Naruto: Uchiha's Absolute Justice

Chapter 49: Uchiha Ikeizumi and Uchiha Itachi

Itachi Uchiha's single sentence plunged the dinner table into an eerie silence, until a bewildered Sasuke Uchiha picked up a piece of fried tempura with his chopsticks.

Sasuke suddenly felt something was amiss, and his little hand froze.

He looked left and right.

He found that whether it was his father, mother, or his dearest older brother, all were sitting motionless in their chairs.

Sasuke also noticed that his brother was looking at his father, and both his father and mother were looking at his brother.

"What's wrong with you all?"

Sasuke swallowed, unable to resist breaking the silence.

He then realized his father ignored him and spoke directly to his brother: "Itachi, I told you this morning, at such a critical juncture. I will absolutely not allow you to lay hands on your own clansmen without any proper reason."

"Furthermore…"

Fugaku said firmly, "You and Ikeizumi are both geniuses who can carry the future of the Uchiha clan. If the two of you come into conflict, how will others view our Uchiha clan?"

"We are already marginalized. If it's discovered that we are severely at odds internally, the Uchiha's situation will become even more precarious."

"Itachi, though you are only twelve, you should understand what I'm saying. You are a precocious child."

Itachi Uchiha shook his head.

"Father, I won't come into conflict with him," he said expressionlessly, "I just want to talk with Uchiha Ikeizumi."

A moment later, Itachi Uchiha added, "I promise."

...

The next day, before dawn.

Itachi Uchiha stood before the door of a simple two-story house.

There were slight dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't slept peacefully the previous night.

He looked up, his gaze falling on the doorbell.

"Ring it."

Only a slightly deep voice sounded from behind Itachi Uchiha: "Didn't you say you wanted to talk to Ikeizumi?"

The speaker was Fugaku!

Fugaku believed that since Itachi had given him his word, he would never use force against Uchiha Ikeizumi. He considered himself to understand his proud eldest son very well.

However…

He also considered himself to understand Uchiha Ikeizumi quite well. Fugaku wasn't entirely sure if Ikeizumi would make a move on Itachi. After all, Ikeizumi had already made a move once several years ago.

Although Ikeizumi seemed to "calm down" afterwards, even if he occasionally ran into Itachi, their gazes would merely cross.

But Fugaku still didn't want to see that kind of risk.

So, he followed him.

But at that moment, both Itachi Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha simultaneously shifted their gazes upwards.

They both saw an orange ninja cat perched on the second-floor balcony railing, its eyes watching both of them.

—What a fat cat.

This was the father and son's first impression.

"It's Ikeizumi's ninja cat," Fugaku told Itachi: "A very powerful ninja cat. It has been with Ikeizumi since the Third Shinobi World War and followed Ikeizumi through battles on the front lines. It is said that even an elite Jonin would find it difficult to catch this ninja cat."

"I know him," Itachi Uchiha said indifferently: "The day Uchiha Ikeizumi and I clashed, this ninja cat left three deep wounds on my ankle. Even now, the scars remain on my ankle."

Fugaku fell silent.

It seemed that the ninja cat by Uchiha Ikeizumi's side was no pushover either!

"Lord Fugaku."

Kijirō still gave Fugaku some respect.

But it gave no respect to Itachi Uchiha, not even greeting him.

Kijirō licked its paw, then said: "Lord Ikeizumi is already in the living room on the first floor, and the tea is brewed, meow. No need to ring the doorbell, the door is open, just push it open and come in."

Fugaku paused.

He then realized that his eldest son had been standing by the door for over three minutes without ringing the doorbell.

Presumably, as soon as the father and son appeared there, they had already been detected by Uchiha Ikeizumi.

Itachi Uchiha stepped forward.

He pushed the door open.

This was his first time entering this place, and it was also the first time in several years that he stood directly in front of Uchiha Ikeizumi—this young man, several years his senior, was Shisui's contemporary, perhaps even slightly older than Shisui. His reputation within the Uchiha clan was once on par with Shisui's.

Fugaku also followed him inside.

Fugaku realized he was the most nervous of the three present.

He feared that the two young men before him might come to blows.

He was already prepared to intervene. Even if it meant revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't stand by and watch two Uchiha clan geniuses suffer heavy losses in an internal conflict.

...

Itachi Uchiha did not sit down. He walked to a sofa, looking at Uchiha Ikeizumi, who was dressed in casual home attire and seated on the sofa.

"I thought the first moment I walked in, I'd be greeted by surging lava, and I had already prepared myself for a death match."

Itachi Uchiha glanced again at the steaming cups of strong tea on the coffee table.

The slight tension in his heart eased a bit.

His words were not mere pleasantries but his genuine thoughts.

Facing the man who was once as renowned as Shisui, Itachi Uchiha showed not the slightest carelessness.

Even with the legendary eyes, he wasn't arrogant in the slightest—because he wasn't sure if this man of equally astonishing "capacity" before him… also possessed a pair of eyes like his and Shisui's.

Itachi Uchiha removed the ninja blade from his waist and placed it aside, his voice unwavering: "That incident years ago has always left me with a question. In my memory, I never offended you."

"So, why did you want to kill me?"

...

At the same time.

Not far from the door outside.

"Ah, finally here…" Having experienced being late once before and secretly vowing never to be late again, Izumi woke up before dawn and rushed to Senior Ikeizumi's residence.

But just then, she suddenly noticed that the door to Senior Ikeizumi's residence was open!

The young girl was momentarily stunned.

Senior's house has been robbed—this absurd thought flashed through her mind, then was quickly dismissed.

Izumi thought there shouldn't be anyone in Konoha foolish enough to try to steal from Senior Ikeizumi's house, right?

With a hint of curiosity, Izumi patted her small face, which looked somewhat listless due to her lingering sleepiness.

She quickened her steps.

And walked over.

"Senior! Police Force apprentice 'Uchiha Izumi' reporting for duty!" The young girl raised a hand and shouted energetically from the doorway, drawing the attention of the three people inside.

"Eh?"

"Eh!"

Izumi hadn't expected to see Clan Head Fugaku and Itachi-kun at Senior Ikeizumi's house!

Hiss!

Had she come at the wrong time?

...

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