Chapter 114: Naruto Unleashes the Power of the Nine-Tails (2-in-1, 10,000+ Words)

"Sasuke-kun, if I'm not mistaken, your seat isn't supposed to be here, is it?" Iruka, carrying his textbooks into the classroom, paused in mild confusion as he saw Sasuke sitting to Naruto’s left.

If he recalled correctly, Naruto Uzumaki and Uchiha Sasuke weren’t exactly on good terms…

Sasuke, his skin still bearing a few Band-Aids and faint bruises peeking through, replied coolly: "It will be from now on." He crossed his arms, his expression as icy as ever. "I swapped seats with someone else. And they agreed."

Iruka: "..."

Wasn’t it his job, as the teacher, to assign seats?

But then again, the class’s first prodigy always had special privileges.

After a brief pause, Iruka sighed inwardly and let it go.

"You’re such a fake..." Naruto muttered under his breath, remembering how this arrogant little brat had nearly cried the night before when faced with Iizumi’s “Rejection of Zetsu.”

Naruto glanced around. A number of glaring stares were fixed on him—mostly from girls in the class.

Damn it!

Why was this stuck-up idiot so popular with the girls?!

Jealous, Naruto grumbled under his breath, then couldn’t help but ask: "Hey, why’d you have to sit next to me?"

Sasuke just gave a soft, dismissive huff, arms still folded.

Naruto, feeling foolish, yawned and shifted in his seat. Still, the fact that someone had actually chosen to sit beside him—someone like Sasuke—felt strangely new. He changed the subject: "So, your brother really is going to wipe out the clan, huh?"

Sasuke’s face instantly turned colder.

He stared down at the desk, fists tightening beneath the table.

"That’s what Iizumi-sensei said," he whispered. "It’s part of Uchiha Itachi’s ‘Future Evil.’ I won’t let him win. I’ll prove he’s wrong."

"But..." The thought of the enormous gap between himself and Itachi weighed heavily on him. He knew that following Absolute Justice would grant immense power—Uchiha Iizumi was living proof.

But how long would it take?

And when he did grow strong... would it even be enough to stop Itachi?

"Don’t worry!" Naruto leaned back, hands clasped behind his head, grinning. "Justice never walks alone! Even if you can’t beat Itachi, I’ll help you. We’ll take him down together—two against one, how can we lose?!"

"Hmph." Sasuke found Naruto’s optimism laughable. Root didn’t understand the true strength of the Uchiha bloodline.

Yet... something stirred in his chest.

Thud—

A sudden, sharp crack cut through the air.

Sasuke looked up—and froze.

Iruka, standing at the front, had gone utterly still. His face was slack, his body rigid, as if frozen mid-motion.

Then, a single white feather drifted down from the ceiling, brushing gently past Iruka’s nose.

Sasuke’s eyes widened in horror.

The teacher was asleep—standing upright—snoring softly with his eyes shut!

What in the world…?!

Thump—

Another sound. Sasuke spun around.

A classmate behind him had collapsed face-first onto the desk, fast asleep.

No—not just one.

As the white feathers continued to fall like snowflakes from nowhere, Sasuke’s breath caught.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Everyone in the class—except him—was asleep!

"What the—?!" Sasuke shot to his feet, heart pounding. He turned to Naruto, his voice strained.

"...Still asleep?!"

He was shook.

Then—footsteps.

A sudden, deliberate rhythm echoed through the room.

Sasuke whirled toward the door. His pupils contracted slightly.

"Brother... Brother..."

The door creaked open.

Uchiha Itachi stepped in, calm, expressionless.

"Sasuke. You’ve made a grave mistake. You shouldn’t have chosen this path—this uncertain future."

...

"Where... am I?"

Naruto blinked, dazed, looking around. He was in a strange, damp, shadowy place—long, narrow corridors lined with strange doors on both sides.

He was standing in the middle of a dark hallway.

"I was just in Ninja Academy, right?" He muttered, but froze as a guttural, terrifying roar echoed behind him.

He spun around—his blood turned to ice.

Two massive iron gates loomed behind him, towering and rusted.

Something terrible was imprisoned within.

"Hoooh... Little kid… You look delicious. Come closer… Let me eat you!"

