Konoha: The Absolute Justice of the Uchiha

Chapter 141 Orochimaru: "Sarutobi-sensei, what a double standard!" (8,000 words)
When Jiraiya returned to Konoha Village, two toads were perched on his shoulders, though he hadn't activated Sage Mode.

"It's been so long since I've been to Konoha, I really miss it!" said Fukasaku, the green-skinned toad with white beard, white eyebrows, and white hair.

"Honey, I remember you've only been to Konoha twice, right? Is a place you've only been to twice really worth remembering?"

Shima, who has purple hair and naturally purple lips, is also a green toad.

"Toad..."

"Speak!"

Just then, a sudden voice caught Jiraiya and the two toads' attention: "Lady Tsunade, those two toads, they're talking! Toads can talk! Hiccup~"

"Tsunade?" Jiraiya was taken aback. He turned around and saw Tsunade supporting Shizune, whose face was flushed and who reeked of alcohol.

Tsunade also seemed a bit drunk, but not as badly as Shizune; her eyes just looked a little dazed.

This……

What a coincidence!
But how come Tsunade's disciple is so drunk?
Jiraiya remembered that Shizune didn't seem to like drinking much, right?
Tsunade hadn't expected to run into Jiraiya here. She glanced at the two toads perched on Jiraiya's shoulders and, seeing the confusion on his face, casually offered an explanation.

"I was in a bad mood today, so I went to the tavern to have a good drink. But Shizune was afraid I'd get drunk, so she snatched the wine jug and gulped down all the wine in it."

"That's strong liquor with an alcohol content of over 50 degrees. I have to sip it slowly here. She's a kid who's not good at drinking, and she drank it all in one go and she's like this now."

Jiraiya suddenly realized.

Then, Tsunade frowned and asked curiously, "These are toads from Mount Myōboku, aren't they? They look kind of familiar... What are they?"

"Fukasaku Sennin."

"Shima Sennin."

Jiraiya explained, "You've seen them before. They are two elder-level sages from Mount Myōboku, second only to the Great Toad Sage Gamamaru, and they have lived for over eight hundred years."

Tsunade paused, then thought back and seemed to recall something. She suddenly asked, "Then what is their purpose in coming to Konoha?"

"This..." Jiraiya didn't know if he could say it.

"Our purpose is to meet Uchiha Ikezumi." Fukasaku smiled slightly and told Tsunade the truth: "The Lord said that there is a ninja in Konoha named Uchiha Ikezumi who has eyes that can see the future. We are just following the Lord's orders to see if it is true."

Tsunade pursed her lips: "Master?"

"It's the Great Toad Sage," Jiraiya quickly added.

"Oh!"

Tsunade suddenly realized: "It's that giant toad sage who tricked you so much that you lost your bearings and got roasted by Chi Quan!"

Jiraiya: "..."

Jiraiya immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly glanced left at Fukasaku and right at Shima, fearing that Tsunade's disrespectful words would displease the two sages.

"fine."

Fukasaku shook his head, then looked at Tsunade and asked, "Didn't Uchiha Ikezumi also say that the Child of Prophecy truly exists? Then why did you say that the old man deceived Jiraiya?"

Master Shima also spoke up: "I recognize you. You are the child of the Slug Sage who made a contract with Shikkotsu Forest, right? Even if the Slug Sage met the Master, he wouldn't be so impolite."

Tsunade, supporting Shizune with one hand, said with a smirk, "Isn't it a kind of deception to fool that idiot Jiraiya and search the whole ninja world for some so-called prophetic child? It's truly a laughable idea to entrust the future peace of the ninja world to a so-called prophetic child savior."

"Just as that brat Chi Quan said, one savior is not enough to bring about change in the ninja world. When the ninja world becomes better, everyone can naturally become a savior. Only when countless saviors work together can the ninja world truly change."

At this point, Tsunade paused, then continued, "Jiraiya, the one who can save the world is never a person, but a positive idea that can be recognized by everyone."

"Take that brat's absolute justice, for example."

