Chapter 117: The Leaf Village Shakes! Third Hokage Nearly Killed by Zetsu! (10,000-Word Epic Chapter)

After forcing himself to tear his gaze away from Uchiha Iizumi, Kakashi couldn’t help but glance at the wreckage before him.

The scene was horrifying.

A vast area resembled a volcanic caldera, its surface a churning sea of molten lava. Thick, acrid smoke curled upward into the sky. Everywhere Kakashi looked, flames roared, their intense heat making even he, a seasoned ninja, feel physically unwell.

Deep, jagged craters scarred the ground—some so wide they defied estimation, others so deep they vanished into darkness. The forest had been utterly obliterated. From above, the landscape would appear as a barren, lifeless wasteland.

Littering the ground were bodies—each one horribly mangled. Some were missing limbs, others only had half a torso or a severed head. One corpse was little more than a charred husk; another had a massive hole torn through its chest.

“Huh… huff… huff…”

A faint, ragged breath caught Kakashi’s attention. He turned toward the sound—and froze.

There was still one survivor.

And Uchiha Iizumi had left him alive.

The man was barely breathing. His limbs were grotesquely twisted, his bones clearly shattered beyond repair. Kakashi’s instincts screamed: if he wasn’t treated immediately by a medical ninja, he’d die within minutes.

But even then, it was likely too late.

There’s no saving him.

Even Maito Kai, usually so boisterous, now wore a solemn expression.

“Kakashi… look over there,” Maito Kai suddenly said, voice low. “Check the lower half of the corpse’s waist.”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, following the direction.

His Three Tomoe Sharingan flared—iris contracting sharply.

There, tied around the waist of the corpse pierced through the chest, was a sash.

And on it—embroidered in bold red thread—a single character: “Fire”.

The Fire.

It burned into Kakashi’s vision.

“…This is…” Kakashi inhaled sharply.

Maito Kai nodded, his usual fiery energy gone. His voice was grave. “This is the sash of the Daimyō of Fire Country. Only those who serve as the Guardian Ninja Twelve are allowed to wear it.”

He paused.

Then, the words dropped like stones.

“Which means… they were the Guardian Ninja Twelve.”

At that moment, Uchiha Iizumi slowly withdrew his arm from the corpse’s chest. The body collapsed, lifeless.

The massive, battered Ninja Cat Tachibana Jiro, who had been towering like a beast of war, suddenly deflated—shrinking rapidly until it returned to normal size.

Once small, Tachibana Jiro kicked viciously at the mangled remains of the corpse it had torn apart, teeth bared in pain and fury.

“Ow! Meow! I’m killed! That bastard used Fire Release on my bell! That’s low! I should’ve crushed you for that!”

The cat yowled, clutching its side. “I just sat on my butt in time to put the fire out! That Daimyō’s lapdog got off way too easy! Ow! Still hurts! Aaaahhh!”

Kakashi: “….”

Maito Kai: “….”

The cat’s ranting, combined with its near-death experience, shattered the grim, oppressive atmosphere.

And the phrase—“Daimyō of Fire Country’s lapdog”—sent a chill through both of them.

They now knew for certain: these bodies were the Guardian Ninja Twelve.

“One… two… five… six…” Kakashi silently counted the corpses. Cold sweat dripped down his temples.

He hadn’t counted eleven.

But some had likely been vaporized by the lava’s heat—leaving no remains.

The Guardian Ninja Twelve of the Daimyō of Fire Country…

They were all dead.

—

Swoosh… swoosh… rustle…

A flurry of movement broke the silence.

Anbu Ninjas arrived—swift, silent, in full gear.

“Kakashi Captain?” One of them, recognizing the white hair and distinctive eye, stepped forward. His eyes darted across the devastation.

He swallowed hard. “Captain… what happened here? Who are these corpses?”

“I don’t know the full story,” Kakashi said, his voice tight. “But I do know they’re almost certainly the Guardian Ninja Twelve of the Daimyō of Fire Country.”

The Anbu froze.

“WHAT?!”

The word echoed across the clearing.

One Anbu rushed to examine a corpse. When he saw the face—pale, burned, but unmistakable—he gasped.

“…It’s Xidu! One of the Guardian Ninja Twelve!”

Another bent down. “This one… this is Dongmao!”

All eyes snapped to Uchiha Iizumi.

They had seen the battle from afar—knew he’d been fighting an unknown force.

But they never imagined that force was the Guardian Ninja Twelve.

Elite jonin-level warriors—all dead.

By Uchiha Iizumi’s hand.

