It was not until Mitokado Homura's head was placed inside the noose that he belatedly felt overwhelming fear.
Mitokado Homura opened his mouth wide, yet not a sound came out.
The executioner did not hesitate in the slightest. Once everyone had been fitted with their nooses, he gave the order:
"Drop!"
The platforms beneath them gave way, and all the condemned prisoners plunged down at once. The nooses tightened, swiftly constricting around their necks.
The sudden impact fractured their cervical vertebrae, instantly severing their central nerves and carotid arteries.
Before long, they were left hanging there in gruesome death.
The villagers below all applauded and cheered.
"They're dead! Good riddance!"
"Yeah!"
"I heard this is only the first batch of executions."
"There'll be more later. If anyone else gets exposed, they'll be executed too."
The impact of these hangings was enormous.
Especially since those who had died included members of the Sarutobi Clan and the former Advisory Elder, Mitokado Homura.
During the investigations that followed, the Shimura Clan, the Utatane Clan, and the ninja clans close to them suddenly became exceptionally cooperative. They actively assisted with the investigation, and whenever there was an issue, they confessed and accepted punishment.
Even so, people were still hanged every few days.
Among them were those who had spread rumors about Naruto back then, members of the Shimura Clan, and members of the Sarutobi Clan.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and more than seventy people from the Sarutobi Clan had been hanged one after another.
Though only one person was hanged every few days now,
every member of the Sarutobi Clan lived in constant dread.
Especially those still in prison, who feared they would not live to see tomorrow's sun.
Because the interrogators did not follow any usual procedure at