Mount Myōboku.
Jiraiya arrived through Reverse Summoning and didn't waste time—he told the toads straight up, "I need to speak with the Great Toad Sage."
The toads exchanged awkward glances.
But before they could say anything, a deep, echoing voice drifted into their minds.
Fukasaku blinked, stared at Jiraiya, then spoke in a raspy, ancient voice:
"Jiraiya, the Great Lord is expecting you. Head on in."
"Got it."
Jiraiya nodded and headed off alone.
The Great Toad Sage was massive—his whole body a reddish-orange hue. His face was covered in deep creases like old ravines, and around his neck hung a thick strand of prayer beads. The largest bead was pale purple, with a big, bold kanji: "油 (Oil)."
The moment Jiraiya stepped into the space, he could smell sake in the air—the old sage never strayed far from his drink. Sure enough, a sake bottle and cup sat beside him.
"Who goes there?"
The sage asked without opening his eyes, making Jiraiya's eye twitch.
He knows it's me. Why does he always play this dumb game?
Jiraiya sighed and answered seriously, "Great Sage, I think I've found a lead on the Child of Prophecy you once told me about. But I didn't discover it myself—it was told to me by a young ninja from Konoha named Uchiha Chizumi."
"He not only knows about your prophecy—he even knows who the child is. I think his Sharingan might give him a similar ability to see the future, just like you."
Jiraiya laid out everything he knew.
The Great Toad Sage slowly opened his eye just a crack and looked down at him.
"This boy… claims to have seen the 'Savior'?"
"Yes," Jiraiya nodded. "I'm pretty sure he wasn't lying. From what I've seen, he's not the kind of person who needs to."
"Hm… interesting," the sage murmured. "Uchiha Chizumi… I've never seen a single glimpse of someone like that in any of my dreams of the future…"
That surprised Jiraiya.
By all accounts, Chizumi was already causing huge waves in the shinobi world. From Jiraiya's point of view, he was clearly one of the key players of this era. A trendsetter.
And yet… the Great Toad Sage had never seen him in a prophecy?
That didn't add up.
"Then why not take him as your student?" the sage asked. "If he's tied to the prophecy, guide him—teach him how to lead the world toward peace."
Jiraiya gave a dry chuckle.
"He won't tell me who the real Child of Prophecy is."
He then recited what Chizumi had said—word for word, no sugar-coating.
The Great Toad Sage fell silent.
After a long pause, he muttered, "For someone that extraordinary to exist in the ninja world, and yet never appear in my dreams… the only explanation is that he's too unique. So unique that he exists outside of destiny itself."
Jiraiya hesitated, then asked, "He said the ninja world is twisted—sick. And if we fix it, then anyone could become the Child of Prophecy. What do you think?"
"That child… isn't wrong," the sage said slowly. "But if you want to fix the world, if you want to truly bring peace, you still need someone to lead the way. You still need a savior. Without one, it's impossible."
Jiraiya nodded slowly, deep in thought.
Even the Great Toad Sage thinks Chizumi kind of has a point?
Still, it was clear they didn't fully agree.
The Sage believed peace required a savior—a world-changing figure who could reset everything, after which more saviors could emerge.
Chizumi, on the other hand, believed that even without a "chosen one," his concept of Absolute Justice alone could restore peace.
"I understand now," Jiraiya said with a firm nod. "We still have to find the true Child of Prophecy and raise him to be the savior this world needs. That's the only way to save the ninja world."
He exhaled deeply.
"But Chizumi's words weren't meaningless. At the very least, I'm sure he's come into contact with the Child."
"If I start investigating the people around him, I'll eventually find the one from your prophecy."
The Great Toad Sage simply closed his eyes again without a word.
Jiraiya got the message and respectfully took his leave.
Once he was gone, the sage slowly opened his eyes again and glanced at the sake in the bottle beside him. The reflection of his orange eyes shimmered in the liquid.
"…I never saw him in a dream. But Absolute Justice… I've seen that before."
