Chapter 133: “jiraiya, Will You Still Stand In The Way?”, Fugaku’s Confusion!
Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikahisa, Choza Akimichi—the simultaneous appearance of these three made Sarutobi Hiruzen stunned for a moment.
But soon, he reacted. He immediately realized why the three of them had rushed here late at night.
Probably…
To take a side with Ikeizumi!
After all, some time ago, Inoichi had already made the decision to take a side with Absolute Justice. And the Nara Clan and Akimichi Clan, as allies of the Yamanaka Clan, would naturally make the exact same choice as Inoichi.
Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression turned somewhat ugly.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen’s terrible mood was not directed at Ino-Shika-Cho, nor at Uchiha Ikeizumi.
But at the long-dead Danzo!
If it weren’t for Danzo’s battle with Ikeizumi back then affecting the Yamanaka Clan Residence, nearly exterminating the Yamanaka Clan; which happened to contrast with Uchiha Ikeizumi’s actions at the time of not harming the Yamanaka Clan members—would the Yamanaka Clan have abandoned him, the Konoha Hokage, to stand on the side of Absolute Justice?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was so angry his teeth itched.
Unfortunately, Danzo was already dead…
Otherwise, he would have to harshly verbally torture Danzo and vent the pent-up fire in his heart.
“Hokage.” Suddenly, a voice that was cold yet carried a hint of youthfulness rang out from somewhere. It was Uchiha Itachi, who had finally arrived at the Sarutobi Clan Residence in time.
Meanwhile, Fugaku, who was far behind on the right, did not approach the Sarutobi Clan Residence but stood on top of a nearby building.
Fugaku gazed at the Sarutobi Clan Residence, and this position’s perspective was just right to see the scene inside the Sarutobi Clan Residence.
He saw many unexpected people.
“Hokage, Elder Koharu, Jiraiya, Kakashi Hatake, Tsunade, Orochimaru’s disciple, Yamanaka Inoichi, Choza Akimichi, Ikeizumi, Nara Shikahisa…” Fugaku’s eyes carried a bit of shock. Weren’t there a bit too many people showing up tonight?
Plus a large group of Anbu Ninjas, and a large group of Root Ninjas.
Probably more than half of Konoha’s elite combat power was gathered here!
……
“Kid, what the hell is going on?” Tsunade took a step forward.
She first gave an annoyed glance at Koharu Utatane, then boldly patted Uchiha Ikeizumi’s shoulder, unable to contain her curiosity, and asked: “You brought these two kids carrying ninja swords, storming aggressively into the old man’s house—there’s no way it’s just a simple late-night visit, right?”
“And you old folks, what’s your deal?” Tsunade looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, directly calling this Third Hokage and former teacher “old man” to his face.
However, regarding this “impolite” address, Sarutobi Hiruzen showed no abnormality, clearly long accustomed to it.
Tsunade scanned the crowd and said: “Bringing so many Anbu Ninjas and Root Ninjas over—it’s not just to chat with Uchiha Ikeizumi late at night, right?”
“And…”
Tsunade turned back to glance at Jiraiya, who looked somewhat grave behind her: “How did you end up here too? The person following me earlier—wasn’t it you besides Shizune?”
One question after another popped from Tsunade’s mouth, throwing problems at everyone present.
This did ease the tense atmosphere a bit.
“Hmph!”
Koharu Utatane snorted coldly and explained: “If this kid hadn’t gone mad tonight, would I have mobilized so many Root Ninjas out in full force in the middle of the night?”
If it were someone else asking, Koharu Utatane wouldn’t even bother explaining.
But since it was Tsunade asking, she still gave Tsunade face.
Koharu Utatane gritted her teeth, her expression filled with hatred and gloom: “This kid killed many people tonight! Including Utatane Clan and Mitokado Clan members, totaling over a dozen or twenty! And now, he’s going after the Sarutobi Clan members!”
“If I and Hiruzen didn’t mobilize Root and Anbu together, the Sarutobi Clan would probably suffer his poisonous hand tonight too! Yet… even such a mad kid has supporters taking his side. Truly worldview-shattering! Moral decay!”
“Some people, clearly raised under the influence of the Will of Fire. But tonight, I saw not a shred of the Will of Fire embodied in them!”
Koharu Utatane’s sarcastic remarks targeted the three Ino-Shika-Cho ninja clans, as well as Mitarashi Anko.
However.
Her sarcasm clearly had no impact; those she targeted showed no particular emotional fluctuations.
