Chapter 98: Naruto Uzumaki No Longer "Forgives" Evil Offenders! (5000 words)

Uchiha Iizumi’s strike was swift—so fast that Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn’t react in time. The moment the Third Hokage barely managed to utter a strained “Wait—” before the words could fully leave his lips, he saw crimson blossoms erupt in the air.

Arterial blood spurted violently, spraying far and high. A few droplets even landed on Hiruzen’s face, warm and sticky.

In full view of the stunned onlookers, a small severed head rolled slowly across the ground, its expression frozen in pure, unrelenting terror.

【Ping! You have successfully slain a “Red Mark” villain! Your chakra has been slightly enhanced! Congratulations—you’ve just obtained: Shadow Clone Technique Experience Book ×5!】

The lifeless body collapsed sideways, its neck severed cleanly—right in line with where Naruto stood.

The gushing blood soaked Naruto’s feet, turning them a deep, wet red.

The warm, wet sensation sent a jolt of panic through him. He stumbled backward, eyes wide with shock, staring at the headless corpse.

He hadn’t expected this. Not at all.

He’d only said one word—“Should”—in response to the horror before him, driven purely by instinct, his moral compass shattered by what he’d witnessed. And yet… this terrifying man had acted without hesitation, without flinching, and killed.

This… this was real.

This was murder.

Naruto’s pupils trembled. He’d seen corpses before. He’d even seen Uchiha Iizumi execute Root ninja without remorse.

But this time… it was different.

This time, it was because of him. Because of the word he’d spoken.

If he hadn’t muttered that single, instinctive “should,” would this man have resorted to such a brutal, bloody method? Would he have killed an evil offender like this—publicly, violently, without trial?

The questions swarmed in Naruto’s mind, churning like storm waves.

What if I’d said nothing?

What if I’d stayed silent?

Would he have spared him?

His chest tightened. A wave of guilt washed over him—not for the dead boy, but for himself. For having thought of forgiveness.

Then, a cold, sharp voice cut through the silence.

“What are you afraid of, Naruto Uzumaki?”

Naruto froze.

He hadn’t even noticed the man had moved.

One second, Iizumi was standing at a distance. The next, he was right in front of him, blocking his view with his towering frame.

Naruto’s breath hitched. He hadn’t sensed a single step. Not a whisper of movement.

He opened his mouth to speak, to explain, to apologize—

But another voice, colder than ice, sliced through the air.

“Are you afraid of evil? Or are you afraid of justice? Or… do you believe justice shouldn’t punish evil in this way?”

Naruto swallowed hard. His palms were slick with sweat. The pressure was crushing—worse than when Iruka-sensei called him to answer a question in front of the class.

His voice trembled.

“I… I just didn’t think… your Absolute Justice… would be so… so Zetsu… like this…”

He barely managed to whisper it.

Uchiha Iizumi stared at the boy—the reincarnation of Asura—with cold, unblinking eyes.

“If you have a better solution,” he said, voice like steel, “a way to let the innocent dead rest in peace without bloodshed… then speak it.”

Naruto opened his mouth.

But no words came.

Because he knew what he’d seen.

The family. Four people. Laughter. Warmth. A home.

And then—silence. Blood. Broken bodies. Terror in their final moments.

The killer hadn’t even admitted guilt. He’d laughed, even, when confronted. No remorse. No shame. Only fear—fear of being caught, not of having committed evil.

So… what was the alternative?

Naruto’s mind raced.

He could think of only two options.

—Forgive him.

—Kill him.

And then, like a voice from beyond, Iizumi’s words echoed in his mind.

“You have not lived the pain of the dead. You have not felt their fear. You have no right to forgive any evil offender on their behalf.”

Naruto’s breath stopped.

“Forgiving evil offenders in the Ninja World—this is something Absolute Justice will never do. Because to forgive is to compromise with evil.”

The words struck like lightning.

“Naruto Uzumaki—banish the word ‘forgive’ from your heart.”

Iizumi’s gaze was unrelenting, piercing.

“Justice has the right to demand retribution for victims. But it has no right to forgive the perpetrators. Remember this. Never forget it. Carve it into the deepest part of your memory.”

“For if you forgive the evil on behalf of the victim… then you become evil. You become an accomplice to evil.”

Each sentence landed like a hammer blow to Naruto’s fragile soul.

