The searing heat of the molten lava incinerated the Fire Daimyo's innards in an instant, his desperate attempt to flee frozen solid in that moment.
"Urgh… cough cough…"
The terror etched on his face was permanent now, his fading consciousness causing snot and tears to stream down. His pitiful state couldn't have been more disgraceful.
As the lava demon hound retreated from his body, the Fire Daimyo's frame lost all support.
His body pitched forward uncontrollably, crashing heavily to the ground.
With a dull thud, his face smashed into the floor, breaking his nose. Blood sprayed across his face, slowly pooling and seeping into the cracks of the floor.
The Fire Daimyo didn't even let out a scream—his life had been snuffed out completely.
The Fire Daimyo…
Was dead!
The entire Daimyo's mansion fell silent, as if someone had hit pause. The samurai, retainers, and servants, all separated by the molten barrier and too terrified to approach, stared in horror at the shocking scene.
The Daimyo's heirs stood frozen, their faces a mix of shock, confusion, and disbelief, some even questioning if this was real.
Even Mitarashi Anko, standing behind Uchiha Akainu, couldn't help but pinch herself hard with trembling hands.
Pain…
It hurt like hell…
The spot she pinched was probably bruised already.
This wasn't a dream. It probably wasn't a genjutsu either.
The Fire Daimyo—the man at the pinnacle of power in the Land of Fire, above tens of thousands—was killed by Uchiha Akainu just like that. It felt as casual as slaughtering a pig.
Too simple. Too hasty. Too abrupt.
Shouldn't the death of such a big shot come with some grand spectacle?
No, wait!
What was she even thinking? Shouldn't she be thinking that a figure like this shouldn't be killed at all?
Anko's mind was a mess.
She even felt a bit dizzy.
"Lord… Lord Daimyo!!!"
The eerie silence stretched on until a heart-wrenching cry broke it. The retainers, samurai, and servants in the mansion erupted into wails and shouts.
"Father!!!"
The Daimyo's eldest son collapsed as if his strength had been drained, mourning like he'd lost everything. Even though he'd anticipated this possibility, seeing it with his own eyes, witnessing the moment, hit him with a mental blow he couldn't withstand.
He stumbled forward, clumsily kneeling beside his fallen father, trying to lift him.
But the moment his hands touched the Fire Daimyo's body, the eldest son let out a pained cry.
It was too hot!!!
His hands turned red instantly.
Burned!
This wasn't a freshly dead body—it was like a figure forged from molten iron, radiating intense heat. The eldest son didn't even know where to touch.
Though flustered, one thing was clear—his father was truly dead!
That Konoha ninja named Uchiha Akainu.
He had no concept of "lord and subject"!
When he said he'd kill, he meant it!
Wait…
Hold on…
A sudden alarm rang in the eldest son's heart, his body stiffening. He mechanically raised his head, his fearful eyes meeting Uchiha Akainu's ice-cold gaze.
His thoughts exploded like a bomb, but what flooded him wasn't anger—it was fear!
Cold sweat soaked his clothes in an instant.
"I… I… I…" He tried to speak but could only stammer, words failing him, sweat pouring down, his face pale.
"When someone commits evil, no matter their status, age, or gender, they must pay the price," Uchiha Akainu's cold voice echoed through the mansion. "Small evils warrant reflection in prison; great evils demand atonement with their lives."
"You think I shouldn't have killed him, right? Because you believe his status makes him special, different from ordinary people. You think normal moral and just standards don't apply to the mighty Fire Daimyo, correct?"
Each cold question landed like a death sentence in the eldest son's ears.
Uchiha Akainu might not have meant it that way, but the eldest son felt… if he answered wrong, he'd die!
He'd end up just like his father!
The title of "Daimyo" might mean something to others.
But to Uchiha Akainu…
It was a death warrant!
"No… that's not right…" The eldest son struggled to form a coherent sentence but couldn't: "The Daimyo… the Daimyo is human too. Father… maybe he was too used to being high and mighty, too used to not looking down. What he did… maybe he thought it was nothing, but it wasn't the same for others."
