Chapter 71: Uchiha Iizumi's Mangekyō

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood what Iizumi was truly aiming for.

Strapped upright, his face flushed a sickly shade of green and black.

Uchiha Iizumi. Shimura Danzō. Members of the Uchiha Clan. The Hyūga. Anbu Ninjas… All eyes—diverse, piercing, unyielding—were fixed upon him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s mood had never been worse.

His original plan had been simple: publicly remove Danzō from his position—just enough to humble him, to force him to rein in his antics in the future. If this had happened in private, he believed he could have managed it.

But now—under the glare of the entire village, bound and exposed—removing Danzō’s title was no longer enough.

Standing firm would only shatter his own reputation as Hokage. Worse, it would drive a wedge between the Bloodline Limitation clans and himself—the Third Hokage.

Danzō’s actions had crossed lines that even the most tolerant of these elite families could no longer ignore.

In the span of a single Shun, Hiruzen’s mind raced through a thousand possibilities.

“Hmph…”

He locked eyes with Uchiha Iizumi, took a deep breath, and broke the suffocating silence with a voice like stone:

“Shimura Danzō is suspected of repeatedly framing village ninjas. Suspected of stealing Uchiha Clan bloodline secrets. Suspected of secretly researching Wood Release Cells—murdering multiple infants in the process. Today, I not only strip him of his position as Root leader!”

As Danzō’s eyes widened in shock, Hiruzen clenched his fist—then slowly released it.

“—But under the weight of multiple charges, I sentence Shimura Danzō to Life Imprisonment. And I seize all illegal assets accumulated by the Shimura Clan over the years.”

He turned his gaze to the young Uchiha.

“From this day forward, Shimura Danzō holds no office in Leaf Village. He enjoys no freedom. Iizumi… this is my answer to your demand for Absolute Justice.”

Hiruzen ignored Danzō’s furious, incredulous stare.

He stood before Uchiha Iizumi—face to face with the young man who had ignited this storm.

“Izumi… I hope you can understand my burden.”

His voice dropped, heavy with sincerity.

“Danzō is Root. His death would shatter the hearts of many in this village.”

Hiruzen lowered his head. He had already taken a step back.

Tonight… the young man had won.

He had no choice.

“Third Hokage,” Uchiha Iizumi said, his eyes locked onto Hiruzen’s. Cold fire burned within them.

“Do you think the souls of those murdered—directly or indirectly by Shimura Danzō—wouldn’t also be cold with sorrow? Justice has already been delayed. Are you now trying to stop even its delayed judgment?”

Hiruzen gritted his teeth.

“Iizumi… don’t push too hard. I have responsibilities as Hokage. You focus on your Justice. I must protect the entire Leaf Village.”

Suddenly, a wave of scorching heat washed over him.

His eyelid twitched.

He saw it—Uchiha Iizumi’s arm, dripping molten lava.

In an instant, a swarm of Anbu Ninjas surrounded the two men. Some blocked the Uchiha Investigation Corps, sealing off the clan’s forces.

The air crackled. Tension surged. Every person present tensed.

This time, it wasn’t a clash between Uchiha Iizumi and Danzō.

It was between Iizumi and the Third Hokage.

“Iizumi!” Fugaku Clan Head yanked back a Uchiha Police Force member who had lunged forward. Stepping into the Anbu circle alone, he stood beside Hiruzen Sarutobi and spoke to Uchiha Iizumi:

“Think carefully about what you’re doing. I know you seek justice—but if you turn against the Hokage, you betray the Leaf Village.”

Fugaku himself had been startled by Iizumi’s sudden surge of lethal intent.

He feared nothing more than a violent clash between the Uchiha and the Hokage.

For the survival of the Uchiha Clan… sorry, Iizumi.

Tonight… I must stand with the Hokage.

Fugaku took a deep breath. His eyes hardened.

To the restless Uchiha forces outside: “No one moves without my command.”

He knew this act—betraying his own clan’s cause—would anger many.

But someone must bear the weight of the Uchiha’s future.

Itachi had done it. For the Leaf Village, he had willingly endured endless slander, the hatred of an entire nation.

And Fugaku—his father—was now only asked to endure the disapproval of his own people.

It was nothing compared to what Itachi had carried.

…

“Fugaku Clan Head… what is he doing?” Izumi was stunned.

She had thought that when the clan head arrived, even if he didn’t openly support Iizumi, he wouldn’t stand with evil. He wouldn’t oppose Iizumi.

But the truth was otherwise.

She couldn’t understand the Uchiha Fugaku family’s logic.

She couldn’t understand the Hokage’s mind.

They were all insane.

“Iizumi-san’s assessment of Sōyǎn Fugaku was never wrong,” Tachibana Jiro muttered from Izumi’s shoulder, his cat face twisted in disdain.

“Izumi-san once said Fugaku possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan. Honestly? That power is wasted on him.”

“Newcomer,” Tachibana Jiro continued, voice solemn, “these people are all enemies of Justice.”

“You’ve seen how hard it is for Iizumi-san to bring Absolute Justice to this village, haven’t you?”

“The entire Leaf Village is a nest of insects obstructing Justice. As long as they exist, the Ninja World will never heal. That’s why Iizumi-san said… ‘One day, I will Purge the Ninja World.’”

…

“Hah… things are getting interesting. A truly ugly spectacle.”

In Uchiha Obito’s eyes, at the heart of the gathering, stood four figures: Uchiha Iizumi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and Uchiha Fugaku.

Surrounding them—like a fortress—was the entire Anbu force.

Beyond that, the Uchiha Investigation Corps, blocked by a wall of Anbu.

And farther out—members of various clans, civilian-nin, and other ninjas. A thousand figures, at least, packed into a single space.

To Obito, it looked like a massive powder keg.

But he couldn’t see the fuse.

…

Hiruzen glanced at Fugaku, surprised to see him standing beside him.

He gave a small, grateful nod.

Then, with a firm voice, he commanded:

“Take the criminal Shimura Danzō away! Every punishment I’ve declared tonight—every one—will be carried out. This is my promise as the Third Hokage!”

He turned to Iizumi.

“Iizumi… this result should satisfy you. Danzō is finished.”

“People grow through compromise,” Fugaku said, stepping forward.

His Three Tomoe Sharingan had already activated.

Though he hadn’t revealed the Mangekyō, the threat was clear—any movement from Iizumi would be met with the full power of the Mangekyō.

Fugaku sighed.

“One day, you’ll understand my burden. You’ll know what I carry.”

“Then… what if Justice refuses compromise?” Uchiha Iizumi asked, meeting Fugaku’s gaze.

In his own eyes, the crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan flared.

Fugaku’s brow tightened.

“Iizumi… don’t make me do this. You know I don’t want to fight you.”

But in the next instant—

Fugaku’s Two Tomoe Sharingan snapped shut.

His face froze in shock.

Because within Uchiha Iizumi’s eyes, the tomoe were visibly changing—twisting, shifting, reshaping before his very eyes.

This was…

The Mangekyō.

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end