The voice was deep, guttural—like a beast from nightmares.

Naruto’s jaw dropped.

"...A... fox?!" He stammered, then snapped into realization. "Wait—you’re the Nine-Tails sealed inside me?! The Fourth Hokage’s seal!"

"Mmm, thanks to your recent emotional outbursts," the Kyūrāma growled, its massive, fanged face looming over Naruto, red eyes gleaming. "The seal weakened. Otherwise, meeting you would’ve been impossible."

Naruto swallowed hard. "You called me here?"

Kyūrāma grinned, fangs bared. "Look up, kid."

Naruto looked—

And saw a perfect, floating image of the classroom above him.

There was Sasuke.

And another man—older, with the same age and aura as Uchiha Iizumi.

"Your friend is dangerous," Kyūrāma purred. "The one who put everyone to sleep? That’s your friend’s brother."

"He’s the one who’s about to kill you. And you’re just going to watch? Let him die like this?"

Naruto’s eyes widened. "That’s... Itachi?!"

"See the seal on the gate?" Kyūrāma’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Pull it off, and I’ll give you power—enough to break his Genjutsu. Enough to make one hand strong enough to crush him."

A wave of crimson chakra erupted from the creature’s body—thick, violent, pulsing red energy filling the sealed space.

"Look at it!" Kyūrāma roared. "It’s all yours!"

Naruto clenched his fists.

"I don’t want that stuck-up idiot to die. I don’t like him much—but he’s my classmate. He believes in Iizumi-sensei’s Absolute Justice, just like me."

"But..."

He looked up, meeting the beast’s red gaze.

"You were the one who caused the Night of the Nine-Tails. You’re the source of the evil. If I have to use your power to save him, then I refuse."

"I don’t trust you. You’re not doing this out of kindness. You’re using me. And if I take your power… it’ll only bring more pain to the village."

"I’m right, aren’t I, Nine-Tails?"

The words struck Kyūrāma like a physical blow.

Its monstrous face twisted—first in shock, then in fury.

"You—a seven-year-old—dared to see through me?!"

With a snarl, it lunged, claws outstretched—

But the seal held firm.

The claws screeched against the barrier, unable to touch Naruto.

Naruto took a step back.

"I don’t want your power. Because if I believe in Absolute Justice, it gives me strength. No strings attached."

"You ungrateful little worm!" Kyūrāma snarled, its massive canine teeth nearly as tall as Naruto. "I’m offering you the strength of a god! You have no right to refuse!"

Red chakra surged like a storm, flooding the space.

"Feel it! You’ll crave it! This power is nothing compared to the Justice you preach!"

The chakra surged toward Naruto—

The seal on the gate shuddered, flapping like a sail in a hurricane.

Naruto: "!!!"

...

Back in the classroom, where white feathers still drifted like snow.

"Huh… cough… cough…"

Sasuke gripped Itachi’s arm, trying to pry it loose—his small hands strained, veins popping—but Itachi’s grip was iron.

His neck was crushed, his face turning red, then blue.

He was lifted off the ground, helpless.

"Sasuke. Uchiha Iizumi’s Absolute Justice… isn’t for you. Or rather, it’s unsuitable for Leaf Village. It contradicts the Fire Nation’s Will. Its existence will only bring endless civil war."

Itachi’s eyes glowed—Three Tomoe Sharingan, crimson and merciless.

"Look at Danzō’s corpse. Look at the dead members of the Shimura Clan. Look at the families he slaughtered. Look at how the villagers fear him."

"My foolish Oudou Dou… Why do you keep disappointing me?"

"Since you’ve chosen this path… I’ll make you kill someone."

"Once your hands are stained with blood… you won’t be fit to believe in Absolute Justice. Then you’ll walk the true path."

"And when Justice abandons you… you’ll watch, helpless, as I erase your entire clan."

"Of course…"

"Some of my words… you’ll never remember. You’ll only carry hatred. Live like a dog. Barely surviving."

Sasuke’s eyes, already wide, widened further.

"Huh… cough… U-… Uchiha… Itachi!"

Each word was a struggle, a gasp.

"You’re… mad! You’re insane!"

His own eyes flickered—One Tomoe Sharingan forming.

