"Those are ANBU shinobi, aren't they?" Yamanaka Inoichi watched as more than a dozen figures vanished into the distance. After a moment's thought, he said, "I don't know exactly what's going on, but there's no harm in going to take a look."
Beside him, also roused by the disturbance, Nara Shikaku spoke up: "That direction seems to be toward the Sarutobi compound. Maybe it's just the Hokage mobilizing the ANBU."
But just as the two were speaking, a small figure drew their attention.
A calico ninja cat strolled over leisurely.
"Inoichi-sama, Tachibana Jirō-sama requests that you see to the collection of tonight's bodies. At present, there are around twenty corpses, located at both the Utatane and Mitokado compounds."
The calico cat paused briefly before continuing, its voice strange and unnatural, wholly unlike a human's: "Tachibana Jirō-sama also says that once the corpses at those two sites are gathered… you'll need to head to the Sarutobi compound as well. Because soon, quite a few bodies there will also need to be collected."
Yamanaka Inoichi: "!!!"
Nara Shikaku: "!!!"
"Phew…" Inoichi exhaled heavily, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "A moment ago I was just curious, wanting to follow along. Now it looks like I have no choice."
Then his smile faded, replaced by a grave expression. "Keizumi shouldn't lay hands on the Hokage himself. He's aiming for the Hokage's clan instead."
"The Hokage can't possibly allow that. At a time like this, we have to be there."
Shikaku lifted his eyes to the moon above, then said, "Call Chōza as well. Only when the Ino-Shika-Chō stand together can we bring real pressure to the Hokage. Who would've thought… that Keizumi would target these three clans."
"If tonight the Utatane, Mitokado, and Sarutobi clans are all subjected to a bloodbath in the name of Absolute Justice, then their strength and influence within Konoha will plummet."
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Shikaku's face as he murmured, "And the position of the Ino-Shika-Chō will rise almost effortlessly."
After all, when rivals grow weaker, it amounts to oneself becoming stronger.
As for whether the weakening of the Utatane, Mitokado, and Sarutobi clans would cause Konoha itself to weaken?
Shikaku didn't think so—because Uchiha Keizumi was growing stronger!
The power of [Absolute Justice] more than made up for the loss.
Patting Inoichi's shoulder, Shikaku said, "For now, Absolute Justice truly does seem like a promising path. Don't think the Nara clan's aims are impure. I am, after all, the Nara clan head—I have to think of my own people."
"Come on. Keizumi needs us."
…
Within the Uchiha compound.
Tonight, Fugaku had not slept a single moment. During dinner, he and his wife Mikoto had once again clashed fiercely, nearly breaking into a full argument.
As he stepped out to clear his head, he suddenly caught sight of an ANBU operative flashing past.
In that brief instant as their paths crossed, Fugaku felt as though the masked shinobi had glanced at him.
Though the man wore an ANBU mask, the eyes beneath it struck Fugaku as strangely familiar.
"…Itachi?"
Startled, Fugaku called out, but Uchiha Itachi himself had already stopped of his own accord, halting only three meters ahead.
"Father, this is the Hokage's order." Uchiha Itachi, expressionless, answered his father's unspoken question. "It seems to involve Uchiha Keizumi. I don't know the details."
With that, he turned and continued on his way.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Fugaku's sight.
"Keizumi… Hokage-sama…"
A jolt struck Fugaku's chest. A foreboding sense of dread surged through him, compelling him to follow at once.
…
"Child of Prophecy…"
"Savior…"
Jiraiya rubbed at his chin, stifling a weary yawn.
Alone, he walked down a Konoha street, the dim streetlamps casting long shadows as he went.
"Uzumaki Naruto? Or Uchiha Sasuke? Perhaps Uchiha Izumi? And… Uchiha Itachi?"
Those were the three he had narrowed it down to. Mainly because of their young age.
Even the oldest of them—Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Itachi—were only twelve years old.
But deep down, he doubted the Child of Prophecy, the Savior of the future, would emerge from the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha's very spirit was too unstable.
"That would leave just one option. The orphan of Minato, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki of Konoha—Uzumaki Naruto."
A complex glimmer flickered in Jiraiya's eyes. Once, he had believed Namikaze Minato himself to be the Child of Prophecy. He had trained him with that conviction. Yet in the end, even as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Minato had died young.
So then… could Minato's child be the Child of Prophecy?
"Blue eyes… well, at least in that regard, the boy Naruto fits perfectly. Come to think of it, since returning to Konoha these past few days, I still haven't seen Minato's son."
Just as Jiraiya furrowed his brow, deep in thought, a familiar fragrance rushed past him, snapping him out of it.
"Tsunade?!"
But when he lifted his head, Tsunade's figure was already gone. In her place came a breathless Shizune.
"Tsunade-sama, please… slow down! I—I can't keep up…"
"Eh?!"
