"Haa…"
A deep gloom spread across Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face. Even if he had somewhat anticipated it, hearing this outcome from Kakashi still left his mood foul beyond words.
"Keep investigating."
Weary, Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand.
"Yes!"
After watching Kakashi depart, Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows in bitter thought.
"So the current situation is that several members of the Sarutobi clan colluded with Kumogakure spies, attempting to use this old man's hand to deal with Keizumi. My attitude toward Keizumi must have left those clansmen deeply dissatisfied, but not daring to voice it before me, they instead took such extreme measures and schemes."
"Or rather…"
"It was the Kumogakure spy who actively contacted Sarutobi clansmen, telling them of a prearranged plan to cause internal strife in Konoha. And those clansmen of mine, their minds clouded by hatred, accepted the plan of the spy."
"It's also possible the Kumogakure spy deliberately downplayed things, never telling them how much turmoil the plan would bring to Konoha. Surely the Sarutobi clansmen wouldn't knowingly cooperate if they were certain it would plunge the village into chaos…"
When his thoughts reached this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly fell silent.
Because he felt the possibility was not nonexistent—after all, one could never underestimate the vileness of human nature.
He himself had already produced an "Orochimaru."
Who could guarantee that a few of his clan were not like Orochimaru—treating life like a game, treating the village like a game?
"Kumogakure…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's palm suddenly clenched and snapped off the corner of his desk.
Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War…
This was already Kumogakure's second provocation against Konoha.
Last time, Kumogakure had targeted the Hyūga clan, and the Hyūga clan, by paying the price of Hyūga Hizashi's life, had barely resolved that diplomatic incident.
And this time, Kumogakure had actually turned its spearhead on the Sarutobi clan.
Or rather, aimed directly at Sarutobi Hiruzen himself!
…
Inside the Uchiha Police Force interrogation room.
With a click, the interrogation room door opened from within.
Uchiha Fugaku, face stern, was the first to step out.
Following right after him was Utatane Koharu.
As Fugaku stepped out, he suddenly realized something was amiss—the number of people gathered outside the interrogation room was far too many, far exceeding the total number of Police Force members.
When he frowned and focused his gaze—
He saw that the group gathered outside were, for the most part, not Police Force shinobi at all, but ordinary members of the Uchiha clan!
Fugaku was momentarily stunned.
"Commander Fugaku, the justice of our Uchiha clan truly is trampled like dust. To show such courtesy to a criminal who's about to be thrown into Konoha Prison? Don't forget, this criminal incited her subordinates to capture your own son."
An Uchiha shinobi with arms crossed let out a cold laugh, speaking right in front of Uchiha Fugaku: "Could it be that in your eyes, you only have Uchiha Itachi as a son, and not Uchiha Sasuke?"
"I've heard plenty—that you've always been dissatisfied with your younger son, thinking he could never compare to that beast Uchiha Itachi."
The stern expression on Fugaku's face instantly turned cold.
He fixed his gaze on the insolent Uchiha shinobi before him.
"Do you know what you're saying? Watch your station!" Uchiha Fugaku's presence was not weak.
But in the very next moment...
Someone cut in from the side: "Rather than asking him that, perhaps you should ask it of yourself. Clan Head Fugaku, have you paid any attention to your own station?!"
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly felt that voice was somewhat familiar.
Turning his head—
He found it was Uchiha Izumi.
Izumi's young face was slightly tense. Before the eyes of the assembled Uchiha clansmen, she lifted her head and locked eyes with Fugaku as she spoke: "You are the Uchiha clan head, and also the Police Force Commander."
"Have you fulfilled the duties and responsibilities of the former position? Have you protected every clansman of the Uchiha who has committed no crimes? Have you ever sought benefits for the Uchiha within the bounds of the law?"
"And have you upheld the justice required of the latter position? What I saw was you groveling before a criminal in the interrogation room!"
"Your attitude is bringing shame upon the Police Force!"
This was Izumi's first time speaking with such sharp words directly against Uchiha Fugaku.
She had already been utterly disappointed in this clan head.
