377. Building a Law-Based Village!

The turmoil within the Hyuga clan finally came to an end.

By the time the ANBU arrived, the elders had already been beaten to the brink of death.

Due to the Hyuga clan's deep understanding of human anatomy, they had been precisely crippled.

Although they weren't killed, it was now impossible for them to continue using the Caged Bird Seal to threaten the branch family.

Seeing this, the ANBU had no choice but to arrest everyone involved, including Hizashi, on charges of harming their comrades.

The injured members of the main family were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Throughout the entire process, Hizashi did not resist and calmly accepted his fate.

"Lord Danzo, the Hyuga clan is now under strict lockdown. What should we do next?" In the Hokage's office, Shikaku Nara rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.


He knew that this incident was undoubtedly connected to the man before him.

Long ago, Danzo had made it clear among the higher-ups that he did not want clans to stand above the village.

Now, with both the Uchiha and Hyuga clans facing issues, it was hard not to associate this with the "Darkness of the Shinobi."

Although Shikaku personally agreed with the idea of integrating clans into the village to prevent clan territories from becoming loopholes in the rules, Danzo's methods were far too radical.

If others were killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, Danzo was outright killing the monkeys to scare the chickens!

By now, the other clans in the village must be deeply concerned. Thinking this, Shikaku couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing Shikaku's worried expression, Danzo smiled. "Don't worry, I've made thorough preparations this time."

With that, he pulled out a stack of documents from his drawer and slid them over to Shikaku.

"These are the crimes committed by the Hyuga clan, specifically the main family, over the years. They include smuggling, restricting personal freedom, child abuse, and even murder charges. Each one alone is enough to sentence them to death a hundred times over. Once these crimes are made public, the people will only see them as getting what they deserve. As for the other clans, this is a good opportunity for me to give them a stern warning."

When Shikaku heard this, he felt as if the sky was falling.

You've already dealt with the Uchiha and Hyuga clans like this, and now you want to warn the other clans?

What if you push them too far and they turn around and fight back?

So, Shikaku mustered the courage to advise, "Lord Danzo, going too far is just as bad as not going far enough."

Unfortunately, Danzo didn't see it that way.

In his view, these clans needed a harsh wake-up call.

They needed to understand that no matter how powerful a clan was, if they didn't follow the village's rules, they would be arrested or executed!

Only then could the village avoid falling into a situation where warlords ruled.

However, he fully understood Shikaku's concerns and reassured him, "Don't worry, I know my limits. As long as these clans don't harm the village's interests, I won't arbitrarily deal with them."

Seeing that Danzo's mind was made up, Shikaku had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

"In that case, I'll make these crimes public."

——————

The next day, the series of crimes committed by the Hyuga main family over the years were made public.


Smuggling, restricting personal freedom, child abuse, and even murder—these shocking crimes immediately shifted public opinion.

The once-sympathetic villagers now turned their criticism toward the main family.

The Caged Bird Seal, which had been passed down in the Hyuga clan for over a century, became the focal point of condemnation.

A large number of villagers began calling on the higher-ups to demand that the main family remove the Caged Bird Seal from all branch family members and grant them freedom.

Hizashi, who was accused of intentional murder, was now seen as a freedom fighter who liberated the branch family and defended civil rights!

In response, Danzo quickly convened an emergency meeting of the higher-ups. At the meeting, the representatives of the various clans were as silent as cicadas in winter, carefully observing Danzo's every move, afraid that their own clan would become his next target.

Seeing this, Shikaku couldn't help but smirk.


It seemed he had overestimated these people. Did they really lack the courage to stand up to Danzo?

"Everyone must already be aware of what happened with the Hyuga clan," Danzo began, sitting in the first chair to the Hokage's left.

"Over the years, the main family of the Hyuga clan has used the Caged Bird Seal to oppress and exploit the branch family, committing unforgivable crimes. This ultimately led to the branch family's rebellion, resulting in the current situation. I am deeply saddened by this! This incident has also exposed the village's underlying regulatory issues. Although the higher-ups have established various rules, they still fail to cover every aspect of the village.

Some people cling to their power, secretly resisting higher-up orders and continuously seeking personal gain. The higher-ups of the Hyuga clan are a prime example. I hope all the high-ranking jonin present will take this as a warning."

At this point, Danzo's voice suddenly turned cold.

This unexpected warning sent a chill down the spines of the clan representatives.

Fortunately, Danzo didn't press further on this issue. Instead, he shifted gears, saying, "To address this problem, I propose establishing a Ministry of Justice to oversee legislative work! We need to compile a relatively complete legal code to serve as the standard for the village's future operations!"

Before anyone could react, Danzo continued, "Additionally, we need to set up a new institution—the court. This institution will be responsible for trying criminals and, based on the legal code, sentencing them for their crimes. Only by improving Konoha's legislative and judicial systems can we ensure that all villagers have laws to follow and the courage to rely on them! Only then can we build Konoha into a true law-based village!"

After Danzo finished speaking, everyone in the room was left in a daze.

Legal codes, Ministry of Justice, courts, trials, a law-based society?

These terms were extremely unfamiliar to the shinobi present.

After all, during the reigns of the First, Second, and Third Hokages, when villagers committed crimes, they were handled by the police force.


As for shinobi who broke the rules, the Hokage and elders would weigh the pros and cons and handle the matter through discussion.

There was no concept of the rule of law.


There weren't even written regulations, let alone specialized institutions like courts or a Ministry of Justice.

So, it was only natural for them to be confused by Danzo's words...