Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Sarutobi clan members singled out by Uchiha Akainu were taken away.
Some tried to resist, but when the cold edge of a ninja blade pressed against their necks, drawing a thin line of blood, they quickly fell silent.
Others cast desperate, pleading glances at Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping the Hokage would show mercy for the sake of their shared clan ties—perhaps sparing them from Akainu's hands, even if it meant prison. But when Hiruzen averted his gaze, refusing to meet their eyes, their hopes crumbled into despair.
Sigh…
As the sound of footsteps faded into the distance, Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh.
He turned to face the leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi. With a weary voice, he addressed Yamanaka Inoichi, "Inoichi, I'd like a copy of your investigation report sent to me."
Hiruzen no longer expected Inoichi to fully align with the Hokage's perspective. His only hope was that the Ino-Shika-Cho clans would remain loyal to the Leaf Village for generations.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Inoichi replied with a slight nod. He had to give the Hokage some face—tearing it completely would be unwise.
As the Ino-Shika-Cho trio departed, Hiruzen heard Tsunade speak up. "Old man, sometimes you need to let the village's youth shine. Stop trying to shackle their thoughts or actions."
Standing with her back to two pools of blood, Tsunade continued earnestly, "The future of the Leaf depends on the younger generation. You can't be Hokage forever, can you? If you don't let them show their potential, how will you know they can't surpass you?"
"Shizune, the show's over. Let's go."
With that, Tsunade turned and left.
"Yes! Lady Tsunade, wait for me!" Shizune, clutching her pet pig Tonton, hurried after her.
The scene was left with only Hiruzen, Koharu Utatane, Jiraiya, the Anbu, the Root ninja, and a few Sarutobi clan members. An eerie silence settled over the group.
Until the sound of a wooden cane tapping the ground broke the quiet.
Mitokado Homura… arrived late.
Exhausted and worn, Homura paused, taken aback by the tense atmosphere at the Sarutobi compound. He scanned for Uchiha Akainu but found no trace of him.
"He was here," Koharu said, breaking the silence. "He left a minute ago. You're a step too late."
Homura's gaze fell on the bodies of a couple lying on the ground. He sighed and asked, "Couldn't anyone stop him?"
"We didn't try," Koharu replied, her expression dark.
Homura froze.
Koharu recounted what had happened.
"…Sigh," Homura said bitterly. "There was no reason to stop him. His justice stands on a higher moral ground. If we'd tried, we'd be the ones in the wrong."
"Hiruzen, the people Akainu took… by tonight, they're likely…"
Before Homura could finish, Hiruzen cut him off. "If they've committed unforgivable crimes in secret, they're no longer part of the Sarutobi clan."
His face was stern, attempting to project the resolve of a Hokage, but the exhaustion and confusion in his eyes were impossible to hide.
What did I do wrong to let so many villains emerge from my clan?
This was the question tormenting Hiruzen's mind.
He didn't understand.
He couldn't comprehend.
---
Uchiha Police Force Headquarters
The two Uchiha ninja on night duty were yawning. The Leaf Village's nightlife was quiet, with troublemakers being rare. Night shifts at the Police Force were often the easiest, with barely a case every month.
"Hm?"
But then, one of the ninja noticed a group approaching the headquarters. Under the dim moonlight, he recognized the familiar face leading them, and his breath caught in his throat, his face paling with shock.
"Uchiha Akainu!"
The two ninja watched as Akainu led a group, escorting several dejected "prisoners" into the building. Then, they spotted three more figures approaching.
"That's…"
"Yamanaka Inoichi?!"
They instantly recognized him, given the Yamanaka clan's cooperative relationship with the Uchiha Police Force.
"The other two… they look like Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Choza. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio!" one of the ninja remarked, impressed. "I heard… they've chosen to side with Uchiha Akainu's 'Absolute Justice.'"
In the past, no clan would have openly allied with the Uchiha, who were often sidelined by the Leaf's leadership. But since Akainu had risen to prominence, everything had changed.
The two ninja didn't know the details, but they felt a newfound pride, standing a little taller as they walked the streets.
---
Inside the Police Force headquarters, Nara Shikaku surveyed the surroundings, remarking, "First time I've been inside the Uchiha Police Force building."
Akimichi Choza turned to Inoichi. "It's probably not appropriate for us to go deeper inside. We'll wait here."
