"Heh heh… How interesting." Obito reached out without a hint of emotion, silencing Black Zetsu's endless screams with a single motion. His Kamui activated, sucking Black Zetsu into the Kamui dimension.
The chilling screams that had unnerved Obito finally stopped.
He lowered his gaze coldly, staring at Uchiha Itachi before him.
"Kid… looks like you don't get along with that brat, huh? Not even with the Uchiha clan, despite being one of them. And yet, here you are, scheming to team up with outsiders to take down your own clan."
Obito's single, glowing red Mangekyo Sharingan narrowed slightly, his voice raspy. "Don't you know who I am? Do you really think I'd move against the Uchiha? By lineage… I'm your ancestor."
Itachi took a deep breath, lifting his head slightly to meet the man's gaze.
His face was expressionless as he said, "I don't owe you any explanations. I'm just here to ask if you want to work together. Whether or not you've got a grudge against the Uchiha clan, it's clear you want Uchiha Akainu dead."
"After all, he's the one who left your subordinate in that state. That makes him our common enemy. As for the Uchiha clan thing? That was just a test to see where you stand."
"Heh… Hahaha!" Obito let out the wild, signature laugh of an Uchiha.
"Interesting kid."
He reined in his smile, his laughter fading. "And after you pull this off? You team up with outsiders, kill a fellow Leaf ninja—neither the Leaf Village nor the entire Land of Fire will have a place for you!"
Itachi's voice was steady. "That's exactly why I'm standing here in front of you."
"You're with the Akatsuki, right? If the Leaf won't take me, then maybe your group will."
A smirk tugged at Obito's lips. "Looks like not all Uchiha kids lack ambition. Alright, kid. Wait for my signal."
Hearing this self-proclaimed "Uchiha ancestor" say those words, Itachi let out a quiet sigh of relief in his mind.
'I'm sorry, Father. More and more people in the Leaf are starting to idolize Uchiha Akainu. Sooner or later, his power will completely overshadow the Hokage's.'
'That's something I can't allow to happen—and I know it's something the Hokage doesn't want either. He hasn't said it outright, but his worries are plain to see.'
'And within the Uchiha clan, whether it's Shisui's radical faction or your moderate one, Father, most of them have some kind of unhealthy fixation on Akainu.'
'His absolute justice is starting to undermine the entire Uchiha clan. It's spilling out, threatening to undermine the whole Leaf Village. It's even more dangerous than Shisui's radicals.'
As he watched the so-called "Uchiha ancestor" and that strange swirl-faced creature leave, a flurry of thoughts raced through Itachi's mind.
He could sense the "tensions" in the village reaching a breaking point.
At this critical juncture, one side had to back down, or the tension would erupt into conflict. Itachi believed the Hokage's side couldn't be the one to retreat. If it did, would the Leaf still be the Hokage's Leaf?
It'd become Uchiha Akainu's Leaf.
"Since you've made the wrong choice," Itachi murmured, "you'll have to pay the price for it."
Faces of his clan members flashed through his mind.
Some were familiar, some strangers. Some had been close to him, others hostile. Some were elite Leaf ninja, others ordinary civilians. Some were children not even twelve years old, others elderly, with one foot already in the grave.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with resolve.
Turning, he headed back to the Leaf Village.
---
Inside the Leaf Village, Hiruzen Sarutobi had barely stepped out of the Hokage's office when a young Hyuga clan member came running up, urgently reporting something.
A green-skinned, purple-haired toad perched on the boy's shoulder.
Hiruzen recognized it instantly—a sage toad from Mount Myoboku, one of Jiraiya's "teachers."
"Hokage-sama…"
Hyuga Neji recounted everything he'd seen and heard, causing Hiruzen's brow to furrow.
"Wood Release?"
Hiruzen's mind raced, latching onto a possibility.
"It's likely Wood Release," Shima, the sage toad, spoke up. "My husband and little Jiraiya are already on their way. We'll soon know who this person is."
Hiruzen's gaze instinctively flicked to an Anbu guard at his side.
This guard… was the boy he'd forcibly taken from Danzo, the one successful experiment with Wood Release—Yamato.
