Chapter 94: Are You Going to Stop a Man Who Believes in Justice? (5000 words)

On the other side of the village, Uchiha Setsuna and the other radical elders of the Uchiha Clan had just learned from younger members of the clan that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had arrived.

"Another Jinchūriki being brought into the Investigation Corps?" Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his brows, his expression dark. Though he, too, coveted the power of the Nine-Tails, this time he held back—unusually cautious. "What is Iizumi trying to pull this time?"

He remembered only too well the last time he’d attempted to act on his desire to seize the Jinchūriki. Uchiha Iizumi had stepped in—firmly, fiercely, and with an air of absolute finality. The elder’s pride had been shattered. It had felt like Iizumi wasn’t just blocking him—he was threatening him. As if, should he dare lay a hand on the Jinchūriki, Iizumi would kill him without hesitation.

The memory still burned in his chest. That incident had severely damaged his authority within the Uchiha Clan. Some of the younger radicals now openly disregarded him, no longer treating him with the respect he once commanded.

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Setsuna forced himself to calm down and consider Iizumi’s motives.

Could it be… that he’s deliberately provoking the village? Using the Jinchūriki to deepen the rift between the Uchiha and Leaf Village, pushing the village leadership into open conflict with us? Then, forcing Fugaku to push forward with the coup plan… and once the village’s elite are wiped out by the Nine-Tails’ power, the Uchiha would seize total control of Leaf Village?

The idea struck him like a lightning bolt.

And then—silence.

He couldn’t fathom Iizumi’s true intentions.

Worse still, the very plan he had been secretly considering for years had just surfaced in his mind.

Just then, another Uchiha ninja arrived in a rush, his face pale with urgency.

"Setsuna Elder!" the man gasped. "Third Hokage and Senior Advisor Tsunade Konoha—they’ve led a massive force of Leaf Anbu straight into our compound!"

Uchiha Setsuna’s eyes snapped open.

"Are you saying… the entire Anbu corps from Leaf Village has been mobilized? And—there were Root masks among them? That means… Root has been taken over by Tsunade Konoha?"

His face darkened.

The coup plan has been exposed. The Hokage is moving first—striking us with overwhelming force before we can act.

The Uchiha Clan’s strongest warriors were Uchiha Iizumi, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Itachi.

Iizumi stood apart—his allegiance to Root was nonexistent. He cared nothing for the feud between the village and the Uchiha.

Fugaku? A traitor to his own bloodline.

And Itachi? A future genocidal monster.

In such a situation, if the Third Hokage launched a full-scale assault, the Uchiha would have no chance.

"Damn it…" Uchiha Setsuna growled, his jaw clenched. "Is it already over before it even began?"

Furious, he barked orders: "Gather every radical Uchiha! I want every one of them on the grounds now! Let’s see what the Third Hokage thinks he’s doing to our clan!"

His voice rang with defiance.

A few minutes later, about two dozen Uchiha warriors assembled—though the number was small, given the suddenness of the call. Many were still on patrol.

Uchiha Setsuna, face grim and resolute, led the small force toward the gathering of Anbu.

…

Tsunade Konoha held no blind hatred toward the Uchiha—unlike Danzō—but she had little trust in them either. The clan was too volatile, too unstable. Their Sharingan—born not from training, but from trauma and bloodshed—was a curse in itself. It bred extremism, madness, and dangerous obsession.

The Uchiha were not a family. They were a time bomb.

And the man who’d brought the Jinchūriki into their compound—Uchiha Iizumi—was the worst example.

To her, he wasn’t a human being. He was a symptom of Sharingan corruption—a man lost to delusion, consumed by the power he carried.

And then there was Itachi.

The boy who would one day destroy his own people.

To Tsunade, he was not a hero. He was a tragedy. A child with terrifying potential—so much so that she couldn’t help but wonder: How many lives will he ruin?

But she didn’t hate him. Not entirely. After all, he stood on the village’s side.

That made him… tolerable.

And perhaps, just maybe, a little less monstrous.

She felt the cold weight of suspicion and hostility from the shadows. Her expression hardened.

"Shinobi," she said quietly to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "the hardliners within the Uchiha Clan are growing bolder. Are you really going to keep letting this go? Aren’t you going to prepare for it?"

Before Hiruzen could reply, a wave of Uchiha warriors surged forward—led by Uchiha Setsuna and several other radical elders.

Hiruzen’s Anbu immediately tensed.

