Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
"Lord Orochimaru, we've been keeping a close eye on Uchiha Akainu as you instructed. He's no longer in the Leaf Village. We found out that Tanzaku Quarters in the Land of Fire went through a massive bloodbath yesterday."
"They say hundreds died, turning the whole place into a sea of blood. And the one behind this 'tragedy' is the Leaf Village's 'Lava Release Beast'—Uchiha Akainu!"
"We also heard that nine years ago, Uchiha Akainu caused a similar massacre in Tanzaku Quarters. Back then, he only killed a few dozen people; this time, it's hundreds."
Even though Orochimaru hadn't started planning to build the Sound Village in the Land of Rice Fields yet, he'd already gathered quite a few subordinates.
After all, his special research projects weren't something he could handle alone.
Plus, he didn't trust the Akatsuki organization he'd joined. From day one, he'd been thinking about how to survive in the ninja world if he ever left them.
After hearing his subordinate's report, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes with interest, licking his dry lips as he murmured, "Uchiha Akainu, huh? That kid left quite an impression. His [Absolute Justice] and that extreme personality of his gave me a real headache back in the day!"
"Looks like old man Sarutobi couldn't handle him anymore and exiled him to wreak havoc elsewhere. Or maybe he couldn't control his extremism, killed a ton in the village, and defected?"
Orochimaru wasn't without spies in the Leaf—he'd planted three or four. But for some reason, they hadn't sent back any intel in a while.
They'd probably been exposed and caught.
So now, Orochimaru only had a vague idea of what was happening in the Leaf.
"Go make contact with that kid," Orochimaru said after a moment's thought, issuing the order. "Tell him straight up that I'm interested in his [Absolute Justice]. If he's got nowhere to go after leaving the Leaf... if he doesn't mind, he can come to me. I can recommend a great spot for him."
He paused, adding, "It's a place that can definitely handle his [Absolute Justice]. Maybe some of those weirdos there will even agree with it. Make sure to tell him all that and see if he's interested."
The subordinate hesitated, asking, "Lord Orochimaru, if you're interested in the kid, why not just grab him?"
"Heh... grab him?"
Orochimaru shot his naive subordinate a cold glance. He almost laughed at how ridiculous it was. "Don't think the power I gave you means you can easily take down that extreme kid."
"He's the 'Lava Release Beast' from the Third Great Ninja War battlefield. He killed enemy Jonin when he was just nine. And now? He's eighteen."
"If I went myself, maybe. But you? Or any of you? Don't get lost in delusions."
"Carry out my orders. Don't make me waste more breath."
The subordinate felt a chilling danger prickling at his back. He shivered and quickly replied, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
As he watched the subordinate leave, Orochimaru's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Uchiha Akainu... let's use these disposable lives to show me how strong you've gotten. You'll always be my top choice for a vessel... no exceptions."
"Heh heh heh..."
Orochimaru's sinister laugh was laced with cruel coldness.
...
"Pfft!!!"
"What?!"
In a town not far from Tanzaku Quarters in the Land of Fire.
Jiraiya was so shocked he spat out his sake.
He jumped up, strode over to the next table, and squeezed in among the guests. When he pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket, their annoyed expressions vanished.
Jiraiya slapped the money down with a forced casual grin. "Drinks for this whole table are on me. Mind telling me exactly what happened in Tanzaku Quarters?"
Thanks to the power of cash, Jiraiya turned into "Intel Jiraiya."
He quickly gathered a bunch of info from the table.
His forced casual look gave way to a flicker of unhideable seriousness.
But mostly, he was stunned.
Jiraiya stood up, returned to his table, and fiddled with his empty cup, brows furrowed. "With that kid's extreme personality, he could totally kill hundreds. Especially in a shady place like Tanzaku Quarters. But hundreds of deaths? That's way over the top."
"Did the old man not rein him in at all? After all these years, couldn't he make the kid's personality a bit more normal? Unless the old man's been indulging Uchiha Akainu, using his [Absolute Justice] to intimidate some folks in the village."
