"I won't trouble the Uchiha clan head with this." Shimura Hiroshi said through clenched teeth.
Having said all that needed to be said, Uchiha Toukan led the way back along the path they had come, bringing along the three Shimura clan elders they had just captured.
The three arrested Shimura clansmen were all high-ranking members of the clan; otherwise, they wouldn't have been put in charge of liaising with Danzo. However, under Uchiha Toukan's deliberate arrangement, the escort party marched straight through Konoha's most bustling commercial district. Soon, the news that Uchiha Toukan had made arrests within the Shimura clan spread throughout the village.
Upon returning to the Military Police Force headquarters, Uchiha Toukan directly ordered the newly captured trio to be taken to the interrogation rooms. Hearing that they were going to interrogate members of the Shimura clan, quite a few skilled fighters within the clan perked up. One could easily imagine that this night wouldn't be very pleasant for the three of them.
Still, Uchiha Toukan didn't really expect these individuals to spill anything of substance. The Shimura clan—especially those with deep ties to Danzo—were diehard loyalists. Even if they were executed on the spot, they wouldn't betray Danzo.
However, all Uchiha Toukan wanted was to make an example of a chicken to scare the monkeys. Now that the chicken had been bled, it was time to visit the monkeys and extract something tangible in return.
Uchiha Toukan sat in his office until evening before changing his clothes and walking alone into the village.
It was already late at night. The bustling crowds in Konoha's commercial district were beginning to thin out, and shopkeepers were closing their doors one by one.
At the entrance of the Yamanaka flower shop, a little blonde girl was huffing and puffing as she moved the flowers displayed outside back inside. Although she was still young and her chubby cheeks retained a hint of baby fat, it was easy to see that she was destined to be a beauty.
Uchiha Toukan walked up to the front of the flower shop. The little girl noticed him coming, turned around, and said sweetly, "Big brother, we're already closed."
"It seems I'm late," Uchiha Toukan said with a smile. "However, could you please bend the rules a little for this young boss? I'd like to buy some flowers to pay tribute to my clansmen."
The little girl was clearly a hardcore fan of good looks. After getting a clear look at Uchiha Toukan's face, little stars instantly lit up in her eyes.
"Of course! If it's to pay tribute to your clansmen, how about cornflowers? I'll go get some fresh ones from the fridge for you," Yamanaka Ino said as she trotted over with quick, pattering steps.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Uchiha Toukan smiled and nodded.
Right at that moment, a tall man slowly walked out from the back of the flower shop.
"Ino, go on inside first. I'll take care of this customer," Yamanaka Inoichi said as he stepped out.
"Eh?" Ino looked up at Uchiha Toukan, then glanced back at her father, before reluctantly putting down the items in her hands and heading upstairs.
"Why is the Uchiha clan head coming to our little flower shop so late just to buy a few bouquets of flowers?" Inoichi watched Ino go upstairs before turning his gaze to Uchiha Toukan.
"Naturally. As you know, regarding the Sharingan eyes reclaimed from Danzo last night—even though it's difficult for the clan to trace exactly which fallen members they belonged to, we still need to hold a proper funeral for them," Uchiha Toukan said.
"My condolences." Inoichi took a few bouquets of cornflowers from the refrigerator, wrapped them carefully, and handed them to Uchiha Toukan. "Let these flowers be the Yamanaka clan's tribute to the fallen heroes of the Uchiha."
"Then I thank the Yamanaka clan head for his generosity." Uchiha Toukan accepted the flowers and nodded with a smile.
"Is that little girl just now the Yamanaka clan head's daughter? How adorable," Uchiha Toukan lowered his head to gently inhale the scent of the flowers in his hands, then continued at an unhurried pace, "She seems to be in the same class as Elder Fugaku's second young master. I hear the little girl loves to pester our second young master."
Yamanaka Inoichi's gaze sharpened, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Just some childish horseplay."
"You can't really call it that. Childhood sweethearts—what a lovely phrase," Uchiha Toukan smiled. "Why don't our two clans arrange this match? I wonder what the Yamanaka clan head thinks of the idea?"
"The children are still too far too young. Let's consider these things when they're a bit older." Inoichi turned down Uchiha Toukan's proposal without a moment's hesitation.
Uchiha Toukan wasn't annoyed by the rejection. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been staunch loyalists to the Hokage faction, so naturally, they wouldn't want to get mixed up in the muddy waters of the Uchiha clan.
"That's true," Uchiha Toukan nodded. "It's been quite a few years since the Yamanaka clan head took office, and in recent years, the Yamanaka clan has been thriving. As for how to be a good clan head, I still have a lot to learn from you, Yamanaka clan head."
"It's just the partiality of everyone in the clan," Inoichi said.
"It seems the Yamanaka clan head is deeply loved by his clansmen," Uchiha Toukan smiled. "However, every clan always produces a few ungrateful wretches, wouldn't you say?"
Inoichi's eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure what the Uchiha clan head means by that."
"Today, our clan caught one of Danzo's diehard loyalists in the Root. He happens to hail from your Yamanaka clan. This puts me in a rather difficult position; after all, we all serve under Lord Hokage, and if our two clans were to develop a rift because of him, it wouldn't be very pleasant," Uchiha Toukan said.
"Is it Fu?" Inoichi's gaze flickered. "That fellow forgot the clan's honor the moment he joined the Root. Therefore, the Uchiha clan head doesn't need to show me any mercy—handle him however you see fit. If necessary, I can even purge the clan's ranks myself."
"So that's how it is," Uchiha Toukan nodded. "He's already forgotten the clan's kindness? No wonder he was biting back wildly at everyone."
"Biting back?" Inoichi frowned.
"That's right. That fellow claimed that while he was in the Root, he used his position to funnel a cumulative total of one hundred and forty million ryo in funds to the Yamanaka clan." Uchiha Toukan looked into Yamanaka Inoichi's eyes with a smile. "Although I know the Yamanaka clan wouldn't make such principled mistakes, nor would I suspect the Yamanaka clan head, we did indeed find over a hundred million ryo in the Root's accounts that we couldn't reconcile. If possible, I'd appreciate it if Clan Head Inoichi could drop by the Uchiha compound when you have time. After all, with such a huge sum of money missing, I can't easily give Lord Hokage an account of it."
"I understand. I will visit the Military Police Force," Inoichi's gaze flickered as he nodded.
"Then I won't disturb the Yamanaka clan head and his family's dinner any longer." Uchiha Toukan waved the bouquet in his hand. "At the same time, on behalf of those senior clansmen, I thank the Yamanaka clan head for his generosity."