"Seisui... Mother..." Hayate stared blankly at his lifeless brother in his arms.
His brother's death and his final words left him dazed, temporarily unable to think.
He looked up vacantly and met Ikeizumi's eyes as the latter sheathed his sword.
Tears silently traced down his cheeks.
"Your mother's body should have been taken by other Military Police members. Next, the Military Police will request the Yamanaka clan's ninjas to conduct a joint investigation."
Ikeizumi said expressionlessly, "If you want to see your mother, wait until the investigation concludes in a day or two."
Mother...
Had been murdered...
Ikeizumi's words turned Seisui's mocking remarks into reality and deepened Hayate's grief, as if invisible blades pierced his heart.
Two years ago, his father died at Ikeizumi's hands.
Two years later, his mother died at his brother's hands.
Now his brother was dead, again by Ikeizumi.
The entire Moonlight clan's direct bloodline was reduced to him alone.
Hayate was bewildered.
He did not even know whether to seek revenge against Ikeizumi.
This demonic Uchiha had killed his father and his brother...
Yet he was executing "justice."
One could even say Ikeizumi avenged his mother!
And...
It was an unforgivable matricide!
"Senior Ikeizumi, he seems to be in great pain, mentally on the verge of collapse," Izumi whispered, worry etched on her face. "Will he be alright?"
Ikeizumi turned and slowly said, "Let him be."
"Okay." Izumi hurried after him.
...
Ikeizumi's killing of two Moonlight clan Chunin and the execution of former clan head's second son Tsukikage Seisui quickly ignited uproar in Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, smoking a pipe, was shocked to the point of coughing upon hearing the news.
After regaining composure and swallowing his turbulent emotions, Hiruzen asked the reporting Anbu ninja sternly, "What exactly happened?"
As the Anbu began to answer, a knock sounded at the door.
Hiruzen suddenly guessed.
He said, "Enter!"
Sure enough, Ikeizumi, who had killed three ninjas, walked into the Hokage's office as if nothing had happened, followed by a cautious young apprentice.
"The culprit, Tsukikage Seisui, resisted arrest," Ikeizumi said before Hiruzen could ask. "Those who dare resist arrest are no mere criminals. They must be struck down on the spot to deter others."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. Ikeizumi had more than once failed to address him as "Lord Hokage" first.
And more than once spoke to him in a cold tone.
As if the Third Hokage himself were a criminal in this child's eyes.
This unsettled Hiruzen.
Fortunately, he maintained composure. His expression softened as he asked, "The culprit?"
"Uchiha Izumi," Ikeizumi replied.
"Yes, Senior!"
Izumi took a deep breath, mentally prepared, and reported clearly to the Hokage: "Lord Hokage, Senior Ikeizumi and I this morning..."
Her narrative was clear and concise.
After hearing the full account, Hiruzen's frown deepened.
"Tsukikage Seisui..." Hiruzen exhaled heavily. "I once held this child. But I never expected such extreme jealousy. Such terrifying envy toward one's own kin..."
Hiruzen believed Ikeizumi's actions.
Though uncertain of Ikeizumi's methods, he was certain Ikeizumi never erred in matters of justice and evil.
This child...
Was a born arbiter, his judgment flawless.
At first, Hiruzen suspected Ikeizumi used "justice" as a pretext to kill for pleasure.
After dozens of investigations found no abnormalities, Hiruzen realized some people truly possessed such talent.
The Uchiha were indeed a clan of prodigies.
However...
"Ikeizumi!" Hiruzen slammed the table, his face stern. "You killed a matricidal criminal who resisted arrest with violence, which I can accept. But why did you kill two innocent Moonlight clan members?"
"Those two young men, aged twenty-one and twenty-six, merely blocked your path, and you killed them? Is this justice, harming the innocent?!"
Izumi keenly sensed the tense atmosphere in the Hokage's office.
Ikeizumi met Hiruzen's gaze and said, "I warned them beforehand. Since they insisted on obstructing law enforcement, they made their choice."
"Unfortunately, they chose to side with 'evil.' By obstructing justice and condoning crime, they ceased to be innocent."
He paused, continuing, "Whether it is Moonlight clan ninjas or even you, Lord Hokage, who stand in my way... I will purge all obstacles with absolute justice!"
"Without mercy!"
Hiruzen looked deeply into Ikeizumi's eyes and sighed. "Ikeizumi, how long has this adversarial relationship between us lasted?"
"Five years," Ikeizumi answered.
"Five years..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen rose, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced a few steps before pausing and asking, "Ikeizumi, you must sense that the village is facing situations everyone wishes to avoid, right? Though large-scale conflicts in the ninja world have ceased, the waters within Konoha remain turbulent."
"As an Uchiha, your sensitivity to such matters should be acute. May I ask you—do you believe justice stands with the majority of the village or with a minority?"
"And if one day, due to circumstances, you were forced to act against justice, would you do it?"
Izumi felt the atmosphere thicken, as if the air itself was solidifying.
"Justice stands with the good people," Ikeizumi answered.
He continued, "My stance is justice. I will never betray my stance nor violate the justice within my heart."
Hiruzen pondered, a faint smile appearing. "Though your answer differs somewhat from Itachi's, it confirms my belief that you and that boy are alike. You both love the village deeply."
"Lord Hokage, insults are inappropriate," Ikeizumi frowned, correcting him.
Hiruzen blinked in surprise.