Jiro's words left Biwa Juzo's expression a mix of shock and intrigue, though the bizarre blood-red paint on the lower half of his face made it hard to read his true emotions.
"Ninja cat… you're saying Akainu knows a lot about the Akatsuki? Does that include intel on Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya never imagined he'd be asking a ninja cat for answers one day. But he was desperate to know Orochimaru's whereabouts.
"Catching the traitor Orochimaru and bringing him back to the Leaf" and "finding the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage" were pretty much the only two goals driving Jiraiya's life at this point.
"What Akainu-sama knows is none of your business," Jiro said, shooting Jiraiya a dismissive glance. "Akainu-sama has no duty or obligation to share intel with you. Besides, as Orochimaru's former best friend, even if you did find him one day, are you sure you'd have the guts to kill him?"
Jiraiya froze, stunned by the question.
At that moment, Uchiha Akainu's voice cut through the air. "You've never gone after Orochimaru with the intent to kill him, have you?"
His gaze toward Jiraiya was cold, almost indifferent. "To you, your anger toward Orochimaru isn't about the evil things he's done. It's because he betrayed the Leaf, turned his back on the Will of Fire. That's what you, Jiraiya, can't tolerate."
"This proves our paths are completely different. I'm also searching for Orochimaru, but my goal is to kill him—to bring peace to the innocent victims he's killed, so they can rest in the Pure Land."
With that, Uchiha Akainu turned to leave.
Jiraiya was still reeling when Biwa Juzo suddenly shouted, "Uchiha Akainu! Even if you know some intel on the Akatsuki, you definitely don't know why I came to contact you, do you? Aren't you even a little curious about my purpose?"
Juzo was panicking. It was the first time in his life he'd met a ninja who seemed so utterly uninterested in intel. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
"If you're dying to spill your secrets, go ahead and talk," Akainu said coolly. "But if you're trying to play riddles, I'm not interested."
Juzo was speechless.
This guy is impossible to deal with. Thankfully, Akainu was a Leaf ninja and not part of the Akatsuki. If Juzo had to partner with someone like him in the organization, he was sure Akainu would drive him to an early grave.
Gritting his teeth, Juzo said, "Intel… requires an equivalent exchange. I'll tell you my purpose, but you have to share the intel I want."
He got straight to the point. "I want to know about 'Uchiha Madara'!"
Juzo stood up, no longer lounging arrogantly with his legs crossed. His expression was deadly serious as he met Akainu's eyes at the same height. "What do you know about the 'Uchiha Madara' in the Akatsuki?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. "!!!"
Izumi, standing nearby, was equally stunned. "!!!"
The name "Uchiha Madara" rang a bell for Mitarashi Anko, but for Jiraiya and Izumi, it hit like a thunderbolt. They knew that name all too well.
"The Akatsuki… Uchiha Madara?" Jiraiya took a deep breath. This was even more shocking than the elusive intel on Orochimaru. "That man… he's still alive?"
To Jiraiya, "Uchiha Madara" was a relic of a bygone era, a figure from the generation before his own—or even the one before that. Most crucially, wasn't Madara supposed to have died at the hands of the First Hokage during the Battle of the Valley of the End? If he was somehow still alive, how old would he be now?
Jiraiya couldn't suppress the shock in his eyes. He felt a creeping sense of unease, as if a sinister conspiracy was lurking behind it all, shrouded in a mist he couldn't pierce. With no solid intel to go on, Jiraiya's instincts screamed that something was very wrong.
"Uchiha Madara…"
Our ancestor…
Izumi paused, then realized, No… the 'Uchiha Madara' this Biwa Juzo is talking about can't possibly be the historical one. It's far more likely to be Uchiha Obito, pretending to be Madara!
In the tense atmosphere, with Juzo eagerly awaiting a response, Akainu said coldly, "Biwa Juzo, you're only fit to be a killing machine on the battlefield, not a spy digging for intel."
Juzo blinked, confused.
"When you asked me that question, you silently revealed your true purpose," Akainu continued. "Someone in the Akatsuki sent you here to probe me for information on Uchiha Madara. That's your goal. That's the Akatsuki's goal." He paused, then added, "Let me guess—who's so curious about 'Uchiha Madara'?"
"Nagato… no, he's not the type. Whether Uchiha Madara is the real deal or not doesn't matter to him."
Juzo froze. Nagato… who's that?
But Jiraiya, listening intently, suddenly widened his eyes, staring at Akainu in disbelief.
"Yahiko… oh, he's probably dead by now. Or rather, he's been dead for a long time, reduced to a puppet."
"Konan… it's probably her, right? Though you likely don't know her real name. What's her codename in the Akatsuki again?"
"White? White Tiger?"
"Am I right?"