"Moreover, it's precisely because I'm from Shikkotsu Forest that I'm saying such things about that giant toad." Tsunade scoffed, "Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest—the three great sacred lands of the ninja world clearly have three sages, yet only that giant toad likes to cause all sorts of trouble."

"A toad has lived for so long without ever taking a break, and the other two sages aren't necessarily as restless as it. Is it truly thinking of the ninja world, or is it just ambitious?"

"I'm afraid only he himself can explain it clearly!"

After saying that, Tsunade helped Shizune up and casually waved to Jiraiya.

"Let's stop here for now. I need to take this kid back with me. He stole my wine and got so drunk. Aren't you afraid some lecherous old man with ill intentions will pick him up?"

Jiraiya: "..."

The lewd act of peeping at older men seems to have a hidden meaning.
Watching Tsunade's departing figure, Shima's eyelids twitched slightly: "Little Jiraiya, the father of my child... are all the successors of Shikkotsu Forest this rude these days? Doesn't the Slug Sage examine the character of those he accepts as successors?"

"Shh! Shh!" Jiraiya, drenched in sweat, quickly whispered, "Shima-sage, a drunk Tsunade is not to be trifled with. In the end, I'll be the one getting beaten up!"

Fukasaku said quietly, "Once we find the true Child of Prophecy, and once the Child of Prophecy brings about real change to the ninja world, this child will realize that the Master was right."

"Jiraiya, let's not rush to see that kid Uchiha Ikezumi. After all, he's in Konoha and can't have run away. List out the names of the children you think might be the Child of Prophecy and let us take a look."

"Phew! Good."

Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief.

……

Inside the ninja school.

"Finally, school's over!" Naruto rushed out of the classroom excitedly, then turned back and shouted to Sasuke, "Sasuke, hurry up! We need to find Izumi-senpai right away and have her lead us in upholding justice in Konoha!"

"Don't shout so loudly." Sasuke's lips twitched slightly. He felt many eyes on him, making him feel a little uncomfortable. Didn't this loser realize how embarrassing his behavior was?
Just as he was about to follow, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Yamanaka Ino, who was carrying a delicate little schoolbag not far away.

"Hey."

Sasuke invited, "Would you like to come along too?"

He said earnestly, "Your understanding of justice is more profound than mine and mine. And judging from your previous attitude, you must also agree with Teacher Chi Quan's absolute justice, right? In that case, we should be partners. And as partners, we have an obligation to involve you as well."

"Right, bottom of the pack?"

He glanced at Naruto.

"Yes!" Naruto nodded emphatically, then suddenly realized something and gritted his teeth as he said to Sasuke, "Did you say the word 'loser' to me a lot today?"

Sasuke shifted his gaze.

I'm a little nervous.

But more than anything, he used the term "bottom of the class" to mask his inferiority complex in front of Naruto. Yes, after Naruto unleashed the Nine-Tails' power in front of Sasuke, Sasuke felt inferior in terms of strength.

He himself didn't know why, but he just instinctively didn't want Naruto to be on top of him. This strange instinct sometimes puzzled Sasuke, leaving him unable to find an answer.

Maybe……

Is it a sense of resentment?

"No." Ino shook her head, her face showing a complicated expression, and said, "I need to hurry back to the Nara clan's camp to help my father and the others deal with the bodies they haven't finished handling yet."

"Corpse?"

Sasuke was startled.

Ino explained, "Most of the villains killed by Lord Uchiha Ikezumi, as long as their heads are intact, are sent to our Yamanaka clan. The Yamanaka clan uses its unique secret techniques to search the memories of the murdered criminals. We strive to collect all the evidence of their crimes during their lifetimes so that the village can better deal with their ill-gotten gains."

Sasuke probably understood.

In [Absolute Justice], Professor Izumi is responsible for investigating cases, solving crimes, and eliminating villains. The Yamanaka Clan, on the other hand, works behind the scenes, gathering more evidence and compiling reports on criminal activities.

