Chapter 134: Illiterate Itachi! "Am I Truly a Qualified Hokage?"

Under the watchful eyes of the entire village, the few members of the Hiruzen Clan singled out by Uchiha Iizumi were all taken away.

Some tried to resist, but when a ninja sword pressed against their throats, its blade carving a thin red line into their skin, they quickly quieted.

Others desperately turned pleading eyes toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping the Hokage-sama would show mercy—on account of their kinship, at least—spare them from falling into Uchiha Iizumi’s hands, even if it meant being locked in prison.

But when the Hokage-sama turned his gaze away, refusing even to look at them, their fate was sealed.

A single, silent glance from Zetsu.

“Ah…”

As the footsteps faded into the distance, fading until they were gone entirely, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled deeply, a long, weary breath.

Then, he turned to the three clan leaders before him—Pig, Deer, and Butterfly.

Weary, he said to Yamana Haiichi: “Haiichi, I’d like you to send me a copy of the investigation report.”

He no longer expected Yamana Haiichi to stand on the Hokage’s side.

He only wished that the three families—the Pig, Deer, and Butterfly—would remain loyal to Leaf Village, generation after generation.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Yamana Haiichi gave a slight nod.

The Hokage’s dignity still had to be preserved, even if only by a thread.

Once the three clan leaders had left, the air in the courtyard grew heavy with silence.

Then came the sound—slow, deliberate—of a wooden cane tapping against the ground.

Hyūga Menji arrived.

Tired, worn down, Hyūga Menji paused at the sight of the scene before him—Hiruzen Clan’s residence transformed into a place of execution. He searched for Uchiha Iizumi, but found no trace.

“He came through here,” Tsunade Konoha said, breaking the silence. “Left a minute ago. You’re late.”

Hyūga Menji noticed the bodies of a married couple lying on the ground.

He sighed. “So many of us couldn’t stop him?”

“We didn’t try.”

Tsunade Konoha’s voice was grim.

Hyūga Menji froze.

She recounted what had happened.

“…Hmph.”

Hyūga Menji grimaced. “No, there was no reason to stop him. His justice stood on the side of righteousness. If we had tried… we’d be the ones on trial.”

“Jiraiya,” Hyūga Menji said, voice low, “the ones taken by Iizumi… after tonight, they’ll likely…”

He didn’t finish.

Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off.

“If they truly committed crimes beyond forgiveness, then they are no longer members of my Hiruzen Clan.”

His face was stern, attempting to project the cold resolve of a Hokage—but the exhaustion and confusion in his eyes betrayed him.

What did I do wrong… that so many of my own people became Evil Offenders?

That was Hiruzen Sarutobi’s inner turmoil.

He didn’t understand.

He couldn’t fathom it.

Uchiha Police Force.

Two Investigation Corps ninja on night duty yawned, bored. The night life in Leaf Village wasn’t exactly lively, and serious incidents were rare. They were, by far, the slackest of all the squads—sometimes not a single case in over a month.

Then—

“Huh?”

One of them suddenly noticed someone approaching the Investigation Corps Building.

And not just one person. A group.

He squinted in the dim moonlight.

At the front, that familiar face…

His blood ran cold.

Uchiha Iizumi!

Two Investigation Corps ninja watched in stunned silence as Uchiha Iizumi and his team marched in, dragging four slumped, defeated “criminals.”

Then came three more figures.

“Wait… is that…”

“Yamana Haiichi?!”

One of them recognized him instantly. The Yamanaka Clan and the Uchiha Police Force had long-standing cooperation.

“Those two others… looks like Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Teizou.”

The second ninja exhaled in awe. “The Inuzuka-Nara-Yamanaka Alliance trio. They’re standing with Iizumi’s Absolute Justice.”

In the past, no clan would dare align with the Uchiha—especially not after they’d been ostracized by Leaf’s leadership.

But ever since Uchiha Iizumi had grown powerful… things had changed.

No one could explain it. But somehow, walking down the street now felt… different.

They could hold their heads higher.

