Chapter 161: Building Uchiha’s Sense Of Justice
The next day, Uchiha Fugaku felt that the clan members in the Police Force seemed somewhat off.
Although he knew he had no authority left within the Uchiha Clan, and even many clan members were unwilling to call him Clan Leader.
But at least they should address him as “Captain,” right? After all, his position in the Police Force was real and solid.
However, after arriving at the Police Force Headquarters today, Uchiha Fugaku discovered that one Police Force Ninja after another merely glanced at him indifferently upon seeing him, then looked away, without even the interest to exchange words with him.
This…
Could it be that something happened recently, causing his authority to suffer another major discount?
Harboring such doubt and a heavy mood, Uchiha Fugaku showed no emotional fluctuation on the surface.
He passed by one clan member after another and arrived alone at the Captain’s office in the Police Force.
At the same time, he called over his most trusted Police Force Ninja.
The other was also a Uchiha Jonin.
Considered a veteran in the Police Force, even older than Fugaku.
“What happened in the clan recently?” Uchiha Fugaku asked the question directly.
His intuition told him that something he didn’t know about had definitely happened in the Uchiha Clan in the past couple of days.
The Police Force Jonin hesitated for a moment.
Recalling how Uchiha Fugaku had always taken good care of him, he sighed softly in his heart, then answered Uchiha Fugaku: “Fugaku Clan Leader, last night, some Police Force Ninjas within the Uchiha Clan privately held a clan meeting. There were no Uchiha moderates or Uchiha Radicals present; only those who wanted to follow Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice faction.”
Hearing this, Fugaku was silent for a few seconds.
“Expected, and reasonable.” After a long pause, he said this, then looked up at the Police Force Jonin in front of him: “You must have attended too, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t know this so clearly; they definitely kept it from others.”
Under the other’s silence, Uchiha Fugaku shook his head: “I won’t blame you for siding with Ikeizumi. Though in my view it’s a wrong choice, it’s your own right.”
“I did attend.” The Police Force Jonin admitted.
Uchiha Fugaku asked with a stern face again: “What did you all discuss? Can you tell me? If there are secrets, you can pick some non-secret ones to share.”
“And…”
He paused, then continued: “Was this Absolute Justice clan meeting initiated by Ikeizumi?”
The Police Force Jonin shook his head: “Actually, we didn’t notify Uchiha Ikeizumi, because we all know he’s very busy and probably doesn’t have time for such a clan meeting.”
Fugaku was stunned.
In other words, without Ikeizumi taking the initiative to rally them, the clan members in the Uchiha Clan willing to believe in Absolute Justice had already proactively advanced toward Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice direction?
When he called on them to calm down and not be overly hostile to the village, why weren’t they this proactive?
Fugaku didn’t understand.
“This clan meeting didn’t have any real secrets; even some clan members who don’t believe in Absolute Justice caught wind of rumors. Fugaku Clan Leader, you knowing nothing about it might be because no one came to inform you.”
The truth was a sharp blade that plunged Uchiha Fugaku into silence.
He heard the other continue: “We were discussing—what is Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice? How should the Uchiha Clan fulfill justice’s duties to truly count as Absolute Justice? Everyone shared their ideas, and we recorded the useful ones, planning to compile them into a booklet.”
“As originally envisioned, this booklet would be like the Police Force law enforcement code: 《Absolute Justice Enforcement Handbook》. Of course, before finalizing it, we need Uchiha Ikeizumi to review it; only he knows what true Absolute Justice is.”
Uchiha Fugaku no longer knew what to say.
This group’s initiative was a bit too strong.
If they put their minds into “how to make the Uchiha Clan more glorious and great while maintaining peace with Konoha,” the Uchiha Clan wouldn’t be in this state!
“Fugaku Clan Leader, there’s something… I don’t know if I should tell you.”
You’ve already brought it up, so you definitely want to tell me.
Fugaku said in a deep voice: “Speak.”
“Actually, we invited your wife Mikoto, but she refused us, perhaps because her position is awkward. But since Fugaku Clan Leader didn’t know, it means she didn’t tell you; maybe the lady has her own thoughts.”
Fugaku was stunned.
What kind of logic was this? Absolute Justice’s hoe had once again dug at the corner of his, Uchiha Fugaku’s, home?!
First, it pried away his second son Uchiha Sasuke.
Now it was targeting his wife Uchiha Mikoto?
He was getting a bit heated.
…
“《Absolute Justice Enforcement Handbook》…” Uchiha Ikeizumi indifferently looked at the few drafts handed to him, flipped through a couple of pages casually, then looked at the three Police Force Jonin in front of him.
“Who made this?” His short question actually made the three Uchiha Jonin break out in a sweat.
One of them took a deep breath and answered: “It was compiled by all Uchiha clan members willing to follow you, drawing from many real cases of you enforcing justice.”
“Phew, rather than calling it an enforcement handbook, most of the content is replicas of your real experiences.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi flipped through casually; what the other said was indeed correct.
If some wording in the draft was changed, others might glance at it and think it was his, Uchiha Ikeizumi’s, enforcement diary!
The summary of Absolute Justice ideals was also quite good.
This group had indeed put real effort into the discussion, without adding any overly personalized extreme ideas to 「Absolute Justice」.
In other words…
No personal biases added!
“If anything’s off, we can revise it immediately!” a Police Force Jonin said.
“Pretty good.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said slowly: “Since you’re compiling this, it means you’re prepared to dedicate your lives to justice. In that case, next time you hold a clan meeting, you can include me.”
The three Police Force Jonin: “!!!”
Hiss!
What did Uchiha Ikeizumi’s words mean?
Was he going to start ideological training in Absolute Justice for these Uchiha Ninjas willing to follow it?
