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NAJ Chapter 72: A Crisis Wrapped in Silence
🕑 Added 2025-07-08 19:09:36 +0000 UTC“Third Hokage,” Uchiha Keizumi said coldly, “if my actions lead to the emergence of even more evil in the shinobi world, then it only proves those people were never ‘normal’ to begin with. It means they already had one foot planted on the opposite side of Absolute Justice.”
“They were just waiting for an excuse to justify their own wickedness. And I, unfortunately, gave them exactly what they needed. But that only means they were already enemies of Absolute Justice in hiding.”
“They are part of the evil that Absolute Justice exists to purge. And if justice chooses to compromise and remain silent just because those people might cause chaos…”
Keizumi narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…Then that kind of justice would disgust me—so much I’d have to bend over and vomit.”
“Besides—”
He added calmly, “Trying to change the convictions of a grown man with just a few clever words… Third Hokage, aren’t you overestimating the power of your so-called personal ‘charm’?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression stiffened, despite already knowing deep down what Keizumi’s answer would be.
And yet, every time he was rebuffed so bluntly—right to his face—it still managed to infuriate him.
In all of Konoha, Uchiha Keizumi was likely the only one who would speak to the Hokage like this, without hesitation, word after word hammering down.
But more than that…
It meant that Keizumi’s Absolute Justice was no longer a double-edged sword that Hiruzen could control.
Once—
Hiruzen had been able to wield Keizumi’s Absolute Justice like a deterrent, using it to keep dangerous elements within the village in check.
Now.
He no longer had the strength to control that blade.
Nor could he see clearly which part of the village it might cut down next.
“Ah, I almost forgot to remind you, Third Hokage.”
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen in stunned silence, Uchiha Keizumi’s voice came again: “Those people behind you… aside from one, the rest are all evil in my eyes.”
Hiruzen’s pupils contracted sharply.
Only now did he realize—Keizumi’s ninjatō had never been sheathed.
“Evil… must be purged.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the ANBU accompanying Hiruzen immediately raised their guard.
In an instant, they formed a tight circle around the Hokage, shielding him completely.
They had all seen the power of Uchiha Keizumi’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
There was no way they could allow him to use that terrifying dōjutsu on Hokage-sama!
[Shff—]
Before any of them could react, Keizumi’s figure vanished.
Even the word “Stop him!” caught in Hiruzen’s throat.
Because he could feel it—Keizumi’s killing intent was all too real.
And in that moment, a disturbing thought surfaced in his mind:
If I really order the ANBU to stop him now… it’ll trigger a massacre right here, without question.
That single hesitation from Hiruzen—
Was all Uchiha Keizumi needed.
He slipped through their formation like a tiger in a flock of sheep, his blade flashing once across the throat of a daimyō retainer.
By the time he passed the man, the severed head had already flown into the air.
Hiruzen and the ANBU whirled around in shock.
In their sight—
More than a dozen heads were launched skyward, their faces still frozen in expressions of terror.
Blood gushed from the necks of the headless corpses, spraying like a rain of crimson.
One stray drop even slipped through the tightly packed ANBU formation and landed on the ceremonial white cloak of the Hokage.
There were no screams.
No cries of pain.
Only the heavy, synchronized thuds—
of skulls hitting the ground,
and bodies collapsing in eerie silence.
[Thump, roll…]
One particularly large head rolled to a stop at the foot of an ANBU operative.
A chill colder than steel shot through him.
Even this battle-hardened elite shinobi couldn’t stop the goosebumps spreading over his skin.
—Uchiha Keizumi.
This man was far too dangerous.
That was now the shared belief of every ANBU present.
And yet—
Not a single one of them felt compelled to condemn him.
Because deep down, none of them doubted his ability to judge what was evil.
This—
This was the reason behind the complicated expression on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face.
His thoughts, it turned out, were perfectly aligned with those of his ANBU.
“…N-No… please…”
“Don’t kill me…”
The eerie silence was suddenly broken by broken sobs and gasping cries.
The sole surviving retainer of the daimyō had been scared into complete collapse—literally.
He sat slumped amidst a pool of blood, urine, and feces, staring in sheer terror at Uchiha Keizumi’s expressionless face.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched as Keizumi didn’t even spare the man a glance.
That young man—who even made Hiruzen’s heart tighten slightly—simply turned around.
Without looking back, he said flatly: “Third Hokage, I assume I don’t need to list out each of their crimes one by one, do I?”
And with that, Uchiha Keizumi walked away.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “…”
The blood on the ground had crept all the way to Hiruzen’s feet.
He opened his mouth slightly.
