Chapter 96: Uchiha Fugaku's Hard/Soft Duality
When Asuma's voice faded, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire stood utterly stunned, his eyes wide with incredulity, fixed on the somber-faced Asuma before him.
His most beloved second son had died in Konoha Village, a thousand li away! And he had been murdered!
Asuma's words echoed repeatedly in the Daimyo's mind.
The astonishment in his eyes visibly turned to a dazed blankness.
The Daimyo's body suddenly swayed, startling Asuma, who quickly stepped forward to steady him with a hand.
"Please accept my condolences, Daimyo-sama."
At this moment, Asuma returned the same words to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyo remained in a daze for a full half-minute.
When he finally came to his senses, his eyes were brimming with intense rage and sorrow.
The Daimyo's tightly clenched fists turned white at the knuckles from the sheer force.
Veins bulged and pulsed on his forehead.
His usually pampered, fair face was flushed crimson.
"Hah... Hah..."
The Daimyo breathed heavily, his grief-stricken, grim gaze fixed on Asuma.
He bit down hard, forcing himself not to lose composure, and squeezed out each word: "You said earlier, the person who killed Kyusuke and Nanbu, what was his name?"
"Uchiha Ikeizumi," Asuma replied.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi—that name—" The Daimyo of the Land of Fire seemed to recall something. "I think I've heard it before."
Asuma explained, "Indeed, he is quite famous, both in Konoha Village and throughout the ninja world. He is an Uchiha clan ninja, a genius with two Kekkei Genkai, and he achieved considerable merit during the Third Great Ninja War, earning quite a reputation."
"I... remember now," the Daimyo finally recalled, muttering, "Uchiha Ikeizumi, isn't he a member of Konoha's Uchiha Police Force? I once heard your Hokage mention him, saying he was a Konoha ninja who upheld [Absolute Justice]."
Asuma was somewhat surprised, never expecting the old man to have mentioned Uchiha Ikeizumi to the Daimyo-sama.
But on second thought, it seemed quite normal. After all, Uchiha Ikeizumi was considered among the top-tier combatants in Konoha.
Moreover, Uchiha Ikeizumi was simply too "controversial."
Whenever one discussed the current state of Konoha with the Daimyo, the conversation inevitably revolved around Uchiha Ikeizumi.
"Has the Hokage arrested him?"
The Daimyo asked, panting heavily with exhaustion.
"No," Asuma explained. "That's why I've traveled all this way to personally inform you, Daimyo-sama."
The Daimyo expressed his incomprehension: "Why not arrest him?"
Asuma said, "My old man probably believes that clashing with Uchiha Ikeizumi would cause too many unintended casualties. To bring that guy down would require a significant price."
"And the older the old man gets, the more indecisive he becomes; his hand isn't as firm as it was when he was younger. In this situation, he probably doesn't know what choice to make."
"Since he's hesitating, I'll make the choice for him."
Asuma met the Daimyo's gaze, stating, "I'm not interested in the old man's position, nor am I interested in Konoha's internal conflicts, but I deeply care about Konoha, which raised me."
"The longer someone like Uchiha Ikeizumi remains in Konoha, the more chaotic Konoha will become. His [Absolute Justice] will only lead to daily deaths in Konoha, and many, many deaths at that."
"Even my elder brother, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, was killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi in the name of [Absolute Justice]. I never imagined the old man would tolerate even that."
Asuma's somber words made the Daimyo of the Land of Fire understand his "son's killer" even more.
He had already envisioned a stern, unsmiling figure who used the pretense of "justice" to act recklessly.
But because the man's power was too formidable, even Konoha's Hokage was forced to submit to his influence.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire took a deep breath, but found it difficult to calm his tumultuous thoughts. He gritted his teeth and asked Asuma, "Did that person also use the high-sounding name of 'justice' when he killed Kyusuke—is that right?"
"Yes."
Asuma didn't hide anything, nor did he exaggerate. He nodded, acknowledging, "He openly exposed some of the bad things Lord Kyusuke had done, in front of many people."
The Daimyo suppressed his rage and asked, "It was because of these things that he acted against Kyusuke—is that right?"
Asuma said, "Most likely."
"Why!?" The Daimyo couldn't understand. His tightly suppressed fury finally broke free. His unimaginable loss of composure made his emotions erupt, his face turning red and somewhat contorted.
"If he killed a civilian, I could understand! But he killed my second son! One of my heirs! A top-tier noble of the Land of Fire! The nobles of the Land of Fire enjoy immunity and special protection! That's a new constitutional decree I added over a decade ago!"
"Unless it's treason or rebellion, no matter what actions he takes, Kyusuke has the right to special exemption! Only I, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, have the authority to impose punishment on him!"
"As a shinobi of Konoha Village's Uchiha Police Force, how could he not know the laws of the Land of Fire? By what right did he kill Kyusuke! By what right did he disregard the laws and decrees of the Land of Fire?"
"He isn't even the captain of the Police Force! He's just an ordinary member of the Police Force!"
"Does he even have the Land of Fire in his eyes? Does he even have Konoha Village in his eyes? Does he even have the Daimyo in his eyes?"
