Uchiha Yagami handed over his patrol duties and silently returned home.
He didn't slack off in the slightest.
Even before the 'Kindness Chronicle Accumulation' system, he was already considered the epitome of diligence, desperately seizing every free moment to train.
At this moment, although he had things on his mind, he still didn't delay his training.
He silently closed his eyes and practiced the most basic Chakra control technique used by all ninja.
Yagami's heart slowly regained its calm.
He never regretted his actions.
Not just because that was his original belief.
But also because, in his view, this Konoha Village inherently carried original sin.
This was a city of sin.
This original sin didn't distinguish between the Konoha higher-ups, elite ninja, or the most ordinary villagers.
Selfishness, ignorance, greed, arrogance, jealousy, indifference...
All these and more.
Living here often made Yagami feel an unimaginable sense of oppression.
And the way he vented this oppression was by executing justice in his own way.
Extreme?
He never thought he was extreme.
If anything, it was this village, this Shinobi World, that was extreme, never himself.
...
The next day, at the Police Force headquarters.
Uchiha Fugaku was frantically dealing with the mess Qianyu had left behind.
Fortunately, the family of three were indeed all accounted for.
They didn't have any relatives or friends left in the world.
Other than some neighbors, there wasn't anyone who could complain.
Uchiha Fugaku sent people to properly bury the couple's bodies.
As for their property...
It had already been completely squandered by the gambling addict.
Other than an old house, there was practically nothing left.
Even so, when Uchiha Fugaku was preparing to deal with the old house, several villagers suddenly jumped out, claiming to be the couple's relatives, friends, and acquaintances, saying that they had left instructions before they died to leave the old house to them, and so on...
Uchiha Fugaku was already annoyed, so he had no mood to deal with this tangled mess and simply handed everything over to the most experienced elder, Uchiha Yashiro, to take full responsibility.
Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly sensed the arrival of a powerful Chakra.
"Hmm? This Chakra is..."
He abruptly stood up and hurried out to greet him personally.
"Lord Hokage."
The person who arrived was none other than the Third Hokage of Konoha Village, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He was smoking his pipe, wearing the hat that symbolized the Hokage, and on his aged face, etched with wrinkles, hung his usual kind and benevolent smile.
Behind him, four ANBU wearing eerie masks followed.
"Uchiha Fugaku, I came unannounced, I hope I haven't disturbed the work of your Police Force?"
"Not at all, Lord Hokage, you are always welcome."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, his eyes seemingly casually scanning the surroundings.
"Is that Uchiha Yagami not here?"
Uchiha Fugaku, of course, knew who he had come for.
"That bastard is too extreme in his actions. Although I know he means well for the village and is upholding fairness and justice, this time he went too far!"
"So I've punished him to stay home and reflect properly."
"Oh? Did Lord Hokage come for this matter as well?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen secretly sneered in his heart.
This Uchiha Fugaku was laying down the groundwork first, even "scolding" Uchiha Yagami in a way that was seemingly critical but actually complimentary, clearly trying to shut him up.
As an old fox like him, how could he not see through this trick?
"Alas, I know that man meant well for the village, although his methods were indeed a bit extreme..."
"Originally, I didn't want to come either, but several villagers have reported it to the Hokage Office. If I don't show up, the villagers might think I'm protecting the Uchiha Clan..."
"In reality, whether it's the Uchiha Clan or ordinary villagers, they are all like family to me. How could I favor one over the other?"
"What do you say, Uchiha Fugaku?"
Uchiha Fugaku chuckled in response.
"Of course. Konoha is a big family, and Lord Hokage is the pillar, the head of the family. Naturally, everyone is treated equally."
"I just don't know what those villagers told Lord Hokage? What are their demands?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe, then exhaled a smoke ring that slowly spread and filled the room at the Police Force headquarters.
"Actually, in the past, many villagers and ninja have complained about Uchiha Yagami, saying that his enforcement was too strict and his methods too cruel.
However, I knew he was just young and hot-blooded, and his methods were a bit impatient in his effort to maintain the village's stability, so I suppressed those complaints."
"But this time, he really went a bit too far..."
"That couple's crimes weren't punishable by death..."
"What do you think, Uchiha Fugaku?"
His aged eyes were full of wrinkles, and his gaze was filled with difficulty.
Uchiha Fugaku sighed deeply, looking like he was frustrated with someone's lack of progress.
"Lord Hokage is right."
"When this incident happened last night, I was also furious. I immediately sent people to bring him back and gave him a good scolding and a thorough lesson."
"Even if that gambling addict was beyond saving, even if he took his child's life-saving money and caused his own son's death, even if he still wanted to take the last of the family's savings to gamble after his son died, even if he was such a beast, so what?"
"At most, you should have arrested him and locked him up in a cell!"
"How could you just beat someone to death?!"
"And that woman, even if her husband killed their child, she didn't seek revenge, didn't report it to the Police Force, didn't report it to Lord Hokage, and even wanted to continue living with him. Even if such a rotten person died, she still defended him and even tried to attack a Police Force member. So what?"
"Could she really have hurt you?"
"How could you actually go for the kill?!"
Uchiha Fugaku had a look of deep regret on his face.
"Alas, even if what you did complies with the regulations, it's ultimately unreasonable!"
"Don't you agree, Lord Hokage?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression slightly darkened.
But then it quickly returned to normal.
"Uchiha Fugaku, does doing this really comply with the regulations?"
"It actually does. When the Second Hokage created the Police Force, he established a series of laws and regulations, which indeed stated that if a criminal was extremely wicked and devoid of conscience, they could be dealt with on the spot and executed. Of course, it also said that if a Police Force member's life was threatened, they could certainly retaliate. So..."
"Although that bastard Yagami was indeed a bit extreme, you really can't say he violated the law..."
"One can only say that the young man was indeed a bit impatient and lacked refinement, which is why I punished him to go home and reflect properly."
"Lord Hokage, rest assured, if he still doesn't thoroughly correct his ways this time, I will definitely not let him off lightly!"
For a moment, the entire Police Force headquarters was silent.
Uchiha Yakumi and the others were also hearing the Clan Leader's lengthy speech for the first time and couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
However...
Who was Sarutobi Hiruzen?
This set of grand-sounding, seemingly critical but actually complimentary nonsense from Uchiha Fugaku was something he had been saying decades ago.
However, when the other party said such almost rogue-like words, if you wanted to continue arguing, the only path was to completely tear off the facade.
Sarutobi Hiruzen absolutely did not want to do that for the time being.
He smiled kindly and benevolently.
"Since Uchiha Fugaku has said so, then I am relieved. I believe you will handle it fairly."
"Then I won't bother you any further."
Uchiha Fugaku quickly said, "Lord Hokage, please take care."
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen's retreating figure, Uchiha Fugaku's face, which seemed to have won the confrontation, was covered by a layer of gloom.
...
"Lord Hokage, that Uchiha Fugaku is clearly just quibbling!"
"Does he think he can shirk Uchiha Chiyu's responsibility with just a few words?!"
Several ANBU members couldn't help but feel indignant.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, just let out a disdainful scoff.
"His little tricks are something I've long grown tired of playing."
"It's just that I don't want to fall out with the Uchiha Clan for now."
"Uchiha Fugaku, do you think you can shut me up like this?"
"You're far too naive..."
"Lord Hokage means..."
"Hmph, naturally someone will go and severely reprimand that Uchiha Yagami, and that person..."
"Will be one of their own Uchiha clansmen."
(End of the Chapter)