Koharu Utatane’s words made Tsunade and Jiraiya both stunned.
Tsunade muttered: “I really guessed it—this kid… really came to ‘execute justice.’ And he made such a huge commotion all at once, without regard for anyone!”
Jiraiya’s face was full of seriousness. He took a deep breath, passed several people, and walked up to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
His serious gaze looked into Ikeizumi’s eyes, and in a deep voice he asked: “Ikeizumi, is what Elder Koharu said true? I rarely interfere in Konoha matters now, and even if I stumble upon them sometimes, I won’t interfere. But that depends on the scale of the situation. Tonight’s incident—I, Jiraiya, have to interfere.”
“Killing over twenty Konoha compatriots in one night—this is the vile act of a murderous maniac executioner. This shakes Konoha’s foundation and weakens Konoha’s power. Ikeizumi, is this behavior really the justice you claim?”
Uchiha Ikeizumi raised his eyelids slightly, coldly staring at Jiraiya, and said: “Seeing sin and holding back from killing is a compromising measure one must make when justice is still weak.”
“When justice possesses absolute strong means and no longer fears any storm, seeing sin again and still not judging the evil before one’s eyes will turn it into faded justice.”
“Once justice fades… countless victims in the ninja world who died harboring hatred and unable to close their eyes will have no one to uphold justice for them.”
Though many people were present, only Uchiha Ikeizumi was speaking, and his voice reached everyone’s ears.
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s gaze passed over Jiraiya, landing on a Sarutobi Clan ninja behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He said coldly: “Kyoya Sarutobi.”
When he uttered this name, that Sarutobi Clan ninja suddenly stiffened all over, his face full of incredulity, instinctively stepping back a few steps, trying to curl his body and hide behind others.
Unfortunately.
When Uchiha Ikeizumi said his name, many who knew him couldn’t help but turn their gazes to him.
Such gazes also drew the attention of those who didn’t know him. Thus… the eyes of everyone present fell on the ninja named “Kyoya Sarutobi.”
Jiraiya also turned his head doubtfully to look.
“Nine years ago, during the Third Shinobi World War, he sold a portion of Konoha’s war intelligence to Hidden Cloud Village ninjas for ten million ryo. This led to Konoha losing the battle at a certain defense point, resulting in one Konoha Jonin killed and seven Konoha Chunin killed.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s voice continued eerily: “Four years ago, he cooperated with Hidden Cloud ninjas from inside and out to abduct Hinata Hyuga. And while Hyuga Hiashi was fighting the Hidden Cloud ninjas, you fled in panic upon discovering the matter was exposed.”
“One year ago, the Third Hokage instructed you to supervise and execute a Konoha infrastructure project, allocating seven million ryo. You embezzled four million ryo alone, producing a shoddy project. As a result, during a heavy rain one day, the structure collapsed, crushing an innocent passerby to death.”
With every sentence Uchiha Ikeizumi said, the Sarutobi Clan ninja named “Kyoya Sarutobi” grew paler.
By the end, his expression was ashen as paper, sweat pouring from his back in layers, his whole body drenched.
“Jiraiya.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said slowly: “Do you think justice wanting to execute him shakes Konoha’s foundation? Or did his past actions shake the Konoha foundation you speak of?”
Jiraiya, who had been serious and on high alert, was stunned in place.
“Wait!” Kyoya Sarutobi, noticing the strange looks from many directed at him, hurriedly shouted: “What you’re saying—do you have any…”
“The Yamanaka Clan will provide evidence.” Behind Uchiha Ikeizumi, Yamanaka Inoichi spoke up proactively.
Yamanaka Inoichi said with a solemn expression: “Rest assured, the Yamanaka Clan’s secret technique won’t greatly affect your will or spirit. You just need to let the Yamanaka Clan investigate your memories, and everyone will know if you’re innocent or truly guilty.”
Kyoya Sarutobi’s mouth went dry, unable to utter a word.
Seeing this, the rather gloomy expression on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face gradually turned to helpless disappointment and a sigh.
Uchiha Ikeizumi continued: “Megumi Sarutobi.”
He named another person, and a civilian woman from the Sarutobi Clan suddenly froze in place. Her beautiful eyes widened, the terror in them impossible to conceal.
“Twelve years ago, due to chaotic private life, she gave birth to a female infant while hiding it from her fiancé. Then in a Konoha public toilet, she drowned the infant, dismembered the corpse, and flushed it down the toilet.”
With a “pat,” the Sarutobi Clan woman named “Megumi Sarutobi” collapsed to the ground in terrified weakness.
