Root's headquarters.
"Lord Danzo, Uchiha Akainu's location is most likely the secret research base outside the village!" a Root ninja reported, kneeling before Danzo. He added, "It's the secret base the Third Hokage ordered built a few years ago, the one 'housing' many of Orochimaru's remaining researchers."
The Root ninja's reminder jogged Danzo's memory. The 'Monkey' (Hiruzen) had indeed established such a base outside the village back then. At the time, Danzo had wanted to get involved, seeing as he deserved at least a third of the credit for all the research data and personnel Orochimaru left behind. However, that old scoundrel Hiruzen had mercilessly refused him. Hiruzen even teamed up with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado to pressure Danzo, forcing him to abandon the idea.
For years, Danzo had tried to infiltrate Root agents into the base, but Hiruzen guarded it too closely, never giving him an opportunity.
"Heh."
Danzo suddenly smirked, a hint of schadenfreude on his lips. Gazing at the distant falling lava, he scoffed to himself, "That inherently evil Uchiha brat… he's finally turned his wicked thoughts towards the Hokage. Monkey, I warned you long ago; if you didn't eliminate him, you'd regret it."
The Root ninja, still kneeling, hesitantly asked, "Lord Danzo, do we in Root need to intervene?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes, a sudden surge of murderous intent. He had long wished to tear Uchiha Akainu limb from limb.
"No," Danzo said, his eyes sinister. "Let Uchiha Akainu cause trouble. The bigger the mess he makes, the deeper his conflict with the Monkey will be. If I'm not mistaken, that base is overseen by Sarutobi Shin'nosuke. Heh heh… that inherently evil Uchiha brat is now clashing with the Monkey's eldest son!"
"What we need to do… is first block anyone trying to interfere and stop the conflict."
"Transmit my orders!"
"—All Root members are to mobilize! Guard all exits from the Leaf Village. Aside from the Anbu ninja directly serving the Monkey, no one is to be allowed to leave the village!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Root ninja swiftly vanished into streaks of afterimages, leaving the Root base.
"Dad, that must be someone's ninjutsu, right?"
On a rooftop in the Nara clan compound, seven-year-old Shikamaru Nara already wore a rather premature look of world-weariness, paired with a set of deadpan eyes unlike those of his peers, making one doubt his true age.
"Mm."
Shikaku Nara, standing beside his son with his hands half-tucked into his pockets, spoke with a profound gaze. "It's Lava Release."
"...Lava Release?" Shikamaru paused.
Shikaku slowly said, "Have you heard the name Uchiha Akainu?"
Shikamaru nodded. "I've heard of him. He seems like a lot of trouble; many in the village are afraid of him. But I guess some people really respect him too."
"So…" Shikamaru asked, "Is that ninjutsu used by Uchiha Akainu?"
Shikaku nodded. "Most likely. And that location… Lord Hokage is probably going to have a headache tonight."
He chose not to rush over to check the situation. He could already tell it was troubled waters best left untouched. It was better for the Nara clan not to stir up trouble.
"I hear Hiruzen has already left with the Anbu."
Koharu Utatane sought out Homura Mitokado at his home late that night. She told Homura, "This old woman knew that Uchiha Akainu was a menace. With his so-called 'Absolute Justice'… every single person in that research base is probably a thorn in his side."
"It's a shame Hiruzen has indulged him repeatedly. I can't understand what value such an uncontrollable Uchiha could possibly have for Hiruzen to hold him in such high regard."
Homura Mitokado stood with his hands behind his back, speaking gravely. "He is indeed a menace, but also a double-edged sword. Hiruzen indulges him because Uchiha Akainu's 'Absolute Justice' is extreme enough."
"At the very least… one thing we cannot deny is that Uchiha Akainu has indeed made some ill-intentioned individuals rein themselves in significantly."
Koharu Utatane stated, "But this time, he's gone too far, even daring to attack a place like the secret research base!"
