Konoha: Uchiha’s Absolute Justice Chapter 041

The next day.

Hiruzen Sarutobi changed into a mourning suit early. Today was the day his eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, was to be buried. Perhaps the heavens were not in a good mood, as a drizzling rain was pouring down.

“Let’s go, to the Konoha Cemetery.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a heavy heart, then led the way, letting the rain fall on him.

Behind him followed Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s wife, “Sarutobi Nadoko,” and their son, “Sarutobi Konohamaru.”

At the same time, many members of the Sarutobi clan also followed closely.

Besides them, there were only a few close friends of Sarutobi Shinnosuke from when he was alive.

The funeral of the Hokage’s eldest son should have invited more people.

But…

Negative rumors about Sarutobi Shinnosuke in the village were escalating. Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, intended to curb public opinion, he found it impossible to control.

The more the public opinion was suppressed, the more the villagers believed the rumors were true.

This was also a traditional skill of Konoha’s troublesome villagers.

In this situation, it was not suitable to make the funeral too grand.

After all, in the eyes of many Konoha villagers—if a “villain” who committed evil deeds by relying on his father being the Hokage of Konoha were to have a grand funeral after his death… wouldn’t that be too unfair to the victims?

Helplessly, considering the negative public opinion in the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only try to keep everything simple, inviting only some of Shinnosuke’s friends from his lifetime.

Before long, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others arrived at the Konoha Cemetery, where the Konoha Funeral Home had already transported Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s coffin.

“Lord Hokage, can I see him one more time?”

Sarutobi Nadoko held Konohamaru’s small hand, her eyes filled with tears.

“Mm.” Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded heavily.

“Mom, why is Father lying here…” Three-year-old Konohamaru was still a bit muddled.

He couldn’t even speak very clearly.

Tears finally welled up in Sarutobi Nadoko’s eyes, and she said, crying, “Konohamaru, your father is asleep. It’s just that this time, he’s going to sleep for a very, very long time. When you grow up, you’ll know why he slept for so long.”

…

Not far away, several staff members of the Konoha Funeral Home were whispering.

“That woman is Lord Hokage’s daughter-in-law? She’s really beautiful… Hey, Yamada, are you staring blankly? I advise you not to have any strange ideas, maybe she’s a ninja, she could crush you with one finger.”

“Yamada? Why have you been so strange these past two days? You don’t respond when I call you. You haven’t really fallen for Lord Hokage’s widow, have you?”

Yamada jolted, then quickly retorted, “You, don’t talk nonsense! If Lord Hokage hears you, you’ll get me into big trouble.”

He suppressed his uneasy thoughts and added, “It should be about time. Is it time to bury the coffin?”

His companions nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”

However, just as the funeral home staff were about to walk over, an unexpected commotion suddenly broke out.

They vaguely heard someone arguing.

—“Hey! Uchiha Ikeizumi! What are you doing here? You’re not welcome here today!”

—“Uchiha Police Force enforcing the law, unauthorized personnel are not to obstruct. Otherwise, kill without mercy.”

—“You!!!”

“Uchiha Ikeizumi? That sounds familiar…” A funeral home staff member stroked his short beard, muttering. Then, he noticed “Yamada” next to him looked a bit strange, and he asked in confusion, “Hey, Yamada, why is your face so pale!?”

“N-nothing…” Yamada’s lips trembled slightly.

His forced smile was uglier than a cry: “I just got rained on, maybe… maybe I caught a cold…”

Yamada’s heart was screaming “impossible.”

It couldn’t possibly be that his actions from four years ago had been exposed!

Perhaps…

Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

After all, Konoha Village was only so big, and it was perfectly reasonable for that plague god of the Uchiha Police Force to go anywhere, right? It was just bad luck that he ran into him today, which was also perfectly reasonable, right?

Besides, he had handled it so cleanly back then, and for four consecutive years, no one from the police force had bothered him.

How could it be exposed?!

…

On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others also noticed the commotion. When they vaguely heard the name “Uchiha Ikeizumi,” the expression on Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face visibly darkened a little.

When he saw his daughter-in-law, who had been kneeling by the coffin, suddenly stand up silently…

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart skipped a beat.

He was afraid that Sarutobi Nadoko, having gone through the pain of losing her husband, would do something irrational.

He said, “I’ll go take a look. Nadoko, you stay here and just see Shinnosuke off properly.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, and with two Anbu guards, quickly rushed in the direction of the commotion.

Sure enough, he saw the person he least wanted to see during this time—Uchiha Ikeizumi!

“Lord Hokage.” Several Sarutobi clan ninjas who had been blocking Uchiha Ikeizumi immediately made way when they saw Hiruzen Sarutobi appear, and respectfully greeted him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked forward, standing in front of Uchiha Ikeizumi, with only less than two meters separating them.

“Ikeizumi…”

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a complex expression, “You should know that you, who did such a thing, shouldn’t be here. Your presence will only provoke many people and cause unnecessary conflict.”

“If you want to pay your respects to Shinnosuke…”

The drizzling rain made it difficult to see Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes. He paused, then continued, “You can come tomorrow. As for today… let’s just forget it.”

