Chapter 94: Twisted and Diseased Ninja World Needs [Absolute Justice
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't tell if Ikeizumi was mocking him.
He instinctively felt that investigating the social circle of a seven-year-old victim in this heinous case was pointless.
A seven-year-old child's social circle would invariably consist of peers.
What could they possibly know?
What could they possibly do?
After waiting for some time, the group saw a cluster of ninja cats rushing back. This time, they handed the collected list of suspects directly to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Kijirō, clearly exhausted, panted with his cat tongue hanging out: "Lord Ikeizumi, this time we've identified three suspects!"
For some reason, Hiruzen Sarutobi had a slight premonition of something bad. He interjected, "Ikeizumi, could you let me see?"
Uchiha Ikeizumi glanced at the suspect information on the list.
He casually handed the list to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took it and looked closely. The writing on the list was crooked and uneven, clearly not written by a human.
However, he could barely make out what the list meant.
And precisely because he understood the content, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils visibly constricted, and an expression of undisguised disbelief appeared on his old face, as he gasped sharply.
Just as everyone was wondering, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke directly: "Ikeizumi, isn't there some mistake? I remember all three suspects on this list—they're all Ninja Academy students!"
"How could such a heinous murder case be related to Ninja Academy students? They're just children!"
Everyone finally understood why Lord Hokage had such an expression.
It would be hard for anyone to imagine a case being linked to a few children.
"Children in the ninja world can be on the battlefield at four years old. Why do you think Ninja Academy students wouldn't commit such heinous crimes?" Uchiha Ikeizumi asked coldly, "Why? Is it because of your Third Hokage's Will of Fire?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
"Suspect number one, Hyūga Shoya, a member of the Hyūga branch family. He had verbal conflicts with the victim of this case at the Ninja Academy, and their relationship was not good."
"Suspect number two, Murayama Kyotaro, from a civilian family. He was once friends with the victim but went their separate ways due to trivial matters. Even though they both attend the Ninja Academy, their relationship has never been particularly harmonious."
"Suspect number three, Utatane Ryuji, a member of the Utatane clan. He was the victim's 'senior' at the Ninja Academy, seemingly taking care of the victim but actually engaging in subtle bullying."
Hiruzen Sarutobi recited the names of the three absurd suspects on the list.
He exhaled heavily, helplessly stating, "Ikeizumi, the minor conflicts between these three children and the murdered child aren't even enough for them to have a fight. How could they escalate into a massacre?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was more inclined to investigate suspects related to the couple among the four victims.
If all the suspects were brought in, and Ikeizumi just looked at them, wouldn't they know who the murderer was?
However, whenever he thought of this ability to see through "past and future evil," Hiruzen Sarutobi found it incredibly bizarre. He probably thought that no one had any secrets in Ikeizumi's eyes.
But he found that Uchiha Ikeizumi didn't speak, only quietly gazed at him, the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was suddenly startled, quickly averting his gaze to avoid meeting Ikeizumi's eyes.
Ikeizumi's eyes still made Hiruzen Sarutobi extremely wary.
To make his action of averting his gaze less obvious, Hiruzen Sarutobi smoothly looked at Naruto, trying his best to maintain a normal expression, and asked with a smile, "Naruto feels the same way, right?"
"Grandpa Hokage, why don't you still bring all three suspects?" Naruto said weakly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
He suddenly realized that in the eyes of a child like Naruto, these three suspects did not have a "child halo."
After all, adults like him, upon seeing the three suspects on the list, would instinctively assume they couldn't have done such a thing.
But Naruto, also a child, probably didn't have this psychological barrier.
Naruto would probably only be shocked that three children roughly his age were suspects in a massacre!
"—Cough!"
Helplessly, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only continue to signal the ANBU ninja, instructing them to bring the three Ninja Academy students on the list.
Within the Hyūga clan compound.
