Chapter 104: Indra and Asura Cannot Escape Justice's Palm

Within the Uchiha Compound.

The sole remaining elder of the Shimura Clan stood surrounded by a tightly packed circle of Uchiha hardliners—each eye glinting with ill intent, scanning him like prey.

"Let me get this straight," said Uchiha Setsuna, leaning heavily on his cane, his pale eyes narrowing as they locked onto the elder’s weathered face. "The majority of your clan’s shinobi were stationed in Root. But ever since Uchiha Iizumi began his bloody purge of Root operatives… your clan’s strength has dwindled to near extinction. The youngest among you is barely in their teens. Right now, you’re nothing more than a handful of strays—two or three cats, at most, isn’t that right?"

The old Shimura elder clenched his jaw.

"Shimura Danzō hasn’t vanished. He’s still within Leaf Village." His voice was cold, steady. "But last night… in a cowardly, backstabbing ambush, Danzō-sama sacrificed himself to protect the village."

Uchiha Setsuna froze.

Silence.

For a moment, the air itself seemed to still.

Then, slowly, a bitter, humorless chuckle escaped him. His wrinkled face twitched. "Dead… Danzō? How fitting. He was always the loudest voice against the Uchiha. The man who hated us most. Now he’s gone—good riddance." He paused, then added, voice sharp as a blade: "And yet… even without Danzō, do you really think we’d forgive you? His death doesn’t erase the history between our clans. Without him, your clan is already dead in name. So tell me—what makes you think you’re worthy to speak to me?"

The elder’s fist tightened, but he held his ground. He wasn’t here to argue. Not today.

"Yet we share a common enemy, don’t we?" he said, forcing calm into his voice. "Uchiha Iizumi. That renegade, that heretic among your own blood. To you, he’s the biggest obstacle within the Uchiha Clan. And if the Shimura Clan were willing to risk everything… to make sure Iizumi pays with his life for Danzō-sama’s death… would you still turn your back on me, Uchiha Setsuna?"

He paused, then leaned forward slightly. "Because whether your clan falls… or Iizumi dies—either outcome serves your interests, doesn’t it?"

Uchiha Setsuna’s milky eyes flickered. His gnarled fingers traced the worn surface of his wooden cane—smooth now from years of constant grip.

The words… they stirred something.

Yes, he had to admit it—there was a certain logic in the elder’s proposal.

But then—

"Are you trying to stir up division within our own clan?!" a young Uchiha hardliner spat, sneering at the elder. "Do you think we’re fools?!"

"Shimura Danzō was the man we wanted dead. And now Iizumi killed him for us? We should be thanking him!" Another laughed. "You want us to team up with you to kill Iizumi? What kind of madness is this?"

"Perhaps," said a third, voice dripping with mockery, "you should just stay here. This isn’t a place you can just walk into and walk out of. You’re not welcome."

"Want us to cooperate?" a fourth scoffed. "Come back when Danzō’s alive. Let him kneel before us. Then we’ll consider it."

"Besides," another added, "Iizumi’s still one of us. And his Absolute Justice? Honestly, it suits me just fine. Why betray a fellow Uchiha?"

Uchiha Setsuna’s face darkened.

So did the elder’s.

They both saw it—the shift.

The younger generation wasn’t just loyal to the Uchiha name. They adored Iizumi.

And that… that was dangerous.

Damn it.

How had Iizumi done it? Had he been whispering to them in secret?

Setsuna’s face twisted in suspicion.

Then, slowly, the elder exhaled. His expression softened.

"I see," he said, voice calm. "You can’t control the hardliners. That’s clear. I’ve come to the wrong man."

He turned, preparing to leave.

"Wait."

Uchiha Setsuna’s voice cracked like dry wood. His face was stone.

"Did I say you could go?"

---

Danzō’s death—news that had only just spread among a few select few—had reached Uchiha Fugaku through his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi.

The revelation hit like a landslide.

Fugaku sat frozen, breath caught in his throat. It took him a full thirty seconds before he could steady himself.

