Chapter 201: Never Underestimate Human Depravity
Homura Mitokado arrived soon after hearing the news. He stepped into the Sarutobi compound, where the atmosphere was strangely tense, and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing next to the corpse.
Breathing in the smell of sulfur hanging in the air, Homura's expression shifted slightly. After a moment of consideration, he felt something was fundamentally wrong.
Scanning the angry faces of the surrounding Sarutobi clan members, he walked behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, lowered his voice, and whispered, "Hiruzen, do you truly believe that Ikeizumi Uchiha killed her?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been standing motionless, slowly drew a deep breath and turned to look at Homura Mitokado.
A silent exchange of glances caused Homura to nod slightly.
"Let's talk outside," Homura suggested.
The Sarutobi clan members parted to make a path, and the two Konoha Elders walked outside under everyone's gaze. No one followed, as they knew the Hokage was speaking privately with Homura Mitokado.
"Hah—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a lungful of stale air, his face grim. He spoke, "This old man does not believe Ikeizumi is the killer."
Homura Mitokado was stunned.
He couldn't quite understand. Staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi's dark expression, he couldn't help but ask, "But I heard you were furious, even mobilizing both Root and ANBU to handle this. Especially those Root operatives; they caused quite a ruckus in Konoha after receiving your command. If you don't think Ikeizumi is likely the culprit, then why—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him. "Because I cannot afford to show that I don't believe Ikeizumi is the killer."
Hiruzen folded his hands behind his back, the rage in his eyes undiminished. "Someone is using my daughter-in-law's life to try and force this old man to kill Ikeizumi. They are attempting to provoke an armed conflict between the Will of Fire and Absolute Justice, throwing all of Konoha into chaos."
"The moment I show that I've seen through this little parlor trick, the rat lurking in the shadows will be spooked."
"And once that rat leaves Konoha, finding out who they are will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Homura Mitokado finally grasped the situation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was deliberately playing the role of a 'Hokage temporarily blinded by rage over his daughter-in-law's death' to lower the true killer's guard, buying time to flush them out.
Homura thought for a moment and asked, "But Koharu seems to genuinely believe you intend to strike against Ikeizumi Uchiha. Her Root subordinates seem to have held nothing back today—"
"Wait!"
Homura Mitokado suddenly realized something, looking at Hiruzen in astonishment. "Are you suspicious of Koharu? Is that why you didn't tell her? And you're letting her Root forces run wild?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi replied expressionlessly, "I am currently harboring reasonable suspicion toward everyone in the village who has a serious disagreement with either Ikeizumi or myself."
He added, "Including Koharu."
Homura Mitokado was secretly aghast.
He could see that the inexplicable murder of his daughter-in-law had left Hiruzen genuinely angry and heartbroken.
Yet, even in this state, the Third Hokage could remain so calm, spot the discrepancy, and execute a counter-scheme.
"Hiruzen, I finally understand why Sensei Tobirama pushed for you to become the Third Hokage before his death. Among all of us, you are always the one whose thinking is least clouded by emotion. You can always spot details others miss."
Homura sighed with emotion. "If Koharu has no involvement in this, it simply proves the difference in ability between you and her is vast."
He then asked, "And by telling me this, does that mean you trust me deeply?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's grim face nodded honestly. "Because you've never strongly countered this old man's firm decisions."
"And—"
"You don't have such deep conflicts with Ikeizumi Uchiha."
Homura Mitokado fell silent. After a long moment, he said, "What do you plan to do next?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly rubbed a small piece of volcanic rock between his fingers. "In front of everyone, this old man publicly ordered Kakashi and Yamato to retrieve Ikeizumi and the others."
"But in reality, that is not my true instruction. My true instruction is for Kakashi and Yamato to lead teams and monitor all Jōnin in the village."
"That 'all' naturally includes those in Danzo's Root, the Uchiha, the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance, the Hyūga..."
"And even the Jōnin within the Sarutobi clan."
Homura Mitokado was shocked. He instinctively turned to look at the agitated Sarutobi ninja not far away.
"Hiruzen, they should—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him again. "Anything is possible."
As if remembering something, a shadow crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He took a deep breath and said helplessly, "Never, ever underestimate human depravity."
Homura Mitokado found that phrase strangely familiar.
He recalled that...
Ikeizumi Uchiha seemed to have said something similar.
Homura Mitokado left the Sarutobi compound with a heavy heart. He racked his brain, unable to figure out who was secretly trying to instigate an armed conflict between the Will of Fire and Absolute Justice.
Could it be Koharu Utatane?
Koharu certainly held strong objections to Ikeizumi Uchiha, frequently criticizing his Absolute Justice behind his back. She was also often deeply dissatisfied with Hiruzen's indecisiveness.
But logically, based on his understanding of her, she shouldn't be capable of such an act.
Or, possibly...
Fugaku?!
Homura Mitokado entertained the guess: Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head, had been effectively sidelined by Absolute Justice. To regain control of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku decided to take a gamble, hoping to use the Hokage's power to eliminate Ikeizumi Uchiha.
But would that be right?
