THE EVIL OF UCHIHA BYAKUYA

Jiraiya's chakra had been thoroughly sealed, and after suffering another round of beatings, he was no longer capable of resisting. The Uchiha clan shinobi restrained him to a wooden cross, and at Byakuya's order, a wooden placard was placed at his feet. Written boldly on it was:

"Public Offense: Repeated Acts of Perversion – Offender: Jiraiya of the Sannin"

With that, the group escorted him into the bustling heart of Konoha's commercial district.

As soon as they arrived, Jiraiya's presence drew immediate attention.

"Hey, what's going on there?"

"Those are Uchiha clan shinobi... is that who I think it is?!"

Crowds began to gather quickly, drawn by curiosity. A few Leaf Village shinobi pushed their way forward, trying to get a closer look.

"It's Master Jiraiya!"

"That's really Jiraiya-sama!"

Seeing the legendary Sannin displayed in such a humiliating fashion, many onlookers were shocked. A few Leaf-nin who had once accompanied Jiraiya on missions shouted in disbelief.

"What are you doing? How dare you treat one of the Sannin like this?!"

"Unseal him immediately! He's the Hokage's student—this must be a mistake!"

One Leaf-nin, unable to hold back his anger, reached for his kunai.

But Uchiha En, standing guard, stepped forward coldly. "Stand down. Do you intend to interfere with official actions of the Konoha Military Police?"

"Police?! Against Master Jiraiya?! What crime could justify this!?"

"He's no criminal!"

"Jiraiya-sama is the disciple of the Third Hokage, and a hero of the village!"

Uchiha En narrowed his eyes and raised the placard for all to see.

"Jiraiya is being punished for repeated incidents of peeping into the women's hot springs, violating public decency and shaming the name of the shinobi."

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment. That accusation... wasn't entirely unbelievable.

A few civilians muttered, "Well… he is known to write those adult novels…"

"…And I've seen him sneaking around the bathhouse before…"

"Still! Public humiliation?! Isn't that too much?" one shinobi barked.

"The Uchiha Police Force serves to uphold the laws of Konoha—regardless of status or fame," En said firmly. "The Will of Fire does not excuse perversion."

"As long as the Uchiha stand guard, even the Sannin are accountable to justice!"

Surprisingly, murmurs of support rippled through the crowd.

"Well said! No one is above the law."

"I always said those Icha Icha books were a bad influence..."

"I never liked that old perv!"

"And what if my daughter had been in the bathhouse!?"

Suddenly, a few furious women from the bathhouse district shoved their way to the front.

"You're the one who's been peeping? You shameless old man!"

"Teach him a lesson!"

Still bound and unable to move, Jiraiya was helpless as the angry crowd descended on him. Vegetable leaves, rotten fruit, and eggs rained down on the humiliated Sannin. His hair was pulled, his face scratched, and his dignity torn apart.

The shinobi who once sought to defend him looked on helplessly. Against the tide of public outrage, they could only retreat in silence, their expressions grim.

[Detected intense emotional fluctuation from Jiraiya. Negative Energy +2000. Chakra +110.]

[Jiraiya's humiliation surges. Negative Energy +3000. Ninjutsu +140. Acquired Senjutsu Art: Goemon.]

[Jiraiya's fury deepens. Negative Energy +2000. Genjutsu +170. Acquired Senjutsu Art: Thousand Needles.]

Byakuya stood in the distance, arms crossed, observing the spectacle with a calm smile on his face. The negative emotions spreading through the crowd were like a feast to him.

"Not bad… not bad at all. I actually gained a few useful techniques out of this mess..."

[Sensed Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury – Negative Emotion +300 | Taijutsu Proficiency +20]

He tilted his head slightly, feeling a familiar chakra signature from afar. His crimson eyes narrowed.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi... watching from the Hokage Building, aren't you?"

Sure enough, through the reflection of a nearby shop window, Byakuya caught the subtle shimmer of Hiruzen's Telescope Technique. The Third Hokage was watching everything unfold from his office.

"Heh... old man, let's season your day with a little chaos."

With a flick of his wrist, Byakuya threw a kunai high into the air—not aimed to kill, but calculated precisely to graze Jiraiya and draw more attention.

"Agh—who threw that!?"

Jiraiya, still bound and chakra-sealed on the cross, let out a surprised grunt as the kunai nicked his shoulder. Already humiliated by the public display and the rotting produce hurled at him, this small injury only intensified the spectacle.

He was helpless—stripped of his chakra, restrained in public, and now wounded.

Up in the Hokage Building, Hiruzen's eyes widened for a brief moment before he scowled and pulled away from the window.

[Sensed Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury – Negative Emotion +400 | Taijutsu +20]

[Sensed Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury – Negative Emotion +500 | Ninjutsu +25]

[Sensed Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury – Negative Emotion +600 | Genjutsu +30]

Byakuya chuckled darkly to himself.

"This… is entertainment."

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Office…

Minato Namikaze slammed his hands on the desk, his calm demeanor cracking.

"Hokage-sama! We have to help Jiraiya-sensei—he's being humiliated out there!"

Hiruzen, silent for a moment, shook his head slowly. Though Minato's loyalty and urgency were genuine, Hiruzen's thoughts were elsewhere.

If Jiraiya had only been imprisoned, a swift, quiet rescue might have been manageable. But with the Uchiha parading him through the village, the matter had become too public—too volatile.

With Byakuya gaining political momentum in the village, Hiruzen's own image had already taken a hit. He knew that appearing now, at this moment, would only invite further mockery from his enemies and embolden Byakuya to publicly challenge him again.

He clenched his pipe but did not light it.

"No," he said firmly. "Let him endure this. Perhaps this will teach him to act with more discretion."

"But—!"

"That's my final word," Hiruzen cut in. "A ninja must take responsibility. He's drawn too much attention lately, and this… is the consequence."

Minato's fists trembled, but he said nothing more. Hiruzen calmly placed his hand on the crystal ball, deactivating the scrying technique.

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