As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched his estranged son Asuma leave, he lowered his gaze to the daimyo's letter in his hand, muttering softly, "Something feels… off."
It made sense that the daimyo would be furious about Akainu Uchiha killing his second son and would want him dead. That was reasonable, even expected.
It also seemed logical that the daimyo, unwilling to travel all the way to the Leaf, would send Asuma to deliver his message.
But what felt wrong to Hiruzen…
Was the daimyo's letter itself and the naive, almost childish plan Asuma had relayed.
Lure Akainu out of the Leaf, let his "absolute justice" provoke more enemies, and use them to kill him indirectly—a revenge scheme that Hiruzen knew had little chance of success.
Surely the daimyo knew it too.
Who could guarantee someone would dare wield a blade against Akainu?
And who could ensure that once Akainu left the village…
He wouldn't turn his sights on the powerful Fire Daimyo himself?
"The daimyo must have another plan," Hiruzen murmured, frowning. "Asuma… he probably knows something, but he's chosen to hide it from me to align with the daimyo. Ugh, one troublesome thing after another. It never ends."
Hiruzen felt a deep exhaustion. At his age, dealing with so many crises was overwhelming.
Each major issue crowded his mind, leaving him feeling stretched thin, his thoughts sluggish.
"Come," he called, summoning an Anbu ninja.
"Tell Akainu to come see me," he ordered.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"Wait…" Hiruzen stopped him, adding, "Gather the Anbu first, then call him."
Hiruzen didn't dare face Akainu alone.
The risk was too great!
"Hey, Chiriku, where's your precious Asuma? Still not here?"
Outside the Leaf Village, Kazuma, a senbon in his mouth and a kunai spinning on his finger, spoke with a sinister edge. "This isn't some trap, is it? All this talk about taking down Akainu Uchiha, but what if he's actually coming for me? If I wait a few more minutes, will a hundred Leaf ninjas pop out to surround me?"
Kazuma stood, his gaze sharp and hostile as he stared at Chiriku, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
His five companions rose with him, prompting Chiriku's three allies to tense up instantly.
"Kazuma, what are you up to?" one of them snapped. "Don't forget our mission. The daimyo ordered us to deal with Akainu Uchiha, not to fight among ourselves."
Kazuma sneered. "Who knows? The daimyo trusts me, sure, but I'm not so sure about Asuma. What if he's fooling the daimyo?"
Chiriku, expressionless, clasped his hands together, uttered a Buddhist chant, and said, "Asuma isn't that kind of person."
But his eyes locked onto Kazuma, ready to act if he made a move.
Just as the tension peaked, a rustling sound drew all ten pairs of eyes.
"Kazuma, you really know how to stir things up…" Asuma said coldly, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"Tch!" Kazuma toyed with his kunai, demanding, "Asuma, care to explain why you've been gone so long? A quick chat with the Hokage shouldn't take that much time, right?"
Asuma's expression grew complicated. "I did some digging in the village about Akainu Uchiha."
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just visit the Leaf a few days ago? Why the need to dig again?"
Asuma fell silent for a moment.
He hadn't thought it necessary at first, but he'd overheard villagers talking about Akainu.
Curious, he looked into it.
And was floored.
Killing Danzo Shimura, wiping out drug smugglers, executing Uchiha clansmen, annihilating the entire Shimura clan—these were the earth-shattering deeds Akainu had accomplished in the few days since Asuma had left the Leaf!
And that was just what he could uncover. Asuma was certain there was more he hadn't heard.
"Our enemy is far beyond what we imagined," Asuma said gravely. "This will be a fight for our lives."
He shared everything he'd learned.
Even Kazuma's dismissive smirk faded.
"Hey, come on…" Kazuma rubbed his kunai, incredulous. "No exaggeration at all? This guy… does he ever stop? Does he even sleep?"
Chiriku, unfazed, said, "We have the advantage. He doesn't know we're lying in wait."
Asuma exhaled heavily, nodding. "That's our only edge. I tricked the old man into sending Akainu out. Once he leaves, he'll walk right into our ambush. To kill someone this dangerous, we need to take him down fast."
"If we give him even a moment to breathe, it'll be a disaster. No one can hold back—we all need to bring our best, or we'll all die."
Kazuma spat out his senbon, grinning darkly. "A Leaf ninja this strong, and you're willing to kill him, Asuma? Maybe the ruthless one isn't the Hokage—it's you."
Asuma took a deep breath. "He's a threat to the Leaf. That's all. So, you scared?"
Kazuma's eye twitched. "Say that word again, Asuma, and I'll kill you first!"