Nara Shikaku stepped into the police building, scanning the room with a quiet awe. “First time I’ve been inside the Uchiha Police Force headquarters.”

Akimichi Teizou turned to Yamana Haiichi. “We’ll wait here. You go in alone.”

Yamana Haiichi nodded, then walked inside—familiar with the route—until he reached the Underground Interrogation Room.

Inside, four Hiruzen Clan members sat on cold metal benches, each in a separate corner of the room.

Yamana Haiichi entered, gave Uchiha Iizumi a brief nod—a silent greeting.

Uchiha Iizumi returned the gesture.

“You’re… Yamana Clan leader?”

Konoha Rin stared, surprised.

Beside her, Iizumi explained: “Iizumi-san and the Yamana Clan have a close working relationship. After Iizumi-san executes an Evil Offender, the Yamana Clan usually investigates the corpse’s memories to record detailed evidence of their crimes.”

Konoha Rin nodded slowly. “Ah… I see.”

Iizumi asked, “Have they confessed yet?”

“No,” Uchiha Iizumi said, arms crossed, leaning against the cold wall. “Perhaps they know their fate is sealed and just want to make things harder for us. I was about to escalate—when you arrived.”

Yamana Haiichi sighed. “I thought you’d kill them all first, then let me extract the memories.”

The four Hiruzen Clan members paled.

Uchiha Iizumi said, “Maybe you don’t know me well enough. I only execute when an Evil Offender resists Justice. If they cooperate… I’ll follow proper procedure.”

“Ah…”

Yamana Haiichi’s usually stoic face cracked into a faint smile.

“Shall I go first, or you?”

“I’ll go.”

Their exchange was effortless—like veterans who’d worked together for years.

Uchiha Iizumi stepped forward, standing before the man named Hiruzen Kyouya. He looked down at the man’s strained, forced calm.

Before speaking, Yamana Haiichi warned the four: “Take this as a friendly reminder. The sooner you confess, the better. You don’t want Iizumi to take matters into his own hands.”

The four exchanged nervous glances, fear flickering in their eyes.

“Ten seconds,” Uchiha Iizumi said flatly. “After that, silence means you’re a hard case.”

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight…”

“Iizumi,” Hiruzen Kyouya gritted his teeth, eyes blazing. “You’re going to kill me anyway. Stop pretending this is some fair trial! The Hokage already declared me a rogue ninja. What are you waiting for? Free me—or kill me!”

“…One.”

“Zero.”

Uchiha Iizumi’s eyes snapped into Mangekyō Sharingan.

The terrifying Genjutsu—suddenly implanted into Hiruzen Kyouya’s mind.

Setsuna.

The man froze.

His face twisted in horror—like he was seeing something unspeakable.

Trapped in steel wire, his body writhed violently, whimpering incoherently.

Blood seeped from the cuts on his arms and legs, where the wire dug into his flesh.

Tears and snot poured uncontrollably.

“Don’t come near me… don’t come near me… I just wanted money… what’s wrong with that?”

He saw the Leaf ninja he’d betrayed—killed by his own lies.

He saw Hyūga Hiashi’s replacement—his own brother, forced to die in his place.

He saw the civilians crushed by a collapsed building—felled by his embezzlement.

He heard the grief-stricken cries of their families—each voice a knife in his soul.

They whispered. They screamed. They wept.

All at once.

“Don’t come near me… don’t come near me…”

His voice rose, cracking with terror.

Then—

A guttural, agonized scream tore from his throat.

Hiruzen Kyouya collapsed, eyes wide, unseeing.

A foul stench filled the room.

His pants—soiled.

He trembled uncontrollably.

When he looked up, his pupils were dilated, glassy.

The crimson Mangekyō Sharingan burned into his vision.

“G-Genjutsu…?”

“Looks like I don’t need to,” Yamana Haiichi muttered, shaking his head.

Sharingan Genjutsu was just as ruthless as the Yamanaka Clan’s techniques.

The man’s mind was shattered.

The other three were paralyzed with fear.

No further resistance was needed.

