Chapter 157: The Price of Justice

"YOU ALL—"

"STOP WHERE YOU ARE!"

Jiraiya's voice thundered across the street.

His face was filled with rage.

The situation had gone far beyond what he could tolerate.

The Konoha Guard Force immediately moved.

They formed a human wall between the two sides, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

One wrong move...

They would draw.

The civilian crowd immediately backed away.

The sight of the Guard Force had shaken them.

"Jiraiya!"

One of the Sarutobi Chunin stepped forward angrily.

"Let us through! How dare these pests attack Sarutobi shinobi openly?"

He pointed toward the crowd.

"Move aside! We'll show them their place!"

Jiraiya's expression darkened.

A Sarutobi shinobi was ordering him around openly.

And in front of the entire village.

The Guard Force members exchanged glances.

They all understood the situation.

Everyone knew the Sarutobi were Jiraiya's teacher's clan.

But that did not give them the right to order a village elder around.

The crowd noticed it too.

Their fear slowly turned into anger again.

But none of them dared move.

Not with the Guard Force standing between them.

"Jiraiya-sama."

The shinobi who had accused Soko earlier called out.

Jiraiya turned toward him.

The man gave him a bitter smile.

"Thank you for showing us the truth."

His voice carried across the street.

"All these laws and all this authority only seem to apply to ordinary people."

He pointed toward the Sarutobi shinobi.

"But when clan shinobi are involved, suddenly none of it matters."

Several people in the crowd nodded.

"That's right!"

"Give us justice!"

The shinobi turned toward the others.

"Let's go."

"We won't get justice here."

He paused and looked back at Jiraiya.

"But remember this."

His voice became louder.

"If a clan shinobi ever comes to you, throws his authority around, or tries to harm you..."

His eyes hardened.

"Don't let him walk away alive."

The crowd became quiet.

"Fight like your life depends on it."

He clenched his fist.

"Because it does."

"Otherwise, you'll die somewhere in an alley or a dark forest, and nobody will care."

His eyes moved toward Jiraiya.

"No one cares about giving you justice when you don't have a clan backing you."

Soko's face turned red with anger.

The man's words made it sound as if the Sarutobi were responsible for everything.

"Jiraiya, stop him!"

Soko's voice was urgent.

"He's trying to create discord inside the village."

He pointed at the shinobi.

"He's an enemy spy!"

Something about the man had been bothering Soko.

He was too calm.

How could an ordinary shinobi stand in front of Jiraiya, the Guard Force, and an angry Sarutobi clan without showing even a hint of fear?

There's something wrong with him.

BAM!

A fist slammed into Soko's jaw.

Soko staggered backward.

His eyes widened.

Jiraiya stood in front of him.

His eyes were bloodshot.

"Just shut the hell up!"

Soko stared at him in disbelief.

"Jiraiya... how dare—"

The words stopped when he met Jiraiya's gaze.

There was anger in his eyes.

But there was also disappointment.

One Sarutobi shinobi after another had been ordering Jiraiya around as if he were nothing more than an errand boy for their clan.

If they behave like this in front of me...

Jiraiya clenched his fists.

How do they treat ordinary people?

He felt a deep disappointment toward his teacher's clan.

"Enemy spy, is it?"

The shinobi looked toward Soko.

His calm expression finally disappeared.

"You bastard Sarutobi!"

His eyes became red with rage.

"My father and my brother died fighting for this village!"

He pulled his sword from its sheath.

"While your clan sat safely inside the village!"

His voice cracked.

"And now you have the nerve to call me a spy?!"

He rushed toward Soko.

CLANG!

Jiraiya's kunai intercepted the blade.

"Stop!"

The shinobi glared at him.

"Get out of my way, you Sarutobi lapdog!"

He didn't even show Jiraiya any respect.

"Satoshi!"

One of his teammates shouted.

"Come back! Think about your mother and your sister!"

Satoshi froze for a moment.

Jiraiya looked directly at him.

"Stop here."

His voice became calmer.

"Think about your mother and sister."

"Who will take care of them if you throw your life away?"

Satoshi's eyes trembled.

Then tears began forming.

"Now you care?"

His voice cracked.

"Where the hell were you when the Sarutobi took credit for everything we bled for?"

He wiped his eyes angrily.

"It's been more than half a year!"

His voice grew louder.

"We still haven't received the compensation this village promised for my father and brother!"

He pointed toward the Sarutobi.

"And these Sarutobi bastards walk around like they're the only ones who live in this village!"

