Mitarashi Anko had watched the whole confrontation between Uchiha Chizumi and the Hokage.
She never expected the Third Hokage to end up looking so helpless. He was so shaken by the end, he couldn't even speak.
Maybe his plan was to side with Daimyo's son, create a front of "righteousness," and use that to pressure Chizumi.
After all, if you're standing next to a grieving heir, it makes anything you do seem justified.
Too bad the Daimyo's son surrendered first—
All because he desperately wanted to live.
…Wait.
That thought hit Anko like a slap. Something didn't feel right.
On the surface, it looked like Hiruzen and Chizumi were at each other's throats.
But what if they weren't?
Chizumi had walked into the Fire Daimyo's palace and killed him in broad daylight.
Was Hiruzen really not involved?
He'd shown up with a full Anbu squad—what if he was planning to "step in" if Chizumi failed?
Now, the Daimyo's son was standing on the side of "Absolute Justice," forcing out lines that sounded like cowardice masquerading as honor.
Was it all just a staged performance?
A silent coup by Konoha?
Had Konoha finally decided that being just a military power wasn't enough?
Anko: "!!"
All her chaotic thoughts slammed together.
She glanced at Hiruzen. His expression was strange—tense, hollow.
Wait… it was the same look the Daimyo's son had given him earlier.
Silence stretched.
Chizumi wasn't going to break it.
Hiruzen looked like he didn't want to.
Was she supposed to say something?
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "The Land of Fire can't go a day without a leader. Shouldn't we, you know, hold a funeral for the Daimyo first? Then pick the next one? Instead of standing here arguing?"
A beat of silence followed. No one replied.
Anko's stomach dropped. Did I just say something really dumb?
She could feel Hiruzen's eyes boring into her—full of disbelief.
Chizumi didn't even look at her.
And she was pretty sure the Anbu were staring too—just behind those masks.
Even the Daimyo's son was looking at her like she'd just announced a second murder.
"…Crap."
And then—
"Yes!" the Daimyo's son said suddenly, forcing a shaky smile. "She's right! What matters now is exactly that—holding the funeral."
Anko blinked.
Was he… scared of me? Did he think I just threatened him on Konoha's behalf?
She saw it now: Hiruzen looked like the sky had collapsed.
Then came the follow‑up:
"I ask Hokage-sama to remain in the capital a few more days… to personally attend my father's funeral," the Daimyo's son said, voice tight. "Also, I'd like both Chizumi-sama and the Hokage to nominate the next Daimyo."
Hiruzen: "…"
That was it.
There was no clearing his name now.
If word got out, no one in the ninja world would believe he wasn't complicit.
Hell, even the Daimyo's son seemed to think he was.
When people pointed fingers over the assassination of the Fire Daimyo, they wouldn't just accuse Uchiha Chizumi.
They'd point at Sarutobi Hiruzen too.
He'd be branded a traitor. A manipulator. A snake.
Every noble house would treat him with suspicion.
Every clan in Konoha would assume their Hokage had outgrown the village.
Right then and there, Hiruzen wanted to personally throw Anko into a cell for the next ten years.
Why the hell did I let her out again?
He regretted everything.
"…Hokage-sama?" the Daimyo's son asked again, nervously.
Hiruzen's lips twitched. He gave the weakest, most awkward smile of his life.
"…Fine."
The word barely came out.
He'd have to attend the funeral anyway, sure.
But not like this.
Not with everyone thinking Chizumi stood for justice…
And that he stood for lies.
…
Homura Mitokado stood by the Hokage's office window, arms behind his back.
"By now, Hiruzen should've arrived at the capital," he muttered. "If Chizumi really is going after the Daimyo, they've probably clashed already."
He sighed. "All we can do is wait for a transmission. Lucky for us, we've got long-range comms—Orochimaru built them before his defection. Trying to win public favor over Minato, remember?"
As he spoke, nostalgia crept into his tone.
Koharu scoffed. "You really think Hiruzen's going to stop that kid? He's the reason Chizumi got this powerful in the first place."
Homura sighed again. "Call it what you want. Indulgence, manipulation… Either way, when Chizumi was around, the Uchiha radicals behaved. The moment he left, Hiruzen started panicking."
"Started worrying Itachi would slaughter the clan."
He turned and looked at a quiet figure in the room.
Anbu mask. Small frame. Silent.
Uchiha Itachi.
Hiruzen had left Itachi behind—not just to guard the village, but because he didn't trust him in the capital.
