In the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was silent and cold. Souta Kazuki, seated in the Hokage's chair, leaned slightly forward with sharp, unwavering eyes as he stared at the man shackled before him—Tazuna, the bridge builder from the Land of Waves. Beside him stood ANBU guards in full gear, silent and imposing, and to his left was Minato and Fugaku, arms crossed, watching without interference. The air carried tension thick enough to cut with a kunai.
Tazuna, disheveled and panicked, shouted in disbelief, "Hey!!! You can't do this! I'm the bridge builder from the Land of Waves! I came to issue a mission! As ninjas of the Leaf, you can't treat me this way!"
His eyes were wide with indignation, voice growing louder with each word. But Souta Kazuki remained unmoved. His young face betrayed none of the naivety of childhood; instead, he radiated calm authority that unnerved the older man.
"I know everything," Souta said simply, voice quiet but firm. "The hidden dangers. The missing information. The enemies you failed to mention. You tried to deceive us, Mr. Tazuna."
Tazuna's heart skipped. He staggered back a step, only to be blocked by the ANBU behind him. His lips trembled.
"Y-You can't treat me like this! If word gets out that Konoha imprisons mission clients, no one will ever trust you again! Who would come here to ask for help?!"
He was desperate now, throwing out warnings, threats, anything that might shake the child before him. But Souta merely tilted his head.
"You lied. You attempted to deceive a Hidden Village. You barged into my office without authorization. And now, you attempt to bargain using fear and morality?" Souta leaned forward again, this time narrowing his eyes. "Interesting tactic. But I'm not like the Hokages before me. I'm not someone who can be swayed by a few tears and a sob story."
Tazuna's eyes widened. His greatest weapon had always been guilt. He took a deep breath and unleashed the full force of his final attack—moral blackmail.
"I really didn't expect Konoha's ninjas to be this heartless… We're just civilians. Ordinary people. What are our lives worth compared to yours? I'm just a bridge builder. My daughter... my eight-year-old grandson will cry every day! My daughter will grow to hate Konoha! And I... I'll live alone… broken… but that's fine. We're nothing. Just civilians. Right?"
Souta's expression didn't change. If anything, his silence only made Tazuna more nervous.
"I've used this line for years… it always worked…" Tazuna muttered to himself. "It always worked…"
But not this time.
Souta stood up slowly, walked around his desk, and stood before the man who dared challenge his village with manipulation. "Ah… I see. So you're saying your daughter and grandson will hate the Leaf for this? That they'll grow with resentment in their hearts? That's quite dangerous. Perhaps we should… remove that danger. Nip the weeds before they grow."
His words chilled the room. Even Fugaku raised a brow slightly at the sheer ruthlessness.
Souta turned to Namikaze Minato, who stood quietly by the wall with his hands in his pockets. "Uncle Minato. Please go with Uncle Fugaku. I want that swordsman Zabuza captured and brought back to Konoha. We need him for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen unit I'm forming."
Then his voice dropped with chilling nonchalance. "As for Tazuna's family… make sure they don't live long enough to resent Konoha."
Tazuna froze. "W-What?!"
Namikaze Minato smirked, stepping forward. "Ah... don't worry. We'll handle it quietly. No one will know. And if no one's left to hate Konoha, then no hate will grow. Hahahahahaha…"
With a thump, Tazuna dropped to his knees.
"No!!! Please!!! I was wrong!!! Don't hurt them! I was just being foolish! Please don't kill my family!!!"
Souta stared down at the man kneeling before him, trembling and sobbing. "Mr. Bridge Builder, what are you doing? I'm just a child, right? How can I accept such a bow from an elder? Come now, stand up. I'll make sure you're reunited with your family soon…"
"No, no, Hokage-sama, please… I admit all my wrongs! I shouldn't have lied! I shouldn't have withheld details! I insulted you! Everything was my fault! Kill me if you must—but please, please spare them!"
A long silence followed, broken only by the quiet hum of chakra and the rustle of the Scroll of Seals on Souta's back.
Then Souta gave a short sigh and said, "Very well. Let's talk about your mission commission."
Tazuna looked up, nodding quickly with tear-streaked cheeks. "Yes! Yes, of course! Anything!"
Souta crossed his arms. "Your mission involves at least two Chunin-level enemies, including Zabuza Momochi, wielder of the Executioner's Blade, and an Ice Release user—likely a Jonin-level threat. That's an A-rank scenario. No—let's make it an S-rank mission."
"S-S-rank?!" Tazuna gasped. "But that—That's impossible! Even if I sold my entire life, I couldn't afford it!"
Souta's eyes glinted coldly. "Then perhaps your entire life will be sold."
"No!!! I can! I can make it up! I'll pay! I'll sell everything, I swear! Please, let me live!!!"
Satisfied, Souta turned back to his desk and sat down once more. "Good. The total commission for an S-rank mission is 10 million ryo. Deliver it before my shinobi depart. If you cannot pay, well… you already know what happens."
Tazuna remained on his knees, silently weeping.
At the back of the room, Minato let out a small breath. "You've certainly grown into the Hokage title, Kazuki."
Souta didn't respond, but his fingers tapped the desk thoughtfully. His eyes didn't soften, not even for a second.