"Keizumi-sensei!" ×2
Naruto and Sasuke lit up with joy the moment they saw Uchiha Keizumi's arrival.
Keizumi cast a glance at the corpse on the ground, then looked to Sarutobi Hiruzen. His calm, unwavering eyes made it hard for the Hokage to meet his gaze.
"Third Hokage, the believers of [Absolute Justice] carrying out the justice in their hearts here in Konoha—I see nothing wrong with that."
He said flatly: "It was only the death of a wayward youth. Was it really worth summoning such a grand response from the Hokage of Konoha himself?"
The words "only" made Hiruzen's eyelids twitch.
"Keizumi." Hiruzen drew in a deep breath, his voice grave and severe: "Leaving aside whether your so-called justice is extreme or not, leaving aside whether that Hyūga youth truly deserved death or not—the very fact that your [Absolute Justice] incited Naruto to kill within the village has already set his life down a twisted path!"
"I have said before—Naruto's justice must be the justice that stands on Konoha's side. And the premise of Konoha's justice is that it must be recognized by the people of this village. Only such justice aligns with the Will of Fire."
"It would also be the justice most fitting for Naruto. The problem is…"
"He killed someone… and that changes everything! You know how special Naruto's identity is. If everyone in the village learns he killed a member of the Hyūga clan, will they still accept him?"
"And now his actions have been fueled by you, pushing him too far. His path of growth was never meant to become this extreme!"
"Keizumi…"
"If you had even a shred of concern for Naruto, you should have stopped him from doing something like this!"
These were all Sarutobi Hiruzen's true thoughts, and he genuinely believed he was acting for Naruto's own good.
He did not think himself motivated by any desire to use Naruto.
But why was it that neither Keizumi nor Naruto could understand the Hokage's painstaking intentions?
At the side, Hyūga Hiashi heard this and nearly spoke up, yet held back.
The Hokage had just said—leaving aside the Hyūga youth killed by Naruto—right in front of him, the head of the Hyūga clan.
It was almost as if his face had been ripped away.
Especially since there were other Hyūga shinobi nearby.
Hiashi could already sense the confusion in his clansmen's eyes. They could not understand why the Hokage would so publicly disgrace the Hyūga clan. And in truth, Hiashi himself did not fully understand either.
He could only guess that, in the Hokage's heart…
Uchiha Keizumi's priority outweighed the Hyūga clan many times over—and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki as well.
And indeed—
Keizumi had killed the Hokage's two sons, yet the Hokage could still suppress his killing intent. That alone proved the Hyūga clan could not compare to Uchiha Keizumi.
After all, if the Hyūga clan had killed the Hokage's sons…
Their fate would have been no better than that of the Uchiha.
As Hiashi's expression flickered between dark and pale—
Uchiha Keizumi finally spoke. "Third Hokage, if you truly care about Uzumaki Naruto, then you should loosen the chain in your hand. Naruto is simply walking the right path, carrying out his justice."
"If he has done nothing wrong, yet the villagers still fail to recognize his actions, then the problem lies with them—not with Naruto."
"Why should someone without fault be forced to bind himself in chains that should never have been placed on him? Should a good man really have a blade pointed at his throat?"
"Why don't you turn your criticism against those who refuse to accept Naruto's justice? They are the ones whose values are warped—the rabble with crooked minds."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was left dumbstruck.
As he stood there, stunned, he suddenly noticed the look Naruto was giving him—eyes filled with a kind of puzzled grievance.
"Hokage-ojiichan…"
Naruto pressed his lips together, his voice small and aggrieved: "I didn't do anything wrong. If even this isn't recognized, then I don't know what else I can do to earn everyone's approval. Does letting a villain live really mean I'll gain their recognition?"
"If that's the kind of recognition… then I don't want it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
He wanted to tell Naruto—recognition isn't as simple as you think. It isn't just about doing what's right. You must also make people unafraid of you, make them admire you, make them feel they need you… and ensure that even those who live in the grey areas of society will not oppose you.
But—
He also knew that the moment he spoke such words, Keizumi would immediately shoot them down.
Of everyone present, Uchiha Keizumi was the only one who never showed him, the Hokage of Konoha, the slightest respect.
And yet—
He was powerless to change that.
