Chapter 83: Konoha Scoundrels Are Just Like That
"I heard that Uchiha clan's plague god got into a fight again last night. Even the Yamanaka clan compound was destroyed, and now the Yamanaka clan is temporarily living with the Nara clan!"
"The commotion last night was really loud… it kept me from sleeping all night."
"Lord Hokage should just kick Uchiha Ikeizumi, that disruptor of village order, out of Konoha! Why should his so-called execution of justice disturb our rest?"
"Hey, you, did you commit a crime and are afraid of being caught by Uchiha Ikeizumi, which is why you're talking like that?"
"It's said that many people died in that battle last night…"
"Honestly, these ninjas only know how to fight among themselves."
"…"
...
"That spread fast!" Izumi exclaimed with a mix of awe and a hint of frustration: "Senior Ikeizumi has always been upholding justice in the ninja world and hasn't done anything to those who haven't committed crimes. Why are they talking about him like that?"
Kikujirō said: "Konoha has had televisions in almost every household for the past few years. What happened last night was on this morning's news. Rookie, as a Police Force apprentice, don't you know how to get information from television and newspapers?"
"As for these people's gossiping… is this your first day knowing these Konoha scoundrels? They always jump to conclusions, otherwise Sakumo Hatake wouldn't have been pressured to death by public opinion back then."
Just as Izumi was about to grumble something, a familiar figure not far ahead caught her attention.
"Ah—it's Senior Ikeizumi!!!"
Izumi finally saw Uchiha Ikeizumi. She hurried over, then mentally counted the time.
Realizing she had barely made it on time.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Eh?"
But she soon noticed that Senior Ikeizumi was carrying a small, half-grown boy with blond hair.
Isn't that…
"Naruto Uzumaki?!" Izumi looked in surprise at the despairing and helpless Naruto. She remembered that unlucky child being thrown into the Konoha Prison by Senior Ikeizumi, right? Why was he here?
"Senior, he…"
"The Third Hokage released him using his Hokage's pardon power," Uchiha Ikeizumi said emotionlessly, holding Naruto by one hand.
Naruto, with a tear-streaked face and a look of utter collapse, hurriedly whimpered: "Gramps Hokage has already pardoned me, and I haven't caused any trouble recently, please let me go… I really know I was wrong, Gramps Hokage also criticized me…"
Naruto hadn't expected to be so unlucky.
He had finally reached the weekend, where he didn't have to go to school, and wanted to go buy his long-desired limited edition instant ramen.
Who would've thought…
He'd run into the person he least wanted to see in his life first thing in the morning!
The crucial thing was that the other person had also spotted him!
And so…
After Naruto's escape attempt failed, this was the situation.
However, under Uchiha Ikeizumi's gaze, Naruto's voice became softer and softer, until it was as faint as a mosquito's by the end.
This was because the pressure Uchiha Ikeizumi exerted on him was countless times greater than the pressure from Gramps Hokage.
Naruto already had psychological trauma.
"It seems that with the Third Hokage's favoritism and protection, the Konoha Prison can't hold you," Uchiha Ikeizumi's words, instead of making Naruto relieved, turned his small face pale.
No… if he's not putting me in prison, is he just going to straight-up kill me?!
Naruto's legs turned to jelly from fear.
When Uchiha Ikeizumi released his grip, and Naruto fell to the ground with a thud, he remained slumped on the ground, motionless, as if scared senseless.
"Naruto Uzumaki, do you see this street?" Uchiha Ikeizumi said indifferently: "From today onwards, you will come here at this time to clean the entire street by yourself. The duration is six months. If you miss even one day within those six months, you will sweep for another six months."
"Minor evil is still evil. While your sins aren't punishable by death, if you don't learn a lesson, your minor evils will eventually grow into major evils. If that day ever comes, I will kill you without hesitation."
Uchiha Ikeizumi never blindly believed in the progression of the original story.
His existence had already stirred up enough hurricanes in the ninja world.
Under the interwoven effects of countless butterfly effects, could Naruto Uzumaki truly remain as he was in the original story? Could he truly develop according to the original trajectory?
Rather than allowing Naruto Uzumaki to develop into Menma Namikaze.
It was better to correct him with absolute means now.
To cut off all possibilities.
Naruto was stunned, his tear-filled eyes blinked, and he almost instinctively asked: "You're… you're not going to kill me?"
The moment he asked this question, Naruto wished he could slap himself.
Ahhh, why did I have to open my mouth!
Uchiha Ikeizumi glanced at him and slowly said: "Absolute Justice is not blind justice that kills without reason. Blind justice will only turn justice into a calamity more terrifying than villains. Given your past minor evils and a future blank of evil, labor reform is the maximum punishment."
Naruto listened, bewildered.
...
Meanwhile, a group of people walked into Konoha through the main gate.
"Envoy-dono, please rest at the Konoha Reception Inn first. I will go notify Lord Hokage," a ninja was saying to a richly dressed, portly young man.
The young man was sweating profusely from the heat, fanning himself with a folding fan as he complained: "Shouldn't you have known I would be arriving in Konoha today already?"
The ninja bowed his head apologetically: "Mainly, there have been many complications within Konoha these past few days. Lord Hokage might have been a bit negligent in some areas while being busy with official duties."
"My apologies, Envoy-dono. Lord Hokage will surely come to personally greet you with apologies very soon."
The young man narrowed his eyes but said nothing further.
Ninja, after all, were the absolute wielders of military power in this world.
The Daimyō's role was merely to maintain economic and social stability.
Breaking ties with the ninja would definitely not end well.
"Wait a moment." The young man suddenly changed the topic, rubbing the tip of his free finger, and said with interest: "Where is your Konoha's casino? Point the way; I want to go take a look."
"Casino…"
The Konoha ninja's eyelid twitched. Remembering Koharu Utatane's instructions, he immediately said: "Envoy-dono, please, you absolutely must not approach Konoha's casino or bathhouses or similar places."
The young man frowned tightly: "Why!?"
"Because…" The Konoha ninja took a deep breath: "In the village, there is a very special ninja. If he were to meet you, Envoy-dono, he might not hesitate…"
"…to kill you!"
The young man: "…???"
"Your Konoha… has a ninja who dares to kill an envoy sent by the Daimyō?!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a retainer interjected incredulously: "Are you saying such a dangerous character is roaming freely in the market? Hey, hey, why isn't this guy arrested?"
"What if he dares to harm Envoy-dono? Can your Konoha Village… bear that responsibility?"
The Konoha ninja's mouth twitched. How was he supposed to know why Lord Hokage indulged Uchiha Ikeizumi so much?
In his helplessness, he could only explain: "Konoha will not arbitrarily arrest ninja who haven't violated laws or committed crimes. Furthermore, the person I mentioned is himself one of Konoha's enforcers."
The young Daimyō's envoy clutched his folding fan, a faint sense of unease in his heart, causing him to frown and ask: "What is that person's name?"
"Uchiha Ikeizumi," the Konoha ninja replied.
....
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