"Like that saying, that…"
"Urgh!" His mind blanked, anxiety making his skin itch, but he didn't dare scratch.
"A speck of dust in the era, a mountain for the common folk," Uchiha Akainu coldly finished for him.
"Yes! That's it! Father ignored the common people, only thinking of his privileges as Daimyo. That's why he indulged Kyusuke, why he set rules that exploited and bled the common folk dry…"
"He never considered what consequences his actions would bring, because he, the Daimyo, didn't have to pay the price—the people of the Land of Fire did."
"So…"
The eldest son knew that once these words spread, he'd be branded "unfilial" and "cowardly."
But still.
Carrying that reputation was better than being killed, right?
He was only in his thirties!
He was still young!
As his mouth went dry from nerves, he heard Uchiha Akainu ask, "So?"
The eldest son gritted his teeth, his survival instinct overpowering shame, his weakness crushing his pride. He bowed his head and rushed out, "So Father deserved this fate. He reaped what he sowed. This was just his destined end."
His words fell.
The retainers, samurai, servants, and other heirs in the mansion stared at the eldest son in disbelief.
The Daimyo was dead, and as the eldest, he was supposed to inherit the title, becoming the next Fire Daimyo.
Yet someone of his status, in front of so many people, in front of his father's killer, said this.
Wasn't this setting the tone for the Daimyo's death?
Making it impossible to even seek revenge later!
Was the eldest son so scared he didn't dare entertain a single thought of vengeance?!
Everyone couldn't help but look at Uchiha Akainu.
They all fell silent.
Their critical thoughts about the eldest son vanished.
Because they didn't dare either.
Under Uchiha Akainu's gaze, the eldest son stared at his father's corpse, his tension and fear making him dizzy.
Even though Uchiha Akainu didn't speak further, he kept talking: "From… from now on, the Land of Fire's laws will need a major overhaul, more thorough than before. The revised laws can't just consider the elite; they need to account for ordinary people too, and… and…"
He cautiously glanced at Uchiha Akainu.
"They need to be enforced in the name of justice, with bolder, more absolute policies than before."
Uchiha Akainu, expressionless, added, "The Land of Fire, and the entire ninja world, are so twisted and diseased from a lack of justice that they breed countless evils, impossible to eradicate fully."
"Only with absolute, unyielding justice, cutting evil at its roots, can the vast ninja world be set right."
"You agree, don't you, Goyanin Yasuhito?"
The eldest son: "!!!"
His cautious gaze turned to shock.
How did this guy know my name? Oh, right, as the Daimyo's eldest son, it's reasonable he'd know.
"…Yes!"
His hesitation didn't last half a second before he nodded frantically like a pecking chick.
He quickly added, "Also, in recent years, the Daimyo's mansion hasn't given enough funding to Konoha. And the funds were too vague—they should be broken down clearly."
"For example… the Uchiha clan, as the Konoha Police Force, should get dedicated funding from the Daimyo's mansion. Say, two hundred million ryo a year? Or… five hundred million?"
Uchiha Akainu's eyes visibly grew colder.
The air temperature spiked rapidly.
A terrifying, murderous aura enveloped everyone.
The eldest son: "!!!"
Wait, he's an Uchiha, isn't he? Part of the Uchiha clan?
Shouldn't he be happy I'm offering extra funding for the Uchihas?
Hold on!
Is Uchiha Akainu actually serious about suggesting how to revise the Land of Fire's laws?
The eldest son suddenly remembered why his brother, Goyanin Kyusuke, died at Uchiha Akainu's hands.
According to his father, relaying Sarutobi Asuma's words, Uchiha Akainu believed in [Absolute Justice].
A justice so thorough, so extreme.
So pure, untainted by any compromise.
But its biggest flaw was its extremism—enough to kill the Daimyo's second son, and now, even the Daimyo himself!
In other words.
Offering extra funding to the Uchiha clan alone… did Uchiha Akainu see that as a bribe?
The eldest son, who'd just started to relax, thinking he'd saved his life, broke out in a cold sweat again.
Forcing a smile, he racked his brain to keep up with Uchiha Akainu's logic, lips trembling as he said, "N-never mind what I said. Maybe we should first purge the corrupt members of the capital's police force, keeping only those with a heart for justice."
