stonecrandall Chapter 96 The Twisted and Morbid Ninja World Needs [Absolute Justice]
Chapter 96 The Twisted and Morbid Ninja World Needs [Absolute Justice]
Chapter 97 The Twisted and Morbid Ninja World Needs [Absolute Justice] (5000 words)
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't tell whether Izumi was mocking him.
He instinctively felt that investigating the social circle of a seven-year-old victim in such a heinous case would be of little use.
A seven-year-old child's social circle is limited to peers.
What could they possibly know?
What can they do?
After waiting there for a while, a group of ninja cats hurriedly returned. This time, they handed the list of suspects they had collected to Uchiha Ikezumi.
Exhausted, Tachibana Jiro, panting heavily with his cat tongue lolling out, said, "Lord Ike, we've identified three suspects this time. For some reason, I have a bad feeling about Hiruzen Sarutobi." He interjected, "Ike, could you let this old man take a look?"
Uchiha Ikezumi glanced at the information of the suspects on the list.
He casually handed the list to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi took it and looked at it closely, he saw that the writing on the list was crooked and illegible, clearly not written by a human.
However, I could still barely understand what the list meant.
It was precisely because he understood the contents above that Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils visibly contracted slightly, and an undisguised look of disbelief appeared on his old face. He also gasped for breath.
Just as everyone was wondering, Hiruzen Sarutobi said directly, "Ikezumi, isn't there some mistake? I remember all three suspects on the list; they're all students from the Ninja Academy!"
"How could such a heinous murder be related to students from a ninja academy? They're just kids!"
Everyone finally understood why the Hokage had that expression.
It's hard for anyone to imagine that the case could be related to several children.
"Children in the ninja world can go to the battlefield as young as four, so why do you think students at the Ninja Academy wouldn't commit such heinous crimes?" Uchiha Izumi coldly questioned. "Why? Because of your Third Hokage's Will of Fire?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
"Suspect number one, Hyuga Shoya, a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family. He had a verbal altercation with the victim in this case at the Ninja Academy, and their relationship was not good."
"Suspect number two, Kyotaro Murayama, comes from an ordinary family. He was once friends with the victim, but they parted ways over trivial matters. Even though they attended the same ninja academy, their relationship was never very harmonious."
"Suspect number three, Ryuji Utatane, a member of the Utatane clan. The 'senior' the victim met at the ninja academy."
On the surface, it's about caring for the victim, but in reality, it's a form of covert bullying.
Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the names of the three outrageous suspects on the list.
He let out a heavy sigh and said helplessly, "Chi Quan, the minor conflict between these three children and the murdered child wasn't even enough to make them fight each other. How could it possibly escalate into a massacre of the entire family?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi is more inclined to investigate suspects connected to the couple with the family of four.
If we bring all the suspects here and let Chi Quan look at them again, wouldn't we know who the murderer is?
However, whenever Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about this ability to see through the "evil of the future and the past," he found it utterly unbelievable. It seemed that no one had any secrets in Ikezumi's eyes.
But he noticed that Uchiha Ikezumi didn't speak; she was just quietly watching him, the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled and quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact with Izumi.
Ikezumi's eyes ultimately made Hiruzen Sarutobi extremely wary.
To make his avoidance of eye contact less obvious, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Naruto, trying to maintain a normal expression, and asked with a smile, "Naruto thinks so too, right?"
"Grandpa Hokage, why don't you bring all three suspects over?" Naruto said weakly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
He suddenly realized that in the eyes of a child like Naruto, these three suspects did not have the "childhood halo".
After all, an adult like him would instinctively think that it was impossible for them to do such a thing when he saw the three suspects on the list.
But Naruto, who is also a child, probably doesn't have this kind of mentality.
Naruto would probably be shocked to discover that three children around his age were actually suspects in the massacre of his entire family!
".-cough!"
Left with no other option, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only continue to signal to the Anbu ninjas to bring the three ninja academy students on the list to the Hyuga clan's compound.
