Konoha: The Absolute Justice of the Uchiha

Chapter 130 Neji and Absolute Justice! Hiashi, even more tortoise-like than Fugaku (10,000-word chapter)
Mt. Miaomu.

After Jiraiya arrived here using the Reverse Summoning Technique, he directly told the toads that he wanted to see the Great Toad Sage.

The toads looked at each other in bewilderment.

Before they could react, they vaguely heard the leisurely voice of the Great Toad Sage.

The toad named "Fukasaku" paused, looked up and stared intently at Jiraiya, then said in a hoarse, aged voice, "Little Jiraiya, the master wants you to go see him."

"understand!"

After Jiraiya nodded in agreement, he went to see the Great Toad Sage alone.

This is an old toad with an orange-reddish body. It is very large, with deep wrinkles all over its face. It wears a string of Buddhist beads around its neck, and the largest pale purple bead has a large character "油" (oil) written on it.

When Jiraiya arrived here, he could smell the aroma of sake in the air—because this great toad sage was quite fond of sake, and there was a sake bottle and a sake cup next to him.

"Who is coming?"

The Great Toad Sage's question, uttered with his eyes closed, made Jiraiya's lips twitch.

Even though the Great Toad Sage knew he was coming, he still asked who he was.

It seems like the old man has played this trick many times before, and I don't know why he doesn't get tired of it.

Jiraiya took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, "Great Toad Sage, I seem to have discovered some clues about the Child of Prophecy that you told me about a long time ago in Konoha. However, this is not a clue that I actively sought out; rather, it was told to me by a young ninja from Konoha named Uchiha Izumi."

"He also knows about the prophetic child you once mentioned, Great Toad Sage, and he even knows the specific identity of the prophetic child! I suspect that it is very likely that his Sharingan ability allows him to have the same prophetic ability as you, Great Toad Sage."

Jiraiya told the giant toad sage in front of him all the information he knew.

Upon hearing this, the composed and unassuming Great Toad Immortal slightly opened his closed eyes.

It looked down at Jiraiya before it: "The child you mentioned... foretold the 'savior'?"

"Yes!"

Jiraiya nodded and replied, "I can tell he's not lying. And based on my initial understanding of him, someone like him wouldn't tell a lie."

"Truly astonishing..." the Great Toad Sage remarked. "Uchiha Izumi, in all the futures I've dreamt of, I've never encountered a person like this before..."

Jiraiya was stunned.

Logically speaking, Uchiha Izumi also caused a huge uproar in the ninja world.

In Jiraiya's eyes, that young man was one of the trendsetters of this era.

They are figures who stand at the forefront of this era.

Such an excellent ninja, yet the Great Toad Sage did not see him in the future he foresaw?
This puzzled Jiraiya greatly.

At this moment, the Great Toad Sage suddenly asked, "Now that we have found clues about the Child of Prophecy, why not take him as your disciple and teach him to make the right choice so that the ninja world can be peaceful and stable?"

Jiraiya gave a wry smile: "Izumi is unwilling to tell me who the true child of prophecy is..."

He said the same things that Uchiha Ikezumi had once told him.

Not a single word was omitted, and there was no embellishment.

The Great Toad Immortal fell silent upon hearing this.

a long time.

The Great Toad Sage pondered, "Logically speaking, there is such an outstanding young man in the ninja world, so it's impossible that I wouldn't dream of him. The only explanation is that the child is too special... so special that even the predetermined fate of the ninja world cannot capture him."

Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Great Toad Sage said that once the distorted and diseased ninja world returns to normal, everyone has the potential to be a prophetic child who can bring about positive change to the ninja world. What do you think of what he said, Great Toad Sage..."

"That child has a point."

The Great Toad Sage said leisurely, "However, how can the ninja world be restored to normalcy and peace without a crucial savior?"

Jiraiya was thoughtful.

Even the Great Toad Sage thinks Uchiha Ikezumi has a point?
but
It seems that the Great Toad Sage does not completely agree with Uchiha Ikezumi's views.

The Great Toad Sage believed that without a savior, the ninja world could not achieve peace. Only when a savior brought about change and peace would more saviors emerge. However, the Great Toad Sage did not elaborate on his views.

However, Uchiha Izumi believed that even without a savior, his "absolute justice" could bring peace and prosperity to the ninja world.