"Hokage-sama, Uzumaki Naruto's injuries have been treated. But medical ninjutsu is not omnipotent—he'll need time to rest before he fully recovers."
Just as Hiruzen sank into an awkward silence, a medical ninja thankfully changed the subject.
Forcing a smile, Hiruzen said: "Naruto, how could I force you to do something you don't want to do? What happened today is far too heavy for a child like you. With your injuries, you need proper rest."
He added: "And that goes for you as well, Sasuke-kun."
Then he said, "Ryōshin."
From the ranks of the ANBU, Yamanaka Ryōshin stepped forward helplessly. "Hokage-sama."
"Take Naruto and Sasuke home," Hiruzen ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
…
Hyūga Hiashi watched in silence as Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke—who had killed a member of his clan—were escorted away under ANBU protection.
As head of the Hyūga clan, he had remained quiet throughout.
"Hiashi."
Only then did Hiruzen turn his gaze on him.
"You understand how this little incident should be handled, don't you?"
"…I understand."
Hiashi answered in a low voice: "It is true that our Hyūga youth was in the wrong. His vile actions caused the death of another child, and now he has paid the price he deserved."
"As for Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke's actions, I have no objection. I believe even the parents of the Hyūga youth, guilty as he was, will have nothing more to say about this matter."
He was even more of a tortoise than Uchiha Fugaku.
...
"Tch… Who would've thought that one day I'd be forced to wear the forehead protector of Amegakure, and this ridiculous gas mask on top of it. Damn annoying… it even lowers my dignity."
Land of Fire, somewhere near Konohagakure.
Biwa Jūzō, his face hidden behind a black gas mask, was full of irritation.
He hadn't expected that so soon after joining that strange organization, he would be assigned such a bizarre mission.
— To disguise himself as an envoy from Amegakure heading to Konohagakure, and use the opportunity to make contact with "Uchiha Keizumi."
He glanced sideways at the several Amegakure chūnin accompanying him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Akatsuki's control over Amegakure was beyond his imagination. These shinobi obeyed that woman's orders without the slightest question. When she gave her commands, not one of them even thought of voicing doubt.
It seemed…
He had truly joined an extraordinary organization. What he couldn't understand was why that woman wanted him to infiltrate Konohagakure and make contact with its so-called "Lava Release Beast," to pry out secrets related to "Uchiha Madara."
Uchiha Madara…
Wasn't that legendary man already long dead?
Fragments of Konan's words flashed through Jūzō's mind.
— "This is a classified mission of the organization. Aside from me, the leader, and you, no one knows. And you must never reveal the purpose of this mission to anyone. Even if they are Akatsuki, you must remain silent."
— "Konohagakure's Uchiha Keizumi knows secrets about 'Uchiha Madara.' I need you to seize those secrets."
— "Why you? Though your name is feared for cruelty across the shinobi world, your cruelty is confined to the battlefield. You only unleash it upon the enemies of your village. In Uchiha Keizumi's eyes, that doesn't make you a villain."
— "Based on intelligence Akatsuki currently possesses, Uchiha Keizumi cannot tolerate any villain who pillages, burns, or slaughters. Whenever such a person appears before him, he will kill them without hesitation."
— "The others in Akatsuki are unsuitable for this task. Their sins are far too deep. The moment they stand before that man, they'll be branded enemies instantly."
— "Remember, you must remain silent to everyone."
— "Complete this mission, and you'll be one of our core members—no longer just a newcomer."
Those words echoed in his mind one after another. Jūzō clicked his tongue beneath the mask, his expression still sour.
He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, after all.
And yet, he wasn't even considered a "villain"?
But then again…
That woman wasn't wrong. Jūzō's cruelty was something he only ever unleashed on the battlefield. Beyond that, he kept it under firm restraint, never letting it spill over onto the innocent or unrelated.
"So in the eyes of that 'Lava Release Beast,' a shinobi who kills enemies for the sake of his country on the battlefield isn't a villain? Or is it only when the innocent are spared that one isn't considered a villain?"
Jūzō clicked his tongue again.
"Absolute Justice… what a strange ninja way. And Uchiha Keizumi, he's a strange Konoha shinobi as well."
Casually, he turned to one of the Amegakure chūnin beside him and asked, "How much longer until we reach Konoha?!"
The Amegakure chūnin replied, "Two days."
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