Under the full mobilization of the Land of Fire's Daimyo Residence, wanted posters were plastered across every corner of the capital, instantly drawing the attention of countless residents.
The staggering 50 million ryo bounty shocked many, but what truly stunned them was the alleged crimes of the "fugitive."
Dozens of high-and-mighty nobles had been slaughtered?
The renowned Yuki clan, virtually wiped out in half a day?
Curiosity drove some to venture toward the Yuki clan's estate. As they neared, a thick stench of blood wafted from the compound, causing faces to pale and stomachs to churn.
One brave soul peeked inside and was met with a horrifying sight, their face draining of color in sheer terror.
The wanted poster wasn't lying—the Yuki clan, one of the Land of Fire's elite families, had nearly been exterminated!
"Fifty million ryo! If you could take that ninja criminal's head to the Daimyo Residence, you'd be set for life!"
"You'd need to survive long enough to claim it! That's a ninja we're talking about, skilled in jutsu. A bounty like that isn't for regular folks like us. The Daimyo issued it to rally the ninjas in the capital to hunt this criminal down."
"But… no name, no age, just a few vague traits and a sketch that looks like a kid's doodle. How's anyone supposed to find this guy?"
"Who cares if they find him? I just hope this reckless murderer doesn't come after ordinary people like us."
"A man, a woman, and a cat… why does that sound familiar?"
"…"
While commoners reacted with curiosity or a spectator's detachment, the capital's nobles were in a panic. They rushed to the Daimyo Residence in droves.
Upon arriving, they found the Daimyo looking visibly weary.
"Lord Daimyo, how could such a criminal appear in the capital? What's his goal? What does he want? Where's he from? He's not a Konoha ninja, is he?"
A barrage of questions spilled from an elderly, white-haired noble. "Lord Daimyo, we can't sit idly by while a dangerous ninja targets our class!"
The Daimyo took a deep breath. "I want answers to those questions as much as you do, but no one has them. That's why I issued the 50 million ryo bounty—because the Land of Fire can't afford to do nothing!"
His gaze swept over the gathered nobles. "I know you've all hired powerful ninjas for protection. In this crisis, you must step up. If the Yuki clan can fall, any of your families could be next… or even me, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire! We must unite to survive this!"
His words left the nobles exchanging uneasy glances. They were reluctant to send their hired ninjas after this criminal. Those ninjas were paid hefty sums to protect them, not to chase some rogue ninja. What if someone attacked them while their guards were away?
"Lord Daimyo…" one noble ventured cautiously, "don't you have the Twelve Guardian Ninja? Twelve elite ninjas, renowned for their strength. Why not send them? With their skills and numbers, catching one rogue shouldn't be an issue, right?"
The Daimyo fell silent.
If the Twelve Guardians were here, would I be this frantic?
But he couldn't say that aloud—it would expose his vulnerability to these nobles.
"Most of the Twelve Guardians have already been dispatched," he said gravely. "But finding one ninja in the vast capital is like searching for a needle in a haystack. That's why we need your help. You've seen what happened to the Yuki clan."
"Um…" another noble interjected, "don't we have long-range communication tech now? Why not contact Konoha and ask if they know anything about this criminal?"
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
The Daimyo paused, then gestured to a retainer, who leaned in. After a whispered exchange, the retainer nodded and hurried off.
Konoha Village, Hokage Tower
"Seventy-nine orphans from Tanzaku Street…" Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Shizune's report, realizing that Tsunade's brief return to Konoha had brought a massive problem.
Thankfully, Shizune quickly added, "Barring any surprises, Lady Tsunade will cover the costs. She collected tens of millions of ryo in gambling money from Tanzaku Street but plans to keep only a million for herself. The rest will go toward caring for those children."
Hiruzen sighed in relief. If Konoha didn't have to foot the bill, that was a weight off his shoulders.
But his expression turned odd. "Tsunade… is she quitting gambling?!"
That didn't sound like the Tsunade he knew! In his mind, she'd inherited her grandfather, the First Hokage's, gambling addiction—and was terrible at it.
Shizune scratched her head. "Maybe… Lady Tsunade feels sorry for those kids. Or maybe she figures since the money was just picked up off the ground, she can spend it freely."
Hiruzen: "???"
After Shizune's detailed explanation, Hiruzen fell silent.
He knew the Tanzaku Street massacre was tied to Uchiha Akainu, but he hadn't expected Tsunade's return to be connected to him too.
"And the origins of these children…" Hiruzen frowned. "Are they also linked to Akainu?"