"That would make him even more reckless, to the point where even the old man can't control him anymore. It's just like with the old man and Danzo."
Jiraiya realized this was highly possible, since Sarutobi Hiruzen had a track record—with Danzo.
Danzo was the rotten fruit of Hiruzen's overindulgence.
Knowing Hiruzen as he did...
The Third Hokage might step in the same pit twice.
"No... wait."
Jiraiya had barely sat down when he stood up again, his butt not even warming the seat.
He tossed a bill under the empty cup and headed straight out of the tavern, brows still knit as he thought to himself.
"Tsunade's probably in Tanzaku Quarters too. Even if she's sworn off ninja stuff, if she ran into that reckless kid, she'd likely step in. That's just her fiery personality."
The more Jiraiya thought about it, the more off it felt. He needed to check Tanzaku Quarters himself to get the real story.
As for his main goal of tracking Orochimaru? A one-night massacre of hundreds was too big to ignore—he couldn't tell which was more urgent right now.
He'd start with the easier one.
Besides, Tanzaku Quarters wasn't far.
...
Half a day later.
Schick—
A sharp ninja blade pierced straight through the heart of a Leaf ninja on a mission outside the village.
The victim trembled, grabbing the blade with both hands, but when it twisted slightly, all his strength drained away, and several fingers were sliced off.
As he slumped weakly to the ground, his vision fading to black, he murmured in confusion, "W-why... we're from the same village..."
Uchiha Akainu pulled out the blade, shook off the blood, and sheathed it.
"Because you committed a crime—nine years ago, during the Third Great Ninja War, you killed an innocent family of five just to satisfy your lust."
Uchiha Akainu's tone was cold. "Maybe that family wondered the same thing—why? We're all from the Land of Fire, so why would a Leaf ninja kill our whole family?"
The dying Leaf ninja was filled with regret.
Who could've thought that something from nine years ago would catch up to him now...
Who would've expected someone to meddle in "old business" like this...
And who could've imagined that this Uchiha ninja knew every detail, even though he'd never told a soul!
[Ding! You've successfully killed a "red-named" evildoer! Your chakra has increased slightly! Congratulations, you've obtained: "Shuriken Throwing Technique" experience book ×2!]
"Ninja who turn out good are pretty rare, meow!" Jiroji sighed from the side.
On their way to the Land of Fire's capital, it and Lord Akainu had already run into five or six Leaf ninja.
Lord Akainu only spared three, turning the other three into unburied corpses.
Of the three spared, one had committed a crime but not a capital one. Lord Akainu cut off his leg—even if it was reattached, he'd probably never move freely again.
Jiroji glanced disdainfully at the corpse. It had no pity for sinners like this; they disgusted it from the bottom of its heart.
Just as Jiroji was about to keep going, it noticed Lord Akainu hadn't moved.
Jiroji paused.
Before it could ask, Uchiha Akainu, as if reading its mind, said flatly, "When Leaf ninja go on missions, unless they're powerful Jonin, they usually go in groups of three, or at least two."
That alone made Jiroji catch on.
Jiroji clicked its tongue. "So, Lord Akainu wants to check if the other one or two have any sins?"
"Yeah."
Uchiha Akainu said indifferently, "Ninja have power far beyond ordinary people. When a ninja carries guilt but still lives, the 'evil' they cause in the future will be even worse. And more innocents will suffer because of their 'evil'."
Just as Jiroji was about to respond, a shout came from nearby, drawing both their gazes.
"Ryoichiro! Me and Anko have been looking—"
The shout cut off abruptly.
A Leaf kunoichi who appeared suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief at the scene.
In her view—a Leaf ninja in Uchiha Police Force gear stood next to a corpse gushing blood from the chest. Though the police ninja's blade was sheathed, the blood splatters on his clothes screamed "killer!"
And the corpse was none other than the "Ryoichiro" she'd mentioned!
She'd just witnessed a fellow villager "killing his own"!