At ten meters apart, both sides halted.

"Hokage-sama," Uchiha Setsuna said, leaning heavily on his cane. His face was older than Hiruzen’s, etched with bitterness. "If you wished to visit our clan, a message would have sufficed. No need to bring an army."

His voice dripped with venom.

"If you came for me, I am here. You have my full attention. Whatever your purpose, I will hear it—right here."

He ignored the countless times the Uchiha had retreated, bent to pressure.

That was Fugaku’s fault. The weak, spineless clan head.

Hiruzen’s brow furrowed. "I’m not here for you. Where is Iizumi? And where is Naruto?"

Uchiha Setsuna went silent.

He heard it—the subtext.

You don’t matter. You’re not worth this force. But he is.

The truth struck him like a blade.

It’s Iizumi. Only Iizumi is worth the Third Hokage’s attention.

And in that moment, Uchiha Setsuna felt the cold sting of irrelevance.

The man who once commanded fear and respect was now being ignored—by the very leader of the village.

His face flushed red, then pale.

…

"Third Hokage!" A voice cut through the tension—urgent, yet laced with relief.

It was Yamada Ryosin, the Anbu ninja who’d been trapped in the Uchiha compound only moments earlier.

He rushed forward, face pale with guilt.

"Naruto Uzumaki has been taken to the Investigation Corps Building by Uchiha Iizumi."

Hiruzen saw the remorse in the young man’s eyes.

He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Iizumi is unpredictable. Your instinct to act—your resistance—was the right choice."

Uchiha Setsuna watched, seething.

The Third Hokage had ignored him. Entirely.

So I’m nothing? A background figure? While Iizumi—this madman—gets the full attention of the village’s leadership?

But… perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing.

To Uchiha Setsuna, Iizumi was a threat. A danger. He couldn’t be swayed. He wasn’t loyal to the Uchiha. He wasn’t even loyal to the clan’s interests.

If the village and Iizumi were at odds, then Uchiha Setsuna might just find himself on the winning side.

But being ignored—publicly, in front of so many of his own people—was a humiliation.

When he watched Hiruzen, Tsunade, and the Anbu turn and walk toward the Investigation Corps Building, he stood frozen.

"Setsuna Elder," a younger Uchiha whispered, eager. "Shouldn’t we stop them? They’re going after Iizumi!"

"Stop?" Uchiha Setsuna sneered. "Are you suggesting we protect a traitor? A man who stands against us at every turn?"

He turned on the young ninja, voice low and dangerous.

"Remember last time? When we tried to take the Jinchūriki? What did Iizumi do? He stood in our way—without hesitation. He would have killed any of us who crossed him. And do you think he’d spare you if you did something wrong? No. His blade would cut you down just as easily as any outsider."

He paused, then spat the words like poison.

"He’s no different from that monster Itachi."

The younger Uchiha flinched.

But as he looked around, he saw something troubling.

Some of the younger warriors—those he’d assumed were loyal—were hesitating. Their eyes flickered toward Iizumi with something… not fear. Not respect.

Admiration?

Uchiha Setsuna’s face darkened further.

He realized it.

Some of his own people were beginning to respect Iizumi.

Even worse—some believed in his Absolute Justice.

But they were afraid to show it. Afraid of him.

His fingers tightened around his cane. His knuckles turned white.

You’re dead, Iizumi. You’ll die for this.

…

"Your constant retreat—your weakness—is why the Uchiha were forced to settle in this remote district," Uchiha Iizumi said, voice flat, emotionless.

"Every time the village pushed, you backed down. When pressure came from the village leadership, you rolled over like a lapdog. And when your own people questioned you? You lashed out—accusing them of betrayal, of undermining your plans."

He paused.

"I don’t care what you do. You’re the clan head. But I won’t interfere. And you? Don’t interfere with me."

His eyes narrowed.

"Or I’ll see you as a roadblock to Absolute Justice. Anyone who stands in the way of Justice… is an enemy."

Fugaku’s eyes tightened. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

For the first time, he saw it—the flicker of intent in Iizumi’s gaze.

Kill me.

You’re weak. A roadblock.

That was what Iizumi thought of him?

He had believed Iizumi was different. Not like the radicals. Not driven by hatred.

But perhaps he’d been blinded by his own hope.

Maybe I was the one who was deluded.

Fugaku exhaled slowly, his expression calm.