Shizune nodded eagerly, recounting the entire incident—its cause, events, and aftermath—in full detail.
Hiruzen fell silent again.
To his shock, he found himself thinking Akainu's killings in Tanzaku Street were… justified.
A chill ran through him. He'd nearly been swayed by Akainu's extreme "absolute justice" without realizing it!
In that moment, Hiruzen understood why Akainu's "absolute justice" had shifted so many people's perceptions of him in such a short time. His brutal "stopping evil with killing" resonated with those who believed his heavy-handed justice wouldn't touch them—only the wicked.
After all, the dead were villains. Wasn't that a good thing for the innocent?
This realization gave Hiruzen an even bigger headache.
"Hiruzen!" Mito Menma burst into the office but stopped short upon seeing Shizune. He shot Hiruzen a look.
Hiruzen frowned, motioning for Shizune to leave before turning to Menma. "What happened?"
Menma's face was grim. "There's trouble in the Land of Fire's capital. A ninja's been rampaging, killing indiscriminately and nearly wiping out an elite family—the Yuki clan. Only two members are left."
Hiruzen's eyes widened. "!!!"
Sensing the gravity, his brows furrowed tightly.
Menma continued, "The Daimyo's people sent us some details about this ninja criminal, asking us to confirm if he's one of ours."
"They think it's a Konoha ninja?" Hiruzen's face darkened. "Konoha's ninjas follow the Will of Fire. Our village doesn't produce criminals who'd attack the Land of Fire's nobles."
He could almost feel the nobles' accusations from across the distance.
Menma's expression grew complicated. "Hiruzen… I think it is one of ours."
Hiruzen: "???"
Menma listed the traits, his eyes heavy with resignation. "Doesn't it sound familiar? Doesn't it scream Akainu—and his ninja cat?"
"And not all Konoha ninjas follow the Will of Fire. Akainu follows his 'absolute justice,' doesn't he? He's got a record—he killed the Daimyo's second son."
"Do you think a mere Yuki clan, or any noble, means anything to him?"
Hiruzen: "…"
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he said, "But didn't they say the criminal was with a female ninja? Akainu's little follower, Izumi Uchiha, is in Konoha right now."
No sooner had he spoken than urgent knocks sounded at the office door.
Rubbing his temples, he called, "Come in!"
An ANBU ninja entered, reporting rapidly, "Lord Hokage, a three-man team on a mission outside the village ran into trouble. According to the survivor who made it back, they encountered the 'Lava Beast,' Uchiha Akainu."
"Special Jonin Ryoichiro was killed with a single strike. Special Jonin Mitarashi Anko was taken by Akainu under the pretext of 'arresting an escaped prisoner.'"
Hiruzen's eyes widened.
He exchanged a look with Menma.
Menma sighed. "Hiruzen… the 'female ninja' just showed up."
His words shattered Hiruzen's last hope.
The "ninja criminal" the Daimyo spoke of was almost certainly Uchiha Akainu!
But… wasn't he supposed to be on an S-rank mission? His route shouldn't have taken him near the capital. Why's he there?
Wait!
Hiruzen shot to his feet, staring at Menma with unprecedented seriousness, his face visibly darkening. "Akainu knew why the Twelve Guardians ambushed him outside Konoha!"
Menma's pupils shrank as he grasped Hiruzen's meaning. "To Akainu, the Daimyo is one of the masterminds behind that ambush!"
"With his extreme 'absolute justice,' the Daimyo's probably a villain in his eyes. He didn't just stumble into the capital—he went there deliberately."
"His target isn't the Yuki clan—they were just collateral. His real target is the Daimyo himself!"
Hiruzen collapsed back into his chair, drained.
If the Daimyo were in Konoha, Hiruzen would rally every ninja to stop Akainu, no matter the cost.
But the capital was too far.
Even an elite Jonin, traveling non-stop, would need a full day to get there.
There was no time!
"Asuma…" Hiruzen closed his eyes in pain. "You thought I'd unleashed a tiger, but what I let loose… was a dragon."
He didn't know how to judge his late second son anymore.
Asuma's deception had put the Daimyo in mortal danger.
Worse, the nobles might blame Konoha, suspecting Hiruzen had sent Akainu to assassinate the Daimyo.
His headache intensified.
Menma gave a wry smile. "The Daimyo put a bounty on Akainu—the 'ninja criminal.' It's at 50 million ryo."
"Fifty million…" Hiruzen shook his head. "Across the ninja world, maybe five people could claim that bounty."
