Chapter 104: Indra And Asura Can’t Escape The Palm Of Justice
Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound.
The Shimura Clan’s only Ninja Clan Elder was now completely surrounded by a group of Uchiha Clan Radicals.
One malicious gaze after another lingered up and down his body.
“If this old man remembers correctly, most of the Shimura Clan’s ninjas are employed in Root. But ever since Uchiha Ikeizumi went on a rampage hunting and killing Root Ninjas… your Shimura Clan has long been short on talent, with the youngest of the younger generation already in their teens. You probably only have a few big cats and small cats left now, right?”
Uchiha Setsuna, leaning on his cane, narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the Shimura Clan Elder in front of him, who was about the same age as himself.
“Moreover, ever since Shimura Danzo was repelled by Uchiha Ikeizumi last time, he was stripped of his position as Root Leader by the Third Hokage, and has been missing for several days in a row.”
“With only a handful of clan members left and their backbone Danzo missing. Heh! A Shimura Clan like this worthy of cooperating with this old man?”
Uchiha Setsuna’s arrogant posture made the Shimura Clan Elder’s expression somewhat gloomy.
As expected of the innately evil Uchiha Clan, every one of them exuded a disgusting aura.
“Lord Danzo is not missing; he has always been in Konoha.” The Shimura Clan Elder said coldly: “However…”
“Last night, under Uchiha Ikeizumi’s shameless sneak attack, Lord Danzo sacrificed himself to protect Konoha.”
Uchiha Setsuna: “…!!!”
To tell the truth.
The news of Danzo’s death had only circulated among a few people last night and was not widely spread.
Uchiha Setsuna did not know about this until the Shimura Clan Elder revealed it to his face.
“Dead, huh… Danzo.” The wrinkles on Uchiha Setsuna’s face twitched slightly, and a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth: “What a great way to die! Heh heh… If this old man remembers correctly, he was the one with the biggest grudge against the Uchiha Clan, right?!”
He restrained his smile and said coldly: “Shimura Danzo’s existence means the Shimura Clan and Uchiha Clan are naturally opposed. Now that Shimura Danzo is dead, do you think the Uchiha Clan will forgive you people?”
“Without Shimura Danzo, the Shimura Clan is not far from name only. With just your few big cats and small cats, you dare talk big in front of this old man?”
The Shimura Clan Elder clenched his fist, but on someone else’s turf, he couldn’t afford to lash out.
Besides, he hadn’t come here risking danger just to argue with Uchiha Setsuna.
His face darkened as he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: “But we have a common enemy, don’t we? Uchiha Ikeizumi! This maverick minority in the Uchiha Clan is the biggest stumbling block within your clan, right?!”
“If the Shimura Clan is willing to go all out… just to make Uchiha Ikeizumi accompany Lord Danzo in death! In that case, would you still ignore what I’m saying to you? Uchiha Setsuna!”
“Because, whether it’s the destruction of the Shimura Clan or the death of Uchiha Ikeizumi, it’s a good thing for your side, right?”
Uchiha Setsuna’s turbid eyes were quite profound, his aged fingers rubbing the wooden cane that had been polished to a sheen.
It had to be said that what this old Shimura Clan guy said did make him somewhat tempted.
But…
“Hey hey! Are you trying to sow discord within the Uchiha Clan!?” A young Uchiha Radical ninja who had been eyeing the Shimura Clan Elder maliciously couldn’t help but mock and jeer: “What do you take the Uchiha Clan for? Do we look like idiots?!”
“Shimura Danzo was the one we wanted to kill the most. Now that Uchiha Ikeizumi killed him, we’re grateful to him and that’s not enough! Cooperate with you to kill Ikeizumi? Tch! What a joke?”
“An old thing sowing discord in the Uchiha Clan might as well leave your old life here. This isn’t a place you can enter and leave as you please.”
Other Uchihas also mocked: “Want to cooperate with us? Who do you think you are? When Shimura Danzo comes back to life, have him come kneel before us in person, and maybe we’ll consider it!”