Juzo's expression wasn't just shock anymore—it was as if he were staring at a monster. Every casual word from Akainu's mouth seemed to unravel highly classified Akatsuki secrets. It felt like Uchiha Akainu was the true mastermind behind the organization! Even as a newcomer, Juzo didn't know half the things Akainu was revealing so effortlessly.
"Nagato…"
"Yahiko…"
"Konan…"
"Only Yahiko is dead? Nagato and Konan are still alive?" Jiraiya muttered the three painfully familiar names, his reaction even more intense than Juzo's. His three former students were part of the Akatsuki? And from the sound of it, they might even be high-ranking members?
How else could they command someone like Biwa Juzo, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
A bold theory struck Jiraiya. Could it be… the Akatsuki was founded by them? Why else would Akainu single out those three? The only explanation was that they were the Akatsuki's core leadership!
Jiraiya's mind was in chaos. In just a few minutes, he'd learned more about the Akatsuki than he had in years of painstaking investigation.
---
At the Ninja Academy, the Sarutobi clan and Kaede's family had hurriedly arrived to collect the bodies. Hyuga Neji silently watched the Sarutobi ninja carry the corpses away.
He'd witnessed everything from a distance, and it deepened his understanding of "absolute justice." His emotions urged him to chase after Uchiha Akainu when he left the academy, to declare his fascination with absolute justice and his desire to follow it.
But…
Neji clenched his fists, his heart gripped by fear and self-doubt. He hadn't taken that step.
The fear stemmed from Akainu's overwhelming power and the chilling, extreme methods he employed. The self-doubt came from the Caged Bird Seal branded on his forehead. Neji was terrified that Akainu would reject him for bearing that mark, deeming him unworthy of absolute justice.
Who could've imagined that the Ninja Academy's top genius would be so conflicted?
"…The Main Branch!!!"
Neji knew his tangled thoughts weren't healthy, but he didn't know what to do. He could only vent his frustration toward the Hyuga Main Branch.
Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts from behind. "You're the Hyuga Neji that Naruto mentioned today, right? The weird one who's so obsessed with justice?"
Neji frowned slightly and turned to see Uchiha Sasuke, hands stuffed in his pockets. Neji recognized him. He'd seen Sasuke before outside the Hyuga compound and knew he was the second son of the Uchiha clan leader. He also knew Sasuke had once killed a young Hyuga clansman.
Despite just being chewed out by Ino Yamanaka, Sasuke maintained the Uchiha clan's signature cool demeanor. He stared directly at Neji and said, "If you're really interested in Teacher Akainu's absolute justice, even admiring it, you shouldn't hesitate. People who are so conflicted and indecisive can't carry out justice properly."
Neji was startled. Did this guy just read my mind? Or were his thoughts so obvious that anyone could see them on his face?
Sasuke sized Neji up and continued, "I know you're called the top genius at the Ninja Academy these past two years. I heard that even as a second-year, you can hold your own against sixth-years about to graduate. There was a time I considered you one of the targets I needed to surpass."
He smirked. "But now, surpassing someone so indecisive doesn't seem worth it. Or rather, I've already surpassed you."
"I'm not indecisive, and I'm not hesitating," Neji said, his eyes narrowing as his tone grew sharper. After all, having some random guy show up and criticize him out of nowhere would annoy anyone—especially someone like Neji, a branch family genius who didn't believe he was lesser than the Main Branch.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Neji said in a low voice, "What are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush."
Sasuke's lips curved into a slight grin. "I'm saying you don't understand justice at all. You showed curiosity and admiration for justice in front of Naruto, but what you're really chasing is power. To you, justice equals power, and you're just craving strength."
"Someone like you, even if you mustered the courage to tell Teacher Akainu what's in your heart, he wouldn't accept you. In his eyes, you're not someone who truly believes in justice."
Neji froze. "Why?!"
Sasuke, repurposing what Ino had told him earlier, said, "Because true justice is about caring for victims, protecting the good, judging the wicked, and upholding righteous morals."
"Hyuga Neji, which of those do you embody? If you're chasing justice just for power, you're nothing but a puppet to strength. One day, you'll fall into the abyss of evil."
With that, Sasuke didn't give Neji a chance to respond. He turned and walked away, deliberately slowing his steps to strike a cool pose, perfectly capturing the Uchiha clan's vibe.
"…"
Neji stood in silence for a long moment.
---
"How'd it go? How'd it go?" As Sasuke rounded a corner in the hallway, he was met by an excited Naruto, who eagerly asked, "What happened with him?"
Sasuke's carefully crafted cool facade finally cracked. He relaxed slightly, huffed, and said, "Idiot, why'd you make me do something so boring?"
Naruto grinned openly. "Because he's super into justice, but I feel like he's like we used to be—not really understanding what justice is. Someone needs to tell him what true justice is, just like Ino told us what it's really about."
