Uchiha Chiquan did not return to the Uchiha Police Force headquarters with Izumi.
Instead, he headed straight toward the heart of Konoha's political power—the Hokage Building.
Once inside, Chiquan moved with practiced ease through the familiar halls, stopping in front of the Hokage's office door.
He knocked lightly. A voice from inside called, "Come in."
Chiquan pushed the door open and stepped inside—his movements so smooth it was obvious he'd done this many times before.
"Ah, Chiquan…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up to see a black-haired young man whose looks would stand out even among the already striking Uchiha clan.
Putting down the document in his hand, Hiruzen sighed."I've lost count of how many times I've told you—there are moments when you don't need to cling so tightly to ruthless methods. Law enforcement needs strength, yes, but it should also have warmth.
"The Shinobi World War ended years ago. This is no special time of crisis—people are hoping for a brighter future. The Uchiha clan's enforcement methods could stand to be a little… gentler."
He spoke with patient earnestness before asking, "So, what caused such an uproar this time?"
Hiruzen didn't bring up the fact that Chiquan had been the subject of complaints again—he knew that even if he said it, Chiquan wouldn't care.
After all, Hiruzen had watched this child grow up. Noticing early on that Chiquan was different from the rest of the Uchiha, he had made an effort to keep in contact with him over the years.
He considered himself to understand the boy well… and yet, there was always something odd about the way Chiquan looked at him.
Hmm…Probably just my imagination.
Chiquan's unreadable gaze shifted away from the red square hovering above Hiruzen's head. Meeting the Hokage's eyes, he said:
"Konoha civilian Akiyama Jiro—two days ago, after losing at gambling, came home drunk and beat his four-year-old child to death. The victim's body is being brought back to the Police Force now."
Hiruzen's brows knitted tightly. "A murder case, then…"
He didn't doubt the truth of Chiquan's words for a second.
Exhaling, Hiruzen spoke patiently:"Chiquan, next time you face something like this, you should let the Land of Fire's legal system be the weapon to punish the criminal.
"Your habit of dealing with offenders with excessive force is causing growing dissatisfaction. Sometimes, even I, the Hokage of Konoha, have trouble suppressing those voices of discontent."
Expressionless, Chiquan replied:"Lenient laws only serve as a murder weapon aiding the wicked. Absolute justice is the only way to sweep away all demons and monsters."
Hiruzen was momentarily at a loss for words.
With a wry smile, he thought—he had lost count of how many times he'd been rebutted like this.
"Hokage-sama," Chiquan said before turning to leave, "you've made another mistake. My law enforcement has always had warmth—just like the molten lava inside a volcano."
With that, he left without even saying goodbye.
Hiruzen: "…"
Like molten lava? Doesn't that mean anyone who touches it dies?
Oh, right—
He suddenly remembered he had a far more important question to ask Chiquan. He had wanted to hear Chiquan's thoughts on the increasingly rebellious sentiment within the Uchiha clan.
"…Forget it."
He had a feeling it wouldn't be long before Chiquan came to the Hokage's office again—probably for the same reason.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Chiquan headed to the Uchiha Police Force.
Izumi wasn't there.
Then, a curious voice spoke from the side:"Chiquan, that recruit you took for the trial assessment… that girl 'Uchiha Izumi'—is she still alive?"
Izumi, the young girl, was actually rather well-known among the Uchiha.
The only half-blood Uchiha in existence—something of a rare specimen.
Chiquan glanced over. The speaker was also a Police Force member. The face looked familiar, though Chiquan couldn't recall the name.
"Alive," he replied curtly.
Those two words seemed to shock people. Several nearby members of the Police Force looked over in surprise.
A low murmur of whispers began to spread.
"Hey, seriously? I remember Chiquan had taken on two previous trainees—one disobeyed his order on the very first day and got killed; the other supposedly awakened the Sharingan on the first day of assessment… but was so mentally shattered by the experience that they developed severe psychological problems."
Clearly, this person didn't fully understand their clan's hereditary… mental quirks.
"Tch, that's rare. Could that half-blood genin actually be… a capable rookie?"
"She's only survived today. Maybe she'll be dead tomorrow."
"Come to think of it… Chiquan has killed a clansman before. Why did the clan head overlook something so extreme? And not only that, they let him keep working as a Police Force shinobi?"
"I heard that the clansman he killed was discovered to have done something… unspeakable. But the clan head sealed the information, so only he and Chiquan know the details."
"Pfft, worthless trash. Dead is dead. What's there to discuss?"
The whispers didn't stir the slightest ripple in Chiquan's heart.
He merely gave his colleagues a brief glance, his eyes lingering momentarily on the white boxes floating above their heads:
[Uchiha Kaede — Nine days from now, during the arrest of a thief, will secretly pocket the stolen goods and file a false case report. Sin Level: White Name!]
[Uchiha Ren — Three days from now, will engage in an illicit affair with fellow officer Uchiha Momoya's husband. Sin Level: White Name!]
[Uchiha Natsuki — In half a month…]
[…]
In Chiquan's eyes, whether among the Police Force or all of Konoha's shinobi, only a small minority lacked either a white name or a red name above their heads.
So few, in fact, they probably made up just over thirty percent of the entire village's ninja population.
But absolute justice was not blind justice, nor was it some pathological urge to kill every last shinobi in the world.
Even knowing that someone might, at some point in the future, fall into the abyss of "evil," Chiquan had no foolish intention of snuffing out their life in the cradle.
Experience had taught him that future crimes were not set in stone—they could change depending on certain… events.
As for why he had such peculiar experience…
Well, everyone makes mistakes growing up.
Though Chiquan felt no emotional stir, his gaze still made the whispers around him grow quieter… and quieter.
Until the Police Force members fell completely silent, looking slightly uneasy.
They didn't know why—but they all felt a prickling at their backs.
Like something was watching them.
"Ch– Chiquan-senpai!"
A breathless, slightly weary girl's voice came from the distance, growing nearer.
"I… I brought the body back!"
(End of Chapter)