Chapter 5: Absolute Justice Is Not Blind Justice
Uchiha Ikeizumi did not return to the Uchiha Police Force base with Izumi.
The direction he headed was Konoha’s power center—the Hokage’s Office Building!
After arriving at the Hokage’s Office Building, Uchiha Ikeizumi familiarly made his way to the door of the Hokage’s Office.
He lightly knocked on the door, and after a “Come in” sounded from inside.
Uchiha Ikeizumi pushed the door open and entered.
—His movements were too practiced, as if he did this often.
“Ikeizumi…”
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up and saw a black-haired young man whose looks were top-tier even among the Uchiha Clan.
He set down the documents in hand, sighed, and said: “I have already forgotten how many times I have reminded you. Sometimes, there is no need to always stick to iron-blooded methods. Law enforcement should have strength, but it should also have warmth.”
“The Ninja Wars have been over for so many years now, and this is not some special time period. Everyone is looking forward to a bright future, so the Uchiha Clan’s law enforcement intensity can be eased a bit.”
He earnestly advised him at length, then proactively asked: “This time it was such a big fuss—what was the situation?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not mention the complaints against Uchiha Ikeizumi.
He knew that even if he said it, Uchiha Ikeizumi would not care.
Because he had watched this child grow up with his own eyes, and especially after noticing that this child was completely different from other Uchihas, Sarutobi Hiruzen had frequent contact with Uchiha Ikeizumi.
He believed he understood Uchiha Ikeizumi too well.
But for some reason, Sarutobi Hiruzen always felt that the way this child looked at him was a bit strange.
Hmm…
It must be an illusion?!
Uchiha Ikeizumi shifted his intriguing gaze away from the red box above Sarutobi Hiruzen’s head, met Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes, and said: “Konoha civilian ‘Akiyama Jiro’, two days ago due to gambling losses, got drunk and injured his own four-year-old child, leading to the child’s death. The victim’s corpse is being brought back to the Police Force.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned: “A murder case…”
He did not even doubt the truthfulness of Uchiha Ikeizumi’s words.
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled and patiently said: “Ikeizumi, next time you encounter such a situation, you should let the Land of Fire’s legal documents serve as the weapon to punish the criminals.”
“Your behavior of personally using heavy hands on criminals has already caused dissatisfaction among many people. Sometimes, even I, the Konoha Hokage, find it hard to suppress those dissatisfied voices.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said expressionlessly: “Mild laws will only become tools for murder that aid tyrants, 「Absolute Justice」 is the only way to sweep away all ghouls and serpents.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen was choked up.
He gave a wry smile, having apparently also forgotten how many times scenes like this—being retorted by Uchiha Ikeizumi—had occurred.
“Hokage.”
Before turning to leave, Uchiha Ikeizumi said to Sarutobi Hiruzen: “You got one thing wrong. My law enforcement has always had warmth, just like the lava in a volcano—fervently hot.”
With that said.
He did not even bid farewell to Sarutobi Hiruzen before leaving.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “…”
As fervent as lava in a volcano—doesn’t that mean whoever it touches dies?
Right!
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly remembered that he had a more important matter to ask Uchiha Ikeizumi about. He actually wanted to ask clearly what Uchiha Ikeizumi thought about the increasingly intense rebellious emotions within the Uchiha Clan.
“Forget it…”
Sarutobi Hiruzen had a premonition that it would not be long before Uchiha Ikeizumi came to the Hokage’s Office again for the same reason.
……
Uchiha Ikeizumi, after leaving the Hokage’s Office Building, went to the Uchiha Police Force.
He did not see Izumi.
Suddenly, a curious voice sounded from the side: “Ikeizumi, that rookie assessment trainee you brought… the one called ‘Uchiha Izumi’, is she still alive?”
This girl Uchiha Izumi was actually quite famous in the Uchiha Clan.
The only half-blood Uchiha could be considered a rare creature.
Uchiha Ikeizumi glanced over and saw that the speaker was also a member of the Uchiha Police Force. Uchiha Ikeizumi felt the other’s face looked familiar, but he did not remember the other’s name.
“Alive.”
He answered concisely.
These two words seemed very shocking, as many nearby Uchiha Police Force members looked over in surprise.
Whispers of discussion gradually arose around them.
“Hey, really? I remember Ikeizumi brought two trainees before—those two unfortunates… one was killed on the first day for defying his orders; the other, it was said, was stimulated to awaken on the first day of assessment, but also developed severe mental illness because of it.”
Clearly, this person had no clear understanding of their Uchiha Clan’s hereditary mental illness.
“Tch, how rare! Could that half-blood Uchiha genin be a ‘talented’ rookie?”
“She only survived today. Maybe she’ll be killed tomorrow.”
“Speaking of which… Uchiha Ikeizumi has killed a clansman—why does the clan head turn a blind eye to such an evil deed? He even lets this guy continue being a ninja in the Police Force?”
“I heard the clansman he killed was found to have done something unspeakable. But the clan head sealed the news, so the specifics are probably only known to the clan head and Uchiha Ikeizumi.”
“Tch, a waste—dead is dead. What’s there to discuss?”
“…”
The whispering discussions did not cause any emotional fluctuation in Uchiha Ikeizumi.
He merely gave these colleagues a shallow glance, his gaze lingering for a moment on the white boxes floating above their heads.
【Uchiha Kaede—nine days later, while capturing a thief, secretly pocketed the stolen goods and submitted false case details to the Police Force. Sin Level: White Name!】
【Uchiha Rei—three days later, had an illicit affair with colleague ‘Uchiha Momoha”s husband. Sin Level: White Name!】
【Uchiha Natsuki—half a month later…】
【…】
The people in the Uchiha Police Force, even all the ninjas in the entire Konoha… in his eyes, only a very small portion had no White Name or Red Name above their heads.
So few in number that they might only account for a little over thirty percent of the village’s ninjas.
However, 「Absolute Justice」 is not 「Blind Justice」, nor is it that pathological justice of killing every last one in the entire Ninja World.
Even knowing that someone might fall into the “evil” abyss at some point in the future due to some matter, Uchiha Ikeizumi was not foolish enough to strangle their life in the cradle.
Past experience told him that future evil deeds were not absolute certainties—they could change with the occurrence of certain incidents.
As for why he had such strange experiences…
Well, everyone goes through trial-and-error in the process of growing up.
Although Uchiha Ikeizumi’s heart was utterly calm, his earlier gaze still made the group’s whispers grow quieter and quieter.
Until these Uchiha Police Force members all stopped whispering with somewhat uneasy expressions.
They did not know why… they just felt like thorns on their backs!
As if they had been targeted by something.
……
“Ike… Senior Ikeizumi!” The girl’s panting, somewhat fatigued voice suddenly approached from afar.
“I…”
“I brought the corpse back!”
……
……
