A bloody chunk of flesh slid down Mitarashi Anko's face, landing with a wet splat on the ground. She wiped her damp cheek, only to find her hand smeared with blood. Looking around, she saw three pools of blood staining the earth, with fragments of human remains scattered across her field of vision.
Uchiha Akainu's words echoed faintly in her ears.
Anko realized she might've messed up.
Breathing in the thick stench of blood, she turned to Akainu with a resigned expression. "If I hadn't attacked him… maybe you could've kept one alive?"
She suspected Orochimaru had placed some sinister cursed seal on the three ninjas. Perhaps her "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands" venom had triggered the seal on the last survivor by pushing him to the brink of death.
"No matter," Akainu said calmly. "With Orochimaru's style, even if that man was unharmed, the cursed seal would've activated anyway."
Anko blinked, caught off guard. "You… seem to know a lot about Orochimaru?"
Akainu's voice was steady. "He's an evil I've wanted to purge for years. Back then, my 'Absolute Justice' was too weak. The only real chance was the day he defected, but I failed to kill him."
Anko began to understand why Orochimaru was so fixated on Akainu. Being relentlessly pursued by a "Lava Release beast" like him must've made Orochimaru's days uneasy.
As her mind swirled with thoughts, she noticed Akainu walking away, seemingly unfazed by the three ninjas Orochimaru had sent. Anko shook off her musings and hurried to follow, remembering her status as a "prisoner" with limited freedom.
The shredded corpses and the villains Akainu had slain along the way were stark reminders: defying his "Absolute Justice" could make her the next body on the ground.
"Heh heh… all the cursed seals activated? They died fast. Probably didn't even have a chance to fight back before that kid obliterated them."
In a hidden underground lab in Konoha, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, sensing something. A sly smile curled on his pale, almost ghostly face as he licked his lips. "Looks like he rejected my olive branch. Still sees me as an enemy, as always."
"Too bad. Your resistance doesn't deter me—it makes me want your body even more. Your growth has far exceeded my expectations. That body… it's perfect for my vessel."
"Heh heh! Don't die before we meet, Akainu."
As Orochimaru muttered to himself with a sinister grin, his expression shifted. His golden, slitted eyes flashed with displeasure and a hint of killing intent, quickly masked. He spoke to the air, "Sneaking in uninvited like this is quite annoying. Can't you contact me some other way? Must you show up in person?"
"Sharp as ever, Konoha's Sannin," came a voice. A black-and-white figure emerged from the wall behind him—Zetsu.
Orochimaru turned, eyes narrowing. "Zetsu… you know my name, but I know nothing about you. That's hardly fair, is it?"
Zetsu's expression remained impassive. "No need to vent your anger on me. I'm just a messenger sent by the 'leader.' He has a warning for you: no matter where you hide, the Akatsuki will find you. You can't join us, reap the benefits, and do nothing in return. There's no such deal in this world."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed to slits, his killing intent barely concealed. "So… what's the task?"
Zetsu's tone was calm. "Uchiha Akainu, Konoha's dual Bloodline Limit ninja. You've heard of him, haven't you? You were one of the Sannin before you defected."
A flicker of surprise crossed Orochimaru's eyes, unnoticed by most. A smirk tugged at his lips. "The Akatsuki's already got their eyes on him?"
'To be precise,' Zetsu thought, 'Obito's been obsessed with that kid who somehow knows too much, almost to the point of fixation. He even suspected I leaked info to Akainu, forcing me to prove otherwise.'
Outwardly, Zetsu remained neutral. "Just share what you know and follow the leader's orders."
Clearly, Obito wanted to use the Akatsuki to investigate Akainu—a ninja who knew too much posed a significant threat.
Orochimaru opened his mouth to respond but paused, a sly grin spreading. "Is this really the leader's order?"
Zetsu replied, "What do you think?"
Orochimaru chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.
Half a day later, evening fell over the Fire Country's capital.
