Chapter 156: When Anger Takes Hold

SURUTOBI CLAN COMPOUND

Kaito's group burst through the clan gate, running as fast as they could.

"Huff... huff..."

They stumbled into the compound, struggling to catch their breath.

A few old Sarutobi men were sitting under the shade nearby, playing cards and talking among themselves.

One of them looked up.

"What are you boys doing?"

Another old man immediately stood up.

"You brats! Didn't the Great Elder warn every kid to stay inside the compound?"

He pointed at them angrily.

"And here you are, loit—"

"Save..."

Kaito raised his hand, trying to stop him while gasping for air.

"Huff... huff..."

"...Uncle Soko!"

The words immediately changed the atmosphere.

The old men stopped talking.

Several people nearby who had thier attention to see the boys get scolded suddenly became serious.

"What happened to Soko?"

The old man's face turned grim.

He rushed forward and grabbed Kaito by the shoulders.

"Soko! What happened to him, boy?"

He shook Kaito in panic.

Soko was his nephew, and hearing that he was in danger had immediately wiped away his anger.

"Let him go first, old man."

Another elder stepped forward and pulled his hands away.

"Can't you see the boy can't even breathe?"

Kaito took a few deep breaths.

"Some village shinobi attacked us."

His voice was still shaky.

"Uncle Soko stayed behind to stop them. He's still outside!"

For a moment, the compound went completely silent.

Then—

"SUCH AUDACITY!"

"Bastards! Have they forgotten their place?"

"We won't let them get away this time!"

"No more mercy!"

"We're going out there!"

One angry voice followed another.

Sarutobi shinobi began rushing out from different parts of the compound.

Some grabbed their weapons.

Others were already running toward the gate.

Their faces were filled with anger.

Taka watched them in disbelief.

Something felt wrong.

Why were they reacting this strongly?

It was only one attack.

But the reaction looked as if someone had attacked the entire clan.

Then Taka noticed several members of the neighboring Mitokado clan standing near the compound wall.

They had clearly come after hearing the commotion.

Among them was a familiar face.

"Uncle Takaichi!"

The older man turned.

"Little Taka?"

His eyes widened.

"You're back from the mission already?"

Taka quickly told him what had happened—the crowd, the attack, and Soko staying behind.

As he spoke, Takaichi's expression slowly changed.

The surprise disappeared.

Then came worry.

Finally, his face became grim.

"This is getting absurd day by day."

One of the Mitokado shinobi shook his head.

"Every damn day, it's something new."

Taka looked at Takaichi.

"Uncle... why is the whole Sarutobi clan reacting like this?"

Takaichi stared at him for a moment.

He understood what Taka was really asking.

He let out a tired sigh.

"It started about half a month ago."

"The villagers began targeting Sarutobi clan members."

Taka's eyes widened.

"At first, it was small things Insults and arguments."

Takaichi's expression hardened.

"But last week, things started became much worse."

"Some Genin from the four clans got into a fight with village shinobi."

He paused.

"Three Sarutobi Genin were seriously injured."

Taka's expression changed.

"Since then, things like this have been happening almost every day."

He looked toward the Sarutobies shinobi gathering near the gate.

"That's why everyone reacted this way when they heard Soko was attacked."

He sighed.

"Everyone is already on edge."

Takaichi turned toward one of the Mitokado shinobi.

"Go."

"Tell the clan elder and the clan head what happened. Now."

The shinobi immediately nodded and hurried away.

Takaichi looked toward the gate.

"We need to stop them before this turns into something we can't undo."

He and the other Mitokado shinobies quickly followed the angry Sarutobies toward Soko.

While the enraged Sarutobi shinobi rushed toward him, Soko was already standing behind Jiraiya and the Konoha Guard Force.

He looked at the same village shinobi who had been chasing him only minutes ago.

Just moments earlier, they had been coming after him as if they wanted to kill him.

Now, standing in front of the Guard Force, they looked completely innocent.

Soko's eye twitched.

These fucking bastards changed their faces that quickly?

"You still haven't answered me."

Jiraiya looked at the shinobi standing in front of him.

His voice was stern.

"What exactly are you people doing here?"

The shinobi exchanged nervous looks.

Sweat appeared on several of their faces.

Before anyone could answer—

"Catch that bastard!"

"Don't let him get away!"

The shouting came from behind them.

Jiraiya and the Guard Force immediately turned toward the noise.

A large crowd was rushing toward them.

