Sarutobi Hiruzen was on the verge of exploding with rage.
The man before him—Uchiha Chiyu…
First, he completely disregarded the Hokage's authority, taking life and death into his own hands. He'd already killed Konoha villagers, and now he'd killed a member of the Sarutobi clan as well. It was as if he had no respect for the Hokage at all!
Especially since Hiruzen had personally gone to the Police Force to pressure him, and even dispatched Uchiha Shisui—his loyal confidant—to rein him in. But not only had it done no good, it had…
Made things worse!
And the person he killed this time was Hiruzen's own nephew!
At the Hokage's arrival, the crowd fell silent, awaiting his fair judgment. On the surface, at least, Sarutobi Hiruzen had always enjoyed a good reputation. Most Konoha shinobi and villagers believed him to be kind and benevolent—an approachable leader. Naturally, they believed that he would handle this fairly, even if the victim was a member of the Sarutobi clan, the Hokage's own nephew.
Without realizing it, these onlookers—both shinobi and civilians—had, in truth, come to approve of Chiyu's actions. Because at last, they understood…
They stood on the side of the girl who had been killed, not Sarutobi Jirō.
Sarutobi Nichio, seeing the Hokage arrive, was still consumed by grief and fury, but also felt some relief.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Uchiha Chiyu killed a man right on the street—everyone saw it with their own eyes! Please, you… please… show justice for our Sarutobi clan! My elder son died on the battlefield protecting the village; now my only younger son is dead for no reason. How… how am I supposed to live on?"
Tears streamed down Nichio's face. Even some onlookers who knew what kind of person Jirō had been couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. He was, after all, still a father.
But Chiyu remained utterly unmoved.
Just then, Chiyu's two subordinates—Uchiha Aoki and Uchiha Yamakaze—finally arrived, breathless. Seeing the severed head, Nichio's tears, and the look in Hiruzen's eyes, the two of them were immediately alarmed.
"Aoki, I'll stay here. You go inform the Patriarch!"
"Right!"
Uchiha Aoki took off at full speed.
…
Sarutobi Hiruzen walked slowly and heavily through the crowd, stepping into the circle of people surrounding the scene. He took a long puff on his pipe, then slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.
"Chiyu, what is going on here?"
His tone was not harsh; in fact, because of his age and anger, it trembled slightly. But everyone could sense a terrifying pressure in the air.
Chiyu merely responded calmly, "Lord Hokage, you should be asking them."
He pointed to the dead girl's father and grandmother.
Hiruzen glanced at them, took a deep breath, and tried to steady himself. He went over and helped the trembling old woman to her feet.
"Madam, can you tell me what happened?"
Still caught in the throes of extreme emotion, she haltingly managed to convey the truth of the incident. Hiruzen's face darkened, becoming utterly grim.
"Nichio, is this true?"
Nichio, shaking with rage and grief, clenched his fists but couldn't stop himself from lowering his head.
"Yes… but Jirō didn't do it on purpose, it—it was just an accident!"
Hiruzen said coldly, "That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking whether you really intended to cover up for your son."
Nichio's eyes widened in horror.
"L-Lord Hokage, I…"
"Fool!"
Hiruzen cut him off, speaking in a low, firm voice. "You knew Jirō killed an innocent villager. As both his father and Patriarch, you ought to have punished him even more severely. And yet you chose to shield him, right here in public!
"How will the shinobi and villagers see our Sarutobi clan now? How will they see the Hokage's own family and kinsmen?!"
Cold sweat poured down Nichio's forehead.
"Lord Hokage, I—"
"Silence!"
Seeing Hiruzen rebuke Nichio, many in the crowd secretly felt a surge of admiration. Indeed, this was the true Hokage, fair and selfless—unlike Nichio, he was a leader who had the people's trust.
Chiyu, meanwhile, said nothing.
Hiruzen ignored Nichio now, turning back to the father and grandmother of the victim. He let out a heavy sigh.
"The killer—Chiyu has already executed him on the spot, granting you some measure of justice. As for Sarutobi Nichio, he covered up his son's crime, supporting a criminal out of favoritism…
"From this day forth, he is no longer the head of the Sarutobi clan. As for his punishment, I promise everyone there will be a proper resolution."
Nichio's face turned deathly pale, as though all life had been drained away.
Meanwhile, the victim's family began weeping with gratitude. They fell to their knees in unison.
"Th-thank you, Lord Hokage!"
Hiruzen shook his head with a long sigh. "Don't thank me. As the Hokage and a member of the Sarutobi clan—Jirō's uncle—I failed to guide him to become a decent person. That is my sin…
"If you must thank someone, then thank Chiyu."
Only then did the family turn to Chiyu, bowing and knocking their heads to the ground over and over.
"Thank you, Lord Chiyu, for giving us justice!"
Chiyu merely inclined his head slightly. He cast a glance at Hiruzen. On the old man's face was a look of apparent grief and remorse, so much more convincing than Nichio's performance…
Indeed, Sarutobi Hiruzen was playing on a much higher level altogether.
Hiruzen then walked over, giving Chiyu a heavy pat on the shoulder.
"Chiyu… you did well. Very well."
Chiyu's expression stayed neutral. "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Hokage. I will continue to do my best."
A flash of icy light flickered in Hiruzen's eyes. Then the tip of his pipe glowed; he forced a smile of encouragement.
"Good… good."
He shot one last withering glare at Nichio. "You, come with me!"
Nichio glanced down at his son's corpse, tears sliding down his face. A bitter laugh escaped his lips, and he followed Hiruzen like a walking corpse.
The surrounding shinobi and villagers—including the victim's family—bowed respectfully.
"Farewell, Lord Hokage!"
After they left, the crowd buzzed with conversation:
"The Hokage really is so fair…"
"That's what a true leader is…"
"He genuinely cares for every villager as if they're family—treating everyone equally…"
Chiyu listened to the chatter, a faint look of sorrow passing over his face, though he quickly shook his head, unconcerned.
He was about to depart when the victim's family surrounded him.
"Lord Chiyu, th-thank you for avenging Daiko…"
"If it weren't for you, that killer would probably have gone unpunished forever, never receiving true justice. Even if it was the Hokage—"
The old woman suddenly gave a chilly snort.
"The Hokage? He wouldn't have killed that brat. He can fool everyone else, but not these old eyes of mine."
"M-Mother, what are you saying?"
The old woman looked at Chiyu, tears streaming down her weathered cheeks. "I know this Konoha Village is rotten to the core, but… only Lord Chiyu, your heart is just like the blade in your hand…"
"Sharp and untarnished, never to be corroded!"
Chiyu felt a slight stir in his chest. He'd never sought anyone's understanding for what he did, never expected any gratitude. Even hearing everyone lavish praise on Sarutobi Hiruzen moments earlier hadn't affected him in the least.
But hearing this old woman's words…
It did feel good in some small way.
He clasped her hands and nodded, then strode off through the crowd, soon vanishing from sight.
She continued waving after him, tears coursing down her wrinkled face in gratitude. Finally, she turned to spit in disgust at Sarutobi Jirō's headless corpse.