Homura Mitokado replied, "This time, we must convince Hiruzen to be ruthless. Before, Uchiha Akainu's power was relatively weak and within the village's control. We could still grasp this double-edged sword and utilize it. But now…"
His eyes flashed with apprehension. "He has gradually become fully fledged."
The last Uchiha who made them feel uncontrollable was named "Uchiha Shisui." Uchiha Shisui made them wary because of his eyes.
The main reason Uchiha Akainu made them wary… was that absolute justice that completely disregarded village politics.
Boom!!!Boom!!!Boom!!!
The continuous falling lava made the entire secret research base tremble violently. Fierce flames had already erupted, and some of the descending lava had even broken through the ceiling of the secret base. Sarutobi Shin'nosuke, located deep within the base, realized that the base was probably already riddled with holes. The entire facility was practically ruined, and many vital research instruments had likely melted into slag by the lava.
"Uchiha Akainu! Are you insane?!"
Sarutobi Shin'nosuke ripped off his bothersome Anbu mask. Now, one could clearly see his facial skin scalded to an unhealthy reddish hue by the steam in the air. One could also see his face, which bore some resemblance to Hiruzen Sarutobi's, brimming with fury.
"This is a Leaf Village base! I don't know why you're aware of these things, but I can tell you that everything my subordinates and I do is for the Leaf Village!"
"We live up to the Will of Fire, we live up to our fallen ancestors, and we live up to everyone in the Leaf Village! The people who died because of what we did aren't from the Leaf Village, or even the Land of Fire. Uchiha Akainu, why are you interfering with any of this!?"
"Where is the loyalty of your Absolute Justice to the Leaf Village? Are you going to become a rogue ninja, Uchiha Akainu?!" Shin'nosuke roared, his anger rising to his head.
Uchiha Akainu stood up, the surrounding lava unable to harm him. He calmly gazed forward. Drop after drop of lava dripped from his body.
"Shin'nosuke-sensei, the Absolute Justice I believe in has never been born from loyalty to the Leaf Village. Whether or not I'm a rogue ninja isn't something you can define with a single sentence."
Uchiha Akainu began to move forward.
"It's only because you were once my Jonin instructor that I'm telling you this much, so you can understand before you die."
Uchiha Akainu suddenly used a Body Flicker, instantly appearing before an Anbu ninja. Under the Anbu's horrified, constricted pupils, one of Akainu's hands had already sliced off half of the Anbu's head. This was the Anbu whose legs had been burned away by the lava; he had no means to dodge.
"I believe in Absolute Justice because I feel the ninja world has become pathologically twisted, and this sick ninja world breeds countless 'evils,' filling it with pain, tragedy…"
Uchiha Akainu's body suddenly became transparent, as if he had vanished into thin air. This was his first time using the Gekko clan's "Transparent Release"! This sent the remaining Anbu ninja frantically looking left and right, trying to find where Uchiha Akainu had suddenly disappeared.
Until his voice rang out behind one of them.
"And this evil includes, but is not limited to, Daimyo with exorbitant taxes, power-hungry higher-ups, beasts who slaughter entire clans, brain-damaged lapdogs… and what you, Shin'nosuke-sensei, have done."
"Urgh!"
The Anbu ninja suddenly grunted, looking down in terror at a large, inexplicable hole that had appeared in his chest.
"When [Justice] becomes absolute enough…"
Uchiha Akainu unleashed a lava bullet from a distance, instantly engulfing an Anbu ninja who was trying to form hand signs.
"…only then will the 'evil' of the ninja world be purged."
Lava surged from Uchiha Akainu's arms, flowing like a torrent, a tsunami, towards the other three Anbu ninja who couldn't see anything, only feeling waves of heat.
When only Sarutobi Shin'nosuke remained before him, clutching a broken ninja blade, his face filled with shock and horror… Akainu finally released his Transparent Release.
"I… was caught in your Sharingan genjutsu?"
Sarutobi Shin'nosuke's eyes widened. He couldn't believe anyone could possess three Kekkei Genkai, and he instinctively felt he might be under genjutsu.