The black-and-white logic—harsh, unyielding, absolute—left even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Fugaku frowning.

It was too extreme.

Yet… it was undeniably right.

And for a seven-year-old child, it was perfect.

Because it was simple. Clear. Understandable.

No room for ambiguity.

“To forgive the victim’s killer…”

“…means you are the killer.”

Naruto’s eyes widened.

A wave of shame crashed over him.

Because yes—in that moment, he had thought it. He’d wanted to say, “Let him go. He’s just a kid.”

But now… that thought felt rotten. Like poison in his heart.

If he could forgive that… then what was he?

No different from the killer.

The guilt, the shame, the sudden clarity—it all drove Naruto to stand straighter, his small frame rigid with resolve.

“I… I understand!” he blurted out, voice cracking.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes widened.

No, Naruto! You don’t understand! You can’t understand this yet!

But before he could speak, Iizumi’s voice cut in again.

“Naruto Uzumaki. Make sure you remember this moment. Never forgive evil. Never let yourself become someone you’d disgust yourself for.”

Naruto swallowed hard. His voice was raw, but fierce.

“I… I will! I will remember! I may not be good at school, but in this—don’t underestimate me!”

For the first time, the dirt-streaked face of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki showed something rare: determination. The spark of a true capacity.

“Um… I…” Naruto took a breath, gathering courage. His eyes met Iizumi’s, blue like the sky, filled with a desperate, burning want.

“I don’t know why… maybe I don’t want the village to become unrecognizable. Maybe I want to do something for it. Maybe I don’t want the evil of the Ninja World to taint Leaf Village…”

His voice wavered.

“I… I don’t want to see another Tsuchi no Ryūji in the village. I don’t want to see more innocent people… hurt… by the evil of the Ninja World.”

“Persecuted,” Iizumi added softly, finishing the word for him.

Naruto nodded fiercely.

“Exactly! I don’t want to keep playing pranks just to get attention anymore! Because… it only causes trouble. And if I cause trouble… then I’m just another kind of evil, right?”

He dropped to his knees, bowing deeply.

“Please… teach me true justice. I want to earn the villagers’ respect through justice. I want to make Leaf Village a place without evil. Without senseless killings. Without evil offenders.”

His voice cracked.

“Because… I told the Hokage I wanted to become Hokage one day. But pranks… they only bring annoyance. Maybe… justice is what will make people truly accept me. But I swear—I’m not doing this just to be Hokage!”

He looked up, eyes glistening.

“Even if I forget your name for now… please… teach me! I’ll pay! I’ll pay anything! I’ll endure any hardship!”

His voice rose to a shout—hoarse, raw, breaking at the edges.

He had screamed until his throat burned.

…

“Meow. This kid’s got spirit,” Tachibana Jiro murmured, stroking his chin. He glanced at Iizumi with a smirk. “Better than you were when you first joined, Iizumi. Took you days to accept this kind of justice. But this one? Just one look, and he’s all in.”

Izumi’s pale cheeks flushed.

Tachibana Jiro chuckled, then paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, several meters away.

“Hmm… maybe it’s younger kids who take to this justice faster? If that’s true… could we…?”

He trailed off.

Because the thought that formed in his mind—a new generation trained under Iizumi’s Absolute Justice—was dangerously close to what would trigger a full-blown crisis in the Third Hokage.

And so, he kept it silent.

…

“Naruto…” Hiruzen Sarutobi didn’t know how a Ninja Cat could think, but he felt it.

He saw the storm inside the boy.

The yearning for acceptance. The fury at injustice. The shame at even thinking of forgiveness. The guilt over his past pranks. The awe at Iizumi’s unwavering justice.

All of it had erupted in that single, powerful outburst.

And now… Naruto was hooked. Deeply, irrevocably.

If Hiruzen tried to stop him now—if he said, “Don’t go down this path”—it would only push Naruto further away.

It would worsen the instability of the Nine-Tails within him.

And it would only deepen the boy’s resentment.

So Hiruzen stayed silent.

Because speaking now would only make things worse.

The consequences of arriving fifteen minutes late were already unbearable.

Was Iizumi’s justice really that powerful?

It made no sense.

It was extreme. Unrealistic. Too idealistic.

And yet…

It worked.

It worked on a child.

Hiruzen couldn’t explain it.

Behind him, Uchiha Fugaku’s expression darkened with quiet concern.

