"What are you doing?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath, his voice low and tense.
In all his long years, he had never seen a scene like this.
Even Lord Senju Tobirama, whose political methods were iron-handed, had only ever pressed down the Daimyō with sheer presence.
Never had anyone been as ruthless as Senju Haruto was now.
No matter what else could be said, the Daimyō was still the highest authority of the Land of Fire.
He was the nation's very symbol.
In both status and power, he stood on a level the Hokage could not match.
If Haruto were to kill the Daimyō here and now, then both he and Hiruzen would go down in history as criminals.
And it wasn't just Hiruzen whose expression had darkened.
Even Koharu, Homura, Nara Shikaku, and the assembled jōnin and chūnin were all at a loss for what to do.
"Stay back!"
The Daimyō shrank behind Hiruzen, shouting loudly.
At the end of the day, he was nothing more than an ordinary man with power. He had never set foot on a battlefield, never faced life and death.
Now, with heads flying only moments ago, fear consumed him completely.
Especially under Haruto's gaze. The Daimyō dared not even meet his eyes.
His mind held only one thought: escape.
But this council chamber, designed for safety, had no windows at all. The single door was blocked firmly by Haruto alone.
Even if he threw himself at it with all his might, he knew he would be cut down long before he reached it.
So now the Daimyō could only pin his hopes of survival on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, stop him! Quickly!"
The Daimyō's throat worked as he whispered harshly into Hiruzen's ear. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"
Hiruzen's face was grim.
He had watched Haruto's growth closely in recent years.
The Hyūga Main House… Danzō… the Uchiha clan… Naruto's rampage… the Kazekage, Mizukage, Raikage…
In Hiruzen's memory, Haruto had never once lost.
Even if Hiruzen were fully armed for battle, he could not say with confidence that he could defeat Haruto. And today, in mere ceremonial robes, he stood at an even greater disadvantage.
"Haruto… this ends here."
Hiruzen inhaled sharply, then bit down on his thumb and drew a line of blood across his palm.
"No matter what, I cannot let you harm the Daimyō."
"It's not too late to stop now. I can't stand by and watch you become a criminal in history."
Even as he said this, Hiruzen realized how strange it felt.
Standing opposed to Haruto, it was as if a mountain pressed down on his chest, suffocating.
If not for the Daimyō's presence, he would have demanded outright:
Why provoke him at all?
After saving Konoha countless times, defeating two invading Great Nations… instead of reward, Haruto had faced suppression.
If Hiruzen had been younger, he too might have found it impossible to accept.
Boom!
With a heavy thud, a puff of white smoke exploded outward and dispersed.
From the summoning circle, the Monkey King Enma appeared, eyes sweeping the chamber in confusion.
Everyone gathered here was a familiar face.
"Where's the enemy?" Enma asked reflexively.
"It's Haruto. He intends to strike at the Daimyō," Hiruzen explained quickly.
Before Enma could even react, Hiruzen had already forced him into the form of the Adamantine Staff.
"Adamantine Prison Wall!"
Though bewildered, Enma obeyed. In an instant, dozens of copies split from his form, forming a wall of unbreakable ironwood that encircled the Daimyō.
"Rest assured, Hiruzen. As long as I'm here, no harm will come to the Daimyō."
But Enma hesitated, puzzled.
"Still… wasn't Haruto the hero who stopped the Nine-Tails' rampage? Why would he attack the Daimyō?"
Hiruzen had no heart to answer. He drew in another breath and signaled for the jōnin to seize Haruto.
But Haruto understood well.
From the moment he cut down the first elder, retreat was no longer an option.
If he stopped now, he would only be branded a rogue ninja.
Everything he had worked for until now would turn instantly to dust.
In a way, this is much like Obito back then, Haruto thought.
Part scheming, part impulse.
To fulfill the Eye of the Moon plan, Obito had to gather every tailed beast.
When visiting Rin's grave, he overheard Kakashi mention Kushina's impending childbirth — and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki became his target.
And so it was with Haruto. He had plotted each step, aiming to dismantle the Daimyō's authority.
But before reaching the final move, he now stood in direct confrontation.
"History's criminal? The only reason you say that is because of the limits of history itself."
"Third Hokage — I don't wish to harm you."
Haruto stepped forward just slightly.
But the killing intent that burst from him was overwhelming.
Behind him, the gathered chūnin and even the jōnin swallowed hard, their throats dry.
To think this was the man who had crushed even the Nine-Tails — the invisible pressure pressed down like a mountain.
Boom!
Before they could even close in, a massive force swept out from Haruto.
They had no power to resist.
Bodies were flung back, arcing through the air before slamming heavily onto the ground.
Haruto hadn't even glanced their way.
"Haru—Haruto…"
Hiruzen clenched his teeth. At this point, he could only throw everything into stopping him.
"Koharu! Homura!"
He called out the names of his old teammates.
Though they were now elders, rarely fighting, they had once been disciples of Lord Senju Tobirama.
Their power was not to be underestimated.
But just as Hiruzen prepared to suppress Haruto with all he had, Nara Shikaku — silent until now — suddenly spoke.
"Capture… complete."
Hiruzen turned sharply.
At some point, Shikaku had dropped into a crouch, hands forming the Nara clan's secret seals.
From beneath him, his shadow stretched forward, linking with Haruto's.
Without question — Shadow Possession Jutsu.
"Huuh…"
Seeing this, Hiruzen exhaled deeply in relief.
Haruto had been so focused on the Daimyō that he had overlooked the lurking shadow.
As expected of the Nara clan. Brilliantly done.
The Daimyō too let out a long breath of relief.
But then his face twisted, baring his fangs.
"Hiruzen! I order you to execute Senju Haruto immediately — here, now, at once!"