When Uchiha Fugaku rushed over with a group of Police Force ninjas, he was greeted by the sight of Uchiha Izumi, Hatake Kakashi, and a few others. His gaze landed on Uzumaki Naruto, and the sight of blood sent a chill down his spine.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… was injured!!!
Fugaku's first instinct was to closely observe Naruto's mental state. Seeing that the Jinchuriki wasn't on the verge of losing control, he let out a quiet sigh of relief, his racing heart finally settling.
Then his eyes shifted to Sasuke, who looked utterly disheveled, covered in bruises and scrapes. Fugaku's brows furrowed tightly. If this were Itachi, he'd never look this pathetic—despite being brothers, the gap between them was stark. That was the first thought that crossed Fugaku's mind.
Seeing Sasuke in such a state, his initial reaction wasn't concern but an instinctive comparison to Itachi.
The sight of several destroyed buildings and the shaken, fearful Uchiha clansmen nearby only fueled the anger rising in Fugaku's chest.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to Izumi and asked, "Izumi, where's Akainu?!"
Uchiha Izumi pulled out a clean handkerchief, gently wiping the blood from Naruto's face before pressing it against his wound. Her expression was cold as she replied, "Senior Akainu is carrying out Absolute Justice. Clan Leader Fugaku, please don't interfere."
She paused, her voice firm with conviction. "Senior Akainu will soon deal with those villains who dare to challenge [Absolute Justice]. [Absolute Justice] will never allow such evil to run rampant."
With that, she ignored the useless clan leader.
After handing the handkerchief to Naruto to hold, she rummaged through her gear and pulled out a pack of antiseptic wipes. "Sasuke-kun, let me clean those scrapes for you."
Sasuke froze, glancing up at his stern father. Noticing Fugaku lost in thought, paying him no mind, Sasuke pressed his lips together and shuffled over to Izumi, head lowered.
His father's concern for him was less than that of an outsider like Uchiha Izumi. The realization left Sasuke feeling deeply wronged.
Fugaku indeed had no time to fuss over his younger son. From Izumi's words, he gathered that Uchiha Akainu hadn't been successfully assassinated, meaning Uchiha Shisui's little scheme had failed.
Fugaku let out another sigh of relief.
But… who was Akainu going after to "execute justice"? Shisui? Or the "ninja clan" Shisui had mentioned? Fugaku realized he'd forgotten to press Shisui on which clan it was.
Wait!
Fugaku's gaze shifted to Kakashi, recognizing the silver-haired ninja. "If the Hokage finds out Naruto was injured, please explain on behalf of the Uchiha clan that his injury has nothing to do with us."
Kakashi wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he detected a hint of pleading in Fugaku's tone. No way… right? He's the Uchiha clan leader—would he really lower himself over something like this?
Dismissing the thought, Kakashi nodded calmly. "I'll report the truth to the Hokage."
Fugaku exhaled again.
Then, he noticed two Police Force members suddenly turn and leave in a hurry. His brows knitted, but he didn't stop them.
---
"He's… not dead…" Uchiha Shisui slowly closed his eyes, his expression calm, but the veins pulsing on his forehead betrayed his agitation.
He'd already tipped off the Shimura clan about Akainu's most likely weaknesses, hoping they'd take him out. Yet, the Shimura clan—reduced to a mere handful—proved even more useless than he'd expected.
He'd turned a blind eye, letting the Shimura ninjas plant explosive tags throughout the Uchiha compound. He'd prepared for Akainu to either die or be gravely injured. If Akainu died, perfect. If he was injured, Shisui would arrange for someone to finish the job.
But Akainu was neither dead nor injured…
This was a blind spot in Shisui's plan.
"What a bunch of useless trash!" Shisui spat through gritted teeth. "These so-called ninja clans are all worthless! Without the Uchiha, they probably couldn't even defend the Leaf!"
"Hayata…"
The memory of his grandson's face flashed in his mind—Hayata, whose body had been vaporized by scorching magma. Then he thought of Akainu, unscathed despite the assassination attempt.