“Then…” Sasuke suddenly thought of something: “You… did you also see the memories of those villains who were killed by Izumi-sensei?”

If I remember correctly, the heinous crimes committed by those villains were truly appalling.

I only heard about it, and I felt a chill run down my spine. If I were to witness it with my own eyes...

"No, I haven't learned it yet," Ino said frankly. "I'm just helping my father out."

After saying that, Ino left directly.

"No wonder she seemed a bit more mature than us," Sasuke muttered.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Naruto asked in surprise from outside the door.

Sasuke said, "She has seen many things we have never seen, and she has been exposed to things that are much darker than we have. Perhaps that is why she has a deeper understanding of justice."

Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully.

……

"Ino...Ino!"

Not long after Ino Yamanaka left the ninja academy, a familiar voice behind her startled her. Turning around, she saw Sakura Haruno running after her, panting.

"Huh, huh..."

Sakura, clutching her knees, took a few heavy breaths. After catching her breath, she looked up, her face full of confusion, and asked, "Ino... why have you stopped liking Sasuke-kun?"

"I...I feel..." Sakura pursed her lips and mustered her courage to say, "I feel like you've become someone I don't recognize. You don't seem like the Yamanaka Ino I remember."

"This change has happened recently; I've been watching you change. Have you encountered something bad?"

Sakura's heart was once conflicted because of her "love rival".

Even though he was very concerned about Ino's changes, he stubbornly refused to ask.

Until she realized that Ino seemed to no longer like Sasuke.

She finally got rid of that conflicted feeling.

“Nothing bad has happened... well, except for being temporarily homeless. But Father and the elders of the clan are already contacting the construction team in Konoha, and it is estimated that the Yamanaka clan’s residence will be restored to its original state in just over a year.”

Ino shook her head and said in a childish voice, "As for why I no longer like Sasuke..."

"I used to like good-looking guys. Now I like good-looking guys who aren't immature. I have a strange feeling about immature guys, I don't know how to explain it."

Ino frankly admitted that she is a sucker for good looks.

of course.

Now, in addition to her preference for good looks, she has added a new condition. Clearly, Sasuke doesn't currently meet this new condition.

“Sakura.” Ino took a deep breath. Since she had demystified Sasuke, her view of Sakura had become normal.

Ino, no longer harboring hostility, said seriously, "Let me give you some advice! The time you spend studying at the Ninja Academy... may be one of the few precious years that will isolate you from this dark and morbid ninja world. You... should not waste this precious time on useless unrequited love."

"Otherwise, after you graduate from the Ninja Academy and become a Konoha genin, once you are exposed to the darkness of the ninja world, you will find it difficult to have enough power to protect yourself from being corrupted by the darkness, and it will also be difficult to have a strong mindset to ensure that you do not fall into the darkness."

Ino paused for a moment, then added, "These are some things my father once told me, and I'm just relaying them to you now."

Sakura stood there, frozen in place.

Perhaps it wasn't that Sasuke became childish because he hung out with Naruto, but rather that Ino became far more mature than her peers.

Although Ino said nothing happened, Sakura felt that she was hiding something.

It's because she and I are no longer from the same world that she won't tell me the truth.

Sakura was silent.

……

“Yamano Ino, the only daughter of the chief of the Yamanaka clan, is a child I had this morning who is suspected to be the child of prophecy.”

Not far away, Jiraiya, standing behind a tree, said to Fukasaku and Shima, the two toad sages, "Because her mountain clan is very close to Uchiha Ikezumi. You could even say that their relationship is inseparable."

Do you think Yamanaka Ino could be the child of prophecy?

Shima, the sage, perched on Jiraiya's left shoulder, stroking his chin: "The prophesied child who can bring peace and change to the future of the ninja world must possess extraordinary talent that is unmatched by ordinary people. Is this child from the mountain clan a genius of Konoha?"

Jiraiya shook his head: "From what I've observed, her talent is only above average. Her future limit is probably just an ordinary Jonin."

“Then it’s not her,” said Shima Sage. “A prophetic child with poor talent, she has no ability to change the ninja world.”