"A justice that drowns the world in blood. That casts a crimson shadow over the entire shinobi world."
"But…"
"I still don't know if that dream was a warning—or a blessing. After all these years, to still be stumped by a dream… No wonder Jiraiya came running."
"Uchiha Chizumi…"
…
Outside the Hyuga Compound.
Clink.
A blood-soaked kunai dropped to the ground with a sharp sound. Sasuke swallowed hard, staggering back a few steps.
The warmth of the blood still on his hand made his skin crawl. His breathing quickened, and his young face—bruised and scraped—was full of panic.
But most haunting of all was the feeling—that horrible, unforgettable feeling—of the blade piercing into someone's body. It just kept replaying in his head.
He stared down at the corpse lying in front of him.
The body was riddled with injuries, but two wounds were clearly fatal.
The first: a kunai stuck straight into the chest, almost reaching the heart.
The second: a bloody gash in the back. Sasuke had driven his kunai in from behind, straight through the heart.
His small fists were still trembling.
But he didn't care about his own bruises right now. His first instinct was to check on Naruto—who was half-crushed beneath the corpse.
"Hey! Dobe, you okay?!"
Naruto grunted, shoving the lifeless arm off him and sitting up, though his face twisted in pain.
"Do I look okay, dattebayo?" he muttered.
He tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he collapsed again. His stomach was on fire. He lifted his shirt—right across his chest was a bright blue palm print, left behind by a brutal Gentle Fist strike.
"Cough, cough!"
Naruto doubled over coughing—and froze when he looked at his hand.
Blood.
"Ugh… no wonder I feel like crap…"
He looked at Sasuke, face pale and sweaty.
"Was that a light injury or a serious one?"
"This guy was crazy strong," Naruto whispered, his voice cracking. "Even with both of us, we barely won. But still… we actually took him down. We delivered justice."
He looked at the body.
"This guy bullied a war orphan so badly the kid ended up taking his own life… cough... slit his wrists in the dorm bathroom."
"The teachers told us not to talk about it. Said the school would handle it seriously."
"But seriously? What were they gonna do—put him in detention? The guy was only three years older than us."
Naruto's eyes narrowed with conviction.
"Chizumi-senpai told us… only when the guilty pay with their life can the dead rest in peace."
"Hey, Sasuke… we did it…"
"He's gonna be proud of us, right?"
"Stop talking." Sasuke snapped back to reality and quickly crouched to support him. "I'm taking you to the hospital."
But as he tried to lift Naruto—
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!"
A voice shouted across the yard.
Of course the Hyuga Clan noticed.
They'd killed a Hyuga right at the compound entrance—of course someone was going to notice.
A squad of Hyuga shinobi appeared in a blur of movement. They immediately spotted the body on the ground—and the two blood-covered kids standing beside it.
Their Byakugan eyes flared open.
"That's… a Hyuga!"
Their gazes locked on Naruto and Sasuke, hands instinctively going to their weapons.
"Was it you?! Did you kill him?!" one of them barked.
Sasuke tensed up.
His logical brain told him: lie. You're a kid—they won't know unless they torture you.
But emotionally?
Emotionally, he couldn't.
He clenched his jaw, his small face firm.
"Yes," he said. "But—he was a bully. He pushed an orphan to suicide. And neither your clan nor the Academy did a damn thing. He just kept attending school like nothing happened."
"So we made him pay. In the name of Absolute Justice."
"If we let him live, he would've just hurt more people. That's why we did it. Justice demanded it."
The Hyuga shinobi didn't take that well.
"That's not your call to make, brat!"
They started surrounding them.
One of them, glaring, snapped:
"Just because you're wearing an Uchiha crest and spouting this 'Absolute Justice' garbage doesn't make you Uchiha Chizumi!"
"You killed one of ours—that's a declaration of war! You really think you're walking out of here?"
"Wait!" another Hyuga suddenly reached out to stop him.
This one had locked his Byakugan eyes on Naruto.
"…That blond kid. Isn't he the Nine-Tails jinchūriki? Uzumaki Naruto?"
