Uchiha Setsuna instinctively tightened his grip on the top of his cane, the veins and wrinkles of his aged fingers paling from the pressure. His cloudy eyes had reddened, and his three-tomoe Sharingan stared fiercely at Uchiha Ikeizumi standing before him.
Uchiha Setsuna's grip tightened fiercely on the top of his cane, his aged fingers paling from the pressure. His cloudy eyes, now bloodshot, fixed intensely on Uchiha Ikeizumi standing before him.
"'Ikeizumi, you… say that again?'" Setsuna's voice dropped, dark and oppressive.
But Ikeizumi didn't repeat himself. Instead, he activated his own pair of three-tomoe Sharingan, sending a clear message without words.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi! Are you still one of us?" another hawkish elder of the Uchiha clan pointed accusingly at him, anger thick in his voice. "Everything we do is for the future of our clan! You stand in our way—are you betraying the Uchiha?"
"And… you were the one who brought the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to our stronghold. Now you want to stop us from confronting that fox incarnation? What do you mean?"
Though he spoke fiercely, he dared not step forward.
Ikeizumi finally spoke calmly: "You think what I'm doing is contradictory?"
The elder scoffed, "Of course it is!"
Ikeizumi replied evenly, "But your smooth, wrinkle-free mind never considered this—From start to finish, I have never stood on the same side as vermin like you who plague the ninja world."
He stepped forward slowly, "But don't misunderstand—I'm not on the same side as the clan head either."
Setsuna's eyelid twitched violently at the word "vermin."
He had served the Uchiha clan diligently, believing himself blameless—even imprisoned by the Second Hokage for his loyalty.
Yet in Ikeizumi's eyes, he was nothing but a pest of the shinobi world.
Setsuna's anger surged.
"You bastard!!" The other hawks erupted in outrage.
Ikeizumi narrowed his eyes, his gaze roaming over their necks, chests, and foreheads—vital points.
"Enough!!!"
A sharp voice rang out behind Ikeizumi.
"If outsiders see the Uchiha clan fighting among themselves, what will that say about us? Put your kunai away!!!"
Uchiha Fugaku appeared, stepping beside Ikeizumi. His expression was stone-cold as he faced the hawkish elders.
"Gentlemen, I am the current head of the Uchiha clan. I have my own considerations regarding the village's conflicts with the Uchiha. No one is allowed to touch Uzumaki Naruto without my permission!"
"Fugaku…" Setsuna frowned deeply but was cut off.
"Setsuna-senpai, I respect your seniority and will call you 'senpai,' but please respect my decisions," Fugaku said firmly.
"Besides, I have already sent Naruto to Konoha Prison. Your arrival is too late."
Fugaku had anticipated this confrontation and acted swiftly.
Ignoring the hawks' dark expressions, Fugaku turned to Ikeizumi.
"Ikeizumi, put your kunai away. That's an order from the clan head."
Ikeizumi let the words pass in one ear and out the other.
Fugaku noticed the murderous intent still burning in Ikeizumi's eyes.
He had the uneasy feeling that if he said one more word, Ikeizumi might turn and strike him down.
What a headache of a subordinate!
"Setsuna-senpai, you should withdraw," Fugaku said, shifting his gaze to the elder hawk. "Do you want to keep clashing with Ikeizumi and me here?"
"Fugaku."
Setsuna took a deep breath. "You're too indecisive. One day, you'll regret today's choices. You're pushing the Uchiha's future into the abyss."
"Setsuna-senpai, I am the clan head."
Fugaku was meek outwardly but resolute within.
At least, he hadn't yet been pushed to the edge by the hawks.
"Hmph!!!"
Setsuna's stormy gaze lingered on Ikeizumi's cold, young face for several seconds, as if etching it into memory.
"Let's go."
…
"Whew…"
The tense atmosphere had Izumi nearly fainting. Now she could finally breathe.
She feared that after Ikeizumi's battle with Root ninjas, he would now fight his own clan.
Living by absolute justice was certainly thrilling—like having enemies everywhere in Konoha!
"Huh?"
"Eh!"
Suddenly, Ikeizumi tossed his kunai to her. Startled, she caught the hilt and carefully sheathed it.
At that moment, Fugaku spoke, "Ikeizumi, was your murderous intent just now serious?"
Ikeizumi replied, "I always keep my word. If they take one more step, they die."
Fugaku sighed deeply. "Though their methods may be extreme, they are still your clan. Sometimes, you don't need to show such hostility to your own kin."
Fugaku's words hinted at Ikeizumi's inexplicable hostility toward his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi.
He never understood what Itachi had done to offend Ikeizumi.
He remembered Itachi wasn't the type to make enemies lightly.
Ikeizumi said coldly, "I explained once today. I won't explain twice."
Fugaku was taken aback.
"You mean… absolute justice knows no private feelings?" He recalled Ikeizumi's words.
"Hmm, you really mean it…" Though he suspected Ikeizumi's seriousness, hearing it firsthand was a different shock.
Fugaku was silent for a moment.
He reminded, "Though you and I differ in ideals, you also differ from them. At least you don't want the village to fall into chaos. But beware, Setsuna and the others can be very extreme."
Ikeizumi countered, "Which Uchiha with the Sharingan isn't extreme?"
Fugaku was momentarily speechless.
Well…
Maybe that was true.
Ikeizumi also coldly advised, "I still suggest you have your son see a psychologist. I've always suspected there's something wrong with his mind."
Fugaku was left speechless.
…
"Never has a junior dared to look down on me like this! That brat… his look just now was like he wanted to kill me!"
Far away, Uchiha Setsuna pounded his wooden cane on the ground with sharp thuds.
His wrinkled face was clouded with dark clouds.
"He… is disloyal to the Uchiha!!!"