Mitarashi Anko witnessed the entire confrontation between Uchiha Akainu and the Hokage, never expecting the Hokage to come out on the losing end. By the end, his face was so dark with frustration that he couldn't even muster a single word.
Perhaps the Hokage had hoped to align himself with the Fire Daimyo's eldest son, using that alliance to pressure Uchiha Akainu. It would've given him the moral high ground to act against Akainu under the banner of "justice." But what the Hokage didn't anticipate was that the Daimyo's eldest son would be the first to back down—because, quite simply, he was desperate to stay alive.
Wait a second…
As her thoughts reached this point, Anko couldn't help but pause, her mind racing. Something about this didn't add up. On the surface, the Hokage and Uchiha Akainu seemed to be at each other's throats, but was that really the case? Akainu had openly killed the Fire Country's Daimyo. Could it really have nothing to do with the Hokage?
When the Hokage rushed to the scene with his Anbu, was it possible that, had Akainu failed to kill the Daimyo, the Hokage would've stepped in to finish the job? The Daimyo's eldest son, despite his grief, was firmly standing on the side of "absolute justice," spouting cowardly words without a shred of shame. Was it because he sensed the two were playing a coordinated game? Could this be Konoha's power grab against the Fire Country's leadership? Was Konoha no longer content to be just a military organization?
Anko's mind exploded with realizations. "!!!"
Her chaotic thoughts converged, and she found herself looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a strange, suspicious gaze. Suddenly, she understood why the Daimyo's eldest son had been giving the Hokage such odd looks earlier. They were the same kind of looks she was giving him now!
The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence. Akainu wasn't the type to break the quiet, and the Hokage seemed too embarrassed to speak. Should she play along with their act? Clearing her throat, Anko spoke up, "The Fire Country can't go a day without a leader. Shouldn't the priority be to bury the late Daimyo and select a new one, instead of getting hung up on all this nonsense?"
The air grew silent again for a few seconds. When no one responded, Anko's heart sank. Did I misread the situation? Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the Hokage glaring at her with an expression of utter disbelief. Uchiha Akainu completely ignored her, and she had a nagging feeling that the masked Anbu were staring at her too, though she had no proof. The Daimyo's eldest son, meanwhile, was looking at her with panic in his eyes.
Anko: "…"
Oh no, I definitely said the wrong thing!
"Right!" Just as her embarrassment reached its peak and sweat beaded on her forehead, the Daimyo's eldest son forced a laugh and chimed in. "This ninja is absolutely correct. The Fire Country's top priority right now… is exactly that."
Anko could hear the tremor in his voice. Had her words come across as a threat from Konoha in his ears? She winced internally, noticing the Hokage's face now looked like the sky had collapsed.
The Daimyo's eldest son continued, "I humbly request that the Hokage remain in the Fire Country's capital for a few days to attend my father's funeral. Furthermore, I ask that both Lord Akainu and Lord Hokage nominate the next Daimyo."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "…"
Now he was truly in an impossible situation! Hiruzen couldn't even imagine how the ninja world would view him once this news spread. The blame for Akainu's assassination of the Daimyo would likely fall squarely on him, the Hokage of Konoha! Even the Daimyo's eldest son seemed to subconsciously believe Hiruzen was involved. Soon, the entire ninja world would see not just Uchiha Akainu as the villain—but Sarutobi Hiruzen too!
He'd become synonymous with "disloyalty" and "injustice." The Fire Country's nobles would look at him with suspicion, and once word reached Konoha, every clan would think their Hokage was a scheming manipulator whose ambitions had outgrown the village itself.
Hiruzen was so furious he wanted to personally throw Anko into Konoha's prison and let her rot there for a decade or two. Why had he ever pardoned this girl in a moment of weakness? He regretted it deeply.
"Lord Hokage?" The Daimyo's eldest son's cautious prompting snapped Hiruzen out of his daze. Forcing a twitching smile, he managed to croak out a reluctant, "…Fine."