When an ANBU ninja rushed over, Hyuga Hiashi, the current head of the Hyuga clan, was immediately alerted, but it was too late. Without even a word, the ANBU ninja used the pretext of "the Hokage's orders" to forcibly take away a branch family member named Hyuga Shoya.
"Hyuga Shoya?"
Upon hearing the news, Hyuga Hiashi, whose face seemed to say everyone owed him millions of ryo, frowned slightly: "If I remember correctly, this is a member of the Hyuga branch family, right? Why did the Hokage order the ANBU ninja to take him away?"
A Hyuga clan ninja asked, "Lord Hiashi, should we stop that ANBU ninja and rescue Hyuga Shoya? After all, he does possess Byakugan, no matter what."
After learning that Danzo Shimura had secretly researched bloodline limits.
The ninja clans within Konoha had long since become wary and fearful.
What if the Hokage is also interested in bloodline limits?
"No need." Hiashi Hyuga shook his head and said, "That child has already been marked with the Caged Bird Seal. Besides, the Hokage is not the kind of person who would harm his own comrades in the village."
"After all, Danzo Shimura is just an isolated case."
Inside the Hokage Building.
A ninja from the Utatane clan rushed over in a panic and found Utatane Koharu, saying anxiously, "Lady Koharu, why did the ANBU ninja take my son away?!"
Koharu Utatane recognized this clansman; he was considered one of the more outstanding ninjas in the Utatane clan, and also a special Jonin.
But what the other person said made Xiaochun, who was switching dorms, frown deeply.
"The Anbu took your son away?" Koharu Utatane couldn't figure it out and asked, "Did the Anbu ninjas say anything?"
"He said it was the Hokage's order!"
Hokage-sama—
Hiruzen?!
Koharu Utatane looked suspicious. Wasn't Hiruzen with Uchiha Ikezumi right now?
Xiaochun suddenly felt a little uneasy after changing dorm rooms.
With a furrowed brow, she asked again, "Did the ANBU ninja who took your son head in the direction of the Uchiha base?"
The other person paused, thought hard for a moment, and then hurriedly replied, "It seems they left in that direction!"
Xiaochun, who had just switched dorm rooms, was even more confused.
Hiruzen.
What on earth are you doing?!
The efficiency of the Anbu ninjas was indeed very fast. Uchiha Izumi did not have to wait long before the three terrified kids were brought to him. This was the first time in their lives that they had been forcibly taken away by the Anbu.
They had already imagined many scenes of torture in their minds.
Then they found themselves taken to the Uchiha clan's headquarters, where they not only met many Uchiha police ninjas, but also many masked ANBU ninjas!
They even met the Hokage!
"Don't be afraid." Hiruzen Sarutobi gave the three kids a kind look, like a harmless old man. He comforted the three frightened kids, "I just brought you here for a questioning because of a special case. You can go home after the questioning is over."
After comforting him, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to look at Izumi Uchiha. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed that Izumi was staring at one of them!
Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed that Izumi's extremely cold gaze was the kind of gaze one would give a dead man!
This made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skip a beat.
Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Izumi Uchiha's gaze and looked at the person.
That was suspect number three on the list. He was a member of the Tsurugan clan, and he remembered that the other person's name was something like Tsurugan Ryuji!
It wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi who noticed Izumi Uchiha's gaze; Jiro Tachibana and Izumi also noticed it. Fugaku, who stood at the back with a very low profile, also noticed it. Even Naruto sensed that something was off. He glanced at his grandfather, the Hokage, then at the gazes of the adults, and finally at the timid and uneasy Ryuji Utatane.
Hiruzen Ikezumi felt his mouth go dry, and his voice became involuntarily hoarse: "Are you sure you didn't 'misread' him? He's just a child!"
The group of ANBU ninjas behind them couldn't help but cast their aggressive, scrutinizing gazes at the brat from the Utatane clan.