"Let me remind you, Fugaku Clan Head," Iizumi said, voice colder now. "Not every man with the name Uchiha must answer to you. My Absolute Justice doesn’t belong to the Uchiha. It doesn’t belong to this village. Don’t limit it with the narrow vision of a frog in a well."

He turned to Naruto.

The boy stood frozen, wide-eyed, still reeling from the tension between the two.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Iizumi asked, voice suddenly sharp. "Do you want to bring justice to the dead?"

Naruto blinked.

He hadn’t expected this.

But then he remembered the words Iizumi had spoken before: "Remember your belief. That belief—this is Justice."

If there was no Justice… would that family have died in vain?

Would the killers go free?

Would that be what he wanted?

The answer came instantly.

"No," he whispered.

Then, louder.

"Yes!"

Iizumi looked at Fugaku—then back at Naruto.

The air thickened.

"Then tell me," Iizumi asked, voice like steel. "Are you going to stop a man who believes in Justice?"

Just then—

A black Ninja Cat darted through the door.

"Iizumi-sama! Tachibana Jiro! The Third Hokage has arrived!"

The words barely finished when Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped into the morgue, followed by Tsunade Konoha and a full contingent of Anbu.

The room, already packed with corpses, now felt suffocating.

"Grandfather!" Naruto cried, his face lighting up.

But then—his smile vanished.

He remembered.

The fat orange cat had said… the Hokage had protected a man who claimed to be the Nine-Tails.

The Hokage knew why the villagers hated Naruto.

And yet… he had never told him.

Naruto’s small face twisted with confusion.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade Konoha said sharply, stepping forward before Hiruzen could speak. "Come here."

Naruto looked up at the old woman—strange, unfamiliar.

Hiruzen smiled gently. "Naruto, come here. Don’t be afraid. Grandfather’s here."

He thought Naruto was scared—because he believed he’d been taken by Iizumi, just like last time.

But then—Hiruzen’s smile froze.

Naruto didn’t move.

He stood still. His face was tight with inner conflict.

Hiruzen frowned.

What happened in these few seconds?

"Fugaku-sama. Senior Advisor Tsunade," Fugaku said, forcing calm into his voice. He needed to defuse this.

"Naruto Uzumaki’s presence here is a misunderstanding. I’ll return him to the village immediately."

"A misunderstanding?" Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. "This is the second time in under a month. Are you sure this is just a mistake, Fugaku?"

Fugaku said nothing.

He didn’t know Iizumi had brought Naruto again.

And worse—what if Hiruzen found out about Iizumi’s plan to instill Justice in Naruto?

That would be the end of the Uchiha.

No trial. No explanation.

Just annihilation.

Tsunade’s piercing gaze and cold tone told him: This isn’t going to be easy to fix.

Fugaku looked at Iizumi.

See? This is the trouble you bring. And I—the clan head—have to take the blame.

If not for him, the village would have already crushed the Uchiha.

But Iizumi didn’t look at him.

Not once.

Fugaku’s eyelid twitched.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Tsunade snapped. "Why aren’t you moving?"

She glanced at Iizumi—watchful, wary.

Naruto felt every eye in the room on him.

More attention than he’d ever gotten for a prank.

"I…" he whispered.

Then, with a deep breath, he looked straight at Hiruzen.

"Hokage Grandfather… I don’t want to go back… yet."

Hiruzen’s smile cracked.

Fugaku’s palms began to sweat.

Tsunade stared, stunned.

The Anbu exchanged glances.

Naruto took another breath.

"Why does so much hate exist among the people of this village? Why do they treat their own brothers and sisters with such cruelty? What kind of twisted evil turns a man into a monster who slaughters an entire family?"

His voice trembled.

"I don’t want to see those murderers walk free. I don’t want to see the victims die in silence. This isn’t the Leaf Village I know. This isn’t the ninja world I believe in."

He clenched his fists.

"I want to find out who did this. I want to make them pay."

He looked up, eyes blazing.

"That’s… what I want to do."

He stumbled over the words—his vocabulary was limited, but his heart was clear.

Then—Iizumi’s words echoed in his mind.

Remember your belief. That belief… is Justice.

Naruto straightened.

His voice grew firm.

"Hokage Grandfather… this is my belief. This is my Justice."

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes widened.

For a split second, he didn’t breathe.

Then—without thought—he turned.

His gaze locked onto Iizumi.

Shock. Disbelief. A dawning horror.

That child… that boy… he’s not just repeating a phrase.

He believes it.

And he’d been taught it… by him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end