Chapter 121: How to do it? Only with killing!
"Shizune, get the money we picked up last night."
Just as Shizune was lost in her thoughts, Tsunade's sudden command startled her.
She quickly picked up the money pouches from the floor and placed them one by one on the table.
"Lady Tsunade, by following Uchiha Ikeizumi, we picked up over 47 million ryo in cash last night," Shizune said. "Thankfully, most of it was in high-denomination bills of a thousand ryo or more, so we were able to carry it all."
"However..."
Just as she was about to open a pouch, Shizune remembered something and hesitated. "Some of the cash is blood-stained. Lady Tsunade, your hemophobia..."
Tsunade glanced at the bulging money pouches.
She didn't tell Shizune to open them. Instead, she took a deep breath and said, "...Just leave a million ryo for us."
"Oh... huh? What?! EH?!"
Shizune's expression wavered. She stared at Tsunade with wide eyes, as if looking at a stranger.
"Lady Tsunade, you..."
"I haven't gone crazy."
"There were seventy-nine children we rescued from that basement yesterday," Tsunade explained. "With over 40 million ryo, that comes out to about half a million ryo per child. That should be enough to raise them to adulthood."
Shizune: "!!!"
"Lady Tsunade, you're going to adopt them?!"
Shizune was genuinely shocked.
She knew a compulsive gambler like Tsunade would have viewed that 40 million ryo as her gambling money for the future.
In the past, anyone who dared to touch that money would have been sent flying by one of Tsunade's punches.
But Shizune never expected Tsunade to willingly give all that money away without any outside intervention!
Tsunade rolled her eyes in exasperation and poked Shizune's cheek, her voice laced with frustration. "I don't have the time to raise that many brats! I'm taking them to an orphanage, of course! This money is for the orphanage, to ensure they're well taken care of!"
Shizune rubbed her face, mumbling, "That sounds like a good thing, but with so much money... won't someone steal it?"
Before last night, Shizune would never have thought so poorly of people.
But after what she'd witnessed, she couldn't help but assume the worst.
"What if..."
Shizune asked meekly, "What if they run into those same scoundrels who would exploit children again?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed as memories of last night flooded back, a shadow falling over her beautiful features.
"Then we kill them!"
As Tsunade, the legendary Konoha San'nin, spoke, a "crack" could be heard, and a network of tiny fissures spread across the solid wooden tabletop under her hand.
A deep palm print was now branded into the hard surface.
Shizune's heart clenched.
Since Lady Tsunade developed her hemophobia, left Konoha, gave up being a ninja, and became obsessed with gambling... Shizune had never seen her radiate such killing intent.
In this moment, Shizune saw a glimpse of the "Tsunade of the Sannin" whose name had once echoed throughout the ninja world.
Why had Lady Tsunade changed so much?
As soon as the question formed in her mind, Shizune found the answer—because of Uchiha Ikeizumi!
Since Uchiha Ikeizumi had appeared in Tanzaku Gai, since he had exposed the evil of the ninja world to her, since he had demonstrated his Absolute Justice right in front of her.
Lady Tsunade seemed to have changed.
As if...
She was no longer allowing herself to fall into depravity.
"Oh, right, Shizune, where did that Uchiha kid and his ninja cat go?" Tsunade suddenly asked.
"I think they must have left Tanzaku Gai by now."
"That ninja cat named Kojiro said Uchiha Ikeizumi was only passing through Tanzaku Gai by chance," Shizune replied. "They were on an S-rank mission from the Hokage. I think they only came to Tanzaku Gai to rest."
"Heh, 'rested' by killing 659 people?"
Tsunade laughed. "That kid definitely came to Tanzaku Gai on purpose. Leaving a huge mess behind and just leaving—he hasn't changed a bit since nine years ago."
Shizune meekly corrected her. "It was 640. You killed nineteen of them yourself, Lady Tsunade. I couldn't stop you."
"Ahem!"
Tsunade cleared her throat and changed the subject. She slowly stood up. "Let's go. We'll find a suitable orphanage for the children. If we can't find a good one, we'll take all the kids to Konoha."
"Knowing the Old Man's nature, he won't neglect so many war orphans. Hmm... maybe we'll even save that 40 million ryo."
Shizune: "..."
Lady Tsunade really knew how to take advantage of the Hokage's generosity!
But wasn't she also just taking Konoha's money? And considering that Tsunade's grandfather was the First Hokage...
What was this called, then?
