Chapter 121: Orochimaru's “Evil”! The Era of Leaf Village Has Changed (A 10,000-Word Masterpiece)

Deep within the Land of Fire.

“Orochimaru-sama, we’ve been instructed to keep a close watch on Uchiha Iizumi. He’s no longer in the Leaf Village. We’ve learned that Takeshita Street in the Land of Fire was subjected to a massive bloodbath yesterday. Reports say hundreds were killed—entire blocks turned crimson with blood. And the one responsible for this ‘tragedy’… was none other than Leaf Village’s so-called ‘Molten Release Beast’—Uchiha Iizumi!”

“We also uncovered something disturbing: nine years ago, Iizumi carried out a similar massacre in Takeshita Street. Back then, he only killed dozens. But this time? Hundreds. A hundred times worse.”

At that moment, Orochimaru had not yet begun planning the establishment of the Sound Village in the Land of the Wind. Yet, he had already gathered a loyal cadre of subordinates. After all, his many forbidden experiments could never be conducted alone.

Moreover, he held no trust in the Akatsuki. From the very first day he joined, he had already begun contemplating how he’d survive if he ever chose to break away from the organization.

After hearing his subordinate’s report, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, a flicker of amusement dancing in his gaze. He licked his dry lips and murmured, “Uchiha Iizumi… now there’s a boy who left a lasting impression. His unwavering belief in Absolute Justice… his extreme personality… I’ll admit, he once drove me to near madness.”

“Guess the old man couldn’t handle him anymore—banished him to spread his ‘chaos’ elsewhere? Or perhaps he finally lost control of that volatile nature, slaughtered half the village, and fled?”

Orochimaru did have spies embedded in Leaf Village—four of them, to be exact. But for reasons unknown, none had sent back a single message in a long while. Most likely, their identities had been exposed and they’d been captured.

So now, Orochimaru was left with only fragmented, half-baked intelligence about what was truly happening inside the Leaf.

“Go… contact the boy,” Orochimaru mused after a brief pause. “Tell him in person—I’m deeply intrigued by his Absolute Justice. If he’s truly without a place to go after leaving the village… well, if he’s willing, I can offer him a new home. A place where his beliefs would be fully accepted.”

He paused, then added with a chilling tone, “A place where others like him—those with equally strange, eccentric natures—might actually understand him. Make sure you tell him all of this. See if he’s interested.”

The subordinate froze. “Forgive me, Orochimaru-sama… why not simply capture him?”

“Hoh… capture him?” Orochimaru’s cold gaze swept over the man, barely concealing the urge to laugh. “Don’t let the power I granted you blind you to reality. You think just because you’ve been given strength, you can easily take down a man like him?”

“He’s the ‘Molten Release Beast’ who once fought in the Third Ninja War. At just nine years old, he killed a high-level ninja from an enemy village. Now he’s eighteen. If I wanted him, I could take him myself. But you? You? Don’t entertain such delusions.”

“Carry out my orders. Or I’ll waste no more breath on you.”

The subordinate felt a sudden, icy dread crawl up his spine. He shivered, snapping to attention. “Yes, Orochimaru-sama!”

Watching the man vanish into the shadows, Orochimaru’s lips curled into a faint, sinister smile.

“Uchiha Iizumi… let these worthless tools die so I can see just how strong you’ve become. You’ll always be my perfect vessel… without question.”

“Hoh… hoh… hoh…”

His chuckle echoed through the chamber—cold, cruel, and utterly devoid of mercy.

…

“Pfft—!!”

“What?!”

Not far from Takeshita Street, in a quiet little town of the Land of Fire, Jiraiya nearly spat out his sake. He shot to his feet, shoved past the table beside him, and squeezed between the startled patrons. As he pulled out a thick stack of cash, the guests’ grumbling expressions instantly melted into relief.

Jiraiya slapped the money down, forcing a casual grin. “Treat on me. Tell me—what exactly happened in Takeshita Street?”

With money as his weapon, Jiraiya instantly transformed into Information Jiraiya. He learned far more than he’d expected. His casual smile faltered—replaced by a grim, growing tension.

But beneath it all, shock. Pure, unfiltered disbelief.

Jiraiya returned to his table, fingers clutching his empty cup. His brow furrowed. “That kid… with his extreme personality… he could have killed hundreds. Especially in a place like Takeshita Street—infested with criminals and scum. But… hundreds? That’s absurd. Too much.”