The dead guy was her mission partner!
Shocked, the kunoichi yanked out her ninja blade and jumped back several steps. Her eyes filled with horror as she stared at Uchiha Akainu's profile, yelling, "Who are you? Why'd you kill a fellow villager?"
Before Uchiha Akainu could answer, another figure dashed in.
This one was more experienced.
Seeing the comrade's corpse, his pupils shrank, and without hesitation, he pulled out four kunai rigged with explosive tags and hurled them forward.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The four kunai landed precisely around Uchiha Akainu—front, back, left, right.
Each had an explosive tag, connected by thin wires.
"Don't move!"
Mitarashi Anko said coldly. "Any extra moves, and I'll detonate—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
She'd just noticed the "unknown enemy's" outfit—it was Leaf Uchiha Police Force gear. And that profile looked familiar.
Few Uchiha names came to mind that she'd recognize.
When a couple popped up...
Her sharp eyes widened.
"...Uchiha Akainu!!!"
Sweat broke out on her back; she regretted rushing in like this.
"Uchiha Akainu?" The other kunoichi, still shocked, paused.
The next second, her reaction mirrored Anko's.
"Long time no see, Anko." Uchiha Akainu stepped over the Leaf ninja's corpse at his feet. Even though his steady advance ignored her warning, the sweating Anko didn't dare trigger the explosives.
Uchiha Akainu's eerie tone made sweat bead on Anko's forehead. "If I remember right, you should be in Leaf Prison, not out here wandering free."
Jiroji's voice chimed in with realization. "Oh yeah, meow—you're Orochimaru's disciple, right?"
"Two years ago, Lord Akainu ran into you. He found out you'd unwittingly done some evil stuff for Orochimaru. But even by [Absolute Justice] standards, it wasn't a death sentence. He just tossed you in Leaf Prison to reflect for five years."
Jiroji narrowed its cat eyes, speaking human words as it stared at Anko. It licked its paw and continued, "It's only been two years. Meow, does time flow differently in Leaf Prison than outside?"
"Or... like with that kid Naruto before, did the Third use his Hokage privileges to 'pardon' you? No wonder he was so smooth about it—he'd already done it once."
Mitarashi Anko: "..."
Her silence confirmed Jiroji's guess.
After two years in Leaf Prison on plain food, feeling like she'd lost ten pounds, Anko had indeed been released by the Third Hokage.
She remembered what the Hokage had said to her.
—"Anko, your so-called crimes... Orochimaru just used you without you knowing. Five years in prison is too much. These two years are enough to clear your sins and cut ties with Orochimaru."
—"Plus, you don't even remember what evil you helped him with. Such a heavy punishment isn't fair."
—"The Leaf needs people right now. As Hokage, I can pardon you. I hope you remember the Will of Fire and don't dwell on the past."
Anko had asked Hiruzen then: "What if I run into Uchiha Akainu?"
Hiruzen's reply: "I'm the Hokage. No matter how extreme Akainu is, he has to listen to me sometimes. Even if he's unhappy, he'll understand."
Anko had believed him back then.
But...
She felt like she'd trusted too hastily.
"Two choices." Uchiha Akainu wasn't aggressive; he was calm and steady. "Choose the freedom the Third Hokage gave you, stand against [Absolute Justice], and be my enemy. Or drop your weapons and surrender."
"Anko, you..."
The other kunoichi swallowed hard, looking at Anko.
"...Choice two."
Anko immediately released the wires. She'd decided in less than a tenth of a second.
Jiroji made a surprised "tch tch" sound. "First time I've seen someone cave so quick and clean. Thought we'd add another evildoer to the list of those dying by Lord Akainu's hand today!"
Mitarashi Anko looked at Uchiha Akainu with a complicated expression.
She said, "He and I were in the same class at the Academy. That's why I know him—and what I should do."
Jiroji: "!!!"
It suddenly remembered... Lord Akainu usually didn't bother remembering the names of evildoers he'd killed or imprisoned—there were too many.
