Toni's expression remained stern as he replied, "I don't know if I can trust you, Kaizo. You've been acting suspiciously, I need to take precautions."
Kaizo's eyes darted back and forth between Toni and the gun. He knew he had to think fast to regain Toni's trust. "Look, I understand your concerns, but we're all on the same team here. We need to work together to figure out what's going on."
Tangero felt a lump form in his throat as General Kaizo urged him to plead for their innocence. "Please, Uncle Toni, we were only looking for the plans for the pipelines and power grids," Tangero said, his voice shaking with fear.
General Toni's expression remained stern as he looked from Tangero to Kaizo. "Is that all you were looking for?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Especially unauthorized by the grand minister of defense.
Toni shifted his attention to Kaizo and started to speak, "Kaizo, I couldn't help but notice that you were involved in a military expedition to Chata 2 years ago. Your going with just a handful of troops raised some suspicion among our intelligence team."
Kaizo's face turned grim, and he tried to evade the topic. "That was just a minor mission to assess the situation at the border. We didn't need many troops for that."
Toni wasn't convinced, and he continued to press Kaizo. "But your expedition coincided with a significant increase in terrorist activities in our country. It's almost as if you were involved in something you shouldn't have been."
General Kaizo responds to Toni's accusation about his suspicious expedition by deflecting the conversation and accusing him of sabotaging Tangero's military exams.
Tangero looked confused and asked, "What do you mean by General Toni sabotaged my exams? And how many times?"
Kaizo smirked and replied, "Oh, didn't you know? Your dear uncle Toni made sure you failed your military exams not once, not twice, but three times."
Toni furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about, Kaizo? I never sabotaged anyone's exams."
Tangero looked equally puzzled. "What is he talking about, Uncle?"
Kaizo sneered at Toni. "Oh, come off it. You know what I'm talking about. You made Tangero fail his military exams three times."
Tangero's eyes widened in shock. "What? Uncle Toni, is that true?"
Toni shook his head vehemently. "No, it's not true. I never had anything to do with your exams, Tangero."
Kaizo laughed derisively. "Don't play dumb, Toni. You did it because someone was making you fear that he would mention Tangero's mother."
Kaizo shot a venomous look at Toni. "I'm sure Toni will be happy to fill you in on all the details, won't you, Toni?"
Toni's lips were set in a thin line. "You're damn right I will. But first, I need you to answer some questions about your expedition to Chata-Novartica and your strange return with very few troops."
As Tangero demanded an immediate reply, General Toni felt the weight of guilt pressing down on him. He knew he had to protect Tana and her secret at all costs. In a moment of desperation, he admitted to sabotaging Tangero's exams, causing the young man to recoil in shock and hurt.
"Why? Why would you do that?" Tangero asked, his voice trembling with emotion.
General Toni hesitated for a moment before answering. "I did it to protect someone I care about.