Standing behind, Izumi gazed at the solitary figure of her senior, Akainu, feeling a deep sense of shame wash over her.
This mission was meant for her—to personally kill Shimura Danzo. Yet here was Akainu, holding back all the Anbu ninja to give her this chance. And it all stemmed from her own weakness as Uchiha Izumi.
Jiro, standing nearby, spoke up, "Rookie, just accept the test Lord Akainu's giving you. No need to overthink it. Lord Akainu can't stand people who hem and haw."
"If you truly understand the effort Lord Akainu's putting in, you'd carry out his orders without hesitation."
Izumi let out a heavy, "Mm," biting her lip as she forced her gaze toward the open door of a secret chamber nearby.
She could clearly see Danzo, reduced to half his body, lying there, his eyes blazing with rage as he glared in her direction.
Drawing her ninja blade, Izumi stepped into the chamber under everyone's watchful eyes.
"Hey! Hold on!" an Anbu ninja shouted in a panic. He couldn't even fathom the Hokage's reaction if he learned Danzo, under their protection, had been killed.
The Hokage would likely blame them all.
It would be a clear failure on the Anbu's part.
Just as he moved to stop Izumi, a sizzling sound filled the air—like molten lava dripping onto the ground. The temperature in the Anbu base surged rapidly.
Sweat poured from him, though he wasn't sure if it was from fear or the heat.
The Anbu froze, his eyes darting to Uchiha Akainu.
"No one passes."
"Step forward, and you die."
Akainu's calm voice repeated those same two lines.
The Anbu ninja: "…"
Mito Menma: "…"
…
Inside the chamber.
Danzo, strapped to an iron bed, his eyes burning with violence and murderous intent, couldn't believe Uchiha Akainu had found him here. And to think he'd go this far to wipe him out completely! Was this the true evil of the Uchiha clan?
At that moment, the sight of a young Uchiha girl wielding a ninja blade entered Danzo's view, and it hit him—she was the one sent to kill him.
Damn it!
Akainu had come to finish him off but wouldn't even dirty his own hands? Instead, he sent some no-name lackey to execute him, Shimura Danzo?
What was this? Did he think so little of him? Too proud to do it himself? Afraid of getting his hands dirty?
Danzo's ravaged throat could only manage hoarse, guttural sounds as he glared at the approaching Uchiha girl.
He could see the tension in her eyes, but beneath it, a flicker of resolute determination.
In the past, Danzo could've crushed a brat like her with one hand tied behind his back.
But now? Rage mixed with sheer terror. Strapped to the bed to prevent further injury, what was meant to protect him had become his prison.
Where was Mito Menma?!
Wasn't he outside? And the Anbu? This was their base! Why weren't they stopping this? They'd taken his Sharingan, stolen his Root—had they now discarded him like a useless pawn?
"Grr…"
"GRR!!!"
Danzo thrashed against the restraints, his single eye wide with desperation, his hoarse growls echoing as fear, pain, and the burning in his soul made his face twitch uncontrollably.
"Senior Akainu is out there alone, holding off all the Anbu. He must be under immense pressure… but with my weak skills, I can't ease that burden," Izumi murmured.
"Senior said… [Absolute Justice] means eliminating evil to receive justice's reward. That power strengthens justice, and we shouldn't shy away from it."
Her resolute gaze locked onto Shimura Danzo.
She knew the atrocities he'd committed. Despite his frail, elderly appearance, she felt no pity.
"Shimura Danzo… when you committed all those crimes, did you ever stop to think about the feelings of the innocent people you hurt?"
"Now feel it—the same pain and fear they felt when you destroyed their lives."
"Delayed justice may not seem like justice at all."
"But someone has to deliver it for those who've been wronged."
Danzo's lone eye glared at the muttering Uchiha girl, who seemed almost unhinged.
Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!!!
If he were an Uchiha, the raw emotion coursing through him would've awakened a Mangekyo Sharingan by now.
Swish!
