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NAJ Chapter 57: When Justice Refuses to Bow
🕑 Added 2025-06-30 03:15:12 +0000 UTCSarutobi Hiruzen finally understood what Keizumi was trying to achieve.
Strung up and exposed, his face shifted between ashen green and dark fury.
Uchiha Keizumi, Shimura Danzō, shinobi from the Uchiha clan, members of the Hyūga clan, ANBU operatives... Under the watchful gaze of such a varied and formidable crowd, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in absolute misery.
His initial plan had been straightforward: publicly strip Danzō of his duties, give him a slap on the wrist to bruise his pride just enough so he’d rein himself in—stop stirring up trouble.
Had this confrontation occurred in private, Hiruzen believed that solution would have sufficed.
But now—
Before so many eyes, strung up like this, merely dismissing Danzō from his position would no longer be enough.
Insisting on that course would only tarnish his reputation as Hokage.
Worse yet, it would alienate the bloodline limit clans of the village from him—the very clans whose trust had already been strained by Danzō’s actions. The man had crossed a line that could not be ignored.
In just a fleeting moment, countless thoughts surged through Hiruzen’s mind.
“Hah…”
He cast a deep, steady glance at Uchiha Keizumi, inhaled slowly, and then broke the uneasy silence in a low, grave voice: “Shimura Danzō is suspected of repeatedly framing shinobi of the village, of attempting to steal the Uchiha clan’s bloodline limit, and of conducting clandestine experiments on Wood Release cells that resulted in the deaths of many infants… Today, I will not only strip him of his title as head of Root!”
As Danzō’s eyes widened in disbelief, Sarutobi Hiruzen clenched his fist—then slowly relaxed it. His voice was cold and unrelenting: “For these crimes combined, Shimura Danzō is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment! All illegal gains accumulated by the Shimura clan over the years shall also be confiscated!”
“From this day forward, Shimura Danzō will hold no office within Konohagakure, nor will he retain any freedom! Keizumi, this is the answer this old man gives you—Absolute Justice.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored Danzō’s incredulous and furious glare.
He now stood before Uchiha Keizumi, facing down the young man from the proud clan.
“Keizumi, I hope you can understand this old man’s dilemma,” Hiruzen said in a heavy, earnest tone. “Danzō is Konoha’s root. His death will chill the hearts of many within the village.”
He had lowered himself. He believed he had already made a significant concession.
Tonight... the victory belonged to this young man.
There was nothing he could do.
“Third Hokage.” Uchiha Keizumi locked eyes with him, a murderous glint in his gaze. His voice was slow, each word laced with lethal weight: “The countless souls directly or indirectly slain by Shimura Danzō—do you not think they were chilled to the bone as well? Justice is already long overdue—yet you still wish to delay its reckoning?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen gritted his teeth.
“Keizumi, don’t push this too far! I have considerations to make as the Hokage. You think only of your justice—but I must consider all of Konohagakure!”
Suddenly, a wave of blistering heat surged toward him.
Hiruzen’s eyelids twitched.
He saw it—Uchiha Keizumi’s arm was dripping lava.
In an instant—
A swarm of ANBU operatives encircled both Uchiha Keizumi and Sarutobi Hiruzen. Another group swiftly moved to block the Uchiha clan’s police force.
The atmosphere shifted again—taut as a drawn bowstring. Tension rippled outward, tightening the faces of everyone present.
This time, it wasn’t a confrontation between Keizumi and Shimura Danzō.
This was Keizumi facing off against the Third Hokage.
“Keizumi!”
Fugaku yanked back a member of the Uchiha Police who was about to charge forward. Alone, he pushed his way into the circle of ANBU and stepped firmly beside Sarutobi Hiruzen. His face stern, he said to Keizumi: “You need to think carefully about what you’re doing! I know you seek to uphold justice, but if you clash with the Hokage—then you’re betraying the village!”
Truthfully, even Fugaku had been shaken by the surge of murderous intent Keizumi had just unleashed.
More than anyone, Fugaku feared a violent conflict between any Uchiha and the Hokage.
For the sake of the Uchiha clan’s survival—
Forgive me, Keizumi.
Tonight...
I can only stand on the Hokage’s side.
He drew a deep breath, resolve settling in his eyes. Then, turning toward the Uchiha Police members growing restless on the perimeter, he commanded with steel in his voice: “Without my order—no one moves!”
He knew that, as clan head, siding with the Hokage like this—against one of their own—would stir resentment among his people.
But someone had to bear the weight of protecting the Uchiha’s future.