Panting heavily, drenched in sweat, Shizune suddenly spotted Jiraiya in front of her—and froze.
"Jiraiya-sama?!"
Jiraiya frowned in confusion. "You're Tsunade's disciple, aren't you? What's got her in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
Shizune hesitated, then quickly decided that since Jiraiya and Tsunade were comrades, it wouldn't hurt to say. Speaking as fast as she could, she explained everything to him.
"Uchiha Keizumi?"
Jiraiya furrowed his brow. Something told him that tonight, something grave was about to happen in Konoha. Without hesitation, he said, "Count me in."
"Eh?"
Shizune was stunned.
…
"Where exactly are those brats heading?" Tsunade muttered in puzzlement as she followed behind, "Don't tell me they're going somewhere to 'carry out justice'? But this is Konoha. Surely that brat wouldn't dare stir up chaos here like he did in Tanzaku Town or in the capital of the Land of Fire?"
Just as Tsunade voiced her doubts, she saw Uchiha Keizumi and the others ahead finally come to a halt.
And in that instant, she realized where he was going.
"Wait, wait, wait…"
Her eyes widened in shock. "Isn't this the old man's residence? This… this is the Sarutobi compound, isn't it?"
At once, a chilling possibility struck her.
—Uchiha Keizumi intended to carry out justice against the Hokage of Konoha!
Hiss!
"No, no…" The next second, she shook her head to banish the thought. "That brat Keizumi may be powerful, but he's not a match for the old man. Even if the two of them could fight to a draw, that would only be one on one. Here in Konoha, how could he possibly have the chance to face the old man one on one?"
After some thought, she decided to keep following anyway.
…
Meanwhile.
Within the Sarutobi compound.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's stern expression suddenly shifted—he had sensed something.
Beside him, Koharu and several elite ANBU shinobi also faintly picked up on it.
Among the ANBU—
Kakashi, with his listless, dead-fish eyes, turned his gaze toward the disturbance. What he saw made his scalp prickle, his heart fill with both shock and reluctant awe—Uchiha Keizumi!
This guy…
He really came!
At once, Hiruzen and Koharu fixed their eyes on Keizumi, their aged faces darkening.
"Keizumi." Hiruzen's voice was grave as he stepped forward, surrounded by the protective ring of ANBU shinobi. "I have already heard from Koharu about what you've done tonight! I never expected that my tolerance toward you would only embolden you to go even further."
"Tonight you killed over a dozen shinobi of the Utatane clan; then you slaughtered several from the Mitokado clan; and now you brazenly step into the gates of the Sarutobi compound! Keizumi, do you understand that your actions are no different from those of a rogue ninja?"
"Do you realize that with a single order from me, you could be branded a rogue ninja of Konoha? Every shinobi in the village, from top to bottom, would see you as their greatest enemy?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was cold and stern as he rebuked him: "If you still acknowledge yourself as a shinobi of Konoha, then turn around and leave this place right now! Reflect carefully on everything you've done tonight!"
At first, Koharu found herself almost clapping in approval at Hiruzen's words.
But the last part nearly made her mind short-circuit.
Hiruzen…
He still intended to let Uchiha Keizumi off? At a time like this, shouldn't he be taking the chance to expel him from Konoha? To drive him out of the Land of Fire entirely?
Just as Koharu gritted her teeth to speak, she suddenly noticed someone unexpected behind Keizumi—beyond those two hateful girls.
"…Tsunade?!"
In that instant, Koharu understood why Hiruzen had said what he did.
He must have been the first to notice Tsunade's arrival.
And Hiruzen also knew well that Tsunade held a certain degree of sympathy toward Keizumi's [Absolute Justice].
Her presence must have put him under pressure.
But the real question was—why was Tsunade here? Could it be that Uchiha Keizumi had brought her along deliberately, to pressure Hiruzen?
"Tsunade-sama… T-Tsunade-sama…"
Shizune's voice echoed closer, calling out to her master. Then, another figure appeared—someone even less expected.
"Jiraiya?!"
Koharu's eyes widened in shock.
Still, Jiraiya's arrival seemed, at first glance, to be to her advantage. After all, while he might not despise Absolute Justice as much as she did, he was unlikely to approve of it either.
"Phew…" Jiraiya looked at Keizumi's back, his expression deeply conflicted. "Keizumi, don't tell me you're here to raise your hand against the Hokage of Konoha."
That single sentence made Koharu finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Good! Good! Good!
Not all of the village's younger generation stood with Uchiha Keizumi. Some still stood with them.
"Ah, such a lively gathering. Even in the dead of night, it seems no one is able to sleep tonight!"
The voice of Nara Shikaku carried from afar.
And Koharu's face, which had just begun to relax, immediately darkened again.
The Ino-Shika-Chō… those three treacherous clans had come as well! Even though Hiruzen had always treated them kindly, they had chosen to betray him!
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---