“No matter what, Uchiha Ikeizumi is still one of us in the Uchiha Clan. Plus, his 「Absolute Justice」 really appeals to me. Why cooperate with you to deal with him?”
Uchiha Setsuna: “…”
His wrinkled old face and the Shimura Clan Elder’s old face both darkened at the same time.
Because he realized that these radical young people had a drastic change of opinion about Uchiha Ikeizumi!
Yes.
Uchiha Setsuna was actually somewhat tempted by the Shimura Clan Elder’s invitation to cooperate.
But he found that the people under him seemed somewhat “alienated” from him.
Damn it!
How did that Uchiha Ikeizumi kid manage it? Did he secretly contact the radical young people in private?
Uchiha Setsuna’s face darkened as he maliciously speculated.
“This old man understands.” The Shimura Clan Elder suddenly calmed his expression. He exhaled, glanced at Uchiha Setsuna, and said slowly: “It seems you can’t control the power of the Uchiha hardliners. I see, it looks like this old man came to the wrong person.”
After dropping that line, the Shimura Clan Elder turned to leave.
“Hold it!”
Uchiha Setsuna’s old face darkened as he interrupted him, squeezing out a sentence word by word through gritted teeth: “Did this old man say you could leave?”
……
Danzo was killed by Ikeizumi—this news, Uchiha Fugaku learned from his eldest son Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Fugaku, with waves of shock surging in his heart, took a full half minute to calm himself down a bit.
Although Shimura Danzo had already been stripped of his high position by the Hokage.
But anyone knew that this was just the Hokage’s superficial move. After some time, he would surely give Danzo an important position again; it was just unlikely he’d continue as Root Leader.
In other words, Danzo would sooner or later return to Konoha’s high ranks, so Uchiha Fugaku never ignored Danzo even after his long absence.
However.
Yet such a former Konoha high-ranking official that he had been cautious of died in Ikeizumi’s hands last night!
“Itachi, were you… there at the time?” After a long silence, Uchiha Fugaku finally asked his eldest son in front of him.
“No.”
Uchiha Itachi said expressionlessly: “By the time I noticed Uchiha Ikeizumi, he had already succeeded. If I had been there, I absolutely would not have let him lay a hand on Lord Danzo. Though to be precise, Uchiha Ikeizumi was just the mastermind; the one who actually struck… was Uchiha Izumi.”
“Izumi… that child has completely embraced 「Absolute Justice」 now! She seems to be the only Police Force trainee who has followed Ikeizumi for so long.”
Uchiha Fugaku sighed in a daze: “Itachi… you should be very clear what it means for Danzo to be killed, and for it to be connected to the Uchiha Clan, right?”
Uchiha Itachi replied coldly: “Some people within the clan will become restless because of this, naively thinking that the so-called Konoha high ranks are nothing special. Their narrow-mindedness will lead to irreparable mistakes.”
“Itachi, give me some time, okay.”
Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath and said: “You don’t need to let future tragedies happen. Maybe I have a better way to resolve this.”
Uchiha Itachi looked deeply at Uchiha Fugaku: “Father, your so-called resolution is just papering over the cracks. The real way to resolve this impending conflict…”
“…is only one!”
Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. He looked at his eldest son in front of him, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar yet inexplicably gratifying.
In the end, he just sighed silently and repeated powerlessly: “Itachi, give me some time. The Uchiha and Konoha won’t reach an irreconcilable point.”
He didn’t even know if he could persuade his eldest son.
“But…”
With a trace of fatherly affection in his eyes, mixed with indescribable pain and conflict, Uchiha Fugaku said: “If I can’t resolve it, then I won’t try to stop you anymore.”
“I know beneath your cold expression hides much pain. I also know your threat to Sasuke is a form of love, hoping he will grow in the future.”
“Itachi, if it truly comes to an unavoidable point. No matter what decision you make then, I will be proud of you.”
Uchiha Itachi was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply to Uchiha Fugaku.
“Yes, Father!”
……
The Danzo death incident didn’t seem to stir up bigger waves. Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to be deliberately suppressing its impact, and he didn’t go confront Uchiha Ikeizumi face-to-face.