"!!"
Everyone froze.
He then looked at Sasuke. "And that Uchiha boy… isn't he the clan head's son? The second son—Uchiha Sasuke."
There was a beat of stunned silence.
They'd thought these were just random Uchiha brats.
Now they realized:
They'd walked into a political minefield.
One was the Nine-Tails' host.
The other was the heir of the Uchiha clan.
The Hyuga shinobi all started backing off a little.
"…We need to report this to Hiashi-sama. Now."
…
Training Grounds, Inside the Compound
"Haah!"
"Hyah!"
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
A faint breeze blew past Neji as Hinata thrust her palm through the air. Nothing happened.
Neji frowned. He closed the gap in an instant, kicked Hinata's legs out from under her, then slammed a palm down toward her chest.
"Ugh!"
Hinata curled up, arms over her stomach, her face contorted in pain.
Neji stood over her and glanced toward the edge of the training field, where Hiashi Hyuga stood silently, arms folded, face expressionless.
Then he looked back down at Hinata.
"You don't even know how to use Vacuum Palm, and you tried it on me?"
"You've got no instincts. No awareness. You're not cut out for the shinobi world. Honestly, just go home and be the clan's little princess."
Hinata bit her lip and tried to stand.
Just then, a Hyuga messenger ninja ran up to Hiashi and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.
Neji's sharp gaze flicked up as he saw Hiashi's brow furrow deeply.
"You didn't touch those two kids, right?" Hiashi asked quietly.
"No, sir."
Hiashi let out a low breath.
"Take me there."
"Yes, sir!"
Neji watched as they left—then gave Hinata a look of quiet disgust, muttered "Tch," and followed them without a word.
…
Back at the Scene.
Hiashi arrived.
The corpse was still there. Naruto and Sasuke, too.
As the head of the Hyuga clan, he should've said something. Anything.
But in that moment, all he could do was stare in silence.
So… it's finally come to this.
He already knew Naruto, the Nine-Tails' host, had become a follower of Uchiha Chizumi's Absolute Justice. He also knew Sasuke—Fugaku's son—was going down the same path.
And now, today… they had killed a Hyuga.
Absolute Justice had reached the Hyuga clan.
Hiashi sighed, turned to Sasuke, and said expressionlessly:
"Even if you call it justice, you still need a reason."
Sasuke felt the pressure from Hiashi's presence, but he grit his teeth and responded, "I already told you."
One of the Hyuga whispered the full story to Hiashi again.
His frown deepened.
Just as he was about to speak—
A sudden presence surged toward them.
Multiple shadows approached fast from the forest edge.
At the front: Sarutobi Hiruzen, freshly returned to Konoha.
Behind him—Anbu.
Hiashi's heart sank again.
This just became a Hokage-level problem…
"Naruto!"
The moment Hiruzen laid eyes on the bloodied boy, his old face went pale. He rushed forward and dropped to one knee beside him, hands trembling slightly.
Naruto was covered in blood—his own, and someone else's.
If the Nine-Tails loses control now…
"G-Grandpa…" Naruto forced a grin. "I'm fine…"
But the second he moved, pain shot through his entire body. His face twisted, and the grin collapsed into a grimace.
"Medical team!" Hiruzen barked, his voice sharp. "Now!"
An Anbu medic dropped to Naruto's side and started chakra infusion instantly.
"Grandpa… him too," Naruto whispered, raising a trembling hand toward Sasuke, who stood nearby, bloodied and pale but still upright.
Hiruzen nodded wordlessly.
Another Anbu stepped up to Sasuke and began checking his vitals.
Only after seeing Naruto's complexion improve slightly did Hiruzen finally exhale.
Then he stood up, his expression darkening as he turned to Hiashi Hyuga.
"Hiashi," Hiruzen said, voice low but heavy, "you better have an explanation for this."
"Why is Naruto here, covered in blood? Why is he injured? And that mark on his chest—don't tell me that's from your clan's Gentle Fist technique. Do you have any idea what that means for a jinchūriki?"