"Once he gets it, he can join us as a comrade!"
Naruto flashed a toothy grin and patted Sasuke's shoulder. "Plus, we're doing this to add new blood to Teacher Akainu's justice! How could that be boring?"
Sasuke swatted Naruto's hand away, his face showing a hint of disgust. "Next time, you do it yourself."
Naruto mumbled, "If I could memorize all those lines, I would've done it myself."
Ino, standing behind Naruto, sighed. "…"
She was starting to feel these two were really immature. Teacher Akainu never told them to recruit new believers in absolute justice at the Ninja Academy. Was it really okay for them to take this into their own hands?
Just then, Ino sensed something and glanced over, catching a glimpse of pink hair ducking out of sight.
She blinked. "Sakura?"
---
Pfft!
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was taking a sip of tea to soothe his throat when a report from an Anbu ninja nearly made him spit it all over Koharu Utatane's face.
"The Rain Village envoy was taken to the Police Force?!" Hiruzen's face was full of disbelief.
He'd thought that after executing justice once today, Uchiha Akainu might take a break. As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen needed time to process everything that had happened. But who could've predicted that before he could even settle in, he'd get news like this? It nearly threw him for a loop.
"Which Amegakure envoy?!" Koharu, who had smoothly dodged the spray of tea, couldn't help but frown and ask, "Aren't Homura and the others hosting them? Uchiha Akainu couldn't have arrested him right in front of Homura, could he?"
As soon as she said it, Koharu froze herself, realizing her own words were a little thoughtless. Uchiha Akainu would absolutely dare to do something like that, and he had the nerve to do it, too! He had even killed a member of the Mitokado clan right in front of Homura's face, so arresting someone was nothing.
"No," the Anbu ninja said, shaking his head. "The one who was arrested was Jūzō Biwa, who defected to Amegakure! And it wasn't Uchiha Akainu who arrested him. It was his subordinate, the girl named 'Uchiha Izumi.'"
"Her?!" Koharu's face became very animated. She remembered that child. The girl had mocked her right to her face without a second thought. She had a very strong impression of the Uchiha girl.
A very negative one, of course.
Koharu questioned him again, "You were one of the Anbu tracking Jūzō Biwa, weren't you? If you witnessed the whole thing, why didn't you stop that Uchiha brat?"
"Because Lord Jiraiya was there," the Anbu ninja reported honestly. "And after Uchiha Izumi and Mitarashi Anko demanded that Biwa Juzo be taken to the Police Force, Lord Jiraiya showed up. It looked like he wanted to take Juzo down himself."
This time, it was Koharu Utatane's turn to be confused. The incident at the Ninja Academy involving Sarutobi Sakura was already tangled up with Tsunade, which was bad enough.
Koharu didn't have high hopes for that gambling addict. How could someone obsessed with betting have a normal worldview? It made sense that Tsunade would be swayed by some notion of absolute justice.
But the real question was…
How did Biwa Juzo end up tied to Jiraiya?
What was going on with the Legendary Sannin? They were fine staying away from the village, but the moment they returned, they stirred up all sorts of trouble.
"Biwa Juzo's been captured…" Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows furrowed tightly. "This could turn into a serious diplomatic mess. If he were just a rogue ninja from the Mist, it'd be one thing, but he's also an envoy from the Rain Village. If anything goes wrong, it'll be hard to explain to them."
"But," Hiruzen added, a sudden thought crossing his mind, "Izumi's subordinate clashed with Juzo immediately. Doesn't that suggest this might not escalate into something bigger?"
Koharu blinked. "What do you mean?"
Hiruzen explained, "Based on how Izumi and her team operate, if Biwa Juzo were some irredeemable villain, their first instinct wouldn't be to drag him to the Police Force. They'd have killed him on the spot in the name of absolute justice. By the time we found out, Juzo would either be a corpse or long gone. But since he's only been detained, it means Izumi and her team aren't planning to kill him—at least not yet."
Koharu's mouth twitched.
That… actually made sense.
"Still," she said, "we can't just let an envoy from the Rain Village stay locked up in the Police Force. It's improper. If the Rain Village's leader hears about this, Konoha will have a hard time explaining itself."
"Hm." Hiruzen nodded slightly, turning to the Anbu ninja who'd delivered the report. "Go contact Fugaku. Tell him to use his authority as head of the Police Force to order Juzo's release."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
---
Inside the Uchiha Police Force's interrogation room:
Uchiha Izumi's calm, almost indifferent gaze stood in stark contrast to the shocked expressions of Jiraiya and Biwa Juzo.
"The Akatsuki…" Jiraiya took a deep breath, too caught up to care about anyone else in the room. He looked straight at Izumi and asked, "Izumi, was the Akatsuki founded by Yahiko and the other two?"
