Chapter 125: Akatsuki's Interest!
A bloody piece of flesh slid from Anko Mitarashi's face and fell to the ground with a soft splat. She numbly wiped her damp cheek, getting a handful of blood in the process. She looked around, seeing three pools of blood on the ground and chunks of human remains scattered across the area. Uchiha Ikeizumi's words echoed in her ears.
Anko felt like she might have made a mistake. As she breathed in the stench of blood, she looked back at Uchiha Ikeizumi with a sense of resignation. She saw that his expression was calm, but she still felt guilty. "If I hadn't attacked him… maybe you could have left one alive?"
She figured Orochimaru had probably left some kind of strange curse mark on the three ninja, one that would activate if they were killed or brought to the brink of death. It must have been the poison from her Multi Shadow Snake Hands that activated the curse mark on the last one.
"It doesn't matter," Uchiha Ikeizumi said. "Knowing Orochimaru, even if that man hadn't been hurt, the curse mark he carved into him would have been activated anyway."
Anko was startled. "You… you seem to know Orochimaru very well?"
Uchiha Ikeizumi replied, "He is the 'evil' I've wanted to purge for many years. Unfortunately, 'Absolute Justice' was still weak back then. The only perfect chance I had was the day he defected, but I still failed to kill him."
Anko began to understand why Orochimaru was so interested in Uchiha Ikeizumi. Being relentlessly stalked by a 'Lava Release Ferocious Beast' like this must have kept Orochimaru on edge every day.
Just as Anko's mind was reeling, she noticed Uchiha Ikeizumi had already started walking away, as if the three ninja sent by Orochimaru had barely ruffled his feathers. Anko shook off her thoughts and hurried to follow.
She hadn't forgotten that she was a "prisoner," only granted a temporary bit of freedom. The three corpses now reduced to chunks of meat, along with the other villains Ikeizumi had killed on the road, served as a constant warning: do not defy Uchiha Ikeizumi's 'Absolute Justice.' Otherwise… she could be the next body.
"Heh heh… all the curse marks were activated? They died so quickly! I bet that boy killed all three of them instantly, without giving them a chance to fight back."
In a certain location in Konoha, deep within an underground research lab, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. He must have sensed something to have made that comment.
"It seems he rejected the olive branch I extended!" Orochimaru stretched out a slick, wet tongue to lick the corners of his mouth. An eerie smile was plastered on his frighteningly pale face.
"He truly sees me as an enemy, as always!"
"How unfortunate for you. Your resistance doesn't make me any less covetous of your body; in fact, it only makes me more interested in you."
"Because your growth has been much faster than I anticipated! A body like that… it's the perfect vessel for me."
"Heh heh! Just make sure you don't die before we finally meet!"
Just as Orochimaru was muttering to himself with a menacing grin, he sensed something. The smile on his face slowly vanished. A flicker of annoyance and murderous intent crossed his golden vertical pupils, but he quickly concealed it.
Orochimaru spoke to the air. "Heh heh, showing up unannounced like this is quite unpleasant. Couldn't you have contacted me in a different way? Was it really necessary to come here in person?"
"The Sannin of Konoha… you are truly perceptive!" A figure of black and white slowly emerged from the wall behind Orochimaru.
Orochimaru turned around, his eyes narrowed. He spat out a codename: "Zetsu… Heh, you know my name, but I don't know who you are. Isn't that a little unfair?"
Zetsu's expression was blank. "There's no need to vent your anger and displeasure on me. I was merely sent by the 'Leader.'"
"He sent me to give you a warning—no matter where you hide… the Akatsuki will find you soon enough. You can't join the Akatsuki, but do nothing. You can't enjoy the benefits of membership without doing the work. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"As you can see, I'm just a messenger."
Orochimaru's eyes had narrowed to slits, and the killing intent in their depths was no longer hidden. "So… is there a mission for me?"
Zetsu's voice was calm. "Uchiha Ikeizumi… you've heard of that dual bloodline ninja from Konoha, haven't you? After all, you were one of the Konoha Sannin before you defected."
A flicker of surprise, barely perceptible to others, crossed Orochimaru's eyes. A smile suddenly played on his lips. "So the Akatsuki has already noticed him?"
To be more accurate… Obito has been obsessing over that kid, who for some reason seems to know everything, so much that it's almost become an obsession. The guy even suspected I was the one who revealed information to Uchiha Ikeizumi… I had to prove my innocence to him.
Zetsu grumbled to himself, but his expression remained impassive. "All you need to do is share whatever information you have and do what the Leader tells you."
Clearly, Tobi intended to use the Akatsuki to investigate Uchiha Ikeizumi. A person who knew so much about him was a major threat to Tobi.
Just as Orochimaru was about to say something, he paused to think, then let out a chilling chuckle. "Is this really the Leader's order?"
Zetsu replied, "What do you think?"
"Heh heh…"
Orochimaru let out an inscrutable laugh.