"The Third Generation's [Absolute Justice] is beyond question."
Uchiha Ikezumi said coldly.
In Uchiha Ikezumi's view, a very conspicuous crimson box floated above "Utatane Ryuji's" head.
The small red characters inside described the other party's crimes.
"Meow, as expected, as expected." The most composed people at the scene, besides Uchiha Ikezumi, were probably Tachibana Jiro.
Izumi took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then quietly asked Tachibana Jiro, who seemed used to such things, "Tachibana Jiro-senpai, are there many villains this age?"
"Anyway, there are quite a few cats," Tachibana Jiro said. "Isn't Uchiha Itachi, who's been hiding for days, just such a beast?"
Quan was speechless for a moment.
Yes!
Itachi Uchiha—only two years older than this kid—is planning to wipe out the Uchiha clan in a year! One is a tragedy that resulted in the massacre of a family of four, while the other is a potential massacre that could result in the deaths of hundreds or thousands of people.
Quan was a little lost and confused.
Has the ninja world truly become twisted and pathological? If the ninja world isn't sick, why are so many young people falling into the abyss?
She didn't quite understand.
Naruto overheard Tachibana Jiro and Izumi's whispered conversation.
His eyes widened as he pointed at the terrified "Ryuji Utatane," exclaiming in shock, "He killed a family of four? This man is the murderer we're looking for?"
Ryuji, who was already terrified and whose legs were weak, was so frightened by what he heard that that he immediately panicked.
He cried out in alarm, "What murderer or villain? I don't understand a word you're saying! Why did you bring me here? I didn't do anything wrong last night! I stayed at home all night! Oh right, my clansmen can vouch for me that I was at home!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. He had already heard the "answer" he least wanted to hear from the other party's flustered expression and words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, recalling that Izumi Uchiha had said similar things more than once, such as "the ninja world is already sick."
Is the ninja world truly sick?!
The Third Shinobi World War ended long ago, and even the Nine-Tails' rampage happened several years ago. Logically, everything should be fine now, and the resentment in people's hearts shouldn't be as great as during times of war or disaster.
However, within the Hidden Leaf Village under Hiruzen Sarutobi's control, there appeared such a peculiar murderer!
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi desperately hoped that the ninja world was truly sick, rather than that Konoha's [Will of Fire] was unable to help a ninja academy student grow into an excellent ninja who loved the village and his comrades.
Simultaneously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also turned his worried gaze to Naruto.
Naruto's first real encounter with the "evil of the ninja world" is a shocking event that even as Hokage, he finds terrifying. How will Naruto, psychologically shaken, view the "Will of Fire" and "Absolute Justice"?
Or rather—
What choice will Naruto make?
Fugaku glanced at Uchiha Ikezumi's back, then at the brat named "Utatane Ryuji" in front of him. At that moment, he suddenly thought of his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi.
Was Itachi's "evil deed" seen through by Izumi at a glance that day as well?
The only difference is that Itachi is seen as having evil in the future, while this brat is seen as having evil in the past.
Oh right. Another difference is the magnanimity of both sides.
After learning that he would become a villain in the future, Itachi remained calm and accepted his future self with equanimity.
As for Ryuji, his capacity is less than one percent of Itachi's.
pity.
Such an outstanding child, yet he walked a path completely different from his own that of the Uchiha clan leader. Itachi wanted to save Konoha, while he wanted to save the Uchiha clan.
"What are you all looking at me for?!"
Feeling guilty and flustered, Ryuji Utatane couldn't help but take two steps back. He felt that everyone present was staring at him, even the two peers who had been brought along seemed to be watching him.
The stares from all sides filled him with unprecedented panic, and the intense unease in his heart made his heart pound wildly. Cold sweat had made his skin sticky all over.
"There's no way it could have been discovered! We were so lucky last night, all the traces should have been destroyed!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could they possibly have been discovered!"
Sweating profusely, Ryuji Utatane was screaming wildly in his mind.
