Others may show cowardice in the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen's imposing oppression, but Sarutobi Hiruzen's intimidation is ineffective against Kisaragi. Kisaragi's strength is no weaker than Sarutobi Hiruzen's—how could he be afraid of his oppressive aura?
"Those who are caught have done something wrong. Our Konoha Police will never let a criminal go," Kisaragi said righteously to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen placed his pipe on the table and looked at Uchiha Kisaragi with a pair of sharp eyes.
"Can you explain the security management fee to me?"
"This is a question you should ask yourself, Hokage. Konoha doesn't provide any funding for the police, and we can't live on air. If you want the police to keep functioning, there has to be some way to sustain us."
"We work hard to maintain the security of Konoha Village, for Konoha's safety. Isn't it because of our police that the shop owners enjoy such a stable environment? So it's only natural that we charge some fees," Kisaragi explained to Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly.
"Lord Hokage, you should know that this time I found out that there are some despicable people in Konoha Village who refuse to pay the security management fees. These fees help maintain Konoha's peace and order. Yet, no one is willing to contribute."
"Honestly, I'm heartbroken. How can they be so selfish, unwilling to contribute to Konoha? People like that don't deserve to live in this village."
Listening to Kisaragi's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched. Kisaragi was clearly very eloquent, turning himself into a champion of justice while making those who refused to pay seem ungrateful.
"Let's end this matter. Release everyone who has been arrested," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
Many of his own clan members had been arrested by the Konoha Police, and even his son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, was among them. Sarutobi Hiruzen had two sons: the eldest, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was one year older than Kisaragi at twenty years old, and the younger Sarutobi Asuma, who was only five years old.
When members of the Sarutobi family were arrested, Shinnosuke tried to have the Konoha police release them. When he made trouble, Uchiha Sasuke mercilessly threw him into prison.
"Release everyone who was arrested? That's not possible. They are all criminals. The justice in my heart won't allow their release," Kisaragi refused without hesitation.
He was still waiting to profit from those people. Letting them go would mean losing both money and the opportunity to further enforce his version of order.
Though Kisaragi refused bluntly, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't erupt in anger. As the Third Hokage, he was careful to maintain his dignity and wouldn't lose his temper easily.
"Uchiha Kisaragi, why has the Konoha Police suddenly expanded? Can you explain this?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, his gaze sharp as he wondered if Kisaragi had ulterior motives. The Uchiha clan had long coveted the position of Hokage. Was Kisaragi aiming for that? Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't allow such dangerous ambitions to grow.
"It's simple. There have been too many security violations in Konoha Village. The Konoha Police is clearly understaffed, so we needed to expand," Kisaragi explained.
"Is that so?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone was calm, giving nothing away.
"By the way, Lord Hokage, your son openly attacked members of the Police. That's a serious crime," Kisaragi continued. "You, Lord Hokage, are known for your wisdom. Surely, you can't let your son tarnish your reputation. I'd be happy to help educate Sarutobi Shinnosuke for you."
Kisaragi smiled as he spoke to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand was resting on the table, and if one looked closely, they would see cracks in the surface, caused by his uncontrollable strength. He realized that he couldn't deal with Uchiha Kisaragi directly. Turning against Kisaragi would mean turning against the entire Uchiha clan, which would only harm Konoha.
He had even considered sending someone to assassinate Kisaragi, but there wasn't anyone suitable for the task. Kisaragi's strength was not weak, and only he, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo had the ability to challenge him within Konoha.
That's what Sarutobi Hiruzen thought, unaware of how powerful Kisaragi had truly become. He had no idea that Kisaragi had already reached the Kage level and had even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In a direct confrontation, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be a match for Kisaragi. Among the current Kages, the only one who might give Kisaragi a challenge was the Third Raikage.
Kisaragi considered himself far stronger than Sarutobi Hiruzen. Though Sarutobi Hiruzen was hailed as the strongest Hokage of all time, in Kisaragi's mind, he was certainly the weakest of the Hokages.
After leaving the Hokage building, Kisaragi immediately sent someone to summon Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
He had promised to help Sarutobi Hiruzen "educate" his son, and he intended to keep his word.
"Let me go! My father is the Hokage! Release me right now!" Sarutobi Shinnosuke struggled furiously as two Uchiha clansmen dragged him, but it was in vain.
After being detained in Konoha Prison, his chakra had been sealed by a unique technique. Though Shinnosuke was a Jōnin, without his chakra, he couldn't escape the control of two Chūnin.
Seeing him struggle so hard, the two Uchiha almost slapped him in frustration. They didn't care about his status—after all, to the Uchiha, their clan was number one.