Megumi Sarutobi muttered neurotically, as if explaining or convincing herself: “She… she at that time… she hadn’t even started remembering things yet. How can an infant who hasn’t started remembering things be considered a person? Since she’s not a person, what I did wasn’t killing, right?”
When she blankly raised her head, she saw her honest husband looking at her with a shocked and bewildered gaze.
She couldn’t help but cast a pleading gaze at the Hokage.
But she found that this clanmate Hokage, who even had a bit of familial relation to her, after glancing at her hastily, closed his eyes with a disappointed look.
Megumi Sarutobi was dazed on the spot, as if scared silly.
“Jiraiya.” Uchiha Ikeizumi asked: “Do you think the justice wanting to execute her is that of a murderous maniac executioner? Or is she, who killed her own daughter, the real murderous maniac executioner?”
Jiraiya was already speechless.
From that woman’s reaction, he could tell this past vile incident was definitely true.
“Kazuki Sarutobi.”
When Uchiha Ikeizumi named him, Megumi Sarutobi’s “honest husband” panicked and raised his head.
But Uchiha Ikeizumi continued: “Three days ago, on the night your wife publicly declared your inadequacy in that area, in extreme psychological distortion, you entered your daughter Sakurako’s room and subjected her to physical beating and mental humiliation through domestic violence to vent your frustration.”
Megumi Sarutobi, slumped on the ground in despair, suddenly froze.
Realizing it, she looked at her husband in shock and anger.
“Kazuki Sarutobi!” Ignoring the many big shots gathered here, she shrieked emotionally: “No wonder Sakurako has been so off emotionally these past few days, with so many bruises on her body, but no matter how I asked, she wouldn’t speak! It was you!”
“You beast! You animal! You’re her father, her biological father! And she’s just a ten-year-old child—what are you doing! Are you even human? Beating her like that—do you have any shame or morals?”
“I’m the beast? I’m the animal?” Kazuki Sarutobi, face full of panic, flushed red and angrily retorted: “How do you explain secretly having a child with another man behind my back?”
“You even dismembered that child! Flushed it down the sewer! Aren’t you more of a beast than me, more of an animal? You’re the one who’s least human!”
“Besides, maybe Sakurako is also some bastard you had with another man! Maybe she’s not even my biological daughter!”
Megumi Sarutobi’s neck veins bulged as she screamed: “That’s our daughter! Don’t I know if she’s your biological daughter? You beast!!!”
Bursting with surprising strength from somewhere, she stood up and directly grabbed a kunai from the waist of a nearby Sarutobi Clan Genin.
Pulling out the kunai, she twisted her ashen face and unhesitatingly stabbed toward her husband.
Puchi—
The kunai pierced her husband’s abdomen, making Kazuki Sarutobi’s face contort in pain as he let out a panicked scream.
“Ahh! You’re crazy ahhh!” Kazuki Sarutobi kicked his wife over with all his strength, panicking as he pulled out the kunai from his abdomen.
Blood then spurted out with a “pu.”
Megumi Sarutobi, disheveled, crawled up and pounced again: “You beast animal! Go die!!!”
The panicked and shocked Kazuki Sarutobi, face full of pain, stabbed the bloody kunai in his hand toward his wife’s heart.
Puchi—
This entire scene lasted a full thirty seconds. But everyone present, including the Sarutobi Clan ninjas standing nearby, did not stop this bloody farce.
The Sarutobi Clan ninjas all watched this indescribable couple with extremely complex gazes.
They watched Megumi Sarutobi collapse limply with lifeless eyes.
And watched Kazuki Sarutobi panic as he clutched his continuously bleeding abdominal wound, finally collapsing powerlessly.
The bloody smell continuously permeated the air.
Stimulating everyone’s nostrils present.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had long painfully closed his eyes. He didn’t stop any of this because his moral views made it hard for him to speak or act to intervene. This also showed that what Uchiha Ikeizumi said, Sarutobi Hiruzen believed was true.
Koharu Utatane didn’t know what to say either; she could only watch Uchiha Ikeizumi stand above “righteousness” once again.
The key was.
She hadn’t expected the Sarutobi Clan to hide such filthy matters.
Could it be that Hiruzen was too overworked as Hokage, leaving no time to discipline his own clan’s members?
Koharu Utatane suddenly fell silent.
Because…
She realized that her own dozen or so clan members killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi’s subordinates were probably no better than the Sarutobi Clan; it was just that the filthiness of their evil deeds differed in degree.