In mere moments.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Uchiha Iizumi said, his body now free of the molten aura. He stood there—his clothes slightly singed, hair disheveled, as if nothing had happened.

“From the moment they chose to harbor malice and ambush me, they fell into the abyss of evil. They were doomed to be purged by Absolute Justice.”

The Anbu stood frozen.

What?

They were supposed to be protecting the village.

Yet they’d laid a trap for Uchiha Iizumi—on Leaf Village’s outskirts.

And now, they were dead.

And the man who killed them spoke of justice like it was inevitable.

“Wait!” One Anbu snapped out of his shock. His mask tilted, voice trembling. “One of them—Hiruzen Asama! He was part of the Guardian Twelve! Was he involved in this ambush?!”

Uchiha Iizumi didn’t flinch.

“Yes,” he said plainly. “He was the mastermind. If you want proof, go check over there.”

As if he’d just eliminated a common criminal—not the son of the Third Hokage.

The Anbu went silent.

Kakashi’s palms were slick with sweat.

Not just him—every Anbu Ninja in the clearing was trembling.

Hiruzen Asama… the Third Hokage’s son…

Maito Kai rubbed his chin, frowning. “He shares the same surname as the Hokage…”

Kakashi’s voice, quiet and heavy, cut through the air. “He is the Hokage’s second son.”

Maito Kai’s eyes widened.

…Wait. What?

—

Inside Hokage Tower.

“Hiruzen,” Tsunade Konoha said, watching the smoke fade in the distance. “It’s over.”

She didn’t move. She didn’t need to.

The Third Hokage stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Fast start. Fast end. But we don’t know the cost.”

She sighed, feigning concern. “I don’t particularly care for young men like Uchiha Iizumi. They’re too extreme. They don’t listen. They act on impulse. Their actions only bring chaos to the village.”

She paused.

“But… in the end, he’s still a Leaf Ninja. I’d hate to see him lost.”

Hiruzen didn’t respond.

He knew she was lying.

Her words were hollow. Polite. Empty.

The Third Hokage’s face was grim.

“We’ll know the truth when the Anbu return.”

That was all he said.

Because even he didn’t feel relief.

Instead, a deep, gnawing dread grew in his chest.

A sense of foreboding.

A cold weight in his heart.

“Something’s wrong…” he murmured, gripping the wooden railing at the tower’s peak.

His fingers tightened.

The wood groaned.

He couldn’t calm down. His mind raced.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

—

On a rooftop in the village.

“…No more movement,” a female ninja said, lowering her binoculars. She grinned at her friend. “Red, your childhood crush—wasn’t he back recently? I saw you two talking. Did he finally ask you out?”

Yuisaki Akane, now a senior ninja, blinked. “What? No! We’re just friends! The village isn’t that big—there are plenty of guys I’ve grown up with.”

The other ninja smirked. “You’re twenty-two! When are you gonna settle down? Hiruzen Asama seems like a good choice—he’s the Hokage’s son!”

“And you’ve been meeting him in secret. He must like you! How could he not?”

Akane’s brow furrowed. She didn’t reply.

Because Asama had approached her.

She’d been shocked. Had even rehearsed excuses to refuse him—she wasn’t ready for love, not before becoming a full ninja.

But he hadn’t come to confess.

Instead, he’d said:

> “Akane… I’m about to do something no one else dares. If it succeeds… one of the worms eating away at the Leaf will be gone.”

>

> “The old man doesn’t know. But he’ll understand. I hope you do too.”

>

> “Honestly… I wasn’t nervous at first. But after gathering intel, I am. But it’s too late to turn back. Once you’ve made a choice… you have to see it through.”

>

> “Meet me tomorrow. Same place. You won’t refuse, will you?”

The words echoed in her mind.

She exhaled slowly.

Something bad is going to happen.

—

In the Ninja Academy.

Naruto’s face was pale with worry.

“Izumi-sensei… he’s not gonna die, right?” he whispered.

Izumi had told them: “Izumi-san’s in a fight with enemies. I’m going outside to help. Naruto, Sasuke—stay here.”

Sasuke, his neck still marked by a bruise, spoke with quiet certainty.

“He’ll be fine. Izumi-sensei is strong.”

He wasn’t just strong.

He was the man his mother trusted with her son’s safety.

He was the one even Fugaku Clan Head couldn’t control.

And Sasuke believed—Uchiha Itachi had fled not just because of Naruto’s interference.

But because he felt Izumi-sensei’s presence.

That meant…

He was someone Itachi feared.

Sasuke believed in him.