At the moment he saw Uchiha Ikeizumi appear at Shinnosuke’s funeral, the anger in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart had actually subsided a bit.

At least, Uchiha Ikeizumi still remembered their past teacher-student relationship.

At least, he was still willing to come and see Shinnosuke off for the last time.

It seemed that Uchiha Ikeizumi hadn’t reached the point of being completely heartless; it was just that his [Absolute Justice] was simply too extreme.

Before, when Uchiha Ikeizumi’s “blade” hadn’t fallen on Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that even if Uchiha Ikeizumi was a double-edged sword, as long as he used him well, Uchiha Ikeizumi would be an extremely excellent elite ninja of Konoha.

However, when Uchiha Ikeizumi, this double-edged sword, wounded Hiruzen Sarutobi, he suddenly felt that Uchiha Ikeizumi’s [Absolute Justice] was so extreme that it made him feel very uncomfortable.

However, Uchiha Ikeizumi’s reply surprised Hiruzen Sarutobi: “Third Hokage, I may one day come to pay respects to Teacher Shinnosuke, but not today. I am here to execute justice.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s internal alarm suddenly blared, and the two Anbu guards behind him also narrowed their eyes.

The atmosphere on the scene instantly became subtle with Uchiha Ikeizumi’s few words.

Execute… justice?!

What did that mean?

“Uchiha Izumi.” At this moment, Uchiha Ikeizumi said.

“Here!!!” The girl’s loud shout almost made Hiruzen Sarutobi think that Uchiha Ikeizumi was about to break ties with Konoha.

Until he saw Izumi walk out from behind Uchiha Ikeizumi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s old face darkened slightly, not understanding why this Uchiha girl suddenly had to shout.

Uchiha Ikeizumi said, “You speak.”

“Yes! Senior Ikeizumi!”

Izumi mustered her courage, suppressed her nervousness, and proactively said to the Hokage, “Lord Hokage, Senior Ikeizumi has discovered an extremely heinous murder and dismemberment case. Yesterday and this morning, Senior has already screened many suspects, and now only the last suspect remains to be investigated—that is ‘Yamada Toshiro’ of the Konoha Funeral Home!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned: “Dismemberment case?”

Izumi nodded and said, “The victims are a mother and daughter. The culprit dismembered the bodies and threw the body parts into Konoha’s sewers. Although Senior Ikeizumi could only find some bone fragments, he was able to determine the identities of the deceased through these fragments.”

“We are constantly investigating suspects according to the clues, and now, only Yamada Toshiro, the last person, remains.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a while.

He had to admit that he recognized Uchiha Ikeizumi’s investigative abilities, and he recognized them one hundred percent.

However…

“Ikeizumi.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, “Today is Shinnosuke’s burial day. Let him enjoy his final peace. If you want to arrest someone, you can wait until the funeral is over.”

Uchiha Ikeizumi said expressionlessly, “Third Hokage, justice has been delayed for four years. Do you want it to be delayed further?”

“Justice that has already been delayed cannot continue to be delayed.” His eyes stared directly into Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes: “Or in the Third Hokage’s eyes, the post-mortem peace of an evil person who has fallen into the abyss is more important than the delayed justice for two innocent victims?”

Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly caught the hostility in those eyes.

No…

Rather than saying he caught it, it was more accurate to say that Uchiha Ikeizumi was unreservedly and nakedly revealing his hostility!

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s old face tightened, and he said forcefully, “Ikeizumi, give me some face. Whatever it is, let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Uchiha Ikeizumi said, “If the Third Hokage’s face could turn back time and resurrect the dead, I would give you that face.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already seen Uchiha Ikeizumi’s right hand resting on the hilt of his ninja sword.

The Anbu ninjas behind him also quickly gripped their own sword hilts.

The already subtle atmosphere instantly became tense.

“Ikeizumi, I am the Hokage…”

Click—

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyelids twitched because Uchiha Ikeizumi’s thumb had already pushed open the tsuba of his ninja sword. The inch of silvery-white blade that was revealed was particularly glaring in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes.

This was simply a mad dog that he, the Hokage, could not control!

Even Danzo wouldn’t dare to be so unyielding towards him, Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was in an extremely bad mood, his face visibly darkening: “Must it come to this?”

Uchiha Ikeizumi had already drawn his ninja sword.

The two Anbu guards also immediately drew their swords without hesitation.

They quickly blocked Uchiha Ikeizumi’s path.

“Put it away!” However, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gritted words made the two Anbu guards愣 for a moment.

“Lord Hokage?”

“Put it away!” Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated, and the two Anbu guards had no choice but to sheath their swords, though the vigilance in their eyes did not dissipate.

As long as Uchiha Ikeizumi made any move, they would immediately strike.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then took a deep look at Uchiha Ikeizumi.

Finally, he turned and left without a word.

“Senior Ikeizumi, we…” Izumi, startled by the tense and volatile atmosphere, spoke weakly.

Uchiha Ikeizumi interrupted her expressionlessly: “Go in and arrest him.”

“Yes, Senior!”

…