"I understand."

Jiraiya nodded solemnly: "We still need to uncover the true identity of the Child of Prophecy, and we still need to train him to be the savior of the ninja world. Only in this way can we save the ninja world."

Jiraiya let out a slight sigh of relief and said, "What Uchiha Izumi said wasn't entirely without merit. At least it confirms that he had contact with the Child of Prophecy!"

"As long as we start investigating those people that Chi Quan has come into contact with, we will eventually find the savior you foretold, Great Toad Sage."

The Great Toad Immortal calmly closed his eyes and remained silent.

Jiraiya wisely took his leave.

After Jiraiya left, the Great Toad Sage opened his eyes again. He glanced at the sake in the translucent bottle next to him, the sake reflecting his orange eyes.

The Great Toad Sage muttered to himself, "Although I've never dreamed of him, [Absolute Justice]... it seems I really have seen it in a dream. This kind of justice will plunge the ninja world into a bloodbath, and the entire ninja world will be shrouded in the dark cloud of Absolute Justice."

"but……"

"I can't quite tell whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. After living for so many years, I still have a dream that I don't understand. No wonder Jiraiya rushed over here in such a hurry."

“Uchiha Ikezumi…”

"That's really something!"

……

at the same time.

Outside the Hyuga clan's residence.

With a "clink," a blood-stained, sharp kunai fell to the ground. Sasuke swallowed hard and staggered back a few steps.

The warmth from the blood on his hands sent shivers down his spine, making his breathing rapid and his face contorted with panic.

The sensation of a sharp blade piercing flesh, in particular, lingered in his mind and was unforgettable.

He stared wide-eyed at a corpse lying on the ground.

The body had multiple wounds, including two fatal ones.

The first fatal wound was to the front of his chest, where a kunai was inserted, not completely into his flesh and heart.

The second fatal wound was on his back, where there was a bloody gash—shot by Sasuke with a kunai. The kunai pierced through his heart from behind.

Sasuke's slightly flustered face still bore some bruises.

But he ignored the pain in his body and immediately looked at Naruto, who was being crushed by the corpse he had fallen on.

"Last-place finisher, are you alright?"

Naruto grimaced as he pushed the corpse's arm away and got up.

"How could I be alright?" Naruto was more seriously injured than Sasuke. When he tried to stand up, he staggered and fell to the ground. The burning pain in his abdomen made him lift up his shirt.

On the skin of his chest, there was a blue handprint.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Naruto couldn't help but cough a few times while covering his mouth, only to find that Sasuke's worried look suddenly turned into one of horror.

Naruto was startled. He looked down at his hand and realized that he had coughed up a lot of blood after a few coughs!

No wonder I feel so unwell...

Is this considered a minor injury or a serious injury?

“This guy is amazing!”

Naruto's face was ashen: "The two of us almost couldn't beat him. But we did manage to execute the villain with our own strength."

"This guy... bullied war orphans at the ninja academy, causing one of them to commit suicide by cutting his wrists... cough!"

"The teachers at the Ninja Academy told us not to spread this around, saying that the Ninja Academy would handle this matter seriously."

"However, no matter how seriously they handle it, they can't make this guy pay with his life. After all, he's only three years older than us."

"As Senior Izumi said, only by coughing and coughing... only by making the perpetrator pay with his life can the victim rest in peace."

"You cocky Sasuke, the two of us did it..."

"Teacher Chi Quan will definitely praise us."

"Stop talking!" Sasuke, regaining his senses, immediately stepped forward and tried to help him up: "I'll take you to Konoha Hospital!"

Just as Sasuke was struggling to help Naruto, who was completely exhausted, to his feet.

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out.

"stop!!!"

Outside the Hyuga clan's compound, they ambushed and killed a junior member of the Hyuga clan. If this hadn't alerted the Hyuga clan's ninjas, that would have been a serious problem!
Several Hyuga clan ninjas rushed over and found a cold, lifeless corpse lying on the ground.

They also saw two little devils covered in blood.

They keenly noticed that the corpses on the ground were none other than those of members of the Hyuga clan!

Both little devils had blood on their hands!

"Did you kill him?" The question from a Hyuga clan ninja immediately made Sasuke, who was supporting Naruto, tense up.