After all.
Though it was regrettable for Konoha Village to lose such a combatant, Danzo’s death wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for him as Hokage.
At least, “Root,” that black glove that had once been somewhat uncontrollable, was now completely under his command as Hokage.
Moreover, there was no need to guard against Danzo suddenly going crazy one day and staging another assassination or coup to seize power—Danzo had a history of multiple coups!
The pros and cons canceled each other out, equivalent to nothing happening.
The person Sarutobi Hiruzen was most worried about now was actually Naruto.
He didn’t know to what extent Ikeizumi had “brainwashed” Naruto, or if the words he said to Naruto yesterday were effective.
Did Naruto know how to combine the Will of Fire and justice to form a Ninja Way that stood on Konoha’s side?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a bit uneasy.
“Kakashi.” After quickly finishing official duties, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly stood up and said in a deep voice: “Starting today, you will oversee the Jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto. Note that it’s not alone; take an Anbu squad with you to oversee Naruto.”
Kakashi, who had been standing motionless all day, didn’t expect the Hokage to suddenly call on him.
Kakashi asked somewhat doubtfully: “Hokage, isn’t Uzumaki Naruto being monitored by Yamanaka Yoshinobu?”
“He’s monitoring, you’re overseeing.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen explained: “Yamanaka Yoshinobu submitted a resignation letter to this old man this morning, saying he might not be suited for monitoring the Jinchuriki. I rejected it because Anbu is short on manpower. My requirement is—he’s responsible for monitoring Naruto’s safety, you’re responsible for overseeing Naruto’s growth.”
“This way, your team and Yamanaka Yoshinobu can complement each other, and his pressure will be less.”
Kakashi was stunned for a moment.
“…Growth?”
He didn’t quite understand.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said: “Naruto has decided to follow Ikeizumi in believing in justice. Justice itself is not wrong; this old man doesn’t oppose it. But 「Absolute Justice」 is different. Ikeizumi’s 「Absolute Justice」 is too extreme; it’s only suitable for Ikeizumi, not for Naruto.”
“Kakashi, you should be clear what the consequences would be if the Jinchuriki Naruto, like Ikeizumi, disregards the big picture. We can hold Ikeizumi back for now, but a rampaging Nine-Tails would be hard to stop even with the whole village’s power.”
“Naruto’s identity and background destine him to stand on Konoha’s side; his justice should also be justice from Konoha’s standpoint. Not maverick 「Absolute Justice」.”
“This old man assigned you to lead a team overseeing him for Naruto’s sake, and even more for Konoha’s overall interests.”
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully: “Understood.”
“However…”
He drooped his listless dead-fish eyes and said: “Hokage, if Uzumaki Naruto is too deeply influenced by Absolute Justice, do I report to you, or directly step in to correct him?”
“Both.” Sarutobi Hiruzen said: “Correct him first, then report to this old man afterward.”
“…Yes, Hokage.”
Kakashi sighed inwardly; this was no easy task!
When Kakashi led an Anbu squad to the Ninja Academy, he ordered the Anbu to disperse in all directions. Though he knew the Anbu ninjas lurking in the shadows wouldn’t fool Uchiha Ikeizumi, at least they couldn’t oversee openly, right?
“Hm?”
Perched on a tree branch, using leaves to conceal his form, Kakashi, holding a copy of 《Icha Icha Paradise》 he’d read several times already, suddenly lifted his drooping eyelids.
In his sight, the Ninja Academy students were leaving school one after another. Among them, a blond kid was particularly eye-catching.
To Kakashi’s surprise, there was an unexpected little guy next to Uzumaki Naruto.
“…Uchiha Sasuke?!”
……
“Sasuke… why is he so close to Uzumaki Naruto?”
Ten meters behind Naruto and Sasuke, a pink-haired little girl with a smooth, shiny forehead was muttering in complete confusion: “From morning to evening, those two have been together the whole time, and they’ve been talking nonstop.”
Haruno Sakura couldn’t understand it. In her impression, Uzumaki Naruto was a poor student with bad grades, very inattentive in class, and known for loving pranks—a total dead-last.
