Absolute Justice: Uchiha’s Crusade

Ichiraku Ramen Stall.

"Hey, Naruto… you're not with the Hokage today?"

The owner of Ichiraku Ramen, Teuchi, smiled warmly at the boy.

He was one of the rare few in Konoha who didn't look at Naruto with suspicion or disdain.

But almost immediately, Teuchi noticed something unusual about Naruto's demeanor today.

Whenever the boy came here with the Third Hokage, he always looked so cheerful, full of life.

But today, the boy seemed unusually tense.

His hands kept tugging nervously at the hem of his shirt, and he looked deeply unsettled.

If one looked closely, they'd notice two faint tear streaks on his cheeks—as if he'd been crying not long ago for reasons unknown.

Sigh…

Poor kid.

Teuchi let out a quiet sigh in his heart.

He was well aware of Naruto's situation in the village.

He figured the boy must've run into some foul-mouthed adult who thought nothing of verbally abusing a child.

Just as Teuchi was about to say something like,

"Your ramen's half-price today, kid,"

hoping it might lift the boy's spirits a little—

He suddenly noticed two people walking in behind Naruto.

Judging by their uniforms, they were shinobi from the Uchiha Police Force.

"Welcome t—"

Before he could finish the phrase "—o Ichiraku," his eyes were already drawn to the face of one of them.

Uchiha Keizumi.

"The usual," Keizumi said flatly. "But make it four bowls this time."

"…Understood."

Of course, Teuchi recognized Uchiha Keizumi—he was a regular at Ichiraku Ramen.

Even though Keizumi had brought business to the stall more times than Teuchi could count,

every time he saw this infamous man of Konoha…

Teuchi couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

After all, the nickname 'Plague God of the Uchiha' was far more terrifying than even 'Demon Fox Brat'.

The latter might've caused irreversible trauma to the village—but that was years ago.

The former?

That was different.

Every single day, Teuchi heard about the glorious deeds of Uchiha Keizumi—how many people he had arrested yesterday, or how many he had killed today.

More often than not, his name was scarier than the Nine-Tails itself.

That said—

Teuchi had vaguely heard that Keizumi's reputation in the village… had started to improve—if only a little.

Of course,

That didn't make him any less intimidating.

'Naruto came in with Keizumi… What's going on between those two?'

That question floated through Teuchi's mind—

but he said nothing, turning instead to start preparing the ramen.

…

"Meow! Hey brat, Keizumi-sama isn't some monster who eats children. Why are you hunched over like a turtle?"

Tachibana Jirō leapt onto Naruto's head with practiced ease.

Clearly, the cat had no awareness of its own weight—because with that single jump, the unsuspecting Naruto toppled face-first onto the ground.

His forehead smacked the floor with a dull thud, snapping him out of his daze.

He didn't dare cry out in pain—he just scrambled back up in a panic.

His dirty little face was full of confusion.

Naruto didn't even know where he found the courage—

But he turned his head and looked at Uchiha Keizumi, his lips trembling slightly as he asked: "Am… am I going to die…? If I really am the Nine-Tails, if I've caused so many deaths before… then that means I'm the kind of horrible person you'd kill, right?"

"This bowl of Ichiraku ramen… is this the last meal of my life?"

Keizumi glanced sideways at the blond brat.

Tachibana Jirō leapt onto the table and took it upon himself to answer on Keizumi's behalf: "Kid, didn't I already tell you? You're just a vessel. Keizumi-sama isn't some crazed killer."

"Relax! If you were really some evil bastard, you would've been dead the moment he laid eyes on you. You really think he'd let you live this long in peace?"

"Or treat you to Ichiraku ramen?"

"Huh?!"

Only then did Tachibana Jirō suddenly freeze in realization.

Right!

Why had Keizumi-sama treated this Jinchūriki brat to ramen?

"He has no darkness in his future," Uchiha Keizumi said calmly.

"He's got potential."

"Potential…"

Izumi, who was sitting nearby, suddenly widened her eyes.

She stared at the completely bewildered Uzumaki Naruto, who had no idea what was going on.

Hiss…

Was Keizumi-senpai trying to steal the Hokage's golden boy?

Naruto had no idea what that terrifying man meant by 'Potential'. All he knew was—it seemed he wasn't going to die after all.

But the relief didn't bring him much comfort.

The moment he realized that there really was a 'Nine-Tails Fox' sealed inside him—one that had wreaked havoc on Konohagakure the year he was born—Naruto couldn't help but feel scared.

He didn't even know whether he was more afraid of the fox hurting him, or of the monster hurting the village.

At the very least, Naruto had started to understand what 'vessel' meant.

In other words…

His existence was just like a container. At some point, someone had sealed the Nine-Tails inside him—and just like that, he had become what that terrifying man referred to as a jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.

Even if Teuchi were to put a piping-hot bowl of ramen in front of him right now, Naruto wouldn't have much of an appetite.

His mind was spinning with all kinds of thoughts.