Reason told him that if he, a young child, firmly denied it, he wouldn't get the truth out of them unless they used torture to force a confession.

however.

Despite his emotional nature, he kept a straight face and suppressed his nervousness, saying, "Yes! But... it's because of his bullying behavior that he first caused an orphan from the ninja academy to commit suicide. And both the ninja academy and your Hyuga clan have dealt with him leniently, so he can still attend the ninja academy without any problems. He hasn't paid the price for his evil deeds."

“We are merely making him pay the price in the name of absolute justice. Moreover… if such a villain is allowed to live, he will only commit even greater atrocities in the future. Therefore, justice needs to execute him even more!”

Sasuke readily admitted it, and from his perspective, what he said was indeed righteous and awe-inspiring.

From the perspective of the Hyuga clan, this is a serious provocation against them!

"Kid!"

Several Hyuga clan ninjas had already subtly surrounded Naruto and Sasuke.

One of them said with a hint of anger, "Don't think that just because you're wearing Uchiha clan clothes and spouting 'absolute justice' rhetoric, you're Uchiha Ikezumi!"

"Your Uchiha clan secretly murdered a junior member of the Hyuga clan, which is an act of provoking war between the two ninja clans! After doing such a thing, do you still think you can leave here?"

"Wait a minute..." At this moment, another person pulled the Hyuga clan ninja who had an angry expression.

The man was staring at Naruto, who was weak and pale.

His white eyes held a strange glint, and his face was filled with solemnity.

He said, "That blond brat looks like that fox demon brat—Naruto Uzumaki!"

The other Hyuga clan ninjas: "!!!"

Then he turned his gaze to Sasuke, whose face was tense: "This Uchiha brat, if I remember correctly, is the second son of the Uchiha clan leader—Uchiha Sasuke!"

The others were shocked for the second time.

They only judged Sasuke Uchiha to be a member of the Uchiha clan by his clothes, but they never expected his identity to be so special.

The murderers were a Jinchuriki and the son of the Uchiha clan chief!
Several Hyuga clan ninjas suddenly calmed down from their anger.

This……

This is beyond their ability to handle!

"Go back and inform Lord Hiashi!"

……

"drink!"

"what!"

"Eight Trigrams - Empty Palm!!!"

A faint breeze blew towards Hyuga Neji. Looking at Hyuga Hinata, who had struck him from afar but hadn't done anything, Neji expressionlessly moved forward, swiftly kicking Hinata to the ground before striking her down with a palm.

"Well!"

Hinata clutched her lower abdomen and cried out in pain, curling up in agony, her face contorted with discomfort.

Neji straightened up, first glancing at Hiashi Hyuga, who looked disappointed not far away, then looking down at Hinata Hyuga, who had fallen to the ground.

He said coldly, "You haven't even learned Bagua: Empty Palm yet, and you're using Bagua: Empty Palm on me. Your combat IQ is practically zero. The world of ninjas is almost irrelevant to you. You might as well stay in your clan and be a pampered young lady."

Upon hearing these words, Hinata gritted her teeth and tried to struggle to her feet.

Just then, a Hyuga clan ninja rushed over.

"Lord Hiashi!" The ninja ran to Hiashi Hyuga's side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered something.

Neji Hyuga's attention was also drawn to it.

He keenly noticed that Hiashi Hyuga's brows were deeply furrowed.

"You didn't touch those two children, did you?"—This was a question Neji overheard Hiashi Hyuga asking in a low voice.

"No."

After the Hyuga ninja gave a reply, Neji noticed that Hyuga Hiashi seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Hinata Chizutsu continued with a serious expression, "Take me there!"

"Yes!"

After watching the two of them leave, Neji glanced at Hinata, who was still struggling on the ground. Suppressing his anger, he scoffed and immediately followed Hiashi Hyuga quietly.

Not long after.

Hiashi Hyuga and the Hyuga clan ninja arrived at the scene.

He saw the corpses of his clansmen, as well as Naruto and Sasuke.

As the clan leader, he should have said something, but at this moment, Hiashi found himself speechless.

This day has finally come.

He knew that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had followed Uchiha Ikezumi and embraced "Absolute Justice," and he also knew that Fugaku's second son, Uchiha Sasuke, shared the same belief. These two children… killing a junior member of the Hyuga clan today meant that "Absolute Justice" had come after the Hyuga clan!

