"Sasuke, if I'm not mistaken… this isn't your seat, is it?"
Iruka entered the classroom carrying his teaching materials, eyeing Sasuke who had taken the seat beside Naruto.
Weren't Naruto and Sasuke not even on good terms?
Sasuke, covered in band-aids and visible bruises, replied coolly, "It is now."
With a deadpan look, he added, "I switched with someone. They agreed."
Iruka: "…"
Wasn't it the teacher's job to handle seat arrangements?
But then again, the class genius always got special treatment.
Iruka hesitated for a moment, then decided not to press the issue.
"You're such a faker…" Naruto muttered under his breath.
He clearly remembered how this arrogant jerk nearly cried last night after being rejected by Chizumi-sensei.
Naruto looked around—and noticed a bunch of girls shooting him glares.
What the hell?!
Why's this stuck-up guy so popular with the girls?
Grumbling to himself, Naruto blurted out, "Seriously, why do you even want to sit next to me?"
Sasuke just crossed his arms and gave a low grunt, ignoring him.
Feeling a little awkward, Naruto yawned. Still, someone willingly sitting next to him for the first time felt kind of… new.
Changing the subject, he asked, "Is it true your brother's planning to kill your whole clan?"
Sasuke's expression instantly darkened.
He looked down at his desk, clenched his fists tightly, and replied, "That's what Chizumi-sensei said. It's my brother—Uchiha Itachi—he called it his 'future evil.' I won't let that happen. I'm going to prove he's wrong."
"…But," Thinking about the overwhelming gap between him and Itachi made his stomach sink.
He was convinced that following 'Absolute Justice' would give him real strength—Uchiha Izumi was living proof.
But Sasuke had no idea how long that path would take.
Or if he'd ever really be strong enough to stop his brother.
"Don't worry about it!"
Naruto laced his fingers behind his head and grinned.
"Justice isn't something you fight for alone. Even if you can't beat Itachi by yourself, I'll back you up. The two of us? We've got this!"
"Hah…"
Sasuke thought Naruto was being ridiculously naïve—he didn't understand how terrifying the Uchiha clan's power really was.
And yet… something about Naruto's words stirred something inside him.
Suddenly, clack—the sound of chalk hitting the floor cut through the air.
Sasuke looked up and saw Iruka standing completely still at the front of the class, his expression blank—like he had glitched and frozen in place.
A white feather floated down and brushed Iruka's nose.
To Sasuke's shock, Iruka was snoring while standing up.
Thud! Another noise.
Sasuke whipped his head around—one of his classmates had slumped over, out cold.
No—more than one.
White feathers rained down from above. Sasuke's eyes widened.
Everyone in class was fast asleep—except him.
"What the hell?!"
He jumped up, heart pounding, and turned to check on Naruto.
"He's… asleep too?!"
Just then, footsteps echoed ominously through the hallway.
Sasuke spun toward the classroom door, and his pupils contracted slightly.
"…Brother…"
Uchiha Itachi walked in calmly, completely expressionless.
"Sasuke, you made the wrong choice. This path you've taken leads to an uncertain future."
…
Meanwhile—Inside Naruto's Mind
"Where… am I?"
Naruto looked around, confused. He seemed to be in some kind of long, dark, damp hallway lined with strange doors.
Wasn't I just in class…?
Before he could figure anything out, a terrifying roar made his heart jump. He spun around—behind him stood two massive iron gates, and behind them—
Something monstrous.
"Heh heh… You look tasty, kid. Come closer—let me eat you!"
A deep, booming voice rumbled from the shadows.
Naruto's eyes went wide.
"A giant fox… Wait! Are you the Nine-Tails—the one the Fourth Hokage sealed inside me?!"
"That's right."
The fox bared its teeth.
"Thanks to your little emotional meltdown the other day, the seal weakened a bit."
"Otherwise, there's no way I'd get to see you this easily."
Naruto blinked and asked, "So… you called me here?"
The fox narrowed its eyes, grinning.
"Look up."
Naruto did—and saw something like a screen above him, showing the inside of the classroom.
He saw Sasuke.
And then… a ninja about the same age as Uchiha Chizumi.
"Your friend's in serious danger. The one who knocked everyone out—that's your buddy's brother."
The Nine-Tails' voice oozed temptation.
"You gonna just sit here and let him die? Go back to sleep?"
"That's… Itachi?!" Naruto's face turned pale.
"See that seal tag on the gate?"
The Nine-Tails spoke softly now.
"Rip it off and I'll give you the power to shatter his illusion. Even just one hand will be enough to destroy him."
