Chapter 105: Sasuke: I Won't Forgive Uchiha Itachi Either!

Seeing Sasuke’s earnest, stubborn reaction—so full of childish pride and righteous indignation—Izumi felt a sudden wave of daze. These two brothers, raised by the same parents, yet their personalities were as different as fire and water. How could that be?

"Let’s go." Uchiha Iizumi didn’t waste time with the two children. Two words slipped out, cold and final, before he turned and strode forward without looking back.

"Hey?" Naruto’s face scrunched in confusion. "Where are we going?"

Izumi stepped beside Uchiha Iizumi, her voice clear and steady. "Iizumi-san’s way of teaching Justice isn’t through lectures in a classroom. You won’t learn it by sitting still and listening."

She remembered her own initiation—her own “Hellish Training in Justice,” as she’d once called it. The first few days had nearly driven her to tears. But over time, she’d come to understand just how difficult Absolute Justice truly was.

She continued, walking in step with the towering figure ahead. "His method is direct. Hands-on. Before you arrived, Tachibana Jiro’s Ninja Cats had already identified the targets—those who must be hunted and judged by Justice."

Ninja Cat… Tachibana Jiro…

Naruto and Sasuke both turned their heads instinctively toward the large, plump cat lounging lazily on Izumi’s left shoulder.

One of the cat’s eyes cracked open. Then it spoke—its voice smooth, almost grandmotherly.

"Two little brats. You made your choice. Now prepare yourselves—don’t go fainting at the sight of sin. Especially don’t let the darkness in human hearts scare you to death."

Naruto muttered under his breath. "He sounds like an old granny."

Sasuke was about to nod in agreement—when he suddenly realized: If I agree with this guy, I’m admitting he’s better than me.

A flicker of competitive instinct flared in his chest. He let out a soft, dismissive hum and didn’t reply.

As Sasuke followed behind, he began to sense something was off.

He blinked, then froze. "This direction… isn’t it…?"

"Uchiha Compound," Uchiha Iizumi replied, his voice as cold as stone. "The Ninja Cats found a massive stash of prohibited drugs within the clan’s territory. And this morning, three Uchiha ninja returned from a mission. They’re the prime suspects."

Sasuke’s face went pale. The Uchiha Clan? Out of all the possibilities, this was the last thing he expected.

His mother had always said: Uchiha Iizumi never shows mercy just because someone is from the Uchiha Clan. If someone commits evil, he strikes without hesitation—sometimes even to the point of death.

Now, Sasuke finally understood what “no mercy” truly meant.

"…Prohibited drugs?" Naruto’s brow furrowed, his attention still drifting elsewhere.

Tachibana Jiro yawned, stretching its paws. "The kind of poison that destroys families. Once rare, but now spreading like wildfire. Ever since the Third Ninja War ended, it’s become rampant. Rumor has it a merchant named Kado is smuggling it in bulk."

"I sent five Ninja Cats out a month ago—beyond the village borders, even outside Fire Country—to track down any leads on this Kado. As soon as we have solid intel, Iizumi-sama will move in."

The cat paused, its eyes narrowing. "The sheer volume of drugs found in the Uchiha Compound? It’s almost certainly tied to Kado. They’ve been operating right under Iizumi-sama’s nose—so long out of the village, they’ve lost touch with what’s been happening here."

"They don’t know… that Absolute Justice is now unstoppable."

Izumi blinked. The words struck her like a sudden realization.

Wait… I’ve only known Iizumi-san for… less than a month?

She hadn’t even realized time had passed so quickly.

Naruto, still baffled, asked, "How many people has this drug hurt?"

"...Countless," Tachibana Jiro replied, its tone suddenly serious. "Just in Leaf Village alone—last year, six civilians and ninja died from the poison. And those still suffering? No one can even count them."

Naruto’s eyes widened. "Wait… ninja too?"

Tachibana Jiro’s voice was grim. "There are always fools who believe their strength, their willpower, can resist the grip of addiction. But the body and mind… they break. No matter how strong you are."

"Remember this, you two. If you ever encounter a dealer—whether they make, smuggle, or sell the poison—you will execute them in the name of Justice."

By now, they had stepped into the Uchiha Compound.

Naruto stared in disbelief. Seriously? I’ve been through this place three times already in just a few days?

Sasuke remained silent, but his expression was a storm of inner conflict. His delicate face was etched with tension—his lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to speak, but couldn’t.

