprehensive treatment.
Afterward, Uchiha Ran released his control over Mei Terumī and casually returned to his seat.
Mei Terumī spun around and shouted, "Uchiha Ran! Why did you treat my guard like that?!"
"Mei Terumī, I suggest you face reality," Uchiha Ran replied calmly. "It was your guard who plundered Konoha's bloodline limit—the Byakugan—on the battlefield and killed a member of the Hyuga Clan."
"This time, I merely reclaimed the Byakugan and spared his life. I've already shown you more than enough courtesy."
"If you continue to be ungrateful, I wouldn't mind taking all of your heads and exchanging them for a bounty with Yagura Karatachi," Uchiha Ran said, a cruel smile curving his lips.
Mei Terumī felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss. She had almost forgotten that the man standing before her was the Fifth Hokage of Konoha—a terrifying existence who had single-handedly crushed three Villages.
If he wished, everyone present could die here at any moment.
Then what meaning was left in overthrowing Yagura Karatachi?
As the tension spiked, the Hidden Mist ninjas instinctively reached for their weapons.
In the next instant, dozens of Konoha ANBU emerged from the shadows, blades and kunai pressed against throats, wrists, ankles, and other vital points.
In a blink, all the jonin Mei Terumī had brought were completely subdued.
Mei Terumī staggered back two steps. She hadn't expected that not only the Hokage, but even Konoha's ANBU, were this swift and terrifyingly efficient.
Though her people were elites, compared to Konoha's ANBU, they were simply too inexperienced.
The elder who had been silently observing finally stood up. "Hokage-sama, we agree to all your conditions. We only ask that you do not take action against your partners."
"Heh, Elder, you at least know how to read the situation," Uchiha Ran said with a smile. He then turned his gaze to Mei Terumī. "And you? What do you say?"
In both strength and momentum, the Hidden Mist delegation had been utterly crushed. Mei Terumī trembled—partly from rage, partly from fear.
Still, for the sake of the greater cause, she forced herself to say, "We will comply with the Elder's decision."
"Straightforward," Uchiha Ran said. "Shikaku, prepare the contract."
Nara Shikaku stepped forward and presented a document stating that the Hidden Mist Village would voluntarily cede the Three-Tails, the Six-Tails, and 500 million silver to Konoha, requesting Konoha's intervention to save the Village.
Even though Mei Terumī had mentally prepared herself, she still clenched her teeth hard enough to ache.
Humiliation—absolute humiliation.
She silently swore that one day, she would make Uchiha Ran repay all of this. But for now, endurance was the only option.
After Mei Terumī signed and pressed her fingerprint, the document was passed to the Elder.
He raised an eyebrow, then let out a bitter sigh.
With a member of the Nara Clan present, how could any schemes possibly succeed?
He had originally planned that once either he or Mei Terumī signed, they would later be expelled under the pretext of betraying the Village, refusing to honor the agreement. If Uchiha Ran retaliated, the other Villages might feel threatened—perhaps even igniting a Fourth Ninja World War under the banner of overthrowing Konoha's dominance.
But with both of them signing and pressing their fingerprints, refusal was no longer an option. If the Hidden Mist reneged, the Village would lose all legitimacy, even if he and Mei Terumī seized power.
Nara Shikaku had used this to lock them in place completely.
After understanding this, the Elder could only smile bitterly. "Hokage-sama, with the Nara Clan at your side, it truly is like giving wings to a tiger. One provides overwhelming force, the other unmatched intellect."
"You flatter us, Elder," Nara Shikaku replied evenly. "We're simply careful people. Some matters require thorough consideration."
The Elder nodded, added his signature and fingerprint, then shook his head.
"Hokage-sama, since the contract is complete, may I ask when Konoha will take action?" he asked cautiously.
Uchiha Ran's lips curved upward. "Now."
With that, he instructed Shikaku to secure the contract and left Konoha alone.
Realizing what was happening, Nara Shikaku hurriedly shouted, "What are you all standing around for?! Go after him! Hokage-sama intends to deal with the Hidden Mist Village by himself!"
The ANBU immediately sprang into action, rushing toward the exit.
This was the first time they had ever seen such a decisive Hokage—signing the contract and moving out without a moment's delay.
Uchiha Ran pushed his chakra to its limit. With the amplification of his left eye, his figure became a streak of light, shooting straight toward the coastline.
At the harbor, the defense ninjas were eating grilled lobster.
Staring at the bright red shell, one of them sighed. "Lobster again… When will these days ever change?"
"Exactly. I really miss vegetables from home. If someone offered me vegetables right now, I'd trade in a heartbeat."
A group of harbor defense ninjas continued complaining.
Uchiha Ran arrived just in time to hear them. The corner of his mouth twitched—was eating lobster every meal really that bad?
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
He cleared his throat. "Where is the harbor defense captain?"
His voice instantly drew everyone's attention. The ninjas dropped their food, drew their weapons, and surrounded him.
"Who are you?! How dare you summon our captain directly!" one of them shouted.
"I am Uchiha Ran," he said calmly. "Get the person in charge. I need a boat to the Hidden Mist Village."
Sensing his extraordinary presence, one of the ninjas hurried off to report.
When the harbor defense captain heard the news, he shot to his feet. "Damn it! Why didn't you tell me Hokage-sama was here immediately?!"
He had been trying to leave a good impression, and now the Hokage himself had arrived needing a ship.
"Hurry! Tell Hokage-sama the boat will be prepared at once—there must be no mistakes!" he barked, already striding out the door.
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