Inoichi nodded and made his way to the underground interrogation room with ease, clearly familiar with the place.
There, he found four Sarutobi clan members seated on cold metal benches in a single interrogation room.
Entering, Inoichi gave Akainu a slight nod in silent greeting.
Akainu returned the gesture.
"You're… the Yamanaka clan leader…" Anko said, surprised.
Izumi explained, "Senpai Akainu has a close working relationship with the Yamanaka clan leader. Most of the time, after Akainu eliminates a villain, the Yamanaka clan investigates the corpse's memories to document their crimes in detail."
Anko nodded, understanding dawning.
"Akainu, they haven't confessed yet, have they?" Inoichi asked.
"No," Akainu replied, arms crossed, leaning against the cold wall. "They probably think their fate is sealed and want to make things difficult for us. I was about to use harsher methods when you arrived."
Inoichi chuckled. "I thought you'd have killed them all by now and waited for me to read their memories."
The four Sarutobi prisoners paled at his words.
Akainu said, "You don't know me as well as you think. I only resort to lethal measures when villains resist justice's judgment. If they cooperate, I don't mind following proper procedure."
"Is that so?" Inoichi's stern face cracked a faint smile.
"Should I go first, or you?" Inoichi asked.
"I'll start."
Their exchange was seamless, like partners who'd worked together for years. Akainu stepped forward, standing before a ninja named Sarutobi Kyoya, looking down at his attempt to appear calm.
Before Akainu spoke, Inoichi addressed the four prisoners. "A friendly warning: it's in your best interest to confess everything. You don't want Akainu to take matters into his own hands."
The four Sarutobi ninja hesitated, their faces a mix of fear and indecision.
"You have ten seconds," Akainu said coldly. "If you don't talk, I'll assume you're stubborn."
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight…"
"Uchiha Akainu…" Sarutobi Kyoya gritted his teeth, glaring up at him. "You're going to kill me anyway. Stop pretending with this interrogation! Even the Hokage has branded me a traitor to the Leaf. What are you hesitating for? Either let me go or kill me!"
"…One."
"Zero."
Akainu's eyes transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
A terrifying genjutsu from the Mangekyo Sharingan invaded Kyoya's mind.
Instantly, Kyoya's expression froze. His face contorted with visible terror and despair, as if witnessing something horrific. Bound to the bench with sturdy wire, he thrashed wildly, letting out unconscious whimpers of despair.
As he struggled, the wires cut into his skin, drawing blood that dripped onto the floor.
Snot and tears streamed down his face as he muttered incoherently, trembling. "Don't come closer… don't come closer… what's wrong with doing it for money?"
He saw the Leaf ninja he'd betrayed for profit, their lives lost because of him. He saw Hyuga Hizashi, forced to die in Hizashi's place due to Kyoya's collusion with Cloud ninja. He saw a civilian crushed by shoddy construction he'd profited from, and the grieving family left behind.
Their voices—confused, angry, calm, sorrowful—overlapped, bombarding his mind.
"Don't come closer… don't come closer…"
His voice grew louder, more desperate, his mental state on the verge of collapse.
"Don't come closer!!!" he screamed, veins bulging, before collapsing, eyes vacant. A foul odor filled the room—evidence of his fear-induced loss of control.
Trembling, he looked up, meeting Akainu's chilling Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Gen… genjutsu?!"
"No need for me now," Inoichi said, shaking his head. The Sharingan's genjutsu was as effective as the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques in interrogation. Kyoya's mind was broken.
The other three prisoners were petrified.
As expected, the rest of the interrogation was straightforward. Akainu asked simple questions, and the four Sarutobi ninja spilled everything, even confessing to trivial misdeeds from childhood, let alone their major crimes.
Inoichi's brow furrowed as he listened, shaking his head helplessly.
"This is the state of the ninja world," Akainu said, glancing at him. "It won't improve until we fundamentally change it."
Inoichi asked, "Akainu, can your justice really heal this diseased ninja world? Can it truly guide people toward proper values and morals?"
"It can," Akainu replied firmly. "On this, I've never doubted myself."
Inoichi smiled. "It's probably that confidence that made me bet everything on you."
Watching this exchange, Izumi reflected. Perhaps, before she met Akainu, he wasn't alone. He had friends and supporters who believed in his ideals, even if they didn't show it openly back then.