"call……"

After letting out a deep breath, Hiashi looked at Sasuke, who was in better physical condition, and asked expressionlessly, "Even if it's about enforcing [absolute justice], there needs to be a reason, right?"

Sasuke felt immense pressure from Hiashi, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I... I've already said it once!"

A Hyuga ninja explained to the Hijikata clan in a low voice.

Hearing this, Rizu frowned again.

Just as he was about to say something, Hiashi suddenly looked up as if he had a premonition, and saw several figures rushing towards him.

The person in the lead was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just returned to Konoha, followed by a line of Anbu ninjas!
See this.

Riji's heart sank.

This not only connects to Uchiha Izumi's absolute justice, but it may also involve the Hokage.

"Naruto!"

When Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, he immediately checked on Naruto's condition. He was so frightened when he saw Naruto covered in blood that his old face turned pale.

They immediately became alert, fearing that Naruto in this state might suddenly lose control.

The Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto is no joke!

"Grandpa Hokage... I... I'm fine..." Naruto managed a weak smile, but the next second, the pain all over his body made his little face contort.

"Medical Ninja!"

With a stern face, Hiruzen Sarutobi decisively summoned an ANBU ninja skilled in medical ninjutsu.

The ANBU ninja immediately treated Naruto's injuries.
"Grandpa Hokage, and him too." Naruto raised his arm with difficulty and pointed to Sasuke, who looked equally disheveled beside him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a signal with a glance.

Another ANBU ninja skilled in medical ninjutsu stepped forward.

Seeing that Naruto's complexion had improved.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

then.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, his face cold, looked at Hiashi Hyuga before him: "Hiashi, you should have thought about how you're going to explain this to me, shouldn't you? Why did Naruto kill someone here? And why was he injured? The scar on his chest must be from your Gentle Fist, right? Do you know what such a serious injury means?"

Faced with the Hokage's repeated questions, Hiashi Hyuga sighed inwardly, but maintained his solemn expression and said helplessly, "Hokage-sama, this is something I did not expect."

He explained everything he knew, and finally said, "If the Hokage doesn't believe me, he can ask Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha for confirmation." Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face froze in surprise.

He couldn't help but look at Naruto, who, at only seven years old, immediately chimed in with great enthusiasm, "He's right, Grandpa Hokage! Sasuke and I both think this is unfair. Why should that guy kill someone and not pay the price he deserves?"

In other words, Naruto and Sasuke suddenly arrived at the Hyuga clan's residence because they wanted to carry out "absolute justice" and execute this Hyuga clan junior who had made a mistake.
The wounds on their bodies were inflicted by the deceased junior members of the Hyuga clan; they traded their injuries for the lives of their opponents.

This……

It seems to be related to the pond again!
Moreover, seeing the serious expression on Naruto's face and recalling what Naruto had just said, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that this child had gone down the wrong path of "absolute justice" and there was no turning back.

Even though Izumi hadn't been in Konoha for a while, how could Naruto be affected by "Absolute Justice"? To the point that he took such an extreme and outrageous action today!

He broke his vow of righteousness by killing for the sake of absolute justice!
Doesn't Naruto know that this isn't something someone his age should be doing?!
Could it be that he was influenced by Chi Quan's extreme personality?
Or is this simply imitating Chi Quan's behavior?

Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't understand!
"Naruto." Hiruzen Sarutobi forced a kind smile as he earnestly pleaded with Naruto, "But that Hyuga clan child didn't cause the tragedy himself. His bullying behavior was indeed wrong, and he deserved punishment. But that punishment... shouldn't be ending his life?"

Sasuke, his voice still childish, suddenly interrupted, "Hokage-sama, do you mean—he only indirectly caused the death of a war orphan, and his crime is not enough to warrant the death penalty?"

“Yes!” Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced sideways, sensing that Fugaku’s son seemed a bit more mature than Naruto.

Of course, this is only one point.

If Sasuke were any more mature, he wouldn't have joined Naruto in his antics; he should have stopped Naruto from doing the same.

"Lord Hokage, didn't the Daimyo of the Land of Fire also indirectly harm many people through his actions, even though he didn't directly kill anyone?"