Asuma relaxed slightly.
The taunt had worked.
Kazuma might not get along with him, but as long as he didn't back down, that was enough.
Asuma turned to another Guardian Ninja. "Did you send a summons to inform the daimyo we're about to act?"
The ninja nodded. "Last night. My summon is fast—the daimyo should have the message by now."
Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy…
"Hiss…"
Yoshinobu Yamanaka slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the pain in his neck and a foggy mind.
"…Oh no!"
His eyes shot open, and he sprang to his feet.
He remembered seeing a pair of crimson eyes before blacking out—likely a Sharingan genjutsu! For good measure, the attacker had knocked him out with a chop to the neck before he could break the illusion.
Yoshinobu's job was to watch the Jinchuriki.
He hadn't been targeted for himself.
It was Naruto Uzumaki they were after!
Sweat poured down his face, especially when he saw two massive holes in the wall of Iruka's classroom. A sinking feeling told him he'd screwed up big time.
Failing to protect the Jinchuriki wasn't just about disappointing the Hokage!
"You're awake?" A clear voice made Yoshinobu's pupils shrink. He whipped around and saw a familiar face—Akainu Uchiha's little sidekick!
If he recalled correctly…
Her name was Izumi Uchiha?
Yoshinobu's heart raced. "Was it you who used genjutsu on me?!"
Izumi shook her head. "Not me. It was Itachi Uchiha."
Yoshinobu: "!!!"
"Don't worry," Izumi said kindly. "His target was Sasuke Uchiha, not Naruto. He probably knocked you out because you might've gotten in his way."
She'd already studied Yoshinobu and confirmed he wasn't a "red-name" villain.
Izumi was generally kind to non-evildoers.
"If you're here, then where's Akainu Uchiha…?" Yoshinobu glanced around nervously.
"An Anbu came by earlier, saying the Hokage wanted to see him. He's been gone for a while," Izumi replied.
Yoshinobu froze.
At the Hokage's office…
"A ninja mission?"
Akainu Uchiha locked eyes with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Despite sensing others in the room, his expression remained calm.
"Yes, a ninja mission," Hiruzen said, handing Akainu a mission scroll. Clearing his throat, he added, "It's been a while since you've taken one, hasn't it?"
Akainu thought for a moment. "About two and a half years."
To him, "ninja mission" was a term he hadn't heard in ages.
"This is an S-rank mission," Hiruzen said slowly. "Don't worry—I wouldn't ask you to do anything that goes against your 'absolute justice.' That was our agreement, wasn't it?"
He added, almost as an afterthought, "The village is running low on ninjas capable of high-level missions. After much thought, I decided you're the best fit."
It wasn't a lie.
But why was the village short on S-rank-capable ninjas?
Hard to say!
Hiruzen's gaze toward Akainu carried a mix of helplessness and quiet resentment.
"The scroll contains sealed classified documents that need to be delivered to ninjas at the Land of Fire's border," Hiruzen explained. "According to intel, foreign spies know about these documents and are watching everyone entering and leaving the Leaf. You'll need to deliver them under their noses."
"The Leaf is in the open, the spies in the shadows. They're likely to attack the courier, but when, how many, or how strong they are—I don't know. That's why this is S-rank. It's extremely dangerous."
Hiruzen paused, then added, "I considered assigning this to Might Guy, who's back in the village, but I think you're better suited."
Akainu toyed with the scroll. "Trying to get me out of the Leaf, Third?"
Hiruzen: "…"
Talking to someone this sharp was frustrating—it felt like his thoughts were laid bare.
And Akainu, ever the maverick, didn't just see through him—he called it out.
Hiruzen's old face flushed with embarrassment, but he quickly masked it.
"Ahem! Regardless, you're the best Leaf ninja for this job, aren't you?" Hiruzen said. "Your eyes, capable of seeing 'future and past evils,' can spot a foreign spy instantly. They'll expose themselves before they even get close."
"Those spies likely have blood on their hands—not just Leaf ninjas but innocent civilians too. Isn't that a perfect chance for you to enact justice?"
"So, after much thought, I chose you."
Akainu studied Hiruzen thoughtfully.
Hiruzen averted his gaze, not out of guilt but wary of Akainu's Mangekyo Sharingan.
"When do I leave?" Akainu asked, weighing the scroll.
"Today," Hiruzen replied.
As Akainu turned to leave, Hiruzen suddenly spoke. "Akainu, the daimyo knows what you've done. To him, you're the man who killed his son. He might act rashly, but… you know his actions can't truly threaten you."