"Haa... haa..."
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, having unleashed his emotions, then sadly realized that while the Daimyo's name was indeed prestigious, he did not command the Land of Fire's military power.
Konoha's military power was held by the Hokage.
Even if he wanted to avenge his son, he had no one to use.
Should he hire a group of samurai to deal with a shinobi?
What a joke!
"Asuma—" The Daimyo suddenly looked at Asuma again. "I—I need your help this time."
Asuma's suspended heart settled. If even the Daimyo-sama was as indecisive as the old man, then he would likely have to contend with Uchiha Ikeizumi on his own.
Konoha, Uchiha Clan Compound.
Koharu Utatane's aging body trembled slightly. She had known that Uchiha Ikeizumi's methods of "executing justice" were quite extreme; those beaten and thrown into prison were considered incredibly lucky, as many more were directly killed.
Previously, Koharu Utatane, while having reservations, wouldn't inquire too deeply. After all, those people truly deserved their fate. But when such a thing happened to her own clan member, Koharu Utatane suddenly found it hard to accept.
She hurriedly walked forward and soon saw a large head lying on the ground not far from the headless corpse.
Koharu Utatane recognized the young face.
It was indeed a junior member of the Utatane clan, her blood relative!
"Hiruzen—you just watched him kill? He killed a mere Genin-in-training right in front of you, the Hokage! Are you just going to stand there and watch? Even if this child did something wrong, was it truly worth killing him? The wrong he committed surely wasn't a capital offense!"
Koharu Utatane bit her teeth and turned to question Hiruzen Sarutobi.
She had some impression of Danzo Ryuji; she remembered him as a sweet-talker who would respectfully greet her whenever he saw her within the clan. He was also a talented junior.
Given time, even if Danzo Ryuji couldn't become an elite Jonin, he would at least be a Konoha Special Jonin, like his father.
Such a polite and talented junior was now a dismembered corpse.
Koharu Utatane felt somewhat dizzy.
She couldn't understand!
"Koharu-sama, Hokage-sama couldn't intervene." At this moment, an ANBU shinobi standing beside Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up: "The wrong that child committed was far more severe than you imagine. Even if he hadn't been killed, by the laws of the Land of Fire, he would have spent over thirty years in Konoha Prison."
Koharu Utatane's gaze locked onto the ANBU shinobi who spoke.
The ANBU mask he wore concealed his face.
But his silver-white hair was too conspicuous.
The Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi!
Hiruzen Sarutobi also looked at Kakashi in surprise. He hadn't expected the usually taciturn Kakashi to speak up in his defense, which brought Hiruzen Sarutobi some comfort.
Ever since "Danzo's scheme to use public opinion to force Sakumo Hatake to commit suicide" was revealed by Uchiha Ikeizumi, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been worried about a rift forming between Kakashi and himself, the Hokage.
After all, after Sakumo's suicide, he hadn't used that as a reason to dismiss Danzo, and Danzo still remained as the leader of Root.
Now, hearing Kakashi defend him, Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, yet he also subtly felt something was off. From another perspective, if Kakashi was speaking for Ikeizumi, providing Koharu Utatane an explanation for why he chose to kill directly, it also seemed plausible?
As Koharu Utatane's expression flickered between anger and concern, Naruto Uzumaki's voice suddenly rang out: "Old hag, was that perverted murderer someone you know?"
Murderer—
Evildoer?!
Naruto gritted his teeth, indignantly exclaiming, "How could he not deserve to die, believe it? He was jealous of a student a few years younger than him at the Academy, so he snuck into their house at night and brutally murdered his classmate's family of four, believe it!"
"The bodies of that family of four are still in the morgue, believe it!" Naruto couldn't help but recall the gruesome state of the corpses, which made his already agitated face turn slightly pale.
Koharu Utatane's eyes widened.
"Advisor Utatane, if you wish to seek justice for a twisted, evil child, you can come directly to me."
Uchiha Ikeizumi said, his face utterly devoid of emotion.
A single Koharu Utatane might send the Uchiha clan head into daily anxieties over whether the Elders distrusted the Uchiha again, but she could not exert any pressure on Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Koharu Utatane's old face flushed red then paled.
In this situation, she couldn't say anything more.
Any more words would lose her the moral high ground.
She hadn't expected the clan junior, whom she remembered as quite polite, to have committed such an act!
And her aggressive, overbearing questioning just now must have made her look like a clown trying to entertain on a stage in the eyes of these ANBU shinobi and Uchiha shinobi.
Koharu Utatane had already sharply noticed some Uchiha clan shinobi openly displaying mocking expressions.
Those expressions seemed to say—Is this Konoha's leadership?
Koharu Utatane's teeth were almost grinding to dust!
"Hiruzen, Fugaku—" Koharu Utatane's extremely aggrieved words barely squeezed through her clenched teeth: "It's alright if I take Ryuji's body back to the Utatane clan, right?"
Fugaku hesitantly asked, "Koharu-sama, shouldn't the body first be sent to the Yamanaka clan for memory examination?"
"No need!"