Sasuke couldn't help but say, "But Ikezumi-sensei still killed him. Because in the face of 'absolute justice,' the actions of the Fire Country Daimyo were subjectively malicious."

"He didn't initially intend to kill, simply because his initial malice hadn't yet become twisted and pathological. But small acts of malice can lead to great consequences. Can we simply pretend nothing happened after a mild punishment?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and said seriously, "This is not fair to the people who died because of this! That's why we feel that people like 'Hyuga Yata' must pay the price with their lives so that the victims can rest in peace in the Pure Land."

"This is why we must uphold justice!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi never expected that a seven-year-old child could spout so many "sophistries of justice".

Moreover, the starting point of this sophistry is too extreme.

This is definitely Chi Quan's style!

"Is this... something Izumi taught you to say?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's kind smile had become somewhat stiff.

"no!"

Sasuke looked up and said, "These are some things that Izumi-senpai once said to us, and then I added some of my own opinions."

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."

He realized why the two children were still influenced by [Absolute Justice] during the time that Izumi was away from Konoha.

I've completely forgotten about Uchiha Izumi, this girl from the Uchiha clan!
She is an Uchiha who perfectly inherited Izumi's will!

……

"Uzumaki Naruto..."

"Sasuke Uchiha……"

not far away.

Neji Hyuga, who was only one year older than Naruto, gazed at the scene ahead. Through the gaps between the feet of a group of adults, he could see a fellow ninja lying in a pool of blood on the ground, and he could even see the blood-stained profile of that Hyuga clan member.

He recognized this fellow ninja—the other was a fourth-year student at the Ninja Academy, two years his senior; at the same time, the other was also a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family.

Like myself, I was born a caged bird.

They are poor creatures trapped in a cage.

Neji vaguely remembered... this guy had a terrible personality. Not long ago, he even caused a major disaster at the Ninja Academy.

If he weren't so young, only ten years old, he would probably have been thrown into Konoha prison and had to reflect on his actions for more than ten years.

Neji never expected this...

This guy actually died at the hands of those two brats today.

"If someone is killed... should one pay the price?"

Neji whispered a sentence that Naruto had just said.

"Only by making such people pay with their lives can those who die because of this be able to rest in peace in the Pure Land..."

He murmured a sentence that Sasuke had said.

Do not know why.

Neji suddenly felt a strong sense of resonance.

"Father..."

He bit his lower lip, and bright red blood oozed from his lips.

His clenched fists trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with hatred.

“They’re both right. Those who killed you, even if only indirectly, must pay the price. I will never forgive that bunch of villains from the Zong family!”

At that moment, he suddenly became very interested in Naruto and Sasuke, who were not far ahead.

Or rather, I became interested in their ideas.

……

at the same time.

Xiao organization.

"Nagato, why do you think that guy is so interested in Uchiha Ikezumi of Konoha?" Konan said with a cool expression, "He actually asked us to investigate Uchiha Ikezumi. This seems to be completely different from his usual behavior."

The gaunt-faced Nagato paused for a moment before saying, "He said that the existence of Uchiha Ikezumi would seriously affect our plans. In particular, their 'absolute justice' has an irreconcilable conflict with Akatsuki's ideals."

Nagato paused here, then continued, "When Akatsuki tries to control the ninja world with absolute pain, Uchiha Izumi, who believes in 'absolute justice,' will be our enemy."

Konan crossed her arms and said, "The problem is, the moment our plan was officially launched, the ninja world was full of our enemies. Why is he the only one who's special?"

Nagato frowned and pondered for a moment: "Perhaps a ninja with two bloodline limits would be very troublesome in the eyes of 'Uchiha Madara'. He believes that Uchiha Ikezumi will be our number one enemy."

"This reason is not convincing enough for me."

Konan gently shook her head: "I suspect that Uchiha Izumi has some secret related to 'Uchiha Madara'. After all, they are both from the Uchiha clan, so there might really be some connection."

"I'm afraid only this can explain why 'Uchiha Madara' is so concerned about him. Moreover, the secret that Uchiha Ikezumi possesses may be very deadly information."

"This information prevented 'Uchiha Madara' from attacking him alone; otherwise, he would have done so already."

Konan's words caused Nagato to fall into deep thought once again.