The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is already influenced by Iizumi’s ideology… What will the Hokage think of the Uchiha clan now?

But then… no. It couldn’t be. The Hokage had already accepted his actions during the Morgue incident.

Still…

The silence stretched.

The only sound was the faint drip… drip… drip of blood from the severed corpse.

Uchiha Iizumi looked down at Naruto—still kneeling, head bowed, trembling with emotion.

Then, quietly, he spoke.

“After you finish cleaning the streets each day… come find me.”

Naruto’s eyes shot open.

His face lit up like a firecracker.

He straightened instantly, bowing again—this time, lower than before.

“Naruto Uzumaki! Please, teach me!” he cried, voice full of desperate hope.

…

Just then, the scene shifted.

From the shadows, the familiar figure of Tsunade Konoha reappeared—flanked by a squad of Root ninja.

They stormed into the Uchiha compound, ignoring the glares of the Uchiha guards.

Their arrogance was palpable. Their presence, unwelcome.

An Uchiha ninja’s hand twitched toward his sword hilt.

Fugaku stepped forward, blocking the way.

“Lady Konoha,” he said, voice calm but firm, “why have you returned?”

“Business,” she snapped.

Her icy gaze swept the scene—then froze.

Her eyes locked onto the crimson pool on the ground.

Then the headless body.

Then, the blade in Iizumi’s hand—still stained red.

Her breath caught.

He killed someone?

That’s… Iizumi’s work?

Of course. The Uchiha never were normal. Even the one who preaches “Absolute Justice”… he’s just a madman who kills in broad daylight.

But then—her eyes narrowed.

The body… it wasn’t adult-sized.

Her pupils widened.

No… that’s not possible.

She turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi, voice tight.

“Hokage… that body…?”

Hiruzen sighed.

“Tsunade… your clan member… Tsuchi no Ryūji… he made a grave mistake.”

He spoke carefully, deliberately.

“He was consumed by jealousy. His heart twisted. And he… crossed a line he should never have.”

He couldn’t say Iizumi was right. Not in front of Naruto.

Because the boy had already accepted this justice.

To say it was excessive would be to condemn Naruto’s choice.

And in this fragile state—after nearly losing control of the Nine-Tails—Hiruzen couldn’t risk it.

Not today.

Not now.

Tsunade Konoha’s face paled.

…

Meanwhile, outside the village.

Hiruzen Asama had no idea Iizumi had just ignited another storm within Leaf Village.

For a full day and night—no rest, no pause—he had raced across the land, covering thousands of miles to reach the capital of Fire Country.

As one of the Guardian Ninja Twelve, Asama held a high rank. His arrival was granted instantly.

The Fire Country’s lord, dressed in luxurious robes, sighed.

“Your brother’s death… I’m deeply sorry.”

He paused, then added, “If you’re not ready, take a two-week leave. You didn’t have to come back so fast.”

He smiled faintly.

“By the way… did you meet Kyosuke on the way? He volunteered for the ‘Ambassador’ mission—first time he’s ever shown initiative. I asked Nanmu to protect him. Hope he didn’t cause trouble…”

He chuckled.

“But you know how he is. Wild. Unpredictable. Never a moment of peace.”

Asama said nothing.

He could tell—nothing had reached the lord yet.

That was strange.

With modern ninja communication systems, news should have traveled instantly.

So… why hadn’t it?

One possibility remained.

The old man is hiding it.

For political balance. For power plays. For reasons Asama hated.

He’d grown tired of the politics of Leaf Village.

Sorry, old man… I understand your reasons. But I don’t agree. Iizumi threatened the village. He shouldn’t have been allowed to stay.

He took a deep breath.

Then, voice low and steady, he said:

“Your Majesty… I must ask… please… accept my condolences.”

The lord’s smile vanished.

His eyes narrowed.

“…What do you mean? Are you saying… Kyosuke…?”

Asama met his gaze.

“Your Majesty… Kyosuke… is dead.”

The room fell silent.

“He didn’t die of illness. He wasn’t killed in an accident.”

A pause.

“He was murdered.”

“By a Leaf Village ninja. Uchiha Iizumi.”

Then, softer, but no less devastating:

“Nanmu… is dead too. Of the dozen attendants, only one survived. But he’s… broken. Can’t speak. Can’t think. He didn’t send word.”

The lord’s face turned ashen.

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end