"Look at all this chakra."
The air trembled. Blood-red chakra surged around the cage, crackling like lightning.
"It's all yours—just tear the tag off."
Naruto clenched his fists.
"I really don't want that stuck-up jerk Sasuke to get hurt. Even if I don't like him much… he believes in Chizumi-sensei's Absolute Justice, just like I do."
"…But still."
He stared straight at the Nine-Tails.
"You're the one who caused the Nine-Tails Disaster. You're evil itself. If I have to rely on your power to protect someone… then I don't want it!"
"I don't trust you! You're definitely trying to use me. And if I let you, something terrible is gonna happen."
"If I take your power, I might end up hurting everyone in the village. Isn't that right… Nine-Tails?"
The beast's expression twisted—genuinely stunned.
Then came fury.
"You little brat!!!"
It lunged forward with a massive claw—but the seal held firm.
Naruto stepped back and said calmly, "I don't need your power. If I follow 'Absolute Justice', it'll give me strength of its own."
"Brat! I'm offering you something you don't deserve to refuse!"
The chakra around the cage surged violently.
"Feel my power, brat! Once you've had a taste, you'll be hooked. This is way stronger than some made-up 'Justice' crap!"
Crimson chakra whipped toward Naruto.
The seal on the cage door flapped wildly, like caught in a storm.
Naruto: "!!!"
…
Back in the Classroom
White feathers floated down like snow.
"Khh—cough cough…!"
Sasuke was desperately clawing at Itachi's arm, trying to break free from his grip—but Itachi's arm was like a vice around his throat. No matter how hard Sasuke struggled, he couldn't pry it off.
His face turned red, then blue from lack of oxygen.
Despite being just a kid, Sasuke was lifted clean off the ground by Itachi's one hand.
"Sasuke," Itachi said coldly, his Sharingan spinning with three tomoe, "Chizumi's 'Absolute Justice' isn't meant for you. Honestly, that kind of ideology doesn't belong in Konoha at all. It goes against the Will of Fire—it'll only drag the village into chaos."
"Just look at what he's done—Danzo's dead, the entire Shimura clan wiped out. Count the Uchiha he's killed, the way the villagers fear him."
"My foolish Otouto… You always disappoint me."
"Since you're so eager to believe in justice, let me give you a lesson. Kill someone."
"Once your hands are stained with blood, you'll no longer be worthy of justice. Then—finally—you'll walk the right path."
"The path where you'll watch me wipe out the Uchiha… completely."
"And of course…"
"Some of what I've said today, you'll never remember. You'll just wake up one day, filled with hatred, dragging yourself through life like a mangy stray."
Sasuke's already-wide eyes went even wider.
"Kh—gh… Uchi…ha… Itachi!"
His tiny body trembled as he forced the words out.
His Sharingan flickered—just one tomoe, but it was there.
Staring into Sasuke's eyes, Itachi's lips curled into the faintest smile—so small that even Sasuke couldn't see it clearly.
That's it, Sasuke… that hatred. That's what awakens the true power of our bloodline. Compared to this, Chizumi's "justice" means nothing.
Only the path I choose for you is right. Forgive me… One day, you'll understand why I did this.
And even if you don't, it's fine. I never did this for your approval. I did it because I had to.
Itachi closed his eyes briefly, pushing back the tears that were about to fall.
When he opened them again, Sasuke's eyes were already rolling back—he was about to pass out.
Itachi started to loosen his grip—
But suddenly—
A small hand darted in from the side and grabbed his wrist.
"…Huh?!"
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the school, drawing the attention of every shinobi nearby. Teachers rushed toward the source.
"That sounded like it came from Iruka's class!"
Outside, an Anbu lay unconscious in a tree. Before anyone could process it, the wall to Iruka's room exploded.
A shadowy figure flew out, cloaked in debris—dressed like an Anbu.
And then… another figure crashed through.
Wait… is that… a red fox?!
"Hold on—!"
One of the instructors squinted at the fox-shaped blur.
"Isn't that the Nine-Tails brat… Uzumaki Naruto?!"
Though he didn't say it loudly, everyone nearby heard him clearly.
They all froze.
Images from seven years ago—the Nine-Tails rampage—flashed through their minds. Many of them had been there. Some had nearly died.
The fear was real.
…
"This is bad!!"
Not far away—
"Chizumi-sama, something's going on over there."
Jujiro the ninja cat, with ears sharper than a human's, perked up. He leapt off Izumi's shoulder with a thud.
He almost knocked the poor girl over.
"Looks like a fight broke out at the Academy. Two shinobi going at it."
