Konoha: The Absolute Justice of the Uchiha

Chapter 103 Sasuke and Naruto's destiny will lead him to pursue justice (5000 words)
"Your family is quite interesting, meow. A while ago, Fugaku brought Itachi Uchiha over, and tonight you brought Sasuke Uchiha over. Anyone who didn't know better would think you two planned this together."

Jiro Tachibana seemed to be standing aside, making sarcastic remarks as he led Mikoto Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha into the house.

Because after Lord Chiquan came out, he did not intend to ask the guests to leave.

Having followed Uchiha Ikezumi for many years, Tachibana Jiro immediately understood.

"New guy, what are you standing there for? Come in too!"

Tachibana Jiro's voice made Izumi say "Oh" and immediately follow.

She also gently closed the door behind her.

This was the second time Izumi had entered the Uchiha Ikezumi home. The last time, she was so shocked and angry by Uchiha Itachi's "future evil" that she didn't even have time to curiously look around the rooms.

This time, Quan's curious gaze, filled with a thirst for knowledge, cautiously wandered around.

Discovering the home of senior artist Chi Quan, one is struck by its simplicity and tidiness.

The most eye-catching thing is the potted plants on the windowsill.

She could tell that each potted plant had been carefully pruned, and there were many tools for pruning plants placed beside it. It seemed like this was one of Ikezumi-senpai's hobbies!
Wow! So even seniors have hobbies...

Quan was greatly shocked.

After all, the stereotypical image that Senior Chi Quan presented to her was that of a cold-blooded person who was not interested in anything other than [justice] and [evil].

In retrospect, it seems that her stereotypes were too narrow-minded.

Quan silently kept the hobbies of his senior, Chi Quan, in his heart.

"Meow, newbie, don't even think about giving gifts to Lord Chi Quan. Not only will he not accept them, but it will also make your impression on him turn negative!"

The whispered reminder from Tachibana Jiro, as if he could read her mind, startled Izumi.

Quan asked quietly, "Can't I have something like a birthday present?"

"Hmm..." Tachibana Jiro fell into thought: "This touches on a blind spot in my knowledge, meow. After all, with Izumi-sama's great reputation, who would dare to give Izumi-sama a birthday present?"

the other side.

Mikoto Uchiha had already led Sasuke to sit down. Her expression was quite complicated. She got straight to the point and said, "Ikezumi, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. I wanted to see you, but it wasn't planned in advance. It was just a sudden whim tonight."

She turned to look at the anxious Sasuke, the worry in her eyes impossible to hide.

"Itachi... he's become a completely different person. Tonight, I discovered he still wanted to harm Sasuke. The things he said to Sasuke terrified me... If it weren't for Izumi stopping him, Sasuke might..."

At this point, Mikoto Uchiha's eyes were filled with sorrow.

She couldn't understand why this was happening.
Was it really necessary to use such extreme methods to resolve the conflict between the village and the Uchiha clan? To resolve that conflict, would Itachi even kill his own family without hesitation?

In her eyes, her eldest son had transformed into someone she didn't recognize at all.

And he's an extremely dangerous person!
Mikoto Uchiha is not afraid of death. If one day her most beloved child decides to kill his mother, all she can do is close her eyes and quietly await death.

She couldn't bring herself to be at odds with her own child.

but……

When the safety of another child was involved, Mikoto Uchiha felt a maternal protective instinct arise in her despair.

She didn't want anything to happen to Sasuke!

"Sasuke doesn't usually have any extreme ideas. He usually acts very normally. In my opinion, he shouldn't be the kind of person who will do evil in the future."

Mikoto Uchiha pleaded, "In the entire Uchiha clan, you're probably the only one who can protect Sasuke. I hope you can take care of Sasuke and help him grow up healthy and strong."

“Ikezumi… This is not a conversation between me as the wife of the clan leader and you, but a conversation between me as an incompetent mother and you. I’m sorry, I couldn’t control Itachi’s mind, and I didn’t teach that child well, leading him astray.”

"I can only do everything I can to protect Sasuke..."