Then—Sasuke noticed it.

The man ahead—Uchiha Iizumi—had glanced at him.

His breath caught.

He froze. No way… did he see me?

He dared not speak.

But then—Uchiha Iizumi turned, his voice calm, cutting through the air like a blade.

"You believe that even among your own blood, if a fellow Uchiha commits a crime, you should not resort to extreme measures. You’d spare them. Give them a chance to live, right? Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke: !!

His head snapped up. His eyes widened, stunned, as if he’d just seen a ghost.

Because—that was exactly what he thought.

The words had been spoken not just aloud, but inside his own mind.

Uchiha Iizumi’s voice was flat, unyielding. "Evil in the Ninja World comes in three forms. Minor evil—like Naruto Uzumaki’s pranks—only requires a slightly harsher punishment to correct the behavior. Moderate evil—stealing, fighting, vandalism—warrants imprisonment and reform at Leaf Village Prison. But major evil—murder, drug trafficking, human smuggling—must be punished by death."

"Justice does not compromise. It does not forgive."

He stopped. Turned. His gaze, cold and piercing, locked onto Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke… do you truly believe you have the right to forgive the monsters who murdered innocent lives—lives that were torn apart by their crimes? Do you have the right to pardon the evil-doers who should die?"

Then, his voice dropped, heavier than stone.

"Suppose your brother, Uchiha Itachi, were to carry out a Night of Massacre tonight. Suppose he slaughtered nearly every Uchiha—men, women, children, elders. Suppose your father… your mother… were all dead."

"Suppose only you and Itachi survived."

"What would you do then?"

"Would you forgive your father’s killer?"

"Would you pardon your mother’s murderer?"

"Suppose someone stood before you and said—‘He’s your brother. You must forgive him. He made a mistake. It’s not that bad.’"

"Would you listen to that voice? Would you choose to forgive the man who wiped out your entire clan?"

Each question landed like a hammer blow.

Sasuke staggered back, his eyes wide, his breath ragged. He was locked in a stare with Uchiha Iizumi—his mind, his soul, torn apart.

And then—everything changed.

A flash.

A blur.

Suddenly, Sasuke stood in the middle of a night-blackened world.

He recognized the buildings—the Uchiha Compound.

He looked around, dazed.

Then—his eyes widened.

Moonlight glinted off blood.

Bodies. Bodies everywhere.

Crimson stains soaked the ground, pooling beneath lifeless forms.

Cries. Whimpers. Screams.

The air reeked of fear and death.

And every face—every corpse—was familiar.

An elder, eyes wide in terror.

A young man, clutching his chest where a blade had pierced through.

A child, barely alive, face twisted in agony.

A baby—split in two.

Each one bore the mark of the Uchiha.

Sasuke’s breath caught.

A scream—close, raw—ripped through the night.

He spun.

There, a boy his age—his age—was being yanked by the hair by a masked man.

A knife plunged into his chest.

Blood sprayed.

The body fell.

Sasuke’s body trembled.

And then—he saw the face.

Uchiha Itachi.

The man’s eyes—cold, empty—locked onto him.

Before Sasuke could scream—the world shifted again.

He was inside a house.

Dim, flickering light. No safety. No warmth.

A soft footstep. A dragging sound.

Sasuke spun.

There—his brother, Uchiha Itachi, was dragging a woman. She was barely conscious. Blood smeared her face.

Itachi didn’t see Sasuke. He walked right through him.

One hand on her shoulder. The other—clutching a bloody kunai.

With every step, he carved a new wound across her body.

"Ah—ah—ah—!" Her voice was broken, raw with pain.

A soft thud from a closet.

Itachi stopped. Turned. With no emotion, he pulled open the door.

Inside—a little girl.

Tears streaming. Mouth open in silent scream.

Sasuke wanted to shout—“Stop! Brother! Stop!”

But he couldn’t speak.

He could only watch.

Itachi pulled her out.

And with a single, swift motion—the kunai slashed her throat.

The body fell.

Sasuke’s heart shattered.

Then—the scene changed again.

Silence.

Blood was gone.

Bodies were gone.

Screams—erased.

Instead, Sasuke stood before Uchiha Iizumi, Uchiha Izumi, Naruto Uzumaki, and Tachibana Jiro.

Itachi was gone.

The horror—vanished.

Sasuke stood frozen.

"Did you see it?" Uchiha Iizumi’s voice was quiet.