Menma stayed silent, thinking Hiruzen was optimistic.
Five? He couldn't even name one ninja who could take down Akainu in a one-on-one fight.
"Hiruzen, we might need to send the ANBU," Menma said. "Even if we're too late to reach the capital, we can't let an already out-of-control Akainu spiral further."
"And maybe…" he added gravely, "you, as Hokage, need to lead the team to rein him in."
Hiruzen's brows knitted tightly.
If he, the Hokage, left Konoha for days, who knew what might happen in his absence?
Sensing his concern, Menma said, "Tsunade's coming back, right? Even if she's only here for a day, her presence will deter troublemakers. Plus, you've got Fugaku and Itachi on our side."
"Leave Kakashi and Might Guy in the village. A few days away shouldn't be an issue—the Uchiha won't stir up trouble."
Hiruzen sighed. "You should leave Itachi out of that. He's one of my biggest uncertainties…"
"But you're right."
He stood slowly, voice firm. "We can't let this chaos spiral further. If we don't act, other ninja villages will exploit the Land of Fire's weakness."
"As Konoha's Hokage, if I don't step in when the Land of Fire's stability is at risk, I'd be betraying the vow I made when I first became Hokage."
"I'd be failing the First, Second, and Fourth Hokages' legacy."
Hiruzen decided to personally lead a team of ANBU to the capital.
Before leaving, he gave instructions to everyone he could, securing their assurances.
Only then did he leave Konoha.
He didn't reveal the real reason for his departure, claiming only that the Daimyo had invited him.
The truth was too explosive—it could shake Konoha to its core.
Land of Fire Capital
Uchiha Akainu sheathed his now-useless, dulled tanto and said emotionlessly, "Give me your tanto."
Mitarashi Anko glanced around, realizing he meant her. She quickly drew her blade and handed it to him.
Akainu took two steps forward, looking down at a terrified noble slumped on the ground.
Anyone looking ahead would see a trail of corpses stretching into the distance.
"Don't… don't kill me! I can give you money—more than you could spend in ten lifetimes! Women too—any kind you want! Even ones with bigger chests than the woman behind you!"
The portly noble shrank back, his chins wobbling as he pleaded. "If you don't want money or women, I'll adopt you as my son—no, my brother! From now on, you could be a noble of the Land of Fire!"
"Please… I don't want to die! Please…"
"I… urgh—"
His desperate pleas earned no sympathy from Akainu.
The crimson text hovering above the noble's head, detailing his crimes, grated on Akainu's nerves with every passing second, making his gaze grow colder.
To Akainu, speaking to such a heinous villain was like stepping in dog shit.
Anko watched as a fat head rolled to her feet.
That makes… eighty-eight.
Unable to stop Akainu, she could only silently count how many he'd killed in the capital.
The staggering number left her reeling.
And Akainu showed no signs of stopping.
Just then, Jiro, the ninja cat, returned with a piece of paper in its mouth.
Ignoring the corpses, Jiro dropped the paper and said, "Lord Akainu, the Daimyo's put a bounty on you—50 million ryo. Meow, he must be panicking!"
"Meow, the poster's light on details, but it's enough for hyena-like opportunists. Lord Akainu, trouble's probably coming soon."
Anko glanced down and saw it was indeed a wanted poster.
"Fifty million ryo…" she muttered, stunned.
As a Special Jonin, she had a 9 million ryo bounty on the black market.
While Anko reeled, she noticed Akainu and Jiro both turn their gazes to the left.
Puzzled, she heard a voice shout, "Ha! Got lucky—found him!"
Anko jumped, her eyes darting left. A sharp whistle of air followed as a dozen shuriken and two kunai with explosive tags hurtled toward them, thrown by a ninja without a headband.
He was targeting her too!
"Watch out!" Anko shouted, leaping back.
To her shock, Akainu didn't dodge. The kunai and shuriken passed through his body!
"Explode!" the attacking ninja sneered, forming a hand sign.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two deafening blasts rang in Anko's ears, forcing her to stagger back.
Looking up in horror, she saw Akainu's upper body had been blown away, leaving only his lower half standing motionless.
"How… how could this happen…" Anko was dumbfounded.
She glanced at Jiro, expecting panic, but the cat's expression was calm, as if its master losing half his body was no big deal.
The headband-less ninja strolled forward, tossing a kunai playfully. "So this is the 50 million ryo criminal? Pathetic! Tsk, I might've overdone it—blew his upper half to bits. Hope the Daimyo doesn't dock the reward for a missing face."