In the next instant, a flash of steel filled Danzo's vision. His perspective shifted, the Uchiha girl vanishing as the world spun. His final sight was the leg of the iron bed.
Instinctively mimicking Akainu's killing style, Izumi's blade cleanly severed Danzo's head.
As the head rolled off the bed with a dull thud, a flush of exhilaration crept across Izumi's face.
She felt it—the gift of [Absolute Justice]. This time, it was far greater than before, her chakra surging so intensely it left her in awe.
What kind of power allowed one to gain such rewards for slaying evil?
It had to be Senior Akainu's Mangekyo Sharingan ability!
[Ding! Your follower of [Absolute Justice] has successfully killed a "red-named" villain! Your chakra has been amplified! Congratulations, you've unlocked a new skill: "Wood Release Bloodline Limit"!]
[Uchiha Izumi has also gained a significant chakra boost!]
[Follower of [Absolute Justice], 'Uchiha Izumi,' has passed the final test of justice. She will now gain the ability to see the sins of others!]
…
Outside the chamber.
When three notifications appeared before Uchiha Akainu, he knew Izumi hadn't let him down. The once-clumsy rookie had finally proven herself.
And in his final moment, Shimura Danzo's greatest contribution to the ninja world was the Wood Release Bloodline Limit.
As the lava dripping from Akainu's arm cooled and his hand returned to normal, the cold killing intent on his face softened slightly.
Mito Menma caught every detail.
Danzo…
He was dead!
Menma had never felt such a complex mix of emotions.
In the past, when he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, trembling with anger under Akainu's provocations, Menma thought Hiruzen was too soft, too old to handle a young upstart.
When Uchiha Fugaku was dismissed by Akainu, Menma thought the clan leader lacked authority. But a weaker Uchiha leader suited him just fine—less to worry about.
When Koharu Utatane was left fuming by Akainu, Menma thought her bark was worse than her bite.
But now, with the roles reversed, Menma realized he was faring worse than any of them.
He didn't even have the courage to lead the eight Anbu behind him into the chamber to save Danzo!
Shock was written all over his aged face.
He watched as the Uchiha girl emerged from the chamber, her ninja blade now stained with blood.
"Danzo…"
Menma closed his eyes in grief, the weight of loss hitting him hard.
When he opened them, he looked at Akainu with a complicated expression. "If I were a 'villain' like Danzo in your eyes, would you kill me too?"
"Yes," Akainu replied, his voice flat.
A chill ran through Menma. Should he be angry, or relieved he wasn't Hiruzen's dirty glove?
Back when the Root was formed, Menma had vied for its leadership…
If he'd won, would he have ended up like Danzo?
Meanwhile, Izumi wiped the blood from her blade and sheathed it. Standing tall, she addressed Akainu with a serious expression, "Senior, Shimura Danzo has been dealt with!"
She was still reeling. One of Konoha's top leaders, dead by her hand.
It shattered her illusions about "important figures."
Even the elite could be judged by [Justice].
[Justice]'s blade could cut them down.
This was Senior Akainu's [Absolute Justice]!
Even someone like Danzo, with all his power, was equal under its judgment—no exemptions, no mercy.
"Mm." Akainu's slight nod was enough to acknowledge her performance tonight. His calm gaze swept over Menma and the Anbu.
Though his eyes were steady, they sent a shiver through everyone present, each fearing he might see some hidden sin.
Even if they believed themselves innocent, the tension lingered.
The smell of sulfur and blood filled the air, a constant reminder of what awaited those targeted by [Absolute Justice].
Finally, they watched as Akainu left with a single person—cat in tow—and the Uchiha girl.
"Lord Menma, we…" an Anbu began, his voice strained behind his mask.
"Go inform Hiruzen," Menma sighed, his spirit deflated, as if he'd aged years in moments. "And notify the Shimura clan. Send a few to guard Danzo's body. It holds too many secrets to fall into enemy hands."
He felt Hiruzen could've saved Danzo if he'd been here.
