Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"Why won't you let us in?"

"Do you have something to hide?"

"We insist on going in!"

"Kill me if you dare!"

...

The villagers began to stir, stepping forward a few paces.

Fugaku's lips curled into a slight smile, showing no intention of stopping them. The mounting pressure from the crowd was exactly what he wanted.

"What do you say? Shall we let them in?" Fugaku asked, directing his words at the increasingly panicked Sarutobi Clan ninja.

"I'm sorry, Lord Fugaku," a shadow guard interjected, stepping in to negotiate. "This is Lord Hokage's clan territory, so let's wait for him to come over." His tone betrayed his attempt to buy time, clearly hesitant to take decisive action.

"Fine. As I said, wait for an hour," Fugaku said, lowering his voice. The thin veneer of politeness vanished, replaced by an unmistakable threat. "If Lord Hokage doesn't show up in an hour, don't blame me for being unreasonable."

"If you do this, aren't you afraid Lord Hokage will blame you?" the shadow guard asked. Avoiding Fugaku's Sharingan, his voice lacked confidence.

"I'm helping Lord Hokage clear his name; he should be thanking me," Fugaku replied, laughing in anger.

Blame? Does the Uchiha still fear his blame?

The police force had already been halved, and now this? What more did they want?

"In that case, I don't have anything more to say," the shadow guard said, retreating as he ended the conversation. He signaled a Sarutobi Clan ninja to approach and whispered something in his ear.

The ninja glanced at Fugaku briefly before quickly leaving.

From beginning to end, Fugaku made no effort to stop them. His intent was clear: he wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen to know that today, Fugaku Uchiha was here to humiliate him.

"Everyone, stop arguing and wait quietly for an hour," Fugaku said, turning back to the villagers with a kind smile.

Gradually, the villagers calmed down, waiting as the minutes ticked by.

"Clan Head, Fugaku Uchiha is here!" a Sarutobi Clan ninja shouted as he approached Hiruzen Sarutobi's house, his voice loud even before entering. "He said if you don't show up in an hour, he'll bring the villagers in with him!"

"Why are you shouting? Afraid others won't hear?" Hiruzen grumbled, sitting in the dining room with a face full of worry.

"What should we do? You decide," the ninja said, lowering his voice cautiously. He could see how furious Hiruzen was.

"Uchiha, this is too much. Burn it," Hiruzen ordered, pounding the table decisively.

"Burn what?" The Sarutobi ninja blinked in confusion, struggling to grasp the meaning.

"What do you mean, what? Use your head, will you?" Hiruzen snapped, his patience gone. He kicked the junior clan member to the ground.

"All of it? You want to burn it all?" the ninja stammered, his expression full of grief. The amount of money at stake was staggering, enough to ensure the Sarutobi Clan's development for years.

"Burn it all! Hurry up," Hiruzen barked, raising his foot as if to kick again. The ninja scrambled to his feet and ran off.

The order pained him, but Hiruzen knew that preserving his position as Hokage was worth the sacrifice. The clan could rebuild in secrecy later—what mattered now was eliminating evidence.

Less than ten minutes later, the same ninja returned. "Clan Head, it's all been destroyed."

"Good. Come out with me," Hiruzen said, standing up. With the incriminating money gone, he felt more secure. Without hard evidence, any accusations would be difficult to prove. It was confidence born of decades of experience as Hokage.

"Yes, Clan Head," the ninja replied.

Hiruzen took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and slowly walked out the door.

"Lord Hokage is here."

At the shout, Hiruzen appeared before the villagers, wearing a warm smile. The demeanor of the ruthless former Anbu captain was nowhere to be seen—there was no need for force when persuasion could suffice.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed. This old fox really has nerves of steel!

"Everyone has gathered here today to surround the Sarutobi Clan, and I understand why," Hiruzen began, his tone calm and measured. "Someone must have played a trick on you."

As he said "trick," his gaze briefly but deliberately fell on Fugaku.

"The villagers want to go in and take a closer look. Why are you blocking the way? It makes it seem like we have something to hide," Hiruzen said, turning toward the Anbu and Shadow Guards. His reprimand was sharp.

"We were in the wrong," the Shadow Guards and Anbu admitted through gritted teeth. Wasn't it you who told us to stop them?

"Fugaku, I heard you came here with good intentions to help prove my innocence. I thank you in advance," Hiruzen said, his words polite but his gaze subtly provocative. "Why don't you take the villagers inside to have a look?"

"In that case, I will have to apologize," Fugaku replied smoothly, meeting Hiruzen's gaze without flinching. "Why don't you lead the way, Lord Hokage? After all, this is your territory."

Fugaku's response caught Hiruzen off guard. He hadn't expected the Uchiha Clan Head to stand firm, let alone invite him to lead.

"Okay, that's fine," Hiruzen replied, masking his unease.

What could Fugaku possibly expect to find? Hiruzen thought. Surely, he doesn't believe I'd leave evidence behind? Is Fugaku Uchiha testing me, or is he just playing a fool?

"After you," Fugaku said politely, motioning for Hiruzen to lead. Hiruzen moved forward, still accompanied by the same Sarutobi Clan member.

"Hmph," the clan ninja snorted in disdain, clearly displeased with Fugaku's presence, and followed Hiruzen into the building.

"Follow me," Fugaku said, ignoring the Sarutobi Clan ninja's attitude. He gestured to the villagers, who obediently followed.

The sizable procession entered the Sarutobi Clan's territory. As expected of the Hokage's Clan, the area was imposing yet not ostentatious. Instead of extravagant buildings, the clan had invested its resources in strengthening its members.

The villagers observed the surroundings closely but found nothing unusual. Fugaku also could not sense any trace of the money.

From the moment Hiruzen appeared, Fugaku had been mentally prepared for this outcome. He wasn't disappointed. Kawakaze had been right—this was a matter that required his direct attention. Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed a cunning and formidable adversary.

"This is our Sarutobi Clan's treasury," Hiruzen said. "It's just worthless stuff, so there's no harm in everyone having a look."

To demonstrate his transparency, Hiruzen personally opened the vault door. The villagers crowded inside out of curiosity but found nothing incriminating.

Of course, they weren't the main players in this situation, just bystanders. Hiruzen wouldn't have destroyed all the money just for them.

"Everyone has had a look. Do you have any more questions?" Hiruzen asked, his tone calm and authoritative. "I will personally investigate the source of this rumor and ensure no one manipulates you so easily."

With the tour complete, it was time to conclude.

"I told you this kind of thing was impossible. How could Lord Hokage be that kind of person?" a few villagers said, eager to align themselves with Hiruzen and avoid trouble.

"It's enough that we've clarified things. If there's nothing else, you can all go back," Hiruzen said with a smile, his demeanor still pleasant and composed.

He waved his hand, signaling his clan members to begin escorting the villagers out.