“Old man didn’t restrain him at all? After all these years… couldn’t he have tamed that boy’s temper even a little? Unless… he let him run wild. Used Iizumi’s Absolute Justice as a weapon—something to scare off the village’s corrupt elements.”

“Now the kid’s gone completely out of control. It’s… it’s like old man Sarutobi made the same mistake twice—just like with Danzō.”

Jiraiya’s thoughts darkened. The possibility was too real. Hiruzen Sarutobi had a history. Danzō was proof of that. And Jiraiya knew the Third Hokage well enough to believe he could repeat his mistakes.

“No…” Jiraiya muttered, still seated, but already rising again before his back even touched the chair. He tossed a single coin onto the empty cup and strode toward the door, brow furrowed in thought.

“Kushina was definitely in Takeshita Street. Even though she’s retired from ninja affairs, she’d never stand by if some reckless idiot started slaughtering people. She’s too fiery for that.”

The more he thought, the more uneasy he felt. The only way to know the truth was to go there himself.

As for his original mission—tracking Orochimaru? A mass slaughter of hundreds in a single night was too massive to ignore. Right now, he had to prioritize.

Besides, Takeshita Street wasn’t far.

…

Half a day later.

“Pshhh—!”

The blade of Shun pierced through the chest of a Leaf Village ninja on a routine mission. The man trembled, grabbing the sword with both hands. But when the blade was twisted ever so slightly, his strength vanished instantly—his fingers were severed clean off.

As he collapsed, his vision darkening, he gasped, “W-why… we’re… from the same village…”

Uchiha Iizumi pulled the blade free, wiped it clean on his cloak, and slid it back into its sheath.

“Because you committed a crime. Nine years ago, during the Third Ninja War, you killed an entire family of five—just for your own pleasure.”

His voice was cold, emotionless. “Maybe that family asked the same thing—why? Why would a Leaf Village ninja, a fellow citizen of the Land of Fire, slaughter them?”

The dying ninja’s mind raced with regret. He never thought his sins from nine years ago would catch up with him like this. No one knew. No one ever asked. And yet… this man knew.

[Ping!] You’ve successfully eliminated a ‘Red Mark’ criminal! Your Chakra has been slightly amplified! Congratulations! You’ve obtained: “Shuriken Throwing Technique” Experience Book ×2!

“Real ninjas are so rarely good people, huh?” Tachibana Jiro mused, lounging beside Iizumi. They’d only been halfway to the capital of the Land of Fire when they’d run into five or six Leaf ninjas. Iizumi had spared three. The other three were now corpses, left to rot.

Of the three survivors, one had committed a lesser crime. Iizumi had severed one leg—no chance of full recovery.

Tachibana Jiro looked down at the dead man with disdain. “Criminals like this? I despise them. No pity. No mercy.”

Just as it was about to move on, it noticed Iizumi hadn’t budged.

Tachibana Jiro blinked. Before it could speak, Iizumi said flatly, “Leaf Village ninjas on missions usually travel in groups of two or three. Rarely alone.”

The words struck the cat like lightning.

“…You’re waiting for more?” Tachibana Jiro gasped. “You’re checking if the others have sins too?”

“Hmm.” Iizumi nodded. “Ninjas possess power far beyond ordinary people. When a criminal with that power lives on… the evil they’ll cause in the future will be far worse. More innocent lives will be destroyed.”

Before Tachibana Jiro could reply, a shout rang out from ahead.

“Ryōichirō! Me and Anko have been—”

The voice cut off abruptly.

A Leaf Village kunoichi had suddenly appeared. Her eyes widened in horror. Her gaze locked onto the scene before her: a Uchiha Police Force ninja standing over a corpse, blood gushing from the chest. Though the Investigation Corps ninja’s sword was sheathed, the blood splattered across his clothing was undeniable.

The body on the ground was her comrade—Ryōichirō.

She’d just witnessed a civil war among her own village.

“Who are you?!” she screamed, drawing her own blade and leaping back. Her eyes locked onto Iizumi’s face, terror etched into every line. “Why did you kill a fellow Leaf ninja?!”