But he remembered Mitarashi Anko's name.
So that's the connection!
Uchiha Akainu said indifferently, "Follow behind me for a bit. Once I'm done with this, I'll take you back to the Leaf."
Anko forced a smile and told her partner, "You'll have to take Ryoichiro's body back and report to the Hokage yourself."
She didn't ask what Akainu was up to.
Since she'd chosen to back down, she had to commit fully.
"Anko, he killed—"
Anko cut her partner off. "No one who dies by Uchiha Akainu's hand is innocent."
She paused, then added, "And that includes those he throws in prison."
Even though Anko couldn't remember what she'd done for Orochimaru.
She still felt guilty.
...
Land of Fire.
Tanzaku Quarters.
A tall man in wooden clogs squatted dramatically in the middle of the street, his long white hair spiking like needles and trailing to the ground.
He scraped his finger along a tile seam, picking up dried blood flakes, and tasted it on his tongue.
"Human blood..."
Jiraiya stood slowly, scanning the ground.
Though the street had been cleaned, the seams between tiles were hard to scrub, still stained with dark, dried blood. The whole street looked like that.
Jiraiya could almost see the piles of bodies from that night.
He imagined Tanzaku Quarters engulfed in fire and blood.
He noticed the complex expressions on passersby's faces.
Many buildings on both sides were charred ruins.
Casinos, dance halls, bathhouses, clubs... all sorts of pleasure dens were either shuttered or burned down.
Tanzaku Quarters had lost its bustling vibe.
A quick inquiry revealed roughly how many had died that night.
"Hundreds... Uchiha Akainu went way overboard this time, didn't he?!" Jiraiya's eyes flashed with shock and gloom, and he mentally grumbled at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "The old man really was using his [Absolute Justice] and indulging him. Now look—the kid's out of control."
But digging deeper, Jiraiya realized things weren't what he'd imagined.
"All the dead were bad guys?" he asked a local resident, frowning. "Not a single innocent got caught in the crossfire?!"
Under Jiraiya's cash incentive, the local spilled everything. "When we cleared the bodies, we recognized the faces. They were gangsters, samurai thugs, bullying ninja, or folks doing shady stuff in the dark."
"Some bodies were burned beyond recognition, but... the ones we could ID weren't good people. That Uchiha Akainu guy... he's scary, but he seems to only kill villains."
Jiraiya fell silent. If the local was right, and all the dead deserved it...
Did that mean Uchiha Akainu had been secretly investigating Tanzaku Quarters for a while?
Was that night's slaughter a "justice roundup"?
Maybe planned for ages?
"I see..."
Jiraiya murmured. "No wonder Tsunade didn't stop his extremism. With her personality... if she knew he was killing evildoers, she'd probably let it slide—or even 'accidentally' help out."
Calming down, Jiraiya tried to track Tsunade's whereabouts, learning that the infamous "big fat sheep" of Tanzaku Quarters had left early the day before yesterday.
Apparently... with a big group of kids, heading toward the Leaf Village.
Jiraiya was baffled.
Uchiha Akainu...
Tsunade...
What the hell were those two up to?
...
Leaf Village.
Hokage's Office.
"Hiruzen, why didn't you tell us sooner about something this big?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado confronted Sarutobi Hiruzen. Koharu's aged face showed anger. "That's Tanzaku Quarters! A huge chunk of the Land of Fire's taxes comes from there! And a big part of those taxes funds our ninja operations!"
Koharu took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but couldn't.
She gritted her teeth. "Nine years ago, Uchiha Akainu killed dozens there, nearly shutting the place down. I told you to call him back and hold him accountable, but you brushed it off with 'we need a double kekkei genkai ninja to stabilize the war front.'"
"I said back then that indulging him would only make it worse. And sure enough, nine years later, he does it again."
"And..."
Koharu inhaled deeply. "This time, hundreds died! That's just the tip of the iceberg from what those three ninja saw—they didn't investigate deeply."