When an ANBU ninja rushed there, Hyūga Hiashi, the current head of the Hyūga clan, was immediately alerted. However, it was a bit late. The ANBU ninja, without greeting, directly used "Lord Hokage's command" as an excuse to forcibly take away a branch family member named "Hyūga Shoya."
"Hyūga Shoya?"
Upon learning the news, Hyūga Hiashi, whose face usually looked like everyone owed him millions of ryo, couldn't help but frown: "If I remember correctly, isn't that a branch family member of the Hyūga? Why did Lord Hokage order the ANBU to take him?"
A Hyūga clan ninja asked, "Lord Hiashi, should we stop that ANBU ninja and take Hyūga Shoya back? After all, he possesses a Byakugan."
When it was revealed that Danzō Shimura had secretly researched Kekkei Genkai, the ninja clans within Konoha had all become extremely wary.
What if Lord Hokage was also interested in Kekkei Genkai?
"No need." Hyūga Hiashi shook his head and said, "That child has already been branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Moreover, Lord Hokage is not someone who would harm comrades in the village."
"After all, Danzō Shimura was just an isolated case."
Inside the Hokage's office.
A ninja from the Utatane clan frantically rushed in and found Koharu Utatane, anxiously saying, "Lady Koharu, why did the ANBU ninja take my son away?!"
Koharu Utatane recognized this clan member; he was considered one of the more excellent ninja of the Utatane clan, and also a Special Jōnin.
But his words made Koharu Utatane frown deeply.
"The ANBU took your son?" Koharu Utatane couldn't understand why, so she asked, "Did the ANBU ninja say anything?"
"He said it was Lord Hokage's command!"
Lord Hokage—
Hiruzen?!
Koharu Utatane looked suspicious. Wasn't Hiruzen with Uchiha Ikeizumi right now?
Koharu Utatane suddenly felt a hint of unease.
She frowned tightly and asked again, "Did the ANBU ninja who took your son leave in the direction of the Uchiha compound?"
The other party paused, thought hard for a moment, then answered in a panic, "It seems they did leave in that direction!"
Koharu Utatane grew even more bewildered.
Hiruzen...
What on earth was he doing?!
The ANBU ninja's efficiency was indeed high. Uchiha Ikeizumi didn't have to wait long before three terrified young kids were brought in. This was the first time in their lives they had been forcibly taken away by the ANBU.
They had already imagined many scenes of torture in their minds.
Then they found themselves taken to the Uchiha clan compound, where they saw not only many Uchiha Military Police Force ninja but also many masked ANBU ninja!
They even saw Lord Hokage!
"Don't be afraid." Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a benevolent expression to the three children, like a harmless old man. He comforted the frightened children, "You've only been brought here for questioning about a special case. You can go home once we're done."
After comforting them, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Uchiha Ikeizumi, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed Ikeizumi gazing at one of them!
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Ikeizumi's extremely cold gaze was completely that of someone looking at a dead person!
This made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skip a beat.
Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Uchiha Ikeizumi's gaze and also looked at that person.
It was suspect number three on the list, a child from the Utatane clan. He remembered the child's name was Utatane Ryuji!
It wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi who noticed Uchiha Ikeizumi's gaze; Kijirō and Izumi also noticed; Fugaku, standing in the back with a minimal presence, also noticed; even Naruto realized the atmosphere was off. He looked at Grandpa Hokage, then at Uchiha Ikeizumi, and following these adults' gazes, he looked at the timid and uneasy "Utatane Ryuji."
"Ikeizumi—" Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a little parched, and his voice involuntarily became somewhat hoarse: "Are you—are you sure you didn't 'mistake' him? He's still just a child!"
The ANBU ninja behind also couldn't help but cast their intensely scrutinizing gazes upon the young child from the Utatane clan.
"Third Hokage, [Absolute Justice] is not to be questioned."
Uchiha Ikeizumi said coldly.
In Uchiha Ikeizumi's vision, a very conspicuous crimson frame floated above "Utatane Ryuji's" head.