Then he looked up at Xiao Nan and said, "You don't seem to have much trust in our partner."

Xiao Nan frankly stated, "From beginning to end, I didn't trust him."

It's more than just distrust.
She had been secretly investigating "Uchiha Madara" for a long time and regarded him as a potential enemy of Akatsuki.

Nagato said, "Do whatever you want, but don't forget our ultimate goal. If your actions interfere with our plans, it's best to stop them immediately."

"I know."

Konan said, "I have already sent people to investigate Uchiha Ikezumi, and I will not tell 'Uchiha Madara' about my findings, nor will I let 'Gen,' who is very close to 'Uchiha Madara,' know about them."

"If my timing is correct, the people I sent have already arrived in the Land of Fire, and may even be close to Konoha. Don't worry, the people I sent are relatively clean."

"As far as I know, Uchiha Izumi's belief in 'absolute justice' only applies to those villains."

Say it.

Konan paused for a moment, then continued, "'Uchiha Madara' knows a lot of our secrets, but we don't know anything about him."

“I think…we should investigate a little, so that if he reveals any clues in the future, we will have a way to keep him in check.”

Nagato nodded slightly.

……

Konoha Village.

Just as Hyuga Neji was lost in painful memories, sudden footsteps sounded from behind him. Startled, he immediately turned around to look behind him.

Then I saw—

A young ninja dressed in Uchiha police uniform walked over at a leisurely pace.

Two female ninjas followed behind the other party. One of them was dressed in the uniform of the Uchiha Police Force, while the other was wearing the combat vest of a Konoha Special Jonin.

There was a cat perched on the left shoulder of the Uchiha female ninja; it was an exaggeratedly fat orange cat.

Neji suddenly realized.

The moment they appeared, everyone—the Hokage, Hiashi Hyuga, and the masked ninjas—looked at them in unison.

"Chiquan..."

Neji vaguely heard the Hokage slowly utter those two words, which made him widen his eyes involuntarily.

Chiquan...

He's Uchiha Ikezumi?!
Neji couldn't help but look at Uchiha Izumi's face, but he noticed that the man was also slowly shifting his gaze towards him. The moment their eyes met in mid-air, Neji was defeated, and a chill ran down his spine.

"I……"

"...She's actually scared!"

Neji was shocked to discover that the reason he dared not continue to look at him was because a sense of fear had suddenly arisen in his heart!

At the same time, he was also curious as to why this famous man would suddenly glance at him.
Is there something special about me that made him notice me?
Neji got nervous.

He watched as Uchiha Ikezumi passed by him, and noticed that the other man seemed to have withdrawn his gaze before calmly walking to the Hokage's side.

Neji wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga clan, looked rather uneasy after he saw Izumi Uchiha approaching!

To know.

Even when Hiashi Hyuga saw the Hokage, he didn't show this kind of discomfort outwardly!
Neji was shocked.

……

"Teacher Chi Quan!" ×2
Naruto and Sasuke were both pleasantly surprised to see Uchiha Ikezumi arrive.

Uchiha Ikezumi glanced at the corpse on the ground, then looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in front of him. His calm and unwavering eyes always made Sarutobi Hiruzen dare not meet his gaze.

"The Third Hokage, a believer in [Absolute Justice], is carrying out the justice he believes in in Konoha. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

He said, "It's just killing a young scoundrel. Is it really worth making such a big fuss for you, the Third Hokage?"

The word "that's all" made Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids twitch.

"Ikezumi." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his tone serious and earnest: "I will set aside whether your sense of justice is extreme or not, and I will set aside whether the crimes of the Hyuga clan juniors killed by Naruto deserved to die. Just the fact that your concept of 'absolute justice' encouraged Naruto to kill people in the village has already led Naruto's life astray!"

"I said long ago that Naruto's justice should be justice from the perspective of Konoha. And the premise of Konoha's justice is that it needs to be recognized by everyone in the village. This kind of justice is the justice that conforms to the Will of Fire."

"It also best aligns with Naruto's sense of justice. The problem is..."

“He killed someone…that changes the nature of the crime! You know Naruto’s special status. If everyone in the village knew he killed a junior member of the Hyuga clan, would they still accept him?”

"His current behavior is a result of your pushing him too hard. His growth trajectory shouldn't be this extreme!"