"If the visible part is hundreds of bodies, what's the full picture? Several hundred? A thousand?"
"Hiruzen, Tanzaku Quarters has tons of noble families' businesses! Even nobles hang out there!"
"Can you guarantee Akainu didn't kill a noble? He even dared kill the Daimyo's second son!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen held his pipe expressionlessly, smoke curling up to obscure half his face.
Seated, he lifted his eyelids slightly toward the agitated Koharu.
He said, "How could I not know all that? But it's already happened. I only found out days after. What, should I go back in time and send someone to stop him?"
Hiruzen rubbed his aching brow.
"Besides waiting for Akainu to return, what can I do? Koharu, Homura. You're high advisors—tell me, what can I do now?!"
"Go to Tanzaku Quarters, collect cells from all the dead, reincarnate them with Edo Tensei, and pretend nothing happened?!"
"Or send all Anbu and Root ninja to 'capture the criminal defector' Uchiha Akainu?!"
Hiruzen said gravely, "You know anyone killed by Akainu... is really innocent?"
"His justice puts him on the moral high ground. If the village learns I killed a punisher of evil like him, how will they see me as Hokage?"
"Don't forget..."
"Uchiha Akainu's [Absolute Justice] has gained initial acceptance from many in the village! Times have changed."
"[Absolute Justice] isn't the plague everyone avoids anymore."
At this, Hiruzen's eyes showed unhideable pain.
This was one reason he couldn't seek revenge on Akainu.
He couldn't figure out how it happened—why so many accepted Akainu's justice so quickly? It wasn't like this before.
Hiruzen felt like he was close to grasping the key point.
But that insight kept slipping through his fingers.
"Lord Hokage!" An Anbu entered the office, reporting, "A Leaf ninja named 'Shizune' returned alone. She says—Lady Tsunade will be back soon."
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura were stunned.
Tsunade's coming back?!
...
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh— Three figures dashed toward a direction. They were clearly ninja but wore no headbands, and their auras were sinister, marking them as non-Leaf.
"Hey! You sure this is the way? We've been searching all day and still no Uchiha Akainu. If we don't find him, how do we explain to Orochimaru's people?"
"And this direction isn't even toward the Leaf Village?!"
The one at the back grumbled.
"Hmph!"
The lead ninja snorted. "Don't underestimate my tracking skills! We found his inn in Tanzaku Quarters, and I've got his scent locked in. If I catch even a whiff, I'll find him!"
"I don't know why he's not heading back to the Leaf, but I'm sure he went this way. Though, besides him, there are two other scents."
The leader frowned. "One doesn't smell human—probably a summoning beast."
"The last one's like a woman's."
"And... the scent's getting stronger."
Suddenly.
The middle one, who'd been quiet, said urgently, "Stop!"
The others halted.
Under their puzzled looks, he pointed to the side. "Look here."
They approached, pupils shrinking.
"A body?!"
A blood-soaked headless corpse lay in the bushes, its head a few dozen centimeters away.
The face was frozen in terror and despair.
"There's a headband." One bent down and picked up a metal plate, eyes widening at the symbol. "Cloud Village? What's a Cloud ninja doing in the Land of Fire? Must be a spy. Tch, tough luck getting killed."
"He was killed by Uchiha Akainu," the scent expert said suddenly. "His smell's strong here. No other fight signs—the Cloud spy got taken out instantly."
"Heh... no wonder Lord Orochimaru's interested. A double kekkei genkai ninja is no joke."
The other said gravely, "Body's fresh. Akainu killed him within the last fifteen minutes."
They exchanged looks.
Fifteen minutes...
Akainu was probably close!
Without another word, they sped up.
Half an hour later.
When two people and a cat appeared in their sight, the trio perked up, silently accelerating to surround them.
One blocked the front, the others the left and right rear.
Their arrival forced Uchiha Akainu to stop.
"Heh... Uchiha Akainu, the infamous Lava Release Beast, one of the rarest double kekkei genkai ninja in the world... you were hard to find!"
The front blocker smirked.