Hiashi's expression didn't change.
But inside, he let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't see this coming either, Hokage-sama."
Then he calmly relayed everything he knew.
When he finished, he added, "If you don't believe me, you can ask the children yourself."
Hiruzen paused for a moment. Then he turned toward Naruto.
The boy perked up and said eagerly, "He's telling the truth, Grandpa! Sasuke and I both thought it was unfair! That guy bullied a war orphan until he died, and no one did anything about it!"
"So we did."
Hiruzen blinked.
So that's it. Naruto and Sasuke came here to carry out 'Absolute Justice'—to kill someone they believed deserved death.
And those wounds? They didn't get them after the fact. They earned them in battle. They traded blood for blood.
This… all tied back to Chizumi.
And seeing Naruto's expression—so serious, so unshaken—Hiruzen realized something terrifying:
This child was too far gone.
Chizumi hadn't even been in the village for a while, and Naruto was still this deeply influenced.
He'd killed for this ideology.
Does he even realize what he's done? Hiruzen thought. Does he understand the line he just crossed?
Was this really Naruto's choice?
Or was this… Chizumi's personality, infecting him like a virus?
"Naruto," Hiruzen said gently, kneeling back down beside him, trying to meet him eye-to-eye. "I know that Hyuga boy did something wrong. And yes, bullying someone to death is terrible."
"But… he didn't kill anyone himself. He wasn't the one who actually spilled blood. Don't you think death was a little too much?"
Sasuke cut in, his voice steady and childlike—but his words sharp:
"So you're saying… because he only indirectly caused someone's death, he doesn't deserve to die?"
Hiruzen glanced at him.
"…Yes."
Sasuke nodded slowly.
"Then what about the Daimyō of the Land of Fire? He didn't directly kill anyone either. But he made decisions that got a lot of people hurt—or worse. Yet Chizumi-sensei killed him."
"Because under Absolute Justice, even small acts of malice, if left unchecked, will grow into disasters."
"That Hyuga boy didn't mean to kill someone at first, maybe. But he did. And if nothing had stopped him, what would've come next?"
Sasuke took a deep breath.
"Is it really justice if we look away and pretend like it never happened?"
"To the person who died, that's not justice."
"That's why we did it. That's why we had to."
Hiruzen stared at the boy in stunned silence.
Where did this kind of thinking even come from?
He already knew the answer.
This was Chizumi's ideology—raw, unapologetic, and absolute—coming from the mouth of a seven-year-old child.
"…Did Chizumi tell you to say all that?" Hiruzen asked carefully.
"No." Sasuke shook his head. "Izumi-senpaj just said a few things. The rest? That was me."
Hiruzen clenched his fist behind his back.
Even when he's not here, Chizumi's words are shaping their entire moral code. I thought this would stop when he left the village, but… I forgot one thing.
I forgot about Uchiha Izumi—his true successor.
…
Not far away, hidden among the trees, Hyuga Neji was watching everything.
He wasn't much older than Naruto—just a year or so—but he'd seen it all.
The blood-soaked corpse lying in the dirt?
He recognized him.
A fourth-year student at the Academy. A member of the Hyuga branch family. Someone just like Neji himself—marked from birth with the cursed seal of the caged bird.
But unlike Neji, the guy had been a sadist.
Neji remembered how cruel he was.
He also remembered hearing whispers that he'd been involved in a student suicide.
He should've been locked up long ago, Neji thought. But they didn't. Because he was "just a kid."
And now he was dead.
Killed by Naruto and Sasuke.
"…If someone causes a death," Neji whispered, "they have to pay for it."
He found himself repeating Naruto's words.
And then Sasuke's:
"Only when someone pays with their life can the dead rest in peace."
Why… why did that make so much sense?
Neji bit his lip hard—hard enough to bleed.
His fists clenched. His body trembled. His eyes burned.
"Father…"
The people who caused your death… even if it was indirect… they need to pay.
I will never forgive the Main House.
His gaze returned to Naruto and Sasuke—not with anger or scorn…
But curiosity.
