Chapter 117: Konoha In Shock! The Third Hokage Nearly Loses His Lineage!
Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from Uchiha Ikeizumi, Kakashi couldn’t help but look at the devastated scene before him.
Large areas were covered in flowing lava, resembling a volcanic crater’s magma pool. Billowing smoke continuously rose, and everything in sight was engulfed in raging flames. The intense heat made Kakashi feel quite uncomfortable.
One dense, large pit after another appeared in his vision; some were so vast that their size was difficult to gauge with the naked eye, while others were bottomless.
The trees in this area had been completely destroyed. If someone were to look down from above, they would surely see that it was bare.
The corpses lying on the ground, each one appeared severely incomplete.
Some only had the upper body, some only a head, some were turned to charcoal, and some had a large hole in their chest.
“H-Hah…”
A faint, gasping sound immediately caught Kakashi’s attention. When he looked in that direction, he was shocked to see that there was still one survivor left by Uchiha Ikeizumi!
However, that survivor seemed to be breathing their last breaths, their limbs were extremely twisted, and it was unknown how many bones within their body were broken.
Kakashi felt that if this person didn’t receive emergency treatment, they likely wouldn’t survive for another minute.
And it would require a professional medical ninja to provide the treatment.
It seems…
They’re beyond saving.
At this moment, even Might Guy, standing nearby, had a serious expression.
“Kakashi, look there…” Might Guy’s sudden remark startled Kakashi. “Look at the lower half of the corpse’s waist.”
Kakashi followed Might Guy’s description and looked intently.
Even the pupils of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan contracted.
He saw that around the waist of the corpse, which Uchiha Ikeizumi had pierced through with his hand, a waistcloth was tied. Embroidered on the waistcloth was the character “Fire,” which appeared exceptionally glaring to Kakashi’s eyes.
“This is…” Kakashi gasped.
Might Guy grunted, no longer shouting about youthful passion. He said gravely, “This is the waistcloth of the Land of Fire. Ninja who are qualified to wear such a waistcloth…”
Might Guy paused before delivering a shocking statement: “…can only be those Twelve Guardian Shinobi who are by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s side!”
The moment Might Guy finished speaking, Uchiha Ikeizumi slowly withdrew his right arm, and the corpse that had been pierced through collapsed.
The enormous, heavily injured Ninja Cat Kijiro also seemed to deflate, rapidly shrinking.
After shrinking to normal Ninja Cat size, Kijiro fiercely kicked a corpse it had gnawed to shreds with its hind legs, gritting its teeth in pain as it cursed, “It hurts so much, meow! It was you, you bastard, who used Fire Style on my bell! You’re so despicable, biting you to death is too easy for you, you scoundrel!”
“Meow! Luckily, I sat on the ground in time and extinguished the fire. You dog of the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, you died so satisfyingly. Hiss! It still hurts! It hurts so much, meow!!!”
Kakashi: “…”
Might Guy: “…”
The Ninja Cat’s curses and its near-emasculating tragic experience seemed to have severely disrupted the solemn and murderous atmosphere.
The phrase “dog of the Daimyo” immediately confirmed for both of them that these corpses were indeed the Twelve Guardian Shinobi!
“One, two… five, six…” Kakashi silently counted the mangled corpses, cold sweat streaming down his face.
Although he hadn’t counted eleven corpses, he thought it was possible that some ninja had been vaporized by the intense heat of the lava.
Those unfortunate souls didn’t even qualify for leaving behind incomplete corpses.
The Twelve Guardian Shinobi of the Land of Fire’s Daimyo…
They had very likely all been annihilated!!!
…
*Swish! Swish! Swish…* Rustling sounds suddenly came. When Kakashi turned his head, he saw Anbu ninja arriving one after another, having finally caught up.
“Captain Kakashi?” One of Kakashi’s subordinates immediately spotted Kakashi’s very unusual hair color.
He glanced at the devastated scene before him. While shocked, he couldn’t help but walk up to Kakashi and ask, “Captain, what’s going on here? Who are those corpses?”