Koharu Utatane, her face dark, commanded the Root shinobi, "Take the body away!"
She didn't want to stay here for another moment.
She felt that if she stayed in the Uchiha clan compound for another second, not only would the Uchiha clan shinobi likely burst into laughter, but even the ANBU shinobi might struggle to keep a straight face.
However.
As she was about to leave, Koharu Utatane paused in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi. In a voice only they could hear, she quietly asked, "What about Uzumaki Naruto?"
At this moment, Koharu Utatane noticed that Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression instantly became as complex and varied as her own.
Without Hiruzen Sarutobi needing to reply, Koharu Utatane already had her answer.
Her face twitched, and her eyelids fluttered wildly.
"Hiruzen, you cannot continue to indulge Uchiha Ikeizumi's recklessness!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "The important thing is to stabilize Naruto first."
Besides—
It was already too late; Naruto had been too deeply influenced.
Crucially, if it weren't for the heinous acts committed by that junior named "Danzo Ryuji" that gave Naruto such a huge psychological shock, Naruto probably wouldn't have accepted Ikeizumi's concept of justice so quickly.
"Danzo Ryuji" was at least 30% to blame!
With that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Koharu Utatane with a hint of resentment, unable to understand how she managed her clan members.
Koharu Utatane: "???"
After Koharu Utatane left with the body, Naruto also temporarily said goodbye to Uchiha Ikeizumi and left the Uchiha clan with Hiruzen Sarutobi. The ANBU shinobi also dispersed.
"Hmph..."
Fugaku couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. The pool of crimson blood on the ground was a constant reminder of what had happened today.
"Ikeizumi—"
Just as he was about to speak, he realized that Uchiha Ikeizumi had already walked several tens of meters away, leaving him only a receding back. Fugaku fell silent.
"Fugaku!" Just then, a voice brimming with suppressed anger rang out from the other side. Uchiha Setsuna, leading a group of Uchiha hardliners, stormed over furiously.
Fugaku frowned.
As Uchiha Setsuna approached, he immediately snapped, "The higher-ups have intruded into the Uchiha clan compound twice in a row. As the clan head, did you not show any protest in front of them? Is the Uchiha clan a place they can enter and exit as they please? What do they take us for?"
Fugaku felt utterly exhausted.
He had spent all his efforts to clarify that the Uchiha clan truly had no ill intentions towards the Jinchuriki, only then regaining a little trust from Hokage-sama—it had left him drained, wanting only to go home and rest.
Yet, before he could even catch his breath, he had to face internal Uchiha clan issues again.
Fugaku spoke expressionlessly: "Setsuna-senpai, isn't the Uchiha clan a part of Konoha? Since Uchiha clan members can walk on any street in Konoha, then surely other Konoha residents can also walk on the streets of the Uchiha compound?"
Facing questions from Hokage-sama and Koharu Utatane, Fugaku could patiently explain for the sake of balancing their relationship.
But when facing fellow Uchiha clan members like Uchiha Setsuna, Fugaku's words became extremely firm.
Uchiha Setsuna was taken aback. He snorted, changing the subject: "Fugaku, your actions recently have been so weak that many clan members feel you are unfit to be clan head! The Uchiha clan will only decline further under your leadership. You've been clan head for so many years; it's time you stepped down, Fugaku!"
Fugaku's eyes narrowed sharply. Some of the moderate Uchiha clan shinobi gradually gravitated towards him.
However, in terms of numbers, Uchiha Setsuna's side ultimately had more.
Under the continuous concessions and grievances of the Uchiha clan, the rebellious ideology of the hardliners had ultimately gained the upper hand.
The atmosphere unconsciously grew tense.
However, the Uchiha clan's internal dynamics were not simply divided between those who sided with Uchiha Setsuna or Uchiha Fugaku. If the Uchiha clan could only be split into two factions, then they wouldn't be the Uchiha; the Uchiha were not yet that "united."
At this moment.
Three Uchiha Police Force shinobi distantly watched the two opposing sides.
"Hmph! Our Uchiha clan is truly beyond saving! One is an old good-for-nothing with ambition but no capability; if he had any ability, he would have successfully staged a coup decades ago. How could he have been imprisoned by the Second Hokage for decades?"
"The other—he holds the position of clan head, yet he constantly favors outsiders. You can't even tell he's an Uchiha by name. No wonder he raised a beast like Uchiha Itachi."
One of them spoke with utter disdain and endless sarcasm: "They've played out this drama countless times, and in the end, nothing ever happens. They're just two useless failures."
Another Police Force shinobi nearby agreed: "Playing these boring, childish political games with them is just a waste of life. We might as well patrol the village a few more times instead."
"What do you all think of Uchiha Ikeizumi?" The last one suddenly asked.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi? He's a very formidable guy, but he doesn't seem easy to get along with. He even killed his own clansman; that incident caused quite a stir back then."
"But—if he's hard to get along with, how has that kid Izumi survived under him for so long? And, his [Absolute Justice] seems quite interesting."
"[Absolute Justice], huh? Indeed, at least it's more interesting than this boring game played by these two factions."
.....
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