"The Academy?!" Izumi gasped.
"Isn't today a class day?"
"Keep up, rookie." Chizumi took off toward the school without hesitation.
"W-Wait up, senpai!"
Chizumi was, after all, part of the Uchiha Police Force. He didn't spend every second killing criminals—he patrolled the village like everyone else.
And if there was trouble at the Ninja Academy?
Of course he had to check it out.
"It's probably not Naruto and Sasuke… right?"
The rookie girl following behind muttered nervously.
"Meow, no way those brats could cause this much chaos," Jujiro said confidently.
"…But Naruto's a Jinchūriki, isn't he?" Izumi hesitated.
Jujiro froze.
Then yanked Izumi's hair hard.
"Rookie! Don't jinx it! You know what happens if a Jinchūriki loses control?!"
Izumi's face darkened, voice low.
"My dad died during the Nine-Tails Disaster… I awakened my Three-Tomoe Sharingan that night."
Jujiro: "…Crap. Forgot about that."
…
"The Nine-Tails… the Jinchūriki…"
Itachi jumped onto a building's rooftop, looking down at Naruto, now wrapped in that terrifying red chakra.
This… wasn't what he planned.
Naruto should've been asleep. Why is he conscious—and this powerful?
Did the seal weaken?
But Naruto didn't look out of control. Even with that raging chakra, his eyes still held clarity.
He's… channeling the Nine-Tails?
Itachi was stunned. He didn't know much about Jinchūriki, but even he understood—this kind of synchronization came from an incredibly deep bond.
"It's powerful, but you're still too young to control it. And even if you seem stable…"
"…just in case—sleep."
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun.
The moment Naruto looked him in the eyes, the genjutsu hit.
…
Back inside the seal, Kurama narrowed his gaze.
"Mangekyō Sharingan… but not the same as before."
He could've easily broken the illusion by disturbing Naruto's chakra…
But after how smug this little brat had been earlier?
"Hmph."
He let Naruto pass out—eyes rolling back, body collapsing.
…
Back on the rooftop, Itachi coughed lightly.
Even a minor Mangekyō illusion left him feeling faint.
He looked toward the ruined classroom.
More shinobi would arrive soon.
"I wanted to move things forward a little, but I guess it's still early. There's a whole year left. You can't run forever, Sasuke."
He whispered the words to himself, canceled the genjutsu—
And vanished.
As soon as Itachi vanished, Sasuke stumbled out of the wrecked classroom.
He was clutching his throat, barely standing as he leaned against the wall.
"Hah… D‑Dobe… cough cough…"
The pressure on his neck had left him dizzy and nauseous, but he still forced himself to the hallway and looked out through one of the massive holes in the wall.
He didn't see Itachi.
But not far away, he saw Naruto—collapsed on the ground.
"Damn it… you idiot. Why'd you get involved… this wasn't your fight…"
Sasuke muttered complaints under his breath, but still dragged himself toward where Naruto had fallen.
When he reached the scene, Naruto was already surrounded by a bunch of Ninja Academy teachers.
One of them turned around, looking surprised.
"Wait… you're that genius from Iruka's class—Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sasuke: "…"
The word "genius" triggered something inside him.
If I were a genius, how did Itachi take me down so easily?
How was I completely helpless—strangled with one hand?
True genius?
His mind flashed back to the image of Naruto, surrounded by that red chakra.
His pale face betrayed a storm of emotions. But in the depths of all that confusion—there was… expectation.
Even the Dobe can get that kind of power from 'Absolute Justice'… So what about me?
"What happened in Iruka's class? Where is Iruka?"
One of the teachers pressed.
Sasuke's voice was hoarse.
"Genjutsu. Everyone got knocked out—except me and Do—Uzumaki Naruto."
Just as that teacher was about to ask more questions, his eyes flicked to the side.
Someone was approaching the academy.
He turned, and then froze.
Uchiha Chizumi.
More than one teacher stepped back instinctively.
Even though Chizumi's image had softened recently, years of fear don't vanish overnight. His presence still carried weight.
Then, a ninja cat sprinted up, placing a paw on Naruto's neck.
"Meow, Chizumi-sama—he's alive. There's still some strange, chaotic chakra leaking from him. I'm pretty sure it's the Nine-Tails' chakra."
After inspecting Naruto professionally, Jujiro added, "He was caught in a Sharingan genjutsu—doesn't look like it harmed him, probably just knocked him out. My guess? The Nine-Tails got rowdy, and some passing Uchiha put him to sleep."
Chizumi calmly walked over and picked Naruto up by the back of the collar—like a golden fox cub.
