Chapter 99: Uchiha Fugaku’s Duality Of Toughness And Weakness
After Asuma’s voice fell, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was completely stunned in place, his pair of unthinkable eyes full of astonishment, staring straight at Asuma whose expression was heavy in front of him.
——His most beloved second son died in the distant Konoha Village! And he was killed by someone!
Asuma’s words echoed continuously in the Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s mind.
The astonishment in his eyes visibly became dazed.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s body suddenly swayed in a daze, startling Asuma into quickly stepping forward to support him with a hand.
“Please restrain your grief, Daimyo.”
At this moment, Asuma returned these words to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyo’s dazed state lasted a full half minute.
When he finally came back to his senses, his eyes already carried thick anger and sorrow.
The fists the Daimyo clenched tightly turned his fingertips white from excessive force.
The veins bulging on his forehead trembled one after another.
His fair and clean face, accustomed to a life of luxury, was flushed red.
“Huff… huff…”
The Daimyo breathed heavily, his sorrowful and gloomy gaze glaring at Asuma.
He gritted his teeth to keep himself from losing composure, forcing out word by word: “What did you say the name of the person who killed Kyusuke and Nan Wu was again?”
“Uchiha Ikeizumi.”
Asuma answered.
“Uchiha Ikeizumi… this name…” The Daimyo of the Land of Fire seemed to recall something: “I think I’ve heard of it.”
Asuma explained: “Whether in Konoha Village or the entire Ninja World, he is indeed quite famous. He is a Uchiha Clan Ninja, a genius with dual bloodline limits, who made significant contributions in the Third Shinobi World War and gained fame.”
“…I remember now.”
The Daimyo finally recalled, murmuring: “Uchiha Ikeizumi, is he a member of the Konoha Uchiha Police Force? I once heard your Konoha Hokage mention him, saying that person is a Konoha Ninja who upholds 「Absolute Justice」.”
Asuma was somewhat surprised, not expecting his old man to have mentioned Uchiha Ikeizumi to the Daimyo.
But on second thought, it seemed quite normal, after all, Uchiha Ikeizumi was among the top in strength in Konoha.
Moreover, Uchiha Ikeizumi was too “newsworthy.”
Whenever chatting with the Daimyo about Konoha’s recent situation, the topic inevitably revolved around Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“Hokage… has he been captured yet?”
The Daimyo asked breathlessly and wearily.
“…No.” Asuma explained: “This is also why I traveled all this way to personally notify you, Daimyo.”
The Daimyo could not understand this: “Why not capture him?”
Asuma said: “My old man probably thinks that conflicting with Uchiha Ikeizumi would lead to many accidental casualties. Taking down that guy requires paying quite a price.”
“And the older my old man gets, the more indecisive he becomes, and his methods are not as tough as when he was younger. In this situation, my old man probably doesn’t know what choice to make.”
“Since he is hesitating, I will help him make the choice.”
Asuma met the Daimyo’s gaze and said: “I’m not interested in my old man’s position, even less in Konoha’s internal strife, but I care deeply about the Konoha that raised me.”
“Someone like Uchiha Ikeizumi staying in Konoha one more day makes Konoha chaotic one more day. His 「Absolute Justice」 will only cause deaths in Konoha every day, and many deaths at that.”
“Even my brother Sarutobi Shinnosuke was killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi under the pretext of 「Absolute Justice」. I didn’t expect my old man to tolerate even this.”
Asuma’s low and somber words made the Daimyo of the Land of Fire understand his “son’s killer” even better.
In his mind, he had already pictured a stern, joyless person who abused the name of so-called 「justice」 to act recklessly.
But because the opponent was too powerful, even Konoha’s Hokage was forced to be restrained by him.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire took a deep breath, but could not calm his fluctuating thoughts. He gritted his teeth and asked Asuma: “When that person killed Kyusuke… did he also pompously invoke the name of so-called 「justice」?”
“…Yes.”
Asuma did not conceal it, nor did he exaggerate, nodding in admission: “In front of many people, he revealed some bad things Kyusuke had done.”
The Daimyo suppressed his anger and asked: “Just because of those things, he had to attack Kyusuke… right?”
Asuma said: “Most likely.”
“Why!?” The Daimyo could not understand. The suppressed anger finally burst out uncontrollably, his unimaginable loss of composure making his emotions explode, his flushed face appearing somewhat ferocious.
“If he killed a commoner, I could understand! But the one he killed is my second son! One of my heirs! A top magnate of the Land of Fire! Land of Fire magnates enjoy immunity and amnesty rights; this is a constitutional decree I added over a dozen years ago!”
“As long as it is not treason or rebellion, no matter what behavior Kyusuke engaged in, he enjoyed immunity and amnesty! Only I, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, have the right to punish him!”
“As a Konoha Village Uchiha Police Force Ninja, how could he not know Land of Fire Law? What right does he have to kill Kyusuke! What right does he have to disregard Land of Fire’s legal decrees?”
“He is not even the Captain of the Police Force! Just an ordinary Police Force member!”
