"Hokage-sama is amazing."
"It can even be developed that way."
"Unbelievable! Can Summoning beasts really be used like this?"
"Amazing! It's Doctor Ninjutsu's live show again! He's truly worthy of his title! I'm ashamed of myself!"
Off the stage—
Countless seasoned shinobi showed knowing, amused expressions.
But the innocent children in the crowd looked confused and bewildered.
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen, face grim, twisted in anger and disbelief—he wanted nothing more than to kill Uchiha Cong right then and there.
He couldn't understand—why was his personal Summoning beast forcibly called out?
And even more baffling—why, after being summoned, did Enma the Monkey King refuse his command and instead fall under the sway of Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan?
Sarutobi only understood one thing—
That the name "strong J offender" now publicly labeled on him… was no longer slander, but truth.
The damning evidence was laid bare before him—he had no room left to refute or argue.
Would he now face imprisonment like Danzō?
In that moment—
Sarutobi finally panicked.
In truth, before his arrest, he had already prepared multiple contingencies.
His first shield: Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
But… they had turned against him.
His second safeguard: the Fire Daimyō.
Sarutobi had thought: Even if you, Uchiha Bai Ye, won't respect the Hokage, surely you'll honor the Daimyō of the Land of Fire?
How laughable.
The Daimyō had already been publicly arrested by the Uchiha Guard. Bai Ye hadn't even acknowledged him upon entering the square. He skipped any formalities and initiated the trial straight away.
This meant that Bai Ye didn't recognize the Daimyō's authority at all.
Now, Sarutobi had reached the true endgame.
Just as Bai Ye had warned—
Once he targets someone, their end is inevitable and miserable.
The destruction had begun the moment Bai Ye supported Tsunade's Hokage candidacy.
Sarutobi's downfall was written in fate from then on.
And today, the public trial was to strip him of everything he ever cared about.
"Strong J offense?" That was just the beginning.
"The evidence is irrefutable! There's no room left to justify anything now!"
Uchiha Cong stepped forward.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen's crimes are heinous—this 'strong J' accusation is merely to ensure the trial's integrity!"
"All other criminal actions of his have already been confirmed through concrete evidence!"
Other cases?
Most villagers thought it ended at the same charge Danzō received.
What a joke.
That was merely the appetizer.
Uchiha Cong held up the scroll containing the verdict.
He swept his gaze across the entire square, then solemnly began to read aloud:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
"First! You manipulated public perception, used political pressure on comrades, and drove your fellow ninja, Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo—to suicide. A betrayal of a hero!"
"Second! You suppressed the Senju Clan, one of the founding clans of Konoha, murdering its last heirs for political stability. You let their legacy decay—this is a betrayal of the Will of Fire!"
"Third! You abused your power as Hokage. Your relationship with advisors Utatane Koharu and Shimura Cuihua crossed all moral lines. Your corrupt actions are beyond disgraceful!"
"Fourth! You ruled without ambition, without vision. You suppressed external threats while attacking dissenters from within. This is cowardice, not leadership!"
"Fifth! You knowingly allowed Shimura Danzō to lead Root unchecked, permitting countless war crimes and kidnappings under your nose. This is criminal negligence!"
"Sixth! You defied the laws of the Second Hokage—your own teacher—by allowing forbidden human experimentation to resume. You used Orochimaru as a scapegoat when it backfired, causing Konoha to lose its top scientific minds!"
"Seventh! You concealed Naruto Uzumaki's heritage as the son of the Fourth Hokage, leaving him to grow up hated and isolated. This is a betrayal of both father and son!"
"Your behavior has violated Konoha's Shinobi Code and Security Laws. The evidence is ironclad!"
With that, Uchiha Cong finished reading aloud the full judgment.
He then fell silent.
It was time for sentencing.
Due to the rank and significance of the criminal, the final sentence had to be handed down by Captain Uchiha Bai Ye himself.
Cong turned and stepped aside, making way.
The Seven Deadly Sins.
Even he, hardened as he was, felt his pulse race after reading them aloud.
As for the villagers and shinobi in the crowd—they were completely stunned.
The Hokage they had trusted for years… had done this?
They stood still, overwhelmed, eyes wide in disbelief.
But no one questioned the validity of the evidence—after all, this was Captain Bai Ye's tribunal.
And in his public trials—there was never a false accusation.
Seven deadly crimes.
Bai Ye exhaled a thin plume of smoke.
Maybe the "strong J" incident was a butterfly effect caused by his crossing into this world.