"I hope, for the Leaf's sake, you won't turn your 'justice' against him. The Leaf needs the daimyo, and so does the Land of Fire. If something happens to him, the whole country will descend into chaos, breeding more evil."
"So…"
"Uh…"
Before Hiruzen could finish, Akainu was already gone.
Sigh. Hiruzen let out a heavy breath, hoping the daimyo would stick to his naive plan.
"Huh? A ninja mission?!"
"And an S-rank one?!"
Izumi couldn't believe the Hokage had given Akainu an S-rank mission.
Since graduating from the academy, the highest mission she'd encountered was C-rank. S-rank missions were the stuff of legends for a Genin like her.
"Meow, Lord Akainu, let me come with you!" Jiro volunteered. "The newbie's grown enough to handle weaker villains on her own. She can take those two kids along to give them a deeper understanding of 'absolute justice' while I'm with you!"
Izumi muttered, "Jiro just doesn't want to babysit the kids, does he?"
Jiro's cat face froze in shock. "Who's impersonating you, meow?!"
Izumi: "???"
Jiro mused, "Normally, only Lord Akainu and I can read your thoughts. How'd you read mine?"
Izumi's mouth twitched. "…You admitted that fast."
"Jiro comes with me. Izumi, stay in the Leaf and continue carrying out justice," Akainu said flatly. "If you encounter a red-name villain beyond your ability, note them down, and I'll handle it."
"'Absolute justice' isn't blind recklessness that sends you to your death. Stay alive to bring justice for more innocent victims."
Though it felt like Akainu was just stating facts, Izumi couldn't help but feel cared for.
"Yes, sir!" she shouted.
"Jiro, let's go," Akainu said, turning.
"Meow? No preparations?"
"No need."
As the central figure in the Leaf's recent controversies, Akainu's departure from the village spread like wildfire.
"Akainu Uchiha left the village?" Inside the Uchiha compound, Setsuna Uchiha frowned, puzzled.
"I heard he visited the Hokage's office before leaving," a radical Uchiha ninja reported.
Setsuna's brow furrowed deeper. He desperately wanted to know what Akainu was up to.
The memory of his grandson, killed by Akainu, fueled his barely contained rage.
"Dig deeper," Setsuna said, narrowing his eyes. "If possible, follow him and see where he's going."
"Yes, Elder Setsuna!"
"Akainu's left the village…"
In the Uchiha Police Force office, Fugaku took a deep breath, gazing out the window. "The Hokage's finally let this ferocious beast loose."
Honestly, Akainu leaving was good news for Fugaku. Every day Akainu stayed in the Leaf, he caused more chaos, often dragging the Uchiha clan into it.
But…
Thinking of what his eldest son, Itachi, planned to do, Fugaku suddenly wished Akainu would stay.
"Akainu is the only one who can make Itachi hesitate. If he's not here… will the Uchiha clan face that tragic future?"
Fugaku rubbed his temples, his expression conflicted.
At the Hokage's office, Koharu Utatane rushed in from the Root base.
"Hiruzen, do you realize what letting Akainu Uchiha loose means?" she demanded, glaring. "He killed the daimyo's son! What if he runs into other nobles out there?"
"You know how nobles treat commoners. To Akainu's extreme 'absolute justice,' most of the Land of Fire's elites are guilty."
"You couldn't even explain the daimyo's son's death. If more die, what then?"
Though Koharu despised Akainu and saw his "absolute justice" as a thorn in her side, she knew keeping him in the Leaf was the only way to control him. At least that way, his extreme justice wouldn't spread across the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen handed her the daimyo's letter. "It's the daimyo's will. He knows his son died in the Leaf."
Koharu froze.
"Looks like I can take a break…" Kakashi sighed, his dead-fish eyes relaxing. With Akainu gone, he wouldn't interact with Naruto, meaning no need to babysit the Jinchuriki.
"Akainu Uchiha!" Might Guy, rubbing his chin, flashed a blinding grin. "Justice! Youth! Passion! A perfect match, right, Kakashi?"
"I've heard plenty about him. Sure, he's extreme, but isn't that just another kind of fiery passion?"
He enthusiastically slapped Kakashi's shoulder, making him wince in pain.
Guy continued excitedly, "Kakashi! Quit the Anbu and join me in embracing youth's baptism!"
Ever since Kakashi joined the Anbu and sank into gloom, Guy had been trying to pull him out. He'd even asked the Third to let him join the Anbu to team up with Kakashi.
Naturally, the request was gently declined.
A guy shouting about youth and passion in the Anbu? He'd change the whole vibe.
Sigh. Kakashi suddenly thought Akainu, with his "absolute justice" obsession, was less of a headache than Guy.