Before Iizumi could speak, another figure landed in a crouch—faster, sharper. This ninja had seen the body and reacted instantly. Without hesitation, she pulled four explosive tags from her belt, hurled them at precise points around Iizumi—front, back, left, right.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The kunai struck with pinpoint accuracy. Each was armed with an explosive tag—and connected by thin steel wires.

“Don’t move,” Mitarashi Anko hissed, her voice icy. “One wrong twitch, and I detonate.”

Then she paused.

Her eyes narrowed.

The man’s attire… Uchiha Police Force.

And that face…

A familiar name flashed through her mind.

Her breath hitched.

“…Uchiha Iizumi?!”

Her skin prickled with cold sweat. She regretted her recklessness.

“Uchiha Iizumi?” The other kunoichi gasped, stunned.

A second later, her expression mirrored Anko’s—shock, disbelief, dread.

“Long time no see, Anko.” Iizumi stepped over the corpse, walking toward her with calm, deliberate steps—ignoring her warning completely. Yet Anko, trembling, didn’t dare trigger the explosives.

His voice was soft, almost sorrowful. “If I recall correctly… you should be in the Leaf Village Prison. Not out here… free.”

Tachibana Jiro’s voice chimed in, “Ohhh… now I remember. You’re Orochimaru’s apprentice, right?”

“Two years ago, Iizumi-sama met you. Found out you’d done a few terrible things—without even knowing it. But even under the standard of Absolute Justice, your crimes weren’t death-worthy. So he locked you up for five years—in prison—to reflect.”

The cat’s eyes narrowed. “Now, only two years have passed. Did prison time move slower than outside time? Or… did the Third Hokage pardon you?”

She paused, then added, “Like Naruto? You were freed using the Hokage’s special privilege. No wonder he handled it so smoothly—he’d done it before.”

Anko said nothing.

Her silence was all the confirmation Tachibana Jiro needed.

Two years in prison—meals of gruel, days of solitude, her body wasted away. And now… she was free. Released by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.

She remembered the Hokage’s words.

> “Anko, your crimes were committed without your knowledge. Orochimaru manipulated you. Five years was too harsh. Two years is enough to cleanse your soul… and to cut ties with Orochimaru.”

>

> “Besides, you don’t even remember what you did. Punishing you further would be unjust.”

>

> “Now, the Leaf needs strong people. I, as Hokage, am granting you a pardon. Remember the Will of Fire. Let go of the past.”

She’d asked: What if I meet Uchiha Iizumi?

Sarutobi’s reply:

> “I am the Hokage. Even if Iizumi is extreme, he must still obey me. He may resent me… but he’ll understand.”

She’d believed him.

Now? She wasn’t so sure.

“Two choices,” Iizumi said, calm as ever. “Take the freedom the Third Hokage gave you. Stand against Absolute Justice. Or… drop your weapon. Surrender.”

“Anko…” the other kunoichi whispered, swallowing hard.

“…Choice two.” Anko released the wire instantly. In less than a tenth of a second, she’d made her decision.

Tachibana Jiro whistled. “First time I’ve seen someone surrender so fast. Thought we’d be adding another corpse to the list today.”

Anko stared at Iizumi, her expression torn. “We were in the same Academy class. I know him. That’s why I know what I must do.”

Tachibana Jiro froze.

Then it realized—Iizumi never remembered names. Too many criminals. Too many dead. But Anko? He knew her.

There was a connection.

“Follow me,” Iizumi said, voice flat. “Stay close until I’m done. Then I’ll take you back to the Leaf.”

Anko forced a weak smile. “You’ll have to bring Ryōichirō’s body back. And report to the Hokage.”

She didn’t ask what he was doing.

If she’d chosen to surrender, she’d surrender completely.

“Anko… he killed…” the other kunoichi began.

Anko cut her off. “No one he killed was innocent.”

She paused. “And those he imprisoned… weren’t either.”

She didn’t remember what she’d done for Orochimaru.

But she knew—she was guilty.

…

Land of Fire. Takeshita Street.

A tall man in wooden sandals crouched in the middle of the street. His long white hair, like needles sprouting from his scalp, trailed behind him. He scraped his finger across a crack in the pavement, lifting dried blood fragments to his tongue.

“Human blood…”

Jiraiya rose slowly, scanning the street. The ground had been scrubbed clean, but the cracks in the tiles still held dark, dried stains. The entire street was a graveyard of crimson.

Jiraiya saw the bodies. The fires. The blood.