Jiraiya nodded.

He shifted his attention from Ino to another ninja academy student who walked out of the academy and passed over Sakura Haruno, who remained motionless in place.

Jiraiya said, "Hyuga Neji is also a candidate on the list of prophets. This child is very talented and can be considered the number one genius in the Ninja Academy. He is only a second-year student, but he can already fight on par with sixth-year students. Although he has not had much contact with Uchiha Ikezumi, he has had quite a few interactions with Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hyuuga Neji..."

Fukasaku held a list recorded by Jiraiya in his hand, stroked his beard with one hand, and looked at Hyuga Neji not far away.

"You could try getting to know him first."

Said the sage Fukasaku.

……

Meanwhile, at a hotel in Konoha, a man dressed as a businessman from out of town walked back into his hotel room.

After closing the door, he bit his thumb, slammed his palm on the ground, and black curse marks spread outwards.

With a "bang," a puff of white smoke flashed by, and a black python as thick as a thigh appeared before his eyes.

The man spoke to the black python, "Tell Lord Orochimaru that all the spies he placed in Konoha have vanished without a trace. It's highly likely they were captured by Konoha, or perhaps they were killed."

"but……"

He paused, then continued, "I haven't yet figured out how they were exposed. Logically speaking, they shouldn't know each other's identities, nor should they have been in contact with each other. Even if one of them was arrested, the others shouldn't have been exposed, but they all just disappeared."

The black python stared at the man with its cold eyes for a moment, then flicked its tongue and disappeared with a "pop".

Orochimaru, who was in a secret experimental base somewhere in the Land of Fire, learned of this information in less than half an hour.

"Heh heh, no wonder we haven't received any new information from Konoha."

Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly. The man who summoned the black python in Konoha was none other than Orochimaru's new spy planted in Konoha.

The purpose was to gather information about Uchiha Ikezumi.

After Zetsu came directly to his door that day, Orochimaru realized that Uchiha Izumi must have something that the Akatsuki organization feared.

It could be an object, some information, or some powerful force.

"Hehe, the secret you want to know, I also really want to know! If I can get that secret before you find out, can I use it to control the Akatsuki? Even if I can't control it, having it in my hands as leverage would be pretty good."

Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips.

How could Orochimaru possibly obediently cooperate with Akatsuki's orders?
He's incredibly cunning.

“However…” Orochimaru suddenly stopped grinning, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes: “Uchiha Izumi’s growth rate is much faster than I imagined! Even Shimura Danzo died at his hands, and even Sarutobi-sensei’s two biological sons were killed by him.”

Orochimaru's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"My two biological sons were killed by Uchiha Ikezumi, yet they still tolerated Uchiha Ikezumi. And I was just doing some necessary experiments for my own purposes. They tried every means to stop me, even to kill me."

"Satori-sensei... treats me with one standard, but Uchiha Ikezumi with another?

"Ho ho..."

A flash of anger crossed his eyes.

……

Juzo Biwa finally made a decision—he didn't want to offend either Obito Uchiha or Konan. He decided to keep the secret he had overheard today buried deep in his heart.

To the outside world, they claimed that they had not completed the mission.

Anyway, Xiao Nan only said that if she completed the mission and the information she obtained was useful to the organization, she could directly become a core member.

It was not said that failing the mission would result in being expelled from the Akatsuki organization.

Juzo Biwa has decided to leave Konoha today!

He didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place for even a second longer, because the presence of Uchiha Ikezumi made him feel uneasy.

"That guy knows too many secrets. Does he also know a lot about me? In his eyes, am I someone he can kill with a single blow at any time? Just like he knows the weakness of Obito Uchiha's intangibility ability."

"Phew! I feel like every extra day I stay in Konoha increases the risk to my personal safety several times over."

Pipa Shizang's expression was unpredictable, shifting between light and dark.

Uchiha Izumi... This is definitely the man he fears most, apart from Might Guy, that Konoha genin.

He instinctively didn't want to be enemies with the other party.