"He… Dobe… didn't lose control—cough"
Sasuke's raspy voice broke in again.
He raised his head to meet Chizumi's eyes.
"Chizumi-sensei, Naruto… he saved me. Itachi snuck into the school and tried to use genjutsu to make me kill someone. He said if I spilled blood, 'Absolute Justice' would abandon me."
Izumi's hand moved to the hilt of her sword as her eyes dropped to the bruise on Sasuke's throat.
Connecting the dots, she muttered through clenched teeth:
"Itachi's completely gone."
Sasuke kept going.
"At the last second… Naruto snapped out of the genjutsu. That red chakra—he used it to drive Itachi away."
He didn't exaggerate.
He didn't downplay it either.
Even if there was a sting of jealousy in his heart, what he felt more than anything… was gratitude.
If Naruto hadn't stepped in—he might've actually been forced to kill someone.
And if that happened…
'Absolute Justice' would've abandoned him.
"What a bastard, meow!"
Jujiro was furious, claws extended.
"Who does that to their own Otouto?! Damn it! I should've used my last life to take that guy out back then! And don't even get me started on Shisui—if he hadn't protected that lunatic, he wouldn't still be alive now!"
"Ugh! I wish I knew how to do Edo Tensei—I'd bring Shisui back just so he could see what kind of freak he helped keep alive!"
Of course, Jujiro didn't actually know how to use Edo Tensei. He only knew about it from Chizumi.
Chizumi glanced at Sasuke, who was still shaken.
"Don't worry…" he said calmly.
"Even if you had been forced to kill someone, 'Absolute Justice' wouldn't abandon you. That wouldn't have been your choice. You would've been a blade forced into someone else's hand. The killer would've been him—not you."
"If justice abandons people like you for being used as tools, then who would dare uphold it?"
"Don't let that psychopath's twisted thinking get to you. People that extreme see everything in extremes."
Sasuke blinked.
Strangely, even though Chizumi and the cat both called his older brother lunatic,psychopath, beast etc., he didn't feel angry.
Maybe the word was crude…
But it felt kind of accurate.
And everything Chizumi said…
It made him feel a little better.
…
At the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up in surprise at the man kneeling before him.
"Itachi… what's going on?"
Hiruzen had been worn down for days by one crisis after another—Chizumi, Naruto—and now this.
Itachi bowed his head.
"I'm here to take responsibility, Hokage-sama. Today, I may have caused the Jinchūriki to lose control… though… technically, it wasn't a full loss of control."
"What?!"
Hiruzen's heart nearly stopped.
Just what he needed—another mess to deal with.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to stay calm.
"Explain. Everything."
Itachi didn't hold back. He laid out everything that had happened—the setup, the confrontation, Naruto's reaction.
Hiruzen listened in silence. The words of rebuke he had prepared never made it past his throat.
Because in the end… everything Itachi had done, he had done for Konoha.
Even what he did to Sasuke—twisting his mind, putting him through hell—was because he wanted Sasuke to live a life devoted to the village.
That kind of selflessness? Hiruzen had no way to criticize it.
If he had to nitpick—
Itachi's methods were just… too extreme.
What kind of seven-year-old could go through that without emotional damage?
Still, the biggest surprise?
Naruto's "loss of control."
"He lost control… but stayed rational?"
Hiruzen folded his hands behind his back, eyes narrowing.
"Sounds more like… he's starting to gain control over the Nine-Tails."
He knew exactly what that meant.
Uzumaki Naruto was now on the path to becoming a true Jinchūriki.
It was too early.
In Hiruzen's original plan, Naruto was supposed to start training with the Nine-Tails after he graduated. Slowly. Carefully.
But now, thanks to Itachi's provocation…
That door had been kicked open early.
Then something clicked.
"Wait… Itachi, weren't you targeting Sasuke? Why did Naruto get involved?"
Even Itachi paused at that.
"Maybe… it's because of his bond with Sasuke."
"They both follow Absolute Justice, after all."
"Tch… a bond, huh…"
Hiruzen took a long pull on his pipe, exhaling smoke.
Of all people to form a bond with… why an Uchiha?
If he had a choice, Hiruzen would have much rather Naruto connected with someone from his own Sarutobi clan.
"Hokage-sama," Itachi said suddenly, interrupting Hiruzen's thoughts.
"The Uchiha clan is slipping out of control under Uchiha Chizumi's influence. Uchiha Setsuna's becoming more radical. Even moderates are joining the extremists or showing interest in Absolute Justice."
That hit Hiruzen hard.