Half a day later.
Evening.
The capital of the Land of Fire.
Anko Mitarashi had assumed that Uchiha Ikeizumi was simply passing through the capital on his way to somewhere else. She was surprised when he stopped.
"We're here."
His two simple words made Anko realize that his destination was the capital!
Kojiro let out a "Meow," then spoke in a human voice. "Even though I was born and raised in the Land of Fire, this is my first time in this place! If I remember correctly, Lord Ikeizumi has never been to the capital before, either, meow?"
"Mm."
Uchiha Ikeizumi's response was short, his eyes calmly surveying the bustling, prosperous scene before him. To outsiders, it looked vibrant and lively, but in his eyes, it was a hotbed of evil. With just one glance, Ikeizumi saw two red-named villains and over a dozen white-named people.
"Even in the most prosperous, most central areas, the growth of 'evil' cannot be contained. Or rather… the more prosperous and central a place is, the more it becomes a breeding ground for 'evil.'"
This sentence made Kojiro faintly aware of what Ikeizumi was talking about, but Anko was completely lost. She had been on a mission with two ninja companions before she heard that Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes could see past and future evil.
Now, hearing Ikeizumi's words, she carefully studied every person walking by, but she didn't see anything wrong.
Just as she was feeling confused but unsure how to ask, she saw Uchiha Ikeizumi slowly drawing the blade from his waist. The silvery blade was still stained with some uncleaned blood. Anko also noticed that the edge was a bit dull. She wondered how many people this blade had cut in such a short time.
But… more importantly, he shouldn't be drawing such a dangerous weapon in public, should he? Even for a ninja, wasn't this a bit too "flashy"? It was bound to cause unnecessary trouble.
And just as she thought, in less than three seconds, Anko saw two men dressed like samurai rushing toward them with their swords. One of them shouted, "Hey, you, the ninja up front, what do you think you're doing? Sheathe that sword now! This is the capital of the Land of Fire, not some backwater village like Konoha! Don't let your sharp blade offend the adults of the capital!"
Konoha… backwater… could those two words even be used together? Anko's lip twitched almost imperceptibly. A true 'capital city person,' indeed!
"Hey! I was just talking to you! Did you not hear me?" The two samurai blocked Uchiha Ikeizumi's path.
"Good," Ikeizumi said, his gaze fixed just above their heads. His voice was calm. "That saves me from having to walk over there."
The two samurai were puzzled by his words. They instinctively felt something was wrong with this man and nervously put their hands on their sword handles.
The crowd around them, seeing the sudden tension, stopped to watch. Anko's eyes widened. This is bad, she thought, and quickly tried to whisper a warning. "Ikeizumi, these samurai are the capital's police. You can think of them as the Uchiha Military Police…"
But before she could finish, Uchiha Ikeizumi spoke again, cutting her off.
"Tsunemitsu Adachi. Ten years ago, you mistakenly killed a man while on duty. A male family member of the victim demanded an explanation, but you broke both of his legs. You then dragged the female family member into your home and, along with your colleague 'Keiji Sakikawa,' abused and defiled her, leading her to hang herself from the shame."
Ikeizumi's gaze shifted to the other samurai. As the man stared in horror, Ikeizumi continued to speak in a cold, shocking voice. "Keiji Sakikawa… ten years ago, you and your police colleague, 'Tsunemitsu Adachi,' defiled a woman, which caused her to hang herself out of shame."
"As members of the Land of Fire's capital police force, you broke the law you were sworn to uphold, and your actions were utterly despicable. Ten years have passed, and you have not turned yourselves in, which shows you have no remorse for the evil you have done."
"You backwater ninja, what are you talking about?! Just because you're a ninja doesn't mean you can talk nonsense! This is the capital of the Land of Fire, not your Konoha Village!" Keiji Sakikawa was the first to snap. The mix of anxiety and anger on his face betrayed his inner turmoil.
He shouted at Uchiha Ikeizumi, "You say I've broken the law and done evil? You say I've defiled a woman? Then I ask you, where is your proof, Konoha ninja?!"
"Spreading baseless rumors without proof is an insult to my honor and a violation of the Land of Fire's law! And… and…"
But when his eyes met Uchiha Ikeizumi's, an overwhelming fear suddenly welled up inside him. He couldn't speak another word.
Uchiha Ikeizumi said emotionlessly, "The proof will be here soon enough."
"Then show me…"
In the next second, with a sharp schlick, Anko watched as Uchiha Ikeizumi, without any fancy moves, sliced his blade across the throat of the samurai on the left. An elite jōnin from Konoha against a regular samurai was as simple as stomping an ant.
As the large head rolled to the ground, Uchiha Ikeizumi held his blood-stained blade against Keiji Sakikawa's collarbone. The dull edge was pressed against the skin of his neck. Blood from the headless corpse next to him sprayed all over Keiji Sakikawa's face. The warm blood made him involuntarily turn his eyes to the side. The headless body was reflected in his pupils.