A granddaughter selling her grandfather's fields without a care?
Meanwhile.
In a dense forest not far from Tanzaku Gai.
The man and cat who had been moving swiftly through the trees suddenly slowed down and stopped for some reason.
Less than three seconds later, the rustling of leaves behind them grew louder until a somewhat out-of-breath Hayate Gekko appeared before them.
"Phew..."
"Gone?"
Even though Hayate was less than ten meters from Uchiha Ikeizumi, he looked around in confusion.
If one were to look closely into his eyes, they would see the faint reflection of a Sharingan pattern in their depths!
He believed his tracking skills were masterful, but he had fallen into Uchiha Ikeizumi's genjutsu without even realizing it.
He felt his head sink for a moment. The sudden change made his pupils shrink. Just as he looked up, Uchiha Ikeizumi had "mysteriously" appeared before him, making him stumble back in shock.
"Don't move, meow." An oddly-phrased voice came from above Hayate's head.
In that instant, Hayate felt as if a sharp blade were being held to his temple.
"Meow, you're... the one from the Gekko clan, what was his name?"
Kojiro's voice spoke again. "The sickly one, Hayate Gekko?"
When a fluffy orange cat tail slowly lowered itself and swished in front of Hayate's eyes.
Hayate immediately realized that there was a talking ninja cat on top of his head!
Without his knowledge, Uchiha Ikeizumi had already known he was being followed!
And...
Hayate felt that he had most likely been caught in a genjutsu just moments ago!
Even now, the genjutsu from the Sharingan had not been released!
If Uchiha Ikeizumi were to move...
He would die in an instant.
"I... have no ill intent."
Though Hayate was drenched in sweat, it wasn't because he had suddenly lost his nerve. Since he had "quietly" begun his pursuit, he had no intention of killing Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Or rather...
He didn't have the courage.
Hayate looked directly at Uchiha Ikeizumi. His thousand complex thoughts turned into the courage to speak. "Uchiha Ikeizumi, I just want to ask you one question. It doesn't matter if you won't answer, and it doesn't matter if you kill me in the next second. I just want to know, why do you have to use 'killing' to pass judgment on criminals?"
"Can't you..."
Hayate, who had no family left, clenched his fists. He looked directly into Uchiha Ikeizumi's three-tomoe Sharingan. "Can't you use a more reasonable method? I don't disagree with the justice you uphold. But... shouldn't justice be something that everyone can agree upon?"
When he saw Uchiha Ikeizumi walking toward him.
Hayate, who thought he had gathered enough courage, found himself shrinking back.
As Uchiha Ikeizumi got closer, the dread in his heart intensified.
He couldn't even meet the other man's gaze.
Uchiha Ikeizumi stopped just inches from Hayate.
"Are you offering your kindness and tolerance to criminals?"
Ikeizumi's cold voice rang out in Hayate's ear. "When a criminal kills an innocent person, what method do you think is appropriate to punish them? What do you think justice should do so that the innocent victim can finally rest in peace?"
"Don't hold back. Answer whatever you want to answer."
Hayate stood there in a daze.
He had come to ask why Uchiha Ikeizumi couldn't have spared the life of his only remaining family member.
But every single one of Uchiha Ikeizumi's words resonated in his ears, preventing him from asking his question.
"The twisted and sick ninja world has not only created countless evils but has also made many people numb to them, and they can't even feel enough righteous indignation for the most nauseating of crimes."
As Hayate stood silent, Ikeizumi continued. "While you're wondering why justice had to kill your loved one, why don't you wonder what he did? Why don't you consider what was in your mother's mind and heart just before she was killed by him?"
"Hayate Gekko, feel the despair of your mother as she dies at the hands of the son she loved most... This is my 'Absolute Justice.' This is my answer to the doubt in your heart."
As Ikeizumi's indifferent words faded.
Hayate's eyes widened as the scene before him completely changed. He immediately realized it was another Sharingan genjutsu!
The gap in power between him and Uchiha Ikeizumi was too vast.
He had fallen for the genjutsu twice without even knowing it was happening.
Wait...
Hayate suddenly felt something was wrong. The scene before him felt familiar.
"This is... the Gekko clan compound?!"
In the next second, his body began to move uncontrollably.
No, this wasn't his body. It was as if his consciousness was possessing this body!
Whose body was it, then?
"Mother, why?!"