“I don’t know what’s going on.”
Kakashi shook his head with a complex expression. “I only know that those corpses are most likely the Twelve Guardian Shinobi of the Land of Fire’s Daimyo.”
All the Anbu ninja: “!!!”
Kakashi’s voice wasn’t lowered, and all the Anbu ninja heard it.
Some immediately stepped forward to examine a mangled corpse.
Upon seeing the corpse’s face, an Anbu ninja exclaimed, “It’s ‘Seito,’ an elite Jonin and one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi!”
On the other side, another Anbu ninja exclaimed in shock, “This corpse here seems to be ‘Tou-un,’ one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi!”
All their horrified gazes focused on Uchiha Ikeizumi.
They had seen the situation from afar and realized that Uchiha Ikeizumi was fighting a group of unknown ninja.
But who could have imagined that this group of unknown ninja were the Twelve Guardian Shinobi!
And…
In such a short amount of time, the entire Twelve Guardian Shinobi, all elite Jonin, had died at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s hands!
They had all turned into gruesome corpses!
“No need to stare at me like that.” The lava flowing around Uchiha Ikeizumi had slowly receded. He stood before everyone, looking as if “only his hem was slightly dirty and his hairstyle was slightly disheveled.”
He said expressionlessly and indifferently, “The moment they decided to ambush me with malicious intent in this place, they had already fallen into the abyss of evil and were destined to be purged by 「Absolute Justice」.”
All the Anbu ninja: “!!!”
This was because the amount of information in Uchiha Ikeizumi’s statement was simply too immense.
Didn’t that mean the Twelve Guardian Shinobi had inexplicably set up an ambush outside Konoha Village, waiting for Uchiha Ikeizumi to appear and attempting to kill him?!
However… they were killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi instead!
A group of elite Jonin from the Land of Fire, hiding in the shadows, failed to ambush a single Uchiha Ikeizumi standing in the open!
“Wait!”
Suddenly, an Anbu ninja snapped back to reality. The expression beneath his mask became extremely vivid. With a surge of emotions, he couldn’t help but ask Uchiha Ikeizumi in astonishment, “Among the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, there’s one named Sarutobi Asuma! Was he… involved in this ambush against you?!”
“Yes,” Uchiha Ikeizumi replied frankly. “He was even the mastermind. If you want to check the corpses, you can go find him over there.”
It was as if he had only killed an ordinary villain, not the Second Son of the Third Hokage.
All the Anbu ninja: “…”
At this moment, it wasn’t just Kakashi breaking out in a cold sweat; all the Anbu ninja present were drenched in it!
“Sarutobi Asuma, why does this person share the same surname as the Hokage?”
Might Guy stroked his chin, frowning in thought.
“…He’s the Hokage’s Second Son,” Kakashi’s faint voice reached Might Guy’s ears.
“Oh! …Huh? Huh!?”
Might Guy’s eyes widened.
…
Inside the Hokage’s Office Building.
“Hiruzen, it seems to be over,” Koharu Utatane also did not personally go to the outskirts of Konoha Village to check the situation.
Standing beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, she gazed at the gradually dissipating dust and smoke in the distance and said, “It started so abruptly, and it ended so quickly, but we don’t know the casualty results.”
Koharu Utatane sighed theatrically. “Although I don’t particularly like young people with extreme personalities like Uchiha Ikeizumi, because young people here simply don’t listen to any advice and only act according to their own thoughts. Little do they know, some of their actions are completely causing trouble for Konoha.”
“However…”
“Ultimately, Uchiha Ikeizumi is also a member of Konoha Village. I still hope he doesn’t encounter any accidents. Konoha Village today cannot afford to lose such a powerful ninja.”
Hiruzen found Koharu’s “nice words” to be rather insincere.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a solemn and deep voice, “We’ll know the specific situation when the Anbu ninja return.”
Beyond that, Hiruzen didn’t say much else.