Outside the Leaf, at a certain spot…
A ninja crow landed on a ninja's shoulder, squawking, "Akainu Uchiha's left the village! Akainu Uchiha's left the village! He's heading this way! Heading this way!"
"Tch, he's coming, huh…" Kazuma stood, stretching his wrists and ankles, fingering his ninja tool pouch. "Asuma, don't hold me back."
Asuma stubbed out his cigarette. "I want him dead more than you do. Stop wasting words."
"Asuma, if things go south, do we have backup?" Chiriku asked suddenly. "We don't know much about Akainu, but he doesn't know about us either. This is still high-risk."
"No," Asuma shook his head. "The old man doesn't know about this. Even if he senses something outside the village, by the time he sends Anbu, it'll be over."
His face hardened. "Get ready!"
Whoosh!
Two figures—one large, one small—darted through the dense forest outside the Leaf, moving so fast even a Special Jonin would struggle to track them.
Jiro suddenly slowed, its furry face shifting with unease. "Lord Akainu, something's off… It's not too quiet, but the sounds feel… unnatural."
Having fought alongside Akainu in the Third Great Ninja War, Jiro's instincts were honed on bloody battlefields.
It had a bad feeling.
Its wary eyes scanned the surroundings but found nothing unusual.
"…Meow, was I wrong?"
"You're not," Akainu said, slowing down. Within a few breaths, he stopped entirely, Jiro halting beside him.
Akainu's face was calm as he stared ahead, his eyes—though not activated with the Sharingan—seeming to see something others couldn't.
He rested his hand lightly on his ninja blade's hilt.
His next words made Jiro jump. "Looks like someone's keeping this from the Third and wants to kill me outside the village."
Jiro's "foreign spy" theory vanished instantly.
"Keeping it from the Third" was too big a clue!
They couldn't be foreign spies.
"Lord Akainu, who is it?" Jiro's fur bristled, its guard up.
"Not 'who,' but 'they,'" Akainu corrected. "Asuma Sarutobi, Chiriku, Kazuma, and other elite Jonin… Tsk, they really think highly of me. The Twelve Guardian Ninja, all out in force—minus Nango, who I already killed."
As Akainu's words fell, a strange rustling erupted from all directions. Nearly invisible steel wires shot out from countless angles, weaving into a net to trap him!
At the same moment, a surge of killing intent burst forth. Three figures appeared on treetops, faintly encircling Akainu.
The Guardian Ninja trio—Hokko, Saito, and Toma—emerged first, each standing on a web of steel wires stretching across the air.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Binding Fang!"
Without preamble, the three formed hand signs in unison and shouted.
Instantly, blinding arcs of lightning raced along the wires, forming a net that descended on Akainu.
Within a hundred-meter radius, the air crackled with jagged lightning, striking like feral beast fangs. Even towering trees were reduced to splinters!
Then, six more figures appeared.
Led by Kazuma, the remaining six Guardian Ninjas joined the fray.
Kazuma took the lead, forming hand signs.
"Earth Release: Marsh River!" He slammed his palms to the ground, turning it into a sticky quagmire that trapped Akainu's feet, making movement nearly impossible.
The lightning illuminated Kazuma's scarred face as he laughed maniacally. "Akainu Uchiha, we've prepared a nice little grave for you. Hope you like it! Haha!"
The other five attacked simultaneously, unleashing a dazzling array of Earth, Fire, and Wind Release jutsu that surged toward Akainu and Jiro.
"Chiriku!" Asuma barked.
Chiriku, adopting a solemn Buddhist stance, radiated golden chakra like a Buddha's light. "Kannon: Thousand Binding Chains!"
Golden chakra formed a Kannon statue, its countless arms rushing forward, grabbing for Akainu from over a hundred meters away.
"Wind Release: Dust Storm!"
Asuma, knowing his Fire Release might not affect Akainu's Lava Release, opted for Wind. A storm of dust and cutting winds roared forward, carving a trench in the ground.
When the multitude of jutsu collided, a deafening explosion erupted, the chakra shockwave rippling outward. The gust nearly blew Hokko, Saito, and Toma off their perches.
As they peered through the dust, a massive mushroom cloud rose.
"This kind of power… it could level three major clan compounds in an instant," Asuma muttered, squinting against the wind.
He gripped his chakra knuckle knives, staying vigilant.
This was the man who killed Danzo and wiped out the Shimura clan.
Could he really die in a sneak attack like this?
"Hm?!"
As the dust cleared, Asuma's pupils shrank, disbelief flashing in his eyes. A massive shadow loomed in the haze.