Was he finally going to promote 「Absolute Justice」?
One of them asked eagerly, both shocked and delighted: “Does this mean Absolute Justice has accepted us?”
“Depends if you can pass the assessment.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said: “Whether Uchiha Izumi or Mitarashi Anko, they both underwent Absolute Justice’s strict assessment. Justice never needs fillers. Justice needs ninjas with fervent hearts.”
At this point, Uchiha Ikeizumi paused, then said expressionlessly: “Conveniently, there’s a test perfect for you three.”
The three Police Force Jonin immediately became solemn.
They adopted a posture of serious listening and even dropped the Uchiha Clan’s signature arrogance of looking down on everyone.
Those who didn’t know might think Uchiha Ikeizumi was the Police Force Captain and the Uchiha Clan’s Clan Leader.
“Great Merchant Kato, you know him?”
Uchiha Ikeizumi asked.
“Heard of him.” One nodded: “A guy who’ll do anything for money, with a terrible reputation. But since he’s good at making money, many in the Ninja World cooperate with him, even some in Konoha. However…”
Most of those people have more or less committed crimes; either killed by you or locked in Konoha Prison—this flashed through the Police Force Jonin’s mind.
But he didn’t say it outright.
“I have the trail of one of Kato’s confidants in hand.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said slowly: “Find him, use him to locate Kato, then cut off Kato’s head. Complete this assessment I assign, and Absolute Justice’s recognition of you is half done.”
Finally, he added: “If it feels too hard or troublesome, you can just go home.”
“Phew… we three accept this assessment!”
A Police Force Jonin said.
…
After returning home at noon, Uchiha Fugaku immediately found Uchiha Mikoto and asked her directly the question he most wanted to: “Why hide the clan meeting from me?”
Uchiha Mikoto could hear the emotional fluctuation in her husband’s tone.
Clearly, Uchiha Fugaku felt puzzled and angry about Uchiha Mikoto’s concealment.
But with their marriage, Uchiha Fugaku could only suppress his inner anger and question coldly: “Last night, they invited you to the Absolute Justice clan meeting too, right? But you didn’t tell me; am I, the Uchiha Clan Leader, the last one in the entire Uchiha Clan to know?”
“Sasuke doesn’t know either; I didn’t tell him.” Uchiha Mikoto sighed lightly and said: “Since you know I was invited, you should also know I didn’t go, right?”
“That’s not the point; the point is you hid it from me.” Uchiha Fugaku said in a deep voice: “Remember, I’m your husband, and also the Uchiha Clan’s Clan Leader and Police Force Captain. No matter which of these three identities I use to face you, you should have told me in advance.”
Uchiha Mikoto said: “There’s a reason.”
“Speak!” Fugaku took a deep breath; he was truly angry this time.
He was good at compromise, concession, and backing down.
That didn’t mean he had no anger.
Especially when it involved his wife.
“Fugaku, haven’t you noticed your state is really off? When Itachi was alive, you weren’t like this.”
Uchiha Mikoto sighed and said: “If I told you and you stormed into the clan meeting, I couldn’t guarantee that you, with such unstable emotions now, wouldn’t do something extreme and reckless. That’s what I worried about.”
“So better not to tell you in advance. After it happens, you’ll naturally know.”
Uchiha Fugaku looked deeply at Mikoto.
“So, you’re doubting I’ll act irrationally?”
Uchiha Mikoto’s fine brows furrowed slightly: “I’m truly doing this for your good, Fugaku. Your weak will might lead to extreme actions that Absolute Justice can no longer tolerate.”
Absolute Justice…
Absolute Justice again!
Sasuke was like this, now Mikoto too, and most clan members even more so. But have they considered that Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice is making the village increasingly strange?
It’s also Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice that’s subtly placing the Uchiha Clan in opposition to the village.
After all.
Absolute Justice will 100% conflict with the Hokage and them; few in Konoha’s leadership are clean. When justice grows strong, conflicts will inevitably become irreconcilable, dragging down the entire Uchiha Clan.
In other words, Ikeizumi’s Absolute Justice and Uchiha Setsuna’s coup ideas have no essential difference in their impact on the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them.
His eyes were full of disappointment.
“I’m heading back to the Police Force first; no need to make dinner for me tonight or breakfast tomorrow morning.” Uchiha Fugaku said slowly.
He could feel the rift in values between husband and wife, a rift probably hard to mend.
Making him too lazy to say more to Uchiha Mikoto.
“Fugaku…”
Before the quite complex-looking Uchiha Mikoto could continue, Uchiha Fugaku turned away and interrupted her directly.
“I know what you want to say. But I can tell you clearly, I don’t believe in that Absolute Justice nonsense. My perspective is completely different from how you all see things.”
“I’m standing in the Clan Leader’s position. What I see is the worsening relationship between Uchiha and Konoha’s leadership; no matter my efforts, Ikeizumi will cancel them out.”
“Instead of wasting time persuading me, go visit Itachi at Konoha Public Cemetery. Since his cenotaph was built, you’ve never gone to see him, right?”
“Because you’re deeply disappointed in Itachi’s actions and thoughts, but approve of Sasuke’s choice.”
“Phew…”
Uchiha Fugaku’s mood grew heavier.
Because he realized his wife’s mindset shift was inextricably linked to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“In the end, it’s because you’re not on my side at all. Your vision is too narrow-minded.”
Fugaku’s tone had grown icy.
Uchiha Mikoto’s fine brows furrowed tighter; she felt that whether it was Uchiha Itachi’s thought process or Uchiha Fugaku’s, as mother/wife, she could no longer fully understand them.
These father and son…
Though their views differed slightly, their personalities seemed carved from the same mold.
Both very stubborn.
…
…