Itachi’s lips curled into a faint, barely visible smile—so subtle, even Sasuke, so close, barely saw it.

"Sasuke… that hatred is perfect. It awakens the true power of the Uchiha bloodline. Absolute Justice? Nothing compared to this."

"Only I can give you the right path. Forgive me… one day, you’ll see the truth."

"And even if you don’t… I’ll know I did it for you. That’s enough."

"I never seek gratitude."

Uchiha Itachi’s face remained impassive—but within, his heart burned.

He closed his eyes, forcing back the tears threatening to spill.

When he opened them again, Sasuke was on the verge of passing out—eyes rolling back, breath ragged.

Itachi loosened his grip—just slightly.

Then—

A small hand shot out from the side, grabbing Itachi’s wrist.

"...?!"

...

Boom!

A deafening explosion rocked the Ninja Academy.

The nearby Leaf Village shinobi, already on edge from recent events, flinched.

Especially the teachers in the Academy.

"Sounds like it came from Iruka’s class!"

They abandoned their students and rushed toward the sound—

Only to find a motionless Anbu ninja, slumped on a tree branch outside.

Before they could react—

CRASH!

The wall of Iruka’s classroom exploded outward.

A figure—Anbu attire—flew through the debris, vanishing into the distance.

Then another—barreling out, crashing through the remains.

What in the world…?

Was that… a red fox?!

"Wait!" One teacher gasped, eyes wide. "That’s… Naruto Uzumaki?!"

His voice was quiet—but the others heard.

Memories of the Nine-Tails Uprising—seven years ago—flashed through their minds.

They’d lived it. Some had nearly died.

A cold dread washed over them.

"Oh no…"

...

Farther away, atop a rooftop.

"Iizumi-sama, there’s movement over there," whispered Tachibana Jiro, ears twitching.

The cat leapt from Iizumi’s shoulder, landing with a thud—nearly knocking her over.

Tachibana Jiro, face serious, said: "Looks like the Ninja Academy. Two ninja are fighting inside."

"The Academy?" Iizumi blinked, stunned. "Today’s a school day, isn’t it?"

"Follow me, rookie," Iizumi said, already moving.

"Wait—hey! Hold on!"

The Uchiha Police Force had a duty to maintain order. Iizumi didn’t kill people every second.

Mostly, he patrolled the village as a peacekeeper.

Now? Something was wrong.

"Could it be related to Naruto and Sasuke?" she thought, sprinting.

Tachibana Jiro added: "Meow. With those two? No way. They couldn’t cause this."

"But… Naruto is the Jinchūriki," Iizumi murmured.

Tachibana Jiro’s face froze. It grabbed Iizumi’s hair and yanked.

"Newbie! Shut your mouth!" it hissed. "Do you know what happens when a Jinchūriki goes berserk?!"

Iizumi’s expression darkened.

"My father died in the last Nine-Tails Uprising… My Three Tomoe Sharingan… awakened that night."

Tachibana Jiro: "..."

Oh, damn it. I forgot.

...

High above, Uchiha Itachi leapt onto a rooftop, staring down.

Below, Naruto Uzumaki was engulfed in swirling red chakra—like a storm given form.

Itachi frowned.

This was not supposed to happen.

Naruto had been under Genjutsu. Why was he awake? Why was he this powerful?

"Is the seal weakening?"

But something felt… off.

Naruto wasn’t acting like a mindless beast.

Even with the wild chakra, his eyes—his eyes—still held reason.

"This… isn’t a loss of control."

It’s a Jinchūriki harnessing the Nine-Tails’ power.

Even if he didn’t know much about Jinchūriki, Itachi knew this was rare—only possible when the bond was deep.

"Powerful… but you’re too young to control it fully. Still… better safe than sorry."

Itachi’s eyes shifted—Three Tomoe to Mangekyō Sharingan.

The Genjutsu struck—directly into Naruto’s mind.

...

In the Sealing Space, Kyūrāma’s eyes narrowed.

"Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Then it shook its head. "No… different from the last one."

It could break the Genjutsu—just flood Naruto’s chakra with its own.

But the memory of Naruto’s smug, arrogant face…

It growled.

Hmph!

It let Naruto go limp—eyes rolling back, body collapsing.