So, at the moment night fell, Ignoring the other Amegakure ninjas, I immediately fled Konoha and quickly disappeared into the dense forest outside the village.

But less than ten kilometers away from Konoha, Juzo Biwa suddenly sensed that something was amiss. He immediately stopped and scanned his surroundings with extreme vigilance.

The decapitation sword he used to carry on his back had been taken off at some point and was now gripped tightly in his hand.

The dim moonlight was completely obscured by the dense branches of the trees.

Everything in front of me was completely dark, and I couldn't see what was in the shadows.

However, the ominous premonition born from years of combat experience still made Biwa Juzo frown and not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

A cruel sneer curled at the corner of his mouth as he coldly spoke to the air in front of him: "A bunch of little rats hiding in the shadows, too afraid to show their faces, have been waiting for me here for a long time, haven't they?"

Juzo Biwa questioned, "How did you know I was leaving Konoha tonight? Do you have spies planted in Konoha?"

Just then, a voice suddenly entered Biwa Juzo's ears, causing his pupils to shrink slightly: "We've been discovered. As expected of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist Village, this sense of danger is unique in the ninja world."

Without hesitation, Juzo Biwa pulled out two kunai from his waist and threw them in the direction from which the sound came.

At the same time, he also turned his cruel gaze in that direction.

But the next second, Juzo Biwa was shocked to see that the kunai he had thrown had pierced through the body of a figure. The kunai did not pierce into flesh and blood, but instead came out from behind the person and slammed heavily into a large tree behind them.

Boom! ! !
Boom! ! !
Two deafening explosions, accompanied by flashes of fire, occurred simultaneously, and the unfortunate tree was blasted in half and collapsed with a crash!

Clearly, those two kunai had explosive tags attached to them.

Using the light from the explosion, Juzo Biwa was able to make out the other person's clothing—it was an Akatsuki member wearing a strange mask and a black robe with fiery clouds on it!
"Lord Madara, it's not that he has keen senses, but that you revealed your killing intent. In this situation, any well-trained and experienced ninja would have noticed something was wrong."

Suddenly, another voice rang out from the other side.

Following the sound, Pipa Juzo saw a man dressed in a black robe with fiery clouds. This guy looked even stranger.

The shoulders were decorated with exaggerated shapes resembling pitcher plants, and the face was half extremely pale and half extremely black.

"Master Madara..."

After pondering this unusual title, a cold sweat began to seep from Biwa Juzo's palms. He glanced at the masked man: "...You're 'Uchiha Madara'?!"

"It seems that even though I haven't been very active in the ninja world over the years, the younger generation still remembers my name."

The masked man's voice was hoarse yet steady: "Since you know it's me, why don't you throw away your weapon? You've got some nerve."

"Ha, maybe I'm just naturally bold," said Hibiki Juzo nonchalantly, though he was already sweating profusely.

damn it!
Madara Uchiha… No! Obito Uchiha! What is this guy doing here?

Could he be lying in wait here, waiting for me to come?

Did he already know that he had been in contact with Uchiha Ikezumi and had learned some of his secret information, and then want to come and kill him to silence him?

Or is it just a sudden prank to scare me? As long as I behave normally, nothing will happen?

A sliver of hope remained in Pipa Juzo's heart.

"Juzo Biwa, you made the wrong choice." It wasn't until Obito's hoarse and indifferent voice shattered his hopes: "Whether you know anything or not, as long as you accepted that woman's mission and came to Konoha, your fate was sealed."

Absolute: "..."

It wanted to say something, but it was also a little tired.

By saying this directly, Obito clearly indicated that Uchiha Izumi possessed a secret that could potentially threaten him, and that he absolutely could not allow this secret to be known by others.
Forget it.

Anyway, we're going to kill Juzo Biwa, so as long as we kill him, we can pretend Obito never said those words.

"Hey Hey hey!"

Juzo Biwa turned sideways and took a half-step back without making a sound, while keeping a wary eye on the masked man who resembled Uchiha Madara, and also on the pitcher plant man he had never seen in the Akatsuki organization before.