“Jiraiya. Do you think my behavior matches the justice I claim?” Uchiha Ikeizumi’s calm tone stabbed harshly at Jiraiya, making him open his mouth involuntarily but unable to say a word.
Jiraiya was silent for several seconds, ultimately just sighing.
Then he silently stepped two steps to the right, making way.
This action made Koharu Utatane’s eyes widen.
“Jiraiya…”
But as soon as Koharu Utatane said three words, Jiraiya interrupted in a low tone: “Elder Koharu, sorry. This situation… is beyond what I can interfere in. Ikeizumi’s actions are extreme, but Konoha’s tolerance of these people is equally improper—don’t put me in a difficult position.”
At this point, Jiraiya vaguely realized why the ninja world needed a Child of Prophecy, why it needed a savior.
Just as Ikeizumi said, this ninja world was twisted and diseased.
Everyone’s thoughts, everyone’s morals, were influenced by this abnormal ninja world.
Jiraiya took a deep breath, which intensified his urgent determination to find the Child of Prophecy.
The ninja world needed the positive Change brought by the Child of Prophecy!
And he would be the Child of Prophecy’s guide!
Seeing Jiraiya’s attitude, Koharu Utatane couldn’t help but turn her gaze to Tsunade: “Tsunade!”
“Don’t call me.” Tsunade’s beautiful eyes were clouded with gloom; she was currently facing away from the crowd, her fair skin trembling slightly—stimulated by the blood on site.
She tried to fix her slightly trembling gaze on the bright moon in the sky and said: “From beginning to end, I’ve thought Uchiha Ikeizumi this kid did nothing wrong. The ninja world’s chaos is like a chaotic era; if a chaotic era doesn’t use harsh laws, how can it be changed?”
“…Hiruzen!” Koharu Utatane turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen beside her, who had closed his eyes.
“Hoo…”
Sarutobi Hiruzen heavily exhaled turbid air. When he opened his eyes, Koharu Utatane saw desolation in them, even thick self-blame.
Hiruzen—he was probably stimulated by the filthy chaos within his clan!
Koharu Utatane felt a bad premonition rise in her heart.
“Take the people… away!” Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke.
This was said to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“Take them to the Police Force…” Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to age several years, sighing under everyone’s gaze: “Investigate properly. If real criminal evidence is found, handle according to due process.”
As these words fell.
Several Sarutobi Clan ninjas whose names Uchiha Ikeizumi hadn’t gotten to yet widened their eyes.
They realized.
Their own Hokage… had abandoned them!
“Hokage!” “Kyoya Sarutobi,” the first named by Uchiha Ikeizumi, was the most panicked. In Konoha, he had naturally heard of Uchiha Ikeizumi’s extreme methods. If he were taken away by Uchiha Ikeizumi and had his memories searched by the Yamanaka Clan, exposing his past evil deeds…
He didn’t even dare imagine how miserable his fate would be!
At this moment, the corpses of that couple on the ground could very well be his next fate!
Kyoya Sarutobi anxiously shouted loudly: “I’m a Sarutobi Clan ninja—I have familial ties with you! My cousin’s uncle is your cousin’s husband! We… we definitely have an inseparable blood relation, right?”
“I can hand over all the money I’ve embezzled these years, give a hefty compensation to the family of that passerby crushed to death back then, reveal all the intelligence I know about Hidden Cloud spies…”
“I… I…”
In extreme terror, he pushed through one Sarutobi Clan ninja after another ahead, staggering to stand before Sarutobi Hiruzen: “I can even stay in Konoha Prison for ten years! Or twenty years, even thirty years is fine!”
—Anyway, as long as he behaved well in prison, he could reduce at least half the sentence. Even for the maximum thirty years halved, it would only be fifteen years. After fifteen years, he’d still only be in his forties…
Of course, those last few lucky thoughts, Kyoya Sarutobi naturally couldn’t say in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Otherwise.
Such an utterly shameless attitude would probably earn him a slap from this fellow Sarutobi Clan Hokage.
—Pa!!!
The sudden crisp sound made Kyoya Sarutobi stiffen all over.
The pleading expression on his face also froze.
His head was slapped heavily to the side by Sarutobi Hiruzen’s slap. On his face, a very obvious five-finger mark visibly appeared.
The burning pain made him completely dazed.
“In my Sarutobi Clan… there’s no despicable villain like you who sells village interests for money!” Under such public scrutiny, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn’t shield his clansman, and the anger on his face was genuine: “Kyoya! You’ve disappointed me too much—your behavior is no different from a Konoha Rogue Ninja!”