His eyes—once swirling with the power of the Three Tomoe Sharingan—had returned to normal.

"Would you have the right to forgive him? The one who committed such acts? Answer me, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked. His mind reeled.

"...That was… a genjutsu?"

His voice trembled. The illusion had been too real. So real it felt like it could happen—was about to happen.

He couldn’t imagine his brother doing such a thing.

But… if it did happen…

Would he have the right to forgive him?

He thought of the boy pierced through.

The baby split in two.

The woman screaming.

The little girl, terrified, hiding in the closet.

Tears welled up.

They were real.

Not just a dream.

He wiped his face—his hand came away wet.

"I… I don’t have the right to forgive him," he whispered, voice cracking. "Even if it were true… I wouldn’t forgive him."

He looked up—his eyes red, raw.

The fear he’d felt earlier had faded. In its place—something new.

Courage.

"Those three Uchiha… the ones who brought the drugs into the village… did they hurt others too?"

"Yes."

One word.

Just one.

And Sasuke’s face burned with shame. He wanted to vanish into the ground.

"...I’m sorry."

He spoke so softly, barely audible.

"Hey?!" Naruto blinked, utterly confused. "What just happened? Why did he suddenly apologize? I didn’t even know what he did!"

---

Meanwhile, Investigation Corps Headquarters.

"Fugaku-sama," a voice reported, "the Jinchūriki has been brought in again by Uchiha Iizumi. And there are Anbu ninjas—likely surveillance—sneaking in to watch the Jinchūriki as well."

Fugaku’s entire body went numb.

Again?

This was the third time this week.

When will it stop?

Even if Iizumi doesn’t tire… I do.

But then—another line.

"And… Fugaku-sama… your second son, Uchiha Sasuke… he’s with Uchiha Iizumi."

Fugaku: ?!

Sasuke?

He froze.

What in the world could that boy possibly have in common with Iizumi?

They were nothing alike.

Fugaku’s brow furrowed. A flicker of worry crossed his face.

Did Sasuke do something wrong? Was he caught?

Yes, his second son was… disappointing. He’d never match Itachi’s talent. But he was still his son.

Fugaku stood abruptly. "Where is Iizumi? Take me to him."

The Anbu infiltrators? Forgotten. Dismissed.

---

On the other side of the Uchiha Compound.

A hidden underground chamber.

Three Uchiha ninja stood in silence.

One, arms crossed, stared at the sacks of drugs. "Hayato, a ton of this stuff… can Leaf Village even handle it? It’ll take months to sell it all."

"Relax," said the young man—Uchiha Hayato, smirking. "We don’t need to consume it here. We just need to resell it. Who cares how it’s used? That’s not our problem."

Another frowned. "Still… be careful. If Fugaku finds out…"

"Hmph." Hayato laughed. "What’s he gonna do? We’re doing this for the clan. To raise funds. With that money, we’ll buy explosive tags—enough to overthrow the Hokage when the time comes."

"Fugaku? He’s weak. If he’s mad about this, it just proves he’s not fit to lead. And better yet—"

"I’ll use this as an excuse to push for a clan-wide election. My grandfather, Setsuna-sama, will support me."

"True," another said. "Your grandfather’s a respected elder. Fugaku won’t dare touch you."

Then, hesitating: "But… it’s been months since we’ve been back. Something feels… off. I’ve heard whispers. People talking about that guy—the one who keeps shouting about Justice. What if he finds out?"

Hayato waved it off. "You’re paranoid. As long as we don’t talk about it, he won’t know."

They were young. Radical. Fueled by ambition.

Just as Hayato opened his mouth to speak again—footsteps.

Above.

The sound was clear. Not one person. Multiple. Coming down.

The three men froze.

Who’s here?

Someone broke in?

They exchanged glances.

We’re trapped.

They were about to flee upward—when the footsteps continued… descending.

Someone’s coming down here.

Panic surged.

Then—they saw him.

Uchiha Iizumi.

And behind him—three figures.

A girl in Investigation Corps gear.

A golden-haired boy.

And… the third?

Hayato’s eyes widened.

No way…

He stared at the child’s face.

Uchiha Sasuke.

He knew the Uchiha family. He knew the eldest and second son.

This was Sasuke.

And he wasn’t supposed to be here.

The three Uchiha ninja stood frozen.

The air grew colder.

The truth had arrived.

And with it—Justice.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end