Anko had assumed Akainu was just passing through the capital for some task. But when he stopped, she realized this was his destination.
"We're here," Akainu said simply.
Jiro meowed, speaking human words. "Born and raised in the Fire Country, but this is my first time here, meow! If I recall, Lord Akainu, you've never been to the capital either, right?"
"Hm," Akainu replied, his gaze sweeping over the bustling city. To outsiders, it was a vibrant hub. To him, it hid festering evil.
With one glance, he spotted two red-named villains and a dozen white-named innocents. "Even in the most prosperous, central places, evil still thrives. Or rather, the more prosperous and central, the more it's a breeding ground for sin."
Jiro seemed to catch his meaning, but Anko was puzzled. She hadn't been in Konoha when rumors spread about Akainu's eyes, which could see past and future sins. She scrutinized the passersby but saw nothing unusual.
As confusion gnawed at her, she noticed Akainu slowly drawing his ninja blade, its silver edge still stained with blood, dulled from countless kills. Anko's heart raced—drawing a weapon in public was reckless, even for a ninja. It'd attract trouble.
Sure enough, within seconds, two samurai-like men approached, gripping their swords. One barked, "You, ninja! Put that blade away! This is the Fire Country's capital, not some backwater like Konoha! Don't let your weapon offend the city's elites!"
Konoha… backwater? Anko's mouth twitched. Only capital folk would say that.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Deaf?" The samurai blocked Akainu's path.
"Convenient," Akainu said, his gaze fixed slightly above their heads. "Saves me the trouble of walking over."
The samurai frowned, sensing something off, their hands tightening on their sword hilts. Onlookers paused, curious about the tense standoff.
Anko's pupils shrank. "Akainu, these samurai are the capital's police force, like Konoha's Uchiha Police. Don't—"
Before she could finish, Akainu spoke, cutting her off. "Adachi Tsuguto. Ten years ago, during enforcement, you killed a man by mistake. When his male relative sought justice, you broke his legs. His female relative was dragged to your home, where you and your colleague Sakigawa Keiji violated her, driving her to hang herself."
Akainu's gaze shifted to the other samurai, who looked horrified. Under the crowd's eyes, he continued, "Sakigawa Keiji, ten years ago, you and Adachi Tsuguto violated a woman, leading to her suicide. As members of the capital's police force, you broke the law with heinous crimes. Ten years without turning yourselves in shows no remorse."
"You backwater ninja, what are you blabbering about?" Sakigawa snapped, his face a mix of panic and rage. "You say I committed crimes? Violated a woman? Where's your proof, Konoha ninja? Slandering me in public? That's a crime here!"
But when his eyes met Akainu's, an instinctive fear gripped him, choking his words.
Akainu's expression was blank. "You'll see proof soon."
"What proof—" Sakigawa began, but a shink cut him off. Akainu's blade sliced through Adachi's throat in one clean strike. An elite Konoha ninja against a common samurai was like crushing an ant.
As Adachi's head rolled, Akainu placed his bloodied, dulled blade against Sakigawa's collarbone, the edge grazing his neck. Adachi's headless body sprayed blood across Sakigawa's face, the warmth making him glance at the corpse in terror.
"Murder!" the crowd screamed, scattering in panic.
Sakigawa's legs gave out, a wet patch spreading at his crotch as urine mixed with the blood on the ground. "Ten years ago, did you violate an innocent woman, driving her to suicide?" Akainu's voice was like a demon's whisper.
Sakigawa couldn't fathom that this was Akainu's "proof." His voice trembled. "Y-Yes…"
"You see," Akainu said, "proof comes quickly."
Shink! The dulled blade dragged across Sakigawa's neck, not fully severing it. The head dangled by a strip of skin as the body collapsed.
In less than thirty seconds, two men lay dead in the capital, in broad daylight.
Anko, witnessing it all, was speechless. She knew Akainu was extreme—he'd even killed fellow Konoha ninjas. But those kills were discreet, away from prying eyes. This was brazen, in the capital, where the Uchiha Police had no authority. Did he not know?
