Konoha Police Department Headquarters
Inside the Office
"...Is that true?"
When an Uchiha Police officer reported, "The envoy sent by the Daimyō to Konoha was killed by Uchiha Chizumi," Fugaku went completely silent.
It took him five full seconds to even process the news.
He absolutely didn't expect this. After the chaos Chizumi stirred up just last night, now here he was again—dropping another bombshell before the day was even over!
The Daimyō's envoy?!
The Daimyō's own son?!
Fugaku's head spun. This wasn't just bad—this could wreck the Uchiha's already fragile relationship with Konoha, and now possibly burn their bridges with the Fire Daimyō as well.
For years, the Police Force's funding had come directly from the Daimyō.
Basically, more than half of the Uchiha clan's income was tied to that support.
And now? Chizumi had killed the Daimyō's son.
That was basically declaring war on him.
And the worst part—he might have just dragged the entire Uchiha clan down with him.
Because really, could Fugaku go to the Daimyō and say, "It was all Chizumi's doing—it has nothing to do with the rest of us"?
Even if that were 100% true—
Would the Daimyō actually believe it?
The officer reporting the news said, "That's what everyone's saying. There were a lot of eyewitnesses. They say the Third Hokage was even there. If it wasn't true, it probably wouldn't have spread so fast."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
His heart immediately tensed. He asked sharply, "Did Chizumi get into a fight with the Hokage?"
"From what I heard, no," the officer replied.
Fugaku let out a breath—but he wasn't calm.
The death of the Daimyō's second son felt like a blade hanging over his head. It made it impossible to sit still.
He stood up and moved under the Uchiha clan's emblem—like he was trying to draw strength from it. Maybe even reassurance.
"But—" the officer added, "Apparently Chizumi and the Third had a heated argument. People in the village are saying the Daimyō's envoy and his men committed serious crimes, and Chizumi killed every last one of them—over a dozen. Supposedly only one person survived."
"When the Third Hokage arrived, he told Chizumi he'd gone too far—and that's when the shouting started."
Fugaku let out a long, heavy sigh.
He frowned deeply. "Chizumi was absolutely out of line. According to the Land of Fire's laws, high-ranking nobility are protected by immunity. Even if that law didn't exist, the Daimyō's children are strictly off-limits."
His tone was laced with frustration now.
But the reality was—the damage was done. Not even the Hokage could stop Chizumi this time.
And now, Fugaku had to worry about how the Uchiha were supposed to face the pressure from the Daimyō.
What kind of explanation could possibly smooth this over?
"Chizumi—he's completely reckless!"
Fugaku couldn't even count how many times recently he'd been stressed to the breaking point—and it always seemed to involve Chizumi.
Every time. Every damn time.
"This time..." Fugaku muttered, massaging his temples, "he crossed the one line no one is supposed to cross—"
A ninja from the Land of Fire killed the Daimyō's own son.
If that news spread to the other great nations? They'd never hear the end of it.
"Fugaku-sama," the officer hesitated, "Did Chizumi really do wrong? He said the envoy's group committed crimes—serious ones. Bad enough to justify execution on the spot. From what I heard, it wasn't just illegal—it was monstrous."
"Everything he did... it was to uphold what he calls Absolute Justice. And isn't our job, as Uchiha Police, to protect justice too?"
Fugaku shot the man a sharp glance and replied coldly, "What he did damaged our clan's relationship with the Daimyō. That, in turn, is going to make things worse between the Uchiha and the village."
"His justice is his justice. But we, the Police Force, are supposed to uphold Konoha's justice. That's the only reason the Uchiha have been able to survive in this village."
The officer fell silent, as if holding back his thoughts.
But deep down, he couldn't help wondering—
Is Chizumi's justice really just his own?
He had once said he'd purge all the evil from the entire shinobi world. That wasn't village politics. That was something bigger—grander. A ninja way that stood above all.
And when compared to Fugaku—who always focused on keeping the peace with the village, and who even avoided talking about the looming threat of Itachi's possible betrayal—Chizumi, who openly clashed with the Hokage and executed a corrupt Daimyō's son...
Well, Fugaku seemed a bit... soft.
Even if he didn't agree with Chizumi's methods, should he really be criticizing his own clansman like this?
At that moment, this usually moderate Uchiha officer felt the first seeds of doubt toward Fugaku.
…
Meanwhile, in a hidden meeting room
Several of the Uchiha radicals had gathered.
Even Uchiha Setsuna, who had always hated Chizumi, was strangely quiet after hearing what happened that morning.
So were the others.
Eventually, one elder wearing a black eyepatch hesitated before speaking in a complex tone:
"That kid Chizumi... wasn't he a bit too extreme today?"
Another picked up, "I heard Goen'in Kyūsuke—the Daimyō's second son—was his favorite child. Now that he's dead here in Konoha, the village leadership's probably freaking out."
Setsuna's mouth twitched. He finally broke his silence. "And what about us? The Uchiha? You think we're not panicking? Can we even survive the pressure the Daimyō is about to bring down on us?"
Everyone fell silent.
Yeah...
No matter how radical they were, their goal had always been to stage a coup within Konoha—take the Hokage's seat, run the village.
They never even thought about touching the Daimyō—the village's biggest financial backer.
Besides, even if their coup succeeded, they'd still need the Daimyō's approval to make it look legitimate.
And now?
Chizumi's so-called "Absolute Justice" made their years of scheming look tame by comparison.
"Now do you understand why I always said Chizumi is the most extreme one among us?" Setsuna's eyes were dark. "If he sees us as evil, he'll come for us too. And when he does—he won't hesitate."
"A kid who's willing to turn his sword on his own clan... how is he any different from that bastard Itachi?!"