He took a deep breath, trying to stall for time, and said, "We're all members of Akatsuki, there's no need to kill us all, is there? Besides, aren't you curious about what I heard from Uchiha Ikezumi? Maybe there's some information that will interest you?"

"not interested."

After Obito uttered those murderous words, he flew towards Juzo Biwa like an arrow released from a bow, and a sharp ninja sword suddenly appeared out of thin air in his right hand!

As he closed in on him, Obito slashed at Juzo's throat with his sword.

when! ! !
A sudden clanging sound of metal rang out, and a grim-faced Juzo Biwa raised his Executioner's Blade and narrowly blocked Obito's attack.

The next second, Hibiki Juzo felt something moving on the ground beneath his feet.

Before he could even look down, more than a dozen vines thicker than his thighs burst forth from the ground. Like pythons, the vines rapidly climbed up Biwa Juzo's ankles, enveloping him completely until they tightened, attempting to strangle him.

Bang! ! !
Pipa Juzo's body was twisted and exploded, but what splattered out was not scarlet blood, but clusters of water droplets!

The decapitation blade clattered to the ground.

"A water clone?" Zetsu narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed in one direction. "They even discarded their ninja tools just to mislead us?"

"Chase after him!" Obito commanded. "He's running towards Konoha! Don't let him get to Konoha!"

After saying that, Obito was the first to chase after them.

……

"Why is this little guy sneaking around to the edge of Konoha Village so late at night instead of going home?" Jiraiya, who was following closely behind Hyuga Neji, suddenly wondered.

Yes, Jiraiya had been secretly following Neji for over three hours.

The purpose was to let Fukasaku and Shima observe whether Hyuga Neji might be the child of prophecy.

The hermit Fukasaku said, "He seems to have been asking passersby about something along the way. He didn't come here aimlessly; it's more like he's looking for something."

Suddenly, Shima said, "The child's father, Jiraiya. This little guy seems to want to sneak away from Konoha. This means that what he is urgently looking for is currently outside Konoha."

Jiraiya frowned: "He can't possibly hide from the patrolling ninjas nearby. Even if he manages to sneak away, he probably won't be able to run more than a few hundred meters before the patrolling ninjas catch him."

The immortal master chuckled: "We can help him."

Having said that, it jumped off Jiraiya's shoulder.

With a single leap, it vanished without a trace.

……

“He left Konoha…and if the last person I asked wasn’t lying or misremembering, then he left in this direction. If I just keep walking in this direction, I should be able to catch up with that man.”

Under the cover of night, Hyuga Neji took a deep breath.

He took out a white silk ribbon and silently tied up his long hair, making the hair at the back of his head less of a nuisance.

"Hyuuga Neji..."

"What the hell are you doing?"

This sentence wasn't said by someone else. It was Neji talking to himself, saying it to himself.

"There's clearly no need for this."

"but……"

Neji gritted his teeth: "If I don't do something conspicuous, how can I make that man remember me? How can I make him realize how determined I am? How can I make him understand how much I crave justice?"

Sasuke's words to him during the day did not discourage him; instead, they provoked Neji.

“If two first-year students can believe in absolute justice, why can’t I? I’m not believing in absolute justice solely for the sake of power. I’m choosing absolute justice because I want to seek justice for my father.”

After muttering something to himself, Neji quietly slipped out of Konoha Village.

After running two kilometers out of the village, panting heavily, Neji was somewhat taken aback. He couldn't help but look back under the moonlight, only to find that there was no one behind him.

He had assumed he would need to put in some effort to play a cat-and-mouse game with the patrolling Konoha ninjas. If he was unlucky, he might be caught and brought back, only to be severely reprimanded.

But to my surprise, everything went so smoothly.

The patrolling ninjas seem to have all disappeared.

……

At the same time.

Not far behind Neji.

"This child seems to be looking for Chiquan..." Jiraiya murmured.

"Chiquan..."

"He left the village?"

……

……

(End of this chapter)