Shimura Danzō had been stripped of his leadership role in Root by the Third Hokage.

But everyone knew it was just a facade.

The Hokage had never truly let go. Danzō would return—just not as Root’s head. He’d be reinstated, quietly, eventually.

That was why Fugaku had always treated Danzō with caution.

Yet…

This man—the one who’d once stood at the edge of power, who’d orchestrated countless covert operations, who’d plotted coups and whispered treason—had been killed by Iizumi.

Last night.

In silence.

Fugaku finally looked up.

"Itachi… were you there?"

"No," Itachi replied, his voice flat, expression unreadable. "By the time I noticed Iizumi, he was already gone. If I had been present, I would have stopped him. But… Iizumi was only the mastermind. The actual killer… was Uchiha Izumi."

Fugaku closed his eyes.

"Then… she’s fully committed to Absolute Justice. The only one who’s stayed by Iizumi’s side this long… the only one who’s truly believed in it."

He sighed, a sound heavy with sorrow.

"Itachi… you know what this means, don’t you? Danzō’s death. The fact that it’s linked to the Uchiha. What will the other clans think?"

"It will stir unrest," Itachi said coldly. "Some will see it as weakness. They’ll think the Hokage’s authority is fragile. That the village leadership is nothing more than a puppet show. Their narrow-minded thinking will lead to disaster."

Fugaku took a deep breath.

"Give me time," he said. "I can handle this. There’s another way. A better way."

Itachi stared at him—long, deep.

"Father… your solution is just bandaging a wound. The real answer… is one thing only."

Fugaku opened his mouth.

But no words came.

He looked at his son—so distant, so cold, yet so full of pain.

And in that moment, he felt something unfamiliar: pride.

"I know," he whispered. "If I fail… I won’t stop you."

A flicker of emotion crossed Itachi’s face.

Then, he bowed deeply.

"Yes, Father."

---

The news of Danzō’s death had not triggered chaos.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had quietly suppressed the fallout. He’d made no move to confront Iizumi directly.

And honestly?

He wasn’t heartbroken.

Yes, Danzō had been a powerful asset.

But now… Root was fully under his control.

No more rogue operations. No more backdoor coups.

Danzō had been a liability. His death? A blessing.

The balance had shifted.

But now… Hiruzen’s real worry wasn’t Danzō.

It was Naruto.

Could Iizumi have truly “converted” him?

Had the boy truly embraced Absolute Justice?

Would he be able to merge the Will of Fire with Justice in a way that still served the village?

Hiruzen wasn’t sure.

He needed to act.

"Kakashi," he said, rising from his desk after finishing the day’s reports. "From today onward, you’ll supervise Jinchūriki Naruto Uzumaki. Not alone. Take an Anbu squad with you."

Kakashi, who had stood motionless for hours, blinked.

"Hokage-sama… wasn’t Yamada Ryosin already monitoring Naruto?"

"He was watching. You will supervise," Hiruzen explained. "Yamada submitted his resignation this morning. Said he’s not suited for the role. The Anbu are short-handed, so I need someone reliable. His job is to ensure Naruto’s safety. Yours is to guide his growth."

Kakashi frowned. "Growth?"

"Yes," Hiruzen said. "Justice isn’t wrong. But Absolute Justice—no. Iizumi’s version is too extreme. It’s not for Naruto. He’s not meant to follow that path."

He leaned forward. "Kakashi, you know what happens if a Jinchūriki like Naruto loses control. If he embraces that kind of blind justice—without regard for the village, for his allies, for his people—then the Nine-Tails could break free. And no force in the village could stop it."

Naruto’s identity… his past… they demanded he stand with the village.

His Justice must be for the village.

Not a personal, isolated doctrine.

"My order is clear: protect Naruto. But also, guide him. So that he doesn’t become a weapon turned on us."

Kakashi nodded slowly.

"I understand."

"But…" he added, deadpan, "if Naruto is too far gone, should I report to you… or step in myself?"

"Both," Hiruzen said firmly. "Act first. Report later."