"That's all."

Mikoto Uchiha revealed all her innermost thoughts.

Sasuke Uchiha, Izumi Uchiha, and Jiro Tachibana, along with the cat, all looked at her with shocked and astonished expressions.

Sasuke's eyes widened, his little face filled with shock as he looked at his mother, whose eyes were brimming with tears of sorrow. The words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and the overwhelming empathy and heartache brought tears to his own eyes.

He had never seen his mother so sorrowful...

The culprit behind all of this was his beloved older brother, Itachi Uchiha, who wanted to slaughter the Uchiha clan!

Uchiha Ikezumi neither agreed nor refused, but simply asked, "Can't Clan Chief Fugaku protect him?"

"Fugaku, he might be able to stop Itachi. But..."

Mikoto Uchiha smiled bitterly and said, "I know him best. When his eldest son appears before him with a blood-stained butcher's knife, all his spirit will crumble. He will accept Itachi's decision completely."

Sasuke was utterly astonished.

Even Father couldn't stop my brother?

Or does Mother mean that if that time really comes, Father will give up the fight?
By the time……

Will Mother leave with Father too?

Sasuke quietly clenched his fist.

He pursed his lower lip, remaining silent, overwhelmed by a profound sense of powerlessness. How could a seven-year-old child possibly solve a problem that even his father and mother couldn't resolve?

Uchiha Ikezumi looked at the clan head's wife and explained, "Uchiha Itachi will not kill Uchiha Sasuke in the future."

Mikoto Uchiha said in a low voice, "The future can change, can't it? Otherwise, Izumi, you wouldn't have tried to persuade me and Fugaku. That was a change you once wanted to make. It's just a pity that no one expected Itachi to be so stubborn."

Her beautiful face showed confusion and dejection: "I can't see whether the future will turn for the better or for the worse. Sasuke is also capable of believing in justice. This is the only way I can think of to keep Sasuke alive."

“I think you’ve misunderstood something.” Uchiha Izumi’s words startled Uchiha Mikoto.

Uchiha Izumi slowly said, "Uchiha Itachi's future actions were inherently evil. Do you really think 'Absolute Justice' would stand by and watch the night of the massacre happen?"

“Protecting the innocent is the duty and obligation of justice. You don’t need to plead as a mother; [absolute justice] will protect those it needs to protect without hesitation.”

"As for Uchiha Sasuke, he believed in justice..."

Uchiha Ikezumi glanced at Sasuke, whose face was filled with deep frustration and helplessness.

All of Sasuke's emotions were "written" on his face.

You can tell what he's thinking just by glancing at him.

He bluntly stated, "A brat who hasn't even grasped what justice truly is will never understand what it means to bear the burden of justice. Right now, his understanding of justice is even less than Naruto's."

"I'm sorry, I was too narrow-minded." Uchiha Mikoto was somewhat moved. In just a few words, she realized just how pure Uchiha Ikezumi's sense of justice was.

In other words... even if she didn't plead with him, Uchiha Izumi would still intervene when things were about to happen.

Sasuke, who was standing nearby, suddenly twitched his ear.

Even Sasuke himself didn't know why, but the words "not even as good as Naruto Uzumaki" gave him a strange feeling of displeasure. However, because he was too afraid of Izumi Uchiha, Sasuke didn't show this displeasure too obviously.

and……

Why does the name "Naruto Uzumaki" sound so familiar?

and many more!

Isn't that the worst student?!

Filled with countless questions, Sasuke was inexplicably dragged there by his mother, and then inexplicably dragged away by her again. He even saw his mother bow deeply to Uchiha Ikezumi.

On the way home, Sasuke lowered his head, fidgeting with the hem of his clothes, and asked, "Mother, were you just about to send me to him? You thought my brother might kill me, right?"

An unusual silence from my mother.

This gave Sasuke a silent answer.

……

The capital of the Fire Nation.

late at night.

At the behest of the Fire Country Daimyo, the Twelve Guardian Ninjas gathered, but one, "Nango," was absent. Thus, the Twelve Guardian Ninjas became the Eleven Guardian Ninjas.