His gaze locked on Uchiha Akainu.
Then, he glanced at Mitarashi Anko beside him. "You're... tch, no wonder that woman's scent felt familiar."
"Mitarashi Anko, Lord Orochimaru's direct disciple! Ha, this is unexpected!"
Mitarashi Anko: "!!!"
Anko had been wondering who these three were.
But when they mentioned Orochimaru, she knew they meant trouble.
Especially dropping Orochimaru's name—it made her eyes sharpen dangerously, her muscles tensing, ready to strike.
"Orochimaru?"
Jiroji narrowed its cat eyes. "Lord Akainu doesn't leave the village often, but when he does, all sorts of monsters crawl out."
"Hey hey!"
The right-rear one snapped. "We're talking to Uchiha Akainu. What's a pet cat got to say?"
Then, the front one said, "Uchiha Akainu, Lord Orochimaru values you highly—that's why he sent us."
He repeated Orochimaru's words, extending the olive branch.
As he finished, Akainu and Jiroji showed no reaction, but Anko's face shifted.
She tensed, looking at Uchiha Akainu.
"So... Lord Orochimaru's sincere. Join his organization, and you'll stand as his equal."
"Your unrecognized [Absolute Justice] will find supporters—way better than staying in the Leaf."
"And..."
As the front ninja prepared to keep talking, Uchiha Akainu cut him off indifferently. "So that's what that irredeemable scum Orochimaru sent you all this way to tell me?"
That blunt line made all three change color.
This damn Uchiha was insulting Lord Orochimaru with such vulgar words!?
When Orochimaru valued him so much!
Unreasonable!
Uchiha Akainu continued coldly, "I've got a message for you to take back—tell him to wash that long neck of his and wait for [Absolute Justice] to come knocking."
"But... only if you can deliver dreams after death."
As his words landed, the three felt a surge of intense danger.
Before they could react, Jiroji struck first.
The small cat ballooned into a ferocious, dozen-meter-tall giant. It swatted mercilessly at the right-rear ninja.
Caught off guard, he couldn't dodge—Jiroji's paw smacked him down.
Boom!!!
The ground shook slightly.
"What?!" The other two paled, but before they could move, Uchiha Akainu was suddenly right in front of one. His eyes had turned to three-tomoe Sharingan, scarlet pupils reflecting in the victim's.
As the victim's eyes glazed over, Uchiha Akainu's blade slashed a deep gash across his neck.
The head rolled off.
Blood sprayed skyward!
The last ninja's pupils contracted, trying to retreat, but the ready Anko bit her lip and attacked. "Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hands!!!"
Instantly.
Dozens of vicious snakes shot from Anko's sleeves, each striking fast, biting the target a dozen times.
Venom injected through fangs.
"Da... damn..." Weakness hit him, and he collapsed.
Anko strode forward, kunai out, pressing it to his throat.
She growled threateningly, "The poison will kill you in three minutes max. Tell me Orochimaru's location, and I'll give you the antidote."
"Heh, you think..." As the weakened ninja tried to spit defiance, his face froze.
Anko noticed something wrong just as her collar was yanked back.
She flew backward.
Before she could wonder who pulled her, the frozen ninja's body visibly swelled.
It ballooned into a sphere—and exploded!
Boom!!!
Flesh scattered everywhere.
Boom!!!
Boom!!!
The other two bodies did the same—weirdly swelling and bursting.
Chunks of meat and blood splattered Anko, freezing her expression.
She hadn't expected this.
Until Uchiha Akainu's calm voice sounded behind her: "Looks like Orochimaru sent these three to die. He'd already rigged them to destroy the bodies, so no one could track him through them. Too bad he lacks the guts to face me himself."
Uchiha Akainu narrowed his eyes. In his view, the ninja world's "evil" had many sources. Orochimaru was one of them!
Hearing this, Anko felt dazed...
It wasn't Orochimaru targeting Uchiha Akainu now.
It was Akainu targeting Orochimaru!
...
...