"Is that… a ninja cat?!"
"How is it that big?!"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen, mid-conversation with Koharu, caught a flash of bright light through the window, followed by a faint tremor and a booming explosion.
Both their faces changed.
Koharu rushed to the window, staring at the giant mushroom cloud rising outside the Leaf. "What's going on? There's nothing flammable or explosive out there, is there?!"
Hiruzen joined her, his expression grim. "That's the main road leading to the Leaf. It's just trees and dirt—nothing else."
"Nothing there, and it explodes like that?" Koharu said, her voice heavy. "That kind of power…"
She took a deep breath. "It's stronger than the hundreds of explosive tags the Shimura used to try to kill Akainu."
At the mention of Akainu's name, both froze.
"It's Akainu!" Hiruzen exclaimed, alarmed. "He just left for his mission. Given his speed, he'd be right around there!"
Koharu frowned. "Foreign spies?"
"Whether it's Akainu or spies, an explosion like that near the Leaf needs investigating," Hiruzen said, a bad feeling gnawing at him.
Koharu wanted to say, Why not wait until they've beaten each other to a pulp?
If Akainu died to foreign spies, it might not be a bad thing.
It'd silence "absolute justice" for good. Izumi's weaker version could be harnessed as a tool for the Leaf.
But she kept those thoughts to herself.
"That's…" Kakashi, trying to fend off Guy's enthusiasm, spotted the mushroom cloud.
His listless demeanor turned serious. "That's not explosive tags. It's like multiple elite Jonin clashing with jutsu."
Why would Leaf Jonin cause such a commotion?
Unless…
It wasn't Leaf ninjas!
"Guy, something's up," Kakashi said, lifting his headband to reveal his Sharingan. "Let's check it out."
"Ugh…"
Naruto, woken by the noise, rubbed his head and sat up, suddenly remembering something. He jolted upright, alert.
As he looked around, a familiar voice spoke. "He's gone."
Naruto turned to see Sasuke staring into the distance. "You were hit by his Sharingan genjutsu and passed out. Teacher Akainu stopped by. He said you'd wake up if I stayed with you."
Naruto scratched his head. "Still can't beat him, huh? Your brother Itachi's pretty tough."
Sasuke's tone darkened. "He's not my brother anymore."
Naruto froze, realizing he'd touched a sore spot. Following Sasuke's gaze, he gaped at the distant cloud. "What the heck is that?!"
"A big explosion," Sasuke replied.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "That's a huge mushroom!"
"A huge… ninja cat!" Asuma's eyes widened in shock at the towering shadow.
As the wind cleared the dust, a massive orange ninja cat, the size of a small hill, loomed with overwhelming presence.
Its fur was marred with wounds—cuts from Water Release, scorch marks from Lightning Release, gashes from Wind Release.
"Hah!" The giant cat's face twisted with ferocity. "That hurt, meow! You bastards!"
Its roar sent a foul gust toward Asuma.
"That's Akainu Uchiha's ninja cat!" Asuma recalled Jiro's reputation from the Third Great Ninja War. "It's using the Akimichi's Multi-Size Technique!"
"Just Multi-Size wouldn't let it block all eleven of our attacks," Chiriku said gravely. "It's hardened its fur with a jutsu to boost defense, tanking our assault with minor injuries."
Kazuma clicked his tongue. "Hey, Asuma! You didn't mention he had a monster cat like this!"
"We didn't kill Akainu in one strike…" Saito said solemnly. "This is going to be a tough fight. For Nango, there's no retreat!"
As Asuma opened his mouth to respond, a sulfurous smell hit him, and the air grew hotter.
His heart raced. "Watch out! The 'Lava Beast' Akainu Uchiha is making his move!"
As his words fell, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Crimson lava reflected in his eyes.
A wave of blistering heat surged, and Akainu's blinding speed carried the scent of death!
"Kannon: Thousand Hand Slaughter!"
Chiriku, radiating golden chakra like a Buddha, roared as countless chakra arms formed fists, pummeling the lava rushing toward Asuma, shattering the ground.
"It's not him! It's a lava clone!" Chiriku realized, then felt heat from his side.
Turning, his blood ran cold. Sweat poured down, only to evaporate in the searing heat.
Akainu was inches away!
His right arm, transformed into a hellish red lotus hound, lunged forward!
Chiriku clapped his hands at lightning speed.
"Kannon: Buddha Bell!"
BOOM!
The lava hound pierced the massive golden chakra bell. As Chiriku's eyes widened in disbelief, the hound's fangs tore through his chest!
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