But the other six?
These were irrefutable facts.
As for Orochimaru's defection, while some circumstances remained unclear…
It no longer mattered.
What did matter—
Was that Sarutobi had now been stripped bare in front of the entire village.
He was finished.
Bai Ye stood up.
He slowly walked toward the center of the square, cigarette between his lips.
He placed one hand gently on Sarutobi Hiruzen's bowed head.
"You're getting old, Sarutobi."
Familiar words—
But this time, laced with an icy edge of mockery.
Bai Ye's expression remained calm and collected.
"I'm not old yet."
Sarutobi glared up at him with fierce, cold eyes.
He understood now.
The moment Uchiha Cong finished reading that list of crimes—
His fate was sealed.
There would be no redemption.
He saw Hatake Sakumo standing in the witness stand beside Kakashi.
He should've guessed sooner—Senju Nawaki's return, too—it all pointed back to this man.
Resurrecting the dead, exposing the truth…
There was no use struggling now.
"Oh? So what?" Bai Ye replied, inhaling.
Smoke curled from his lips into Sarutobi's face.
"Even if this old man dies, I'll drag you to the underworld with me!"
A dark smile crossed his face.
"You know… in my agony last night, I learned something new."
He leapt into the air with his remaining strength.
Then—
His feet moved rapidly in midair.
In the distance, Jiraiya's voice rang out in disbelief.
"He's weaving hand seals… with his feet?!"
That was his secret technique!
When did his former sensei learn that?!
"Not good! He's using the Reaper Death Seal!"
Kushina, holding Naruto's hand among the crowd, turned pale. She tried to rush forward.
But Tsunade caught her arm, stopping her.
"Don't worry. You think Bai Ye wouldn't recognize that jutsu?"
Tsunade's voice was steady.
If Bai Ye were truly in danger, no one—including her—would care about breaking rules. They'd rush in.
But she saw it clearly—
Even as Sarutobi completed the jutsu, Bai Ye didn't panic.
Instead, he looked… confident.
"But still…"
Kushina hesitated, still anxious.
She'd woken up today thinking to support Naruto by watching this trial… only to see this.
"Trust him."
Tsunade shook her head.
She'd matured as acting Hokage.
Her man only acted cool when he knew he had the upper hand.
As expected.
Sarutobi finished the final seal with his feet.
Then he split into two clones, attempting to restrain Bai Ye from both sides.
He grinned wickedly, locking eyes with the one who'd destroyed his legacy.
Today—
He'd lose everything.
But maybe, just maybe—
He could take this monster with him.
"The Reaper Death Seal… a predictable trump card."
Bai Ye didn't even blink.
He took a drag from his cigarette, glancing lazily at the ghastly Shinigami spirit emerging behind Sarutobi.
This… this is their Shinigami?
Even Orochimaru had outwitted it with the right preparation.
Bai Ye didn't even need a loophole.
Why fear a Shinigami—
When you command life and death itself?
The so-called death god—
Was more like a soul taker.
Its efficacy depended on your strength and conviction. It came with immense risk.
For most—
A last resort.
Sarutobi had used it once before, in the manga, to seal Orochimaru's arms.
Just his arms.
And even then, he needed to summon two weakened Hokage shadows.
Let's be honest—
In the Fourth Great Ninja War, even the revived First and Second Hokage would never have fallen to this seal.
"You want to die?"
Bai Ye's Mangekyō flared.
"I think that's far too merciful."
He smiled faintly.
"I gave you, and the Sarutobi clan, chances."
"You repaid the Senju clan with blood. Now the Sarutobi clan will repay in kind."
"From this day forth, all Sarutobi family members—regardless of age or gender—will undertake three S-rank missions, unpaid."
"If they survive, they live."
"If they fail or defect—each will be executed by a fellow Sarutobi."
"No more 'Third Hokage.' That title is abolished."
"So—how's that for a sentence?"
Cruel!
He was making Sarutobi shoulder the burden of destroying his own clan.
Enraged—
Sarutobi activated the Reaper Death Seal.
Live like that?
Never!
Too bad—
As the death god lunged—
Bai Ye simply looked up.
His Mangekyō swirled violently.
"Shinigami?"
"I wonder… can a Shinigami die?"
BOOM!
His chakra erupted.
In a flash—
The ghastly figure shattered into mist.
Some people's trump cards… mean nothing in front of a true monster.
Bai Ye didn't even glance at Sarutobi again.
He flicked the cigarette butt to the ground.
And turned away—
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