...

Uchiha Itachi coughed weakly.

Even a simple Genjutsu from the Mangekyō took a toll.

He glanced at the teachers rushing toward the wreckage—then at the two massive holes in the classroom wall.

He knew he’d drawn too much attention.

But it didn’t matter.

There’s still time. A year. I’ll catch you, Sasuke. You can’t run.

With a final breath, he released the Genjutsu—and vanished.

In the classroom, Sasuke staggered out, clutching his throat, leaning against the wall.

"Cough… Dead last… cough…"

Dizzy, nauseous, but he forced himself forward—toward the hole in the wall.

He looked out—

Saw Itachi, gone.

But saw Naruto, lying unconscious.

"Damn it… none of your business, dead last! It wasn’t your fight!"

He muttered, but still limped toward Naruto.

When he arrived, Naruto was surrounded by teachers.

"You’re…?" One of them turned, recognizing him. "Uchiha Sasuke—the genius from Iruka’s class?"

Sasuke: "..."

Genius?

If he were truly a genius… why had he been helpless against Itachi?

Why had he been one-handed in a fight?

Then he thought of Naruto—the red chakra, the power.

His face paled slightly.

If even dead last can get this kind of power from Absolute Justice… what could I achieve?

"What happened in your class, Sasuke? Where’s Iruka?" the teacher pressed.

Sasuke rasped: "Genjutsu. Everyone else was asleep. Only me… and Naruto… stayed awake."

The teacher opened his mouth—

Then froze.

Another figure entered—Uchiha Iizumi, in full Anbu gear.

The teachers stiffened.

Even after the reputation had improved… the fear remained.

Then—Tachibana Jiro, a cat, leapt forward, one paw pressing down on Naruto’s neck.

"Meow. Iizumi-sama, the vortex kid’s alive. Still leaking wild chakra. That’s definitely the Nine-Tails."

It paused, then added: "He was Genjutsu’d—Sharingan style. No real harm. Just knocked him out."

"Like someone used a Sharingan to calm him down after the fox went wild."

Iizumi stepped forward, scooping Naruto up—like a sleeping golden retriever.

"He… dead last… wasn’t out of control!" Sasuke croaked.

He stared up at Iizumi.

"Iizumi-sensei… dead last… he stopped you. Itachi came in. He wanted to use Sharingan to force me to kill. Said if I did, Absolute Justice would abandon me."

Iizumi’s hand shot to her sword.

She studied the handprint on Sasuke’s neck—then looked at him.

Her teeth clenched.

"Uchiha Itachi… you’re beyond help."

Sasuke continued: "At the last moment… the dead last woke up. His body was covered in red chakra. He fought off Itachi."

He wasn’t exaggerating.

He wasn’t jealous—only… grateful.

If Naruto hadn’t acted…

He might have killed someone.

And then… Justice would have left him.

"That bastard!" Tachibana Jiro growled, claws flexing. "How dare he use his own brother like that?! I’d have killed him myself back then! And that Shisui—if he hadn’t protected him, he’d be dead now!"

"Meow! I’d bring Shisui back with Edo Tensei—let him see what this monster’s done!"

(Though, of course, it didn’t know how. It only knew the technique from Iizumi.)

"Don’t worry," Iizumi said, calm, turning to Sasuke. "Even if you were forced to kill… Absolute Justice wouldn’t abandon you. It wasn’t your choice. You were a weapon. The real killer is him."

"If Justice rejects someone just for being manipulated… who’d ever defend it? Don’t let his twisted thinking poison you. A fanatic sees everything in black and white."

Sasuke froze.

He felt… nothing.

Not anger. Not betrayal.

Just… a strange rightness to hearing his brother called a monster.

Even if the word was harsh…

It fit.

And Iizumi’s words… eased his heart.

...

Leaf Village, Hokage Tower.

"Itachi… what?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, exhausted from endless troubles, stared in shock at the kneeling Uchiha Itachi.

"I’ve come to confess," Itachi said, head down. "I… let the Jinchūriki lose control. But… not really. It was… controlled."

Hiruzen: "!!!"

First Iizumi, now you?

"What happened?!"

Itachi told him everything—how he’d used Genjutsu, how he’d tried to break Sasuke’s will.