"Maybe we need to thoroughly investigate the Land of Fire's nobles, not sparing a single lackey or big fish. Maybe we need to reopen old, unresolved cases to deliver justice for innocent victims."
"Maybe we should also…"
…
Meanwhile.
Konoha Village.
Koharu Utatane stormed into the Hokage's office with a grim face, only to find Mitokado Homura instead of Sarutobi Hiruzen—not that she was surprised.
The moment she arrived, Koharu snapped at Homura, "Why wasn't I told about something this big happening in the capital?"
Yes.
Neither Hiruzen nor Homura had informed Koharu.
Even though Hiruzen gave instructions to many people before leaving with the Anbu, Koharu wasn't one of them.
Learning about this nearly broke her.
Her mood was foul, and her first concern wasn't how far Uchiha Akainu had gone in the capital but why she was left out.
Homura sighed, "Koharu, ever since you took over the Root from Danzo, haven't you noticed you've become more impatient?"
"Hiruzen thought telling you early would only complicate things. Besides, you know now, don't you?"
Koharu gritted her teeth: "If that Uchiha Akainu wasn't so extreme, would I be this worked up every day?"
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and asked, "So, what's the situation?"
Homura shook his head: "We don't know yet. No word from the capital. It'll take Hiruzen and the Anbu a full day to get there."
Koharu couldn't stand still, pacing irritably: "Why did Hiruzen let that guy leave the village?"
"…It was Sarutobi Asuma."
Homura sighed again: "He tricked Hiruzen with some excuse to lure Uchiha Akainu out of the village. His reckless actions caused irreversible consequences."
Koharu fell silent for a few seconds.
"These young ones—none of them make things easy!" she spat through gritted teeth.
…
"Kakashi, why did the Hokage tell us to keep an eye on the Uchiha clan?" Might Guy, standing on a rooftop overlooking the Uchiha compound, couldn't help but ask Kakashi curiously.
"No idea."
Kakashi replied flatly, "No need to guess the Hokage's thoughts. He gave the order, so he's got his reasons."
He said that, but Kakashi had his guesses.
He didn't buy that the Daimyo invited Hiruzen to the capital.
After all, the Daimyo's second son died in Konoha.
The relationship between the Daimyo and the Hokage was probably strained.
So who could make the Hokage leave the village personally?
Kakashi's mind landed on one answer.
—Uchiha Akainu!!!
And the reason for watching the Uchiha clan now was likely because the Hokage feared the clan's radicals might do something bad while he was gone.
…
Inside the Uchiha clan compound.
Several hawkish Uchiha elders gathered, with Uchiha Setsuna naturally among them, sitting at the head.
"Setsuna, this is the perfect chance!"
An elder's wrinkled face twitched with excitement: "Sarutobi Hiruzen left Konoha with a ton of Anbu—confirmed intel! Konoha's at its weakest now, weak enough that if we Uchihas go all out, we could control the village in a single day!"
"When Hiruzen returns, he'll be forced to step down as the Third Hokage! Then, the Fifth Hokage will take over—and that Hokage's name will be Uchiha!!!"
His passionate words stirred Setsuna.
He was tempted.
This chance was too rare, like a gift from the heavens.
Hiruzen was gone, Akainu was gone, the Anbu were gone.
All that was left was a crippled Root, thanks to Akainu, and some scattered Konoha clans that wouldn't unite. It was the perfect time for a coup.
Setsuna thought the idea of "earning the village's approval to become Hokage" was nonsense.
The clans would back whoever won.
Like how Akainu kept clashing with Hiruzen.
And kept winning.
Didn't Ino-Shika-Cho side with that kid?
If he led the Uchiha to a successful coup, if he won, they'd back him too.
"Alright!!!"
Setsuna slammed the table, his old face flushed with excitement.
Just as he was about to speak, a commotion erupted outside, making him frown.
Suddenly.
The hall's closed doors were yanked open, and Uchiha Fugaku strode in with a group of Uchiha ninjas, expressionless.
Under Setsuna's shocked gaze, Fugaku casually took a seat.