Kakashi sighed.

This is going to be a nightmare.

---

When Kakashi arrived at the Ninja Academy with his Anbu squad, he split them into positions around the perimeter.

He knew Iizumi would sense them—there was no hiding from that kind of awareness.

But at least they wouldn’t be obvious.

Then—

Huh?

Perched atop a tree branch, Kakashi lifted his drooping eyelids.

Below, students were trickling out.

And there—right in the center—was a golden-haired boy.

Naruto Uzumaki.

But what caught Kakashi’s eye wasn’t just Naruto.

It was the boy walking beside him.

The one with the dark, sharp eyes.

The one in the Uchiha clan crest.

…Sasuke?

---

A few meters behind them, a pink-haired girl with a smooth forehead watched in disbelief.

"Sasuke-kun… why is he with Naruto Uzumaki?"

She had seen them together all day. Talking. Laughing.

To her, Naruto was the troublemaker—the one who failed every test, who played pranks, who was shunned by the villagers.

She’d even heard whispers: "My mother said not to get close to him. He’s a demon fox."

And now… Sasuke—the Uchiha prodigy—was walking with him like a friend?

Was Sasuke… trying to follow in his brother’s footsteps?

Was he giving up?

She didn’t know.

But she did know one thing:

This wasn’t normal.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was doing his best to look unbothered.

He wore the mask of the Uchiha genius—the icy stare, the slight tilt of the chin.

But beneath it, his heart pounded.

Why am I so nervous?

He wasn’t afraid of Iizumi.

He wasn’t.

He just… didn’t want to be the one who couldn’t keep up.

So he’d asked Naruto—over and over—what Justice was.

But Naruto didn’t know how to explain it.

So Naruto had offered a solution:

"If you want to know what Absolute Justice is… come meet Iizumi-sensei. But be warned—he’s strict. And scary."

Naruto had already started calling Iizumi sensei.

Like Iruka.

But this sensei taught Justice.

Not ninja theory.

Not taijutsu.

Justice.

"Still pretending you’re not nervous?" Naruto smirked, glancing sideways.

Sasuke scowled. "I’m not!"

"Then why are you sweating?"

"…It’s hot!"

But twenty minutes later—

When the familiar silhouette appeared at the end of the street…

Sasuke’s legs slowed.

His breath hitched.

Damn it. Why am I this nervous? He’s just a failure!

He looked ahead.

Naruto was still walking, grinning.

Sasuke gritted his teeth.

No way I’m letting him beat me.

He stepped forward—faster.

---

Naruto’s golden hair and Sasuke’s Uchiha crest made them impossible to miss.

Izumi spotted them instantly.

She turned to Uchiha Iizumi, eyes wide.

"Izumi-senpai… Sasuke-kun actually came!"

"Destiny," Iizumi said calmly. "When Justice claims one… the other inevitably follows."

Izumi blinked. Then realization dawned.

"Sasuke-kun… is he one of your chosen ones? The next Absolute Justice?"

"Rare," Iizumi replied. "Among the Uchiha, someone like him is a miracle. Compared to his brother… he’s almost… normal."

Then Naruto sprinted forward.

Two meters from Iizumi, he dropped into a deep bow.

"Izumi-sensei! Naruto Uzumaki reporting!"

"Sensei?!" Izumi’s expression flickered.

In the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki’s eyes… Iizumi was already a teacher.

And she hadn’t corrected him.

She looked at Sasuke—tense, fidgeting, trying too hard to look indifferent.

Sasuke, feeling the gaze, snapped.

"I didn’t come of my own will!" he blurted. "He invited me!"

Naruto glared. "Hey! Who’s the failure now?!"

Izumi smiled. A slow, knowing smile.

"Then if you’re only here because you were invited… perhaps you should go back. After all, a person who doesn’t truly want Justice… has no place here."

Sasuke opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

"...I… I’m not uninterested," he muttered, voice small, shaky.

No one spoke.

The wind rustled.

And somewhere, far away—

The hand of Justice tightened.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end