Before long...
The Anbu shinobi Kakashi had first dispatched returned, carrying an unconscious Sarutobi clan shinobi on his back.
The Anbu shinobi from the Yamanaka clan immediately used his clan's secret technique.
He attempted to steal the secret memories within the mind of the Sarutobi clan shinobi.
Yet in less than 10 seconds of the Yamanaka clan technique being cast—
The Yamanaka shinobi suddenly felt a pang of dread in his heart, instantly alert, and without hesitation broke off the technique.
[—Bang!!!]
The head of that unconscious Sarutobi clan shinobi suddenly exploded like a split watermelon.
The splattering brain matter even sprayed onto Kakashi.
"…So there was a safeguard left behind?" In Kakashi's drooping, listless eyes flashed a shadow: "Accidentally killing a Sarutobi clan shinobi, that's going to be a bit difficult to explain to Hokage-sama."
"But…"
"At least we've obtained one critical piece of information—some members of the Sarutobi clan are involved in this matter."
Kakashi couldn't help rubbing his brow. He really did not wish to be involved with things this dark, fearing that seeing too much of Konohagakure's darkness would unknowingly make him believe the village was just like that, fearing that even his last sliver of hope for the village would vanish.
But helplessly… the Hokage had entrusted the mission to him.
After all, there truly weren't many talents left for the Hokage to use.
The vast majority had died at the hands of Absolute Justice…
…
Members of Yamato's Anbu squad hurriedly rushed back, quickly relaying Sarutobi Hiruzen's order to Yamato.
Yamato was stunned.
This…
Did the Hokage not just press Koharu's head down, forcing her and Root to bow before [Absolute Justice]?
Wouldn't this inevitably arouse Utatane Koharu's dissatisfaction?
Even if the Hokage promised that she would soon be released.
Such dissatisfaction would hardly dissipate so easily, would it?
But thinking carefully, Yamato realized that between Absolute Justice and Root, the only soft persimmon really was Root.
They couldn't possibly suppress Absolute Justice, right? What if they truly drove the Uchiha clan into rebellion?
By contrast, it was the "own people" of Root who were the easiest to suppress.
Yamato took a deep breath, and immediately led several members of the Anbu squad to rush over.
Although the Anbu squad did not have many members, the few still braced themselves, standing in between the Police Force shinobi and the Root shinobi.
"Everyone, do not fight against your comrades within Konohagakure."
Wearing his Anbu mask, Yamato coughed once, then spoke in a low voice: "In the end, everyone is a shinobi of Konohagakure, there's no need to harm harmony over something like this."
Then...
Yamato turned around to Utatane Koharu. He lowered his voice, saying: "Advisor Koharu, Hokage-sama's meaning is that you should lower your head a little before [Absolute Justice]. After all, if Root clashes with the Police Force, the ones who will suffer are Root."
Utatane Koharu: "???"
At that moment, Utatane Koharu somewhat suspected—were Sarutobi Hiruzen's left and right brains fighting each other?
Hadn't he clearly ordered her to lead Root in capturing all the believers of Absolute Justice?
Now, when she herself was in crisis, Hiruzen actually didn't let his Anbu come support her, but instead had her bow her head to [Absolute Justice]?
Such an absurd situation nearly made Utatane Koharu laugh from anger.
Before she could open her mouth, Yamato leaned in and continued speaking in a low voice, making Utatane Koharu's aged face shift uncertainly.
"…Hiruzen, did he really say that?"
Utatane Koharu was silent for a long moment, her tone heavy with deep disappointment.
"Hokage-sama did indeed say so. I must ask you, Advisor Koharu, and your Root to endure a little grievance," Yamato said quietly.
"Grievance… heh!" Utatane Koharu sneered coldly, her words biting with sarcasm: "For the sake of Konohagakure, it seems I really do need to suffer grievances."
But she did not continue to stubbornly resist.
She was merely a senior advisor of Konohagakure; even having inherited Root from Danzō, she did not enjoy the same degree of freedom as Danzō had. Faced with an order from the Hokage, Utatane Koharu could only obey.
Her cold eyes turned toward the fierce ranks of Police Force shinobi before her.
