Konoha: The Absolute Justice of the Uchiha

Chapter 98 Naruto Uzumaki No Longer "Forgives" the Villains! (5000 words)
Uchiha Izumi's strike was so fast that Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't stop it. The moment he anxiously uttered the word "wait," Hiruzen Sarutobi saw blood splatter before his eyes.

The blood spurting from the artery sprayed extremely far and high, with a few drops even landing on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a small head slowly rolled on the ground, its frozen expression filled with lingering fear.

[Ding! You have successfully killed a "red-named" villain! Your chakra has received a slight boost! Congratulations, you have successfully obtained 5 "Clone Jutsu" experience books!]

A headless corpse fell to the side, its neck severed, directly opposite where Naruto was standing.

The gushing blood soaked Naruto's feet until they were bright red.

The sensation of warm blood startled Naruto, who quickly backed away.

He stared in utter shock at the headless corpse.

Naruto never expected that just because he instinctively said "should" when his moral values ​​were severely shaken, that terrible man would kill him without hesitation!

This is this...

This is real murder!!!
Naruto's pupils trembled slightly, even though he had seen corpses before and witnessed Uchiha Izumi killing Root ninjas.

but.

It seems that this terrifying man suddenly killed someone because of Naruto Uzumaki. If I hadn't inexplicably said "serves him right," the other party probably wouldn't have used such a bloody method to punish the murderer.

The myriad thoughts surging in his mind made Naruto somewhat uneasy.

"What are you afraid of, Naruto Uzumaki?" The sudden, cold question startled Naruto.

He suddenly realized that his view was blocked. When he looked up, he was shocked to find a terrifying man standing right in front of him!

I didn't even notice when the other person came over!

When Naruto hurriedly tried to explain.

Another string of questions rang out.

Are you afraid of evil? Or are you afraid of justice? Or do you believe that justice should not punish evil in this way?

Naruto swallowed hard. He felt immense pressure, even greater than when Iruka-sensei asked him to go up to the podium to answer a question. His palms were already sweating.

Naruto himself didn't know why he was so nervous.

"I... I just didn't expect that the 'absolute justice' you spoke of would be... would be so absolute..."

His voice trembled as he answered.

Uchiha Izumi stared at the reincarnation of Ashura's chakra and coldly asked, "If you have a better solution than 'an eye for an eye,' so that the innocent dead can die in peace, then you can tell me your solution."

Naruto opened his mouth.

But he couldn't get the words out.

Because he thought of the tragic state of that family of four. They must have been terrified and in pain at the moment of their death. They were a happy family of four, but overnight they were turned into four gruesome corpses.

The murderer had just denied it, showing absolutely no remorse.

The murderer appeared extremely panicked and terrified...

But his fear stemmed from the fact that his actions had been exposed, not from regret for the evil he had committed.

Is there a better solution than "an eye for an eye"?
Naruto realized that he only had two solutions after racking his brains.

—Forgive him.

—Kill him.

"We did not personally experience the pain and despair of the deceased before their death, and we have no right to forgive any villains on their behalf." Uchiha Izumi's voice rang out again, as if he could read Naruto Uzumaki's mind: "Forgiving villains in the ninja world is something that [Absolute Justice] will never do. Because that would mean that [Absolute Justice] has compromised with evil."

"Naruto Uzumaki, put away the word 'forgiveness' in your heart." Uchiha Ikezumi's sharp gaze made Naruto dare not miss a single word.

"Justice has the right to seek justice for the victims, but it has no right to forgive the perpetrators on their behalf—you must always keep this in mind and engrave it deep in your memory."

“Once you forgive the sins on behalf of the victims, then you yourself are ‘evil’! Because you are aiding and abetting evil!”

One firm and decisive word after another struck Naruto's young heart.

This kind of extreme, black-and-white rhetoric made Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku Uchiha frown. But the argument was so correct that they couldn't easily refute it.

However, for a seven-year-old kid...

This kind of "black and white" rhetoric is just right, because it's exactly what they can understand and comprehend.

"Forgive the perpetrators on behalf of the victims..."

"Then one is evil in themselves..."

As Naruto's eyes widened, he was immediately overcome with a strong sense of shame, because the option of "forgiveness" had indeed popped into his mind just now. In other words, shouldn't such thoughts even have crossed his mind?

The thought that popped into my head...

Is he no different from a murderer?
Shame and guilt drove Naruto to memorize every word the terrifying man in front of him said. After all, even the Hokage hadn't refuted him, so it must be true, right?

A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, and Naruto quickly stood up straight and hurriedly said, "I...I understand!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."

This is a really big problem! Naruto! You can't understand!

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to speak, Izumi Uchiha spoke up again: "Naruto Uzumaki, you'd better remember what you're saying. Never forgive evil, and never let yourself become someone you find disgusting."