"He… he killed him!!!" The frightened screams of the crowd, the frantic scattering of people, and the shouts of panic only served to heighten Keiji Sakikawa's terror. He felt a warm sensation in his pants as his urine mixed with the blood flowing on the ground.
"Ten years ago, did you defile an innocent woman, causing her to hang herself from shame?" Uchiha Ikeizumi's voice sounded like a demon's whisper to him. He never would have imagined that the other party's "proof" would be acquired like this!
He… his legs gave out.
"Y-Y-Yes…" Keiji Sakikawa's voice trembled uncontrollably. He felt like he had run into a lunatic today! No wonder ninja had such a bad reputation in the Land of Fire. Not a single one of them was normal!
Under the impending fear of death, he confessed.
Uchiha Ikeizumi said, "See? I told you the proof would be here soon enough."
Schlick—
The dull blade dragged against Keiji Sakikawa's neck. The dull blade didn't sever the head completely, but left a small bit of skin still attached to the petrified head.
The large head dangled, held by a strip of skin.
Until the gushing, bleeding body collapsed to the ground. In less than thirty seconds, two people were killed in the capital of the Land of Fire! And it happened right out in the open, with dozens of witnesses!
"…" Anko, who had witnessed it all, was speechless. She knew Uchiha Ikeizumi was extreme, based on his actions toward his fellow ninja. But… before, Ikeizumi had killed people when there was no one else around.
This time, he was killing people in broad daylight! And this wasn't Konoha Village. The Uchiha Military Police's authority meant nothing here because this was the capital of the Land of Fire! If she remembered correctly, the Uchiha Military Police had no jurisdiction here, did they?
Hiss!
Could Ikeizumi not know that?
After all, that ninja cat said this was his first time in the capital!
Anko felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't know why she, a "prisoner," was worried about a cold-blooded enforcer.
"Tch, where did this lunatic come from?" A man, well-hidden in the panicked and chaotic crowd, frowned slightly. Through a gap in the crowd, he looked at Uchiha Ikeizumi and mumbled, "That uniform… it looks like a Konoha Uchiha Military Police uniform?!"
It wasn't that strange for a regular Uchiha ninja to be on a mission outside of Konoha. But this was the first time he'd ever seen an Uchiha Military Police ninja outside the village.
"It shouldn't have anything to do with me… I've been in hiding for fifteen years. No one should remember me anymore."
Just as he was about to turn and leave, his peripheral vision caught Uchiha Ikeizumi's gaze turning in his direction! The man's mind felt like it was experiencing a magnitude 10 earthquake!
How is that possible?!
Could an Uchiha Military Police ninja really be here in the capital because of me?!
No!
It must just be a coincidence!
It has to be…
As his thoughts reached this point, he saw a flash of red in the Uchiha ninja's eyes. In the last moment before he fell under the Sharingan's genjutsu, he had only one thought—He's really here for me!
Too late.
The three-tomoe Sharingan's genjutsu had been cast in a split second across the crowd, implanting itself in his mind and making his expression go blank. His arms were pinned to his sides, his legs were locked together, and his face was twisted as if he was being held by an invisible force, unable to break free. It was as if he had been thrown into the deep sea, and he took a deep breath, then held it.
His face turned a pale shade of green, and the veins in his neck were trembling. A few people standing next to him noticed his strange behavior. They tried to reach out and pat him, but the man suddenly fell straight to the ground. His eyes were wide open, blood vessels bursting across the whites of his eyes. His face had turned a deep shade of blue.
He had suffocated to death in the Sharingan's genjutsu!
"That's three." Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes returned to normal, and the notification of a slain red-named villain flashed before him. But the man was just a low-ranking Konoha traitor. Nothing substantial was dropped.
Anko stared in shock at the man who had collapsed in the crowd, his face blue. Her confusion and curiosity made her blurt out, "Was that man… a criminal, too?"
She couldn't understand. Ikeizumi killing a fellow Konoha ninja might make sense if he knew about their past crimes. But the two samurai and the man in the crowd, Ikeizumi shouldn't have known them at all, right? There was no way they could have crossed paths, was there?
Wait a minute!
Anko suddenly realized something. Since there was no way for them to have met, how could Ikeizumi have known the two samurai's names and their crimes?
Anko was dumbfounded. For a moment, she felt like her brain wasn't working.
"Lord Ikeizumi's eyes can see a person's past evil deeds and the evil they will commit in the future." Kojiro's voice entered Anko's ears. "Don't you dare doubt the righteousness of Lord Ikeizumi, young lady!"
Young… lady…
Anko would have been happy to be called that by a person, but being called that by a cat made her feel a little looked down upon. But considering that she was a prisoner, and her "human rights" were probably less than a cat's, Anko chose not to retort.
No!
The main point was that Uchiha Ikeizumi had eyes that could see a person's past and future crimes! He had a power like that?! Anko was stunned.
...
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