Fugaku took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, and looked at Izumi, who stood awkwardly in the office.
"Uchiha Izumi."
"Here!!!"
Fugaku was almost startled by the girl's loud response. He kept a straight face, admonishing, "No need to shout so loudly."
A blush visibly crept up Izumi's embarrassed face.
This was all due to Ikeizumi's conditioning; whenever she heard her name called, she reflexively shouted "Here," fearing that a delayed response would displease him.
"Even I don't know why Ikeizumi has such a strong opinion of Itachi. Perhaps their personalities just clash," Fugaku mused. "You needn't take Ikeizumi's words to heart. I know you are one of Itachi's few friends, and he needs the company of friends right now."
"Because..."
"His best friend has already departed him."
Izumi knew who Clan Head Fugaku referred to as "Itachi's best friend."
Itachi used to mention him, often. And every time he spoke of someone named "Uchiha Shisui," the usually taciturn Itachi would become quite talkative.
"Uchiha Izumi..."
"Here!!!"
Fugaku: "..."
Izumi: "..."
Izumi clasped her hands in front of her, so embarrassed she wished to disappear into the floor. She hastily bowed in apology. "My sincerest apologies!"
"Cough."
Fugaku kindly offered, "If... you feel that Uchiha Ikeizumi is not a suitable examiner for you, I can arrange for you to select a different one."
Fugaku was concerned that Ikeizumi might bring harm to the girl.
Of course, this "harm" was not a matter of moral corruption but of life itself; Ikeizumi had a precedent for it!
Fugaku had lied earlier when he said Izumi was one of Itachi's few friends.
After Shisui's death, Itachi's only remaining friend was Izumi.
Despite his strictness and harshness toward his son, even having done things that nearly ruptured their family bond in an attempt to awaken Itachi's Sharingan, Fugaku still considered himself a father.
A father...
Should always consider his child's circumstances.
Izumi paused.
"Change examiners, you say..." She hesitated. Senior Ikeizumi certainly put immense pressure on her, and even a slight misstep would lead to a harsh reprimand.
However, Izumi gritted her teeth, then looked up earnestly. "Lord Fugaku, I joined the Military Police Force to become a competent law enforcer! Senior Ikeizumi, though strict, I believe he will train me into a qualified and excellent enforcer!"
"Even though this is only my first interaction with Senior Ikeizumi, he has already taught me so much. Perhaps we simply need time to adjust to each other."
Izumi had never met anyone as devoted to justice as Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Even if his methods were extreme, even if he seemed to misunderstand Itachi, he was undoubtedly a good person!
"Is that so..." Fugaku sighed. He had made his intentions clear, but Izumi insisted on staying with Ikeizumi. He could only caution her, "Remember, do not defy his orders; regard him as your superior."
"Yes, Lord Fugaku!"
Izumi nodded solemnly.
...
The next day.
Izumi woke up with faint dark circles under her eyes, feeling lethargic—she had not slept well, plagued by nightmares of the criminal and the child's corpse, and dreaming of being scolded by Senior Ikeizumi all day.
She wondered how the Military Police Force handled the bodies of the criminal and the victim...
And how desperate the child's mother must be now.
After all, her husband and child were both dead, and the child had been killed by her husband—it was truly tragic.
Izumi rubbed her eyes, shaking off distracting thoughts. She tugged at her pajamas, which had slipped off her shoulder due to restless sleep, and glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed.
Izumi suddenly sobered up.
She was nearly suffocated by shock.
"Oh no!"
"Ni-nine o'clock! I'm doomed! I forgot to set my alarm last night! And I forgot to tell Mom to wake me up!"
There was no time to change into her Military Police uniform, no time for breakfast. Izumi rushed out the door barefoot, her pale face drained of color from fright.
Izumi saw her mother, Uchiha Hazuki, conversing with her senior, Uchiha Ikeizumi, outside the door.
Soon after, she noticed Ikeizumi's gaze shift toward her.
A sudden, absurd thought crossed Izumi's mind—would her death by suicide be more dignified?
"Ah... Izumi, you're awake?" Mrs. Hazuki, who had raised her daughter alone, showed a trace of apology on her still graceful face. "When Lord Ikeizumi came looking for you, I wanted to wake you, but he told me not to. He said... he wanted to see how long you would sleep."
Izumi's expression was vacant; she felt dazed.
She believed her time was short and that she should heed the advice of the female Uchiha senior to prepare a will in advance, as it would soon be needed.
"Se-senior..." Izumi's voice trembled.
Uchiha Ikeizumi looked at the girl, whose fear and confusion had dulled her usual brilliance, and said expressionlessly, "Change your clothes. You're two hours late today, will work four hours overtime tonight, and have no weekends off this month."
"Y-yes... huh?"
"...Ah?"
Izumi was stunned, staring incredulously at Ikeizumi, who was reputed among other Military Police seniors as a ruthless "demon" who killed recruits without hesitation.
For a moment, she felt as if still dreaming, unable to fully awaken.
"You thought I would kill you, didn't you?"
Izumi: "..."
Her thoughts were transparent before Ikeizumi.
He said flatly, "The day you betray justice, I will kill you without hesitation. For now, you have thirty seconds. If you do not appear before me within that time, you will fail your assessment and can go back to bed until tomorrow morning."
Izumi shuddered.
"Yes, Senior!"
She hurriedly turned, closed the door, and began undressing as a series of "crackling" sounds echoed from inside. At twenty-nine seconds, a second-floor window opened, and Izumi leapt out, landing steadily before Ikeizumi.
"Whew, whew..."
Her little heart pounded wildly; her Military Police uniform was askew, hastily donned.
She stood cautiously beside Ikeizumi, head lowered, silent.
"Lord Ikeizumi, Izumi is a special child. Her personality differs from other Uchiha. If she causes you trouble, please..." Mrs. Hazuki began, but Ikeizumi interrupted, "I only care if she does her job well. Let's go."
Izumi clutched her garment's edge and obediently followed Ikeizumi.
At that moment, she noticed he was carrying something—an Ichiraku Ramen takeout bag.
"I don't waste food," Ikeizumi said, casually tossing it. Izumi quickly caught it.
She recalled Ikeizumi had said they were to meet at Ichiraku Ramen this morning.
Her eyes reddened with embarrassment.
"Sorry, Senior..." she choked slightly.
"New recruit, the reason you should be sorry is for being late and thus delaying justice."
Izumi held the ramen, head drooping.
"Sorry..."