Why were they now openly aligning with him? Izumi suspected people like Inoichi realized the ninja world desperately needed change—and it couldn't wait.
"Rookie," Akainu called.
"Here!" Izumi responded instinctively, having just finished documenting the prisoners' crimes.
Akainu turned to Anko, who hadn't spoken. "Your response?"
Anko blinked, then realized—Akainu was treating her as a new follower of "Absolute Justice." Though they were the same age and former classmates at the Ninja Academy, her status was far below his now.
Lowering her pride wasn't a big deal.
"Here!" Anko echoed Izumi.
"Two each, execute them on the spot," Akainu ordered. "Then make three copies of tonight's report: one for Fugaku, one for the Third, and one for the Uchiha Police Force archives."
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
---
An hour later, at 4 a.m., the Leaf Village finally fell silent.
Izumi and Anko left, each carrying their own complex emotions.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had also returned home.
Akainu, however, didn't head home. He exhaled, rubbing his tired brow, about to move when a peculiar voice sounded behind him.
"Meow, Lord Akainu, take me with you," said Jiro, the fat orange cat, standing behind him. "You're going to see that orphaned girl from tonight, right?"
It paused, then added, "Sometimes, Lord Akainu, your thoughts are easy to guess. You've been through something like this before."
"Six years ago, you handled a similar case—a monstrous husband abused and humiliated his daughter, driving her to mental illness. The mother, in a rage, tried to kill him but failed and lost her own life instead."
"You killed that beastly husband, but you didn't realize there was another victim—the depressed daughter. The next day, after learning her mother was killed, she, already mentally fragile, took her own life."
"In her suicide note, she wrote that her blood was tainted by her father's sins, that she was filthy and didn't deserve to live, so she chose to end it."
Jiro's eyes were complex. "You said it was a tragedy that shouldn't have happened—a failure of justice."
"That mistake cost a victim's life. You blamed yourself for a long time."
Scratching its face with a paw, Jiro chuckled. "Many in the village think you're an emotionless machine, even those who claim to know you. But you just keep your emotions hidden, locked away."
"You believe that if justice shows emotion, villains will see it as weakness, thinking 'Absolute Justice' has a soft spot."
Akainu was silent for half a second before saying, "Sometimes, an outsider like you understands me better than I do."
"Let's go."
"Yes, Lord Akainu!"
---
Sarutobi Clan Compound
No one expected Uchiha Akainu to make a swift return.
This time, he didn't enter through the front gate. Using his "Transparency Jutsu," he slipped into the Sarutobi compound unnoticed.
Without drawing attention, he arrived at a modest two-story house, leaping onto the second-floor balcony and stepping inside.
Akainu heard faint, choked sobs.
In the darkness, he clearly saw a ten-year-old girl, Sarutobi Sakura, clutching a pillow, her frail frame curled under a thin blanket. Tears and snot had soaked the pillow.
"Sob… sob…"
"Mother… I'm so scared…"
"Father turned so terrifying… he hit me, yelled at me, even choked me, trying to kill me… If I hadn't bitten him, he wouldn't have snapped out of it…"
"It hurts so much… Father told me not to tell you, said if I did, he'd kill you. And if I spoke, he'd kill me too…"
"Sob… sob…"
Burying her face in the pillow, Sakura's small body trembled. The memory of being beaten at home three days ago replayed in her mind, the indescribable pain overwhelming her once more.
The place that should have been her safe haven had become a source of harm, her heart shrouded in fear and darkness.
Then, soft footsteps made Sakura freeze.
The steps were heavy—not her mother's.
Could it be…
Her eyes filled with terror, her trembling intensifying. She curled tighter, trying to protect herself in this pitiful way.
Wait.
The footsteps sounded… unfamiliar. Not her father's either.
Her fear surged, and she prayed her mother would hear the noise in her room. But… her mother had warned her an hour ago not to leave her room tonight.
Was her mother even home? Was she alone in the house?
Shaking with panic, Sakura threw off her blanket and flung it forward with a scream. She scrambled off the bed, calling for her mother while trying to flee the room.
But after two steps, sharp pain brought her to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
"Lord Akainu, she seems injured…" Jiro began, then stopped, realizing something and falling silent.
Jiro's odd voice made Sakura instinctively glance toward the sound. Moonlight from the balcony revealed a very fat cat—and a pair of crimson eyes.