Shisui clutched his chest, his face flushing unnaturally as he gasped for air. When he finally steadied himself, his lips were pale.
"U! Chi! Ha! Chi! Sen!"
---
Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen had no time to placate the clan heads riled up by Akainu's actions. Realizing Naruto might be in danger, he didn't hesitate, leading every available Root ninja straight into the Uchiha compound.
The sight of more Root ninjas barging in naturally sparked discontent among most Uchiha. No one liked dangerous strangers lurking around their home, not even Uchiha ninjas.
But with Fugaku as their clan leader, the Uchiha compound had become a free-for-all.
"Fugaku!" Hiruzen spotted him amid the wreckage of an explosion site, his aged face grim. "Is Naruto here?"
Fugaku, prepared for the question, opened his mouth to answer, but Naruto's loud voice cut him off.
"Hokage Grandpa!!!"
The moment Naruto's voice rang out, Hiruzen's stern expression softened slightly. He forced a smile, ready to greet Naruto, only to see him clutching his head, a white handkerchief now half-red with blood.
Hiruzen's smile froze.
"Medical ninja!" he barked. A medical ninja from Root stepped forward immediately. Hiruzen hurried to Naruto's side. "Naruto, let the medical ninja treat your wounds first."
Naruto pointed to Sasuke nearby. "Hokage Grandpa, can you have them treat him too?"
Hiruzen paused, glancing at the boy. Fugaku's youngest son, right?
"No problem," Hiruzen nodded, stepping aside to let the medical ninja treat Naruto. Then he asked with concern, "Naruto, how'd you get that head injury? Who hurt you?"
Naruto answered honestly, "I got caught in an explosion."
Hiruzen: "!!!"
Explosion?!
He glanced at the nearby ruins, the destructive force of the blast making his brows twitch. If Naruto was caught in that, he could've died!
Hiruzen's face darkened as he turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, I tasked you with watching Naruto. You must know more than he does."
"That white-haired guy said it was the Shimura clan!" Naruto piped up, answering for Kakashi.
"The… Shimura clan…"
Hiruzen was stunned.
Kakashi took a deep breath and recounted the details, making Hiruzen's frown deepen.
So, the Shimura clan tried to assassinate Akainu, failed, and nearly killed Naruto and Fugaku's son in the process! If Akainu hadn't acted quickly to pull them out and Kakashi hadn't caught them, both kids could've been goners!
"Wait!" Hiruzen interjected. "You said Akainu went alone to the Shimura clan's compound?"
Kakashi nodded.
"When?" Hiruzen pressed.
"Five minutes ago."
Hiruzen: "…"
It was probably too late.
Tonight could very well mark a night of clan extermination—not the Uchiha's, as Akainu had foreseen, but the Shimura clan's.
Hiruzen, closely tied to Danzo, knew exactly what kind of people the Shimura were. They might be loyal to the Leaf, willing to die for it, but Danzo's extremism had deeply influenced them.
Whether or not they'd done Danzo's dirty work, tonight's actions were a massive taboo. If Akainu didn't care about sparing innocent lives, that explosion would've killed plenty of Uchiha.
To Akainu's [Absolute Justice], everyone involved… had to die!!!
"Hokage Grandpa, today Teacher Akainu let me carry out justice myself, and I passed his test!" Naruto's excited voice snapped Hiruzen out of his thoughts. He was about to grumble internally about why Naruto called Akainu "Teacher" when his eyes widened.
"What?!"
He stared at Naruto, struggling to stay calm. "Naruto, Akainu… told you to kill someone? You said you passed his test, so you…"
Hiruzen trailed off, shooting a glare at Kakashi. Didn't I order you to keep Naruto away from Absolute Justice's influence? What's Kakashi been doing?!
"Hokage, it's not what you think…" Kakashi gave a wry smile, explaining the situation.
Hiruzen blinked, then blinked again. So it was just a test?
Cough! He felt a bit awkward. Good thing he hadn't voiced his frustration with Kakashi, or he'd have lost face.