Who are they really?
What is this 'Absolute Justice'?
And why did it feel so… right?
…
Meanwhile — Akatsuki Hideout
"Nagato, don't you think it's strange how interested he suddenly is in Uchiha Chizumi?" Konan's voice was calm and cool as always, her sharp eyes reflecting a quiet suspicion. "He actually asked us to investigate Chizumi. That's completely unlike his usual behavior."
Nagato, pale and solemn, remained silent for a moment. Then he said, "He believes Chizumi's existence poses a serious threat to our plan. Especially that thing he calls 'Absolute Justice'—it's in direct conflict with what Akatsuki stands for."
Nagato's tone hardened slightly.
"When the day comes that we reshape the ninja world through 'Absolute Pain'… Uchiha Chizumi will be one of the people who stands against us."
Konan folded her arms. "The problem is, when that day comes, everyone will stand against us. So why is Chizumi so special?"
Nagato frowned thoughtfully.
"Maybe it's because he's a dual-kekkei genkai user. From 'Uchiha Madara's' perspective, that alone makes him a serious wildcard. He thinks Chizumi could become our greatest enemy."
Konan shook her head slowly.
"That explanation doesn't convince me."
"I suspect Chizumi is connected to something… deeper. Something related to Madara himself. After all, they're both Uchihas. Maybe they share a history."
She paused.
"Whatever it is, it has to be big. Otherwise, why hasn't Madara just dealt with him personally?"
"He clearly knows something dangerous—something Madara doesn't want exposed."
Nagato fell silent again, absorbing her words.
After a moment, he looked up and said, "You don't trust our 'partner,' do you?"
Konan was blunt. "I never have."
And honestly? "Distrust" didn't even cover it.
She had been investigating "Uchiha Madara" on her own for some time now—quietly, carefully. And in her mind, he wasn't a partner.
He was a threat.
Nagato gave her a long look.
"Do what you have to do. Just remember our goal. If anything you're doing gets in the way of our plan… shut it down. Immediately."
"I know."
Konan nodded.
"I've already sent someone to start tracking Uchiha Chizumi. And I'm not reporting the results to Madara—or to Zetsu, who's clearly way too close to him."
"If my timing's right, my agent should already be in the Land of Fire—maybe even near Konoha by now. Don't worry, the one I sent is clean. No suspicious background."
She added calmly, "From everything I've gathered, Chizumi only goes after criminals. If you're not a villain, you're not a target."
There was a pause.
Then Konan said something heavier:
"Madara knows way too many of our secrets."
"But we know almost nothing about him."
"That's a dangerous imbalance."
"I just want a backup plan—for the day he finally shows his true face."
Nagato stared at her for a long moment.
Then gave a small nod.
…
At that exact moment—
Footsteps echoed from the path behind them.
Neji, still caught in his thoughts, snapped to attention and instinctively turned.
What he saw made his breath catch.
A tall, calm figure was walking slowly toward the crime scene—dressed in the sleek, black uniform of the Uchiha Police Force. His movements were deliberate. Silent. Unshakable.
Flanking him were two kunoichi.
One wore the same police uniform, her face sharp and composed. The other wore a standard jonin vest, a visible special jonin of the village. On her shoulder rested an enormous orange tabby cat—almost comically fat, but somehow... imposing.
And yet—when they arrived, everyone looked at them.
Not just Naruto or Sasuke.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiashi Hyuga.
Even the Anbu.
All heads turned toward him.
And then, Hiruzen said his name.
Softly. Like it carried weight.
"...Chizumi."
Neji's eyes widened.
Him?
That's Uchiha Chizumi?!
Chizumi's gaze suddenly met his.
Neji flinched.
In that split second of eye contact, he couldn't hold it. He looked away almost instantly, heart pounding.
What was that...?
Why did I feel scared just being looked at...?
What's worse… was that part of him felt seen. Like Chizumi knew something about him without saying a word.
Chizumi passed him without a glance more.