A few simple questions—Uchiha Iizumi barely had to ask—and the four Hiruzen Clan members spilled everything.

They confessed crimes they’d committed as children. They begged to be forgiven.

Yamana Haiichi’s brow furrowed.

He shook his head.

“This is how it is in the Ninja World.”

Uchiha Iizumi glanced at him. “When the root of the Ninja World changes… then the world itself will change.”

Yamana Haiichi asked: “Iizumi… can your Justice truly heal this broken world? Can it restore true values and morality to the people?”

“Yes.”

Uchiha Iizumi’s voice was unwavering.

“I’ve never doubted it.”

Yamana Haiichi smiled. “That’s exactly why I placed my faith in you.”

Izumi, watching silently from the shadows, paused.

Maybe… before meeting her, her predecessor hadn’t been alone.

He had friends.

Supporters.

They just hadn’t shown it—until now.

And now they were.

Perhaps… they finally realized the world needed change.

And it had to happen—now.

“Newcomer.”

“Here!”

Izumi snapped to attention.

Uchiha Iizumi turned to Konoha Rin, silent.

“Your response?”

She blinked. Then understood.

Izumi had already accepted her as a disciple of Absolute Justice.

Even though they were the same age—former classmates from the Ninja Academy—her status had already shifted.

She lowered her head.

“Here.”

“Two each. Execute on the spot. Then make three copies of tonight’s report—one for Fugaku, one for the Third Hokage, and one stored in the Uchiha Police Force archives.”

“Yes!” ×2

…

One hour later.

The village was finally silent.

It was past four in the morning.

Izumi and Konoha Rin left, each carrying their own burdens.

The Pig, Deer, and Butterfly clan leaders returned home.

But Uchiha Iizumi did not go back to his house.

He exhaled, rubbing his tired temples.

Just as he moved to leave—

A strange, soft voice spoke from behind.

“Meow, Iizumi-sama, take me with you.”

Tachibana Jiro stood there, its tail flicking.

“You’re going to find that orphaned girl, aren’t you?”

It paused.

“Honestly, Iizumi-sama… your thoughts are easy to read. And you’ve been through something like this before.”

“Six years ago—another case. A monster of a husband beat and humiliated his daughter. She became mentally ill. The mother, enraged, tried to kill him—but failed. She died instead.”

“Iizumi-sama killed the man. But you didn’t realize… there was another victim. The daughter. When she learned her mother was dead, her fragile mind shattered. She took her own life.”

Her final words: “I carry the blood of sinners. I am filthy. I don’t deserve to live.”

Tachibana Jiro’s eyes softened.

“You once said it was a tragedy. A failure of Justice.”

“Izumi-sama carried guilt for months.”

It paused, then gave a small, almost human-like scratch to its face.

“People say you’re a heartless machine. Even those who claim to know you. But you’re not. You just bury your emotions. You don’t show them.”

“Because if Justice shows emotion… Evil Offenders will see it as weakness. They’ll think they’ve found a flaw.”

Uchiha Iizumi was silent for a moment.

“Sometimes… you understand me better than I do myself.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Iizumi-sama.”

…

Hiruzen Clan Residence.

No one expected Uchiha Iizumi to return.

But he did.

This time, he didn’t enter through the front gate.

Using Translucent Release, he slipped through the air like a shadow—undetected.

He reached a modest two-story house, leapt onto the second-floor balcony, and stepped inside.

He heard soft, stifled sobs.

In the darkness, he saw a ten-year-old girl—small, fragile—huddled under a thin blanket, clutching a pillow.

Tears and snot had soaked the pillow.

“W-w-wait… Mother… I’m so scared…”

“Father… he’s changed… he hit me, yelled at me… he choked me… if I hadn’t bitten him, he wouldn’t have woken up…”

“It hurts… he told me not to tell you… he said if I told, he’d kill you. And if I told, he’d kill me…”

She trembled, curled into a ball.

The memory of the beating three days prior replayed in her mind—each strike, each scream, echoing in her skull.

Her home—once her safe haven—had become her prison of pain.

Her heart was drowning in fear.

