Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no heart to deal with today's paperwork. He sat there, puffing on his long pipe, brows furrowed as he exhaled clouds of smoke. It was as if the sharp sting of tobacco was the only thing keeping him calm.
The group of Rain Village envoys had been sent off to another location, handled by Mito Men'en and Koharu Utatane. Hiruzen knew his current mood wasn't suited for meeting with them. He needed some private space to cool his head.
Just then, a ninja hound leaped onto the windowsill, startling the Anbu guards in the Hokage's office. Before the dog, Parker, could even speak, three sharp kunai were pressed against its small head.
Three masked Anbu ninjas stared at it with scrutinizing eyes, ready to act if it made the slightest wrong move.
Parker nearly wet itself in fear, but Hiruzen noticed it and spoke up. "You're Kakashi's ninja hound, aren't you? Do you have some urgent intel for me?"
At his words, the kunai hovering over Parker's head shifted slightly away, no longer brushing its fur. The dog let out a relieved breath, swallowing hard before speaking quickly. "Kakashi sent me to tell you about the situation at the Ninja Academy."
Parker relayed everything Kakashi had told it.
Hiruzen froze, stunned into silence.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
He had imagined countless possibilities: spies from other villages pulling strings to destabilize him as the Hokage, throwing his mind into chaos and exposing vulnerabilities; maybe a glitch in Akainu's Mangekyo Sharingan genjutsu had triggered dark memories in that child; or perhaps the deceased wasn't even Sarutobi Sakura—maybe it was a case of mistaken identity.
He'd thought of every wild scenario.
But never this.
Hiruzen fell into a deathly silence.
In his mind, those three Sarutobi clan kids were supposed to be lively, adorable, and the future pillars of the clan. The academy teachers were supposed to be nurturing the next generation of great ninjas for the Leaf.
This whole situation felt utterly absurd.
Hiruzen could barely process it. "How could this happen…?" he muttered, lost in confusion. As both the Hokage and the Sarutobi clan head, and even the honorary principal of the Ninja Academy, he couldn't help but wonder if these problems were tied to him. It was hard to convince himself they weren't.
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen pushed the haze from his eyes and looked at Parker with a complicated expression. "I understand. Go back and tell Kakashi…"
He hesitated, clenching and unclenching his fist, setting his pipe down on the desk. His gaze lingered on the faint wisp of smoke curling upward.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Tell him… not to interfere. Let Akainu handle it."
With those words, Hiruzen seemed to lose half his strength, slumping powerlessly into his chair.
He was truly at a loss.
---
Ninja Academy
"Sarutobi Kōji." Amid the academy teachers' nervous glances and the pained cries of the kid beneath his foot, Uchiha Akainu casually called out a name. The moment he did, the screams of the Sarutobi clan child stopped abruptly.
Because his name was Sarutobi Kōji.
Kōji's eyes widened in terror and despair, the pain in his face and pierced hand momentarily forgotten. I'm just a kid! he thought. Surely this Uchiha ninja wouldn't do anything too extreme, right? Stabbing his hand with a kunai and crushing half his face with a foot—that had to be the extent of the punishment, didn't it?
But Akainu's cold, unyielding voice cut through. "Your vile actions have reached an unforgivable level."
"Wait—"
Kōji's eyes brimmed with fear, but before he could finish a single word, the foot on his head pressed down with terrifying force. He heard the sickening crack of his facial bones breaking, the excruciating pain twisting his expression into something grotesque.
It felt like his head was about to explode.
Boom!
The academy teachers' faces turned pale with horror as they watched the scene unfold. As ninja instructors, they should've stepped in to stop this—after all, this was the Ninja Academy! But not one of them dared to take a single step forward.
Even the three Uchiha Police Force ninjas flinched slightly. Though they were Uchiha themselves, Akainu's actions felt a bit too extreme. If it were them, they would've at least taken the kids to the Police Force headquarters for questioning first.
Still, they remained far calmer than the academy teachers.