Her scalp tingled. Why was she, a "prisoner," worrying about this cold-blooded enforcer?
Amid the chaos, a man hidden in the crowd muttered, "Tch, what a lunatic." Peering through the throng, he studied Akainu. "That outfit… looks like Konoha's Uchiha Police Force."
Uchiha ninjas on missions outside Konoha weren't rare, but a Police Force member here was unheard of. "Probably unrelated to me. I left Konoha fifteen years ago. No one should remember me."
As he turned to leave, he caught Akainu's gaze. His heart jolted as if hit by an earthquake. No way… is he here for me?
It could be a coincidence.
But then, a flash of red in Akainu's eyes confirmed his fear. He's after me!
Too late. Akainu's three-tomoe Sharingan ensnared him in an illusion across the crowd. The man's arms clamped to his sides, legs locked together, face contorted as if bound by invisible chains. He gasped, holding his breath until his face turned purple, veins bulging.
Bystanders noticed his distress, but before they could act, he collapsed, eyes bloodshot, dead from suffocation in the illusion.
"Third one," Akainu said as his eyes returned to normal, a kill prompt flashing before him. Just a low-ranking Konoha rogue ninja, no significant loot.
Anko stared at the man's purpled corpse, her shock giving way to curiosity. "Was he… a criminal too?"
She couldn't understand. Akainu killing Konoha ninjas made sense—he knew their crimes. But these samurai and this stranger? He shouldn't know them. How did he name the samurai and their exact crimes?
Her mind reeled. For a moment, she doubted her own sanity.
Jiro's voice broke through. "Lord Akainu's eyes can see a person's past and future sins. Don't doubt his judgment, girl!"
Girl? Anko might've smiled if a human said it, but a cat? She felt belittled. Still, as a "prisoner," she held her tongue. The real shock was Akainu's ability to see sins. He has that power?
Meanwhile, Jiraiya panted, "Phew, caught up." He gazed at a group of children, aged five to fourteen, led by a striking figure—Tsunade.
His eyes softened with complexity. Since leaving Konoha to track Orochimaru, he hadn't seen her in ages. To reunite because of the chaos caused by Uchiha Akainu was unexpected.
"Sneaking around isn't very nice, you know!" Tsunade's voice rang out. She'd stopped, glaring back with clenched fists, ready to fight if the stalker didn't show.
"Wait, wait!" Jiraiya, wincing at the memory of Tsunade's past beatings for his peeping, leapt from the tree, hands raised. "It's just me!"
His spiky white hair and rugged look startled the children. Despite Akainu's Sharingan illusions soothing their trauma from Tanzaku Street's underground dens, their deep-seated fear of men like Jiraiya lingered.
They huddled behind Tsunade, who they'd seen smash boulders with a single punch. She was their protector.
"It's okay," Tsunade said, patting a child's head to calm them. She looked at Jiraiya, surprised to see her old friend so abruptly.
"Why are you here? Tracking me, huh?" she demanded.
Jiraiya scratched his head, admitting, "I heard you didn't stop Akainu from killing hundreds in Tanzaku Street. Got worried and followed."
"Tch, why would I stop him?" Tsunade scoffed. "I'm fine. If you've got time to worry, go catch Orochimaru. Haven't seen him since he defected. Give him a few punches to knock some sense into him."
Jiraiya didn't leave, instead asking, "Those kids behind you… are they why you didn't stop Akainu?"
Tsunade's eyes darkened. "Jiraiya, how bad can people get?"
He stroked his chin. "Evil grows with desire, but there's a limit. The worst I've seen… probably Orochimaru. His selfishness and arrogance fuel his wickedness."
"You underestimate the shinobi world's evil," Tsunade murmured. "Orochimaru's evil is self-serving, infuriating. But Akainu showed me a kind that fills me with rage, makes me want to kill, makes me despair for this world."
She locked eyes with Jiraiya. "It made me feel this world shouldn't be like this. I couldn't ignore the sins I saw."