In Hiruzen's mind, Yamato was likely the only person in the ninja world with Wood Release.
But now…
It seemed another Wood Release user had appeared, fighting someone just outside the Leaf Village.
Was this person a Leaf ninja?
Or from another village?
"Understood," Hiruzen said gravely, issuing orders. "Anbu, move out immediately! Yamato, you lead! Take two Anbu squads and support Jiraiya!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Yamato, codenamed Tenzo, nodded sharply.
Soon, a group of Anbu ninja dashed out of the village.
"Sigh… One thing after another." Hiruzen rubbed his temples, watching the Anbu depart. "No rest for me."
This was the most exhausting period of his tenure as Hokage, even more draining than the Third Ninja World War.
He looked down at Neji.
He knew this boy—the top genius in the ninja academy, someone Hiruzen kept a close eye on.
Forcing a kind smile, Hiruzen asked, "Neji-kun, you did well reporting this, but why were you out of the village at night?"
Neji lowered his head. "I heard Uchiha Akainu left the village, so I wanted to follow and see. But halfway there, Lord Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, stopped me."
Hiruzen blinked. "Akainu?"
"I don't believe the Will of Fire can bring justice for my father," Neji said before Hiruzen could ask further. "Only Akainu's absolute justice can deliver justice for my father and judge the Hyuga main branch."
Hiruzen: "…"
Hizashi's incident… this boy still hadn't let it go.
Hiruzen fell silent. Deep down, he knew he, as the Third Hokage, bore some responsibility. If the Leaf had taken a harder stance when the Cloud Village made their outrageous demand, if he'd stood up to them, Hizashi wouldn't have become a sacrificial pawn.
But back then, Hiruzen believed another war with the Cloud would only invite other villages to prey on the Leaf's weakness, like wolves circling.
So, he'd subtly pushed the Hyuga clan to pay a price to appease the Cloud's anger.
That decision led to a chain of tragedies.
And it fueled this boy's hatred.
Realizing he'd have to carry this burden, Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to lecture Neji.
A trace of guilt lingered in his heart.
'I'm sorry, Neji-kun. Back then, I had to prioritize the Leaf. I had no choice but to sacrifice the Hyuga clan's interests.'
Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
---
Moments later, Neji returned alone to the Hyuga clan compound.
Shima hopped off his shoulder, staying behind.
"This kid doesn't seem like the savior little Jiraiya's looking for," Shima muttered, squatting in front of the Hyuga compound. "He's got anger and hatred in his heart. A kid like that's probably no different from the 'Nagato' Jiraiya found first."
"If Jiraiya takes him as a student, he'll likely just raise another Nagato, not the savior who'll bring positive change to the ninja world."
"The true Child of Prophecy should have a warm, radiant quality, like Minato Namikaze."
Shima shook her head.
"And this kid's ready to embrace some 'absolute justice.' That kind of justice is too extreme. It'll just lead him from one extreme to another."
Since Neji wasn't likely the Child of Prophecy, Shima didn't bother offering him any advice.
It wasn't her duty.
She was only concerned with the Child of Prophecy.
---
Outside the village, Jiraiya had learned the enemy's identity from Uchiha Akainu.
"Uchiha Obito…"
"The Akatsuki…"
He finally understood why Akainu called Obito his "grandstudent."
Obito's sensei was Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's own student.
On Jiraiya's shoulder, Fukasaku kept his eyes fixed on Akainu, never looking away. He could faintly sense an immense, ocean-like chakra within Akainu—far beyond what any normal human should have.
It rivaled the chakra of some tailed beasts.
But Fukasaku's focus was on Akainu's Mangekyo Sharingan.
As Akainu prepared to leave, Fukasaku coughed loudly.
"Ahem!"
Perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, he called out, "Uchiha Akainu, the Great Lord—the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku—said you have special eyes that can foresee the future. He even said your predictions are more precise than his dreams."
Fukasaku's tone carried a hint of skepticism. Honestly, he didn't believe Akainu's foresight could surpass the Great Toad Sage's.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Do you really know the true identity of the Child of Prophecy the Great Lord spoke of?"
"I do," Akainu replied flatly.