In an instant, a Mangekyo Sharingan genjutsu enveloped her. A carefully crafted, beautiful dream began to wash away the deep-seated fear and anxiety in her heart, erasing painful memories she shouldn't carry.
"Only a young child's darkest memories can be altered by the Mangekyo Sharingan's genjutsu," Akainu said, exhaling softly as he gazed at Sakura, now slumped on the floor, seemingly asleep. "For anyone older, those painful memories would haunt them forever, impossible to erase."
"Lord Akainu, she probably didn't dare tell her mother about her injuries. I can smell the rot in her wounds…" Jiro's tone grew somber. "How could she know that the mother she relied on was also a vile murderer? Human nature is beyond a cat's understanding."
"Do you remember where Tsunade lives?" Akainu asked.
"I do," Jiro replied, perking up.
"Take her to Tsunade," Akainu said, picking up the thin blanket to wrap around Sakura. He gently lifted her, careful not to wake her.
At the balcony, he paused, speaking as if to the air. "I'm just taking her to Tsunade for treatment. Once she's healed, she'll return. As for explaining what happened to her parents, that's your responsibility as the Third Hokage."
Jiro, following behind, twitched its nose, catching a faintly familiar scent.
"The Third Hokage?"
As Jiro reacted with surprise, Akainu leaped from the balcony.
Jiro quickly followed.
---
"…Sigh."
Outside Sakura's bedroom door, Hiruzen stood without entering, his sigh heavy with complex emotions too intricate to describe.
He felt no anger or dissatisfaction toward Akainu's actions tonight.
Could a good person do what Akainu did?
The question flashed through Hiruzen's mind, and the answer came instantly.
No.
If the ninja world had more people like Akainu, there wouldn't be so many villains, nor would it be so twisted and diseased.
Another question crossed his mind.
As the Hokage of the Leaf…
Was he truly worthy?
---
"Lady Tsunade, you just got back from gambling, and now you're drinking?" Shizune said helplessly in a Leaf Village inn room, trying to reason with her. "It's almost dawn. Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Feeling down, drinking to clear my head," Tsunade replied, slouched in an unladylike posture, downing a cup of sake.
Shizune was speechless. Drinking to clear your head? Doesn't it just make you fuzzier?
After another drink, Tsunade said, "Shizune, what do you think? If someone has the power to do something, but it's not their responsibility, and no one would blame them morally for staying out of it—if they don't act, they'd have an easier life. Should they still do those unnecessary things?"
Shizune paused, thinking. "Lady Tsunade, some things you only understand by trying them yourself—whether they're worth doing or meaningful."
She scratched her head, embarrassed. "I'm not sure how to explain it. And honestly, you're my teacher, yet you're asking me this? I don't know how to answer."
Knock—
A sudden knock at the door made Shizune tense. She instinctively readied herself, then remembered they were in the Leaf Village—unlikely to face enemies.
Who would visit Tsunade at this hour? Could it be Jiraiya, pestering her again?
With a mix of curiosity and caution, Shizune slid open the door.
"Eh?!" Her eyes widened at the unexpected visitor. "Uchiha Akainu?"
"Uchiha Akainu?" Tsunade raised a drooping eyelid, surprise flashing in her eyes. "Hey, justice kid, what are you doing here? Wait, that girl in your arms…"
Realizing something, Tsunade adjusted her careless posture, sitting more properly. Her brow furrowed. "Is she…?"
"The daughter of Sarutobi Kazunori and Sarutobi Mayue," Akainu said. "Her father hurt her, and she never told her mother. Her wounds have worsened significantly."
"…Sigh." Tsunade exhaled a breath tinged with alcohol, her expression turning serious. "Set her down. I'll heal her. When she wakes, I'll try to counsel her. If that doesn't work, I might take her as a disciple and keep her close, hoping time will heal her trauma and restore her mental and physical health."
Akainu said, "I've given her a pleasant dream. When she wakes, she won't remember those memories."
Tsunade paused. "Like the kids in Tanigakure Street?"
"Yes." Akainu gently placed Sakura down.
Tsunade was silent for half a second. "If the Uchiha clan's Sharingan genjutsu were used like you do, their reputation in the Leaf would probably improve drastically."