Because…
For reasons he himself didn’t understand, after the distant commotion subsided, he didn’t feel relieved. Instead, the ominous premonition in his heart began to intensify, causing Hiruzen to feel a heart-palpitating unease.
“I have a bad feeling something has happened…” Standing at the highest point of the Hokage’s Office Building, Hiruzen placed one hand on the wooden railing in front of him.
The unease in his heart caused his palm to inadvertently exert a slight force.
The wooden railing creaked under the strain.
Hiruzen felt somewhat irritable, unable to calm his mind.
…
On the rooftop of a certain building in Konoha.
“It seems like the commotion has stopped, huh?!” A female ninja withdrew her gaze from the distance and grinned at her companion. “Kurenai, speaking of which, did your childhood friend come back a few days ago? I saw you meet him before. How was it? Didn’t he confess his feelings to you?!”
Kurenai Yuhi, who was then a Special Jonin, was also curiously looking into the distance.
Upon hearing her companion’s teasing, her pretty face stiffened, and she quickly said, “What confession or not! Konoha Village isn’t that big, and he’s not the only boy I grew up with.”
The female ninja clicked her tongue. “You’re almost twenty-two and still don’t have a boyfriend? I think that Sarutobi Asuma is quite nice. He’s the Hokage’s son, you know!”
“Besides, you met privately before, so he must have contacted you, right? Doesn’t he have feelings for you? That’s impossible, right?!”
Kurenai Yuhi furrowed her brow slightly and didn’t reply.
Sarutobi Asuma had indeed sought her out privately before. She had thought he was going to confess and had even prepared several excuses to politely decline. This was because Kurenai believed she shouldn’t be burdened by romance before becoming a Konoha Jonin.
As it turned out, he just said some inexplicable things.
— “Kurenai, I’m about to do something that many people wouldn’t dare to do. If I succeed… Konoha will lose a worm that has already riddled it with holes.”
— “The old man doesn’t know what I’m planning yet, but he’ll understand me when he does. I hope you can understand me too.”
— “Whew! To be honest, I wasn’t that nervous at first. But after returning to the village and gathering some information, I realized I actually got nervous. But there’s no turning back now. Once I’ve decided to do something, I must see it through to the end.”
— “I’ll ask you out again tomorrow, same place. You won’t refuse me, will you?”
As some of Asuma’s peculiar words flashed through her mind.
Kurenai Yuhi slowly took a deep breath.
She had a feeling something bad had happened.
…
“Teacher Ikeizumi should be alright, right?”
Naruto’s small face was full of worry because before leaving, Izumi had told Naruto and Sasuke, “Senior Ikeizumi seems to be fighting enemies. I’m going to the outskirts of the village to support him! Naruto, Sasuke, you guys stay at the Ninja Academy and don’t move.”
The bruise on Sasuke’s neck from the hand seal hadn’t faded yet. He said with certainty, “He’ll be fine. Teacher Ikeizumi is very strong!”
That was the man whose mother wanted to entrust her son to his care! That was the man even Father, the head of the Uchiha Clan, couldn’t control!
Moreover.
Sasuke believed that the reason Uchiha Itachi had retreated earlier wasn’t just because Naruto’s outburst had hindered him, but more likely because he sensed that Teacher Ikeizumi might also be arriving!
In other words…
He was a man that even Uchiha Itachi feared!
Sasuke firmly believed that Uchiha Ikeizumi would be alright.
…
Within the Uchiha Clan Compound.
“Lord Setsuna, the commotion has stopped. If we go out of the village now to check the situation, we shouldn’t be stopped by the high-ranking officials’ dogs, right?” a young Uchiha radical said anxiously and impatiently.
What if that brat Ikeizumi and those who ambushed him had fought to a mutual destruction? What if he was currently severely injured?
In such a situation, if they immediately went out to check the situation…
Wouldn’t there be a possibility of saving that extreme brat?
How could that be allowed!!!
Uchiha Setsuna’s old face tightened. “By the time we get there, the Anbu ninja will likely have already arrived. And with such a huge commotion outside the village, if there were any Konoha clan members present, what do you think those in power would think?”
