Chapter 11: Obstruct Justice, Even the Hokage Must Die
"Seisui… Mother…" Gekkou Hayate stared blankly at his brother, who lay limp in his arms, his life extinguished.
His brother's death, and the words he'd spoken before dying, left his mind in a chaotic haze, temporarily robbing him of the ability to think.
He looked up, dazed, meeting the eyes of Uchiha Ikeizumi, who had sheathed his blade.
Two lines of sorrowful tears had already fallen without him realizing.
"Your mother's body should currently be taken by other members of the Police Force. Next, the Police Force will invite ninja from the Yamanaka clan to conduct a joint investigation."
Uchiha Ikeizumi stated expressionlessly, "If you wish to see your mother, you can wait until the joint investigation concludes, which will probably take a day or two."
Mother…
Was murdered…
Uchiha Ikeizumi's words turned Gekkou Seisui's dying mockery into a brutal truth, deepening Gekkou Hayate's sorrow, his heart seemingly pierced by invisible blades.
Two years ago, his father died, killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Two years later, his mother died, killed by his own brother. And now his brother was dead too, also by Uchiha Ikeizumi's hand.
Of the entire Gekkou clan, his direct lineage, only he, Gekkou Hayate, remained!
Gekkou Hayate was somewhat lost.
He didn't even know if he should seek revenge on Uchiha Ikeizumi.
This Uchiha, like a demon, had killed his father, killed his own brother…
Yet, the other party was executing "justice."
One could even say Uchiha Ikeizumi had avenged his mother!
And…
It was the heinous crime of matricide!
"Senior Ikeizumi, he seems to be in a lot of pain. His mental state looks like it's about to collapse," Izumi whispered, a hint of concern on the young girl's face. "Will he be alright?"
Uchiha Ikeizumi turned and walked away, slowly saying, "Let him be."
"Oh." Izumi quickly followed.
...
The news that Uchiha Ikeizumi had killed two Gekkou clan Chunin, entered their compound with his subordinate, and killed "Gekkou Seisui," the second son of the former clan head—this news quickly exploded throughout Konoha.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe, heard the news.
He was so shocked he choked and coughed.
Once he finally recovered, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately took a drink of water. After calming his turbulent thoughts, he asked the ANBU ninja reporting the news in a deep voice, "What was the specific reason?"
Just as the ANBU ninja was about to speak, there was a knock on the door.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly guessed something.
He said, "Come in!"
As expected… Uchiha Ikeizumi, who had killed three ninja, walked into the Hokage's office as if nothing had happened, followed by a cautious young apprentice.
"The reason is that the criminal, 'Gekkou Seisui,' resisted arrest," Uchiha Ikeizumi stated directly, not even waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi to ask. "Anyone who dares to resist arrest is no longer a simple criminal. They must be dealt with decisively, killed on the spot, to deter other petty villains."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened slightly. This wasn't the first time Uchiha Ikeizumi had failed to address him as Hokage-sama upon seeing him.
Nor was it the first time he had spoken to him in such a cold, blunt tone.
It was as if he, the esteemed Third Hokage, was also just another criminal in this child's eyes.
This made Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively uncomfortable.
Fortunately, his emotions were stable. The slight frown on his face disappeared, and Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Ikeizumi, asking, "Criminal?"
"Uchiha Izumi," Uchiha Ikeizumi said.
"Yes! Senior!!!"
Izumi took a deep breath. Having prepared herself mentally on the way, she volunteered to report to the Hokage on behalf of her senior: "Hokage-sama, Senior Ikeizumi and I this morning…"
The young girl's narrative logic was clear, and her language concise.
When she recounted the entire incident truthfully.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
"Gekkou Seisui…" Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh. "I used to hold that child. But I never imagined he would be… so extremely jealous. To the point of harming his closest family due to such terrifying jealousy…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi believed it.
While he couldn't fully grasp Uchiha Ikeizumi's methods, the one thing he was certain of was that Uchiha Ikeizumi never made incorrect judgments when it came to matters of "justice" and "evil."
This child…
Was like a born judge, his accuracy in determining the truth of a case was 100%!
Years ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had even suspected if Uchiha Ikeizumi was using "executing justice" as an excuse to simply enjoy killing.
After investigating dozens of times and finding nothing amiss.
Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that someone could indeed possess such a talent.
The Uchiha truly produced extraordinary individuals!
However…
"Ikeizumi!" Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped on his desk, his face serious. "A matricide resisting arrest, and you killed him with force—I can overlook that. But why did you kill two innocent Gekkou clan members?"
"Those two young men, one twenty-one, one twenty-six. They merely stood in your way, and you killed them? Is harming the innocent still justice?!"
Izumi keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the Hokage's office was off.
Uchiha Ikeizumi met Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze and said, "I had already warned them in advance, but since they insisted on obstructing law enforcement, it means they made their choice."
"Unfortunately, they chose to stand on the side of 'evil.' They obstructed justice and condoned evil, so they are no longer innocent."
He paused, then continued, "No matter if it's Gekkou clan ninja standing in my way, or even you, Hokage-sama… I will use Absolute Justice to eliminate all obstacles!"
"Without mercy!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed deeply at Uchiha Ikeizumi, finally sighing, and asked, "Ikeizumi, how long have you and I been having these confrontational, ideologically opposed conversations?"
Uchiha Ikeizumi replied, "Five years."
"Five years…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up. With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked a few steps, paused, and then asked, "Ikeizumi, you must feel it, mustn't you? Something no one wants to see is happening in the village. While there are no large-scale conflicts in the ninja world, the waters within Konoha have remained turbulent."
"As an Uchiha, you should be very sensitive to this. So, may I ask you? In your eyes, is justice… on the side of the majority of the villagers? Or on the side of a small minority?"
"If one day, due to circumstances of your position, you are forced to do something against justice, would you do it?"
Izumi, off to the side, already felt the atmosphere in the office so heavy that the surrounding air seemed to solidify.
"Justice stands with the good people."
Uchiha Ikeizumi gave a third answer. He continued, "My stance is justice. I will never betray my stance, nor will I go against the justice in my heart."
Hiruzen Sarutobi mused, "The good people…"
He showed a faint smile: "Ikeizumi, while your answer differs somewhat from Itachi's, it makes me increasingly feel that you and that child Itachi are indeed alike. You both love the village very much."
"Hokage-sama, insulting people is wrong," Uchiha Ikeizumi frowned, correcting him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"
....
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