Chapter 24: Death Note...?

"Uchiha Chizumi…"

Elder Uchiha Setsuna's withered face grew darker as he ground out each syllable:

"He's already been brain‑washed by the Senju clan's Will of Fire—just like Uchiha Itachi!"

"His loyalty isn't to the Uchiha at all; it's to Konoha, to the Senju! He's a traitor to the clan!"

To a hard‑line hawk like Setsuna, any clansman who refused to back the coup was a coward.

Any Uchiha who openly stood with the Hokage had, in his eyes, been irreversibly indoctrinated by that "Will of Fire."

As for Uchiha Chizumi…

Setsuna maliciously assumed he combined both kinds of "defectors," and was something even worse.

The murderous intent Chizumi had just shown him definitely hadn't been faked—

The brat had genuinely wanted to kill him!

"Elder Setsuna," another hawkish Uchiha said beside him, "Chizumi might become the biggest obstacle to our plan, just like Itachi."

"That guy may never have been on our side. His allegiance has never stood with the clan."

Setsuna snorted coldly, calculating who knew what in silence.

…

Somewhere else

After leaving Root headquarters, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not return to the Hokage Tower.

Instead he went straight to Konoha Prison and waited there quietly.

He hadn't waited long when a member of the Uchiha Police Force arrived, escorting the delinquent Uzumaki Naruto on Fugaku's orders.

"H-Hokage‑sama…?"

The officer stiffened at the sight of Hiruzen and the Anbu behind him; he was, after all, an Uchiha holding the child rumored to be the Nine‑Tails' vessel.

"It's alright."

Hiruzen smiled genially. "I've always trusted the Uchiha clan and believe you won't overstep. From what I see, Fugaku made the right call. You're with him, aren't you?"

"Yes, Clan Head Fugaku instructed me to transfer Uzumaki Naruto here immediately so certain clansmen wouldn't get near him," the officer answered, eyes lowered.

Hiruzen nodded, satisfied.

"Leave Naruto to me."

The officer hesitated. "If I hand him over, what about Uchiha Chizumi…?"

Even Fugaku couldn't rein Chizumi in; the officer was plainly wary.

"This isn't a conflict," Hiruzen said. "All Chizumi wanted was for Naruto to learn a lesson and be locked up—exactly what you've done. As Hokage I'm exercising my prerogative to pardon Naruto and take him out of the prison. If Chizumi has a problem, he'll come to me, not to you."

"…Understood, Hokage‑sama."

He let go of Naruto.

"Gramps!!!"

"Uwaaa—"

After a day of terror, Naruto burst into tears and flung himself at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen stroked the boy's head, then turned grave and told the Anbu, "Keep a close watch on Root. I doubt Danzo will swallow this quietly—especially after being outplayed by a genius from the Uchiha."

"Yes, Hokage‑sama."

…

Evening

Unfazed by the political storm he'd stirred, Uchiha Chizumi strolled around the village with Izumi as though nothing had happened.

His composure helped the anxious Izumi calm down a little.

"Rookie, give me the numbers."

"Y‑yes, Chizumi-senpai!" Izumi straightened. "Including Uzumaki Naruto, we encountered nine 'evildoers' today—three for disturbing the peace, two for theft, two for brawling, and…"

She lowered her voice. "Two for resisting law enforcement. Seven were jailed; two were killed on the spot."

The two executed were the Root ninja Chizumi had cut down.

Chizumi glanced at her. "You missed a lot."

"Eh?"

Izumi froze; she thought she'd reported everything—she'd even written it all in her notebook.

Under Chizumi's gaze, her confidence faltered. "I… I missed something?"

"Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, that Uchiha Setsuna, and…"

Chizumi calmly reeled off one name after another, like a grim reaper reading a ledger.

"These people all stood against justice today. Because our justice isn't strong enough, they still walk free."

"All these evils that must be purged—"

"You left every one of them out."

Izumi's blood ran cold. He'd basically listed the village's top brass—even several Uchiha elders.

If they truly "purged" everyone Chizumi named…

Wouldn't that amount to…rebellion?!

"Write them down, too," Chizumi said blandly.

"Y‑yes, sir…"

Hands trembling—especially when she wrote "Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hokage"—Izumi felt she was in too deep.

If Anbu ever found this notebook…

Hiss—she pictured herself spending the rest of her life in Konoha Prison.

As she scribbled while following Chizumi, she suddenly caught a small figure darting around the corner ahead.

Her eyes widened as the child collided head‑on with Chizumi.

Thud!

Predictably, the kid landed on his backside and scattered what he'd been carrying.

"Ugh—"

Izumi heard a youngster's cry of pain.

"Sasuke, watch where you're going."

A gentle voice farther ahead called apologetically, "I'm so sorry, he's too reckless. Hope he didn't trouble you."

"Huh? You're…?"

"Chizumi?"

~~~

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