Tsunade, meanwhile, had her eyes gently closed. She didn't stop what was happening. She wasn't sure if she was suppressing her fear of blood or the murderous intent bubbling within her.
If her personality were just a bit more extreme…
She might've done the same thing as this Uchiha kid.
"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune swallowed hard, looking at her with concern.
"…I'm fine," Tsunade said, shaking her head.
Akainu slowly lifted his blood-stained pant leg, his cold gaze shifting to another trembling Sarutobi clan kid. Each word he spoke was like a death knell, chilling to the core. "Sarutobi Shōji."
Before the boy named Shōji could react, Akainu had already passed by him, continuing, "Sarutobi Zōnosuke. Your crimes are heinous and unforgivable."
"My father is a Leaf Jonin from the Sarutobi clan! You can't—"
Swish!
A flash of a blade cut through the air, and Zōnosuke's words stopped dead.
Shōji, who'd been passed by, was stunned and confused. "?!"
Kōji and Zōnosuke were dead, but he was still alive? This terrifying man had walked right past him—did that mean his crimes weren't worthy of death? But hadn't Akainu just said he'd be executed too?
As Shōji stood there, baffled, his vision started to blur. The world seemed to tilt, and a wave of dizziness hit him.
Under everyone's gaze, a faint line of blood appeared on his neck.
The line grew thicker, blood trickling down, until his head slid off and fell.
Shōji finally understood.
He'd already been killed.
---
Meanwhile, atop a nearby tree…
"Don't interfere…" Kakashi's mouth twitched as Parker relayed the Hokage's orders. But even without the Third's command, he wouldn't have stepped in. Stopping Uchiha Akainu from carrying out justice would be like betting his life on the slim chance that Akainu wouldn't kill him.
Plenty of people had made that bet before. They all lost.
Kakashi didn't think he had some miraculous gambling luck.
"Besides," Kakashi muttered under his breath, "Lord Hokage, your order's a bit late. Akainu's already taken care of it. The Sarutobi clan might need to hold another funeral… and this time, it's probably for four kids."
Hidden in the tree, Kakashi watched the horrifying scene unfold.
He sighed. "Couldn't Akainu at least take this somewhere less public? Even dragging them to the Police Force headquarters would've been better. Doing this at the academy—won't it scare the kids?"
But maybe Akainu had his own reasons. Maybe he wanted to scare the other kids—a brutal warning, like killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
And Kakashi was right.
It worked.
---
Gulp.
Sakura Haruno's face was pale as she clung to the wall for support. She'd just watched a head get crushed underfoot. Two others had been sliced clean off.
She saw three headless bodies, blood spraying like fountains. The scarlet sight left her weak, her body trembling. Though she was some distance away, her young eyes were sharp, and she could clearly see the two heads, frozen in expressions of terror and despair, staring blankly in her direction.
"Someone's been killed… Iruka-sensei!" Sakura's voice trembled, tears in her eyes. "They killed people out there… three people, all academy students…"
"I told you not to look! Don't get involved!" Iruka snapped, regretting he hadn't asked the Hokage to install thick curtains in every classroom.
"Naruto! Sasuke! Stop standing on your toes to peek outside! I told you to stand as punishment, not to gawk at what's happening out there. And Shikamaru, Kiba, Chōji—what are you doing? Get back to your seats!"
Iruka's face darkened, wishing he could drag every student back to their desks and chain them there. He was genuinely worried they'd get caught up in whatever was happening outside.
"Iruka-sensei, you're our teacher, and Akainu-sensei is too," Naruto grumbled. "What's wrong with me and Sasuke watching Akainu-sensei carry out justice?"
"Justice isn't something kids your age should be meddling in!" Iruka said, exasperated. "At your age, you should be shaping your worldview, your morals. You need some education before you can even understand what justice is!"
---
"Is this the 'absolute justice' of the Lava Beast?"
