Although the Third Hokage did not permit Jiraiya to go support Uchiha Fugaku, Jiraiya stubbornly insisted on his decision and had already set off early this morning for the Sand Village battlefield.
Akashō tilted his head, looking at the sunset beginning to fall outside the hospital window. In that case, he might as well leave Konoha tonight.
"Alright then, Akashō, we'll head off first. We'll come see you again tomorrow."
Kushina smiled and waved at him, and Akashō returned the gesture with a nod and a faint smile.
Once outside the hospital room, Kushina's smile vanished immediately. "Something's off."
"What's off?" Obito looked at her, confused.
"I just feel like Akashō was kind of brushing me off today." Kushina stroked her chin, thinking.
"Was it because he didn't like the food I brought at noon?"
Kakashi gave her a deadpan stare.
"You didn't cook it yourself, did you?"
"Of course not! I bought it from outside, okay? And what's that supposed to mean—are you saying my cooking is that bad, Kakashi!?"
Kushina chased after Kakashi out of Konoha Hospital, quickly forgetting what she had been thinking about.
...
On the other side, after Kushina and the others left, the door to the hospital room was pushed open again.
Akashō turned his head and looked at Kabuto, who was frowning deeply. He raised an eyebrow.
"Need something?"
Kabuto walked up to him with a complicated expression. The habitual smile he always wore simply wouldn't appear in front of Akashō.
"After I went back to the orphanage earlier, I asked the director about Root."
"She didn't tell me much—just that those three won't live long, and before they die, they'll suffer worse than death…"
Akashō let out a faint laugh. "What, regret it? Feeling guilty?"
"I just think… they were still just kids. Even if they did something wrong, it was minor. It shouldn't cost them their lives."
"Wrong is wrong. Why bother splitting it into big or small?"
Akashō threw off his blanket and, under Kabuto's stunned gaze, got out of bed and stretched lazily.
"By the way, what's your take on right and wrong?"
"Uh…"
Kabuto was caught off guard by the sudden question.
"There's a saying where I come from: only children distinguish right from wrong—adults only care about money."
"In my view, though, even among adults there is such a thing as right and wrong. It's just that children are too naive, so they rely on fixed standards to judge. Adults, on the other hand, can shift those standards freely."
"At the end of the day, 'right' and 'wrong' are concepts created by humans, and their meaning is defined by humans as well."
"In a world without humans, there would be no such thing as right or wrong."
"But since we live in a human world, we have to follow human rules."
"Whatever aligns with the interests of the majority and is approved by them—that's 'right.' What the majority rejects—that's 'wrong.'"
"That's where the saying 'those who win the hearts of the people win the world' comes from. As for those three kids, no one really cares about what they did. But if you gather everyone connected to them, they would all say those kids were in the wrong."
"So was it wrong for me to frame them? Maybe. But if you asked everyone in your orphanage who's been bullied to choose between continuing to be bullied or sending those three to their deaths—which do you think they'd pick?"
Kabuto stared at Akashō blankly, unable to find any words.
Akashō walked over to the window, gazing at the half-set sun, a trace of emotion in his eyes.
"I'm not someone who likes wasting words, especially on abstract reasoning like this. But you remind me of how I used to be, so I ended up saying more than I planned."
He narrowed his eyes. He truly believed it—wherever there are many people, that becomes justice.
Maybe he could always stand on the side of 'justice' by catering to the majority, just like this time. But that wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted… was for others to cater to him.
As someone who possessed the Villain Template, from the very first day he transmigrated, he was destined to become the greatest 'wrong' in this world.
Of course, that 'wrong' would only be temporary. Once Akashō became the strongest existence in this world, no one would call him wrong anymore. No matter what he did, there would always be people supporting him. Everyone would believe he was right.
Because aside from gaining recognition, absolute power can also force others into submission.
"All of it—the process, the methods—it doesn't matter. What matters is the result. And that result is…"
"I will become the new justice!"
Akashō turned his head and smiled at Kabuto. A gentle breeze swept through, causing his hair to sway.
And those words—"I will become the new justice"—etched themselves deeply into Kabuto's heart.
Kabuto's breathing grew rapid, his heart pounding wildly, just like the feeling described in novels when one encounters love.
So this is what it feels like.
But Kabuto understood—what he encountered was not love. What stirred him so deeply… was admiration for Akashō.
Yes, admiration. Kabuto had never admired anyone like this before. Not even Yakushi Nono, who was like an angel and a mother in his heart, had ever reached this level.
The words themselves weren't particularly shocking, yet they struck directly at the deepest part of his soul.
Kabuto believed everything Akashō said would come true. Because at this very moment, in this very place, Akashō had already become the supreme justice in his heart.
...
After Kabuto left Konoha Hospital in a daze, the sky outside had already turned dark.
Akashō picked up the bag he had packed earlier that morning, climbed out the window, and headed toward the Konoha gates.
"Hm? Whose kid is this, wandering around outside so late instead of going home?"
Before he could reach the gate, a patrol squad of Konoha ninja had already noticed him.
Akashō glanced at the dim alley, a bit annoyed. Why did this patrol squad have to wander into the alley of all places?
Looks like he had no choice but to act.
"Huh? Aren't you one of Kushina's clan—"
Akashō smiled warmly at the Konoha ninja who lowered his guard and approached him. The shadow beneath his feet suddenly warped and stretched several times longer.
...
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