Utatane Koharu let out a cold snort: "Hmph! Isn't it just the Police Force?"
"No need for you to act!"
"This old body will go over myself!"
Every word she spoke was squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
It was obvious…
How suffocating it was for her.
"Tsk, Keizumi-sama's Mangekyō Sharingan actually didn't get used…" Tachibana Jirō muttered. He guessed blindly that it must have been the Third's invisible hand forcing Utatane Koharu to bow her head.
After all, in the whole of Konohagakure, the only ones who could truly suppress Utatane Koharu were Keizumi-sama and the Third Hokage.
As for Tsunade? At most she could only make Utatane Koharu take a single step back.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha Police Force shinobi beside Tachibana Jirō wore varied expressions.
"This woman—isn't she an advisor of Konohagakure? And at the same time the new leader of Root. For someone like that to bow her head before Justice…"
A Police Force chūnin took a deep breath, eyes brimming with excitement: "As expected! Joining the camp of Absolute Justice is the true future path of the Uchiha clan!"
"Whether overthrowing the current Hokage or maintaining a peaceful and friendly stance with the current Hokage… neither can return the Uchiha clan to its peak, nor make it even more glorious."
"Only Uchiha Keizumi's Absolute Justice can achieve that!"
Just as he finished saying this, another Uchiha shinobi at his side glanced at him and said coldly: "Your Justice is not pure enough. Uchiha Keizumi would not accept you."
"Pure?" The Police Force chūnin was stunned.
The shinobi beside him, expressionless, said: "It seems that during that last assembly, you still did not comprehend what Absolute Justice truly is. Absolute Justice cannot have any impurity mixed in—it must be single-minded, only for Justice, only for eradicating the evil of the ninja world."
"What you just said about making the Uchiha clan more glorious—that falls into the lower realm! Only those who think solely of the clan in their hearts have such naïve and trivial thoughts."
"In other words, you lack vision. You lack capacity."
Listening to the hushed murmurs of this group of Uchiha shinobi.
On Tachibana Jirō's furry cat face, there was a trace of peculiar expression.
"Tsk…"
"It seems a few of these fellows really do have the potential to be true believers of Absolute Justice." Tachibana Jirō muttered to himself.
…
"Looks like we three clans aren't needed." From a high point not far away, Yamanaka Inoichi withdrew his gaze, letting out a slight breath of relief.
Standing to his left, Akimichi Chōza remarked: "So Tsunade-sama really has stood on the side of Absolute Justice… does this mean Tsunade-sama and we are already in the same camp?"
On his right, Nara Shikaku said: "As long as our three clans don't violate the taboos of Justice, then indeed we are in the same camp."
If an outsider were here, they would have been utterly shocked to see—that behind the three current heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō, who were having this brief exchange, there followed hundreds of shinobi!
All were shinobi of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans!
With just a single order from Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, or Akimichi Chōza—
Those hundreds of shinobi would unhesitatingly go rescue Uchiha Sasuke and Hyūga Neji, who had been seized by Root.
However…
Judging from the situation as the three of them saw it, it seemed there was no longer any need for the Ino–Shika–Chō to make a move.
At this moment, Akimichi Chōza asked Nara Shikaku: "Do you think that matter with the Sarutobi clan is connected to Keizumi?"
"Yes."
Nara Shikaku smiled slightly as he said: "The connection is that someone wants to use this matter to sow discord between the Hokage and Keizumi. They want to provoke the Third and, through his hand, strangle Absolute Justice."
"The one behind it must have deep hatred toward Keizumi. If we follow this direction in our investigation, it won't be long before we drag him out."
Nara Shikaku paused, then continued: "Nor is the Third so easily angered by such things. Someone wants to use him to strangle Absolute Justice, while he wants to use this chaos to pull out the one behind it."
"The Third is countering with a plan of his own."
Saying this, Nara Shikaku shook his head helplessly: "If Keizumi were in the village, it wouldn't be necessary to go through so much trouble. With his methods, he could easily drag the one behind this into the open."
Yamanaka Inoichi said: "If he were in the village, no one would dare use such a brazen scheme to target Absolute Justice."
Akimichi Chōza clicked his tongue: "Konohagakure's situation really is complicated!"
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---