“Don’t forget our ultimate plan! Until the coup d’état plan is fully implemented, any extraneous actions will lead to uncertainty in the coup plan.”
“At this time, we need to hold back and let the higher-ups relax their guard, not make them more vigilant towards the Uchiha!”
Uchiha Setsuna’s words forced the restless radical youths behind him to grit their teeth and restrain themselves.
“Damn higher-ups!” a young Uchiha ninja said. “If it weren’t for their discrimination and isolation of the Uchiha Clan, we wouldn’t be so powerless!”
Feeling the righteous indignation of these radical youths.
Uchiha Setsuna felt relieved.
At least… even under the influence of Uchiha Ikeizumi’s 「Absolute Justice」, they hadn’t abandoned their resolve to launch a coup.
This meant the Uchiha Clan still had a chance!
And the one who would save the Uchiha Clan would be him, Uchiha Setsuna!
…
Outside Konoha.
The Anbu ninja finally found Sarutobi Asuma’s corpse.
Upon seeing Asuma, covered in blood and with a large, scorched hole in his chest, all the Anbu ninja fell silent.
Although the Hokage’s Second Son rarely stayed in Konoha.
They still recognized Asuma’s face.
This…
Ever since the Captain of the Anbu, Sarutobi Shin’nosuke, was killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi under the guise of “executing justice,” Sarutobi Asuma seemed to be the Hokage’s only son. Yet, this only son also died at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s hands today.
The Anbu ninja found it difficult to imagine what reaction the Hokage would have if he learned of this matter.
For the Hokage, as a father…
It seemed a bit too cruel, didn’t it?!
Logically, their job as Anbu ninja would be to immediately apprehend Uchiha Ikeizumi and hand him over to the Hokage—however, they only had a reason to do so if Uchiha Ikeizumi had committed a crime.
The problem was, Asuma was the one who was in the wrong here!
It was he who led the Twelve Guardian Shinobi to ambush Uchiha Ikeizumi outside Konoha Village, which was equivalent to colluding with outsiders without reason to attempt to assassinate a fellow villager!
This nature was even worse than that of the Shimura Clan.
Uchiha Ikeizumi had killed with a reason of 「Justice」, a reason acknowledged by the Hokage, and Uchiha Ikeizumi killed openly.
The Yamanaka Clan would also cooperate with him to investigate the deceased’s criminal record before death…
But what reason did Sarutobi Asuma have? To avenge his brother?
The problem was, his brother had already been classified as a criminal.
Such a reason wouldn’t hold up at all, would it?!
Just as the Anbu ninja were trying to find justification for Asuma’s reprehensible behavior but couldn’t find any direction, they suddenly heard a slight sound from the side.
And all their gazes turned that way.
Lo and behold—a young girl dressed as an Uchiha Police Force member emerged from the dense forest, and to their surprise, a large group of ninja cats followed behind her.
“Senior Ikeizumi!”
“Lord Ikeizumi!”
The girl and the ninja cats spoke in unison, immediately recognized by the Anbu ninjas—the little follower who had recently been seen trailing Uchiha Ikeizumi, Uchiha Izumi!
Seeing that Uchiha Ikeizumi was unharmed, Izumi breathed a sigh of relief, her tense little face relaxing slightly. But when she saw the heavily wounded Kijiro, her heart clenched, as if she could witness just how fierce the battle had been.
This was also the first time she had ever seen Kijiro in such a disheveled state.
“Lord Kijiro!” the ninja cats cried out, some in human speech, others in anxious meows, rushing to surround Kijiro.
“Stop your yowling, meow!” Kijiro swatted away a young ninja cat that rushed towards him, rolling his eyes. “Don’t touch my wounds, you little brats, it really hurts!”
The surrounding scene of devastation and destruction made her tremble with fear.
As the young girl hesitated, about to speak, Uchiha Ikeizumi calmly stated, “I killed eleven villains who attempted to wield the cleaver of sin against absolute justice.”