His sword trembled in his hand.

"And now this bastard has the nerve to call me a spy?"

His eyes filled with hatred.

"I'll kill him!"

"I'll compensate my brother's death with his life!"

Satoshi vanished.

Body Flicker!

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

Satoshi moved so quickly that his figure became a blur.

By the time Jiraiya found him again, he was already beside Soko.

The sword came down.

Soko reacted on instinct.

He pulled out his kunai.

CLANG!

Steel struck steel.

But Soko was no match for Satoshi.

CLANG!

BANG!

Soko was knocked to the ground.

Satoshi immediately moved in for the killing blow.

Then—

Blink.

His sword cut through empty air.

Soko was gone.

A small hand suddenly grabbed Satoshi's wrist.

The grip was far stronger than he expected.

"Don't get your hands dirty over him."

A young voice came from beside him.

"His life isn't worth it."

Satoshi turned.

His eyes widened.

An Uchiha boy was holding his arm.

"Uchiha Toyama..."

Jiraiya's voice came from behind them.

Toyama had arrived with two others—Suki and Raizen.

Toyama looked toward Jiraiya and casually raised his hand.

"Oh, hey, Master Jiraiya!"

He smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

Jiraiya stared at him.

Toyama had used his teleportation technique to switch places with Soko at the last moment.

He had just saved Soko's life.

For a brief moment, relief appeared on Jiraiya's face.

Then Toyama continued.

"I thought you'd be at some hot spring peeping on women."

Jiraiya's face immediately darkened.

But this time, it wasn't anger.

It was pure shame.

"Not here bullying civilians, huh?"

Toyama's words made Jiraiya freeze.

He slowly turned toward him.

"Well, what can we expect from the disciple of Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

Toyama spoke as casually as if he were talking about the weather.

"Oppressing villagers must be part of his teaching."

Jiraiya's face darkened.

"Are you here to cause trouble, boy?"

His voice was low and heavy.

He couldn't let this brat make the situation any worse.

Wherever Toyama goes, trouble follows.

And tonight, that was the last thing Jiraiya needed.

"Of course not."

Toyama placed a hand over his chest.

"I'm absolutely terrified of you, Sannin Jiraiya. Elder of Konoha. Disciple of the Third—"

He suddenly stopped.

"Oops."

A grin appeared on his face.

"Not the Third Hokage anymore."

He looked directly at Jiraiya.

"Just Sarutobi Hiruzen. My mistake."

"You..."

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

Toyama ignored him.

"I was just watching a very funny show."

He looked around at the Sarutobi and Mitokado shinobi.

"How Fast Can the Four Great Clans shinobi Run?"

His eyes moved toward Soko.

"But then I saw an innocent shinobi about to throw his life away because he couldn't see the trap in front of him."

He shrugged.

"I actually felt sorry for him."

Jiraiya's expression darkened.

In the next instant—

Whoosh!

Jiraiya used Body Flicker and appeared directly in front of Toyama.

"Get out of here, brat."

His voice was dangerous.

"Quietly."

Suki and Raizen immediately stepped in front of Toyama.

Jiraiya looked at them.

"Take this brat and leave."

Toyama raised both hands.

"Okay, okay. We're leaving."

He turned around.

Then he stopped and looked toward Satoshi.

"Hey, Satoshi."

Satoshi looked at him.

"If you want to earn some money, you can always take a mission from Uchiha Hall."

Toyama smiled.

"We pay pretty well."

He tilted his head.

"Wouldn't that be better than throwing your life away here?"

"Just go away, brat!" Jiraiya shouted.

"Stingy."

Toyama shrugged and walked away with Suki and Raizen.

Jiraiya watched them leave.

He let out a long breath.

Finally.

The troublemaker was leaving.

But then Toyama's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Uncle Raizen!"

"Yeah?"

Toyama spoke loudly enough for Jiraiya to hear.

"Isn't it a pretty good deal?"

He glanced back with an innocent smile.

"One shinobi dies, and then nobody has to keep asking for compensation."

BOOM!

Jiraiya froze.

It felt as if a giant rock had just dropped directly onto his head.

His face went completely blank.

Toyama continued walking as if he had said nothing unusual.

Jiraiya could only stare after him.

Why does this brat always have to say one more thing?

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

If anyone wants to join P@treon, they're welcome to.

Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to (Chapter 167: When the Hawk Roars.)

P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]

Thank you for the support and patience.

[Also, I have written a new fanfic; please go through it]