If anyone could do something drastic for "the good of the village," it was Itachi.
After all, he'd already done it once.
Homura shook the thought. "But the Daimyo… that's different. Hiruzen won't let Chizumi cross that line. He has a limit."
Koharu's scowl relaxed, barely. "Let's hope the only ones returning are Hiruzen and the Anbu."
…
One Hour Later – Just Outside Konoha
Tsunade stood in front of the village gates, her eyes unreadable.
"…It's been a long time," she muttered.
She could've returned in a single day—if she weren't leading seventy-nine children from Tanzaku Town.
Even with Jiraiya joining halfway, the journey took days.
Jiraiya looked like death.
He had kids on both arms, a few more clinging to his back, and an expression that screamed, Why am I alive?
"We're back…" he croaked, close to tears.
If I'd just stayed out of Tsunade's way…
Tsunade ignored him and marched straight for the Hokage Tower.
Only to learn—Hiruzen wasn't in the village.
"The Daimyo invited him?" she frowned.
She was about to say more when Koharu stepped out of the Hokage's office.
Time hadn't been kind to Koharu. Tsunade almost didn't recognize her.
But Koharu recognized her instantly.
"Tsunade. Your student already filled us in—said you were bringing seventy-nine orphans. They're outside, I assume?"
"Don't worry. Konoha will take care of them."
Then her eyes shifted to Jiraiya.
"She didn't say you'd be back."
Tsunade waved her off. "He tagged along like a leech."
Jiraiya: "???"
Before he could protest, Tsunade asked flatly, "The old man wasn't really invited by the Daimyo, was he? I've got a gut feeling this isn't simple."
Koharu hesitated—caught off guard.
But she didn't deny it. "It's about Uchiha Chizumi. Hiruzen suspects he's going to kill the Daimyo. I'm sure you can guess the rest."
Tsunade and Jiraiya: "!!!"
"…That kid? Assassinate the Daimyo?" Tsunade muttered, frowning. "No way."
Koharu rolled her eyes. Tsunade clearly had a soft spot for Chizumi.
But Tsunade wasn't done. "No. If he were going to kill the Daimyo, he wouldn't sneak around. He'd do it right in front of everyone."
"…Actually—if he really is there, the whole capital might be a bloodbath."
"That brat hates corrupt bastards. In his eyes, it doesn't matter if you're a noble or a janitor—do evil, get judged."
She cracked her knuckles. "If he's in the capital, it's not much different from what he did in Tanzaku."
Koharu: "…"
Why do you sound excited about that?!
Wasn't she supposed to be angry?
But then again, what sane Sannin goes gambling across the world for years, ignoring her responsibilities?
Koharu's opinion of Tsunade dropped a few notches.
She muttered coldly, "If Chizumi really did it… Hiruzen's going to leave him there. Because nobles—Daimyo—are off-limits."
…
Tension had been simmering for an hour straight.
Inside the clan hall, Uchiha Setsuna sat stiffly at the head of the table, his eyes sharp enough to cut steel.
The other radical elders at his side looked no less menacing.
Across from them, Fugaku stood with two moderate elders—expression calm, but clearly bracing for a storm.
They all knew what was happening just outside.
Dozens of younger Uchiha had gathered—split into two distinct factions.
The radicals had the numbers.
But if a real fight broke out, it wouldn't be a win. It would be a bloodbath.
And the real victor?
Konoha's leadership.
Even Setsuna, for all his extremism, understood:
If Fugaku loses, and he loses, the Leaf wins. That was the one outcome he couldn't tolerate.
But after an hour of deadlock, his patience finally cracked.
"You waiting here for the Hokage to get back, Fugaku?" Setsuna spat. "You gonna hold his hand while he tells you how to wipe your own ass?"
"You stand against your own clan like this? Cowardice!"
"The Uchiha will remember this. You and your pathetic moderates will be remembered as a stain on our history. A disgrace nailed to the clan's wall of shame!"
His voice trembled with fury. He was done pretending.
Fugaku's expression didn't change. "You've got it backwards, Setsuna-senpai. The one dragging this clan into ruin is you."
"Every move you make just digs the grave deeper."
"You don't care about the fallout, the casualties, the chain reaction your recklessness will trigger. You only care about your own pride."
"And worst of all—" Fugaku's voice dropped low, cold, "—you think you understand Konoha's strength. You don't."
"You think your pride is strength. But all you're doing is bringing the entire clan closer to extinction."