As expected…
Her thoughts were always written on her face, and she couldn’t hide them from Senior Ikeizumi.
“I’m sorry, Senior, I’m late.” Izumi pursed her lips and apologized sincerely, blaming herself. “If I had arrived a little earlier, perhaps I could have fought alongside you.”
“You overestimate yourself.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said expressionlessly, “Your justice is still very weak.”
Senior still speaks his mind as always!
A blush of embarrassment appeared on Izumi’s face, but the truth was indeed as he said.
Uchiha Ikeizumi continued, “Let’s go back. What you need to do is execute absolute justice in Konoha, not run around outside.”
With that, Uchiha Ikeizumi turned to leave, his actions surprising the Anbu ninjas.
Many Anbu ninjas’ eyes under their masks showed disbelief, and a similar thought simultaneously emerged in their minds—doesn’t Uchiha Ikeizumi realize yet that killing Sarutobi Asuma is a matter of utmost importance?!
One Anbu ninja couldn’t help but say, “Uchiha Ikeizumi, shouldn’t you stay and give the Hokage an explanation? You killed one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi! He’s the Hokage’s second son! He’s an elite Jonin of Konoha!”
Izumi: “!!!”
Wait…
Did I just hear something incredibly important?
The unknown enemy who ambushed Senior, is the Hokage’s second son?
Huh?!
Uchiha Ikeizumi paused and glanced back at him, “Send the corpse to the Yamanaka clan, they will give the Third Hokage a reasonable explanation. If he doesn’t accept the Yamanaka clan’s explanation, when I return to the village, he can come and question me in person.”
Kijiro, licking the wounds on his paws, pushed aside a group of ninja cats and limped after Uchiha Ikeizumi.
He looked back with disdain, licking his paw, “The Third Hokage sent Senior Ikeizumi on an S-rank ninja mission outside the village, and coincidentally, his son was outside the village leading people to ambush us. What a ‘coincidence,’ meow!”
“Why doesn’t he give Senior Ikeizumi a reasonable explanation first? If he can’t provide one, does it mean he was also involved in this ambush on Senior Ikeizumi?”
“If that’s the case, does it imply that Konoha’s Third Hokage attempted to assassinate a ninja from his own village?”
Uchiha Ikeizumi and Kijiro’s words left the Anbu ninjas speechless.
After all…
They also felt that it was too coincidental, as if everything had been orchestrated.
Perhaps even their own “late arrival” as Anbu ninjas was also part of the plan.
Then…
Was the Hokage truly involved?
Watching the “murderer” who killed the Hokage’s second son gradually disappear into the distance, in the end… not a single Anbu ninja stepped forward to stop Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Might Guy was about to make a move.
But Kakashi reached out and tugged at him.
Kakashi shook his head slightly, “This isn’t something we should meddle in.”
He paused, looked at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s retreating figure, and said with a complex tone, “We just need to bring Asuma’s corpse back to the village and notify the Hokage.”
“Uchiha Ikeizumi…” Kakashi took a deep breath, “He would never kill someone without reason.”
Sarutobi Asuma might have deserved his death—this last sentence, Kakashi ultimately did not say aloud.
But Might Guy heard the unspoken words.
Guy fell into silence.
The Anbu ninjas exchanged glances, and finally decided to first extinguish the raging flames in the dense forest and the flowing lava on the ground, to prevent the fire from spreading to Konoha.
Afterwards, they silently collected the mangled corpses on the ground.
Some Anbu ninjas were responsible for extinguishing the fire, while others were responsible for taking the bodies back to Konoha.
Kakashi and Might Guy also returned to the village in silence.
“So, you’re saying…” Although she only overheard fragments, Izumi had already guessed many things. She murmured thoughtfully, “It was the Hokage’s second son who led people to ambush Senior Ikeizumi, but unexpectedly, Senior Ikeizumi killed them all. He was the mastermind of this assassination attempt, and his death was justified because his actions placed him in the faction of sin.”
