Absolute Justice: Uchiha’s Crusade

The Root ninja stood frozen, too shocked to utter another word—for Danzō had once again been instantly engulfed by the Heaven's Punishment Flame.

And this Root ninja knew well the consequences of using the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal'.

Success or failure…

The price was the same: the caster's own life—

To summon the arrival of the Shinigami!

This was one of the most dangerous S-rank forbidden techniques recorded in Konoha's Sealing Scrolls.

While the Root ninja hesitated—

He suddenly noticed that his two companions around him were eyeing him with sharp, predatory gazes.

The Root ninja Gen gritted his teeth hard.

He took a deep breath.

Then his hands began weaving signs at blinding speed.

And just as Danzō activated Izanagi once more—

Gen slammed his hands together with everything he had.

Chakra was instantly drained from his body—more than half in a single breath.

His cheeks visibly caved in from the depletion.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!!"

Danzō sensed nothing amiss.

But Gen's entire body seized up in an instant.

A chilling cold surged behind him, freezing him to the bone.

When his eyes shifted slightly backward—

A massive, ghastly shadow of the Shinigami was reflected in his vision.

This…

Was…

The Shinigami?!

The Root ninja's eyes went wide.

That eerie, curse-covered arm of the Shinigami pierced straight through his torso without warning—

And then extended forward to seize Danzō.

The Shinigami's power pierced through Danzō's flesh—

And slowly began to drag his soul out from within.

"Wait…" Danzō rasped, forcing out the words. "Wait four seconds… until… Izanagi ends…"

Four seconds.

Gone in a blink.

Under the strain of Gen's dying willpower, the spectral Shinigami opened its mouth and spit out a short blade.

Its other arm took the blade in hand—

The hulking, ghostly figure leaned forward and, without hesitation, slashed downward at Danzō's soul—aiming for his legs.

But the strike landed too high.

It nearly sliced Danzō's soul in half at the waist.

The searing pain tore through his essence—Danzō's eyes bulged wider than ever before.

"Seal…"

"Seal it!!!"

At the very instant Gen shouted his final word—

The moment his life was snuffed out—

The severed legs of Danzō's soul, gripped by the Shinigami's hand, suddenly burst into crimson flame.

The Heaven's Punishment Flame flared to life.

And in that blazing instant—

The monstrous face of the Shinigami visibly twisted in surprise.

Its hollow eyes seemed to flicker with a flicker of… human confusion.

Meanwhile—

Another Root ninja reacted with lightning speed.

With a swift slash of his ninja blade, he severed Danzō's legs from his body, then quickly grabbed his upper torso and pulled him away—separating Danzō from his legs.

In the next instant, the severed legs of Danzō's physical body burst into flames—engulfed by the Heaven's Punishment Flame!

"Danzō-sama, it worked!"

The Root ninja holding the bloodstained blade let out a sigh of relief as he bowed his head to report.

But before Danzō could breathe his own sigh of relief—

The searing agony of the flames returned with full force, assaulting his spirit and will without mercy.

His entire mind went blank.

"Gh—Why... why does it still—AAGGHHHH!!"

His legs—both body and soul—had clearly been severed.

And yet that soul-searing pain still clung to him.

It was like some incurable curse, latched onto his very being—impossible to expel.

Even though the Heaven's Punishment Flame and the legs of his soul had been sealed inside the Shinigami, the sensation—the connection—remained unbroken.

Or perhaps—

The power of the Heaven's Punishment Flame surpassed even that of the Shinigami.

Not even the seal of the god of death could block out that soul-burning torment!

That searing flame of absolute justice was still incinerating every sin and transgression on Danzō's body—

Without pause. Without mercy. Every second.

Not giving him a moment's breath.

The Root ninja still gripping the bloodstained blade stood frozen, realization dawning—

Danzō had rejoiced too soon.

And that clever move of his might've led to even worse torment.

Uchiha Keizumi's dōjutsu…

Was it truly… without weakness?!

Not long after—

The ANBU dispatched by Sarutobi Hiruzen finally arrived.

But what greeted their eyes was not a barely-escaped Shimura Danzō—

It was half of Danzō. His lower body was nowhere to be found.

And this half of Danzō…

Was writhing in a level of pain they could hardly imagine.

His agonized howls were no less than the wailing of a demon from the depths of hell.