Before Fukasaku could press further, Akainu continued, "But I have no reason to tell you. If the toads of Mount Myoboku would just stay there, living as carefree sage toads and leaving ninja world matters alone, I might tell you who the Child of Prophecy is."
"But the moment you start meddling with the ninja world's future, we're not on the same side. Especially since that big toad's centuries-old ideals fundamentally clash with absolute justice."
Akainu turned slightly, his gaze landing on Fukasaku.
For some reason, those crimson Sharingan eyes sent a shiver down Fukasaku's spine, making him uneasy.
He averted his gaze, avoiding eye contact.
Akainu went on, "Here's a piece of advice for Mount Myoboku: don't stand in the way of absolute justice. Anyone who blocks it, even if they've done no wrong, becomes an enemy of justice. Vile criminals are despicable, but hopeless fools are just as bad."
With that, Akainu didn't give Fukasaku a chance to respond and left.
Fukasaku was stunned.
He'd lived over eight hundred years, priding himself on his calm demeanor, but Akainu's words sparked an unexpected flicker of anger in him.
"Rude little punk!" Fukasaku huffed. "Isn't he basically calling the Great Lord a hopeless fool?"
Jiraiya broke into a nervous sweat.
"Akainu's always been blunt. His choice of words might be… off. Haha, no need to take an eighteen-year-old kid so seriously, right, Fukasaku-sama? Just pretend he didn't say anything. Young people can be reckless with their words!"
"Besides, he probably doesn't know much about Mount Myoboku. Maybe he heard some bad rumors somewhere and got the wrong idea about the Great Toad Sage."
"Ignorance isn't a crime, right?"
At the end of the day, Akainu was still a Leaf ninja.
Even if Jiraiya didn't agree with absolute justice, Akainu's ties to the Leaf made him instinctively defend him.
"I'm not that petty!" Fukasaku snapped, clearly miffed.
You're so mad your whiskers are practically standing on end, Jiraiya thought but didn't dare say.
"Hmph!" Fukasaku calmed himself, looking at Akainu's retreating figure. "Little Jiraiya, this Uchiha ninja from your village… he might actually have foresight sharper than the Great Lord's. That kind of confidence can't be faked. Or rather… he's not even trying to hide it."
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "!!!"
Fukasaku continued, "But even though he's seen the future, he's not following its path. He's trying to change the destiny already set with his ninja way. That could bring unpredictable consequences to the ninja world."
"His mindset…"
"It's dangerous."
"It's extreme."
Jiraiya paused for half a second before asking, "Is his absolute justice a good thing or a bad thing for the Leaf?"
Fukasaku pondered. "Absolute justice is too black-and-white. It's bound to stir up more conflict. It doesn't align with peace."
"If the Leaf doesn't prioritize peace, it suits the village. If it does, it doesn't."
"Little Jiraiya, that's for you to decide."
---
At the same time, inside the Kamui dimension:
"What kind of freakish eye technique is this?" Obito stared at Black Zetsu, still writhing in agony, his eyes filled with deep wariness. "It can't kill, but this kind of mental and spiritual torment… no human could endure it."
Obito figured most people would rather die than suffer that kind of pain.
And it hit him—he'd narrowly escaped being the one hit by it.
"Pretty scary, huh, Obito?" Swirl-faced White Zetsu, also in the Kamui dimension, hugged his arms, shivering dramatically for effect. "With an eye technique like that, he's not gonna be easy to deal with!"
"Working with that barely-grown Uchiha kid to take down Uchiha Akainu… you sure it's gonna work?"
Obito, unusually, stayed silent.
He didn't have an answer.
"Oh, and one more thing, Obito," White Zetsu added, holding up a finger. "We didn't manage to kill Tenzo Biwa. There's a good chance he'll pass whatever intel he got to Konan and Nagato. Especially after tonight's fallout, I bet he's got no choice but to use that info against you."
Obito's face darkened even more.
If it weren't for Akainu's interference, he could've taken out Tenzo Biwa with ease.
A mere member of the Seven Swordsmen? When even the Mizukage was under his control, someone like Tenzo was no match.
"Hmph." Obito instinctively glanced at Black Zetsu, who usually offered useful advice in moments like this. But this time, he'd ignored Black Zetsu's counsel… and it led to tonight's mess.
