Chapter 17: Must the Hokage Hinder the Execution of Justice?

"Jinchūriki… Naruto?" Hiruzen Sarutobi blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected the clash between Danzō and Uchiha Iizumi to drag in Naruto, the boy.

Yet, faced with Danzō’s one-sided accusation, Hiruzen wasn’t inclined to believe him. After all, Danzō had always viewed the Uchiha clan through a tainted lens.

"Iizumi…" Hiruzen turned to the Uchiha, only to freeze as he saw Iizumi continuing to advance toward Danzō—his Sharingan blazing with cold, unyielding fury, the killing intent undimmed.

Hiruzen’s head throbbed. He remembered: once Uchiha Iizumi set his sights on someone, he never let go. He’d pursue his target without mercy—until the enemy was utterly erased from existence.

The only thing that could stop him was true, insurmountable force.

"Iizumi! Wait!" Hiruzen’s heart clenched. He called out sharply, "There must be a misunderstanding! The village has rules—no ninja are allowed to engage in private combat beyond reason! You and Danzō are both Leaf ninjas. How can you turn on each other like this?"

He quickly ordered a dozen Anbu Ninja to step between the two men, forming a barrier to separate them.

"Iizumi, for my sake—calm down. Let’s clarify what happened." Hiruzen stared directly into Iizumi’s eyes, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

Uchiha Iizumi glanced at the red rectangular frame hovering above the Third Hokage’s head—the mark of his authority—then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Then, Hokage-sama… are you planning to use your power to shield a criminal who obstructs Justice?"

Hiruzen found the words harsh, but he kept his expression neutral. "Iizumi, this is just a misunderstanding."

The Anbu had already positioned themselves, surrounding both Iizumi and Danzō, forming a tight, watchful circle.

"Hokage abusing power to protect those who hinder Justice… I’ll remember this." Iizumi deactivated his "Molten Release Chakra Body." The molten glow receded from his body, and his Three Tomoe Sharingan faded back into ordinary black eyes.

Hiruzen remained silent.

A strange feeling crept over him—something in Iizumi’s tone wasn’t playful or exaggerated. It was deadly serious.

But… he was the Hokage of the Leaf Village. What could Iizumi possibly do about it?

At best, the memory would fade with time.

Hiruzen exhaled, then turned sharply toward Danzō. "Danzō! Put away your kunai! Do you really want this pointless conflict to escalate further?"

Danzō stared, stunned. "Huh??"

Why was the old monkey so courteous to that evil Uchiha, yet so harsh toward him?

This blatant double standard…

Danzō’s fists clenched.

With a cold, venomous glance at Iizumi, he reluctantly sheathed his blade. His voice was icy. "Sarutobi. You want to know what happened? The evil Uchiha tried to control the Nine-Tails. I stopped him. Two of my best men died in the process. That’s all there is to it."

He gritted his teeth. "If you hadn’t shown up, I’d have killed that Uchiha brat in less than a minute!"

Damn it. He’d already sacrificed one Sharingan.

And then the old monkey showed up—ruining his one-minute "Izanagi" window.

Worse… he’d exposed his final trump card to Iizumi!

Hiruzen didn’t know what Danzō was thinking. He only cared about one thing: the claim that two of Danzō’s men had died.

"Iizumi… why did you—?"

Before he could finish, Iizumi spoke, his voice cold and detached.

"Anyone who obstructs Justice is my enemy. And enemies must be eliminated with absolute force."

"Root tried to arrest Naruto Uzumaki for a crime he didn’t commit. In my eyes, that’s aiding the spread of evil."

"That’s my reason for acting. If the Hokage finds this justification insufficient… you’re welcome to expel me from the Investigation Corps."

Hiruzen fell silent.

Just like always—before he even finished forming his question, Iizumi had already answered it.

It was as if talking to the Hokage was an unbearable nuisance to him.

Hiruzen chose to ignore the final line. His focus shifted to the core contradiction: Danzō claimed Iizumi was trying to control the Nine-Tails.

But Iizumi? He didn’t even seem to care about the beast.

He’d simply seen Naruto as a criminal and moved to arrest him.

"Where is Naruto?" Hiruzen paused, then asked the Anbu watching the Jinchūriki.

Moments later, the Anbu brought forward a trembling, wide-eyed Naruto.

Hiruzen crouched down, gently ruffling the boy’s golden hair—trying to soothe him.

"Naruto… what happened? Why did this Investigation Corps agent suddenly try to arrest you?"

His voice was soft, careful.

Naruto instinctively glanced at Iizumi—then flinched at the man’s cold, emotionless stare. He dropped his head, his face pale.

"I… I think I… did something wrong, Hokage Grandpa…"

"I… I played a prank today…"

He recounted the entire incident, word for word.

In front of Iizumi, he didn’t dare lie. The man would actually lock him up.

He’d done so many pranks before—no consequences.

But Iizumi’s earlier threat—“I’ll lock you up for months”—had terrified him beyond reason.

His story was surprisingly coherent. Hiruzen’s expression grew increasingly bewildered.

Even Danzō stood frozen, stunned.

"...Danzō." Hiruzen’s voice was quiet, heavy. "It’s clear now—this whole mess started with your unfounded suspicion. You’re the one who sparked the conflict."

Danzō’s face twisted in fury. He clenched his fists, jaw tight.

No words.

"Enough." Hiruzen’s tone hardened. "This farce ends here. Danzō! I will not allow you to judge Iizumi with such prejudice—especially someone so loyal to the village!"

Danzō growled. "And what about my two fallen men?"

Hiruzen shot back, "Isn’t the fault entirely yours?"

Fists cracking, chest heaving, Danzō’s expression flickered between rage and helplessness.

"Hmph!"

He turned sharply and walked away, silent and furious.

Hiruzen didn’t stop him.

Relief washed over him. Then, he turned to Iizumi.

"Iizumi… Root did go too far. They accused you without a word. You have my word—I’ll deal with them."

He paused, cleared his throat.

"I’ll make sure Naruto repays the damages from his prank. As for locking him up in the Leaf prison… forget it. He’s still a child. He can learn from other consequences."

Iizumi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he spoke—words that froze Hiruzen to the core.

"…Hokage-sama. Are you going to hinder Justice too?"

Something in the air shifted. The tension thickened.

Iizumi’s voice remained calm, but each word carried weight.

"Hokage-sama… gentle methods won’t correct a child whose heart has strayed. Only the full force of Absolute Justice—strict, merciless, unyielding—can reshape his soul and guide him back to the right path."

"Only then…"

"…can we truly honor the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage, can we not?"

…

…

(Slight edit—added over 300 words. If you haven’t refreshed, please do so for the updated chapter list. _(:з」∠)_)

(End of Chapter)

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