They even heard his screams laced with desperate, broken cries:

"Why… how is this possible…"

"I can't take this anymore…"

"Kill me already…"

Despair. Fear. Madness.

The chilling tone of his voice made the ANBU instinctively recoil.

This man… the Root of Konoha—

Was he… still sane?

"…Danzō. We'll take it from here."

One of the ANBU glanced at the two fallen Root ninja nearby, then turned to the remaining two, who stood frozen and at a loss.

He immediately crouched down to apply medical ninjutsu to what was left of Danzō.

Not to heal him completely—

But at least to slow the bleeding.

One of the two surviving Root members suddenly cut in coldly, his voice edged with suspicion: "What are you planning to do to Danzō-sama?"

The ANBU ninja replied with a blank expression, "This is an order from the Hokage. And more importantly... Shimura Danzō is no longer the leader of Root. He is no longer your superior. Under these circumstances—are you two still planning to stop us?"

The Root ninja fell silent.

"…"

...

Outside the Yamanaka Clan compound—

Nearly a thousand Konoha shinobi who had gathered after being drawn by the commotion, gradually dispersed once they realized the conflict had finally come to an end.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Fugaku, his tone laden with implication as he spoke with a sigh, "Fugaku... thank you for standing on my side tonight."

Fugaku's Sharingan had already faded, returning to its original form.

His expression was complex as he replied, "Hokage-sama, this is what the Uchiha Clan ought to do. I have never wished for internal strife in Konoha. If Keizumi ever crosses the line, I will do everything in my power to stop him."

"After all... Keizumi's sense of justice is ultimately his own version of absolute justice—

not the justice of Konoha. That boy often does not place the village first."

Fugaku paused, then continued, "As the head of the Uchiha Clan, I failed to restrain my clansman properly. That is my fault."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, signaling that Fugaku need not apologize.

Let alone Fugaku—

Even he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, couldn't control Keizumi.

He understood better than anyone how ungovernable Keizumi could be.

He reached out and patted Fugaku's shoulder.

"I hope you're worthy of this old man's trust, Fugaku."

With those parting words, Hiruzen couldn't help but cast a complicated glance toward Uchiha Keizumi standing not far ahead.

Tonight...

Was fated to be another sleepless night.

Yamanaka Inoichi finally emerged from the ruins of the Yamanaka Clan compound.

A crowd of elderly and young clan members followed behind him.

He picked up his terrified daughter, Yamanaka Ino, into his arms.

This man—normally one of the most stern and composed jōnin of Konoha—now wore a face full of lingering fear.

It was clear he had feared that his clan would become collateral damage in this night's conflict.

After setting Ino down, Inoichi took her by the hand and quickly walked up behind Uchiha Keizumi.

"...Keizumi!"

Uchiha Keizumi paused slightly in his step and turned to face him.

"Thank you."

From the shattered scene around them, Inoichi could tell that Keizumi had held back when using Lava Release.

It was Wind Release that had caused the most damage to the surroundings.

At the very least, the lava had not reached the Yamanaka compound.

"No matter how you choose to carry out your so-called Absolute Justice in Konoha in the future—

The Yamanaka Clan will support you."

Inoichi spoke with unwavering sincerity.

...

"Daddy, who is he…?"

Standing beside Yamanaka Inoichi, the young Ino watched Uchiha Keizumi turn and walk away. Her small face full of confusion, she couldn't help but whisper the question to her father.

Inoichi withdrew his gaze and replied calmly, "His name is Uchiha Keizumi."

After a brief pause, he crouched down to meet his seven-year-old daughter at eye level, his voice serious and gentle. "Ino, sometimes the adults in our village make mistakes. But Uchiha Keizumi is different. His beliefs and convictions won't allow him to make mistakes that violate justice."

Inoichi sighed with deep emotion. "Because… he's one of the few truly good men left in Konoha. He might use extreme methods that you don't understand yet, but those methods will never be aimed at the innocent."

A faint smile appeared on Inoichi's usually stern face. "So, Ino, when you grow up… you must also be a kind person."

Ino nodded, half-understanding.

Then, unable to stop herself, she turned and looked back at the now-ruined place they used to call home, her voice aggrieved. "But… where are we going to sleep tonight?"

Seeing the terrifying gashes and ravines carved into the Yamanaka compound by wind blades, a shadow passed through Inoichi's eyes.

He'd never liked Danzō or the Root division to begin with.

Now, his opinion of Root had plummeted well into the negative.

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