Black Zetsu was in no state to speak, let alone offer advice.
White Zetsu scratched his head. "So… are we still going through with the original plan?"
"The original plan…" Obito's eyes narrowed as he recalled. "Uchiha Izumi?"
He continued, "Go catch up with Itachi. Tell him if he can take down Uchiha Izumi first and prove his worth, I'll help him deal with Akainu or even the entire Uchiha clan."
"I'll also introduce him to the Akatsuki and make him a member. If the Leaf comes after him, the Akatsuki will have his back."
"This…" Obito paused, "is his test of loyalty."
---
"A test of loyalty?!" Before Itachi could return to the Leaf, White Zetsu caught up and relayed part of Obito's message.
Itachi's brows furrowed as he demanded, "I saved that weird creature. Doesn't that count as proving my loyalty?"
White Zetsu chuckled, spreading his hands. "That just earned you a bit of Lord Madara's trust. You're planning to take on the whole Uchiha clan, right? Starting with someone like Uchiha Izumi shouldn't be a problem, then."
"Or what, you too close to her to do it? If that's your limit, you're not worth Lord Madara's investment. You gotta show some real sincerity, don't you?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "And if I do it, and you back out?"
White Zetsu shrugged. "Then don't work with us. Find someone else to deal with Akainu and the Uchiha clan."
"Or go it alone. Lord Madara won't mind watching a pathetic failure. You don't want your plans to crash and burn, do you?"
The moment White Zetsu finished, his vision blurred.
In the next instant, a ninja blade was pressed against his neck, the edge cutting a millimeter into his "flesh."
"Are you threatening me?" Itachi's eyes glinted dangerously.
White Zetsu raised his hands quickly, signaling no harm.
"Hmph!" Itachi snorted, sheathing his blade. Turning away, he said coldly, "He wants to see my worth? He'll see it soon enough."
"Next time we meet… don't talk to me like that. Or I'll kill you—and him."
---
Meanwhile, as Hiruzen waited anxiously for the Anbu's return, Jiraiya was the first to come back.
He found Hiruzen and, with a grave expression, recounted everything that happened that night.
Hiruzen was stunned. "Minato's student, Uchiha Obito, posing as Uchiha Madara? Akainu has Wood Release? And two Akatsuki members with Obito also have Wood Release?"
The sheer volume of information in Jiraiya's report overwhelmed him.
So, Minato's student wasn't dead. He was alive, active in the ninja world.
And… he'd joined the Akatsuki, a group stirring up trouble everywhere.
But why was he near the Leaf? Was he plotting something against the village? Did Akainu confront him because he foresaw a conspiracy and went out at night to stop it?
And another thing—why did so many people have Wood Release? Especially Akainu, who was a pure Uchiha with no Senju blood!
His late parents were both full-blooded Uchihas!
"Old man, I suspect Orochimaru's been spreading the First Hokage's Wood Release cells outside the village," Jiraiya said heavily, pinning the blame on Orochimaru. "He's researched Wood Release. He's gotta have cell samples."
Hiruzen's brows knitted tightly. "What's Orochimaru's motive?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "No idea. Maybe he traded the cells to join the Akatsuki."
Hiruzen's face darkened.
"Orochimaru!" Desecrating the First Hokage's body and leaking Wood Release cells—this crossed Hiruzen's line.
"Jiraiya," Hiruzen's voice turned icy, "I know you want to bring Orochimaru back to the village. But sometimes… it doesn't have to be alive."
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat.
The old man… was pissed.
---
"Finally got those two kids back home." Anko Mitarashi had her arm around Izumi's slender neck, her forearm resting on Izumi's shoulder as she grinned. "I'm beat! Let's hit up the Akimichi barbecue joint and pig out to celebrate!"
"It's been a quiet night in the Leaf, after all. We patrolled the whole place and didn't find any hardcore villains—just some petty thieves. That's worth celebrating for justice, right?"
Izumi thought for a moment and nodded. "But I need to send a ninja cat to tell my mom not to cook dinner for me tonight."
As she summoned a ninja cat, she suddenly sensed something was off.
Anko, still arm-in-arm with her, didn't look any different.