There were also some rumors about Uzumaki Naruto at the Ninja Academy.
She occasionally heard people whispering—my mom warned me not to get close to Uzumaki Naruto; that guy’s the Demon Fox!
Anyway, Uzumaki Naruto wasn’t popular in the village.
Why would Sasuke be so close to someone like that?
Could it be that he learned of his brother’s future sins?
Had Sasuke chosen to give up on himself?!
Sasuke didn’t know that a pink-haired girl behind him was greatly shocked by his actions today.
Right now, he was keeping a straight face, putting on the air of a “Uchiha genius ninja” to suppress his inner tension, and lightly snorted: “How could I possibly fear Uchiha Ikeizumi?!”
Not wanting to fall behind even a dead-last, Sasuke, suddenly interested in 「justice」, had been pestering Naruto all day to learn what 「justice」 really was.
But Naruto only half-understood it himself and didn’t know how to phrase it properly.
Thus.
Naruto had proposed a plan earlier—”If you want to know what Absolute Justice is, come with me to meet Teacher Ikeizumi! But Teacher Ikeizumi is very strict and a scary person; don’t get frightened by him.”
Naruto already saw Uchiha Ikeizumi as a “teacher” like Iruka-sensei.
Only this teacher wasn’t teaching Ninja Academy knowledge.
He was teaching 「Absolute Justice」!
“You’re clearly nervous.” Naruto glanced at the smug-faced Sasuke and mercilessly exposed his facade.
Sasuke gritted his teeth: “I’m not!”
“Then why are you sweating?” Naruto scratched his head and asked.
“…Because it’s too hot!”
Sasuke stubbornly defended.
However, twenty minutes later, when Sasuke saw a familiar figure, his stubbornness suddenly faltered. An inexplicable tension made his steps slow involuntarily, and for some reason, he somewhat regretted coming with the dead-last.
‘Damn it! There’s no way my mental fortitude is worse than this guy’s! He’s just a dead-last! There’s no way I’m worse than him—it’s him who’s worse than me!’
Sasuke glanced at Naruto ahead.
He gritted his teeth.
And quickened his pace.
……
The blond-haired Naruto and Sasuke, wearing the Uchiha Clan crest on his clothes, were quite eye-catching on the street.
Senior Izumi spotted Naruto at a glance, and also Sasuke.
She said shocked to Uchiha Ikeizumi beside her: “Senior Ikeizumi, Sasuke actually came with Naruto!”
“That’s the bond of destiny between them.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said indifferently: “When justice grasps one of them, the other naturally can’t escape justice’s palm.”
Senior Izumi was stunned, then realized something: “Is Sasuke also a seedling for 「Absolute Justice」 that you scouted early on, Senior?”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said: “After all, this special kind of Uchiha… is quite rare in the Uchiha Clan. Compared to his brother, he’s as normal as can be.”
At this moment.
Naruto came running up hurriedly, stopping just two meters from Uchiha Ikeizumi, then immediately bowed deeply to him.
“Teacher Ikeizumi! Uzumaki Naruto reporting in!”
“Ikeizumi… Teacher?!” Senior Izumi’s pretty face showed a strange expression. In the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki’s eyes, did Senior Ikeizumi play the role of a “justice mentor”?
It seemed pretty fitting.
And Senior Ikeizumi didn’t correct Uzumaki Naruto’s words.
Senior Izumi looked at Sasuke beside Naruto, who looked uneasy.
Sensing the gaze, Sasuke realized his silence seemed too awkward and quickly spoke up unwilling to show weakness: “The dead-last invited me; I didn’t come on my own.”
Naruto immediately grumbled: “Hey hey, who’s the dead-last!”
“Oh?” Senior Izumi teased with a smile: “Since Sasuke was just invited and isn’t truly interested in justice, Sasuke should probably head back first. After all, a Sasuke not interested in justice staying here would…”
“I… I didn’t say I’m not interested…” Sasuke hurriedly interrupted, but his voice was small and somewhat halting.
……
……
