Chapter 29: Cleansing the Ninja World in the Name of Justice

Hiruzen Shintetsu took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm himself. But the psychological shadow left by Uchiha Iizumi was simply too deep.

Once, three of his own genin from Leaf Village—students he had personally trained—had died in a fratricidal clash. Only one had survived, the so-called "killer," and now he stood before him, utterly composed.

That was enough to keep the fire of rage burning in Hiruzen Shintetsu’s chest, unquenchable.

For an Anbu Ninja, anger was a fatal flaw.

Coldly, Hiruzen Shintetsu declared, “Everything I’ve done has been for the sake of the Leaf Village. I have never fallen into darkness. Uchiha Iizumi—you are nothing but a man who, driven by selfish desire, cast the burden of evil onto others. Don’t try to cloak your bloodlust in noble rhetoric.”

“I don’t understand why the Fourth Hokage ruled your killing of your comrades as self-defense. I don’t understand why the old man has left you untouched all these years.”

“However…”

Hiruzen Shintetsu glanced at the Anbu corpse lying on the ground.

He hadn’t even questioned why, despite wearing an Anbu mask, Uchiha Iizumi had still recognized him instantly. He hadn’t questioned how or why Uchiha Iizumi had even arrived here.

Now, beneath his mask, his eyes burned with unrestrained killing intent:

“Since you’ve slain a fellow Leaf Anbu right before me… today, I will cleanse the clan—on behalf of the old man, on behalf of the Leaf Village.”

“And…”

“On behalf of myself.”

As Hiruzen Shintetsu finished speaking, six Anbu operatives behind him instantly understood.

They moved with seamless precision, employing the tactical footwork of true ninjas, cutting off every possible escape route. With an array of weapons in hand, they surged forward in a coordinated assault.

Swish—Swish—

A tanto and a sickle slashed across Uchiha Iizumi’s body, carving two jagged, terrifying gashes.

Other Anbu hurled kunai and shuriken, each one striking true. One kunai’s tip even carried a detonation tag.

“Detonate!”

Boom—Boom—Boom—

The deafening explosion shook the tunnel. The Anbu watched in stunned silence as Uchiha Iizumi vanished into a storm of fire and smoke—surely reduced to ash and fragments.

But then—

“Something’s wrong… my tanto!”

“My sickle… how can his Molten Release be so hot? I only touched him for half a second, and the blade melted!”

Two voices, stunned and horrified, rang out.

The Anbu holding the tanto and the one with the sickle stared in disbelief at their weapons—half-melted, the edges dripping molten iron.

As they looked up, the smoke cleared—revealing a torrent of crimson lava, flowing like a volcanic flood, swallowing the smoke and filling the entire tunnel.

The molten flow surged forward like a landslide, melting the ground beneath it with every step.

Hiruzen Shintetsu’s face darkened. “Molten Release…”

Though he had once been Uchiha Iizumi’s mentor, he had rarely seen the technique in action. He only knew that the power was terrifying—its temperature so extreme that human flesh would die instantly on contact.

Beyond that, he had no other knowledge.

Now, he realized with a cold dread: he knew nothing about the former genin he had once taught.

Seeing the lava flood barreling toward them, Hiruzen Shintetsu barked, “Finish him here! Don’t let him escape—his Molten Release Bloodline Limit will destroy the entire base! Counter it with Water Release!”

The Anbu snapped into action. Three of them began hand seals.

At the very moment the lava surged within striking distance, they unleashed their technique in unison.

“Water Release: Water Surge Wave!!” ×3

Like a colossal sea tornado, a torrent of water erupted from the ground, enveloping all the Anbu. As the pressure built, the wave surged forward—crashing into the lava in a violent, searing clash.

The tunnel erupted in a storm of superheated steam. The Anbu, already strained by the heat, flinched in agony.

Too hot!

Then, a cold, emotionless voice cut through the steam.

“Teacher Shintetsu… you claim you’ve never fallen into darkness. Then tell me—half a year ago, when a volunteer suddenly panicked and tried to withdraw during an experiment… who killed him?”

Hiruzen Shintetsu’s pupils contracted.

“A year ago… when we lacked enough volunteers, who ordered your subordinates to cross into Fire Country’s neighboring nations, capturing dozens of war orphans and forcing them into the experiments?”

Hiruzen Shintetsu’s gaze turned wide with horror.

Uchiha Iizumi stood like a judge from the underworld, each word a blade piercing the old man’s soul.

“And two years ago…

And before that…

And before that…”

Each sentence struck deeper. Hiruzen Shintetsu’s face twisted in shock. Even the Anbu beside him stared, their eyes filled with dawning disbelief—directed at their commander.

“Teacher Shintetsu… you say you’re cleansing the clan for the Leaf Village?”

Uchiha Iizumi’s voice was ice.

“Then how fortunate. Today, I’m cleansing the Ninja World.”

…

“Hokage-sama!”

Meanwhile, the Anbu ninja sent back to the village by Hiruzen Shintetsu finally arrived at the Sarutobi family residence after a grueling night ride. He burst through the gate, shouting.

With a whoosh, a wooden door slid open.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out, dressed in his everyday robes, sandals tapping against the ground. He held his pipe between his fingers, brow furrowed.

“If I recall correctly, you’re one of Shintetsu’s Anbu… What’s happened at the outer base?”

The Anbu quickly gathered his thoughts. “Hokage-sama, an enemy attacked the secret base outside the village. Shintetsu-san believes the intruder is extremely powerful. He sent me back to request reinforcements.”

“What?!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart skipped.

Years ago, he had led the raid that destroyed Orochimaru’s underground lab in the Leaf Village. He had seized countless research documents—some so vile they made his stomach turn—and captured dozens of researchers guilty of unspeakable crimes.

At first, he had intended to destroy all the data. He had even promised Uchiha Iizumi that the researchers would be executed in secret.

After all, such knowledge—if it fell into the hands of another ambitious madman—could birth a new Orochimaru.

But then…

Tsunade Konoha and Hyūga Menji had urged him otherwise.

“You can’t let a promise to a single Uchiha child override reason. We know you see potential in him, but he’s still a member of the Uchiha clan.”

“Can you truly guarantee the benefits he’ll bring to the Leaf Village will outweigh the damage Orochimaru’s former subordinates could have done?”

“And more importantly—those researchers’ knowledge is the most precious asset in the Ninja World. Destroy only what’s irredeemably evil. Keep the rest.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi had listened.

So, instead of destruction, he had preserved most of the research. He had built a hidden facility—ten kilometers outside the village—dedicated to studying Orochimaru’s work. He entrusted its management to his eldest son, Hiruzen Shintetsu.

He trusted no outsider.

And now… after just a few years, the base had been breached.

The enemy who had forced Shintetsu to send for help… this was no ordinary threat.

“I’ll go myself,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, voice low and grave.

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end