"I...I will! I will definitely remember! Although I'm not very good at studying, don't underestimate me when it comes to this kind of thing!" Naruto's dirty little face finally showed a serious expression.

This also revealed the "capacity" that belonged to Naruto Uzumaki.

"that……"

Naruto's courage and magnanimity did not falter so quickly. He looked up and met Uchiha Ikezumi's eyes, his azure eyes filled with longing. He took the initiative to speak out the thoughts and feelings that had been welling up in his heart.

"I don't know why... Maybe I don't want the village to become a place I don't recognize, maybe I want to do something for the village, maybe I don't want the evil of the ninja world to affect Konoha Village."

"I don't want to see another 'Ryuji Utatane' in the village, nor do I want to see more innocent people fall victim to the evil of the ninja world..."

“Persecution,” Uchiha Izumi added to Naruto’s suddenly speechless comment.

"Correct!"

Naruto quickly continued, "So, I don't want to attract everyone's attention in the village with pranks anymore, because that will only cause trouble for everyone in the village! If I cause them trouble, then wouldn't I also be doing something evil?"

He bowed deeply to Uchiha Ikezumi, and shouted, "Please teach me true justice! I want to gain the recognition of everyone in the village through justice! I also want to use justice to ensure that Konoha is free from evil and that there are no more wicked people who kill without cause in the village!"

"After all... I told Grandpa Hokage that I wanted to become the Hokage of Konoha, but pranks only seem to cause trouble for everyone. Maybe [justice] is what will make everyone accept me, but I'm definitely not learning [justice] simply because I want to become Hokage!"

"In short, although I can't quite remember your name right now, please teach me! I'm willing to pay tuition!"

"Even if it means enduring a lot of hardship, I'm fine with it!"

Naruto, who was only seven years old, made his loudest sound.

By the end, his voice was hoarse from shouting.

……

"Meow, this kid's got some energy!" Tachibana Jiro remarked before teasing Izumi beside him, "You're much more accepting of Izumi-sama's 'Absolute Justice' than you were back then! I remember clearly that it took you several days to fully accept Izumi-sama's Absolute Justice."

Quan's fair and delicate face immediately showed embarrassment.

Tachibana Jiro rubbed his fluffy chin and muttered, "Speaking of which, are younger kids more likely to accept Lord Ikezumi's absolute justice? If that's the case, then maybe..."

Tachibana Jiro secretly glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was a few meters away.

It stopped muttering to itself, because the thought that popped into its mind could potentially cause the Third Hokage to react instantly.

“Naruto…” Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea what a ninja cat was thinking. He suddenly couldn’t say anything, but he could probably tell what Naruto was thinking.

—He longs for the approval of everyone in the village; he is indignant at the evil he has witnessed today; he feels ashamed of his thoughts of forgiveness; he feels guilty for the pranks that have troubled the villagers in the past; and he admires Ikezumi's [justice].

A combination of these feelings led him to shout these words out loud.

This led him completely into Chi Quan's web of justice.

At the moment Naruto loudly expressed his thoughts, if Hiruzen Sarutobi were to speak up and refute Naruto, telling him not to follow the path the boy had chosen, it would likely only further provoke Naruto's rebellious nature.

This will also make Naruto's already unstable Nine-Tails power, which almost went berserk today, even more unpredictable.

Hiruzen Sarutobi found himself forced to remain silent!

Saying even a single word would be of no use! The fact that he was only a dozen minutes late was something that Hiruzen Sarutobi found hard to accept.

Is Ikezumi's sense of justice really that appealing?!

It's clear that Chi Quan's sense of justice is unrealistic; any normal person can see that it's too extreme and too idealistic.

Why on earth is this happening?
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't understand it.

A hint of worry flickered in Fugaku's eyes as his presence behind him diminished. Ultimately… the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was influenced by Izumi's extreme ideals of justice. In this situation, would the Hokage begin to doubt the Uchiha clan?

Hmm... probably not, right? After all, the Hokage already approved of Fugaku's actions back in the morgue, didn't he?
Uchiha Ikezumi watched as Naruto Uzumaki bowed deeply.

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

Only a headless corpse remained, with the faint sound of blood gushing out.

“You can come find me after you finish cleaning the streets each day,” Uchiha Ikezumi said to Naruto.

Naruto: "!!!"

Naruto's anxious little face was immediately filled with joy. He quickly straightened up and bowed deeply again, this time even lower.

"Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you!"

He said excitedly.

……

Just as everyone was silently witnessing all of this, Koharu Utatane, who had left earlier, once again led a group of Root ninjas into the Uchiha clan's territory.

Their domineering attitude, disregarding the opinions of the Uchiha clan, drew angry glares from the Uchiha ninja towards Koharu Utatane and the others.

Some of the more impulsive Uchiha ninjas even reached out and grabbed the hilts of their ninja swords!

Fugaku's heart tightened. He stepped forward in time to block his clansmen and asked Koharu Utatane, "Lady Koharu, what brings you to the Uchiha clan again?"