Then—

A soft footstep.

Her breath hitched.

Too heavy to be her mother.

No… not again…

Her body shook harder.

She curled tighter, shrinking into herself—trying to hide from a world that had already hurt her too much.

Wait… that sound…

It wasn’t her father.

It was… unfamiliar.

Her fear spiked.

She prayed—Please, Mother, hear me!

But her mother had come in an hour ago, warned her not to leave the room.

So… was her mother even here?

Was she alone?

Her terror peaked.

She ripped the blanket off, flung it blindly toward the door—then scrambled up, screaming, “Mother!”

She barely took two steps before agony shot through her leg.

She collapsed, tears streaming.

“Iizumi-sama,” Tachibana Jiro murmured, “she’s injured…”

Then it stopped.

It remembered something.

And fell silent.

The cat’s strange voice made the girl flinch—her eyes darting toward the sound.

Moonlight through the balcony window illuminated a plump cat.

And two crimson eyes.

In a single instant, the Mangekyō Sharingan’s Genjutsu flooded her mind.

A beautiful, soothing dream—carefully woven—erased the deepest shadows of her trauma.

Only children so young can be affected by Mangekyō Genjutsu at such a deep level. Older victims… their pain becomes permanent.

Uchiha Iizumi exhaled.

He watched the girl, now still, asleep on the floor.

“Iizumi-sama,” Tachibana Jiro said quietly, “she won’t tell her mother. I can smell the wound… it’s infected. But her mother? She’s a murderer. The worst kind.”

Its tone dropped. “Human nature… I don’t understand it.”

“Do you remember where Kushina lives?” Uchiha Iizumi asked.

“Yes.”

“Take her to Kushina.”

He picked up the thin blanket, wrapped it gently around the girl, and lifted her—careful not to wake her.

At the balcony, he paused.

“To the air,” he said, voice calm.

“Just bringing her to Kushina for treatment. She’ll return after. As for explaining her parents’ fate… that’s your duty, Third Hokage.”

Behind him, Tachibana Jiro paused.

It sniffed.

Then—

“Third Hokage?”

Before it could react—

Iizumi leapt from the balcony.

Tachibana Jiro hurried after.

…

Outside the second-floor bedroom, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood motionless.

He didn’t open the door.

He just sighed.

No anger. No outrage.

Only sorrow.

Can a good man do what Iizumi did… and still be good?

The question formed in his mind.

Then—

No.

If the world had many such people, there wouldn’t be so many Evil Offenders.

The world wouldn’t be so broken.

Another thought struck him.

Am I… really a qualified Hokage?

…

“Kushina-sama… why are you drinking again?”

In a quiet inn room, Shizune sighed, exasperated.

“It’s almost dawn. Won’t you sleep?”

“Stress,” Kushina said, slumped on the floor, her posture sloppy. “A little drink clears my head.”

She drained her cup.

Shizune stared.

Clears your head? You’re just getting drunker.

Another sip.

Then—

“Shizune… tell me… if someone has the power to do something… but it’s not their duty. No one would blame them if they didn’t. They’d just be free. So… why should they do it?”

Shizune blinked.

She thought hard.

“Some things… you have to try to know if they’re worth doing. If they matter.”

She scratched her head. “I don’t know how to explain it. And you’re my teacher… why are you asking me?”

Knock.

A sudden knock at the door made Shizune jump.

She tensed—then remembered: this was Leaf Village.

No threat.

But who would come at this hour?

Jiraiya again?

She opened the sliding door.

“Huh?!”

Her eyes widened.

Uchiha Iizumi stood there—holding a sleeping child in his arms.

“Uchiha Iizumi?!”

Kushina lifted her head, eyes half-lidded.

“Hey… Justice kid… what are you doing here? And… that girl?”

She froze.

“Wait… she’s…?”

Her careless posture straightened.

Her brow furrowed.

“She’s Hiruzen Kazuki and Hiruzen Yozu’s daughter,” Iizumi said. “Her father hurt her. She hasn’t told her mother. The wound is infected.”

Kushina exhaled sharply.