The eleven people's positions clearly divide them into two factions.

One faction, led by Sarutobi Asuma, advocated for a balance between the Hokage of Konoha and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

The other faction, led by "Kazuma," believes that the Hokage should not exist and that ninjas should be managed by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

The former consists of five people.

The latter group consists of six people.

The two sides did not have a harmonious relationship, but with the mediation of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, they were temporarily brought together.

"Tsk tsk, Uchiha Izumi... he is indeed quite famous. I heard he is a dual bloodline limit ninja, right? Sharingan plus Lava Release, heh, sounds like he's going to be a tough opponent."

Kazuma, with his naturally graying long hair and a hideous scar on his face, stared directly at Asuma and sneered, "Asuma, wouldn't you mind killing a Konoha Hokage before killing Uchiha Izumi? After all, he kept this a secret from the Daimyo, and didn't even send anyone to bring Kusuke's body over. As the Konoha Hokage, what were his intentions in doing this?" Asuma frowned.

To be honest, he didn't want to work with these six radical guys in front of him.

Compared to hunting Uchiha Izumi, these six people are more inclined to hunt Konoha Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi!
but……

He has already sacrificed one "Nanwu" on his side, and it's uncertain whether the remaining five people can defeat Uchiha Ikezumi.

If they want to deal with Uchiha Izumi, they only have one chance, and under these circumstances, they are forced to cooperate with these six people.

"Don't forget what the lord told you."

Asuma retorted, "This time, the only target is Uchiha Izumi; the others are not part of our mission. Besides, the Daimyo-sama said that this time, you will need to follow my orders."

He narrowed his eyes and continued, "Also, if you dare to attack the Hokage of Konoha, I will kill you before you can."

Kazuma suddenly grinned maliciously and met Asuma's gaze without fear.

However, they didn't continue to steer the conversation towards the Hokage of Konoha.

Don't waste time that doesn't need to be wasted.

Asuma glanced warily at Kazuma, then said in a deep voice, "Let's go!!!"

The eleven guardian ninjas set off immediately.

……

The next day.

Sasuke Uchiha, burdened with worries, didn't sleep well all night.

His mind was still replaying Itachi Uchiha's sarcastic remarks, his mother's sorrow and helplessness, his father's silence after returning home, and the words that guy named Izumi Uchiha had said to his mother last night.

What do you mean I can't understand the meaning of bearing justice?

Looking sleepy, Sasuke muttered to himself, "What do you mean I'm not as good as Naruto? Isn't he just a loser?"

He was sitting at the dining table eating his breakfast when his gaze inadvertently fell on the chair that Itachi Uchiha usually sat in.

Sasuke couldn't help but stop moving.

Doubt, anger, resentment, fear... a complex mix of emotions made Sasuke fall silent. Sasuke didn't know how to view his brother, nor whether he should hate him.

This is still too complicated for a seven-year-old child.

Sasuke had no appetite, so he went to the ninja academy alone.

The moment I arrived at the Ninja Academy classroom.

He was searching for the figure of someone who was at the bottom of the pack.

"...Where is he?!" In my memory, that underachiever used to arrive at the classroom quite early, and I could always see him when I walked into the classroom, but today I found that he was nowhere to be found.

Moreover, Sasuke could clearly sense that many ninja academy students in the classroom were staring at him with strange looks.

Sasuke knew the reason very well.

These people must have heard about the Uchiha clan's massacre a year later, and they must have heard about Itachi Uchiha's cruel methods.

It's impossible for Sasuke to be completely unaffected; he simply can't ignore the gazes of these people right now.

He was somewhat agitated.

I don't know how long I waited, but just when it felt like class was about to start, a disheveled figure finally rushed in.

Sasuke looked up and saw that striking head of blond hair.

"Why does this guy look so dirty..."

Sasuke frowned.

A little disgusted.