“However, if this inside story isn’t revealed, I’m afraid many people in the village will misunderstand and think Senior Ikeizumi killed the Hokage’s second son for no reason. It’s very likely that there will be another misunderstanding about Senior Ikeizumi’s absolute justice. It might even be deliberately twisted by those with ulterior motives!”
The young girl lowered her voice, so as not to be heard by the Anbu ninjas extinguishing the fire in the distance. She spoke earnestly to a group of ninja cats, “We need to help Senior spread the inside story of this matter.”
“Before those with ulterior motives deliberately guide negative public opinion against Senior Ikeizumi, before everyone in the village misunderstands Senior Ikeizumi… let them know the truth!”
Izumi believed this was very necessary. As long as they held the moral high ground of justice.
The Hokage would have no reason to make a move against Senior Ikeizumi.
After all, considering the cause, process, and outcome of this incident.
The Hokage’s second son was in the wrong.
Senior Ikeizumi was the most righteous and impeccable party!
……
Not long after.
After returning to the village, Kakashi thought for a moment and went to the Hokage’s Office Building, where he immediately found Hiruzen Sarutobi.
“Kakashi Hatake, you also went out of the village just now?” Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could speak, Koharu Utatane spoke up first, smelling the faint sulfurous scent on Kakashi. With a stern face, she asked, “What exactly happened outside the village? Who ambushed Uchiha Ikeizumi outside the village?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi, harboring an increasingly ominous premonition, also turned his gaze to Kakashi.
Although Kakashi’s black mask covered half his face, Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly noticed the unusual look in his listless eyes, despite his lowered eyelids.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart skipped a beat.
He also said, “Kakashi, you can just say whatever you need to say.”
“Hoo…”
Kakashi let out a breath of stale air. After two seconds of mental preparation, he uttered shocking words, “Hokage-sama, it is true that Uchiha Ikeizumi was ambushed by enemies. The enemies were all elite Jonin level, numbering around eleven.”
“They…”
“They were the guards of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, the renowned ‘Twelve Guardian Shinobi’.” He looked at the gradually stunned Hiruzen Sarutobi and continued, “Among them was your second son, Hiruzen Asuma!”
As Hiruzen Sarutobi’s stunned eyes widened, Kakashi’s voice rang out again, “Hokage-sama, Hiruzen Asuma has paid the price for his actions of attacking a fellow Konoha ninja.”
Kakashi tried to phrase “death” a bit more gently, so as not to overly shock the Hokage.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he vaguely realized if his wording was leaning too much towards Uchiha Ikeizumi?
However…
Upon careful consideration, what he said seemed to be nothing wrong, because it was the truth!
Kakashi suddenly found the atmosphere to be eerily silent.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, standing frozen in place.
Koharu Utatane looked shocked, then worriedly turned her concerned gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This silence continued for an unknown duration…
Kakashi acutely noticed that the Hokage’s breathing had become rapid, his aged eyes trembled incessantly, his face was unnaturally flushed, his lips were somewhat pale, and his body staggered uncontrollably.
Kakashi quickly stepped forward to support Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He heard the Hokage’s rapid breathing, rough like bellows.
He also heard the Hokage constantly muttering a name: “Asuma… Asuma…”
“Hiruzen…” Koharu Utatane beside him said with a complex expression, wanting to comfort him, but in the next moment, she suddenly froze, “Hiruzen?”
Kakashi also suddenly realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he was supporting, seemed to have lost all strength and slumped down.
Kakashi’s eyes widened slightly, “Hokage-sama?”
He was shocked to discover that the Third Hokage, torn between grief and anger, had actually fainted on the spot!
……
When Izumi and the ninja cats also returned to Konoha, with the deliberate spreading by the ninja cats, many people who were very interested in what happened outside the village learned what had transpired.
The Anbu hadn’t even had time to block the news. The message that the Hokage’s second son, along with the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, attempted to assassinate Konoha ninja Uchiha Ikeizumi, but was killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi, became a whirlwind sweeping through the entire village of Konoha!
At first, many people didn’t quite believe it, but as more people spread the word, and as they spoke with increasing certainty…
The entire Konoha was shaken by this news!