Far behind Uchiha Akainu and Mitarashi Anko, Biwa Jūzō had witnessed their brutal execution of justice in the Leaf Village. He'd seen the Uchiha girl named Akainu torture someone in broad daylight. The bloody, ruthless methods made even Jūzō, a hardened ninja, flinch.
He'd thought the girl might get in trouble for her impulsive actions, but the Leaf villagers around her only seemed afraid—not surprised. No one ran to alert the Anbu. It was as if they were used to public executions like this.
Jūzō felt a surreal haze settle over him.
Where was he? Was this really the Leaf Village? It felt more like the Mist Village under its Blood Mist policies. Maybe he'd fallen into a genjutsu and this was the Mist Village disguised as the Leaf, right?
Hiss…
Were Leaf ninjas really this bloodthirsty?
As Jūzō stood there, dazed, the two kunoichi ahead stopped. Before he could react, they turned, their gazes locking onto him.
"Well… I got caught," Jūzō said casually. "Not that I was trying hard to hide."
He met their stares without fear.
"You've been tailing us this whole time, huh?" Anko called out, eyeing him from a dozen meters away. "That weird getup—you're clearly not a Leaf ninja. Who are you?"
Jūzō's expression didn't change. "Guess I've been out of the ninja world for a while if you see this blade and still don't know who I am."
"Blade…?" Anko's eyes flicked to the massive Decapitating Carving Knife slung across his back. Though most of it was hidden by his body, the glimpse she caught made her pause. Her already serious expression turned even more cautious as she gripped a kunai. "Careful," she warned Akainu. "This guy's likely one of the Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen. If I'm not mistaken, he's Biwa Jūzō, wielder of the Decapitating Carving Knife—a dangerous guy with brutal methods."
"Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Akainu's eyes widened slightly. She'd heard the name before. "What's he doing in the Leaf Village?"
Though puzzled, she drew her ninja blade, still stained with blood from punishing evildoers.
"Hey, don't get the wrong idea," Jūzō said, not reaching for his weapon. "I'm not with the Mist anymore. I'm with the Rain Village now, here as an envoy. You Leaf ninjas wouldn't attack a diplomatic envoy, would you?"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Akainu shot back. "Akainu-senpai even killed an envoy from the Land of Fire's daimyo. You're just a rogue Mist ninja turned Rain envoy—what's stopping us?"
Jūzō was speechless. What did I just hear? Uchiha Akainu… killed a daimyo's envoy? Was this guy insane? Who even does that?
Was he more bloodthirsty than a Mist ninja?
"Hold on, I don't mean any harm," Jūzō said, not wanting to clash with Leaf ninjas. He hadn't forgotten his true mission in the Leaf Village. "If I were an enemy, would I be standing here so openly? The Anbu watching from the shadows would've taken me out already."
He paused, then asked, "You two work under Uchiha Akainu, right?"
Akainu nodded slightly. "Yeah."
Jūzō grinned. "I'm pretty curious about your boss—or rather, his 'absolute justice.' Mind introducing me to him?"
"Very much mind," Akainu said flatly.
Jūzō: "…"
Her voice was crisp and cold. "Your tone doesn't sound like someone genuinely interested in absolute justice. You're just using it as an excuse to achieve some ulterior motive, aren't you?"
"Am I right, Akatsuki member Biwa Jūzō?"
Akainu's eyes were locked on a white frame above Jūzō's head, where she saw glimpses of his future crimes—and part of his true identity.
Jūzō: "!!!"
---
Ninja Academy
"Hoshima Fūya."
Uchiha Akainu didn't bother wiping the blood from his blade. His expressionless face turned, his killing intent locking onto Hoshima Fūya, a teacher now collapsed on the ground, sobbing in regret. "I didn't mean it… I swear I didn't! I didn't know she'd do it. I just said something I shouldn't have… I didn't know she'd act on it…"
"I didn't kill her myself…"
Fūya, eyes red, looked desperately at her fellow teachers. "I didn't kill her! It was suicide! By Fire Country law, I'm not a murderer—just an instigator at most… right?"
The other teachers stayed silent, subtly stepping back to distance themselves from her.
