For a ruler, this was simply the ultimate weapon of their dreams.
Yet such a weapon, one that could practically brainwash people, was something no ruler would ever allow to fall into anyone else's hands.
Even if you believed yourself to be absolutely loyal.
The reason he had ultimately ended up committing suicide and dying miserably lay fundamentally in his own stupidity.
Uchiha Shisui was certainly powerful.
But strength did not represent everything.
Even the strongest expert might still be a fool.
"Captain Qianyu!"
As he was thinking, two figures came sprinting over. They were the two subordinates from his squad.
Uchiha Aoki and Uchiha Yamikaze.
Qianyu frowned. "You two were ordered by the clan head not to come report to me."
"Why have you suddenly appeared now? Did something major happen?"
The two were panting heavily and exchanged a glance.
"...Yes."
"Go."
Qianyu acted with swift decisiveness. Without wasting a single word, he immediately sprinted in the direction the two had come from.
"Captain Qianyu, we haven't even told you what happened yet..."
"Talk as we move."
Qianyu knew that since they were in such a hurry, something major must have happened. There could not be the slightest delay.
The wild wind howled past his ears.
Qianyu pushed his speed to the limit.
His two subordinates desperately chased after him. "Captain, please calm down. This matter is too sensitive. I think we should first report to the clan head..."
Qianyu said in a low voice, "Speak!"
Only then did Uchiha Aoki hesitate before opening his mouth.
"Y-yes, something happened with the Sarutobi clan..."
"The Sarutobi clan?"
Qianyu's heart stirred, and he understood what the two meant by saying the matter was too sensitive.
But...
So what?
I Will Definitely Get Justice for You!
Uchiha Qianyu understood the concerns in the hearts of people like Fugaku and Shisui.
They were simply afraid that his extreme actions would prematurely ignite the conflict between Konoha's higher-ups and the Uchiha clan, completely tear away all pretense, and even trigger a rebellion and civil war.
But no one understood better than Qianyu that, for the Uchiha clan, that would instead be an outcome far better than the one they had originally faced.
Thus, not only did he not fear such consequences in the slightest, he had even vaguely planned to push things in that direction.
"The Sarutobi clan..."
"What exactly happened?"
The two young men, Uchiha Aoki and Uchiha Yamikaze, exchanged glances.
"Th-this..."
"A ninja from the Sarutobi clan killed someone..."
"And the person killed was a civilian from the village..."
"Who did it?"
Uchiha Yamikaze said tremblingly, "It was the second son of the Sarutobi clan head..."
"Sarutobi Jiro!"
Qianyu's heart shifted slightly.
Logically speaking, the Sarutobi clan head should naturally have been Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, as the Lord Hokage of Konoha, he could not spare attention for many matters, so the clan's affairs had been handed over to someone else.
The current head of the Sarutobi clan was Sarutobi Hiogo, Hiruzen Sarutobi's blood-related younger cousin.
And this Sarutobi Jiro was naturally Hiruzen Sarutobi's nephew.
He remained expressionless and merely quickened his pace.
"C-Captain Qianyu, wait for us!"
"Shouldn't we report this to the clan head first..."
But Qianyu's figure was already nearly out of sight.
Sarutobi clan compound.
"You can't leave... You can't leave!"
"Get lost!"
Several Konoha civilians had gathered together to stop Sarutobi Jiro from leaving.
They naturally possessed no real strength, but they were willing to risk death for justice. At this moment, they had completely disregarded their own lives.
Some clung to Sarutobi Jiro's legs, while others formed a human wall in front of him.
More and more ninja and civilians gathered to watch, and Sarutobi Jiro's rage grew ever fiercer.
"Are you people tired of living?!"
"Do you really think I don't dare lay a hand on you?!"
An old woman's tears flowed endlessly down the wrinkles covering her face.
She trembled unsteadily. Her legs had always been weak, yet she still leaned on her cane and blocked Sarutobi Jiro's path.
"Y-you beast, you killed my granddaughter..."
"I... I'll fight you!"
She swung her cane toward Sarutobi Jiro.
Yet before it could even touch him, her frail body staggered first. She fell to the ground, smashing her forehead against a hard stone, blood streaming everywhere...
"Mom!"
Seeing this, the man clinging to Sarutobi Jiro's leg cried out. He hurriedly released him and rushed forward to check on his mother's injuries.
"Mom, y-you're bleeding..."
The man quickly covered his mother's forehead with his hand, then frantically tore off part of his clothes to make a bandage and stop her bleeding.
"I... I'm fine. Don't... don't let that beast get away..."
"Bastard! Sarutobi Jiro, you killed my daughter, and now you want to kill my mother too?!"
Sarutobi Jiro sneered. "She fell because she couldn't stand properly. What does that have to do with me?"
"Besides, she was the one who tried to hit me with her cane. Even if she fell to her death, she would only have herself to blame!"
"Y-you... you..."
For a moment, the watching ninja and civilians erupted into an uproar, whispering among themselves.
"What happened? That guy killed his daughter?"
"I heard she was burned alive..."
"What? Why?"
"Who knows? That arrogant bastard doesn't even treat us like people. Who knows how someone offended him?!"
"Shh, keep your voice down. That's the son of the Sarutobi clan head. Do you have a death wish?!"
Even those ninjas did not dare act rashly.
"Isn't this too much?"
"Should we report this to the Lord Hokage?"
"The Anbu have already gone to report it..."
"Sigh, all we can do is hope the Lord Hokage handles this fairly..."
"I wouldn't count on it. He is from the Sarutobi clan, and he's even the Lord Hokage's nephew..."
"...What are you saying? How could the Lord Hokage possibly show favoritism and protect trash like him?"
"...That's true. The Lord Hokage probably wouldn't, right..."
Just then.
"Move aside. All of you, move aside."
A dignified figure forced the crowd back and strode forward. Aside from looking somewhat younger, he bore a slight resemblance to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Clan Head!"
The Sarutobi clan members hurriedly bowed respectfully.
The man was naturally Sarutobi Hiogo.
"Father, you've finally arrived!"
"Hmph, these lowly commoners have been clinging to me like leeches. Hurry up and arrest them all!"
Before you continue