Shizune, piecing things together, said hurriedly, "Lady Tsunade, let me handle it. Your hemophobia…"
"No need," Tsunade interrupted, her eyes shadowed. She lifted the thin blanket, catching the faint smell of severely infected wounds.
With an indescribable emotion, as Akainu turned away, Tsunade's trembling hands carefully removed Sakura's pajama pants.
"The wounds… they've fused with the fabric."
Her hands shook.
Her voice trembled.
"Shizune…" Tsunade bit her lip hard, her voice low and quivering. "Get my medical kit."
"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune noticed Tsunade's hemophobia flaring up, her condition looking precarious, at risk of worsening.
"Now!" Tsunade's tone sharpened.
"Yes!"
---
"Lord Akainu?" Jiro noticed that when Akainu opened his eyes, they were filled with cold, murderous intent—not aimed at Tsunade or Shizune, but at the irredeemable evils of the ninja world.
"I'm fine," Akainu said, his killing intent fading, his face returning to its usual calm.
Only when almost no one was watching did his expression show a flicker of emotion, fleeting as it was.
He stepped outside, sliding the door shut, and left the inn.
Then, sensing something, Akainu glanced to his left. A short figure in Anbu attire stood atop a utility pole twenty meters away, crimson three-tomoe Sharingan locked onto him.
"Uchiha Itachi…"
Jiro's eyes narrowed, its back arching slightly, fur bristling, ready to pounce at the slightest movement.
"Lord Akainu, is this guy looking for trouble?" Jiro said. "His stare really rubs this cat the wrong way!"
"It's the look of someone facing an enemy," Akainu said, his gaze clashing with Itachi's in midair. "My actions tonight probably seem like a 'threat' to his precious Leaf Village. But he won't cause a scene tonight—someone's watching him."
As he spoke, Itachi, still perched on the pole, seemed to sense something too. He turned his head in surprise to see Uchiha Fugaku standing in an alley to his right.
Itachi's brow furrowed. "Father?"
Fugaku took a deep breath, stepping forward openly instead of hiding. Looking up at Itachi, he said, "Itachi, don't put the Uchiha clan in danger. If you clash with Akainu, the aftermath could harm innocent villagers. If you truly love the village, would you want that?"
"Your actions won't save the Leaf—they'll only plunge it into greater danger. That's not what you want, is it, Itachi?"
Itachi fell silent. Truthfully, he wasn't sure why he'd come to confront Akainu. It was an instinctive reaction, driven by the sense that Akainu threatened the Hokage and the Leaf.
"I understand," Itachi murmured.
You can't kill Uchiha Akainu in the Leaf. The consequences would be unpredictable. To oppose him, it must be outside the village, like Asuma's plan, not Danzo's.
Itachi's mind raced with these thoughts.
Fugaku's words carried one meaning, but filtered through Itachi's subjective lens, they took on another.
Itachi gave Akainu one last deep look before his body dispersed into a flock of black crows, vanishing instantly.
Fugaku sighed in relief. He didn't want Itachi to face unforeseen consequences by clashing with Akainu before achieving his "greater purpose." Itachi, after all, was the son he was most proud of.
Then, Fugaku turned to Akainu, twenty meters away, his expression complex.
In the quiet night, his voice carried clearly despite its softness. "Akainu, can I ask you something? I'll leave after this."
Recalling the countless times Akainu had dismissed him, the Uchiha clan leader, without hesitation, Fugaku quickly asked, "How do you always manage to hold the upper hand against the Hokage and the others, leaving them no grounds to act against you?"
The rushed question was blunt, born of genuine curiosity.
Akainu glanced at him. "The moment you ask that question, you'll never find the answer."
Fugaku froze. "Why…?"
"As the Uchiha clan leader, you lack genuine confidence," Akainu said coldly, listing flaws that left Fugaku speechless. "You exude self-doubt in the presence of the Third Hokage and his circle. Your stance wavers infuriatingly. You crumble under pressure and give up. And sending a four-year-old to the battlefield is incomprehensible."
"You don't even know how to be a proper father or a competent Uchiha clan leader, yet you want the answer to your question?"
"Learn how to be a person first. Build a proper moral compass. My advice? Go back to the Ninja Academy for six years."
"And one more thing…" Akainu added. "Take Uchiha Itachi with you. That neurotic illiterate needs six years of remedial education—especially in ethics."
Fugaku was left speechless.