Itachi…
He had once made a choice for the sake of Konoha.
Willingly shouldering endless hatred and condemnation from the entire village.
And he, as Itachi’s father—
If all he had to endure was the disapproval of his clan, just for siding with the village…
Then he had it far easier than his son ever did.
“What... what is Fugaku-sama doing?”
Izumi stood frozen, her mind reeling.
Keizumi-senpai was clearly in the right. Bringing judgment upon a man as vile and corrupt as Shimura Danzō—enforcing absolute justice—
How could that possibly be wrong?
She had thought that, even if Fugaku-sama didn’t openly support Keizumi-senpai, at the very least he wouldn’t take the side of corruption.
Wouldn’t stand against him.
But things rarely went the way one hoped.
Izumi found herself completely unable to comprehend the way the Uchiha Fugaku household thought—nor the logic behind the Hokage’s decisions.
They were all insane!
“Keizumi-sama’s assessment of that coward-eyed Fugaku has been right from the very beginning.”
Perched on Izumi’s shoulder, Tachibana Jirō sat crouched with his feline face twisted into a look of utter disdain.
“Keizumi-sama once said Fugaku possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan. If you ask me, giving such power to him is nothing but a waste, nya.”
“Nya, rookie—these people are all enemies of justice,” Tachibana Jirō said gravely.
“You should be able to see now how difficult it is for Keizumi-sama to carry out absolute justice in Konoha, right?”
“This whole village is infested with bugs who obstruct justice. As long as they exist, the shinobi world will never know peace. That’s why Keizumi-sama once declared, ‘One day, I will purge the entire shinobi world.’”
...
“Heh… Things just got a lot more interesting. What a filthy spectacle.”
From Uchiha Obito’s perspective, standing at the heart of the crowd were four figures:
Uchiha Keizumi, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and Uchiha Fugaku.
Encircling them was a tight ring of ANBU operatives. It seemed every single ANBU member in the village had been deployed.
Just beyond them stood the Uchiha Police Force, blocked off completely by the ANBU.
And beyond even that—gathered shinobi from all the major clans, alongside many civilian shinobi.
In just this one area, nearly a thousand shinobi had assembled.
What Obito saw was a massive powder keg...
He just couldn’t see where the fuse would be lit.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced in surprise at Uchiha Fugaku, who had chosen to stand at his side.
He gave Fugaku a subtle, grateful nod, then barked out a deep command: “Men! Take the criminal Shimura Danzō away! Not a single part of his punishment tonight shall be omitted! This is the promise I make—as the Third Hokage!”
“Keizumi, this outcome should satisfy you. As far as you're concerned, Danzō’s finished.”
He turned to Uchiha Keizumi once more.
“Keizumi, people grow through compromise.”
Fugaku stepped forward, his Sharingan revealed in its three-tomoe form. He hadn’t activated the Mangekyō yet—but if Keizumi made even the slightest move, he would not hesitate.
Fugaku sighed.
“One day, you’ll understand the burden I carry. You’ll see why I chose this path.”
“Will I?” Keizumi stared directly into his eyes.
“What if justice refuses to compromise?”
His own eyes ignited with crimson—the three tomoe of the Sharingan spinning into full view.
Fugaku’s brow furrowed instantly.
“Keizumi... don’t force my hand. You know I don’t want to be your enemy.”
But in the next second—
Fugaku’s Sharingan contracted in shock.
His face twisted in disbelief as he saw, with his own eyes—the tomoe in Keizumi’s eyes… were changing shape.
...
Tonight, Uchiha Keizumi killed eight Root shinobi and forced Danzō to activate Izanagi twice.
The eight Root members only revealed a mess of random jutsu—one of them even unleashed a 'flower arranging' technique.
Only Danzō revealed anything truly worthwhile.
—The first was Binding Curse: Self-Sacrifice, a sealing technique that immobilizes the target by covering their skin with spreading curse marks, sealing their movements.
—The second was the Mangekyō Sharingan. But it wasn’t the Kotoamatsukami belonging to Uchiha Shisui that Danzō had implanted in his hand. It was a Mangekyō born from Uchiha Keizumi’s own unwavering conviction!
Under Fugaku’s stunned gaze, Keizumi’s pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to spin rapidly—each eye shedding its tomoe as they morphed into a Mangekyō pattern unlike anything he had ever seen before.
And Fugaku wasn’t the only one watching Keizumi.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and numerous ANBU were all fixated on his every move.
They too—had witnessed the transformation in Uchiha Keizumi’s eyes!