……
Within the Hyuga Clan.
“The Hokage’s second son… I remember his name is Asuma Sarutobi?”
Hiashi Hyuga took a deep breath. Even his naturally stoic face showed a ripple of emotion at this moment.
“The Hokage’s eldest son and second son, have both died at the hands of Uchiha Ikeizumi. Regardless of the reasons, or who was right or wrong, the repeated pain of losing two sons—can it truly make the Hokage continue to tolerate Uchiha Ikeizumi?”
Hiashi Hyuga tried to put himself in the Third Hokage’s shoes. If he were the Third Hokage, he might have already wanted to kill Uchiha Ikeizumi!
At the same time, Hiashi Hyuga couldn’t help but marvel at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s absolute justice, which was truly not to be trifled with.
When the Hokage’s eldest son fell into the abyss of sin, Uchiha Ikeizumi was willing to bear the infamy of matricide to eradicate evil.
After the Hokage’s second son fell into sin, Uchiha Ikeizumi made the same choice as before.
He would not deviate from his absolute justice because of someone’s status.
“Anyone else would probably have spared him at the last moment because of Asuma’s identity… or perhaps even pretended that this assassination event never happened. If it were me, I might have made the same decision…”
Hiashi Hyuga sighed softly.
Not everyone possessed the caliber of Uchiha Ikeizumi.
……
Within the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Fugaku Uchiha’s expression was already stunned, and at this moment, he began to regret his decision.
Perhaps, following his wife’s suggestion and immediately leading the Police Force members out of the village to support Ikeizumi would have been the right choice.
After all… if he had brought his clan members out of the village to stop Uchiha Ikeizumi at the critical moment and save Asuma’s life, the Hokage would not have had to endure the pain of losing another son.
Fugaku could no longer imagine how the Hokage, who had lost two sons, would view the Uchiha clan from his perspective.
Although he very much wanted to sever Uchiha Ikeizumi from the Uchiha clan, so that Uchiha Ikeizumi’s absolute justice would have nothing to do with their Uchiha clan; the fatal problem was that, currently, they hadn’t completely severed ties!
In such a situation, how could the Hokage not look at the Uchiha clan with a biased view?
Who knew that the one ambushing Ikeizumi was Asuma Sarutobi!
What were the Hokage’s two sons doing?! Couldn’t they just be ordinary ninjas?!
“It seems I… once again, made a foolish decision.”
Fugaku was lost.
He felt that no matter what he did, it was wrong.
Why was this happening?!
He couldn’t understand.
He didn’t comprehend!
……
“Uchiha Ikeizumi…”
Itachi Uchiha did not follow the Anbu ninjas out of the village to check the situation. At this moment, his gaze became increasingly firm and resolute.
“You have no idea that everything you’ve done is pushing the Uchiha clan and Konoha towards two completely different extreme stances.”
He muttered to himself, “This kind of action will make the radical elements within the Uchiha clan even more covetous of Konoha.”
Itachi Uchiha’s fingertips stroked the hilt of the ninja sword at his waist.
He couldn’t help but gently tap the counterweight at the end of the hilt with his fingertip.
He was gazing towards the Uchiha Clan Compound not far away.
It was as if he could see how excited the radical ninjas of the Uchiha clan would be upon hearing what had happened outside the village.
It was as if he could see those beyond redemption already eager to implement their long-planned coup d’état.
“I will absolutely not let such a thing happen.”
“Everything…”
“Is for the sake of Konoha.”
……
After listening to the excited young radicals report the intelligence from outside the village, Uchiha Setsuna remained silent for a long time.
He had never expected the Third Hokage’s second son to be so bold as to attempt to assassinate Uchiha Ikeizumi outside Konoha village.
He had even less expected Uchiha Ikeizumi to be so powerful.
Those were the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, the guards of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!
Even with one person missing, that was still eleven elite Jonin. The combined strength of these eleven individuals, even a Kage of a village would likely have to avoid their edge!
