Fugaku had always believed Sasuke would never measure up to Itachi—not in talent, intuition, or strength of character. He just didn't compare.
So when Uchiha Chizumi rejected Sasuke, saying "You don't understand justice," Fugaku felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Even Chizumi thought Sasuke didn't cut it. It was clear—Sasuke wasn't even one percent of what Itachi was.
But then… something unexpected happened.
Chizumi's rejection lit a fire under Sasuke. His usually dull instincts sharpened, and he actually grasped one of the core principles of 'Justice'.
In that moment, Fugaku felt the worst kind of gut instinct—and it didn't take long for it to come true.
Chizumi looked at Sasuke and said,
"Remember everything you just said. Never forget how you understand 'Justice' right now. The shinobi world was never meant to be like this. It's twisted and sick, and that's where all the horrifying evil comes from."
"Absolute Justice is about wiping that evil out—one piece at a time. Even if it costs your life, it's worth it. Uchiha Sasuke, you say you believe in justice. Are you ready to die for it? Are you ready to carry the responsibilities and burdens that come with it?"
Sasuke clenched his teeth and responded firmly, "Yes! Yes!"
Chizumi nodded.
"Then you can stay by my side from now on."
Sasuke looked like he was about to explode with excitement, but Chizumi added,
"Let's hope your version of justice earns a good score in my eyes."
"…Score?" Sasuke blinked.
Justice has a score?
Izumi chimed in from the side:
"Sasuke-kun, Chizumi-senpai is always grading your actions. The highest possible score is 1,000. Only if you reach a perfect score does he consider your sense of justice 'passing.'"
"But…"
She paused, then added seriously, "If your score ever goes into the negatives, it could cost you your life."
"!!!" Sasuke froze.
Lose my life?!
Jūjirō, the fat orange cat, suddenly hopped onto Sasuke's shoulder—almost knocking him over from the weight—and poked his face with a paw.
"Meow~ A negative score means you claim to follow justice, but your actions go against it. And betraying justice… Well, that has serious consequences, meow."
The cat continued,
"Once, two Rookie Uchiha officers trained under Chizumi-sama. One of them was judged to have 'negative justice'—Chizumi-sama killed him personally."
"Scared yet, kid? If you wanna back out, now's the time. No shame in quitting early."
Sasuke broke out in a cold sweat. This felt way worse than breaking any Uchiha clan rule.
But then—he saw Itachi's distant face flash in his mind. The bloody vision of the clan massacre played like a slideshow through his head.
He looked at his father. Fugaku's face was rigid and unreadable, but his eyes clearly said, "Refuse him. Walk away."
Fugaku didn't want him to follow 'Justice'.
But...
If I don't find a way to get stronger… if I don't have the guts to change anything… if I just sit and wait for tragedy like my father… that's not the future I want.
Even Naruto, the class loser, wasn't afraid of being labeled "negative justice" by Chizumi.
So how could he be afraid?
He was an Uchiha, damn it!
"I'm not backing down!"
"And I'm not quitting either!"
Sasuke didn't look his father in the eye, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of deep, unmistakable disappointment in Fugaku's gaze.
"This is turning into quite the performance, Fugaku," Koharu said with a mocking tone. "Looks like the Uchiha have found a brand-new path with this 'Absolute Justice' business."
Fugaku's eyes narrowed.
"Advisor Koharu—" He tried to explain, but she'd already turned her back, arms behind her back and face dark with disapproval.
Homura spoke from the side:
"Don't mind her, Fugaku. She's pissed off about what Chizumi did, but the thing is—he's technically in the right, and she knows it. That's why she's lashing out. You've always stood with Konoha and with peace. Right?"
"Yes," Fugaku said firmly. "The Uchiha and Konoha should always maintain peace."
Homura gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, said nothing more, and walked off with Koharu.
Fugaku couldn't help but glance at the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But the Hokage's eyes were glued to one person: Naruto.
And when Naruto took a step closer to Chizumi, Fugaku noticed the Hokage's face darken ever so slightly.
…
"Tsk… Asuma, is Konoha throwing a festival or something? This is a hell of a lot of chaos," Kazuma said from a treetop just outside the village.
The Eleven Guardian Ninja had finally arrived after traveling nonstop, catching their breath as they landed on the branches.
Kazuma sneered.
"Looks like the fire's pretty big. If the Hokage ends up burning in that blaze, would you call that a celebration?"
Asuma crushed a leaf between his fingers, coldly glancing at him.
Once he caught his breath, he said with a serious tone:
"If you don't take Uchiha Chizumi seriously, you're going to die. Even Danzo from Root fell to him. Your arrogance could get all of us killed."
"You're giving Chizumi too much credit," one of the anti-Hokage Guardians cut in.
"What—because your brother died to him and your cowardly father won't retaliate, you've decided he's some kind of monster?"
"He's just one guy. Even if he's strong, we've got eleven of the Fire Nation's best jōnin. Not even a Kage could take all of us on. What's to fear?"
Veins popped on Asuma's forehead. Every word about his brother Shinnosuke hit like a punch.
But for the mission's sake, he forced himself to stay calm.
"A real shinobi fights every enemy with everything they've got.
The Daimyō's orders are for all of you to follow my lead.
Save your opinions."
"Rest up first. Once we're back in shape, we'll wipe out that Uchiha parasite for the Daimyō."
"Tch." Kazuma scoffed at another mention of the Daimyō but didn't say anything more.
…
The next day.
Two shockwaves hit Konoha like a storm:
Uchiha Chizumi killed over a dozen people involved in trafficking illegal drugs.
The Shimura clan tried to assassinate him—and got wiped out in retaliation.