He didn't know why, but somehow, he found the courage again. He swallowed hard and asked the frightening man: "Why… why did they seal that monster inside me?"

"I…"

He lowered his small head, his face full of confusion. Biting his lip, he continued, "All these years, the reason everyone in the village's been avoiding me… it's because of the monster inside me, right?"

"If I didn't have that monster… then maybe I could've been just like the other students at the Academy. Go to school like normal. Go home like normal…"

As he spoke, Naruto couldn't hold back anymore—he sniffled hard, trying to rein in the snot running from his nose.

"I mean… I could've lived like everyone else in the village. Just… normally. I wouldn't have to be hated by so many people. Then I wouldn't have had to play pranks just to get attention…"

Uchiha Keizumi watched Naruto silently, his head lowered as he cried quietly.

Finally, he spoke. "The Fourth Hokage's intention, most likely, was to keep the Nine-Tails' power from falling into enemy hands—especially not into the hands of the masked man who started the Nine-Tails' rampage: Uchiha Obito. And you, Uzumaki Naruto, carry the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan. Among everyone present at the time, you were the most suitable candidate to become the Nine-Tails' vessel… a jinchūriki."

Naruto blinked in shock.

"The Fourth Hokage"—a term that felt somewhat unfamiliar—immediately made him think of the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure.

All Naruto knew about the Fourth was that he had died young.

The Third Hokage, Grandpa Hiruzen, had once told him that the Fourth had been the youngest Hokage in Konoha's history.

Other than that… nothing.

Naruto didn't really have any other impression of the Fourth Hokage.

Oh, right!

He had seen the Fourth Hokage's face on the Hokage Rock. That massive carving loomed over the rear mountain—it was nearly impossible not to see it.

"As a matter of fact," Uchiha Keizumi said flatly, "only a small number of people in Konoha knew that the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside you. But later, rumors began to spread through the village, saying you were the reincarnation of the Demon Fox. Those rumors snowballed, and eventually, everyone came to believe that you were the 'Demon Fox.'"

Uchiha Keizumi continued, "In the end… the Third Hokage gave the order that no one in Konoha was allowed to speak openly about you being the fox's reincarnation, and they were absolutely forbidden from mentioning the Nine-Tails' Rampage in front of you."

He hadn't tried to slander anyone, nor had he intended to stir up Naruto's psychological wounds or hatred. He was simply stating the facts of what had happened all those years ago—plainly and directly—to a Naruto who was only seven years old.

At that time, Uchiha Keizumi himself had only been eleven.

Naruto froze.

"Ojisan… the Hokage…"

Just as Naruto was starting to feel a bit moved, Jirō suddenly cut in.

"Oi, kid, don't go getting all emotional just yet, nya."

With surprising dexterity, Jirō raised one paw and plucked a piece of fish from the top of the ramen bowl.

He stuffed the fish into his mouth, chewed leisurely, and said through bites, "Aren't you curious who started those rumors about you being the 'Demon Fox's reincarnation'? Don't you wanna know whether the Third Hokage knew about it?"

Jirō went on, "Back then, it was Danzō's dogs who spread those rumors in the village. As for his true motive… who knows?"

"Maybe he didn't like the Third Hokage. Maybe he wanted to provoke you using the village's hatred—make you lose control. That way, maybe he could recreate the whole drama of the Hokage sacrificing himself to seal the Nine-Tails. Then Danzō could step in and take power, easy as that."

Jirō swallowed the fish, licked his paw, and narrowed his feline eyes in satisfaction.

"Anyway, the Third Hokage definitely knew it was happening. But all he did was tell the villagers not to go too far with their gossip about you. That's it."

"As for the real instigator—Shimura Danzō—the Third Hokage never laid a finger on him. Both times Keizumi-senpai tried to kill Shimura Danzō, the Third Hokage showed up and risked his life to protect him."

"Kid…"

"You seriously feel touched by a 'Grandpa Hokage' who covered for the man behind all this? That's a little too naïve, don't you think? Nothing the Third Hokage did had anything to do with justice!"

Jirō's sharp string of words struck the young Naruto like a thunderclap—causing a massive shock deep inside his heart.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in defense of Grandpa Hokage.

Because, in his memories…

Grandpa Hokage had always been kind to him.

Whenever he felt the most helpless, it was always Grandpa Hokage who appeared first to comfort him—and often took him to Ichiraku Ramen for a hot, steaming bowl.

When he was struggling financially, it was also Grandpa Hokage who gave him enough money to get by. He only lived a little messy because he didn't really understand how to manage it properly.

But still…

If Grandpa Hokage knew who was deliberately spreading the rumors that he was the 'Demon Fox's incarnation', causing everyone in the village to avoid him—

Then why didn't he punish them?

And why did that man named Shimura Danzō harbor so much malice toward him?

What did disliking the Third Hokage…

or wanting to become Hokage himself… have to do with Uzumaki Naruto?

A look of confusion crossed Naruto's small face.

The world of adults felt so complicated to him.

He couldn't make sense of it at all.

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