…
Nara Clan Compound
Yamanaka Inoichi, currently staying there with his family, was playing a quiet game of shogi with Nara Shikaku.
"Still can't beat you," Inoichi sighed, looking down at his trapped board. "Looks like I'll need to rely on the Nara clan for a while. Otherwise, I've got no clue where to relocate all my people."
Shikaku watched his old friend carefully, noting how exhausted he looked—more so than himself.
After a thoughtful pause, Shikaku asked,
"Inoichi... are you sure Uchiha Chizumi is someone the Yamanaka can count on? You've heard what he did today."
Inoichi shook his head. "I never intended for Chizumi to be our support."
Shikaku blinked, surprised.
Then he saw Inoichi smile—just slightly.
"I just made the choice that I believe is best for the Yamanaka clan's future."
"That's not like you," Shikaku said, shaking his head. "You're not the kind of man who'd bet the entire clan on a gamble."
"Chizumi is the most unique Uchiha I've ever met," Inoichi replied. "Yes, he's extreme. But his extremism is rooted in his belief in Absolute Justice. And the sword he carries only points toward the wicked."
He picked up a shogi piece, gaze lowered.
"Shikaku... Chizumi's going to change the entire shinobi world. I've known him for ten years. I understand him."
"He's always been a loner—hard to describe. But last night, when he fought Danzō, he deliberately kept the battle away from the Yamanaka compound."
"That's when I realized."
Shikaku narrowed his eyes. "Realized what?"
"If you take the time to understand him, you'll realize it too," Inoichi said, leaving it at that.
Shikaku didn't press.
Instead, he looked down at the board, and his furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
He gave a helpless little laugh.
"Ino–Shika–Chō is inseparable. If you've already staked your clan on this, then I'll do my part. I'll get to know Chizumi—and understand his Absolute Justice."
"As for how I'll judge it..."
Shikaku paused, then said, "We'll see how Chizumi defends that justice in the storm to come."
Just then—heavy footsteps echoed in.
Akimichi Chōza had arrived.
…
Ichiraku Ramen
"Naruto, you're not with the Hokage today?"
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, greeted him with a smile.
He was one of the few people in the village who never looked at Naruto with judgment.
But today, something felt off.
Normally, whenever Naruto came by with the Third Hokage, he was all smiles and energy. But today—he looked nervous. Really nervous. His hands kept tugging at the hem of his shirt, and his eyes flicked around the shop uneasily. If you looked closely, there were even faint tear streaks on his cheeks—he must've cried not long ago.
Poor kid... Teuchi sighed inwardly. He knew how Naruto was treated in the village, and figured maybe someone had said something cruel again.
He was just about to cheer the boy up—maybe say something like, "Today's ramen's half off, just for you"—
—when he noticed two others walk in behind Naruto.
Judging by their uniforms, they were with the Uchiha Police Force.
"Welco—"
Teuchi's greeting got stuck in his throat the moment he saw who it was.
Uchiha Chizumi.
"The usual," Chizumi said calmly. "Four bowls."
"R‑right away," Teuchi replied, instantly recognizing him.
Chizumi was a regular at Ichiraku—but even after all these years, Teuchi still felt uneasy every time the man stepped through the curtain.
He wasn't just some regular ninja. He was infamous.
The nickname "Uchiha Plague" echoed louder in the village than even "Demon Fox Brat."
Yes, the Nine-Tails had devastated Konoha—but that was years ago.
Chizumi, on the other hand? He was still around.
Still making headlines.
One day he arrested half a street gang; the next, he cut down a rogue ninja in broad daylight. Stories about him circulated every single day.
Sometimes his name alone was scarier than the Nine-Tails.
Although, lately... Teuchi had heard that Chizumi's reputation was starting to soften—just a little.
Still. A better reputation didn't mean he was any less dangerous.
And now... Naruto was with him?
Teuchi blinked, two questions racing through his head—but he didn't ask. He just turned around and got to work making ramen.
"Meow~ Oi, brat!"
A sharp voice cut through the air as a small orange blur leapt onto Naruto's head. "Chizumi-sama isn't some monster who eats people. Why are you cowering like a turtle?"
It was Jūjirō—Chizumi's talking cat companion.
Clearly oblivious to its own weight, Jūjirō landed squarely on Naruto's head, knocking the boy flat on the floor.
"Ah—ow..."
Naruto winced, clutching his forehead, but didn't cry out. He scrambled back to his feet, dazed and confused, his face dirty, his eyes filled with hesitation.
And then, somehow gathering up all the courage he had, Naruto turned to look at Chizumi.
His voice shook.
"I… Am I gonna die?"
"If I really am the Nine-Tails… if I hurt a lot of people before… that makes me one of the bad guys, right? The kind of bad guy someone like you would kill…"
"…Is this bowl of ramen my last meal?"
Chizumi glanced sideways at him—expression unreadable.
Before he could speak, Jūjirō hopped onto the table and replied in his place:
"Didn't I tell you already, brat? You're just the container. Chizumi-sama isn't some bloodthirsty killer."
"Trust me—if you were really some villain, you'd have been dead the second you two met. Do you really think he'd let you walk around freely?"
"Let alone treat you to ramen?"
"…Wait—"
Jūjirō suddenly froze.
"Wait wait wait—Chizumi-sama… WHY did you treat this jinchūriki brat to ramen?"
There was a long pause.
Then Chizumi, calm and expressionless, finally spoke:
"His future is free of evil."
"He's a seed with potential."
"Potential—?"
Izumi, standing nearby, blinked. Her big, bright eyes widened as she turned to look at Naruto, who still had no idea what was going on.
Wait…
Is Chizumi-senpai trying to steal the Hokage's successor?!
~~~
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