His gaze moved to Naruto, then Sasuke, and finally landed on the Hokage.
"Sensei!"
Both Naruto and Sasuke called out in unison, their voices full of relief and admiration.
Chizumi gave them only the briefest glance before turning his full attention to Hiruzen. His expression remained unreadable. Eyes sharp. Calm.
He looked down at the body, then up at Hiruzen again.
No hesitation.
No fear.
His voice was quiet—but carried like a blade.
"Third Hokage," he said, "Naruto and Sasuke acted according to their beliefs. They executed justice where your system failed. I see nothing wrong with that."
"You're getting Anbu involved… over a dead bully?"
The word "bully" was casual.
But the way he said it?
It cut like steel.
Hiruzen's face twitched.
"Chizumi," he said slowly, drawing a deep breath. "Let's set aside the question of whether the boy deserved to die. What I care about is the path Naruto is going down."
"Your doctrine—this 'Absolute Justice'—has made him believe it's okay to kill."
"You've changed him."
Hiruzen's voice grew firmer.
"From the start, I always said: Naruto's justice should be Konoha's justice. It should be something the people can accept. That's what the Will of Fire means."
"But now? He's killed someone. That changes everything."
"You know how special Naruto is. What happens if the village finds out he killed a Hyuga child?"
"Do you think they'll accept him? Embrace him?"
"You've pushed him too far. He's walking a path that—honestly—he shouldn't even know exists at his age."
"Chizumi…"
"If you really cared about him… you should have stopped this."
The air went still.
Even Hiashi looked like he wanted to say something—but didn't.
Chizumi's answer came quietly.
"You keep talking about what Naruto should be."
"But you never stop to consider what he already is."
He stepped closer.
"If you truly cared for Naruto, you'd remove the leash from around his neck. You'd let him walk his own path."
"He didn't do anything wrong."
"And if the village can't accept that, then maybe the problem isn't Naruto."
"Maybe the problem… is the village."
Silence.
Chizumi wasn't finished.
"You keep asking people like him to fit in. To tone it down. To stop making others uncomfortable."
"But why should someone righteous have to hold back just to make the guilty feel safe?"
"Why don't you direct your blade toward those who reject justice?"
"Why are you shielding cowards from consequences?"
"And why are you treating Naruto like he's the one who needs to change, instead of the world that failed him?"
Hiruzen's mouth opened—then closed.
He had no words.
Because deep down…
He knew Chizumi was right.
Naruto, meanwhile, looked at his grandfather with wide, sad eyes.
"Grandpa…"
His voice was small. Honest.
"I really didn't do anything wrong… right?"
"If even this isn't enough to earn their approval… then what else do I have to do?"
"Do I have to let a villain live just to be liked?"
"Because if that's what it takes…"
"I don't want it."
Hiruzen froze.
He wanted to explain that "acceptance" didn't work that way.
That being right wasn't enough. That sometimes, you had to look right, act harmless, be what others needed you to be.
But he didn't say it.
Because he knew exactly what would happen:
Chizumi would dismantle every word of it, in front of everyone.
A medic broke the silence.
"Hokage-sama—Naruto's stabilized, but he'll still need a few days of rest. The internal damage wasn't fatal, but it's serious."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
He forced a smile and looked at Naruto.
"Then rest. You've been through enough for one day."
He glanced at Sasuke.
"You too."
"…Ryoshin."
A Yamanaka Anbu stepped forward, visibly reluctant.
"Take them home."
"Yes, sir."
Hiashi stood by, watching Naruto and Sasuke being escorted away.
The boys who had just killed a Hyuga.
And he—the clan head—had said nothing.
Not a single word.
"Hiashi," Hiruzen said quietly, finally turning back to him. "You know what needs to happen next, right?"
"…Yeah." Hiashi's voice was calm.
"That boy—our clan member—did something wrong. His cruelty pushed someone to take their own life."
"He paid the price. I have no objection."
"And I don't think his parents will either."
He paused.
He had yielded.
More completely than even Uchiha Fugaku ever had.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!