"Elder Setsuna, for such an important meeting, shouldn't the entire Uchiha clan be invited? So… care to share what you were just discussing?"
Fugaku's tone was cold.
"Fugaku!!!"
Setsuna's eyelids twitched violently.
Though Fugaku didn't say much, Setsuna could tell—he was here to disrupt!
The so-called Uchiha clan leader.
Looked more like the Hokage's lapdog!
Facing Setsuna's furious glare, Fugaku's expression didn't change—he was used to it. Besides, for the Uchiha's bloodline to continue in Konoha, he had to side with the Hokage.
At least, Fugaku thought the clan wasn't desperate enough for a coup yet.
And Setsuna's actions would definitely provoke Itachi.
Before leaving, the Hokage had told him to keep an eye on Itachi.
So Fugaku had to personally stop Setsuna.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Like a spark could ignite a fire.
…
On a Konoha street, Uchiha Izumi, blood dripping from a gash on her forehead, drove her sharp ninja blade into a Konoha ninja's chest.
As the light faded from their eyes, Izumi panted heavily.
She looked rough—her left shoulder even had a shuriken lodged deep in it.
"Today, in the name of [Absolute Justice], I judge you."
Mimicking something Senior Akainu once said, she slowly pulled the blade out and shoved the villain's corpse forward with one hand.
Thud—
Seeing the body hit the ground, Izumi exhaled slowly and turned to the stunned Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke: "No matter the villain's identity—even if they're from the Sarutobi clan, a relative of the Hokage—[Absolute Justice] shows no mercy and spares no evil."
The Konoha ninja she killed was a special jonin from the Sarutobi clan.
She hadn't forgotten Senior Akainu's task.
While enforcing absolute justice in the village, she also had to teach Sasuke and Naruto.
Make them see the righteousness of absolute justice!
"But…" Naruto swallowed hard, pointing at a ninja nearby with a severed hand, writhing in pain on the ground: "He… he's not a villain, right?"
Naruto clearly remembered that during Izumi's fight with the Sarutobi ninja, this guy stepped in to "break it up."
But Senior Izumi didn't hesitate to turn her blade on him, slicing off his right hand!
That scene freaked Naruto out. He'd thought Izumi was a gentle big sister.
But now, her methods were anything but gentle.
"I warned him not to interfere with justice, or I'd kill without mercy, but he ignored me," Izumi said, pulling the shuriken from her shoulder.
The wound was deep, bone visible.
Gritting her teeth through the pain, she said gravely, "Since he made his choice to stand with evil, I made mine—those who enable evil are no longer innocent."
"In the eyes of [Absolute Justice], his actions aided tyranny. [Absolute Justice] clears all obstacles in its path, no matter who they are."
These were words Senior Akainu had told her.
Now she was passing them on to Naruto and Sasuke as someone experienced.
It gave her a strange feeling.
Like she couldn't help imitating Senior Akainu in every way.
For example…
Her shoulder hurt like hell, but she bit back any sound.
Yup!
That's the kind of tough guy Senior is!
Speaking of which.
It's been so long—hasn't Senior come back yet?
…
One day later.
Outside the Land of Fire's capital.
"Huff!" Sarutobi Hiruzen crouched on a sturdy branch, panting heavily. The last time his old bones worked this hard was the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Years later, he was even older.
Rushing from Konoha to the capital left him feeling drained.
If he were younger, he wouldn't even be winded.
"…Can't deny I'm getting old."
Hiruzen muttered under his breath.
Behind him gathered a large number of Anbu.
"Hokage-sama?" one Anbu asked.
Hiruzen's face stayed calm, hiding his fatigue. He stood tall, gazing at the capital ahead, and said, "Enter the city! Protect the Daimyo!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The capital's defenses were nothing to these ninjas.
Hiruzen and the Anbu slipped inside, unnoticed by the samurai.
Just a few steps in, Hiruzen sensed something off.
The streets were filled with hurried pedestrians, their faces tinged with unease.
Many shops were shuttered.
Faint mourning music drifted from afar.
The capital's atmosphere was downright eerie.
Hiruzen's heart sank.