“Does he still have the Land of Fire in his eyes? Does he still have Konoha Village in his eyes? Does he still have the Daimyo in his eyes?”
“Huff… huff… huff…”
After fully venting his emotions once, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire sadly realized that although the title of Daimyo was prestigious, he did not control the Land of Fire’s military power.
The Land of Fire’s military power was all in the Hokage’s hands.
Even if he wanted to avenge his son, he had no one to use.
Hire a group of samurai to deal with a ninja?
What a joke!
“Asuma…” The Daimyo suddenly looked at Asuma again: “I… need your help this time.”
Asuma’s suspended heart settled. If even the Daimyo was as indecisive as his old man, he would probably have to confront Uchiha Ikeizumi with his own strength alone.
……
Konoha, Uchiha Clan Compound.
Elder Koharu’s aged body was trembling slightly. She had known before that Uchiha Ikeizumi’s methods of “enforcing justice” were extremely radical; those beaten by him and thrown into prison were already the lucky ones, while most were killed outright.
Previously, Elder Koharu had some complaints about this but did not pry too much, after all, those people truly deserved it.
But when such a thing happened to her own clan member, Elder Koharu suddenly found it a bit unacceptable.
She hurried forward and soon saw a large head lying on the ground not far from the headless corpse.
Elder Koharu recognized that youthful face.
It was indeed a younger member of the Utatane Clan, her blood relative!
“Hiruzen… did you just watch him kill? He killed a junior still in the jonin school right in front of you, the Hokage—did you just stand there watching? Even if this child did something wrong, was it necessary to kill him? The wrongs he committed surely did not warrant death!”
Elder Koharu turned her head, gritting her teeth as she questioned Sarutobi Hiruzen.
She had some impression of Ryuji Utatane; he was a sweet-talking junior who always greeted her respectfully whenever they met in the clan, and he had good talent too.
Given time, Ryuji Utatane might not become an elite jonin, but at least he would be a Konoha special jonin like his father.
Yet such a polite and talented junior had now become a corpse with body and head separated.
Elder Koharu felt a little dizzy.
She could not understand!
“Elder Koharu, the Hokage cannot intervene.” At this moment, an Anbu Ninja standing beside Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up: “That kid’s wrongs were far more serious than you imagine. Even if he wasn’t killed, by Land of Fire Law, he would have to stay in Konoha Prison for over thirty years.”
Elder Koharu’s gaze locked onto the speaking Anbu Ninja.
The Anbu mask the other wore concealed his face.
But that head of silver-white hair was too conspicuous.
——Copy Ninja Kakashi!
Sarutobi Hiruzen also looked at Kakashi in surprise; he hadn’t expected the usually taciturn Kakashi to explain on his behalf, which brought him some comfort.
Ever since “Danzo plotted to force Hatake Sakumo to commit suicide with public opinion” was revealed by Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been worried whether a rift would form between Kakashi and him, the Hokage.
After all…
After Sakumo’s suicide, he did not use it as a pretext to dismiss Danzo; Danzo still served well as Root Leader.
Now hearing Kakashi defend him.
While Sarutobi Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief, he faintly felt something off… because from another angle, if Kakashi was speaking for Ikeizumi, giving Elder Koharu an explanation for why direct killing was chosen, it would also make sense?
While Elder Koharu’s expression fluctuated uncertainly, a voice from Uzumaki Naruto suddenly rang out: “Old lady, is that perverted murderous villain someone you know?”
Murder…
Villain?!
Naruto gritted his teeth indignantly: “How could he not deserve death? He was jealous of a schoolmate several years younger than him at the ninja academy, so he sneaked into the other’s home at night and brutally slaughtered the entire family of four!”
“Those four bodies are still in the morgue!” Naruto couldn’t help recalling the gruesome state of the corpses, making his excited little face pale slightly again.
Elder Koharu’s eyes widened.
“Utatane Advisor, if you want to seek justice for a mentally twisted evil child, you can come directly to me.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said expressionlessly.
One Elder Koharu might scare the Uchiha Clan Leader into worrying all day whether the higher-ups distrusted the Uchiha again, but she could bring no pressure to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Elder Koharu’s old face flushed alternately pale and red.
In this situation, she could no longer say more.
Speaking further would lose the moral high ground.
She hadn’t expected… her impression of that polite clan junior to have done such a thing!
And her earlier aggressive questioning probably made her look like a clown trying to amuse the audience in the eyes of those Anbu Ninjas and Uchiha Ninjas?
Elder Koharu keenly noticed some Uchiha Clan Ninjas openly showing mocking expressions.
Those expressions seemed to say— this is Konoha’s leadership?
Elder Koharu’s teeth were nearly grinding to pieces!
“Hiruzen, Fugaku…” Utterly frustrated, Elder Koharu forced these words through her teeth: “I’ll take Ryuji’s corpse back to the Utatane Clan… that should be fine, right?”
Fugaku hesitated and asked: “Elder Koharu, shouldn’t we first send the corpse to the Yamanaka Clan to check the memories?”
“…No need!”
Elder Koharu darkly ordered the Root Ninja: “Take the corpse away!”