Setsuna's hands were white-knuckled on his knees. He was shaking now, grinding his teeth.
"I'm going to destroy the clan? Really?" he growled. "Maybe look at your son before you throw that accusation!"
"You want to prove you're loyal to the Uchiha? Then kill him. Kill Itachi. Kill the Hokage's lapdog."
"Do that—and maybe, maybe, I'll believe you still deserve to sit where you are."
He leaned forward, eyes blazing.
"I will not allow a puppet of the Hokage to lead this clan."
"Fugaku! You're done!"
He slammed his palm on the table.
"I hereby invoke my right as elder to call for a new election of the clan head!"
The other radicals nodded instantly.
Another elder spoke: "According to clan law, if three elders judge the current head as unfit, we have the right to initiate a re-election."
"You've disappointed us, Fugaku," said a second. "Let the people decide now."
"Don't worry—you can still run," he added with a smirk. "If anyone will still vote for you."
Fugaku's face finally tensed. The pressure was closing in.
…
Back in the Daimyo's palace, Hiruzen had gathered every Anbu operative still in the area.
He sent one team out to count the bodies.
He sent another to guard the Daimyo's son like their lives depended on it.
He wasn't taking chances.
And then the report came back.
Not even half a day had passed.
The number?
1,549 dead.
Hiruzen felt like the ground had vanished beneath his feet.
Nearly all of them—nobles.
High-born clans. Powerful merchant houses. Political families that had ruled the capital for generations.
Gone.
In a single night, Uchiha Chizumi had painted the capital red.
And not just angered them—he'd wiped them off the map.
Some families were so thoroughly annihilated, Hiruzen wondered if even their pets had survived.
He actually imagined Chizumi slicing worms in the soil, scattering chicken eggs just in case they belonged to corrupt poultry.
"…Send everything back to Konoha. Homura and Koharu need to see this now," Hiruzen said quietly.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"…Wait!" he snapped, suddenly alert. "Where the hell is Chizumi? And his ninja cat?!"
The Anbu exchanged uneasy looks.
"…Sir, we told you thirty minutes ago. Chizumi left the palace. We don't know where he went."
Hiruzen's eye twitched.
He vaguely remembered that—but his mind had been in such a haze, he must've blocked it out.
Please don't tell me… he didn't think 1,500 was enough.
Panic surged.
"Find him. Now," Hiruzen ordered. "I want to know what he's doing. And where."
It didn't take long.
An Anbu agent came rushing back not even an hour later, looking rattled.
"Hokage-sama! Chizumi struck again!"
"He's gone south—wiped out seven more noble clans. The entire force there? Nearly slaughtered."
"Also—" the Anbu paused, "—he's executed over a dozen wealthy merchants, thirty civilians, and…"
"…some rogue shinobi. Including a few Konoha ninja stationed in the capital."
Hiruzen's whole body locked up.
"Current count—over 500 more dead."
Hiruzen said nothing.
Because what was there to say?
You couldn't stop Chizumi.
Not unless you personally got involved—and even then, what could you really do?
This wasn't a fire you could smother.
This was a wildfire.
"…Asuma," Hiruzen muttered under his breath.
"…Asuma…"
Tears stung the corners of his eyes.
His most rebellious son had died—and in the process, had unleashed this catastrophe.
And yet… could he blame Asuma?
Asuma had done it for Konoha.
He'd just made one mistake.
He'd underestimated Uchiha Chizumi.
…
By the time the intel reached Konoha, Homura was visibly shaking.
His hands trembled as he read the scroll. His lips barely moved.
"The Fire Daimyo… is dead. Chizumi did it."
"Over a thousand nobles are dead… he killed them too."
"The Daimyo's son… isn't seeking revenge. He wants to move on. He wants to act like nothing happened."
"And Hiruzen—he got there too late. And when he tried to act, the Daimyo's son stopped him."
Homura froze.
He called Koharu immediately.
But to his shock, she didn't walk in alone—Tsunade and Jiraiya were with her.
Before Homura could even react, Koharu shot straight to the point.
"Did Hiruzen send any new reports?"
Wordlessly, Homura handed her the scroll.
Koharu barely glanced at the contents before she went pale.
Her eyes bulged with rage.
"U! CHI! HA! CHI! ZU! MI!"
She clenched the paper so tightly the corners crumpled in her fists.
"He's the biggest threat Konoha's ever faced! Bigger than Orochimaru! Bigger than Danzo!"
"He's going to destroy this village from the inside out! Does he even know what the Will of Fire means?!"
