Chapter 7: It’s Necessary To Write Your Last Will In Advance
Fugaku took a deep breath, suppressing the annoyance in his heart, and turned his gaze to Senior Izumi, who was at a loss in the office.
“Uchiha Izumi.”
“Here!!!”
Fugaku was almost startled by the little girl’s loud shout. He kept a straight face and reminded her, “No need to shout so loudly.”
Senior Izumi’s delicate face visibly flushed with two shades of red from embarrassment.
It was all because of Senior Ikeizumi’s training, so much so that whenever she heard someone call her name, she would reflexively shout “Here” loudly, afraid that shouting even a bit slower would annoy Senior Ikeizumi.
“Even I don’t know why Ikeizumi has such a big issue with Itachi. Maybe their personalities just don’t match?”
Fugaku said thoughtfully, “You don’t need to take what Ikeizumi said earlier to heart. I know you’re one of Itachi’s few friends. He really needs a friend’s company right now.”
“Because…”
“His best friend has already left him.”
Senior Izumi knew who the Clan Head Fugaku meant by “Itachi’s best friend.”
Itachi had mentioned him to her before, even frequently. And every time he mentioned that person named Uchiha Shisui, the usually taciturn Itachi would become talkative.
“Uchiha Izumi…”
“Here!!!”
Fugaku: “…”
Senior Izumi: “…”
Senior Izumi clasped her hands in front of her, embarrassed to the point of wanting to crawl into a crack in the ground, and hurriedly bowed politely to apologize: “I’m very sorry!”
“Ahem.”
Fugaku kindly said, “If… you feel that Uchiha Ikeizumi isn’t suitable to be your assessment officer, I can pull some strings to help you select a new one that’s more suitable for you.”
Fugaku was worried that this girl would be ruined by Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Of course.
This kind of “ruin” wasn’t about innocence, but about life. Uchiha Ikeizumi had precedents!
What Fugaku said earlier—that Senior Izumi was one of Itachi’s few friends—was actually a lie.
After Shisui’s death…
Itachi’s only friend left was this child, Uchiha Izumi.
Even if he was extremely strict and harsh with his own son, even having done things to Itachi that nearly shattered their family bond just to make Itachi awaken, Fugaku still believed he was ultimately a father.
A father…
Should at least consider his child’s situation a little.
Senior Izumi was stunned.
“Change assessment officers…” She hesitated a bit. The pressure from Senior Ikeizumi was indeed great, and if she wasn’t careful, she would get scolded bloody by her senior.
But.
Senior Izumi gritted her teeth and looked up earnestly: “Lord Fugaku, I joined the Police Force to become a qualified enforcer! Senior Ikeizumi is strict, but I believe he will train me into a qualified, excellent enforcer!”
“Although today was just the first time interacting with Senior Ikeizumi, he has already taught me many things. Maybe Senior Izumi and I just need some time to adjust to each other.”
Senior Izumi had never seen anyone as dedicated to justice as Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Even if this senior’s behavior was a bit extreme, even if this senior seemed to have some misunderstanding about Itachi.
But her senior was definitely a good person!
“Is that so…” Fugaku sighed. He had already hinted so clearly, but this child Senior Izumi still insisted on following Uchiha Ikeizumi. He had no choice but to remind her: “Remember, don’t defy his orders. Treat him as your superior.”
“Yes, Lord Fugaku!”
Senior Izumi nodded solemnly.
……
The next day.
Senior Izumi, with faint dark circles under her eyes, weakly crawled out of bed—she hadn’t slept well last night, having several nightmares in a row, her mind full of that criminal and that child’s corpse, and even dreaming of being harshly scolded by Senior Ikeizumi all day.
She didn’t know how the Police Force handled the criminal’s and victim’s corpses…
She even less knew how desperate that child’s mother must be now?
After all, her husband was dead, and her child was dead too. Moreover, the child died at her husband’s hands—this was too tragic.