"Chiquan..."

"If you had even a shred of concern for Naruto, you should have stopped him from doing this!"

These were all Hiruzen Sarutobi's true feelings, and he genuinely believed that he was acting in Naruto's best interest.

He felt that he did not have any intention of taking advantage of Naruto.

But why don't either Ike or Naruto understand my good intentions?

Hearing this, Hiashi Hyuga, who was standing to the side, seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

The Hokage said in front of him, the head of the Hyuga clan—leaving aside the Hyuga juniors who were killed by Naruto.

This was practically tearing his face off as the clan leader.

Especially since there are Hyuga clan ninjas nearby.

Hiashi Hyuga could already sense the bewildered look in the eyes of his clansmen. They probably didn't understand why the Hokage was showing such disrespect to the Hyuga clan. However, Hiashi himself didn't quite understand either.

He could only guess that in the Hokage's heart...

Uchiha Izumi's priority is many times higher than that of the Hyuga clan, and the same goes for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Also.

Uchiha Ikezumi killed two of the Hokage's sons, and the Hokage was still able to suppress his killing intent, which shows that the Hyuga clan is indeed no match for Uchiha Ikezumi.

After all, if it was the Hyuga clan that killed the Hokage's two sons...

It's likely that the Hyuga clan's fate won't be much better than the Uchiha clan's.

During the unpredictable weather of Hyuga Hiashi.

Uchiha Izumi spoke up: "Third Hokage, if you truly care about Naruto Uzumaki, you should release the chains in your hands. Naruto Uzumaki is simply practicing his justice on the right path."

"If the villagers don't approve of his actions when he hasn't done anything wrong, then that's the villagers' problem, not Naruto's."

"Why should someone with no problems put themselves on a chain that shouldn't be on? Should good people be held at knifepoint?"

"Why don't you direct your anger at those who don't approve of Naruto Uzumaki's pursuit of justice? They are the ones with warped values ​​and are the real troublemakers."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was dumbfounded.

Just as he was somewhat stunned, he suddenly noticed that Naruto's gaze seemed to carry a hint of bewildered grievance.

"Grandpa Hokage..."

Naruto pursed his lips, and said in a low voice, feeling wronged, "I clearly didn't do anything wrong. If they don't even approve of me, I don't know what I should do to gain everyone's approval. Does letting a villain live on really earn their approval?"

"I'd rather not have that kind of recognition."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent.

He really wanted to tell Naruto—"Recognition" isn't as simple as you think. It's not that if you do the right thing, everyone in the village will recognize you. You have to make people not afraid of you, make them love you, make them need you... and also, make those who are already in a gray area not have any resistance towards you.

but.

He knew very well that as soon as he said these words, Chi Quan would definitely refute them in the next second.

Of everyone present, only Chi Quan showed absolutely no respect for the Hokage of Konoha.

Rather...

There was nothing I could do.

"Lord Hokage, Naruto's injuries have been treated. However, medical ninjutsu is not a panacea, and he may need some time to rest before he can fully recover."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into an awkward silence, a medical ninja helped him change the subject in time.

Hiruzen Sarutobi forced a smile: "Naruto, how could your Hokage grandfather force you to do something you don't want to do? What happened today is too heavy for a child like you, and with your injuries, you need to rest."

Hiruzen Sarutobi added, "And Sasuke-kun too."

He said, "Good faith."

Yamanaka Yoshinobu, a member of the Anbu ninja, stepped forward with a look of utter helplessness: "Hokage-sama."

"You escort Naruto and Sasuke back," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"Yes!"

……

Hiashi Hyuga watched as Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, who had killed a junior member of their clan, left one after the other under the protection of ANBU ninjas.

He, the head of the Hyuga clan, remained silent the entire time.

"Rizu."

Hiruzen Sarutobi then turned his gaze to him: "You should know how to handle this little incident, right?"

"……clear."

Hiashi Hyuga said in a low voice, "Indeed, our Hyuga clan's junior was wrong. His heinous act led to the death of a child, and now he is only paying the price he deserves."

"I have no objection to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha's actions. I think the parents of the Hyuga clan's younger generation, who are guilty of a crime, will also have no objection to this matter."

He's even more of a turtle than Fugaku Uchiha.

……

……

(End of this chapter)