But not a single word came out.
“Um… Hokage-sama.”
Izumi, holding her little notebook, tore out a few pages and walked over with small, measured steps.
She handed them to one of the ANBU and said: “These are the crimes of Gyokuzenin Kyōsuke, recorded as dictated by Keizumi-senpai. You can send the body to the Yamanaka clan and have them check the corpse’s memories—see if they match.”
The ANBU, his expression unreadable behind the mask, took the pages covered in fine handwriting.
Then he passed them wordlessly to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen reached out, took the paper, and stared at the writing in silence.
In the end, he let out a long, heavy sigh.
...
“What?!”
Utatane Koharu couldn’t help but cry out in shock. The news she had just received from Sarutobi Hiruzen left her utterly stunned.
She stood frozen in place, her mind caught in a whirlwind. It took her a full five seconds to process the weight of his words.
Suddenly rising to her feet, Koharu demanded in disbelief, “Hiruzen! You just stood there and let the daimyō’s second son die—at the hands of someone like Uchiha Keizumi?!”
“Do you even realize what the daimyō’s son dying in Konohagakure means for us? Do you understand the kind of storm this will unleash?”
Before Hiruzen could respond, Koharu began pacing back and forth, agitated and anxious.
The wrinkles on her face trembled slightly as she muttered in disbelief, “I knew it… Letting that envoy cross paths with Uchiha Keizumi—nothing good was ever going to come of it. But still… I can’t believe they actually met.”
She had already sent her subordinates to warn the envoy team sent by the daimyō, instructing them to avoid certain areas of the village.
Those were zones where Uchiha Keizumi was known to appear frequently.
But no one could have predicted that Keizumi would act completely against expectations.
That dangerous Uchiha, for once, hadn’t shown up in his usual haunts.
Koharu even began to wonder—had he deliberately sought out the envoy team?
Had he already known in advance that they were coming to Konoha?
“When I arrived… the young man was already dead.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath. He glanced at Koharu, who was still pacing, clearly furious and agitated.
He walked behind the Hokage’s desk.
Then sat down slowly, his expression dark and conflicted.
Koharu finally stopped pacing as well. Her face clouded with anger as she asked coldly, “And what about Uchiha Keizumi? Did you arrest him?”
Hiruzen looked at her.
She returned the gaze.
In that silent exchange, the answer was already clear.
“Hiruzen, what on earth are you thinking?!”
For the first time, Koharu found herself understanding Danzō. Her blood pressure spiked, and an unusual flush of anger rose to her face.
She snapped, “You’ve indulged Uchiha Keizumi too many times already! What exactly are you waiting for?! Have you forgotten Sarutobi Shinnosuke—your own son—was also killed by Keizumi?! Have you forgotten who was responsible for Danzō’s death?! Have you forgotten how many times Uchiha Keizumi has openly defied your orders in front of the entire village?!”
“And now, after causing a disaster of this magnitude, you’re still protecting him? Just because his presence keeps some of the village’s criminal elements in check? Is that enough to justify letting him murder the daimyō’s son—and turning a blind eye to it?!”
“Hiruzen… I don’t understand!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent, and that silence only deepened Utatane Koharu’s dissatisfaction.
Her breath grew shallow, coming in fast and angry bursts.
Mitokado Homura, who had been silent until now, finally interjected: “Hiruzen is weighing the consequences of engaging Uchiha Keizumi by force.”
Koharu's brows knitted together.
Hiruzen gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, his gaze lowered. The wooden edge beneath his fingers had already splintered from the pressure. His expression was dark, steeped in barely restrained fury and deep frustration.
He took several long, steadying breaths before finally speaking.
“For the sake of Konoha’s stability… I have no choice but to endure it. If Keizumi were to go on a rampage, the threat he poses to the village would be no less than the Nine-Tails’ Rampage of years past.”
He looked toward Koharu.
“Do you really want to see that kind of tragedy repeated in Konoha?”
“And besides…”
The helplessness on Hiruzen’s face was painfully clear.
“After what happened last night, I fear that Keizumi has already become a symbol—an icon to the younger, more radical Uchiha. If we move against him, it would be the same as provoking the entire Uchiha clan.”
“Even though Fugaku and Itachi stand with us, the two of them alone aren’t enough to hold the clan in check.”
Koharu opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped herself.
She, too, fell into silence.
Homura sighed and said, “Rather than standing here arguing, we should be thinking about how Konoha is going to face the daimyō’s wrath…”
“Even if we don’t want to clean up Keizumi’s mess, we have no choice—we have to figure out how to contain the damage.”
