Uchiha Ryosuke turned sharply toward Nara Shikaku, his eyes cold as steel, and countered his words with righteous fury:
"Did none of you actually look at Naruto's condition?!"
His voice cut through the room like a blade. "His face is covered in blood, he's just a child — physically weak and delicate. He was struck with such force that he nearly died. That's attempted murder. You really think five years is too harsh a punishment?"
He swept his gaze across the clan heads seated before him.
"If your own child had been crushed by such a huge rock, bleeding and barely standing in front of you, what would you have done?"
The room fell into an uneasy silence.
Even Shikaku, usually calm and logical, was stunned into silence. If it had been their own child, they would've likely beaten the attacker half to death on the spot. No trial. No deliberation.
Seeing their hesitation, Ryosuke pressed on.
"A sentence of five years? That's already lenient. This isn't child's play — this is attempted murder. Just because the attacker is a kid doesn't mean we excuse it. If you don't discipline him now, what happens when he grows up? Will he stab someone next time?"
Even the usually cool-headed Shikaku felt a chill. Ryosuke had a point — a kid who would hurl a boulder that size was already way past playground mischief.
Still, Shikaku tried to temper the punishment.
"Ryosuke, five years is too heavy. Why not make it a year at most? Use it as a warning, not a life-ruiner. A harsh sentence like that will destroy his future."
But Ryosuke just frowned.
"A ruined future?" he said coldly. "That's not our concern. If someone commits a crime, they need to deal with the consequences. We are here to protect the victims, not coddle the criminals. Have you all forgotten your purpose?"
Shikaku blinked. That hit deep.
He realized then — he'd been arguing for the aggressor, not the victim. For the kid who hurt Naruto, not Naruto himself. And wasn't Naruto the one who needed justice?
The other clan heads — Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Inuzuka Tsume — exchanged glances. They had no counterargument.
To speak up for the attacker now would just make them look like fools trying to excuse violence against a kid — and not just any kid.
In the crowd, the tall boy's father — the one responsible for the attack — finally spoke up, face pale and voice tight.
"This punishment… it's not in line with the current disciplinary codes. It's excessive."
But Ryosuke sneered.
"Do you think laws never change? These rules aren't carved into stone. I have two announcements to make today."
He stood tall, voice loud and unwavering.
"First — from this day forward, any case of child-on-child violence that crosses the line into serious harm will be fully prosecuted. We don't care how old the attacker is. Jail time is jail time."
The air grew tense.
"For orphans especially — who've already suffered enough — we should offer protection and compassion, not tolerate bullying."
He paused.
"If anyone here disagrees, feel free to leave the village. The Konoha Police Force no longer welcomes those who sympathize with aggressors."
No one dared respond.
Because no one could.
Was it harsh? Sure. But was it wrong? Not at all. The weight of Ryosuke's words hung over them like thunderclouds. Uchiha were still the Uchiha — blunt, proud, and iron-willed.
Among the onlookers was a woman dressed in modest nun-like robes, glasses perched on her nose. Her name: Yakushi Nonō — known in the shadows as the "Mother" of the Root's orphan program.
Her sharp eyes glinted as she watched Ryosuke. A powerful Uchiha, speaking on behalf of orphans? That was rare. Promising.
With Danzo gone and Root defunded, her orphanage was struggling. Funds were drying up. Maybe, just maybe, this Ryosuke could help.
But Ryosuke wasn't finished yet.
He stepped forward again and said, with steady gravitas:
"My second announcement — concerns the so-called 'Demon Fox' among us. Many of you know him by one name — but you don't know the truth."
People leaned in.
His voice dropped slightly. "That boy's true identity… is the son of the Fourth Hokage."
Gasps.
Every eye widened. Jaws dropped. You could hear a kunai hit the ground.
"Impossible," someone whispered. "That monster is… the Fourth's child?"
"If that's true… what have we done all these years?"
Shock turned to horror.
They remembered it well — the Nine-Tails Attack. Death. Fire. Chaos. Only the arrival of Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, had saved them from annihilation.
And now… they'd spent the last decade tormenting his only child?
The clan heads sat frozen in disbelief.
"His surname is Uzumaki. His hair is blonde," Ryosuke continued. "You think there's another kid in the village with both those traits?"
Akimichi Choza suddenly exclaimed, "That's… true! Minato had that bright yellow hair. And Kushina… she was from the Uzumaki clan."
Yamanaka and Inuzuka exchanged grim looks. It all fit. The signs had been right in front of them.
Why hadn't they seen it?
Why had no one told them?
Why had they let the boy suffer?
Shikaku spoke slowly, "And… the Nine-Tails… it was sealed inside him… by Minato?"
Ryosuke nodded. "Exactly. The Fourth sealed the beast inside his own son to save this village."
Gasps echoed again. Guilt settled over the clan heads like a cloak.
"How could we not see it…?" muttered Choza.
"He's the son of a hero," Ryosuke said. "And yet the village treated him like a criminal. If anyone dares mistreat Naruto again — know this: the Uchiha will not sit back. We will act."
Shikaku could only manage a bitter smile.
He wasn't the sharpest today. He should have realized it. The signs had been there.
And yet, it was the Uchiha — the clan known for arrogance and detachment — that had honored the Fourth's legacy while the rest of them… failed.
He stood, cleared his throat, and said with conviction:
"From today forward, anyone who dares harm or disrespect Naruto — is also opposing the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance."
Choza and Inoichi nodded solemnly. Their faces showed remorse, but their stance was clear: they would no longer allow Naruto to be treated like an outcast.
The Inuzuka head chimed in, "The Fourth Hokage died protecting this village. His son deserves our protection."
As the words sank in, the mood shifted.
The crowd was quiet, but something new flickered in the air: not fear, not shame — resolve.
They couldn't undo the past.
But they could change the future.
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