But Uchiha Izumi's words flashed through his mind again, causing Sasuke to stand up abruptly. Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, he walked to Naruto's side and, under Naruto's questioning gaze, sat down in the seat next to him.

"You bottom-of-the-barrel guy, what's your relationship with him?" Sasuke asked Naruto with a resentful tone.

Naruto immediately retorted, his face full of displeasure, "Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by 'loser'?! I have a name, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! And how am I supposed to know who you're talking about if you don't tell me your name?"

Sasuke caught a whiff of unpleasant sweat. He regretted sitting next to Naruto and unconsciously moved a little further away, saying, "The person I'm talking about is... Uchiha Ikezumi."

Naruto: "!!!"

"You know him?!"

Naruto was shocked.

Sasuke's face showed a hint of pride: "He is a member of the Uchiha clan. My father is the head of the Uchiha clan. How could I not know him? Also, you haven't answered my question yet."

This stumped Naruto. What was his relationship with Uchiha Izumi? He couldn't quite explain it.

Well……

Naruto muttered, "I asked him to teach me [Absolute Justice], and he agreed... Hmm! I get it!"

Naruto suddenly realized: "He's my teacher!!!"

Sasuke: "???"

Sasuke was confused.

Uchiha Izumi, whom even his father greatly feared and whose mother brought him to his door for help, actually accepted a slovenly, bottom-ranked ninja academy student as his disciple!?
When his mother asked him to also believe in justice, he said he was inferior to Naruto Uzumaki?!
Where do I fall short compared to him? Is it in my understanding of justice?

Sasuke's facial expressions were quite interesting.

"...Hey! You bottom-of-the-barrel guy!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, shifted his gaze to the side, avoiding direct eye contact with Naruto, and asked hesitantly, "What exactly is justice?"

……

"Uchiha Ikezumi! Why can't you let me go?! This is all ancient history, from so many years ago! I can't even remember how I actually did it back then!"

On a street in Konoha.

A Chunin, his face contorted in terror, cried out, "And the people I killed weren't from Konoha, or even the Land of Fire! Why would you kill your own villager for the sake of outsiders?"

"I'm a Konoha ninja just like you! To try and kill me for an outsider, is that still the behavior of a Konoha ninja?"

Uchiha Ikezumi, holding his ninja sword at an angle, approached step by step.

"why?"

As the Konoha Chunin's pupils gradually dilated, Uchiha Ikezumi had already passed him by, his ninja sword now stained with a smear of bright red blood.

"Because eradicating evil in the ninja world is the responsibility and duty of justice. What I just mentioned is only one of your many sins. To let a worm like you go would be a stain on justice."

A head the size of a bucket had rolled to the ground.

The headless corpse also fell heavily to the ground.

"Senior, this is the second one today!" Izumi said, taking notes in his notebook. "Recently, quite a few ninjas who were on missions outside have returned. I didn't expect that they would do so many despicable things on the surface but in reality, they seem harmless."

At this point, even Lian Quan felt a little scared.

Of course, her fear wasn't due to Senior Ikezumi's bloody methods, but rather because the morbid and twisted nature of the ninja world was beyond her imagination.

In Izumi's mind, Konoha was already one of the best ninja villages in the ninja world.

And the average quality of Konoha ninjas should be quite high, right?
The evil of the ninja world, however, may lurk within Konoha...

There were still so many that it gave her the creeps!

After putting away her notebook, Izumi asked hesitantly, "Senior, didn't you say you wanted to develop believers in justice? But why did you refuse Aunt Mikoto and Sasuke last night? Even if Sasuke doesn't understand justice yet, we could have patiently guided him to accept your 'absolute justice,' right?"

Uchiha Izumi, however, said, "He will take the initiative to understand justice."

Quan was taken aback.

She only heard Senior Chi Quan say again: "Naruto Uzumaki's existence is the driving force behind his understanding of justice. Because there is an inseparable bond and destiny between him and Naruto Uzumaki."

Eh? !

Is there an inseparable bond and destiny between Sasuke and Naruto?

This sounds a little strange...

Aren't they both guys?

……

……

(End of this chapter)