"Does he even believe in shinobi?!"
She was gasping now, like she was suffocating.
Tsunade calmly snatched the scroll from her hands.
She scanned the text. Her eyes narrowed.
Beside her, Jiraiya leaned over to peek—
Tsunade casually backhanded him across the room.
"…He really did it," she murmured.
"That brat actually killed the Daimyo."
Jiraiya peeled himself off the wall. "Wait—killed who?!"
He ran back over, eyes wide.
He read the page. And froze.
Even as a writer, he had no words.
A Konoha shinobi walking into the capital and murdering the Daimyo in broad daylight—
Not even as an assassin, but in full view, like it was court-ordered justice?
And then going on to wipe out nobles, shinobi, civilians, merchants?
All in the name of "Absolute Justice"?
The report was brutally detailed.
Just reading it made Jiraiya feel like he was choking on blood in the streets of the capital.
Chizumi wasn't just dangerous.
He was untouchable.
He was what people whispered about in nightmares.
"…So the old man's just giving up?" Jiraiya muttered.
"The Daimyo's heir doesn't want revenge. Hiruzen's got no choice but to stay silent."
He looked at Tsunade.
"You believed in his justice, didn't you? Do you still stand by that?"
Tsunade looked him dead in the eye.
"Jiraiya. Do you really think he's lost control?"
"You think his actions are unforgivable?"
Jiraiya didn't answer right away.
"…I think the world can't accept what he's doing. Even if he's not entirely wrong."
Tsunade sighed.
"Then maybe it's the world that's broken."
Tsunade folded her arms. "Maybe the world is already sick. Keeping monsters alive is the true injustice. Why show mercy to the high and mighty but not the victims? If you still think Chizumi is wrong, then our values differ."
Jiraiya said nothing. He'd only heard about the horrors of Tanzaku Town second‑hand; he'd never felt that suffocating rage himself. Tsunade, clearly, had.
Homura and Koharu exchanged horrified glances. They could accept children like Naruto or Sasuke admiring Absolute Justice. Even Yamanaka Inoichi's sympathy made some sense. But Tsunade? If that ideology swayed a Sannin, it was far more frightening than they'd imagined.
"Absolute Justice is even scarier than we thought," Homura whispered.
Koharu's face was ashen.
…
Two days later.
The Fire Daimyo's funeral was held in the capital.
It was quiet. Rushed. Almost like they didn't want anyone to see it.
But the truth was already out.
There was no hiding it now.
Blood had been spilled across the entire city, and just when the people thought they'd seen the worst—
A new rumor exploded across the capital:
"Uchiha Chizumi—a Konoha shinobi who's been killing nonstop in the city…
…he killed the Daimyo days ago."
And not only that…
"He even showed up at the funeral."
At first, people thought they were caught in some kind of genjutsu.
It was too surreal. Too absurd.
But the stories kept spreading like wildfire.
From one district to the next.
From nobles who barely escaped his judgment to commoners who had no stake in any of it.
The entire country heard the name: Uchiha Chizumi.
"The Daimyo was killed by a ninja."
"And his own son isn't even angry."
…
Inside the mansion of the Nakamura clan—a respected family that had managed to survive the bloodbath—every member had been called into the great hall.
The clan head stood at the front, hands trembling, his voice shaking with fear and awe.
"Even the Daimyo himself… is gone," he said, pale as paper. "And his heir doesn't dare seek vengeance."
He swallowed hard.
"If any member of our clan dares commit evil from this day forward…"
He paused.
Then spoke with absolute conviction:
"I'll kill them myself."
"Even if it's my son. Even if it's my grandson."
No one in the room said a word.
Every head bowed.
No one objected.
Because they were all thinking the same thing:
He killed the Daimyo.
What's Nakamura's to someone like him?
"Clan Head… about the three who were killed earlier—those relatives of ours who were exposed by that Konoha ninja…"
"I suggest we don't hold funerals for them. Expel them from the clan records. Toss their bodies in the mortuary district and bury them in some anonymous grave."
No one protested.
The clan head nodded.
"You're right. They shamed us. They crossed the line. They don't deserve to carry our name."
Scenes like this repeated themselves in mansion after mansion across the capital.
For the noble clans who survived, the message was clear:
This wasn't a random killing spree.
This was judgment.
He didn't need to threaten anyone.
His name alone was enough.
Because for once in this world—
Justice had no face.
No compromise.
And no mercy.
And its name was Uchiha Chizumi.
~~~
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