---
Inside the Shimura clan's compound, some members anxiously awaited the return of their elder and others.
When they finally arrived, the clansmen crowded around.
"Elder, is that Uchiha plague… dealt with?"
The Shimura elder shook his head. "We saw Akainu engulfed by the explosive tags' blast, but we couldn't confirm his death. Staying longer would've meant running into the Police Force."
His cloudy eyes glinted with gloom. "And I didn't expect Hatake Kakashi to be in the Uchiha compound. If we hadn't fled fast, he might've caught us."
"Hatake Kakashi? The Copy Ninja?" a younger clansman hesitated. "Isn't he with Root? Why was he there?"
"Who knows…" the elder said slowly. "But we achieved our initial goal. After tonight, I'll turn myself in to the Hokage and take full responsibility for the assassination plot."
"That way, the Uchiha can't come after you. If Akainu somehow survived… he'll come for me, not you. In the time I buy you, leave the Leaf under the pretense of missions and return only when the dust settles."
"I have a better place for you to go." A cold voice cut through, startling everyone. The Shimura elder's face twisted in disbelief.
"How about the underworld?" Uchiha Akainu, blade in hand, strode openly into the Shimura compound.
The elder turned, horrified, to see Akainu completely unscathed.
His aged body staggered back several steps, blurting out, "You knew someone was going to target you?!"
There was no other explanation. How else could Akainu survive hundreds of explosive tags unless he'd preemptively activated his "Lava Release Chakra Armor"?
And to do that, he must've had prior intel!
Wait!
The elder's face darkened visibly. Was this a setup between Shisui and Akainu to target the Shimura clan?
Taking a heavy breath, the elder said coldly, "Uchiha Akainu, I planned your assassination. I set the explosive tags. It's all on me—none of the Shimura clan were involved. They were just following my orders. I alone bear the sin!"
"Is that so?" Akainu's gaze swept over the Shimura clansmen, all glaring at him with hostility and caution.
Crimson text floated above their heads, glaringly vivid.
Most bore a single red-marked crime: [Deeply involved in the assassination plot against Uchiha Akainu].
That alone made them red-named villains. Had Akainu not used Wood Release to save the Uchiha caught in the blast, their actions would've killed many innocents. They knew the consequences but went through with it anyway, caring nothing for the collateral damage.
And beyond that, Akainu saw additional red-marked crimes above some Shimura ninjas—sins of "stragglers" he hadn't caught before.
It wasn't surprising. The Leaf Village wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either, and with many ninjas on long-term missions, Akainu couldn't encounter every Leaf ninja. Plus, before his full growth, [Absolute Justice] was still weak.
"Unfortunately, I don't see a single innocent person here," Akainu said, making the elder's face twist. "Especially you, Shimura Masaya. In my eyes, your sins are the most glaring."
Shimura Masaya realized Akainu wasn't here just to kill him—he was here to wipe out the clan!
"Attack together, or we're all dead!" Masaya, losing his composure, roared, tossing aside his cane and rapidly forming hand signs.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutting Technique!!!"
Masaya squeezed every ounce of chakra from his aging body, spitting out two nearly invisible wind blades that sped toward Akainu.
Akainu dodged one and sliced through the other with his blade. Raising his eyes, his crimson three-tomoe Sharingan gleamed eerily under the moonlight.
The other Shimura ninjas sprang into action, some even biting their thumbs to summon beasts. Every technique, every ounce of strength, was unleashed.
"No wonder you never made waves or had any presence," Akainu said, sheathing his blade. His right arm turned to molten lava as several "Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets" struck, punching four holes through his body.
No blood spilled—only magma flowed within.
A sharp wind blade sliced halfway through his neck, even cutting through half the Shimura clan's gate. Yet, the wound revealed only magma!
Magma oozed from his body and neck, and in an instant, the "wounds" healed completely.
His right arm surged with molten energy.
Under the horrified gazes of the Shimura ninjas, it swelled rapidly.
"Lava Release…"
"Great Eruption!!!"
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