The people around him wore expressions of grief, guilt, fear. The buildings—casinos, dance halls, bathhouses, brothels—were either boarded up or reduced to ash.

Takeshita Street was no longer a place of pleasure. It was a tomb.

After asking around, Jiraiya learned the truth.

Hundreds dead.

“Uchiha Iizumi… you really went too far this time,” Jiraiya muttered, eyes dark with unease. “Old man used him. Let him become a weapon. Now he’s out of control.”

But then… something struck him.

“Wait… all of them were criminals?” He turned to a local resident. “No innocent people were caught in the crossfire?”

The man, bribed by Jiraiya’s money, shrugged. “We checked the faces when we cleaned up. Black-market bosses. Mercenary thugs. Bully-ninjas. Criminals in the shadows. Some were burned beyond recognition… but those we could identify? All were bad.”

“The guy who killed them—Uchiha Iizumi… scary as hell. But… he only killed evil men.”

Jiraiya paused.

If that was true… had Iizumi been investigating Takeshita Street for years?

Was this massacre… a final catch?

A culmination of a long, quiet war against evil?

“Ah… now I see,” Jiraiya whispered. “No wonder Kushina didn’t stop him. With her personality… if she’d known he was hunting only the guilty… she’d have let it happen. Might’ve even helped.”

He took a breath, trying to calm down.

Then he asked: “Where’s Kushina?”

He was told—she’d left Takeshita Street the day before, early in the morning. With a group of children. Heading straight toward the Leaf Village.

Jiraiya blinked.

Iizumi… Kushina…?

What was going on?

…

Leaf Village. Hokage Tower.

“Jiraiya, why wasn’t this reported sooner?” Tsunade Konoha and Hyūga Menji stormed into Hiruzen Sarutobi’s office. Tsunade’s face was tight with anger. “That was Takeshita Street! A major source of tax revenue for the Land of Fire! And a large portion of that income funds our ninja budget!”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Nine years ago, Iizumi slaughtered dozens there. Almost shut it down. I told you to bring him back then. But you refused—said we needed a Dual Bloodline Limit ninja to stabilize the battlefield.”

“Even then, I knew you were enabling him. And now… he’s done it again. This time, hundreds dead!”

She clenched her fists. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Those three ninjas only saw hundreds. What about the rest? Thousands?”

“Hiruzen, Takeshita Street is home to powerful families. Daimyō of Fire Country’s own relatives have businesses there! You can’t guarantee he didn’t kill one!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat motionless, fingers wrapped around his pipe. The smoke curled into the air, obscuring half his face.

He slowly lifted his eyes. “You think I don’t know? The moment I learned… it was days after it happened. What would you have me do? Rewind time and stop him?”

He rubbed his temples. “What else can I do now? Small, Menji—what would you do?”

“Go to Takeshita Street, collect every corpse’s cells, revive them all… and pretend nothing happened?”

“Or send every Anbu and Root ninja to capture Iizumi? Punish a man who killed only the guilty?”

Hiruzen’s voice dropped. “Do you really think the people of the village would forgive me for executing a man who ended evil?”

“Remember,” he added, “Iizumi’s Absolute Justice… it’s already earned the support of many in the village.”

“The era… has changed.”

“Absolute Justice is no longer a curse. It’s becoming a light.”

His eyes flickered with pain.

He couldn’t even bring himself to revenge Iizumi.

Not when so many believed in him.

Why had it come to this?

Why had the village turned so quickly?

He almost had the answer.

But it slipped through his fingers like smoke.

“Hokage-sama!” An Anbu ninja burst into the office. “A Leaf Village ninja—Shizune—has returned. She says… Kushina-sama is coming back.”

Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Menji froze.

Kushina… returning?

…

Land of Fire. Somewhere in the wilderness.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh—

Three figures sprinted through the forest—nimble, silent, and unnaturally tense. No headbands. No Leaf Village aura. Their presence screamed outsider.

“Are you sure this is the right direction?” one grumbled from the back. “We’ve been searching all day. If we don’t find him, how do we explain to Orochimaru-sama?”

“And we’re not even heading toward the Leaf Village, are we?”

“Hmph.” The lead ninja scoffed. “Don’t underestimate my tracking. I found his inn in Takeshita Street. I remembered his scent. One whiff, and I’ll find him.”