But her movements felt slightly stiff—something you'd only notice with close attention. If Izumi hadn't been trained by Akainu to sharpen her observation skills, she might've missed it.
Something's wrong!
The moment Izumi's heart tightened, Anko's eyes changed.
Shock, anger, and hatred flashed in her gaze.
"Orochimaru!!!"
The name burst from Anko's lips, gritted through clenched teeth. Izumi realized Anko was under a genjutsu.
Before Izumi could react, Anko slammed her to the ground. As Izumi scrambled to her feet, Anko drew a kunai and stabbed down hard.
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal rang out as Izumi drew her ninja blade just in time to block the kunai.
"Anko! Don't let the genjutsu control you!"
Izumi's three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life.
She wasn't skilled at Sharingan genjutsu, but with her three-tomoe eyes, she glared at Anko, whose rage-filled movements froze for a moment.
Two conflicting genjutsu clashed within Anko. Though Izumi's was weaker, it disrupted the other enough to make Anko hesitate.
Izumi seized the chance, slamming the flat of her blade against Anko's neck.
Anko let out a muffled groan and collapsed, unconscious.
Izumi didn't relax. She knew Anko had been hit by a Sharingan genjutsu! Her eyes darted around, searching for the enemy, until they locked onto a figure perched on a nearby utility pole.
The figure stood silhouetted against the full moon, a pair of crimson Sharingan glowing strikingly.
Even from this angle, Izumi couldn't make out the face, but she tensed and spat out a name.
"Uchiha Itachi!!!"
In that moment of focus, she saw something shocking—above Itachi's head, white text appeared, stark and glaring.
[Collaborating with Uchiha Obito, Black Zetsu, and Tobi to assassinate Uchiha Akainu within one month. Collaborating with Uchiha Obito to destroy the Uchiha clan within two months.]
Izumi's eyes widened. "!!!"
Her heart raced, her grip tightening on her blade. "This… this is Itachi's future crimes! And they're happening within two months! He's really chosen this path—he's walking a road of no return!"
Cold sweat beaded on her palm, but her pale face hardened with resolve.
Glancing at the unconscious Anko, Izumi stepped forward, positioning herself between Anko and Itachi, ready for a fight.
"Izumi, your sacrifice is worth it." Itachi's faint, ethereal voice reached her ears.
"The Leaf's future peace will be built on the grave of the absolute justice you and Akainu believe in. When that time comes, Sasuke will realize absolute justice won't make him stronger—it'll only drag him into the abyss."
With those words, Itachi's crimson Sharingan erupted with killing intent.
His once-close friend was now nothing more than a lamb to slaughter in his eyes.
He'd cast aside the last traces of attachment.
In an instant, Itachi's form dissolved into a flock of crows.
In Izumi's vision, the crows surged toward her. She knew it was a genjutsu—among the dozens of crows, only one was Itachi's real body.
But her eyes could see the future crimes above his head!
Gritting her teeth, Izumi raised her blade.
Clang!
She stepped back half a pace, her arm taut, meeting Itachi's surprised gaze.
"Izumi, you've improved."
—This isn't my doing. It's the Mangekyo eye technique Senior Akainu implanted in me.
Izumi muttered to herself, her movements unrelenting. Her face set, she clashed with Itachi in a flurry of ninja blades. In mere seconds, they exchanged over a dozen blows, sparks flying with each collision.
"It's useless. You're no match for me." Itachi parried her blade and snapped a kick toward her chin.
His speed was so fast that, despite her three-tomoe Sharingan tracking his movements, her body couldn't keep up.
This is bad!
If that kick landed on her chin, she'd be knocked out cold!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a plain black kunai shot through the air from another direction. Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan caught it in his peripheral vision, forcing him to halt his kick and twist his body to dodge.
Thud!
The kunai grazed his leg, tearing his pants and embedding itself in a nearby tree.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Under the dim moonlight, a chilling voice carried the faint scent of sulfur on the wind. Itachi's heart skipped a beat as he turned toward the source.
"You've crossed the line of absolute justice."
"Tonight, absolute justice will deliver its final judgment on your actions."
"The verdict…"
"No mercy."
---
_(`」∠)__