Chapter 18: You Can Try It, Third Hokage

After Uchiha Iizumi brought up the "Fourth Hokage," the man who was destined to die on the Night of the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen Sarutobi was momentarily stunned.

He hadn’t expected Uchiha Iizumi to bring up the Fourth in front of Naruto.

But upon noticing Naruto’s head hung low, silent and avoiding eye contact, Hiruzen felt an unexplained sense of relief.

His voice dropped slightly as he spoke.

“Iizumi, the boy’s uniqueness—this old man knows it well. Locking him up for a prank like that would only wound him deeply.”

He paused, his tone softening into a measured, almost pleading tone.

“So… giving a little room for the village’s young buds to grow—this is the truest expression of the Leaf’s Fire Spirit.”

Yet Hiruzen found himself speaking into silence.

Uchiha Iizumi’s eyes remained cold, unmoved.

“No change of heart, Hokage-sama?” Iizumi stated flatly. “You’ve already abused your power—acting in conflict with Justice—by shielding Shimura Danzō, a man who, for reasons unknown, wields the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan.”

“Now you seek to misuse your authority once more—protecting a child who should be properly guided, but instead has been left to rot, his values warped.”

“Your actions, Hokage-sama, are nothing short of splattering filth onto the very name of Justice.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi: “!!”

He felt it—his face was being publicly scolded.

But the weight of what Iizumi had just said was overwhelming. The implications were too vast, too dangerous, for Hiruzen to ignore. His gaze hardened.

“Iizumi… what did you mean about Danzō’s Sharingan?” he asked, quickly shifting the subject.

Iizumi showed no hesitation in exposing the secret. His voice remained icy.

“He used the Sharingan technique Izanagi during our fight.”

“Shimura Danzō—non-Uchiha—how did he come to possess the Sharingan? How could he master its forbidden secrets? Hokage-sama… this is quite the mystery, wouldn’t you say?”

Hiruzen’s expression flickered.

He knew Danzō had once secretly conducted gruesome experiments with Orochimaru. He knew Danzō had obsessed over the Wood Release bloodline.

But he had never imagined Danzō would go so far as to pursue the Uchiha’s Sharingan.

Then came the memory of Uchiha Shisui—officially declared dead, cause of death unknown.

Hiruzen had long suspected that Shisui’s mysterious death was tied to Danzō’s Root. After all, Shisui’s Sharingan was unlike any other…

And Danzō? He would never let such power go untouched.

Then another thought struck him—during the Third Shinobi World War, several fallen Uchiha ninja had their Sharingan vanish without a trace. Rumors claimed enemy villages had dug them out.

Could Danzō have sent his own men to steal them?

The absurd idea surfaced in Hiruzen’s mind—yet the more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

He knew Danzō too well. The chances of Danzō doing something like this? At least ninety-nine percent.

And Iizumi… he never falsely accused anyone.

Even if the boy’s methods, his belief in Absolute Justice, felt extreme—bordering on fanaticism—Hiruzen still trusted him.

“Iizumi,” Hiruzen said, his voice stiffening. “I will give you an answer. I will give the Uchiha Clan an answer. As for Danzō… I will see justice done.”

A flicker of guilt passed through him—over the act of protecting Danzō.

But it vanished as quickly as it came.

And strangely… Hiruzen realized he had, without meaning to, accepted Iizumi’s accusation of protection.

No. That wasn’t right. He was the Hokage—this was all for the sake of peace, to prevent civil war within the village. It wasn’t protection. It was necessity.

Hiruzen cleared his throat.

“But Naruto… this boy…”

“No exceptions,” Iizumi said, standing firm before the entire Anbu squad. He lifted Naruto again, dragging him forward.

The Anbu stirred in agitation.

But Iizumi didn’t care. He locked eyes with Hiruzen.

“The Root, which obstructs Justice—this too, I will not tolerate. In the Leaf, it is either me… or them.”

“I will find Root’s hidden core. I will purge it completely—this nest of darkness and sin—so that Absolute Justice may be fulfilled.”

“You can stop me once. Maybe twice. But can you stop me forever?”

Hiruzen: “…”

He realized his attempt at mediation had failed.

The conflict had escalated—not just between Iizumi and Danzō, but between Iizumi and the entire Root.

Iizumi wouldn’t make such a threat without cause.

He meant it. He truly wanted to destroy Root.

He was determined to hunt Danzō down, no matter the cost.

Hiruzen took a deep breath. He glanced at Naruto—now resigned, eyes filled with sorrow and pleading.

His brow furrowed.

“Iizumi… your methods are too extreme. If I, as Hokage, order you to drop this feud with Root… to release Naruto… what then?”

Uchiha Iizumi met his gaze.

“You can try it, Third Hokage.”

Clack—

A sudden sound. One Anbu ninja quietly drew his blade a full inch from its sheath.

“Uchiha Iizumi,” the Anbu warned, voice sharp. “The Hokage’s orders are absolute. And you must address him as Hokage-sama, not Third Hokage.”

Iizumi glanced at him.

[Yamada Ryosin — Third Shinobi World War: Acted out of personal vendetta, slaughtered civilians in enemy towns, and falsified battle reports to claim kills.]

The Anbu froze.

A chill ran through his spine.

He didn’t know why, but Uchiha Iizumi’s stare felt like the gaze of a man already dead.

Without another word, Iizumi turned and walked away, dragging Naruto with him.

“Uchiha Iizumi! You—”

“Wait.”

Hiruzen raised a hand, stopping the Anbu from moving.

He watched Iizumi’s retreating back, his expression shifting, troubled. Then, after a long silence, he spoke.

“Let him go.”

“But Hokage-sama—this is Naruto Uzumaki!” one Anbu protested.

Hiruzen turned away, hands clasped behind his back.

“In his eyes, I am already no different from Danzō. If we stop him now, the next clash won’t be between him and Root… it’ll be between me and him.”

“He grows stronger every day. I may not be able to hold him back much longer.”

The Anbu were stunned.

Uchiha Iizumi—wanted to fight the Hokage?

How could he even dare?

What possible reason could he have?

Then, after a long silence, Kakashi finally spoke.

“Hokage-sama… do you have a plan for the Jinchūriki?”

Hiruzen nodded slightly.

“Iizumi took Naruto under the Investigation Corps’ authority—this was his right. And as Hokage, I possess the power to pardon him.”

“Kakashi, take an Anbu squad to handle the aftermath. The rest—follow me to the Root’s base.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end