Uchiha Akainu didn't go back to the Uchiha Military Police Force headquarters with Izumi. Instead, he headed straight for the heart of Konoha's power: the Hokage's Office!
Once he reached the Hokage Tower, Akainu, clearly familiar with the layout, went directly to the Hokage's office door. He gave a light knock, and when a "Come in" sounded from inside, he pushed the door open. His actions were so smooth, it was like he did this all the time.
"Akainu, my boy..." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up and saw the black-haired young man, whose good looks were considered top-tier even among the Uchiha. He put down his documents and sighed. "I've lost count of how many times I've told you this, but sometimes you don't need to be so iron-fisted. Enforcement should be firm, yes, but it should also have warmth."
"The Great Ninja War ended years ago, and we're not in any special period now. Everyone's looking forward to a bright future, so the Uchiha clan's enforcement can afford to be a bit softer."
He lectured patiently, then proactively asked, "What caused such a commotion this time?"
Hiruzen didn't mention the complaints against Akainu. He knew it wouldn't matter even if he did. He had watched the boy grow up, and after noticing how different he was from other Uchiha, Hiruzen had made an effort to interact with Akainu often. He believed he knew Uchiha Akainu inside and out. But for some reason, Hiruzen always felt that the boy looked at him a little strangely. Hmm... must be my imagination, right?
Uchiha Akainu shifted his meaningful gaze away from the red box floating above Hiruzen Sarutobi's head. He met Hiruzen's eyes and stated, "A Konoha civilian named 'Akiyama Jiro' got drunk two days ago after losing a bet and harmed his four-year-old child, causing their death. The victim's body is being brought back to the Military Police Force."
Hiruzen frowned deeply. "A murder, then..." He didn't even doubt the truth of Uchiha Akainu's words.
Hiruzen exhaled. He patiently said, "Akainu, next time something like this happens, you should let the legal documents of the Land of Fire be the weapon to punish criminals. Your private, heavy-handed actions against criminals have caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Sometimes, even I, the Hokage of Konoha, find it hard to suppress those voices of discontent."
Uchiha Akainu's face was devoid of expression. "Lenient laws only become tools for evil. Only 'Absolute Justice' can sweep away all sorts of unspeakable horrors."
Hiruzen was momentarily speechless. He let out a bitter laugh, realizing he'd also forgotten how many times Akainu had retorted like this.
"Hokage-sama." Before turning to leave, Uchiha Akainu said to Hiruzen, "You were also wrong about something else. My enforcement has always had 'warmth'—as intense as the lava in a volcano." With that, he left without even formally excusing himself from Hiruzen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..." As intense as volcano lava? Doesn't that mean whoever touches it dies?
Oh, right! Hiruzen suddenly remembered something more important he wanted to ask Uchiha Akainu. He actually wanted to clarify Akainu's views on the increasingly fierce rebellious sentiment within the Uchiha clan.
"Never mind..." Hiruzen had a feeling that before long, Uchiha Akainu would be back in the Hokage's office for the same reason.
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Uchiha Akainu made a quick stop at the Uchiha Military Police Force. He didn't see Izumi there.
Suddenly, a curious voice from the side broke the silence: "Akainu, that new recruit you're assessing... the one named 'Uchiha Izumi'... is she still alive?"
The girl, Uchiha Izumi, was actually quite well-known in the Uchiha clan. Being the only half-blood Uchiha made her somewhat of a rare specimen.
Uchiha Akainu glanced over. The speaker was also a member of the Uchiha Military Police Force. Akainu found the person's face familiar but couldn't recall their name.
"Alive," he answered succinctly.
Those two words seemed to shock everyone. Many Uchiha Military Police Force members nearby looked over in surprise. Soon, hushed whispers started to spread.
"Whoa, really? I thought Akainu used to have two trainees before, and those poor souls... one was killed on the first day for defying his orders, and the other, apparently, awakened their Sharingan on the first day of the assessment, but it also drove them to severe mental illness." Clearly, this person didn't have a clear understanding of their Uchiha clan's ancestral mental illnesses.
"Tsk, how rare! Could that half-blood Uchiha genin be a 'capable' newcomer?"
"She only survived today. Maybe she'll be killed tomorrow."
"Speaking of which... Uchiha Akainu has killed a fellow clan member. Why does the Clan Head let such a terrible act go unchecked? Why is he even allowed to continue being a Military Police Force ninja?"
"I heard that the clan member he killed was found to have done something unspeakable. But the Clan Head sealed the information, so only the Clan Head and Uchiha Akainu probably know the specifics."
"Hmph, a good-for-nothing, if he died, he died. Why are we even discussing it?"
"..."
The hushed whispers didn't cause any emotional stir in Uchiha Akainu. He merely gave a shallow glance at his colleagues, his gaze lingering briefly on the white boxes floating above their heads.
[Uchiha Kaede — Nine days from now, while apprehending a thief, will secretly pocket stolen goods and submit a false report to the Military Police Force. Sin Level: White Name!]
[Uchiha Rei — Three days from now, will engage in an illicit affair with her colleague 'Uchiha Momoha's' husband. Sin Level: White Name!]
[Uchiha Natsuki — Half a month from now...]
[...]
In his eyes, only a very small portion of these Uchiha Military Police Force members, and even ninjas across all of Konoha, didn't have a white or red box above their heads. The number was so scarce that it might only account for a little over thirty percent of all village ninjas.
However, "Absolute Justice" isn't "Blind Justice," nor is it a pathological justice that aims to kill every single ninja in the world. Even knowing that someone might fall into the abyss of "evil" at some point in the future, Uchiha Akainu wasn't foolish enough to consider ending their lives prematurely. Past experience had taught him that future misdeeds aren't always set in stone; they can change with certain events.
As for why he had such strange experiences... well, people always go through a trial-and-error process as they grow.
Though Uchiha Akainu remained unperturbed, his gaze still made the whispers among the group grow softer and softer, until these Uchiha Military Police Force members stopped their murmuring, their expressions somewhat uneasy. They didn't know why... but they felt an intense prickle on their backs, like they were being watched.
"Ike... Senior Akainu!" A panting, somewhat weary voice suddenly came closer from afar.
"I..."
"I brought the body back!"