It was only because of the care she had received over the years under the Uchiha led by Fugaku that Izumi had borne it in silence, seldom saying much.
But Fugaku showing such courtesy to Utatane Koharu in the interrogation room—
That was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
It was enough to make Izumi no longer willing to endure!
"You are also shaming Justice itself!" Izumi bit down hard on her teeth and added: "You are unworthy not only of being the Uchiha clan head—you are even more unworthy of being the Police Force Commander!"
From a corner...
Watching this drama unfold, Tsunade raised a brow, clicking her tongue as she muttered to herself: "Didn't think this little brat could be so extreme, to scold Uchiha Fugaku like that in front of so many people."
"Looks like she's been brainwashed by Keizumi until all she has left in her heart is [Absolute Justice]."
Jiraiya had somehow slipped into the crowd as well.
He leaned over next to Tsunade and gave a light cough: "Since you know Absolute Justice is instilled through brainwashing…"
"What the hell does that have to do with you?" Tsunade shot him a vicious glare, and for good measure glared twice more at Shima and Fukasaku perched on his shoulder.
Jiraiya: "…"
Wait, I hadn't even finished my sentence!
Was the double standard really this bad?
…
[—Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!]
Somewhere in the Land of Fire, scalding magma, carrying an impact as terrifying as a volcanic eruption, instantly roasted and vaporized several grotesque-looking Cursed Seal shinobi ahead.
The torrent of magma, covering the entire corridor, did not slow in the slightest as it surged forward.
The moment it struck the corridor's end, it melted straight through the metal wall.
The magma coursed along the branching passages, spreading to every corner of the base.
It destroyed most of the precious research equipment Orochimaru had accumulated over the years.
It also killed off most of the disposable tool-men subordinates Orochimaru had cultivated.
From within the monitoring room, Orochimaru could already smell the thick stench of sulfur seeping in through the cracks of the door.
When he saw one particularly expensive machine reduced to molten scrap by the magma, his eyelid couldn't help but twitch violently.
"Hehe, such brutishness it makes my killing intent boil over!"
Orochimaru's eyes grew increasingly sinister. As he watched one tool-man after another die at Uchiha Keizumi's hand, not the slightest shred of pity stirred within him.
In his eyes, the sole purpose of these tool-men's lives was to drain Uchiha Keizumi's stamina.
Their existence had value so long as they forced Keizumi to expend even one more jutsu.
So long as the vessels he had carefully hidden away weren't discovered; so long as those precious lab rats of his were still alive and well.
This loss of mere tool-men was not enough to enrage him.
It was instead the vast destruction of his research equipment…
That was what made Orochimaru restless.
Expressionless, Orochimaru walked out of the monitoring room. Though he had absolute confidence in his own strength, Uchiha Keizumi's "renown" in the shinobi world was not small.
Orochimaru still made some battle preparations in advance, giving the necessary respect to one of the most suitable vessels in his eyes.
[Buzz——!]
Abruptly, just as Orochimaru had only taken a few steps out of the monitoring room, the metal floor beneath his feet suddenly let out a teeth-grating wail!
And then—
[Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!]
As though a volcano that had been dormant for a thousand years suddenly erupted!
The alloy-sealed wall in front, half a meter thick, was torn apart like paper by a raging force of calamity!
Enormous chunks of metal blasted out like cannon shells, the piercing alarms in the passage instantly shrieking at their limit!
Yet, more soul-shaking than the flying fragments—
Was the torrent of crimson magma surging in right after!
Like a flood from hell, it surged and rolled, instantly devouring and melting the flying shards of metal, the air filling with an acrid stench of scorching char and the searing scent of sulfur.
The remnants of experimental equipment and pipes in the corridor began to warp and drip like wax figures.
Blinding red light filled every corner.
The magma flood instantly swallowed the space, casting Orochimaru's entire pale face in a ghastly crimson glow!
Scorching heat waves slammed forth like solid fists, whipping his temples' hair into wild dance, forcing his golden slit-pupils to narrow.
In his sight remained only the river of destructive molten rock!
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