Some carried sticks and farming tools.

Others had whatever they could grab in their hands.

The shinobi who had been chasing Soko looked relieved when they saw the crowd.

The civilians finally reached them.

They stopped when they saw Jiraiya and the Konoha Guard Force standing in the middle of the street.

Soko was standing behind them.

The pursuing shinobi were standing on the opposite side.

Jiraiya's expression hardened.

"What exactly is the meaning of this?"

His voice silenced several people.

"Are you people trying to start a rebellion inside the village?"

His eyes swept across the crowd.

"Or are you trying to start a riot?"

The crowd became quiet.

Then one of the shinobi stepped forward.

"Jiraiya-sama..."

His voice sounded desperate.

"Please, give us justice!"

Jiraiya blinked.

He hadn't expected that.

"That bastard from the Sarutobi clan and those brats started causing trouble in the street."

The shinobi pointed toward Soko.

"Today, they make trouble for a few old men. What will they do tomorrow?"

His voice became louder.

"They think they can do whatever they want because their clan will protect them!"

The crowd immediately began reacting.

"Yes!"

"He's right!"

"Jiraiya-sama, give us justice!"

"These clan shinobi think they can do anything!"

The voices quickly grew louder.

"Absurd!"

Soko's face turned red with anger.

"It was you bastards who started chasing us!"

One of the shinobi immediately pointed at him.

"You bastard! If we hadn't chased you, you and those brats would've attacked Old Man Ji!"

Another voice came from the crowd.

"Do you clan shinobi really think you can do whatever you want?"

"Just because you're from a powerful clan, you think nobody can stop you?"

The first shinobi turned toward Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-sama, ask anyone here who started the trouble!"

He pointed toward the crowd.

"We all saw it!"

"He started it!"

"Yes!"

"These bastard clan shinobies!"

"Jiraiya-sama, give us justice!"

The voices began piling on top of each other.

Jiraiya's jaw tightened.

His frustration was becoming obvious.

He looked toward Soko.

Blood was dripping from Soko's split lip, and his face was red with anger.

"Jiraiya, don't believe these bastards!"

Soko's voice was urgent.

"They're lying!"

He couldn't allow even the slightest doubt to enter Jiraiya's mind.

Jiraiya looked back at the crowd.

"Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding—"

"Are you siding with him because he's from your teacher's clan?"

The words stopped Jiraiya.

His expression changed.

The crowd also went quiet for a moment.

Then several people looked at Jiraiya with sudden understanding.

"Look at that."

The same shinobi pointed toward Soko.

"Just because they're from a powerful clan, they think they can do whatever they want."

"And the Guard Force won't do anything to them!"

He turned toward the crowd.

"Is there any justice for ordinary people like us?"

His voice rose.

"How are we supposed to live in a world like this?"

The crowd's anger grew again.

"Lord Jiraiya, are you siding with the clans too?"

"Did you forget you were one of us before you became a shinobi?"

"Where is the justice?"

"Why do the clans always get special treatment?"

One accusation followed another.

Jiraiya stood silently.

His eyes moved across the crowd.

A moment ago, they had been demanding justice from him.

Now they were questioning him.

He looked toward Soko.

Then toward the angry shinobi.

Then back at the crowd.

His expression became troubled.

"Where are those bastards?"

"Don't let them get away this time!"

More angry voices came from behind.

Everyone turned.

A large group of Sarutobi shinobi was rushing toward them.

The sight immediately changed the mood of the crowd.

The civilians who had been shouting moments ago suddenly became nervous.

Even some of the village shinobi took a step back.

They were still holding sticks, sickles, and whatever else they had grabbed, but the confidence they had shown earlier was starting to disappear.

"There they are!"

One of the Sarutobi shinobi spotted the crowd.

His face twisted with anger.

"Those are the bastards who attacked Uncle Soko!"

He pointed toward them.

"Don't let a single one of them get away!"

The Sarutobi shinobi drew their weapons and charged forward.

"Get them!"

"Don't let those bastards escape!"

They rushed toward the crowd at full speed.

Their anger was so strong that they didn't even notice Jiraiya and the Konoha Guard Force standing between them.

They weren't thinking about the Hokage's orders anymore.

They weren't thinking about the consequences.

All they could think about was Soko.

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

"Wait—!"

But the Sarutobi shinobi were already charging toward the crowd.

And Jiraiya was standing directly between the two sides.

****************************************************************************

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