Inside, crimson characters outlined the person's crimes.
"Meow, as expected, within reason." The calmest person present, besides Uchiha Ikeizumi, was probably Kijirō.
Izumi took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, then quietly asked Kijirō, who seemed used to it, "Senior Kijirō, are there many evildoers of this age?"
"Quite a few, meow," Kijirō said. "Isn't Itachi Uchiha, who's been hiding for days, just such a beast?"
Izumi was speechless for a moment.
Indeed!
Itachi Uchiha—he was only two years older than this child, yet in a year's time, he would massacre the Uchiha clan! One caused the murder of a family of four, and the other might cause the death of hundreds or thousands in a clan massacre in the future.
Izumi felt a bit lost.
Naruto heard all of Kijirō and Izumi's whispers.
His eyes widened, and he pointed at the terrified "Utatane Ryuji," unable to help but exclaim in shock, "He killed a family of four? This person is the murderous evildoer we're looking for?"
Utatane Ryuji, already trembling and weak-kneed, heard this sudden accusation and was so startled that his hair stood on end. He instantly panicked.
He anxiously gasped, "What murderous evildoer? I have no idea what you're talking about! Why was I brought here? I didn't do anything bad last night! I was at home all last night! Oh, right, my clan members can vouch for me! I was definitely at home!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. From the boy's frantic expression and his words, he heard the "answer" he least wanted to hear.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, recalling Uchiha Ikeizumi's repeated statements about "the ninja world being sick."
Could it be that the ninja world was truly sick?!
The Third Great Ninja War had long ended, and even the Nine-Tails' rampage was years ago. Logically, everything should be getting better, and the aggression in people's hearts should not be as intense as during wartime or disaster.
Yet, in Konoha village, under his Hiruzen Sarutobi's governance, such a unique murderous evildoer appeared!
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi wished so much that it was truly the ninja world that was sick, and not that Konoha's [Will of Fire] was unable to nurture a Ninja Academy student into an excellent ninja who loved the village and its comrades.
At the same time.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze also fell on Naruto with worry.
Naruto, experiencing the "evil of the ninja world" for the first time in a true sense, encountered such a heinous incident that even he, the Hokage, was shocked by it. How would Naruto, psychologically impacted, view [Will of Fire] and [Absolute Justice]?
Or rather—
What kind of choice would Naruto make?
Fugaku looked at Uchiha Ikeizumi's back, then at the young boy named "Utatane Ryuji" in front. At that moment, he suddenly thought of his eldest son, Itachi Uchiha.
Itachi must have also had his "evil deeds" seen through by Ikeizumi at a glance that day, right?
The only difference was that Itachi was seen for his future evil, while this young boy in front was seen for his past evil.
Oh, right... there was another difference: the extent of their resolve.
When Itachi learned that he would become an evildoer in the future, he was calm and accepted his future self with composure.
As for Utatane Ryuji, his resolve was less than one percent of Itachi's.
It was a pity.
Such an excellent child, yet he walked a path utterly different from his, the Uchiha clan head. Itachi wanted to save Konoha, while he wanted to save the Uchiha clan.
"You—what are you looking at me for!?"
The guilty and panicking Utatane Ryuji couldn't help but retreat two steps. He felt that everyone present was staring at him, even the two peers who were also brought in seemed to be looking at him.
The gaze of all those eyes caused him unprecedented fear. The intense unease in his heart made his heart pound wildly, and cold sweat had, at some point, made his entire skin feel sticky.
'It's impossible to be discovered! My luck was so good last night, all the traces should have been destroyed!'
'Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could I be discovered!'
Utatane Ryuji, dripping with cold sweat, screamed wildly in his mind.
But the more he did so, the more it proved his guilt.
"Utatane Ryuji." He suddenly heard someone say his name. When he looked up in terror, he saw that it was the young man in the Military Police Force uniform who was speaking.
