Chapter 277: Freedom
It was clear that during their time imprisoned by the gang, these people had suffered more than a fair share of hardships.
"I am Uchiha Ikeizumi. Remember this name. Regardless of what you have endured in the past, from this day forward, everything changes."
Ikeizumi cast a cursory glance at the boxes floating above the captives' heads. Unsurprisingly, most had a few minor crimes listed...mostly petty theft or small-time swindles born of desperation. "The Land of Water will welcome the arrival of [Absolute Justice]. Past mistakes can be overlooked, but let me be clear: if anyone among you turns to crime or villainy again, I shall descend in judgment in the name of [Absolute Justice]!"
The former slaves looked at one another, but none dared to speak. They hadn't even been able to resist the gangs, let alone a man like Uchiha Ikeizumi who had wiped those gangs out in a single night.
Moreover, since he didn't seem to harbor any ill will, no one was foolish enough to step forward and invite trouble.
"Gurgle..."
Just as Ikeizumi was about to declare their freedom, a young girl in the crowd clutched her stomach nervously. She had been brought in just today and hadn't eaten in days. The gang thugs certainly hadn't offered her dinner; she had hoped to just survive the night, never expecting a "partner of justice" to descend from the sky to save them.
"Everyone present may take two bags of grain from the warehouse. Once you return, tell the people in the city that every person may come here to claim one bag of grain."
Ikeizumi activated his Byakugan to estimate the grain reserves in the warehouse, then announced decisively, "Lastly, congratulations on regaining your freedom!"
The warehouse fell into a deathly silence. Only the sound of the little girl's stomach growling reminded them that this wasn't a collective hallucination.
"Free! We're free!" "Food...we can take two bags of food!?" "Fantastic! No more starving!"
The crowd finally could no longer suppress their joy, and cheers erupted. Had Ikeizumi not looked so imposing and majestic, some might have tried to hoist him onto their shoulders in celebration.
"Izumi, you are in charge of the distribution and maintaining order hereafter."
Ikeizumi didn't have much time to waste. Although the version of him here was just a Wood Clone, his main body was currently busy supervising the Mist ninja in their pursuit of justice; he didn't have the luxury of focusing on the cleanup phase of Seagull City.
"Yes! Ikeizumi-senpai! Please leave it to me!" Izumi spoke with absolute confidence, looking as if she wanted to puff out her developing chest to guarantee her success.
"You stay too, Kojirō." Ikeizumi looked at the fat orange cat on his shoulder. His calm gaze flickered with a rare hint of concern. Does this guy need to go on a diet? "The Land of Water is not yet safe. If there's danger, remember to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to call me."
"Meow! Leave it to me, meow!" Kojirō was completely oblivious to the fact that his weight had caught Ikeizumi's eye. He was already plotting how to set new rules for the people of Seagull City: No catching cats for food!
"...So be it." Ikeizumi stared at Kojirō's large belly for a moment longer but ultimately refrained from telling him to lose weight in front of Izumi. He would find a time later to bring it up.
At that moment, Biwa Jūzō walked into the warehouse carrying a blood-soaked head. The civilians moving grain gasped as they recognized the face. It wasn't the sight of a severed head that shocked them, but the identity of its owner: the tyrant of the Seagull City black market, the boss of the Funaya family...Funaya Yūjirō!
"Lord Ikeizumi, I have brought back the head." Jūzō knelt respectfully, placing the head on the floor. He had several new wounds on his body, indicating the chase hadn't been entirely smooth. Yet, the terrified expression frozen on Yūjirō's face suggested he hadn't died a peaceful death.
"Good work. Assist Kojirō in maintaining order." Ikeizumi gave the head a brief glance before turning back to Izumi. After a few final instructions, he dispelled the Wood Clone, shifting his consciousness back to the Hidden Mist Village.
Uprooting a black market was just a small step in the execution of [Absolute Justice]. There was still a mountain of cleanup work for the trio to handle in Seagull City. However, with this city as a prototype, Ikeizumi had new ideas for transforming the Land of Water.
Eliminating sinners could save a city in the short term, but as long as the demand for a black market existed, the tragedy would eventually return. To truly solve the problem, [Absolute Justice] had to be implemented across the entire shinobi world to cut off the source of evil at its root.
"Lord Ikeizumi, the first squad sent to execute justice has departed..."
Terumī Mei, now wearing the Mizukage robes, approached Ikeizumi. For the currently unstable Mist Village, the presence of a Fifth Mizukage was essential for unity. With the powerful support of Genji, Mei had transitioned into the role almost seamlessly...the letters to the Land of Water's Daimyō were only sent out after she had already taken the seat.
Yet, Mei felt no joy. She felt only a heavy burden and anxiety for the future.
"I see. Don't worry, the Katsuyu Sage will guide them well." Ikeizumi's attitude toward the new Mizukage was relatively mild; after all, Mei had contributed significantly to the promotion of [Absolute Justice]. "You seem to have something on your mind?"
Seeing her hesitant expression, Ikeizumi cut straight to the point.
"Yes. The situation in the village is... not great. We are short-staffed and have a backlog of missions. If ninja stop performing missions for too long, the Mist's market share will dwindle..."
Mei observed Ikeizumi's face carefully. She didn't want to haggle, but the village's survival was at stake. "My thought is... could we allow a small...no, a tiny number of personnel to be diverted to complete some time-sensitive missions?"
Ikeizumi frowned slightly. The request wasn't unreasonable; forcing the village to abandon its only means of livelihood was unrealistic.