"Damn…" As he hurriedly led the Anbu toward the Daimyo's mansion, he passed a sizable noble estate. Looking over, he saw samurai carrying out body after body, each covered in white cloth.
Hiruzen stopped dead. The Anbu behind him halted too.
The ninjas startled the samurai transporting the bodies.
Hiruzen's old face was complex as he asked directly, "These nobles… all killed?"
His Hokage aura was strong, especially with the shadow of ninjas still looming over the capital.
A samurai swallowed hard and answered quickly, "It was a ninja named 'Uchiha Akainu,' my lord."
Hiruzen's heart, already heavy, sank completely.
His mouth felt dry as he asked, "Akainu… Uchiha Akainu, how many did he kill?"
"No idea."
The samurai shook his head like a rattle: "I just heard a lot died yesterday. That ninja lord… killed from daytime to night, and from night to this morning, before finally stopping."
"When I went out today, the air smelled of blood. The Daimyo's mansion didn't say much, just told our police force to handle the bodies."
Wait!
Hiruzen caught a red flag—why did this samurai call Uchiha Akainu "ninja lord"?
Didn't the Daimyo's people call him a "ninja thug" before?
But this was just a police samurai.
Hiruzen figured that was all he'd know.
Thanking him quickly, he led the Anbu and vanished.
…
Soon after.
The Daimyo's mansion.
Anbu ninjas from Konoha descended like a flock of crows, taking positions in every corner, expertly hiding themselves.
Their placements subtly surrounded the entire mansion.
Hiruzen stood at the mansion's gate.
Only two Anbu followed close behind.
"There's a smell of blood… not as strong as that noble estate we passed, but close."
As Hiruzen's nose twitched.
His mood grew heavier.
And for some reason, the grand Fire Daimyo's mansion had no samurai or ninjas guarding it! Didn't the Daimyo care about his safety?
Or…
Hiruzen didn't dare think further.
He walked straight in.
"Hokage-sama?!" A crisp voice made Hiruzen pause. Looking over, he saw Mitarashi Anko.
"…Anko?"
Hiruzen hadn't processed it yet when he saw, next to Anko, Uchiha Akainu!
"Akainu!"
Hiruzen's bad feeling became reality.
Seeing Uchiha Akainu in the Daimyo's mansion, seeing the blood on his clothes, he knew the Fire Daimyo had likely met his end!
Before Hiruzen could say anything, a tentative voice came from the side: "Are you… Konoha's Third Hokage? Senior Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Hiruzen turned and saw a man resembling the Fire Daimyo.
He recognized him—Goyanin Yasuhito, the Daimyo's eldest son!
He saw the exhaustion on his face.
And the cautious posture.
Hiruzen fell silent.
He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He could only nod slightly to confirm he was the Hokage.
The eldest son seemed to read the visiting Hokage's thoughts. His tired face forced a smile as he said to Hiruzen, "My father paid the price for his wrongdoings yesterday."
Hiruzen: "!!!"
As expected!!!
Shock flashed deep in Hiruzen's eyes; it felt like the sky was falling.
Even the two Anbu behind him, and those hidden around, shifted slightly.
Next second.
Eyes locked onto Uchiha Akainu, filled with disbelief.
This Uchiha who believed in [Absolute Justice]…
Really assassinated the Fire Daimyo!
And!
After killing him, he stayed openly in the capital, even in the Daimyo's mansion!
Was there a more brazen ninja? A more extreme Uchiha?
Compared to Uchiha Akainu, even Uchiha Madara, who clashed ideologically with the First Hokage, didn't seem that extreme!
They also caught the deeper meaning in the eldest son's words.
Especially "wrongdoings."
Did that mean the eldest son, whose father was killed, chose to swallow his pride?!
That would explain why Uchiha Akainu could stand openly in the mansion while the eldest son said nothing.
Hiss!
Hiruzen's scalp tingled. He couldn't imagine how the Land of Fire's nobles would view him, the Hokage, now. They'd probably think Akainu was acting on his orders!
Especially seeing the eldest son's evasive glance, Hiruzen felt the sky collapse.
He couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Konoha River!