She did not want to stay here a moment longer.
Because she felt that if she stayed in the Uchiha Clan one more second, not only would the Uchiha Clan Ninjas burst out laughing, but even those Anbu Ninjas might not hold it together.
However.
Just before leaving, Elder Koharu paused in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. In a voice only the two could hear, she asked softly: “How is Uzumaki Naruto?”
At this moment, Elder Koharu saw Sarutobi Hiruzen’s facial expression become as wonderfully complex as her own.
Without Sarutobi Hiruzen replying, Elder Koharu already had her answer.
Her face twitched, her eyelids jumping wildly.
“Hiruzen, you can’t keep indulging Uchiha Ikeizumi’s rampage!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen said: “The important thing is to first stabilize Naruto.”
Moreover…
It was already too late; Naruto had been influenced too deeply.
The key was, if not for the heinous acts by that junior called “Ryuji Utatane” giving Naruto a huge psychological shock, Naruto probably wouldn’t have accepted Ikeizumi’s justice ideology so quickly.
“Ryuji Utatane” bore at least thirty percent of the blame!
His thoughts reached this point.
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s gaze toward Elder Koharu carried some resentment, not understanding how she managed her clan members.
Elder Koharu: “???”
……
After Elder Koharu took the corpse and left, Naruto also temporarily bid farewell to Uchiha Ikeizumi and followed Sarutobi Hiruzen out of the Uchiha Clan, while the group of Anbu Ninjas dispersed.
“Huff…”
Fugaku couldn’t help exhaling a heavy breath of turbid air; the pool of scarlet blood on the ground kept reminding him of what happened today.
“Ikeizumi…”
Just as he was about to speak, he found Uchiha Ikeizumi had already walked dozens of meters away, leaving only a receding back.
Fugaku fell silent.
“Fugaku!” At this moment, a voice suppressing anger rang out from the other side. Uchiha Setsuna led a group of Uchiha Radicals Ninjas, storming up furiously.
Fugaku frowned.
As soon as Uchiha Setsuna approached, he directly demanded face-to-face: “The higher-ups have intruded into the Uchiha Clan Compound twice in a row— as Clan Head, have you made no statement to them? Is the Uchiha Clan something they can enter and exit at will? What do they take us for?”
Fugaku felt extremely weary.
He had exhausted every effort to explain that the Uchiha Clan truly had no designs on the jinchuriki, finally regaining a bit of the Hokage’s trust… leaving him drained, wanting only to go home and rest.
Yet before he could catch his breath, he had to face another issue within the Uchiha Clan.
Fugaku said expressionlessly: “Senior Setsuna, isn’t the Uchiha Clan part of Konoha? Since Uchiha clan members can walk any street in Konoha, then Konoha’s others can walk the streets of the Uchiha Compound too, right?”
Facing questions from the Hokage and Elder Koharu, for the sake of balanced relations, Fugaku could explain very patiently.
But facing fellow Uchiha Clan member Uchiha Setsuna.
Fugaku’s words became extremely firm.
Uchiha Setsuna was choked, snorting as he changed the subject: “Fugaku, your recent actions have been so weak that many clan members feel you are unworthy of being Clan Head! Under you, the Uchiha Clan will only decline further. After being Clan Head for so many years, it’s time for you to step down, Fugaku!”
Fugaku’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and some Uchiha Clan moderate Ninjas gradually moved toward him.
But in terms of numbers, Uchiha Setsuna’s side still had more.
Under the Uchiha Clan’s repeated concessions, the radicals’ rebellious ideas had ultimately become mainstream.
The atmosphere unknowingly grew tense.
……
However, within the Uchiha Clan, it was not just those siding with Uchiha Setsuna or Uchiha Fugaku.
If the Uchiha Clan could only be divided into two factions, it wouldn’t be the Uchiha; they weren’t that “united.”
At this moment.
Three Uchiha Police Force Ninjas watched the confrontation from afar.
“Tch! Our Uchiha Clan is truly hopeless… One is an old wreck with ambition but no ability. If he had any capability, he would have succeeded in a coup decades ago—how could he have been locked up by the Second for decades?”
“The other… occupies the Clan Head and Clan Leader position yet always leans outwards, impossible to see as an Uchiha. No wonder he raised a beast like Uchiha Itachi.”
One of them was full of indignant disdain, unable to stop sneering: “They’ve played out this drama several times, but it always ends with nothing happening— just two useless failures.”
Another Police Force Ninja nearby chimed in: “Playing their boring childish political games is just wasting life; better to patrol the village a couple more times.”
“What do you think of Uchiha Ikeizumi?” The last one suddenly said.
“Uchiha Ikeizumi? A pretty impressive guy, but seems hard to get along with. He killed his own clansman, and that incident back then was quite a big deal.”
“But… if he’s hard to get along with, how did that kid Uchiha Izumi survive under him for so long? And his 「Absolute Justice」 seems pretty interesting.”
“「Absolute Justice」, huh? Indeed, at least more interesting than this boring game by these two groups.”
……
……