"Something's wrong!"

Koharu Utatane replied coldly, then immediately asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Hiruzen, I heard your Anbu brought a child from the Uchiha clan to the Uchiha clan's territory? What are you trying to do? Where is he?"

Yes.

After learning that her family members had been taken away by the Dark Guard, Koharu Utatane, who had a strange feeling of unease, became restless.

Besides, she also wanted to see how Naruto Uzumaki was doing and what tricks Izumi Uchiha was playing.

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."

The silence from her old friend intensified Koharu's ominous premonition, and she didn't even have time to check the situation at the camp. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed a pool of scarlet blood on the ground not far ahead, and a headless corpse lying on the ground!

Xiaochun felt a sudden jolt in her heart as she turned to her new room.

She couldn't help but immediately shift her gaze to Uchiha Ikezumi, because the ninja sword in Uchiha Ikezumi's hand was still not sheathed, and the blood stained on the ninja sword was particularly eye-catching.

This guy killed someone?!
That headless corpse was probably the work of Uchiha Ikezumi, wasn't it?

really……

There are very few normal people in the Uchiha clan. Even Uchiha Izumi, who claims to believe in "absolute justice," is an extreme mental patient who kills people in public without batting an eye.

and many more!

Slow!

When Xiaochun was turning over to her new room, she suddenly noticed the headless corpse. She realized that the body's shape was a bit off; it didn't look like an adult.

Koharu Utatane's pupils dilated, and an unbelievable thought popped into her mind: "Hiruzen, this corpse..."

"Koharu, your clansmen have made a mistake." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and said it rather tactfully: "This child named Ryuji Utatane... he made a mistake that he shouldn't have made at his age. His jealousy twisted his mind to the point that he made an irreparable mistake."

He couldn't say that Ikezumi was wrong in front of Naruto, because Naruto had already acknowledged Ikezumi's "justice".

If he says that Izumi killing Ryuji Utatane to carry out justice for the deceased was an overly extreme act, then that's essentially negating Naruto's choice.

Given that Naruto nearly went berserk today...

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he had to go along with Naruto's lead.

We absolutely cannot continue to provoke this child.

At least……

Not today.

Xiaochun, who switched dorm rooms: "!!!"

……

at the same time.

Outside the leaves.

Sarutobi Asuma was unaware that Uchiha Ikezumi had stirred up another storm in Konoha. He spent a full day and night traveling all the way from Konoha to the capital of the Land of Fire without a moment's rest.

Asuma, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, holds a top-tier position among them.

It would be very easy for him to meet the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

"Asuma, I have heard about your brother's situation, and I feel very sorry for him." The wealthy daimyo of the Land of Fire sighed and said to Asuma first, "If you are not in a good mood, I can grant you a half-month leave. Actually, you don't need to come back so soon."

"By the way, did you run into Jiuzhu on the road? That kid was so proactive for the first time, taking on the task of 'Daimyo's envoy.' I even asked Nanwu to protect him. I hope he doesn't cause any trouble on the road..."

"After all, you know that child has a very unruly personality. He has never given me a moment's peace since he was a child."

Asma fell silent.

The fact that the Fire Country Daimyo was talking incessantly shows that news of what happened in Konoha has not yet reached him.

Logically speaking... the news shouldn't be traveling this slowly.

After all, the ninja world now has remote communication equipment.

The fact that the daimyo of the Land of Fire hasn't received the news suggests only one possibility: the old man deliberately didn't notify the daimyo immediately, most likely because he was thinking about some kind of political balance or something else that he found very objectionable.

It was precisely because he couldn't stand the politicized atmosphere of Konoha that Asuma rarely stayed there.

"I'm sorry, old man... While I understand your actions, I don't agree with their validity. Uchiha Izumi has clearly become a threat to Konoha... You shouldn't have allowed such a threat to Konoha to remain in the village."

After these thoughts flashed through his mind, Asuma raised his head.

He took a deep breath and interrupted in a low voice, "Lord Daimyo... please accept my condolences."

The daimyo of the Land of Fire, who was speaking, was taken aback.

Daimyo's heart tightened suddenly. Asuma's extremely heavy expression made him realize that something was wrong.

"Asuma, what do you mean by telling me to accept my condolences?" The Daimyo could no longer maintain his composure and immediately asked, "Did something happen to Kyusuke?!"

"Lord Daimyo, Lord Kyusuke... died in Konoha Village."

Asuma then dropped a bombshell: "He didn't die of illness, nor did he die in an accident. He was killed by a Konoha ninja named Uchiha Izumi."

"and……"

"Nanwu is also dead, and only one of the dozen or so retainers survived. But that man was so frightened that he lost his mind and could not even speak properly. I'm afraid he didn't pass on the news to the daimyo immediately."

……

……

(End of this chapter)