Uchiha Iizumi wouldn’t die.

—

Uchiha Compound.

“Setsuna-sama,” a young Uchiha whispered, pacing. “The noise has stopped. Should we go now? If Iizumi’s injured… we could save him!”

“No.”

Uchiha Setsuna’s face was stone.

“The Anbu are already there. And with such a disturbance… if we show up, what do you think the elders will think?”

He turned, voice cold.

“Our plan is not yet in motion. Any rash action now will only make the situation worse. We must remain still. Let them lower their guard.”

The young ninja clenched his fists.

“Dammit! If it weren’t for the elders’ prejudice… we wouldn’t be stuck like this!”

Setsuna felt a flicker of relief.

They still want to fight.

That meant the Uchiha spirit wasn’t dead.

And he—Uchiha Setsuna—would be the one to save them.

—

Back at the battlefield.

The Anbu finally found Hiruzen Asama’s body.

The sight silenced them all.

His body was torn—bloodied, chest blown open by a massive burn. His face—familiar, even in death.

He was the only son of the Third Hokage.

And now, he was dead.

Killed by Uchiha Iizumi.

The Anbu stared.

How can the Hokage take this?

They knew what they were supposed to do.

Apprehend Uchiha Iizumi. Deliver him to the Hokage.

But that only made sense if Uchiha Iizumi was guilty.

But Asama was the one who started it.

He’d led a trap. He’d tried to assassinate a fellow Leaf Ninja.

That was worse than any crime committed by the Shimura Clan.

Uchiha Iizumi had a just cause.

The Yamanaka Clan had confirmed it.

But Asama?

What excuse did he have?

Revenge? His brother was already declared a criminal.

No justification.

They searched for one—any.

But found nothing.

Then—movement.

From the trees.

A girl in Uchiha Police Force attire stepped out.

Behind her—hundreds of Ninja Cats.

“Iizumi-sensei!”

“Iizumi-sama!”

The chorus was instant.

The Anbu recognized her—Uchiha Izumi, the girl who followed Uchiha Iizumi everywhere.

She let out a breath.

He’s alive.

Her tense face relaxed.

But when she saw Tachibana Jiro—wounded, bleeding, limping—her heart sank.

That battle… was brutal.

She’d never seen the cat like this.

“Tachibana Jiro-sama!” The cats cried, some in human speech, others in frantic meows.

“Stop it, you little brats!” Tachibana Jiro swatted one aside. “Don’t touch my wounds! It hurts!”

The scene was devastating.

Izumi hesitated—then spoke.

“I’m sorry, Sensei. I came too late.”

Uchiha Iizumi looked at her, expression unreadable.

“You overestimate yourself. Your Justice is still weak.”

She blushed. He’s still the same.

Uchiha Iizumi turned.

“Go back. Your duty is to enforce Absolute Justice in the village. Not to chase battles outside it.”

He started to leave.

The Anbu stared.

Does he not realize… he just killed the Hokage’s son?

One Anbu stepped forward.

“Uchiha Iizumi! You should stay! The Hokage must be told! You killed eleven elite ninja—and the Hokage’s second son!”

Izumi’s eyes widened.

Wait… what?

Asama… was the one who led the ambush?

Uchiha Iizumi didn’t turn.

“Give the bodies to the Yamanaka Clan. They’ll give the Third Hokage a reasonable explanation. If he refuses… come and ask me yourself.”

Tachibana Jiro limped after him, licking its wounds.

“Third Hokage sent Iizumi-sama on an S-Rank mission… and his own son was waiting to kill him outside the village? How convenient.”

It snorted.

“Maybe he should explain why he let his son do this.”

“Or… maybe he was part of it.”

The Anbu fell silent.

It was too perfect.

Too… planned.

Was even their arrival timed?

Did the Hokage know?

They watched, helpless, as Uchiha Iizumi vanished into the trees.

No one moved.

Maito Kai took a step forward—then stopped.

Kakashi’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“No,” Kakashi said softly. “This isn’t our fight.”

He watched the fading silhouette.

“Just bring Asama’s body back. Inform the Hokage.”

Then, quietly:

“Uchiha Iizumi… he never kills without reason.”

The unspoken words hung in the air.

Asama was guilty.

Kakashi didn’t say it.

But Maito Kai heard it.

And he said nothing.

The Anbu began their work.

Some extinguished the fires. Others collected the bodies.

Kakashi and Maito Kai turned back toward the village.

—

Back in the village.

Izumi stood under the moonlight, whispering to the cats.

