Chapter 24: Senior Ikeizumi, Isn't This Practically a Rebellion?
Chapter 24: Senior Ikeizumi, Isn't This Practically a Rebellion?
"Uchiha Ikeizumi…" Uchiha Setsuna, his old face grim, gnashed out each word: "Has been brainwashed by the Senju's Will of Fire, just like that Uchiha Itachi!"
"His loyalty isn't to the Uchiha clan; it's to Konoha, to the Senju clan! He is a traitor to the Uchiha!"
For an extreme hawkish elder like Uchiha Setsuna, clan members who didn't support the coup plan were spineless cowards.
And Uchiha who openly sided with the Hokage were those brainwashed by the Will of Fire, practically beyond saving.
As for Uchiha Ikeizumi…
Uchiha Setsuna maliciously speculated that he was a combination of both types, and even far exceeded them.
Because the killing intent that bastard Uchiha Ikeizumi had just shown him was absolutely not fake.
He truly wanted to kill him!
"Elder Setsuna," at this moment, a hawkish Uchiha beside him said, "Uchiha Ikeizumi will very likely become the biggest obstacle in our plan, just like Uchiha Itachi."
"That guy, perhaps he was never truly on our side from the beginning. His stance has never been with the Uchiha."
Uchiha Setsuna scoffed coldly.
He was pondering something.
....
Meanwhile.
After leaving the Root base, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't return to the Hokage's office. Instead, he went to Konoha's Prison and waited quietly.
It wasn't long before Hiruzen Sarutobi saw an Uchiha Police Force member.
The Police Force member was bringing the troublesome Naruto Uzumaki to Konoha's Prison—this was Fugaku's order to him.
"Hokage…-sama?"
The Police Force member inevitably grew nervous upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi and the ANBU ninja accompanying him.
After all, he was an Uchiha ninja, and the brat he held was the rumored demon fox incarnation.
"It's fine."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gestured for him to calm down. He wasn't aggressive, and said with a chuckle, "I've always trusted the Uchiha clan, and I believe you wouldn't do anything out of line. From the current situation, Fugaku made the right choice. You must also be on Fugaku's side, right?"
The Police Force member lowered his head and said, "It was indeed Clan Head Fugaku who ordered me to transfer Naruto Uzumaki to Konoha's Prison in a timely manner, to prevent some clan members from coming into contact with Naruto Uzumaki."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.
He continued, "Just hand this child, Naruto, over to me."
The Police Force member hesitated, "If I hand him over to Hokage-sama, Uchiha Ikeizumi's side…"
Uchiha Ikeizumi was someone even Clan Head Fugaku couldn't control.
He was still a bit wary of Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "That's not a conflict. Ikeizumi's goal was to teach Naruto a lesson by having him imprisoned in Konoha's Prison, and aren't you delivering Naruto now?"
"As Konoha's Hokage, it is my right to pardon Naruto with the Hokage's special privilege and take him from Konoha's Prison. Even if Ikeizumi is displeased, he will only come after me, not you."
"…Yes, Hokage-sama," the Police Force member thought for a moment, then released Naruto.
"Gramps Hokage!!!"
"Waaah…"
Naruto, who had been on edge all day and was finally "rescued," practically lunged towards Hiruzen Sarutobi, crying.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked Naruto's small head, then his tone turned serious as he instructed the ANBU ninja behind him: "Keep a close eye on Root recently. I suspect Danzo won't let this go easily. That man isn't someone who can swallow his pride, especially when the one who made him suffer is a genius ninja from the Uchiha clan."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
....
In the blink of an eye, it was evening.
Uchiha Ikeizumi, who had inadvertently stirred up trouble in Konoha, casually strolled around the village several times with Izumi.
As if the turbulent situation had nothing to do with him.
Uchiha Ikeizumi's composure helped the constantly anxious Izumi calm her thoughts a bit.
"Newbie, report."
"Yes! Senior Ikeizumi!" Izumi said, perking up, "Including Naruto Uzumaki, today… we found a total of nine 'evildoers.' Among them, three disrupted Konoha's order, two were involved in theft, two in fighting, and…"
At this point, Izumi's tone became a little cautious. She said, "And two were involved in obstructing law enforcement. Of the nine 'evildoers,' seven were arrested and imprisoned, and two were immediately executed."
The two "evildoers" Izumi mentioned who were executed on the spot for obstructing law enforcement.
Were the two Root ninja killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Uchiha Ikeizumi glanced at her: "You missed a lot."
"Huh?"
Izumi was momentarily bewildered; she thought she hadn't missed anything!
She had even recorded everything that happened today in her small notebook.
But…
Faced with Senior Ikeizumi's gaze, Izumi suddenly became a little less confident. She couldn't bring herself to say, "I didn't miss anything, did I?"
"Did… did I miss something?"
Izumi asked weakly.
"Danzo Shimura, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and that Uchiha Setsuna, and…" Uchiha Ikeizumi listed one name after another calmly, as if calling out the names of the dead.
He said with a cold expression, "These people all stood on the opposite side of justice today, but because our justice wasn't strong enough, they can continue to roam free."
"These 'evils' that need to be purged…"
"You missed them all."
Izumi listened, trembling with fear. Senior Ikeizumi had practically named every high-ranking official in the village, hadn't he?
Even several elders of the Uchiha clan were not spared by Senior Ikeizumi.
If all the names mentioned by Senior Ikeizumi were to be "purged."
Wouldn't such an act be tantamount to…
Rebellion?!
"Add these people to the list as well," Uchiha Ikeizumi said indifferently.
"O-Okay, Senior," Izumi could only take out her small notebook and write down what Senior Ikeizumi had just said.
She noticed her fingertips were trembling as she wrote, especially after writing down the name of Hokage-sama "Hiruzen Sarutobi." She felt like she was in too deep to back out now.
If this notebook were to be discovered by the ANBU ninja.
Hiss!
She felt she would spend the rest of her life in Konoha's Prison.
Just as Izumi walked alongside Uchiha Ikeizumi, recording things, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a small figure at the street corner ahead.
Izumi's clear eyes gradually widened a bit.
She watched, wide-eyed, as that small figure, suddenly turning the corner, collided with Senior Ikeizumi.
Thump!
Without suspense, the other person fell on their backside, and the things they were carrying scattered across the ground.
"Mmph—"
Izumi heard the child's stifled cry of pain.
"Sasuke, watch where you're going," she then heard a gentle voice from further ahead, speaking apologetically: "I'm sorry, this child is too reckless, he's caused you trouble."
"Oh? You're…"
"Ikeizumi?"
....
For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon
p@treon.com/Chaos_God
Thank you so much for your support and for reading