Jiraiya was stunned.
Tsunade continued, "Akainu killed hundreds that night. I didn't stop him because I killed nineteen myself. These kids are victims. I couldn't find a better orphanage, so I'm taking them to Konoha to see if the old man can take them in. I can tell you what happened, but not in front of them—they've just forgotten it, thanks to Akainu's Sharingan. He nearly collapsed exhausting his chakra to help them."
Jiraiya's jaw dropped. This wasn't the Akainu he'd imagined.
In the Fire Country's capital, news of a Konoha ninja killing three in broad daylight caused a stir, especially since two were police samurai. It alarmed nobles and the Daimyo himself.
"A Konoha ninja? Killing in the streets?" The Daimyo frowned, anxious. Without Asuma and the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, he felt vulnerable, like a child carrying gold in a market.
His unease grew. A sudden idea struck him. "Issue a bounty! Ten million ryo—no, make it fifty million! Ensure every ninja in the capital knows!"
Money was no issue for him. Eliminating this threat was worth it. A ninja bold enough to kill in the capital might storm his mansion next.
"Yes, Lord Daimyo!" A retainer hurried off.
But before the Daimyo could calm down, another retainer rushed in. "Lord Daimyo! Disaster! The ninja killer stormed the Yuki Clan's compound! When he left, he was drenched in blood. The police found only eleven survivors out of over fifty—mostly maids and gardeners. The clan head's head was severed!"
The Daimyo's breath caught. The Yuki Clan, a centuries-old noble family with vast influence, was nearly wiped out? Even Konoha's Hokage treated them with respect. Yet this ninja had decimated them?
Fear chilled him. Asuma, Kazuma, Chiriku… where are you? I feel no safety!
His trembling hand betrayed his panic. "You!" he barked at the retainer. "Catch the last guy. Raise the bounty to fifty million ryo, funded by my mansion!"
The retainer, stunned, hesitated. "Go!" The Daimyo kicked him out, nearly hitting his eldest son, who entered, shocked by his father's rage.
"Father, I heard a ninja killed three in the market," the son said. "Is that why you're angry?"
"It's more than three!" the Daimyo snapped. "He nearly wiped out the Yuki Clan, just now!"
The son's eyes widened in disbelief.
Anko was numb. Akainu's justice spared no one—capital police, noble clans like the Yuki, all were villains to him. Watching him slaughter over fifty Yuki members, leaving only eleven, she knew she couldn't sway him.
How many would he kill to satisfy his "Absolute Justice"? And why was no one stopping him? Weren't the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, including Asuma, supposed to protect the Daimyo?
Jiro's voice jolted her. "Lord Akainu, shouldn't we ask where the Daimyo's mansion is?"
Anko's mind blanked. The Daimyo?
"No rush," Akainu said coldly. "Why leave after killing just the Daimyo? This place is a cesspool of evil. Especially the so-called elites who think they're above others, above laws and morals, treating commoners as lesser beings."
His words hit Anko like exploding tags, shattering her thoughts. Killing the Daimyo? Not an assassination—open slaughter. To Akainu, the Daimyo was just another target.
Jiro's voice struck like lightning. "As Akainu's old classmate, don't you know? In his 'Absolute Justice,' there are no elites above others."
Anko whispered, "No elites above others…"
In the capital's bustling district, samurai pushed through the crowd, ignoring complaints. They tore down old notices and posted new ones, then rushed off with stacks of papers, clearly swamped.
Curious onlookers read the new notice—a bounty, signed by the Daimyo. "Fifty million ryo?!" Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even ninjas were stunned.
"Fifty million? That's Kage-level bounty!" a Konoha ninja muttered, studying the vague details: unknown name, age, male, with a cat and a short-haired female ninja companion. Crimes: killing two police samurai, a civilian, and… "Slaughtering dozens of nobles?!"
Who is this ninja? So bold? The description felt oddly familiar, but he couldn't place it.
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