The entire village was in an uproar.
"Hayata, Naoto, and Masashi were all Uchiha! And Chizumi killed them just for smuggling drugs? Doesn't he have any sense of kinship?"
"I heard it wasn't just the Uchiha. Ninja from the Koharu and Homura clans were caught up in it too."
"Isn't Hayata Elder Setsuna's grandson? Total brat, that one."
"So that 'Absolute Justice' idea really isn't just talk, huh?"
"Police say last night's explosion in the Uchiha district was the Shimura's doing. Chizumi went over alone and wiped them out."
"Shimura? As in Danzo's clan? Good riddance! They stole tons of Sharingan from us!"
"Honestly, Chizumi's got more spine than Fugaku ever did."
Inside the Uchiha clan, emotions boiled over.
Some were furious Chizumi had killed fellow Uchiha. Others respected his unwavering justice. And more than a few started comparing him to Fugaku…
Only to realize: their elected clan head couldn't even compare to this one young man.
When the Shimura planted explosive tags in their district—did Fugaku do anything? Did he go confront them? Mobilize the clan?
Nothing.
Chizumi, on the other hand, took care of it—whatever his reasons may have been.
That burning humiliation finally had a release.
After years of swallowing our pride…
After backing down again and again…
Finally—we're standing up and fighting back!
…
Radical members of the Uchiha flocked to Elder Setsuna.
"Elder, lead us! Join Chizumi and impeach Fugaku!"
"Chizumi has the strongest power in the clan. Even the Hokage is wary of him. You're the head of the radicals. If you and he join forces, we can crush Fugaku's faction.
The weak, submissive Uchiha will be no more. A new Uchiha will rise!"
"If 'Absolute Justice' combines with our radical will, Fugaku won't even be a footnote. He'll have no choice but to give up the clan leadership."
Setsuna was pleased by their hatred of Fugaku—
But their admiration for Chizumi darkened his expression.
Did they all forget?
That man killed my grandson.
Then one of them said coldly:
"Hayata died because he was weak and clueless. If he had paid any attention to the situation in Konoha, he wouldn't have walked into Chizumi's line of fire."
"And hiding that much contraband in the Uchiha district? Clearly brain-dead."
"For the good of the clan, we should cut ties with idiots like him."
"You wouldn't feel sad over someone like that, right, Elder?"
Setsuna: "…"
Before he could even respond, another radical added:
"Elder Setsuna has just as much resolve as Chizumi! If Chizumi can kill his own cousin for justice, surely Setsuna can let go of a grandson for the clan's future."
Setsuna: "…???"
…
Meanwhile…
"Father, why didn't you stop Sasuke?" Itachi asked, eyes locked onto Fugaku's. "Chizumi's idea of 'Absolute Justice' stands against Konoha. If Sasuke joins him, his future is over."
Itachi believed his future self had spared Sasuke so he could protect Konoha. But if Sasuke joined Chizumi, that hope would vanish.
To Itachi, Chizumi's "justice" was nothing more than an attack on the village's strength—one ninja death at a time. Even the village elders weren't safe. The Shimura clan? Gone.
Itachi couldn't stand it.
"I'm confused too, Itachi," Fugaku admitted with a sigh. "What's the right move? You fight for Konoha. I try to keep balance. Chizumi wants justice. Setsuna wants power…"
"I wanted to yell at Sasuke when he came home. But your mother said… his decision was the right one. She believes Chizumi's justice will at least keep most of us alive."
"She told me, 'The more you try to balance everything, the worse it gets. You please no one. Setsuna's lust for power will only destroy us. And your son's devotion to Konoha—well, we already know how that ends.'"
Fugaku repeated his wife's words and fell silent.
Even Mikoto—the one closest to him—didn't support his path. Instead, she supported an outsider.
That… stunned him.
Itachi, face expressionless, replied:
"Mother is too naive. She's never dealt with the true weight of this crisis. She's just a woman with limited perspective. She thinks Chizumi's 'Absolute Justice' is the clan's future? She's wrong."
"She never should've let Sasuke go down the wrong path. And you shouldn't let her words shake your judgment. She's never made a decision in her life. What makes you think she understands what's really happening?"
He paused—then said coldly:
"Father, your time is up."
Fugaku flinched, remembering something.
"Last time, I told you I wanted to handle the Uchiha my way. You gave me one chance to prove you wrong. That chance is over."
"I won't let the Uchiha spiral out of control. And I sure as hell won't let them threaten Konoha."
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan lit up.
"Are you going to stop me, Father?
I remember you saying no matter what decision I make—you'll be proud."
Fugaku's eyes dimmed. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
He watched Itachi walk away—and didn't lift a finger to stop him.
…
"...Weird," Kakashi muttered to himself as he wandered the village. "Seems like people aren't as scared of him as before. Or maybe… the rumors are starting to fade. People are realizing: if they don't commit crimes, Chizumi doesn't bother them."
"Honestly, it looks like he's doing the village a favor. Crime's way down. You don't hear much about theft or fraud anymore."
When Naruto was still in the Academy, Kakashi used to stroll through the village aimlessly. Back then, everyone whispered Chizumi's name in fear—scared even to mention him.
Now? People talked openly. Even enthusiastically.
"He's changing Konoha's foundations…"
Just as he was getting lost in thought—
WHACK!
A massive slap landed on his back.
"Pft—cough, cough—COUGH!!"
Kakashi doubled over, hacking like crazy.
He looked up with his signature dead-fish stare… and saw those ridiculously thick eyebrows.
"KAKASHI! I'M BACK!!" Might Guy beamed, giving him a full thumbs-up.
Kakashi stared at him.
"Great… the loud one's back."
~~~
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