No matter the circumstances, as the Hokage, he had to attend the Daimyo's funeral. But this humiliating misunderstanding… it would likely destroy the reputation he'd spent years building as the Third Hokage. In Akainu's presence, he'd forever be one step behind—because Akainu acted openly, while he was seen as sneaky and conniving.
Meanwhile, back in Konoha's Hokage Tower…
"By now, Hiruzen should've reached the Fire Country's capital and probably met with the Daimyo and others," Mito Menma said, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out the window. "If Uchiha Akainu really intends to assassinate the Daimyo, Hiruzen's likely already clashed with him. As for the outcome, we'll have to wait for Hiruzen's report. With today's long-range communication tools, getting news is pretty convenient."
He paused, then added with a nostalgic tone, "If I recall correctly, those communication tools were invented by Orochimaru before he defected from Konoha. Back then, he hoped those handy gadgets would win him enough support in the village to compete with Minato for the Hokage position."
Menma's words drifted into reminiscence, making him feel his age.
Koharu Utatane gave a soft huff. "Are you sure Hiruzen would fight that Uchiha brat? Don't forget how much he indulged Akainu back in Konoha. If it weren't for that, Akainu wouldn't have grown so powerful that no one can rein him in."
Menma sighed. "It wasn't indulgence so much as using him. You can't deny that while Akainu was in the village, the Uchiha clan's radicals never dared stage a coup. But soon after Akainu left, Hiruzen started worrying about those radicals causing trouble. He even feared Itachi might wipe out the entire Uchiha clan."
At that, Menma's gaze flicked to a corner of the room, where a short, silent Anbu stood. It was none other than Uchiha Itachi. Hiruzen hadn't brought Itachi to the capital, instead assigning him to guard Menma temporarily. This was partly to keep Itachi's strength in the village and partly to have Menma keep an eye on him. But Menma suspected another reason: Hiruzen feared that the mentally unstable Itachi might do something drastic in the capital, especially given Akainu's prophecy that Itachi would slaughter the Uchiha for Konoha's sake. Who knew what else he might do in the capital?
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Menma continued, "When it comes to the Daimyo, Hiruzen won't keep indulging Akainu. There's a line, a limit to everything. If Akainu moves against the Daimyo, he's crossed that line in Hiruzen's eyes. I trust Hiruzen knows the gravity of the situation."
Koharu's expression softened slightly at this. Staring out the window, she said coldly, "I hope only Hiruzen and the Anbu return to the village."
An hour later, outside Konoha…
"It's been a long time since I've been back… ever since I swore off meddling in ninja affairs," Tsunade murmured, her complex emotions flickering in her eyes as she gazed at Konoha's gates. As one of the Legendary Sannin, she could've returned in less than a day. But dragging along seventy-nine young orphans from Tanzaku Quarter, tending to their needs along the way, had stretched the journey into days—even with Jiraiya's help.
Jiraiya, looking utterly defeated, had kids perched on his shoulders and back. "Finally… we're back…" he muttered, nearly in tears. He regretted giving in to his curiosity and seeking out Tsunade. Who could've guessed she'd rope him into playing babysitter with no room to refuse? He was exhausted—more tired than if he'd fought Orochimaru.
"Never again will I deal with kids!" Jiraiya groaned, the ordeal clearly traumatic despite the orphans' surprising good behavior.
Tsunade ignored his complaints and headed straight for the Hokage Tower, only to learn that the Third Hokage wasn't in Konoha. "Invited by the Daimyo to the capital?" she asked, frowning. Before she could say more, she ran into Koharu Utatane emerging from the Hokage's office.
Time had aged Koharu considerably, and Tsunade almost didn't recognize her. But Koharu knew Tsunade instantly. "Tsunade? Oh, right… your disciple came back early and told us you'd be returning soon with seventy-nine orphans from Tanzaku Quarter. They're outside the tower, I presume? Don't worry, Konoha won't mistreat those poor war orphans, especially after all they suffered. The village's orphanage will take good care of them." Her gaze shifted to Jiraiya. "But your disciple didn't mention anything about him coming back."