The other's voice was so cold it almost suffocated him: "Out of fear of being surpassed by his often 'cared for' junior at the Ninja Academy, and with his jealousy pathologically twisted, he killed the entire family of four."
Izumi on the side felt profoundly shocked. A Ninja Academy student, just because of so-called jealousy, committed such a heinous act.
This was simply a psychopath!
Kijirō mumbled to himself, "It's practically on par with that madman, Itachi Uchiha—no, I still feel like Itachi Uchiha is a bit more insane, meow."
Naruto's azure eyes were wide open. He simply couldn't understand why.
Killing just because of jealousy? He also felt jealous of people stronger than him in the Ninja Academy, but he never had any thoughts of killing!
At most, he just thought those guys were a bit conceited, a bit annoying.
Naruto was completely dumbfounded.
The way he looked at Utatane Ryuji was as if he were looking at a monster, not a rational human being. "Jealousy—just jealousy..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on. Why were the children in the village, one after another, so extreme?
This was just a child attending the Ninja Academy!
And he was even a descendant of a Konoha ninja clan; the Utatane clan wasn't some minor ninja clan. The key was that this child's starting line in life was naturally much higher than others'.
His daily life must have been one where everything was provided for him, he lacked nothing...
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't understand where the problem lay.
Was it a problem with the Ninja Academy's educational policy?
Or was it a problem with their family education?
Or was there a serious problem with Konoha's overall environment?
It couldn't possibly be him, the Hokage, who was the problem, could it?
Utatane Ryuji was truly suffocating!
'How does he know!!!'
Incredulous shouts of surprise once again screamed wildly in his heart.
Not only did he know what he did last night, but he even knew that he did it out of jealousy, in a moment of impulse!
Is that guy a mind reader!!!
Who is he!!!
"You—what are you talking about?! What murder, what family of four, what about last night—I don't understand any of it! You?? What are you going to do?"
Just as Utatane Ryuji held onto a sliver of hope, thinking the other party hadn't grasped any crucial evidence, and tried to feign ignorance to get away with it, he was shocked to see the Military Police Force ninja who was speaking slowly draw his ninja blade with one hand!
He could distinctly feel bone-chilling coldness spread across every inch of his skin.
It was as if invisible ice needles were piercing his flesh.
Fear instantly enveloped his entire body.
His pupils uncontrollably constricted violently.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Uchiha Ikeizumi spoke, "This is the evil of the ninja world. It is so illogical; you'll never imagine what kind of motive can give rise to such wickedness. Allowing such wickedness to run rampant in the ninja world will only lead to more and more innocent people being harmed by its evil."
Naruto vaguely regained some composure.
"Do you remember the state of the family of four's bodies? Do you remember the fatal wounds that killed them?" Uchiha Ikeizumi's two questions instinctively brought back the images Naruto had envisioned.
"I—I remember—"
Uchiha Ikeizumi continued, "[Absolute Justice] exists because there is too much such evil in the ninja world that needs to be purged. Do you think Utatane Ryuji should pay with his life? Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto bit his lower lip, the images of the corpses flashing through his mind like a kaleidoscope, causing an inexplicable surge of anger.
Why kill a family of four just because of jealousy?
Why steal four lives for such a reason?
When these two self-questioning thoughts emerged in his mind, Naruto instinctively uttered a single word: "Yes!"
"Open your eyes and watch carefully."
The blade in Uchiha Ikeizumi's hand reflected the sunlight.
"This is the mercilessness of [Absolute Justice] towards evil. Only truly Absolute Justice can thoroughly purge evil."
Hiruzen Sarutobi also suddenly realized that Utatane Ryuji was, after all, from the Utatane clan, and moreover, he was a Ninja Academy student. If such extreme measures were used, he simply couldn't imagine what would happen next, and what kind of "bad" person Naruto would be taught to become!
"Wait! Ike—"
Unfortunately.
It was too late.
.....
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