Hiruzen’s voice caught in his throat.

Itachi was doing it for the village.

To protect Sasuke. To secure peace.

No fault in his intent.

But… was it too extreme?

A seven-year-old boy—forced to face such trauma?

Then—

"A controlled outburst?" Hiruzen murmured.

"That sounds… like Naruto’s starting to master the Nine-Tails’ power."

"Only when he’s in control does he stay rational. Otherwise… we’d have a second Nine-Tails Uprising."

Hiruzen knew what it meant.

Naruto was becoming a true Jinchūriki.

Too soon.

He’d planned to wait until Naruto graduated.

But Itachi’s actions had accelerated it.

"You were trying to push Sasuke… but why did Naruto react too?" Hiruzen suddenly asked.

Itachi hesitated. "Perhaps… their bond. They both follow Absolute Justice."

"Bonds…" Hiruzen exhaled, puffing on his pipe.

Why does it have to be with Uchiha?

He’d rather Naruto bond with a Hiruzen child.

"Hokage-sama," Itachi interrupted. "The Uchiha Clan is slipping under Iizumi’s influence. Setsuna is even more radical now. Many moderate Uchiha are either joining the extremists… or showing interest in Absolute Justice."

Hiruzen’s brow furrowed.

This was his greatest fear.

If the Uchiha did revolt—openly, with a coup plan known to all—Leaf Village would collapse into civil war.

Other villages would exploit the chaos.

Even after the Third War…

Someone might spark the Fourth.

"Hokage-sama," Itachi said, "I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry about the Uchiha."

Hiruzen stiffened.

The Night of the Massacre…

"Itachi…" he said, voice low. "Some things don’t need to be so… final. Only a few are truly dangerous."

He did plan to eliminate the extremists.

But not all of them.

Not the entire clan.

Itachi’s path was too extreme.

"Itachi… sometimes, you don’t have to go to such extremes. The Uchiha are still valuable to the village."

Itachi bowed. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

He stood. Walked out.

Alone in the office, Hiruzen stared at the door.

You’ll never understand, will you…?

But I don’t need you to.

My path… for the village, for the clan, for Sasuke… is the only one that matters.

As he stepped outside, Itachi paused.

A man with a beard—Hiruzen Asama, his son—passed by.

Their eyes met for half a second.

He’s the Hokage’s son…

...

Hiruzen, still deep in thought, tapped his pipe.

Then—

A knock.

The door opened.

Asama stepped in, closing it behind him.

"Asama?" Hiruzen frowned. "You were in the Fire Country capital?"

Asama leaned against the wall. "I told the Daimyō."

Hiruzen paused. "And?"

"He’s furious. Wants the killer punished."

Hiruzen shook his head. "If I act against Iizumi, the village will burn. If the Daimyō sent you to pressure me… I’ll pretend I didn’t hear."

He had considered killing Iizumi.

He’d thought of every scenario—what if he died? What if the village fell?

But the cost was too high.

Like the First Hokage and Madara—they fought in the Valley of the End, not in the village.

"I can’t risk it," Hiruzen said. "You know that."

Asama didn’t react. He pulled out a cigarette, bit the filter—but didn’t light it.

"You misunderstood. The Daimyō didn’t want you to kill Iizumi. He knows your limits. He can’t force you."

He paused.

"I’m just giving you a suggestion."

"Iizumi’s been a wild card in the village. You’re tired of him. So why not… let him go?"

"He’s a Uchiha Police Force ninja. But he’s still a Leaf Ninja. Shouldn’t he take missions from the Hokage?"

"You’ve already scared everyone. The job’s done."

"Or…" Asama narrowed his eyes. "They’re already dead. You know it, right?"

"Now that the fear’s set… why keep him? Let him do Justice outside the village. Let him fight the real enemies—nobles, corrupt officials, the Daimyō himself."

"Then you won’t have to worry. The headaches will be theirs."

Hiruzen didn’t move.

"Asama… what are you really after?"

Asama met his gaze.

"You don’t trust me? I’ve never lied to you before. Even when I disagreed."

Hiruzen exhaled.

"...Fine."

Perhaps it was trust.

Perhaps it was guilt.

But he believed his son.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end