It was a misunderstanding!
He, the Hokage, was a victim of absolute justice too!
"Akainu!" Hiruzen, emotions roiling, fixed his gaze on Uchiha Akainu, his old face barely holding together.
If the eldest son weren't there…
He'd probably lose it!
"What are you doing?" Hiruzen's words were practically squeezed through his teeth: "That was the Daimyo, the Fire Daimyo! The lord of a nation! Konoha ninjas are the lord's vassals—swords to expand his realm, shields to protect the land! Not vipers that turn and bite their lord!"
Hiruzen couldn't describe his emotions.
His eyes were probably bloodshot.
His fingertips trembled with rage.
"And you…"
Hiruzen's breathing hitched. He'd thought killing hundreds in Tanzaku Quarter was Akainu's limit.
Those hundreds were indeed villains, so Hiruzen decided not to pursue that.
But who could've guessed that after leaving Tanzaku Quarter, Uchiha Akainu would pull off something that shocked the entire ninja world!
"And you chose to be that viper! This isn't justice anymore—you're destroying the ninja world's order and rules! Do you want to make an enemy of the entire ninja world?!"
Hiruzen's tone was full of incomprehension.
Uchiha Akainu's eyes were calm, unshaken: "Haven't I always been an enemy of the ninja world? Especially in your eyes, isn't [Absolute Justice] an ideology you can't tolerate?"
Those two short sentences choked Hiruzen.
"Akainu! This is different!"
Hiruzen, face grim, said, "Before, your justice only fought evil. But now, both evil and order will be your enemies!"
"The ninja world… won't tolerate a ninja who assassinates a Daimyo!"
Uchiha Akainu replied coldly, "Correction. I walked in openly and killed the evil Fire Daimyo in the name of [Absolute Justice], ending the source of that evil."
"[Absolute Justice] doesn't stoop to sneaky assassinations. Even when striking evil, it does so openly."
Hiruzen: "…"
What?
What's the point of that correction? Did you ignore everything I just said?
Hiruzen was nearly fuming.
Akainu's previous messes—the biggest being killing the Daimyo's second son—were big but manageable. Hiruzen had covered that up so far.
But this time, he'd poked a hole in the sky, a mess too big for the Hokage to handle.
And the culprit acted like it was nothing.
How could Hiruzen not be furious?
How could he keep it together?!
"Akainu, I've been too lenient with you in Konoha!" Hiruzen's face flickered with emotions. As he was about to grit his teeth and say more, Akainu cut him off.
"Third," Uchiha Akainu said coldly, "The Daimyo's death by [Absolute Justice]'s judgment didn't even faze his eldest son. Yet you, the Hokage, are here pitying a villain's death. Does the great Third Hokage lack even a basic sense of right and wrong?"
Hiruzen: "???"
He couldn't help but glance at the eldest son, shocked to see him nod slightly: "Lord Hokage, my father was wrong. You don't need to cover for him."
Hiruzen was stunned.
"Your Highness?" Hiruzen snapped back, saying earnestly, "Perhaps Your Highness misunderstands Konoha. The village has always stood with the Daimyo's mansion. Akainu's absolute justice doesn't represent the Will of Fire."
He figured the eldest son thought he and Akainu were in cahoots.
So Hiruzen sincerely clarified his stance.
Ninjas don't produce; without the Daimyo or nobles' support, how long could Konoha's economy last?
The eldest son blinked.
He glanced at the impassive Uchiha Akainu, then at Hiruzen's dark expression.
He felt tempted.
But…
Recalling the blood-soaked day in the capital, the noble clans wiped out, the blood-drenched bodies, his father's gruesome death, and the cowardly words he'd spoken in front of everyone.
Breathing the faint blood in the air, the eldest son's fleeting temptation vanished.
Cold sweat dripped.
He forced a smile.
"Lord Hokage… my father was indeed blinded by his power, leading to many foolish actions. You… really don't need to cover for him. As his eldest son, I just want to spend my life making up for his mistakes."
"To restore proper values, morality, and the truest absolute justice to a Land of Fire that's lost its way."
His dry words nearly short-circuited Hiruzen's brain.
…
…