"Pretty sloppy of me. Who knew this guy was this weak? Those explosive tags were just a greeting, but they ended up being the killing blow."
"For someone so weak to take on nobles—"
His words cut off as his eyes widened, his sneer freezing.
Akainu's "blown-apart" upper body began to reform visibly, fragmented "flesh" knitting together, glowing faintly with orange-red light.
In less than three seconds, an unscathed Akainu stood before them, not a speck of dirt on his clothes.
The sneering ninja and Anko shared the same shocked expression.
"What… what kind of monster is this?!" the ninja blurted, stumbling back in panic.
Too late.
A searing blob of lava flashed past his head, consuming half his skull before he could react.
Daimyo Residence
"Lord Daimyo!" a retainer rushed in, reporting urgently. "Konoha says they're almost certain the 'ninja criminal' killing in the capital is one of their own!"
"What?!" The Daimyo shot to his feet, his eldest son rising beside him.
The son gritted his teeth. "Konoha ninjas! How does the Third Hokage manage his village? First, Uchiha Akainu kills my brother, and now another Konoha ninja comes to the capital to slaughter nobles?"
"Father, after this is over, we must rally forces to remove the Third Hokage from power! His leadership is plunging the Land of Fire into chaos."
"Ninjas should protect the nation or serve as its weapons, obedient tools of the Land of Fire—not double-edged swords that turn against us."
The Daimyo frowned. "There's no clear hierarchy between Hokage and Daimyo. Removing a Hokage isn't that simple…"
"A misstep could strain relations between Konoha and the Land of Fire, and that would be disastrous."
His words betrayed his deep dissatisfaction with Hiruzen.
Then he asked the retainer, "Did they confirm the criminal's name?"
The retainer replied quickly, "They believe it's Uchiha Akainu."
The Daimyo: "!!!"
His eldest son: "!!!"
"Impossible!" The Daimyo's face twisted in shock. "You must've misheard! How could it be Uchiha Akainu?!"
The retainer, aggrieved, said, "Lord Daimyo, I confirmed with Konoha multiple times. It's unlikely I got it wrong."
"Father, this…" The eldest son was horrified. "Didn't he… wasn't he supposed to have died at the hands of the Twelve Guardians?"
The Daimyo fell silent.
If he couldn't guess why the Twelve Guardians hadn't returned by now, he'd be unfit to be Daimyo.
There were only two possibilities: either the Guardians had sided with Konoha, refusing to avenge him, or… they'd all been wiped out.
That would explain why Akainu was in the capital—to assassinate him!
A chill ran through the Daimyo, goosebumps prickling his skin.
It made sense why this "criminal" dared to kill nobles.
If Akainu could kill the Daimyo's second son, what were a few dozen nobles to him?
Cold sweat dripped down his back. The 50 million ryo bounty he'd just issued offered no comfort.
"He…" The Daimyo's voice wavered as he turned to his son. "He wouldn't dare kill a Daimyo, would he? He must know how vital a Daimyo is to a nation. He must realize the trouble killing me would cause—every ninja village would come for him!"
It was the first time his son had seen such insecurity in his father, even a flicker of fear in his eyes—unthinkable until now.
As the son opened his mouth to respond, another retainer rushed in.
"Lord Daimyo! Disaster! The Fujiwara, Hirasei, Hojo, and Nakamura clans—their estates have all been attacked by that ninja criminal! Only the reputable Nakamura clan lost three members, but the others were nearly wiped out! Hundreds of bodies already!"
"And…" the retainer continued, trembling, "beyond these noble families, many 'innocent bystanders' have fallen to him too! He's like a madman, killing everyone! He even stormed a government building in the northeast corner, leaving it a bloodbath!"
The retainer's tone betrayed his own fear just from hearing the news.
The Daimyo nearly fainted.
When had the Land of Fire seen such carnage?
Usually, only Konoha suffered disasters.
Who could've imagined the ninja world's blade would one day fall on their necks?
"Wait!" The Daimyo's son, clinging to a shred of calm, spotted a critical detail. "Father! The Fujiwara, Hirasei, Hojo, Nakamura estates, and that government building…"
"If you connect those locations, they form a straight line toward the Daimyo Residence! And…" His voice shook with horror. "He's already close! Uchiha Akainu's been killing his way here!"
Thud.
The Daimyo collapsed into his chair, strength draining from him, his eyes dull.
"The ninjas drawn by the 50 million ryo bounty… can they stop Uchiha Akainu?" he muttered.