There was a reason Menma was just an advisor.
"Yes, Lord Menma!"
…
At the Sarutobi clan compound.
"Tonight, I might actually get some rest," Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered tiredly, puffing on his pipe.
The trouble Uchiha Akainu had caused the village lately, and the messes he'd stirred up, gave Hiruzen a throbbing headache.
Compared to the issues with Naruto and the daimyo's son, the death of a Koharu clan ninja was trivial.
"The daimyo's son issue won't stay hidden long. I don't know how to explain this to His Excellency."
As Hiruzen pondered, an Anbu burst into the Sarutobi compound.
The ninja found Hiruzen's quarters, knocked urgently, and blurted, "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Akainu stormed the Anbu base tonight and had Shimura Danzo killed!"
Hiruzen: "…?!"
"Cough! Cough, cough!!" Choking on his pipe's smoke, he snapped the wooden pipe in half.
Recovering, he tossed the broken pipe aside and flung open the door, staring at the Anbu in disbelief.
"Say that again?!"
The Anbu repeated, this time with more detail.
Hiruzen: "…"
"Danzo…" He exhaled heavily. He'd known Akainu wouldn't let Danzo off easily, had even anticipated this day, but not so soon.
Oddly, Hiruzen found he wasn't that sad.
After all, Danzo was his rival, always eyeing the Hokage's seat, even taking reckless actions in the past—though they'd been stopped.
Danzo's death didn't stir much grief, just shock.
Akainu had been going non-stop…
Didn't he ever rest?!
"Wait!" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Who did Akainu bring with him?"
"A young Uchiha girl," the Anbu replied, puzzled by the Hokage's shifting emotions.
"Uchiha girl… Uchiha Izumi!"
Relief washed over Hiruzen. He'd feared Akainu had taken Naruto to kill Danzo.
In public, he couldn't show more concern for Danzo than for Naruto, or it'd seem cold.
To many, Danzo was his shadow operative, an unspoken truth.
With a grim face, Hiruzen said, "Take me to the Root base."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
…
At the Uchiha clan compound.
Under the night sky, Izumi walked home alone. She recalled Akainu's parting words: tonight's mission was done, and she could rest.
But…
"How am I supposed to sleep?!"
Izumi ruffled her hair, the image of her blade slicing through Danzo's neck replaying in her mind. Killing a Konoha elite felt surreal.
Yet it deepened her understanding of [Absolute Justice].
She felt Akainu's intent.
Though he was often quiet and cold, as if isolating the world, those close to him knew he quietly watched over everyone he cared about.
"Hm?!"
Her thoughts were cut short as a chill ran through her. Instinctively, she grabbed a kunai from her pouch and hurled it behind her.
Whoosh!
The kunai grazed an Anbu fox mask, embedding into a tree.
"You've improved a lot, Izumi. Being around that man has clearly helped you grow—your progress is remarkable," a familiar, cold voice said.
Izumi's eyes widened as she spun around, spotting a short figure nearby.
The figure had removed their Anbu mask, revealing a scratch from her kunai.
That young face—she'd never forget it.
"…Uchiha Itachi!!!"
Her hand gripped her blade's hilt, her three-tomoe Sharingan activating as she stepped back, glaring at the boy she once called her best friend, now teetering on the edge of darkness.
"You dare show your face at the Uchiha compound? If I shout, half the clan will come running to kill you!"
Her tone was icy, like speaking to a stranger.
Itachi paused, silent for half a second.
"Izumi…"
"Call me Uchiha Izumi," she cut him off. "Until you abandon those thoughts and come back to your senses, we're not that close."
Izumi felt a visceral and emotional repulsion toward Itachi.
She couldn't accept someone who'd one day kill her mother calling her by name.
Unfazed, Itachi continued, "I saw you and Akainu leave the Root base. They said Danzo's dead. And you killed him."
"Izumi, you've changed. You're becoming a stranger," he said, his gaze piercing. "Are you standing against Konoha?"
The air turned frigid.
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