“Put her down. I’ll treat her.”

She paused. “When she wakes… I’ll try to help her. If I can’t… I’ll take her as my apprentice. She’ll stay with me. Maybe… over time, she’ll heal.”

“I already gave her a dream,” Iizumi said. “She won’t remember the trauma.”

Kushina’s eyes widened. “Like the kids on Takeshita Street?”

“Yes.”

He placed the girl gently on the floor.

Kushina stared.

“If all Uchiha could use their Sharingan like you… the clan’s reputation in Leaf Village might finally change.”

Shizune finally understood.

She stepped forward. “Kushina-sama, let me—your hemophobia—”

“No.”

Kushina’s eyes darkened.

She pulled back the blanket, revealing the girl’s leg.

The wound was fused to the fabric.

Her hands trembled.

Her voice shook.

“Shizune… get my Medical Equipment Case.”

“Kushina-sama…” Shizune whispered. “Your hemophobia—”

“Now.”

“Yes!”

…

“Iizumi-sama?”

Tachibana Jiro noticed—when Iizumi opened his eyes—his gaze was cold.

Not at Kushina. Not at Shizune.

But at the rot in the world.

“Fine,” Uchiha Iizumi said, the killing intent fading.

Only when no one was watching—only when solitude was absolute—did his face betray the storm beneath.

He stepped out, closed the door, and walked into the night.

Then—

A flicker.

He turned his head.

Twenty meters away, on a lamppost, stood a small figure in Anbu Ninja uniform.

Two crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan locked onto him.

“Uchiha Itachi…”

Tachibana Jiro tensed.

Its fur bristled.

“If he moves… I’ll attack.”

“He’s not here to fight,” Uchiha Iizumi said, voice flat. “He sees me as a threat to the village. But he won’t act tonight. Someone’s watching him.”

As if hearing it—

Itachi turned his head sharply.

To the alley.

There, standing in silence, was Uchiha Fugaku.

Itachi frowned.

“Father?”

Fugaku took a deep breath.

He didn’t hide.

He stepped forward, eyes on his son.

“Itachi… don’t endanger the Uchiha Clan. If you fight Iizumi, the aftermath will hurt innocent villagers. If you love the village… do you really want to see that?”

“You can’t save the village this way. You’ll only make it worse. Isn’t that what you want?”

Itachi said nothing.

He didn’t know why he’d come.

But the instinct was there.

A threat.

To the Hokage.

To the village.

A deep-seated enemy.

“I understand,” Itachi murmured.

No killing in the village. Too much noise. Too much risk.

If he wanted war… it had to be outside.

Like Asama’s plan.

Not Danzō’s.

Fugaku’s words—meant to warn—were twisted in Itachi’s mind into something else.

A final, long look at Uchiha Iizumi.

Then—

Puff.

His body split apart—into a flock of black crows.

Vanished.

Fugaku exhaled.

Good. He listened.

He’s still the one I’m proud of.

Then he looked back at Uchiha Iizumi.

His expression—complex.

Softly, he spoke:

“Iizumi… can I ask you something? After this, I’ll leave.”

He remembered how many times Iizumi had ignored him—walked away without a word.

“…How do you stand against the Hokage and his allies… and always come out on top? Without them ever having a reason to act?”

The question came out fast—urgent.

Uchiha Iizumi glanced at him.

“When you ask that question… you’ll never get an answer.”

Fugaku froze.

“Why?”

“Because you lack self-confidence. You carry shame before the Third Hokage. Your stance is unstable. You crumble under pressure. You abandoned a four-year-old child on the battlefield—something unforgivable.”

He listed each flaw.

Fugaku stood frozen—speechless.

“You don’t know how to be a father. You don’t know how to be a clan head. And yet… you want to know how I do it?”

“You should learn how to be human. Learn your values. My advice? Go back to the Ninja Academy. Retake the entire course.”

“Not me. You.”

He paused.

“And bring Uchiha Itachi with you. That neurotic illiterate needs to retake six years—especially the cultural subjects.”

Fugaku: “….”

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end