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind Hayate. "Just because Hayate is a year older than me, all the clan's resources have to go to him? Just because he's the eldest son, the future of the Gekko clan has to be entrusted to that sickly guy? Is he going to be the future clan head?"
Hayate's eyes widened.
The voice from behind him... was the voice of his brother, Seisui Gekko, who had been killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi!
Then...
Was the body his consciousness was inhabiting his mother's?
"He's just a walking corpse! If the Gekko clan is entrusted to him, we'll never have a chance to avenge Father! Who knows when that sickly guy will suddenly die? Have you forgotten that you have a husband's killer to avenge?"
Seisui's voice behind him became more and more agitated.
Hayate fell silent.
His brother...
Is that how he really saw him?
"Seisui."
The woman's voice came from the body Hayate was possessing. "Don't speak ill of your brother. Though Hayate is not well, he has more talent than you, and he is far more stable... "
"Seisui, you are too extreme, and your eyes are clouded by hatred. If the Gekko clan were entrusted to you, with your personality, it wouldn't be long before you would drag the entire clan into ruin."
Hayate recognized the voice. It was his mother's.
Wait...
Was this scene replaying the moment of his mother's death?!
"I'm sorry... Seisui. The position of future clan head belongs to your brother, Hayate. It was decided long ago..."
—BAM!!!
A muffled thud came from behind him. Hayate's eyes widened. He felt the pain in the back of his head as if it were his own.
His body lurched forward uncontrollably. A feeling of intense disbelief churned in his chest, and the metallic taste of blood filled his nostrils. A warm, wet sensation came from the back of his head.
Shock.
Stunned.
Confusion.
Sorrow.
One emotion after another exploded inside Hayate, completely beyond his control. He was certain these weren't his emotions. Was this... his mother's emotional turmoil?
Hayate was truly feeling everything his mother had felt in her final moments.
She couldn't understand why her second son had suddenly turned and killed her.
She began to blame herself, wondering if she had done something wrong.
In her final moments, she desperately wanted to see her children one last time and say a few more words.
"Heh, heh, heh..."
Seisui Gekko's breathless voice came from behind. "This... this is all your fault... You never saw me as your real son. You selfishly gave my future to that sickly wretch! You even forgot about the one who killed Father! You don't deserve to be my mother!"
"W-wait... calm down, huff, I need to calm down. I need to hide your body so no one finds it... or I'll be ruined. Hehe... I can't bury it in the village. I have to bury it in the countryside..."
Hayate felt his mother's emotions again. She was trying to tell her killer not to bury her body in the countryside because it would surely be found.
If it were found, his entire future would be ruined.
But she couldn't speak anymore.
In her final moments, she didn't feel a shred of hatred for the son who had killed her!
In that instant.
Hayate was filled with rage. A killing intent instantly formed, not aimed at Uchiha Ikeizumi, but at the irredeemable Seisui!
He wanted to sever the hands that had killed his mother and demand to know why he did it!
He wanted to chop off Seisui's head and make his twisted brother come to his senses in the afterlife!
Next, from a first-person perspective, Hayate "watched" as his brother carried their mother's body.
Under the cover of night, his brother used his Hiding in the Mist bloodline to secretly transport the body to the outskirts of Konoha.
He watched as his brother, a look of pure savagery on his face, threw the body into a deep pit and buried it with handful after handful of dirt.
Until his mother's face was completely covered.
The genjutsu came to an abrupt end!
Tears streamed down Hayate's face. He heard Uchiha Ikeizumi's voice. "This is a memory of your brother and mother's corpses that the Yamanaka clan obtained."
"You people don't understand those of us who follow 'Absolute Justice.' Similarly... I don't understand you people either."
"I have answered your question about the absolute nature of justice. Hayate Gekko, you should tell me why you were willing to offer your kindness and tolerance to a criminal?"
With a thud, all the strength drained from Hayate's body, and he fell to his knees.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
Every word of Uchiha Ikeizumi's echoed in his ears.
He...
Found that he had no answer!
That's right!
Why would he have offered his kindness and tolerance to a person like that?
Just because he was his brother?
Just because they were bound by blood?
But... Seisui had become so twisted and sick that he would even kill his own mother!
"I am so sorry!!!"
Unaware that tears and snot were streaming down his face, Hayate performed a perfect dogeza to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
In that moment, while he couldn't understand why he had felt that way, he completely understood why Uchiha Ikeizumi had to use such absolute methods to carry out his justice.
If you were to ask how to punish those twisted evils?!
There is only one way: killing!
...
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