Not harming Konoha’s most basic interests—this was Sarutobi Hiruzen’s bottom line for shielding others, and also the bottom line for why he had repeatedly shielded Danzo back then.
However.
Kyoya Sarutobi’s actions had clearly broken Sarutobi Hiruzen’s bottom line.
Thinking that tonight he had summoned the entire Anbu just to protect such a clansman…
And it was witnessed by so many people.
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s old face burned with embarrassment at this moment.
He, as Hokage, had lost face big time!
His authority had taken another major hit!
He…
Had to “compromise” with Ikeizumi once again!
“Rogue… Rogue Ninja…” Kyoya Sarutobi’s already ashen face seemed even paler. He suddenly realized Konoha had abandoned him.
“Why… why is my behavior that of a Konoha Rogue Ninja? Isn’t Uchiha Ikeizumi a Konoha Rogue Ninja? He’s killed so many from the same village!”
Kyoya Sarutobi gritted his teeth and pointed at Uchiha Ikeizumi, but in the instant less than a second after raising his hand.
Puchi—
A sharp ninja sword flashed in the corner of his eye.
One index finger flew high.
Then fell to the ground.
“Don’t point your filthy hand of a villain at Senior Ikeizumi.” The girl expressionlessly shook off the blood from the ninja sword blade, looking at Kyoya Sarutobi—who was hurriedly clutching his right hand in pain, face full of agony—with disgust.
Senior Izumi’s sudden action of chopping off a finger made Sarutobi Hiruzen frown suddenly; he felt that Ikeizumi’s subordinate seemed to have been infected with Ikeizumi’s extreme personality.
But at this moment.
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s voice rang out: “But the Third Hokage’s stance doesn’t seem like he wants me to take your clansmen away.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback.
He took a deep breath, made a simple hand gesture, and the group of Anbu Ninjas tacitly retreated to the left and right sides, no longer guarding the Sarutobi Clan members.
Then, Sarutobi Hiruzen said to Koharu Utatane beside him: “Koharu, have your people… withdraw too.”
Koharu Utatane could hear the exhaustion filling Sarutobi Hiruzen’s tone.
She gritted her teeth, gave Uchiha Ikeizumi a deep look.
She said in a deep voice: “Withdraw!”
The Root Ninjas said nothing, all silently retreating to the left and right sides like the Anbu Ninjas.
Uchiha Ikeizumi expressionlessly began naming them one by one.
“Kyoya Sarutobi.”
Senior Izumi immediately stepped forward, took out handcuffs from the Police Force ninja tool bag, forcibly twisted Kyoya Sarutobi’s hands—missing one finger—behind his back, and locked them tightly with the handcuffs.
“Tsunayoshi Sarutobi.”
In the crowd, a Sarutobi Clan ninja trembled all over.
When other Sarutobi Clan members looked at him in shock, Senior Izumi knew who Senior Ikeizumi had named.
She unhesitatingly stepped forward, and without handcuffs, directly took out a long ninja tool steel wire to bind his wrists.
“Koji Sarutobi.”
Mitarashi Anko proactively stepped forward, passed Sarutobi Hiruzen, and captured another Sarutobi Clan ninja who was the focus of attention.
When the opponent tried to struggle, she hardened her pretty face slightly and unhesitatingly snapped his wrist.
“Aaaahhh!!!”
The opponent’s shrill scream won no sympathy from Anko.
“Ruina Sarutobi.”
After Anko knocked the screaming Sarutobi Clan ninja unconscious with a hand chop, her gaze shifted to a pale middle-aged woman, from whose sleeve a white snake emerged.
Before that middle-aged woman could react, the white snake shot through the air, biting her shoulder.
“Ah!”
The middle-aged woman who screamed in agony tried to fling off the white snake in panic, but suddenly felt her whole body go limp and powerless.
She collapsed in terror.
“Take them all away.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said.
……
“Ikeizumi… won again.” Not far away, Fugaku, who had taken in the entire scene, slowly took a deep breath.
He didn’t understand why Ikeizumi always won in front of the Hokage, while no matter how much he compromised, he couldn’t win.
A trace of doubt about his own choices finally appeared in his eyes.
His efforts all these years…
Had he really taken the wrong path?
……
……
PS: Quality issues in the last couple days—deep reflection! Better to lack than overabundance! Adding four hours of writing time daily to think more carefully!
