"What!?"
Upon hearing the news, Asuma Sarutobi's face contorted with rage.
"Weren't there guards? Did the enemy kill…?"
Before Asuma could finish, the stammering Sarutobi ninja interrupted, his voice shaking.
"No, it wasn't… it was the guard. There was a guard, he—he…"
Asuma impatiently grabbed the ninja by the collar. "He what? Spit it out!"
The ninja steeled himself and blurted out, "He knocked out the others and stole the clan leader's head!"
"What?!"
"That damned bastard!"
Asuma's expression shifted violently. He charged straight into the compound, dread coiling in his gut. A premonition hit him: the Sarutobi Clan was truly doomed.
If that fleeing clansman had actually surrendered to Menma and survived, they wouldn't just face outsiders anymore. They'd face their own. Even if most of the clan's shinobi didn't intend to betray anyone, the damage was already done. The broken windows theory had taken hold. Once suspicion arose, guilt was already established.
From that moment on, everyone in the clan, including Asuma, would struggle to trust anyone around them. They would grow distant, wary, isolated. For a clan surrounded by wolves and tigers, this was tantamount to annihilation.
---
At the Gates of Konoha, a group of shinobi who met the surrender conditions gathered. Anko Mitarashi, Genma Shiranui, and three others arrived at the gate carrying corpses, accompanied by a few loyal comrades.
"So many people. Everyone's changed," Anko said, a mocking smile on her lips.
Genma, his face still etched with grief over his comrade's death, forced out the senbon needle he'd been chewing.
"Since those things came to light two years ago, we aren't the same people we used to be."
"We won't end up like our parents—fooled and used as stepping stones for others."
These five were orphans. Most shinobi their age were. Most of their parents had died in the Third Shinobi World War or during the Nine-Tails attack. It was only in the last decade or so of peace that the new generation of shinobi had living parents.
It was precisely because their parents died protecting the village, and the village's higher-ups were exposed for so many despicable acts, that they were disillusioned. They felt their parents' sacrifices were worthless. So much so that now, most of them were thinking of surrendering instead of upholding the Will of Fire and dying for nothing.
It could only be said that Hiruzen Sarutobi's revealed achievements during his tenure—just as Tobirama Senju had predicted—had indeed shaken the foundations of the Hidden Leaf.
As the group approached the gate, the sharp-eyed Anko immediately spotted something amusing.
"Hey, look up front! Isn't that a Sarutobi clan ninja?"
"Haha, he's handing over the Third Hokage's head!"
The group looked in the direction Anko was pointing. Sure enough, they saw a Sarutobi ninja holding a kunai, wary of those around him. He was handing an old, decaying head to Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, who were sitting in front of the gate.
Naruto looked at the head with a complicated expression. Sasuke, however, glanced at it and tossed the head into the mouth of a split-faced hellhound standing nearby.
Immediately afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi happily exited the gate.
"His body was incomplete, and he was even eaten by dogs. I really don't know what the Third Hokage was thinking when he died. Did he regret it?"
Genma shook his head, casually took out a senbon needle, and put it in his mouth.
"You guys line up first. I need to get this news back quickly so the Sarutobi clan knows this good news, too."
"Asuma's face will probably look very good..."
Eager to avenge Hayate Gekkō, Genma handed the corpse to the others and ran back.
---
Ahead, Sasuke released the Sarutobi ninja. The man was led to Four-Star Village by a special escort. Sasuke didn't continue inspecting ears or heads. Instead, he walked with a puzzled expression toward Nagato, who stood next to the Cerberus.
"Didn't Menma say he wanted to kill every Sarutobi clan ninja and villager?"
"We're agreeing to the surrender of the Sarutobi ninja and villagers. Is that really alright?"
Hearing Sasuke's question, Nagato turned to look at him.
"They won't live. It's just for show."
"It's like taking heads and ears without judging whether someone killed someone. The leader wants to turn Konoha into a hell."
"The more miserable the people of Konoha are, the lighter Menma's hatred and obsession will become. He will eventually change from fanaticism to normalcy, and then bring peace."
"In short, the result isn't important; what matters is the pain of the process."
"To be honest, seeing Konoha like this now, much of my inner pain has lessened. It's quite satisfying."
"I see." Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "Just like when I stabbed Danzo Shimura to death piece by piece and crushed the Third."
Considering himself, Sasuke also felt that killing him in one go wouldn't be enough; he needed to kill him several times.
Thinking this, Sasuke turned and went back to the main gate. Looking at Naruto, whose face was contorted in disgust as he tossed collected ears into the Cerberus's mouth, he asked seriously.
"Naruto, are you enjoying this now?"
Naruto tilted his head, confused.
"Huh?"
---
Time passed. In the blink of an eye, it was the fifth day.
In the past two and a half days, many shinobi—either from hanging corpses or from Konoha's makeshift hospital—successfully obtained ears and left the village.
More and more shinobi became impatient and began attacking villagers. Even many shinobi from various clans disregarded their clan's orders and began secretly killing villagers and cutting off their ears.
The surviving villagers were living in constant fear, afraid to even sleep! Some even bolder shinobi infiltrated the Sarutobi clan's stronghold to carry out assassinations.
The Sarutobi clan, beset by internal and external troubles, was also in dire straits. In just two and a half days, half of the clan's ordinary members had been lost. Shinobi within the clan had either died or fled, resulting in a loss of nearly one-tenth!
Trust among members had completely collapsed! Now, it's practically impossible for anyone to get within two and a half meters of each other! Anyone who gets too close was considered a surrenderer and was immediately attacked!
If it weren't for Asuma's influence, manning the perimeter of the stronghold to guard against outside shinobi… it's estimated that there were no ordinary clansmen left in the Sarutobi clan's territory!
Asuma was keeping Konohamaru by his side at all times, not daring to let anyone else come into contact with him!
Just as Konoha was methodically turning into hell…
...
Outside Four-Star Village, a pitcher plant and a figure wearing an orange swirling mask stood there. It was none other than Black Zetsu and Obito Uchiha, who had been missing for a long time.
"Let's begin, Obito."
"Orochimaru's side is ready."
---