Tsunade shrugged. "He tagged along shamelessly halfway through."
Jiraiya: "???"
Before he could protest, Tsunade cut to the chase. "The old man wasn't invited by the Daimyo, was he? I don't have proof, but my gut tells me there's more to this. Am I right?"
Koharu hesitated, surprised Tsunade brought it up. Instead of explaining, she said, "Tsunade, you've chosen to stay out of ninja affairs."
Sensing Koharu's guarded tone, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Honestly, I'm curious too. No harm in telling us, right, Advisor Koharu?"
After a pause, Koharu dropped a bombshell. "It's about Uchiha Akainu. Hiruzen suspects he's planning to assassinate the Fire Country's Daimyo. You can probably guess what Hiruzen's up to, can't you?"
Jiraiya: "!!!"
Tsunade: "!!!"
"Assassinate the Daimyo? Are you kidding?" Tsunade muttered, frowning. "That Uchiha kid wouldn't assassinate the Daimyo."
Koharu smirked, thinking Tsunade was naive about Akainu. But before she could respond, Tsunade continued, "If he wanted to kill the Daimyo, he'd do it openly, not in the shadows. No… if he's killing the Daimyo, he's probably not stopping there. Half the capital's elites might end up dead. That kid despises evildoers. In his eyes, no matter how high someone's status, if they're evil, they're just a criminal deserving of justice."
She clapped her fist into her palm, realization dawning. "If he's in the capital, he's probably turning it into a bloodbath! The capital's no better than Tanzaku Quarter!"
Koharu: "…"
What's with her excited tone? Shouldn't she be outraged, like Koharu was, at the thought of Akainu's reckless actions? Koharu realized Tsunade's mindset was… off. Then again, would a normal person, one of Konoha's Sannin, abandon their duties, leave the village for years, and drown themselves in gambling?
Koharu's opinion of Tsunade soured. "If Akainu does this, Hiruzen will make sure he never leaves the capital," she said coldly. "Nobles and Daimyo are untouchable."
At the Uchiha clan compound…
The tension had been palpable for a full hour. Uchiha Setsuna and several radical elders glared darkly at Uchiha Fugaku and the two moderate elders he'd brought. Outside the hall, a crowd of younger Uchihas had gathered, split into two opposing factions. While the radicals outnumbered the moderates, a violent clash would only benefit Konoha's leadership, and even Setsuna, as fiery as he was, knew it would be a lose-lose situation.
"Fugaku," Setsuna finally snapped, unable to hold back any longer, "are you planning to wait here until the Third Hokage returns? Are you standing against the Uchiha clan? Your cowardice shames our clan! History will remember you, nailed to the Uchiha's pillar of disgrace!"
Fugaku, stone-faced, replied, "Setsuna, the one who should be shamed is you. Your actions won't bring the Uchiha any benefit—they'll only drag us into a deeper abyss. You've never considered the consequences or the fallout. You're just chasing a fleeting thrill. You don't understand the power Konoha wields. Your arrogance will get every Uchiha killed."
Setsuna gripped his knees, seething. "You say I'll destroy the Uchiha? That's rich, coming from the father of that son! If you're so loyal to the clan, prove it—kill your eldest son, and I'll believe you. If you can't, you're just the Hokage's lapdog!"
His eyes bore into Fugaku. "I won't let a Hokage's puppet lead the Uchiha! You're unfit to be clan head. As an elder, I demand a new election!"
The other radical elders nodded in agreement. One spoke up, "Fugaku, by clan tradition, if three or more elders deem the clan head unfit, we can hold a new election. Your weakness has disappointed us. Let's follow the rules and choose a new leader. You can run again, but whether you stay clan head depends on your support."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
In the Fire Country's capital, at the Daimyo's mansion…
The Anbu no longer needed to hide. Hiruzen assembled them, sending some to investigate how many nobles had died in the capital the previous day and others to protect the Daimyo's eldest son, fearing Akainu might target him next.