Grabbing his son's wrist, he pleaded, "Should we raise it to 100 million? No, 500 million? Surely someone can stop him for 500 million!"
His son looked at his frantic father, reluctant to crush his hopes.
Even if a powerful ninja were tempted by 500 million ryo, would there be time?
BOOM!
A sudden, earth-shaking explosion answered that question.
It was too late.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Molten lava dripped slowly from Uchiha Akainu's body, the ground behind him a sea of molten rock. Every bounty hunter lured by the 50 million ryo reward had been swallowed by the lava.
The acrid sulfur smell filled the air as Akainu lifted his eyes to the Daimyo Residence ahead.
Outside, hundreds of samurai, trembling, gripped their katanas, blocking his path.
They were skilled for ordinary fighters, capable of taking on several commoners at once. But against a ninja? They couldn't even beat a Konoha Genin.
And this "lava monster" before them? No way he was less than a Jonin!
They'd never seen anything like this!
The scorching heat made them sweat profusely. Each step Akainu took forward forced them back several steps, stumbling over each other, some accidentally cutting their comrades with their katanas, sparking panicked curses.
"Meow, why do these weaklings get to be the elite of the ninja world?" Jiro, perched on Anko's head as his new "mount," mused. "What gives them the confidence to think they're superior, that their lives are worth more, so they can toy with others' lives?"
Numbed by the carnage, Anko barely noticed the cat on her head. She murmured dully, "Because… that's how the ninja world is. It's been like this for a long, long time."
"Meow? Just because it's always been that way, does that make it right?" Jiro countered. "Lord Akainu calls these self-entitled elites 'Celestial Dragons.' Meow, I don't know what that means, but from his tone, it's definitely not a compliment."
"He also said when they think they're above others and disrespect innocent lives, their very existence breeds evil."
"Only a rare few can restrain themselves. Killing them all might wrong some, but sparing every other one lets too many slip through."
As Anko paused, lost in thought, Akainu's voice cut through.
"Konoha Police Force, enforcing justice. All bystanders, clear out."
Standing before the hundreds of samurai, he said coldly, "Or face death."
Clatter—
A katana slipped from a samurai's hand.
Like the first domino falling, others hurriedly dropped their weapons, terrified.
They weren't disciplined ninjas.
When their lives were on the line and resistance seemed futile, who would die for the Daimyo?
For their meager monthly pay?
The samurai scattered like frightened animals, fully grasping the hopeless gap between ordinary people and ninjas.
Some even wondered why Konoha's ninjas stayed in their village. Couldn't they overthrow the Daimyo in minutes?
But they didn't dare ask.
The sulfur-heavy air choked them as they watched Akainu step into the Daimyo Residence, none daring to make a sound.
The Daimyo had heard the commotion outside. With no escape left, he steeled himself, his pampered face pale but resolute, clinging to the last shred of his authority as he faced Akainu.
"Are you… Uchiha Akainu?"
He could barely fathom the courage it took to say those words. Beneath his loose robes, his skin trembled.
The lava-covered figure before him looked like a demon crawled from hell, chilling him to the bone.
Clenching his fists, throat tight, he forced out, "As a Konoha Police Force ninja, your jurisdiction is limited to Konoha. Your actions here… are a gross overstep."
"And…" Sweat beaded on his forehead with every word. "Appearing before me like this—what are you planning? Rebellion?"
"Does Konoha even respect the Land of Fire? Do you remember the country you were born in? I… I am the equivalent of the Land of Fire's king!"
"I… I… I am…"
The Daimyo's words faltered.
Akainu looked young, and he hadn't spoken since entering, merely gazing at him calmly.
Yet that calm, cold stare bore down on the Daimyo with unbearable pressure.
It felt like Akainu was looking at a corpse.
Akainu finally spoke, his voice low. "You, cloaked in layers of titles, have failed to uphold the responsibilities they demand. Your own son committed murder after murder, and though you knew the truth, you turned a blind eye."
"You twisted the Land of Fire's laws with your authority, making it harder for victims to seek justice and easier for perpetrators to escape it."
"You may not have committed evil yourself, but most of the Land of Fire's countless sins trace back to you."
"Takanotsume Takahito, today… 'absolute justice' will use your sin-laden life to send a message to the entire Land of Fire!"
He's insane… this Uchiha's completely insane!
The Daimyo's eyes widened. Survival instinct overpowered his dignity.
He turned, stumbling in his clogs to flee, his movements clumsy and desperate.
But in the next instant, a gaping lava hound's maw burst through his chest, leaving a massive hole.