Senior Izumi rubbed her eyes, shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind, tugged at her nightgown that had slipped off her shoulder due to poor sleeping posture, and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table.
Senior Izumi suddenly woke up fully.
She was almost scared breathless.
“Oh no!”
“N-Nine… nine o’clock! I’m done for! I forgot to set the alarm last night! And forgot to remind Mom to wake me up at a certain time in the morning!”
There was no time to change into her Police Force uniform, no time to eat breakfast. Senior Izumi even rushed out the door barefoot in a panic, her pale little face drained of color from fright.
As a result.
She saw her mother Uchiha Hazuki talking with her senior Uchiha Ikeizumi at the door.
After that.
She watched as Senior Ikeizumi turned his gaze toward her.
An absurd thought suddenly popped into Senior Izumi’s mind—would she look better off if she committed suicide?
“Ah… Izumi, you’re awake?” Uchiha Hazuki, who had raised her daughter alone and still retained her charm, showed a hint of apology on her face: “When Lord Ikeizumi came to see you, I wanted to wake you up, but this lord told me not to. He said… he wanted to see how long you’d sleep.”
Senior Izumi’s expression went blank.
She felt completely dazed.
She felt like her time was up. She should have listened to that female Uchiha senior and written a will in advance—it would soon come in handy.
“S-Senior…”
Senior Izumi’s voice was trembling.
Uchiha Ikeizumi looked at the girl who had lost her spark due to fear and helplessness, and said expressionlessly: “Change your clothes. You’re two hours late today, so you’ll work four hours overtime tonight. All your weekend leave this month is gone too.”
“Yes… Huh?”
“…Ah?”
Senior Izumi was stunned. She looked incredulously at this Senior Ikeizumi, who was almost a “great demon king who kills assessment trainees without hesitation” in the mouths of the other Police Force seniors.
For a moment, Senior Izumi felt like she was in a dream, thinking she hadn’t woken up yet.
“You thought I’d kill you. Right?”
Senior Izumi: “…”
She couldn’t hide her thoughts from Senior Ikeizumi at all!
Uchiha Ikeizumi said flatly: “On the day you betray justice, I will indeed kill you without hesitation. I’m giving you thirty seconds now. If you don’t appear in front of me within thirty seconds, your assessment score will be failing, and you can go back to bed and sleep until tomorrow morning.”
Senior Izumi immediately jolted.
“Yes! Senior!”
She hurriedly turned to close the door, running while undressing, and a clattering sound came from inside the house. At the twenty-ninth second, a window on the second floor was thrown open, and Senior Izumi leaped down in a hurry, landing steadily in front of Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“Huff, huff…”
Senior Izumi’s little heart was pounding wildly now, her Police Force uniform put on crookedly, as if hastily thrown on.
She stood carefully beside Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Keeping her head down, not daring to make a sound.
“Lord Ikeizumi, Izumi is a special child. Her personality is different from other Uchihas in the clan. If Izumi has caused you trouble, please, Lord Ikeizumi…”
Mrs. Hazuki didn’t finish before Uchiha Ikeizumi interrupted: “I only care if she can do her job properly. Let’s go.”
Senior Izumi clutched the hem of her clothes and obediently followed behind Uchiha Ikeizumi.
At that moment, she suddenly noticed something in her senior’s hand.
It seemed like a takeout bag from Ichiraku Ramen Shop.
“I don’t have the habit of wasting food.” Uchiha Ikeizumi tossed it casually, startling Senior Izumi into catching it hurriedly.
Senior Izumi immediately remembered that Senior Ikeizumi had said yesterday they were to meet at Ichiraku Ramen Shop this morning.
Senior Izumi felt so ashamed her eyes reddened.
“I’m sorry, Senior…” Her tone was a bit choked.
“Rookie, the one you should be sorry to is justice, which was delayed along with your tardiness.”
Senior Izumi held the Ichiraku Ramen.
Continuing to hang her little head.
“I’m sorry…”
……
……