"The last thing Fugaku wants is for the village to distrust the Uchiha clan. If he truly did this, Hiruzen, Koharu, and I would all become extremely wary and suspicious of his cunning."
Homura Mitokado shook his head again.
It couldn't be the Hyūga clan, could it? For instance, the Hyūga Main Family members imprisoned by Ikeizumi Uchiha in the Konoha jail?
They hated Ikeizumi Uchiha intensely, but they lacked the strength to fight him, so they enacted this scheme?
That's wrong, too.
Sarutobi Nadeshiko was once one of Hiruzen's two right-hands; she herself was a highly capable Jōnin. There was almost no one in the Hyūga clan capable of instantly killing her!
Unless it was Hiashi Hyūga, the clan head, who personally made the move. But he was currently in the Konoha jail, with dedicated guards watching him.
Homura Mitokado shook his head. The hidden culprit had not yet exposed their hand, and he couldn't deduce any useful information for the time being.
"Still, Hiruzen's approach is a bit extreme."
Homura Mitokado murmured, "Koharu mistakenly believes she's going after Ikeizumi Uchiha, which will inevitably cause her to offend him. Hiruzen has unintentionally dug a hole for Koharu this time."
"Though, given her level of disgust toward Ikeizumi Uchiha, she probably won't care if she offends him anyway."
Homura Mitokado considered whether he should warn Koharu Utatane.
But then he remembered that Hiruzen Sarutobi was still suspicious of her.
I should just silently observe how the situation develops!
"Who would have thought that with Ikeizumi Uchiha gone from the village, things would actually become more chaotic—"
He muttered to himself helplessly.
Clang! Two kunai clashed in mid-air. Ikeizumi Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan flashed red. She quickly ducked, evading the blade that a Root ninja slashed at her.
Then, she stabbed upward with her ninja blade, the sharp edge slicing through the enemy's mask, revealing an ordinary-looking face.
Ikeizumi gave a light cry, braced herself with one hand on the ground, and kicked upward.
The Root ninja was caught off guard, taking a fierce kick to the abdomen.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
The Root ninja's face paled as he covered his abdomen and stumbled backward repeatedly. Large drops of sweat beaded on his forehead, and the look in his eyes toward Ikeizumi Uchiha was one of shock and apprehension.
Was this brat truly only twelve years old? Did she really graduate from the Academy only recently?
Koharu-sama had ordered him to apprehend Ikeizumi Uchiha, but he hadn't expected to encounter such a tough opponent! Both he and Koharu-sama had underestimated this Uchiha girl.
"Hah—"
Gaining a moment to breathe, Ikeizumi tightly gripped the hilt of her ninja blade. She stared at the Root ninja ahead and immediately challenged him, "Are you in Root finally trying to plunge entirely into the abyss of darkness? What is the purpose of Root attacking me? Does it have something to do with Ikeizumi-senpai?"
The Root ninja ignored her, simply biting his thumb with a cold face and slamming his palms onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The next second.
A massive ninja dog suddenly appeared. Under the Root ninja's command, the hound immediately lunged toward Ikeizumi Uchiha.
A pitch-black venomous snake bit down hard on the shoulder of a Root Special Jōnin.
Anko Mitarashi quickly spun around, using a kunai to block the surprise attack from another Root ninja behind her.
Several more venomous snakes wriggled out of her sleeve.
They lunged at the Root ninja who had ambushed her.
Anko Mitarashi hadn't expected to be attacked by Root ninja twice in just two days! If she hadn't rested well last night and conserved her strength, she likely would have been defeated in one blow by the two Root ninja's surprise attack.
This sparked an inexplicable anger in Anko Mitarashi's heart.
Are these guys in Root never going to stop?!
What is that shortsighted old hag, Koharu Utatane, even thinking? Is she really trying to become an enemy of Absolute Justice?
After blocking the Root ninja's attack again, a possibility suddenly struck her. While grappling with the opponent, she frowned and demanded, "Are you attacking more than just me? Did that old woman, Koharu Utatane, take advantage of Ikeizumi's absence to attack Ikeizumi and Sasuke too!?"
Unfortunately.
Root ninja were always taciturn. Even though the personnel had been replaced, the style persisted.
Neither of the two Root ninja surrounding Anko Mitarashi answered her question.
But this only deepened Anko's anxiety.
Because she felt she was right!
"It's likely not Advisor Koharu," Yamato, who had been dispatched by Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived at the Sarutobi compound and found Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He bowed his head and reported to the Hokage, "The ANBU squad I lead has been observing the movements of the Root organization."
"For now, we haven't found any suspicious activities from Root."
Yamato paused, then continued, "Also, Hokage-sama. The Root ninja seem to be going too far. I don't know if Advisor Koharu deliberately authorized it, but the methods they are using to bring back ninja who follow Absolute Justice to the Root base are especially aggressive."
"Hokage-sama, should we intervene to stop Root's actions?"
"No need." Hiruzen Sarutobi, his aged face stern, shook his head. "Until the mastermind is revealed, as long as Root and Ikeizumi's subordinates don't cause fatalities, ANBU will not intervene."
Yamato looked like he wanted to speak but stopped, feeling that this approach was improper.