But the more he acts this way, the more it proves his guilty conscience.
"Ryuji Utatane." He suddenly heard someone call his name. He looked up in alarm and saw a young man in police uniform speaking to him.
The other person's voice was so cold it almost suffocated him: "Out of fear that the junior I often 'took care of' would surpass me in the ninja academy, I killed his entire family of four out of a twisted, morbid jealousy."
Izumi, who was standing to the side, was deeply shocked. A student from the ninja academy had committed such a heinous act simply because of so-called jealousy.
This person is clearly mentally ill!
Tachibana Jiro muttered to himself, "He's practically no less insane than that lunatic Uchiha Itachi—no, I feel like Itachi was even more insane, meow."
Naruto's bright blue eyes were wide open; he couldn't understand why this was happening.
Killing someone just out of jealousy? I get jealous of people in the ninja academy who are better than me, but I never had any intention of killing anyone!
At most, I just think those guys are a bit arrogant and annoying.
Naruto was completely dumbfounded.
The way he looked at Ryuji was as if he were looking at a monster, not a rational human being. "Jealousy—just jealousy."
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on. Why were all the children in the village so extreme?
This is just a junior ninja officer's child!
Moreover, he's even a member of a Konoha ninja clan, and the Utatane clan isn't some minor ninja clan. The key point is that this kid's starting line in life is naturally much higher than others.
In their daily lives, they must be waited on hand and foot, never lacking anything.
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't figure out where the problem was.
Is there a problem with the ninja academy's educational policy?
Or is there a problem with their family education?
Or is there a serious problem with the overall environment of Konoha?
Surely it can't be that there's something wrong with him as Hokage, right?
Ryuji Utatane is really going to suffocate!
"How did he know?!"
An incredulous gasp, once again screaming wildly in his mind.
Not only did she know what she had done last night, she even knew that she had acted impulsively out of jealousy!
Does that guy think people?!
Who is he?!
"What—what are you talking about! What murder, what family of four, what about last night—I don't understand a word you're saying! You?? What are you going to do?"
Just as Ryuji was feeling lucky, thinking that the other party didn't have any key evidence and wanted to play dumb to get away with it, he was shocked to see that the police ninja in front of him was slowly drawing his ninja sword with one hand!
He could clearly feel the bone-chilling cold spreading to every inch of his skin.
It felt as if invisible ice needles were piercing my flesh.
Fear instantly spread throughout my body.
The pupils contracted violently and uncontrollably.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Izumi Uchiha said, "this is the evil of the ninja world. It's so illogical that you can never imagine what motive could give rise to such evil. Allowing this evil to run rampant in the ninja world will only cause more and more innocent people to be harmed by its evil."
Naruto vaguely regained his senses.
"Do you remember how that family of four died? Do you remember the fatal wounds on their bodies?" Uchiha Izumi's two questions made Naruto instinctively recall the scene he had imagined.
"Remember—I recall—"
Uchiha Ikezumi continued, "[Absolute Justice] exists because there are too many evils like this in the ninja world that need to be eradicated. Do you think Utatane Ryuji should pay with his life, Naruto Uzumaki?"
Naruto bit his lower lip as images of nudity flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, inexplicably stirring up feelings of anger within him.
Why should a family of four be killed simply because of jealousy?
On what grounds can four lives be taken?
When these two honest questions popped into his mind, Naruto instinctively uttered a single word: "Serves you right!"
"Open your eyes wide and watch carefully."
The blade in Uchiha Ikezumi's hand reflected the sunlight.
"This is the ruthless nature of absolute justice towards evil; only absolute justice can completely eradicate evil."
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly realized that Ryuji Utatane was, after all, from the Utatane clan, and moreover, the other party was a student at the Ninja Academy. If such extreme methods were used, he dared not even think about what would happen next, and what kind of person Naruto would be "corrupted" into!
"Wait! Ike—"
pity.
late.