Might Guy's question forced Akuma to pause. He looked at all the destruction—and at himself. He realized he had been getting drunk on power, no longer in the right state of mind. It was like a man who wins the lottery and shouts about it to the world, only to be killed for it soon after. Not wanting to meet the same fate, Akuma resolved to control himself in the future and never let power blind him again.
His eyes swept over the countless dead, then stopped at Might Guy's broken, bleeding body. From the beginning, he had known he would have to hurt—or even kill—people he once knew. He had prepared himself for that moment both physically and mentally, but still, hesitation lingered.
He had promised himself he would abandon all traces of humanity, yet some of it stubbornly remained.
Then, before his eyes, his mission appeared:
[Objective: Destroy all five great villages. Ensure destruction covers more than 50%. Completion: 1/5]
A faint smile crossed his face. Most of the destruction was his doing, but the rest had been caused by the Sand and Sound shinobi. That meant he didn't need to rely solely on himself—others could carry out the destruction with him.
As Akuma sank into thought, danger suddenly surged toward him. His Absolute Dimension instantly flared to life, warning him. Chakra blades sliced through the air at high speed.
"Tch… annoying" he muttered, quickly dodging.
Then he saw him—Asuma Sarutobi, charging with fury burning in his eyes.
"YOU KILLED MY DAD!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Asuma roared, chakra blade raised high.
He closed the distance with terrifying speed, but Akuma moved faster. With a brutal kick to the stomach, he sent Asuma hurtling through several houses, where he collapsed, unconscious. Akuma's cold gaze lingered on him.
"What nonsense are you speaking? You're a ninja. You kill each other for money. Don't pretend you've never taken someone else's loved one."
Around him, more shinobi gathered, tightening the circle, but none moved in. They waited for Kakashi's signal.
Akuma turned his eyes back to Might Guy and finally answered.
"Why am I doing this? Because my goal is to destroy all five great villages. That is my reason."
Might Guy stared at Akuma in disbelief. He never imagined the boy he loved as his own son could commit such atrocities. For a fleeting moment, he wanted to believe Akuma was being controlled. But deep down, he knew the truth—this was no one's will but Akuma's.
Even Kakashi had warned him: darkness lingered in Akuma's heart. Guy had ignored it. He remembered the suffocating killing intent Akuma radiated during the Chūnin Exams, even in the hospital, but he refused to accept what it meant. He couldn't believe Akuma would truly fall into the abyss.
His thoughts drifted back to the day he first found the boy in the woods. Akuma's eyes had stopped him cold—eyes that had seen all the world's pain, imprisoned in such a young face. Guy had wished, with everything in him, that one day those eyes could become innocent again—eyes that laughed, played, and carried no burdens.
But that day never came.
Akuma was never like other children. He never smiled freely, never shared his feelings, never sought companionship. He remained distant, endlessly training even when Guy begged him to rest. When Guy visited the orphanage, desperate for guidance, the caretaker's words cut like a blade: "Child from a war-torn country—one who watched his family and people die before his eyes. are traumatized beyond repair."
That day, Guy swore he would give Akuma warmth—the comfort of family. He tried everything: his humor, his encouragement, his guidance, his training. But no matter what he did, Akuma never truly opened his heart.
And now, that same child stood before him, drenched in blood, surrounded by the corpses of the villagers Guy had sworn to protect.
Might Guy's chest tightened. For the first time in his life, he felt the unbearable weight of raising his hand against the boy he had tried so desperately to save.
Akuma looked at Might Guy, who stood silently, tears streaming down his face. For a fleeting moment, Akuma felt a sharp ache in his chest. But he steadied himself and spoke with unsettling calm.
"Thank you for taking me in, Guy-sensei. As repayment, I promise you this—I will not kill anyone from Konoha."
He knew the vow would cost him in the future, yet he made it anyway. Akuma despised owing anyone anything, and this was his way of closing that debt. Still, he understood its consequence: if he ever faced Konoha shinobi again, he would not kill them. Instead, he would leave them broken, barely clinging to life—but alive.
His gaze shifted to Jiraiya, who had just finished weaving hand signs for a sealing technique and was preparing to summon his toad for Sage Mode. Akuma's expression twisted with disdain.
"Whatever you're planning won't work on me, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya slammed his palm against the ground—but nothing happened. He tried again. And again. Each attempt failed. His summoning would not respond.
Shock spread across the Sannin's face. Impossible… someone interfering with a summoning?
Desperate, he activated his seal, but it failed. A chilling realization struck him: none of his preparations mattered. Every trump card had been rendered useless against the boy standing before him.
Akuma's eyes swept across the shinobi who surrounded him.
"I'm leaving. If you chase me, I won't kill you. But I'll make sure you wish you had never been born."
His mission here was complete. There was no reason to remain in Konoha. Yet he knew they would not allow him to leave unchallenged.
And then—he vanished.
The shinobi blinked, stunned, as Akuma disappeared from sight. In the next instant, he reappeared far behind them, already sprinting toward the woods.
"After him!" voices cried, and many prepared to pursue.
But Jiraiya raised a hand, his tone grave.
"Enough. We've already lost too many. For now, we must rebuild the village and strengthen ourselves—before the other nations exploit our weakness. We'll deal with him later."
Reluctantly, the shinobi lowered their weapons. Their faces were dark with anger and despair, but they obeyed, scattering to aid the wounded and restore order.
Only Might Guy remained still. His eyes lingered on the spot where Akuma had vanished, his heart weighed down by grief and guilt.