Selfish Desire [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 50: Ominous Presage

Third Person's P.O.V.

Every person in the meeting room was eerily silent, the tension in the air palpable. The faces of those present were drained of color, eyes wide with shock and hands shaking in fear. Sweat beaded on their skin as they processed the news they were given.

"Someone really tried to kill us..." Goto murmured.

"And the murderer is among us..." added Matsubara.

"But who was their target?" queried Hiroyuki's mother.

Goto spoke up, "Of course they intended to kill our current head. Who else?"

"But why?" quizzed one of the male relatives, "Why would they target one of us or even our leader?"

"Perhaps it is for the position of the head," suggested Keiji, "Whoever did this wanted to eliminate the competition."

Toma, Ayuda's father, remained silent, lost in thought. Ayuda noticed he was clenching and unclenching his fists, a sign of his inner turmoil.

Araki Fuuma spoke up again, "For your information, the Konoha Military Police Force will be keeping an eye on everything you do from now on. We will be present in any of your meetings. We will also be conducting an interview with the family members from time to time. We ask for your full cooperation in this matter."

The room was filled with murmurs of agreement, everyone understanding the severity of the situation.

Each of the family members looked up to Toma, wondering what was next in this uncertain situation. He surveyed them with a stern stare before he began to speak, "We will give full cooperation to the police force while maintaining vigilance and caution. We cannot trust anyone until we discover the identity of the murderer. The safety of our family is our top priority."

He paused for a moment, deep in thought before continuing, "In the meantime, we must continue with the trials to determine the next leader of the family. This incident only highlights how important it is for us to have a strong and capable leader to ensure the safety and security of our family."

Ayuda could see the weight of responsibility settling on her father's shoulders. She knew that he was worried about their safety and the future of their family.

"You are correct about that, Toma-sama," Goto spoke up, "But is it alright for us to be holding trials while the murderer is still free among us and listening?"

Toma nodded understandingly, "I understand your concern, Goto. But we cannot let fear stop us from electing the next head. Perhaps that's what the killer wants. I believe it is important that we carry on with this risk. However, we will take extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone during the trials."

He looked around the room, his gaze lingering on each family member before he spoke again, "I urge every one of you to give your full cooperation to each other and to the police force. We must work together to elect the heir, apprehend the murderer and bring justice to Sayuri's death."

With that, everyone slowly nodded, acquiescing to their leader's command, although several of them had doubt and fear clouding their face. Some of them even glanced at the others among them as if they already had a suspect in their mind.

"What would the first trial be, Toma-sama?" Chiasa inquired.

Ayuda's father's stern gaze surveyed the faces of his relatives before he answered, "I'd been ruminating on this all evening, and I now know the ideal test to put the applicants through."

The room was filled with heavy silence as everyone waited for Toma to continue. Ayuda's heart was pounding as she too was eager to know what the first trial would be.