“He didn’t return to the Leaf. But he’s heading this way. And… there are two other scents with him.”

The leader frowned. “One smells like a Summon Beast. The other… like a woman.”

“And it’s getting stronger.”

Suddenly, the middle ninja snapped, “Stop!”

The others halted.

He knelt, staring at the ground. “Look.”

They joined him. Their eyes widened.

Corpse.

A blood-soaked body—headless—lay in the bushes. The head was a few feet away, frozen in terror.

“An forehead protector,” one said, picking it up. “Cloud Village?”

He froze. “The Land of Fire? A Cloud spy? What a fool… died for nothing.”

The scent expert spoke. “This was Iizumi. His scent is all over. No signs of struggle. He killed him in a single strike.”

“Hmph. No wonder Orochimaru-sama is so interested. A Dual Bloodline Limit ninja… that’s rare.”

Another added, “Fresh corpse. Killed within fifteen minutes. He’s close.”

They exchanged glances.

Fifteen minutes? He was near.

Without a word, they accelerated.

Thirty minutes later.

They saw them.

Two figures. One cat.

Their eyes locked.

Instantly, the trap closed.

One blocked the front. Two flanked the rear.

Iizumi stopped.

“Hoh… Uchiha Iizumi. The infamous ‘Molten Release Beast’ of the Daimyō of Fire. A Dual Bloodline Limit ninja—rare even in the Ninja World. Finding you was… not easy.”

The front ninja smirked. His gaze flicked to Anko. “You… Anko? No wonder that woman’s scent felt familiar.”

“Mitarashi Anko—Orochimaru’s disciple. Unexpected.”

Anko’s face paled.

She’d been confused. But now—they were enemies.

Especially when they said Orochimaru.

Her muscles tensed. She was ready to fight.

“Orochimaru?” Tachibana Jiro sneered. “Izumi-sama doesn’t even leave the village, and suddenly everyone from the underworld shows up.”

“Hey!” The right flank snarled. “We’re talking to the Uchiha. What’s a pet cat doing in this?”

The leader stepped forward. “Iizumi. Orochimaru-sama values you. That’s why he sent us.”

He repeated every word Orochimaru had given him—offering a place, a purpose, a new life.

Iizumi didn’t react.

Tachibana Jiro didn’t.

But Anko did.

Her eyes widened.

Then Iizumi spoke—flat, cold.

“Is this the ten-thousandth evil thing that beast Orochimaru sent you to say?”

The three men recoiled.

How dare he insult Orochimaru-sama like that?

“I have a message for him,” Iizumi continued. “Wash your neck clean. Wait for Absolute Justice to come for you.”

“Though… only if you can dream after death.”

Silence.

Then—chaos.

Tachibana Jiro grew—suddenly towering over ten meters tall, monstrous, fanged. One swipe of its paw crushed the right flank ninja into the ground.

BAM!

The earth trembled.

The other two lunged—too late.

Iizumi vanished.

One moment, he was ten meters away. The next—in front of a ninja. His eyes had turned Three Tomoe Sharingan. The man’s pupils locked on the red spiral—frozen.

A flick of the blade. A deep cut. The head rolled.

Blood sprayed.

The last ninja tried to run—but Anko was already moving.

“Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!”

Her sleeves burst open. Dozens of snakes shot out, biting, injecting venom.

He collapsed, weak, trembling.

Red beans pressed against his throat.

“Three minutes,” she growled. “Then you’re dead. Tell me where Orochimaru is… and I’ll give you the antidote.”

He opened his mouth—then froze.

Before Anko could react, a hand yanked her backward.

She flew—thud—into the dirt.

She turned.

The man she’d threatened—was now bloated.

Then—BOOM!

He exploded.

BANG!

Flesh and blood sprayed.

The other two bodies—same fate.

They burst like bombs.

Anko stood frozen, covered in gore. Her face blank.

Then Iizumi’s voice, calm as ever:

“Orochimaru sent them to die. And he planted a fail-safe—destroying the bodies so no one could track him. But he’s too cowardly to face me himself.”

His eyes narrowed.

In his mind, the source of evil in the Ninja World was clear.

Orochimaru.

And now… he was after him.

Anko stared at the carnage.

For the first time… she realized.

It wasn’t Orochimaru who was hunting Iizumi.

It was Iizumi who was hunting Orochimaru.

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end