70 Chapter 70 Powerless Sarutobi

In the Aoyama House of Konoha,

The dining room was shrouded in a silence as grave as a crypt. Ryo, Keiko, and Yui's gazes were fixed on Kazuki, who sat motionless on the chair.

"I didn't steal anything, nor am I heartless enough to use my own blood as a scapegoat. Now that I'm aware of the situation, you have no need to fear for your safety,"

Kazuki declared with firm conviction, though the stress etched on his face betrayed his composed tone.

'I should have been more careful.' Internally, Kazuki berated himself.

The memory of using the multi-shadow clone jutsu in an open battlefield haunted him.

While he could perhaps explain away his use of the water style jutsu associated with the second Hokage as his own invention, the same excuse wouldn't hold for the multi-shadow clone jutsu.

The coincidence would be too great if he continued to unveil techniques uniquely attributed to the second Hokage.

Yui, unconvinced by Kazuki's words and struggling to contain her emotions, countered.

 "Not worry anymore? How can we not worry when we could be imprisoned or even executed? You may be monstrously strong, but would you really fight the village for us? Would you defy orders and become a rogue?"

Without giving Kazuki a chance to address her concerns, Yui continued,

"And do really you think we are that afraid of prison or death? We're shinobi, and the thought of dying with our loyalty to the village in question is far more concerning."

"You might save us from physical punishment, but what about our honor and reputation? How will you protect that?"

Yui poured out her heart, her fear of tarnishing her reputation as a Leaf shinobi far outweighing her fear of death or any other consequence.

Ryo shared the same fear, evident in his eyes, while Keiko attempted to conceal her own trepidation to avoid worrying Kazuki, though it was unmistakably present in the depths of her gaze.

....

Kazuki found himself at a loss for words, feeling truly powerless despite being one of the strongest in the world.

As Yui had pointed out, he could shield them from fatal punishment, but what of their standing as shinobi? And what of his own future as a Konoha shinobi?

While Kazuki's own attachment to the village might not be as deep, Yui, Ryo, and Keiko had served in the Anbu for most of their lives, undertaking perilous missions and holding the village in sacred regard.

"Haha!"

At Kazuki's silence, Yui's mocking laughter echoed through the room as she rose from her chair and exited the dining room.

Ryo followed suit, his appetite gone, leaving only Keiko behind with Kazuki. She opened her mouth several times as if to speak, but ultimately, she too sighed and departed, leaving Kazuki alone with his thoughts.

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Hokage Building.

The following day, the Hokage Building's Conference Hall was filled to capacity.

The chiefs of the Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, and Yamanaka clans, among others, were seated around a large table. Hatake Sakumo, Homura, and Koharu were also present, with Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, presiding over the gathered.

All eyes were on Kazuki, the silver-haired figure standing before Sarutobi. A trial was underway to determine how the war hero had come into possession of forbidden jutsu.

Sarutobi addressed Kazuki, "Your contributions to the village during the war were significant, but they do not place you above the village. As Hokage, I must be impartial."

"The trial against your parents was initiated by Jonin who witnessed you using shadow clones in battle. While they are grateful for your deeds in the war, they cannot overlook the fact that a newly graduated academy student acquired a forbidden jutsu."

"At that time you had no merit to be granted this jutsu and so suspicion naturally fell on your parents, leading to their trial."

"The principle of 'earning what you desire' must be upheld, even if it means challenging a war hero."

Sarutobi conveyed the situation honestly, powerlessness deep in his eyes.

 Sarutobi didn't lie at any point in his explanation to Kazuki, if possible he really wanted to remove this trial to establish a better relationship with him but that would mean angering most of the jonin in the village.

Sarutobi himself didn't want to pursue the fact that how did kazuki managed to acquire a forbidden jutsu recorded in forbidden scroll, but the jonin won't let it slide and as hokage he had no choice but to act fair.

Kazuki responded, "It should be easy to verify whether the forbidden scroll was tampered with. The investigation report clearly states there was no evidence of tampering, which Lord Third must have confirmed himself. This should exonerate my parents."

"Hn!"

Some attendees nodded in agreement, recognizing the validity of Kazuki's point.

However, Homura interjected, "But this does not explain how you acquired the jutsu. We require a satisfactory explanation, as it pertains to the security of the village's secrets."

Creek!

Bu at this moment, the doors creaked open, and all attention shifted to the newcomer.

"Princess Tsunade!"

Tsunade, clad in a blue kimono, entered the hall to respectful greetings from the assembly.

Tsunade acknowledged the crowd before turning to Kazuki with a smile.

"I'm aware of the reason for this trial. Why is someone who saved my life and my brother's being questioned over a jutsu that I gifted to him out of gratitude? Must I seek permission from the village to distribute jutsu invented by my clan?"

Her words left the hall, including the Jonin who had called for the trial, in stunned silence. Even Kazuki stood frozen, emotion flickering across his face.

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