It was something he'd feared—and Itachi had just confirmed it.
If the Uchiha really were planning a coup—a plan everyone already knew about despite their attempts to hide it—Konoha was staring civil war in the face.
And if that happened?
The other villages wouldn't hesitate to attack.
The Third Great Ninja War may have ended, but Hiruzen knew full well—
those war-hungry bastards wouldn't mind starting a Fourth.
"Don't worry, Hokage-sama," Itachi said softly.
"I'll take care of everything. The Uchiha won't be a problem."
Those words made Hiruzen's blood run cold.
"Itachi…"
He remembered the rumors—the ones that said a year from now, Uchiha Itachi would single-handedly wipe out his clan.
He took a deep breath and said gravely, "Some things don't need to be taken that far. Only a small part of the Uchiha pose a real threat."
Yes, he had plans to quietly remove the troublemakers.
But not to exterminate the entire clan.
Itachi's methods were just too absolute.
Too cold.
Hiruzen cleared his throat, face solemn.
"Itachi… sometimes, things don't have to be so final. The Uchiha still have value to the village."
"…Understood, Hokage-sama."
Itachi nodded quietly, his expression unreadable as he stood and walked away.
…
As the office door closed behind him, Itachi's thoughts darkened.
I'm sorry, Hokage-sama…
I know someone like you—someone who truly loves this village—could never allow what I'm planning.
But if I don't act… it'll be too late.
The Uchiha have already become a threat.
I chose this path—for Konoha, for the Uchiha, for Sasuke. It's the only path left.
As he walked down the hall, a man with a rugged face and a well-trimmed beard passed him, their eyes briefly meeting.
Itachi recognized him instantly.
Sarutobi Asuma.
The Hokage's second son.
…
Hiruzen stood at his desk, frowning deeply, pipe in hand.
Just as he was racking his brain for a way to keep the Uchiha in check…
Someone he didn't expect walked in.
"…Asuma?!"
Hiruzen blinked.
"Weren't you in the capital?"
Asuma stepped inside, shut the door, leaned casually against the wall.
"Old man, I told the Daimyō everything."
Hiruzen's hand froze.
But he didn't scold him.
"What did he say?"
"He was furious," Asuma replied bluntly.
"He wants whoever killed his son to pay."
Hiruzen sighed.
"If I make a move on Chizumi now, Konoha will erupt. If the Daimyō sent you here to pressure me—tell him I'm not listening. And don't underestimate Chizumi. He could tear this village apart."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Hiruzen had considered it all—every scenario. Even what would happen if he died.
But after simulating every outcome…
He knew: fighting Chizumi within the village would lead to total collapse.
Just like the First Hokage and Madara agreed to fight in the Valley of the End, not in the heart of Konoha.
Asuma's eyes briefly flickered with disappointment.
He pulled out a cigarette and bit down on the filter, but didn't light it.
"You've got it wrong. The Daimyō isn't asking you to kill Chizumi. He probably knows he can't force your hand. I'm not here with an order."
"Just a suggestion."
He looked Hiruzen straight in the eye.
"If Chizumi's making your life hell in the village, then let the beast out of the cage. Send him on missions outside the village."
Hiruzen was stunned.
Asuma continued, calm and measured:
"He's part of the Uchiha Police—but he's still a Konoha shinobi. That means he takes mission orders from you."
"You kept him inside the village to scare certain people. Well, they're already scared—or dead."
"So let him go. Let him enforce his justice outside. Then it's not your problem anymore—it's the Daimyō's and the nobles'."
Hiruzen didn't respond. His brow remained tightly furrowed.
"What are you really trying to do, Asuma?"
Asuma gave him the answer directly.
"The Daimyō wants to see Chizumi destroyed—but not by your hand. He wants Chizumi to make enough enemies in the Land of Fire that eventually… someone else will take him down."
Asuma pulled out a scroll and tossed it to his father.
Hiruzen caught it with one hand and opened it—recognizing Daimyō's handwriting.
"He's not asking you to kill Chizumi. Just let him go—let him enforce his justice across the Land of Fire."
"In return, he'll increase Konoha's budget by 30% next year."
Hiruzen was silent for a long time.
"It's a naïve plan. Too many variables. Honestly, it sounds like wishful thinking."
He paused.
Then looked Asuma in the eye.
"But is this really all there is to it, Asuma?"
Asuma stared back.
"Don't you trust me?"
"Yeah—I've disagreed with you. But have I ever lied to you?"
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
"…Alright."
Maybe it was trust.
Maybe guilt.
But this time…
He would believe in his son.
~~~
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