The results were staggering. In less than half a day, the Anbu reported a death toll of 1,549—ninety percent of them nobles, spanning countless prominent families. In a single day, Akainu had made enemies of nearly every noble in the capital on Konoha's behalf. Some families were wiped out entirely, not a single survivor left. Hiruzen wondered if Akainu had even split the worms in half or crushed every egg in their homes.
Dizzy from the news, Hiruzen waved a hand. "Send all the intelligence back to Konoha, to Menma and Koharu."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the Anbu replied.
"Wait!" Hiruzen snapped out of his daze. "Where are Akainu and that ninja cat of his?"
The Anbu exchanged glances. One said, "Lord Hokage, we informed you half an hour ago—Uchiha Akainu left the Daimyo's mansion. We don't know where he went."
Hiruzen: "…"
He vaguely recalled the report but had been too shaken to process it. "Akainu… he doesn't think 1,500 deaths are enough, does he?" Realizing the severity, he sent more Anbu to track Akainu and find out what he was doing.
Soon, worse news arrived. An Anbu rushed back, reporting, "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Akainu has gone on another killing spree! In the southern part of the capital, he wiped out seven noble families and nearly all of the local samurai police force—hundreds of them! Plus, a dozen merchants, thirty-something 'innocent bystanders,' and even some rogue ninjas and Konoha ninjas on missions in the capital—all fell to his 'absolute justice.' Most were killed, with only a few maimed and thrown into prison, barely clinging to life. In just a short time, he's killed at least another 500 people!"
Hiruzen stood frozen, struck as if by lightning. He didn't ask why the Anbu hadn't stopped Akainu—they couldn't. Only he, the Hokage, might be able to curb Akainu's extremism, but he couldn't watch him every second.
"Asuma…" Hiruzen closed his eyes in pain. "Asuma…" His rebellious youngest son's final act had caused him this massive headache. But could he blame a dead son? Asuma's foolish actions, though misguided, had been for Konoha's sake. He'd just underestimated Akainu.
When the news from the capital reached Konoha, Mito Menma couldn't stay seated. His face was a mask of shock, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "The Daimyo was killed by Uchiha Akainu. Over a thousand nobles, dead by his hand. The Daimyo's eldest son chose to let it go, ignoring his father's murder. Hiruzen couldn't stop Akainu—or rather, he arrived too late. And when he considered acting, the Daimyo's son's attitude forced him to back down."
Menma was at a loss for what to do. He immediately summoned Koharu, only to find Tsunade and Jiraiya arriving with her. Before he could ask when they'd returned, Koharu asked bluntly, "Any new intel from Hiruzen?"
Menma silently handed her the report. Koharu's face paled as she skimmed it. "Uchiha! Chi! Sen!" she spat, crumpling the paper's edge. "He's Konoha's greatest disaster, bar none! Even Danzo's dirty deeds pale in comparison! What's he trying to do? Destroy Konoha? Does he have any respect for the Will of Fire? For the concept of a ninja village? Is he a traitor born with rebellion in his bones?"
Panting heavily, she couldn't imagine how furious she'd be if she were in the capital facing Akainu.
"Give me that," Tsunade snapped, snatching the report. Jiraiya leaned in curiously, only to be shoved away with a slap. Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "That kid actually killed the Daimyo?!"
"Who?! Killed who?!" Jiraiya, sliding down the wall after being pushed, scrambled back, staring at the report in horror.
The idea of a Konoha ninja assassinating the Fire Country's Daimyo was unprecedented. But according to the report, Akainu hadn't even bothered with stealth—he'd marched into the capital, stormed the Daimyo's mansion, and killed the Daimyo in front of his son. Countless nobles, ninjas, merchants, and civilians had fallen to his "absolute justice." The Anbu's detailed report painted a picture of a capital drowned in blood, with Akainu cutting through his enemies like a butcher.