Yet Uchiha Ikeizumi, ambushed and forced to retaliate, managed to kill all eleven of them!
And…
The rumor was that the extreme justice brat was completely unharmed!
Uchiha Setsuna didn’t know what to say. The son of the Konoha Hokage, the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, how could they both be so useless? They couldn’t even take down Uchiha Ikeizumi?
‘However, for this old man, it’s not entirely without benefit.’
Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his eyes slightly.
Because this meant that the conflict between Uchiha Ikeizumi and the Third Hokage had completely escalated to an irreconcilable degree.
If both sides could fight to a mutually destructive end.
Then he could reap the benefits.
He refused to believe that the Third Hokage could tolerate this.
…
Inside Konoha Hospital.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had fainted from a mixture of grief and anger, was rushed to Konoha Hospital by Kakashi for emergency treatment. He was now lying in a hospital bed.
Upon hearing the news, Homura Mitokado, who had rushed over, saw Kakashi guarding the door of the hospital room.
“Has Hiruzen not woken up yet?”
Homura Mitokado inquired.
“No,” Kakashi shook his head and said, “The Hokage has been unconscious for over two hours. However, the medical ninja said that the Hokage’s vital signs are normal. He is only unconscious because his emotions were too agitated.”
“Hoo…”
Homura Mitokado sighed. He stood on the other side of the room door and said slowly with a gloomy expression, “No one could remain calm in such a situation. Even though Hiruzen has been through a lot, making him bear the pain of losing two sons is a bit too much. After all, he is only human!”
After sighing, Homura Mitokado asked, “You’ve heard the news circulating in the village, haven’t you? Is it true?”
“…Most likely.”
Kakashi said, “You know, Uchiha Ikeizumi would never lie. He said Sarutobi Asuma attempted to ambush and assassinate him with the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, so that’s what happened.”
Homura Mitokado fell silent.
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s actions of carrying out justice with zero misjudgments over the years had long created a stereotype in the minds of many Konoha Ninja: those killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi were never good people.
In other words.
When most of the ninja in the village learned that the Third Hokage would have another son die at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s hands, they would only speculate if the Third Hokage’s second son had committed some offense.
Rather than speculating if Uchiha Ikeizumi was indiscriminately killing innocents.
Such a stereotype…
Homura Mitokado also held.
Homura Mitokado was speechless for a long time, then asked, “Asuma’s corpse should have been sent to the Yamanaka clan, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let the Yamanaka clan give us a reasonable explanation.” Homura Mitokado sighed deeply, “I just don’t know if Hiruzen, who has lost two sons in a row, can accept such an explanation.”
…
Inside the Nara Clan Residence.
Since the Yamanaka Clan Residence had not yet been rebuilt, most of the Yamanaka clan members were temporarily residing in the Nara Clan Residence, while a small portion resided in the Akimichi Clan Residence.
Therefore, the Anbu Ninja could only transport the dismembered corpses, one after another, to the Nara Clan.
Nara Shikahisa was looking down at Sarutobi Asuma’s corpse.
He smiled bitterly and said to Yamanaka Inoichi beside him with a hint of helplessness, “Inoichi… this has caused quite a stir! If Sarutobi Shin’nosuke didn’t have a child on the way, the lineage of the Hokage’s branch within the Sarutobi Clan would likely have ended.”
Yamanaka Inoichi’s expression showed little fluctuation. He said concisely, “Ikeizumi is in the right in this matter. If the Hokage intends to target Ikeizumi over this, the Yamanaka Clan will not stand idly by.”
Nara Shikahisa asked, “You’re so sure without even investigating the memories from the corpse?”
“Yes.” Yamanaka Inoichi nodded.
“Ah, honestly…”
Nara Shikahisa uncomfortably put his hands in his pockets, his gaze shifting away from the corpse lying on the ground. He patted Yamanaka Inoichi on the shoulder and smiled, “The Ino-Shika-Cho clans are one. Since you have made your decision, I will stand with you. Choza… he will do the same.”
…
…