The Hokage was using Koharu Utatane and Ikeizumi Uchiha as bait to lure out the rat.
Logically, as Hokage, his actions were correct.
Even if Koharu Utatane found out she was being used later, she likely wouldn't say much.
The problem is—
Can the Hokage guarantee that Ikeizumi Uchiha won't take offense?
Yamato felt that the Hokage was being too hasty.
He was playing with fire.
If done well, this fire could burn the mastermind to the ground; if handled poorly, it could backfire badly.
"Continue to observe the movements of everyone in the village," Hiruzen Sarutobi's words pulled Yamato out of his thoughts.
A flicker of complexity crossed Yamato's masked face.
But due to his position, he ultimately did not warn Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Meanwhile.
Just as the two Root ninja were about to bring Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyūga to the Root base, a strikingly tall figure suddenly appeared before them.
The pupils of the two Root ninja narrowed slightly.
"The Sannin—Jiraiya!!!"
Jiraiya, blocking their path, gave a light cough. "That's right! I—am the great Sage Jiraiya!"
Then, Jiraiya's gaze fell on the struggling Sasuke and the unconscious Neji.
Jiraiya said gravely, "There's no need to be so rough with two children, is there? I heard you say at the Academy that this was the Hokage's order. Can you tell me what happened?"
The two Root ninja exchanged glances.
"Jiraiya, this is not your concern." Just then, a sudden voice rang out behind Jiraiya.
When Jiraiya turned around, he saw Koharu Utatane approaching, protected by two Root guards.
Koharu spoke directly, recounting the events of the day in front of Jiraiya.
She then continued, "That is why this old woman ordered her subordinates to apprehend these two brats."
Jiraiya was stunned.
The Old Man's daughter-in-law—
Was killed?!
"Wait a minute—" Jiraiya tried to sort out the chaotic thoughts in his head as he spoke. "If I recall correctly, Ikeizumi Uchiha's eyes can see the evil in others. His killing the Old Man's daughter-in-law... doesn't that imply the Old Man's daughter-in-law was actually a—"
"Jiraiya."
Koharu Utatane cut Jiraiya off. "Hiruzen's decision this time has two possible interpretations."
"First: Sarutobi Nadeshiko was innocent, but Ikeizumi Uchiha mistakenly killed her. His eyes couldn't be infallible forever. In his rage, Hiruzen decided to completely purge Absolute Justice."
"Second: Sarutobi Nadeshiko was not innocent, but Hiruzen is using this opportunity to eliminate Absolute Justice. He finally realized that Absolute Justice will only harm Konoha."
"Vengeance for a loved one is an excellent excuse. Even if Hiruzen doesn't have the moral high ground of justice, no one can fault him much."
Jiraiya: "..."
For some reason, he saw a hint of fanaticism in the eyes of the Konoha Elder Advisor before him.
Jiraiya strongly felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't thinking this way.
But his knowledge of the situation was limited to Koharu Utatane's account.
For a moment, he couldn't logically deduce the truth.
"Advisor Koharu, is there a possibility?" Jiraiya suddenly asked. "Is someone deliberately trying to provoke the Old Man and Ikeizumi Uchiha? Is someone intentionally framing Ikeizumi Uchiha?"
Regardless of the reasoning, he needed to save Sasuke Uchiha, the alleged Child of Prophecy.
If Sasuke were subjected to Root's interrogation process...
Jiraiya felt that by the time Sasuke Uchiha walked out,
He'd probably be completely broken!
"Absolutely impossible."
Koharu Utatane said coldly, "Who in the village doesn't know of Ikeizumi Uchiha's various exploits? Knowing him so well, who in the village would dare to frame him?"
Though slightly displeased, Koharu still conceded, "After all—with that extremist justice brat's ability, he can easily expose anyone who tries to frame him."
Hmm...
That did make some sense.
A sudden thought flashed through Jiraiya's mind, and he presented another possibility: "What if it was someone from another village?!"
Jiraiya took a deep breath. "The Third Great Ninja War only ended recently!"
Koharu Utatane was momentarily stunned.
"Another village—"
Koharu stubbornly insisted, "What capability would an outside ninja have to infiltrate the Sarutobi compound? That is supposedly one of the most heavily guarded places in Konoha; after all, Hiruzen, the Hokage, resides there after finishing work."
But as she spoke, she trailed off.
Both Koharu Utatane and Jiraiya fell into silence.
In their brief, sharp exchange, both sides simultaneously came to the same conclusion—perhaps someone was cooperating with an outside force to act from the inside!
Furthermore, this person must be extremely familiar with the Sarutobi clan, quite possibly even a clan member themselves.
Because only then would such a feat be possible!
Koharu Utatane was silent.
Just as Jiraiya secretly breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a strange, ominous premonition. When he couldn't help but follow that feeling and look up.
Jiraiya's pupils constricted.
BANG!!!
A deafening crash, accompanied by rolling clouds of smoke, spread in all directions.
Tsunade's voice rang out from within the rising dust.
"The brat is gone for one day, and the old fools crawl out to cause trouble."
Tsunade looked at Koharu Utatane with cold eyes.
"Release the boy."
She commanded.
......................
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