Jiraiya, a bestselling author, couldn't find words to describe his shock. "The old man…" he said, voice heavy with complexity, "he's given up trying to stop Akainu. Even the Daimyo's heir wants to pretend it never happened. As an outsider, the old man can only swallow his pride." He turned to Tsunade. "You used to support his 'absolute justice.' Seeing him this out of control, do you still approve?"
"Do you really think he's out of control?" Tsunade countered. "Do you think his actions are irredeemably extreme?"
Jiraiya paused. "Not irredeemable, but not everyone can stomach what he's done."
He knew what Tsunade meant: every person Akainu killed was far from innocent, even the Daimyo. But the world wasn't black-and-white. Some deaths caused worse consequences than their crimes. Jiraiya couldn't fathom how the ninja world would view Daimyo, nobles, or even ordinary people after a Konoha ninja killed one. Akainu had opened a Pandora's box, and chaos would follow.
"Tsunade, he broke the rules," Jiraiya sighed. "Traditions can be flawed, but they keep people's desires in check. Once they're broken, those desires run wild, and who knows what the world will become?"
Tsunade shook her head. "You've got it backward. The world isn't chaotic because those rules were broken—it's been chaotic because those rules have always been a dark cloud over the ninja world, causing the mess we're in."
She continued, "Jiraiya, what if the ninja world has been warped for a long time? What if people's mindsets are already sick?" Cutting him off as he opened his mouth, she said, "Maybe it's time you looked beyond Orochimaru's chaos in Konoha and saw the ninja world for what it is. Akainu showed me the real ninja world, and I don't think he's wrong."
Arms crossed, she said flatly, "Letting evildoers live is an injustice in itself. Why do the powerful get a free pass just because of their status? Why show mercy to high-and-mighty criminals but not their victims?"
Fixing her gaze on Jiraiya, she said, "If you still think Akainu's wrong, then our values and morals don't align. Your perspective is too narrow, too focused on the big picture to see what's really at stake."
Exhaling heavily, Tsunade's thoughts drifted back to that night in Tanzaku Quarter, the psychological impact still lingering. Jiraiya, who'd only heard her describe its horrors, couldn't fully grasp the suffocating rage she'd felt. He thought she'd been too influenced by Akainu, finding her almost unrecognizable. Could a young man really change a grown woman's worldview so easily?
But he knew arguing now could fracture their decades-long friendship. Menma and Koharu exchanged stunned glances. How had Akainu, who'd only briefly met Tsunade in Tanzaku Quarter, won her over to his "absolute justice"? They saw the same shock in each other's eyes. It made sense for impressionable kids like Naruto, Sasuke, or even Inoichi to be swayed by Akainu's black-and-white ideals, but Tsunade? That was terrifying.
"'Absolute justice'… it's more dangerous than we thought," Menma whispered to Koharu, whose face darkened further.
Two days later, in the Fire Country's capital…
A modest funeral at the Daimyo's mansion made it impossible to hide the Daimyo's death. The capital's citizens, already numb from days of bloodshed, were stunned to learn that Uchiha Akainu had killed the Daimyo days earlier—and the mansion was acting like it never happened. Akainu even appeared at the funeral!
The news left people dazed, as if trapped in a ninja's genjutsu, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. As the information spread like wildfire across the Fire Country, nobles and commoners alike learned of it through various channels.
"The Daimyo… killed by a ninja…" In the Nakamura clan's estate, a relatively reputable family, the clan head gathered his people. "Even the Daimyo's heirs have no complaints," he said, trembling with fear and relief. "If any of us dare to commit crimes in the future, I'll kill them myself—son or grandson, it doesn't matter!"
No one in the clan objected. Akainu's ruthless methods had terrified them. He'd killed the Daimyo, yet their clan had only lost three members—a stroke of incredible luck.
"Clan head," one member said, "those three criminals don't deserve a funeral. Expel them from the clan and dump their bodies in a random grave!"
The clan head nodded. "They shamed us by crossing the line. They're no longer Nakamuras."
Similar scenes played out among the capital's surviving noble families. The name "Uchiha Akainu" was etched into their deepest fears, a shadow they'd never escape.
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