Izumi shot him a glance, and Jiraiya read the answer in her cold, unyielding eyes—yes.
Jiraiya's heart sank as he drew in another sharp breath.
He didn't mind Izumi's dismissive attitude toward him. Softening his tone, he pressed, "What's their goal in creating the Akatsuki? From what I've learned over the years, the organization's just a mercenary group that stirs up wars between smaller nations for profit. That… that doesn't sound like them at all."
"What makes you think you ever truly understood their hearts?" Izumi finally spoke, her voice cutting.
"And what makes you think that just because they were your students, they have to follow the future you envisioned for them?"
Izumi's words were slow, deliberate. "Get rid of that self-righteous attitude, Jiraiya. You can't even begin to imagine the kind of extreme ideologies—or the kind of monsters—this twisted shinobi world can create."
"Your three naïve students… after the most innocent one died, the other two were led astray. Or maybe they didn't need anyone to lead them. This broken world twisted them, birthing warped ideals of their own."
Jiraiya froze, stunned.
"Uchiha Izumi," Biwa Juzo cut in, "the way you're talking… it's like you know them better than Jiraiya does." He stared at her, suspicion growing. "It almost feels like you're the real mastermind behind the Akatsuki!"
To Juzo's surprise, Izumi completely ignored him, continuing to address Jiraiya. "Want to know what your two surviving students are thinking?"
"Yes!" Jiraiya's reply came without hesitation.
Juzo: "…"
Damn it! He was once an elite ninja of the Hidden Mist, and yet here, his words carried no weight at all? She was flat-out ignoring him!
But Juzo held his tongue. Truth be told, he was curious too. He barely knew anything about the Akatsuki's true goals or what its leaders were after. He was just a new recruit, after all.
Izumi didn't treat Nagato's secrets as anything sacred—after all, they weren't her secrets. "Your student, Nagato, believes the shinobi world is diseased. He thinks peace is impossible in this cursed world and that people can never truly understand each other."
Jiraiya's jaw dropped.
That… that was the complete opposite of Yahiko's ideals!
"He's searching for a secret weapon powerful enough to destroy an entire nation," Izumi continued. "He thinks that by instilling the fear and pain of war in people, he can use that fear to suppress conflict in the shinobi world."
"As for your other student, Konan, she doesn't have much of a will of her own. She followed Yahiko's goals when he was alive, and now she follows Nagato's."
Izumi's lips curled into a faint smirk—not one of admiration, but of mockery.
"Jiraiya, when you were training them, did you skip the part about teaching them critical thinking?" she said, not holding back. "I can't fathom what kind of hopeless ignorance would lead someone to think that spreading pain could stop wars. Honestly, Nagato's plan is on par with something Uchiha Itachi would come up with."
Jiraiya didn't know what "on par" meant in this context, but he could tell Izumi had nothing but disdain for Nagato's idea of "peace through pain."
Her last question left him speechless.
Because… he hadn't taught them anything beyond survival skills. It was wartime, and the Rain Village was in chaos back then. All he could do was teach them how to stay alive. Who had time for philosophy or culture lessons?
But now, Jiraiya regretted it.
Maybe… maybe he should have taught Yahiko and the others more than just how to fight.
No, Yahiko was probably fine—he was the normal one.
But Nagato and Konan? They needed it.
Too bad it was too late.
"Ha… sounds like I just heard some secrets I wasn't supposed to," Juzo said, his expression stiffening. He couldn't shake the feeling that when he got back, that woman might silence him for good—if she ever found out what he'd been through in Konoha.
"Looks like you're the root of all this mess, huh, meow!" Jiro, the ninja cat, pointed a paw at Jiraiya, not holding back. "Those three people Izumi just mentioned… one of them wouldn't happen to be the so-called Child of Prophecy you were looking for, would it?"
Jiraiya's face froze.
"This is the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage talked about? This is your savior?" Jiro pressed. "Jiraiya, the savior you found and trained is harboring extremist ideas that could destroy the entire shinobi world!"
"Meow, how can you be sure the next Child of Prophecy you find won't be corrupted by you too? Or maybe… they turned out this way because of you! You're the one who messed them up, meow!"
"You're the one who needs to reflect, Jiraiya! I bet you were fooled by that big toad. You'd be better off trusting our ninja cat clan instead!"
"At least we ninja cats genuinely care about restoring justice and order to the shinobi world. We help Lord Izumi solve problems with our own strength."
"Unlike that big toad—or you, Jiraiya—who just dump the fate of the shinobi world on some so-called Child of Prophecy."
Jiro's relentless criticism of Jiraiya and the Great Toad Sage left Jiraiya speechless.
He opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find a single word to counter.
His face burned with embarrassment.
---