“They’ll think Iizumi-sensei killed the Hokage’s son for no reason. If the rumors spread… the people will turn against him.”

She clenched her fists.

“We have to tell the truth.”

Before the lies take root.

Before the village believes he’s a monster.

Because the truth was clear:

The Hokage’s son was the aggressor.

Uchiha Iizumi was the only one acting with justice.

—

Later.

Kakashi stood before the Hokage Tower.

“Hatake Kakashi,” Tsunade Konoha said, her nose wrinkling. “You’ve been outside. What happened?”

Kakashi took a breath.

“Uchiha Iizumi was ambushed. Eleven elite jonin. They were the Guardian Ninja Twelve of the Daimyō of Fire Country.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes flickered.

“And… one of them was your son. Hiruzen Asama.”

Silence.

Then—

“He paid for his crime,” Kakashi said. “He tried to assassinate a fellow Leaf Ninja.”

The Hokage didn’t move.

Then—his breathing grew ragged.

His face flushed.

His lips turned blue.

He staggered.

Kakashi caught him.

The Hokage gasped, whispering:

“…Asama… Asama…”

Tsunade stepped forward.

Then stopped.

“…Hiruzen?”

Kakashi felt it.

The Third Hokage—collapsed.

He’d fainted.

From grief.

From rage.

From loss.

—

The news spread.

By the next morning, the entire village knew.

“Hokage’s son led a trap to kill Uchiha Iizumi. Failed. Died.”

At first, disbelief.

Then, more voices.

Then—certainty.

The village shook.

—

Hyūga Clan.

Hyūga Hiashi exhaled slowly.

“Two sons… both dead by Uchiha Iizumi’s hand.”

He looked at the sky.

Could the Hokage still forgive him?

Even if the son was guilty?

He shuddered.

If I were the Hokage… I’d want him dead.

But he also respected Uchiha Iizumi’s Absolute Justice.

He’d killed the first son—even if it meant becoming a murderer in the eyes of the world.

Now the second son?

Same choice.

No mercy.

No exceptions.

Few could do what he did.

—

Uchiha Compound.

Fugaku stared at the ground.

He regretted everything.

He should’ve gone with his wife. We should’ve saved Asama.

Then the Hokage wouldn’t have lost two sons.

How would he see the Uchiha now?

He tried to separate Iizumi from the clan.

But it was too late.

The world would see them as one.

And the Hokage?

He’d never look at them the same.

Why did Asama have to be so reckless?

Why not just be a normal ninja?

“I… made a mistake,” Fugaku whispered.

He didn’t know what to do.

He felt trapped.

No matter what, I’m wrong.

—

Uchiha Itachi.

He stood at the edge of the compound.

He knew.

What Iizumi did… is pushing us toward war.

The extremists would see this as proof.

The village hates us.

They’d accelerate the coup.

But he wouldn’t let it happen.

“Zetsu,” he whispered. “I won’t let this happen.”

He gripped his sword.

“For the Leaf.”

—

Uchiha Setsuna.

He listened to the report.

His eyes narrowed.

The Hokage’s son… dead?

And Uchiha Iizumi killed them all?

He laughed.

Good.

Now the Hokage and Iizumi were at war.

If they destroyed each other…

Then I’ll take the throne.

He smiled.

Perfect.

—

Leaf Village Hospital.

Hiruzen Sarutobi lay in bed.

Still unconscious.

Hyūga Menji stood outside.

“Still no sign of waking?”

“No,” Kakashi said. “But he’s stable. Just… overwhelmed.”

Menji nodded.

“Anyone else would break. But he’s still human.”

He paused.

“Did you hear the rumors?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“The truth is, most of the village believes Asama deserved it.”

Menji sighed.

“Then… the Hokage must accept it.”

But he knew.

Even if the truth is clear… the pain… it won’t vanish.

—

Nara Clan Residence.

The bodies were brought here—because the Yamanaka’s home was still under reconstruction.

Nara Shikaku stared at Asama’s corpse.

He smiled bitterly.

“Damn… this is big. If not for Hiruzen Shintetsu’s unborn child… the Hiruzen line would’ve died.”

Yamana Haiichi spoke, calm.

“Iizumi is in the right. If the Hokage blames him… Yamanaka Clan won’t stand by.”

Shikaku looked at him.

“You haven’t even checked the memories.”

Haiichi nodded.

“Then I know.”

Shikaku clapped his shoulder.

“Pig, deer, and butterfly—we’re one. You’ve chosen. So will I. And Ding Zuo—he’ll stand with us too.”

—

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end