Chapter 23: He's Not "Loyal" Enough to the Uchiha Clan!

Chapter 23: He's Not "Loyal" Enough to the Uchiha Clan!

Uchiha Setsuna's age-weathered fingers, tightly gripping the top of his cane, turned quite pale from the excessive force.

His cloudy eyes were now stained crimson, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan locked onto Uchiha Ikeizumi in front of him.

"Ikeizumi, you… say that again?!" His tone deepened slightly, his grim expression quite oppressive.

Uchiha Ikeizumi did not repeat himself as asked.

He merely activated his own Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

But his attitude and meaning were very clear.

"Uchiha Ikeizumi! Are you still a member of our Uchiha clan?!" Another hawkish Uchiha elder pointed at Uchiha Ikeizumi.

He said angrily, "Everything we are doing now is for the future of the Uchiha clan! Are you trying to betray the Uchiha by standing here?"

"And… you were the one who brought the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to the Uchiha compound in the first place. Now you're turning around and blocking us from going to see that demon fox incarnation? What exactly do you mean?"

Though he spoke a lot, he didn't dare to take another step forward.

Uchiha Ikeizumi finally spoke: "In your eyes, everything I'm doing now seems contradictory?"

The elder's whiskers bristled, and he snorted coldly: "Hmph! It is contradictory!"

Uchiha Ikeizumi calmly stated, "But your brain, smooth as it is without a single wrinkle, apparently hasn't considered it from another angle—that I, from beginning to end, have never stood on the same side as you vermin who plague the ninja world."

As he spoke, he slowly walked forward: "But don't misunderstand, I'm not on the same side as people like the clan head either."

Uchiha Setsuna's eyelids twitched violently: "Ver… min…"

He had diligently and conscientiously worked for the future of the Uchiha clan, believing himself to have a clear conscience.

Years ago, he had even been imprisoned in Konoha's jail by that accursed Second Hokage because of it.

Yet, in Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes, he had become vermin of the ninja world?

Uchiha Setsuna's anger was almost uncontrollable.

"You bastard!!" The other hawkish Uchiha were filled with righteous indignation.

Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze lingering on their necks, hearts, foreheads… and other vital points.

"Enough!!!"

A loud shout erupted from behind Uchiha Ikeizumi: "If outsiders see our Uchiha clan fighting amongst ourselves, what kind of order would that be? Put away your ninja blades!!!"

Uchiha Fugaku, having noticed the commotion outside, appeared.

He walked to Uchiha Ikeizumi's side, staring at the hawkish elders in front of him, and with a poker face, declared, "Everyone, I am the current head of the Uchiha clan. I have my own considerations regarding the conflict between the village and the Uchiha. And no one, absolutely no one, is to casually lay a hand on that child, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Fugaku…" Uchiha Setsuna frowned deeply.

But before he could speak, Fugaku interrupted him: "Elder Setsuna, I respect your seniority in the clan, and I can call you 'Elder,' so please respect my decision as well."

"Furthermore, I'm doing this for the greater good of the Uchiha. Besides, I've already sent Naruto Uzumaki to Konoha's prison. It's useless for you to come here now."

Fugaku had long anticipated this situation.

So, he had immediately sent Naruto away.

Forcibly ignoring the grim expressions of the hawkish elders, Fugaku then turned and said sternly to Uchiha Ikeizumi, "Ikeizumi, you put your blade away too. That's an order from the clan head."

Uchiha Ikeizumi let it go in one ear and out the other.

Fugaku: "…"

He noticed that the killing intent in Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.

He even had a strange feeling—that if he said one more word to him, Ikeizumi would turn around and strike at him, Fugaku.

Having a subordinate like this…

It was truly a headache!

"Elder Setsuna, you should retreat," Fugaku shifted his target, looking directly at Uchiha Setsuna and saying gravely, "Do you still want to confront Ikeizumi and me here?"

"Fugaku."

Uchiha Setsuna took a deep breath: "You are too indecisive. One day, you will regret the decision you made today. You are pushing the future of the Uchiha completely into an abyss."

"Elder Setsuna, I am the clan head."

Gankō Fugaku, though outwardly submissive to outsiders, was uncompromising within the clan.

At least…

He hadn't yet been pushed to his limits by the hawkish faction.

"Hmph!!!"

Uchiha Setsuna's shifting gaze lingered on Uchiha Ikeizumi's cold, young face for several seconds.

He seemed to be trying to imprint this unique, incongruous young Uchiha in his mind.

"Let's go!"

.....

"Phew…"

The tense atmosphere had made Izumi so nervous she almost collapsed. Now, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She was terrified that after Senior Ikeizumi had just fought fiercely with the Root ninja, he would now start another battle with his own clan members.

Such a life, dedicated to [Absolute Justice], would be far too stimulating.

It would be like being an enemy to everyone in Konoha!

"Hmm?"

"Eh!"

Suddenly, Izumi saw Senior Ikeizumi toss the ninja blade towards her, startling her into quickly reaching out and catching the hilt, then carefully sliding the blade back into its sheath.

At this moment.

Izumi heard Clan Head Fugaku speak: "Ikeizumi, your killing intent towards them just now… was that serious?"

Uchiha Ikeizumi replied, "I always mean what I say. If they had taken one more step, they would have died."

Fugaku took a deep breath: "While their methods might be extreme, they are still your clan members. Sometimes, you don't need to show such hostility towards your own kin."

Fugaku's words were actually pointed, hinting at Uchiha Ikeizumi's inexplicable hostility towards his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi.

At least, Fugaku could never understand what Itachi had done to offend Ikeizumi.

He remembered that Itachi wasn't the type of person who liked to offend others.

Uchiha Ikeizumi said indifferently, "I already explained it once today. I don't want to explain it a second time."

Fugaku was momentarily stunned.

"Are you saying… [Absolute Justice] knows no public or private boundaries?" He recalled Uchiha Ikeizumi saying this to him.

"Phew, you really were serious…" Even though he had already guessed Ikeizumi was serious, the difference between speculation and actually witnessing it was a profound psychological shock.

Fugaku fell silent for a moment.

He offered a reminder: "Although your ideals and mine differ, at least your ideals and theirs also differ. At the very least, you don't wish for the village to fall into chaos. But you'd best be careful; Uchiha Setsuna and his group can be very extreme at times."

Uchiha Ikeizumi countered, "Among the Uchiha clan, is there anyone with a Sharingan who isn't extreme?"

Fugaku was choked.

It seemed…

That was indeed true.

Uchiha Ikeizumi also coolly added a reminder: "I still advise you to have your son see a psychiatrist. I've suspected from the beginning that there's something wrong with his mind."

Fugaku: "…"

....

"Never has a junior dared to disrespect me so much! That guy… with that look, he even wanted to kill me!"

The distant Uchiha Setsuna was vehemently striking the ground with his wooden cane, creating a rapid "thump-thump-thump" sound.

His wrinkled old face was clouded with anger.

"He… is disloyal to the Uchiha!!!"

....

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