"Instigation… that's not a death sentence, right? They should lock me up, not execute me! Say something… please!"
As Fūya's hoarse voice broke with despair, a figure suddenly stepped past Akainu and stood in front of her. Akainu paused, his gaze falling on the striking figure before him.
"Lady Tsunade?!" Shizune gasped.
"Kid," Tsunade said in a low, heavy tone. "Let me handle one thing first."
To Fūya, she said, "You. Stand up."
Fūya froze. She recognized Tsunade—one of the Legendary Sannin, a Leaf Village icon. Could it be… was Tsunade here to save her? Surely she'd agree that Fūya's actions didn't warrant death!
Overcome with relief, Fūya scrambled to her feet, ready to express her gratitude. But Tsunade cut her off, her face expressionless.
"As expected…"
Tsunade's eyes were open now, avoiding the sight of blood. Her face was filled with disgust. "If you truly felt remorse for what happened to that poor Sarutobi Sakura, you wouldn't have that look on your face. Your regret isn't real—it's just fear of dying because you know what you've done."
"You're just scared of death," Tsunade said, each word dripping with venom.
"You—"
"You're utterly irredeemable!!!"
Tsunade's disgust and rage left Fūya stunned. This wasn't the script she'd imagined.
A faint crack came from the ground, and Fūya instinctively looked down. The earth was splitting.
In that instant, her eyes widened in horror. Her already tear-streaked eyes filled with bloodshot veins, her face twisting into a grotesque mask of pain.
Tsunade's monstrous strength poured into her fist, and Fūya's chest visibly caved in. The sound of shattering bones filled the air as her clothes were torn to shreds by the shockwave.
The gruesome sight lasted less than a split second.
Her chest exploded, blood, bones, and flesh spraying from the gaping wound. Her body flew back like it had been hit by a boulder, blood gushing from every orifice.
Boom! She crashed through a tree.
Boom! She smashed through the academy's iron fence.
Boom! She slammed into a building's wall, her body embedded in it, limbs limp, blood staining half the wall.
Everyone except Akainu was stunned.
"Is this Tsunade-hime, one of the Sannin?" one of the Police Force members muttered, awe and fear in his voice. "Even my three-tomoe Sharingan could barely track her movements."
"They say Tsunade specializes in monstrous strength," another said, glancing at the shattered ground beneath her. "She definitely held back. With her full power, that woman would've been obliterated."
"But why did she act so suddenly?" the third asked. "And that was a killing blow. That teacher's done for. Her killing intent… it even shook me."
Shizune stared at Tsunade's back. "Lady Tsunade…?"
Tsunade's pupils trembled as she looked at her blood-soaked arm. The spray had covered half her body in crimson. That punch was nothing for a Sannin like her, but her hemophobia left her gasping for air, sweat mixing with blood on her skin.
As her legs buckled, Shizune cried out, dropping her piglet Tonton to rush over. But a hand caught Tsunade from behind, steadying her.
"You didn't need to step in," Akainu said coolly. "No need to force yourself. Punishing evildoers is the duty of absolute justice."
"Shut it, kid! Don't underestimate me!" Tsunade snapped, trying to move but finding her legs too weak. She leaned on Akainu's shoulder for support, her trembling voice betraying her bravado.
She looked lost. "That child was already so pitiful… How could someone be so twisted as to bully her? Is the ninja world's morality really this warped?"
Before anyone could respond, she let out a heavy breath, her pale face turning to Akainu. "Kid, if your absolute justice can make this world better, reduce the number of monsters like her, and fix people's twisted minds…"
She took a shaky breath. "You shouldn't be fighting alone. You need to find people who share your vision, who'll support you. One person—even someone like you—can't clean up the Leaf's filth alone, let alone the entire ninja world."
"There are others out there dreaming of changing this world. You should share your ideals with them, lead them to carry out absolute justice together."
Her trembling voice steadied slightly. "One Akainu, one Anko, one you—that's not enough."
"When the time comes," she added, "count me in."