Chapter 276: Judgment
Blood trickled from Uchiha Ikeizumi's right eye. As the crimson liquid flowed, hair-raising hellfire simultaneously ignited on the bodies of every gang leader and thug present.
"GYAAAAAAAHH!!"
Burns are known to be the highest level of physical pain, but the Heavenly Wrath Flames offered a double torment that scorched the soul alongside the body. Even a ninja as strong as Danzō, a quasi-Kage level fighter, could not withstand it...let alone a pack of human scum whose strength was far inferior but whose sins rivaled Danzō's own.
Almost the instant the flames ignited, most of the gang leaders and thugs went into shock from the sheer agony. Yet, the searing pain of their souls burning immediately forced them back into consciousness, only to face the dual torture of flesh and spirit once more. The screams emanating from the warehouse were enough to wake almost the entire city from its slumber.
However, the terrifying reputation the underground black market had built over the years was enough to keep the vast majority of Seagull City's civilians at a distance. Even the few daring souls who ventured close fled after hearing such horrifying shrieks.
"I'm sorry, Ikeizumi-senpai, for making you step in personally," Uchiha Izumi said, looking at the wailing Kurosuki Raiga on the ground with an embarrassed expression. "I was so focused on the chance to wipe them all out at once that I didn't realize the gang's strength was greater than I anticipated."
The "Blood Mist Village" policies had been a horrific mistake, but the Land of Water hadn't chosen them without reason. The average strength of a Mist shinobi relative to other nations was indeed higher, and by extension, the thugs in the Land of Water were far more dangerous than their counterparts in the Land of Fire. In a land where everyone was bloodthirsty and combative, you improved your strength or you were eliminated.
Of course, ordinary thugs wouldn't have pushed Izumi into a hard fight. The issue was that the Seagull City gangs employed many wandering ninja and rogue ninja. Without the power of her Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the enhancements she received as a faithful follower of [Absolute Justice], a Konoha ninja of her age might have actually suffered a disastrous defeat.
"Lord Ikeizumi."
As Izumi felt her embarrassment growing, a blood-soaked Biwa Jūzō walked over slowly and knelt before Ikeizumi without hesitation.
"One of them escaped. Go and bring back his head," Ikeizumi commanded with a slight nod.
Unsurprisingly, the escaped villain was likely the true mastermind behind this underground market. Under normal circumstances, Ikeizumi wouldn't let such a beast die so quickly, but considering the amount of cleanup required, he could only send him to the Pure Land for the time being.
In the near future, once he had spread the philosophy of [Absolute Justice] across the shinobi world, he intended to visit the Pure Land himself...perhaps to drag those unforgivable souls back out for individual judgment. The idea of "dropping the butcher's knife to become a Buddha" at the last moment...the way someone like Obito might try to redeem a lifetime of atrocities...did not exist in Ikeizumi's world.
"Yes!"
Jūzō responded and vanished. When he first decided to pledge loyalty to Ikeizumi, he might have had various reservations. But now, Ikeizumi had proven to him through action that even on a land as sinful as the Land of Water, [Absolute Justice] could truly descend. Jūzō no longer had any doubts; he only wanted to burn his very existence for the cause.
"There are a few more fish that slipped through the net below. Go settle them," Ikeizumi said. The veins around his eyes bulged as he switched to the Byakugan to check on Izumi. After confirming she wasn't injured, he continued, "Then, release all the captives."
The two-story warehouse was merely a venue for the gangs; the majority of the food and the civilians intended for slavery were locked in hidden sub-levels beneath the warehouse.
"Yes!"
Hearing there were still enemies left, Izumi set aside her thoughts and ran to find the entrance to the underground layers.
"Lord Ikeizumi, that girl seems to feel..." Kojirō leapt from the railing and landed steadily on Ikeizumi's shoulder. Despite his increasingly stout frame, his agility had not diminished.
"Too much talking," Ikeizumi said flatly, causing Kojirō to shut his mouth instantly.
In Ikeizumi's view, Izumi merely mistook her admiration for him as romantic affection. This wasn't the first time he had experienced this; it was simply that the person admiring him had shifted from a victim or a victim's family member to his own follower. Once she grew up, she would naturally understand that "admiration is the furthest distance from understanding."
"Meow~"
Kojirō kept quiet, but he was unconvinced. He might not understand human "admiration" or "worship," but could he not recognize the scent of a human in heat?
"Wood Style: Wooden Corridor Jutsu!"
Ignoring Kojirō's inner grumbling, Ikeizumi wove hand signs, using a weakened version of Wood Style to create a long corridor...essentially a wooden slide...connecting the warehouse to Seagull City. Since the warehouse was on higher ground, this would be the most efficient way to deliver food into the city.
Shortly after, Izumi emerged from the hidden passage leading dozens of civilians, ranging from five-year-olds to adults in their thirties. These were the slaves the gang had been holding for sale.
Compared to the emaciated civilians of Seagull City, these captives looked slightly better...only because the gang gave them "preferential treatment" to ensure they fetched a higher price.
Looking at the field of gang corpses, the captives showed expressions of terror, joy, and sorrow. When Izumi had released them and told them they were free and would no longer be oppressed, they had been skeptical. But seeing so many "familiar" corpses now, they realized the gang was truly finished.
"We're saved... thank goodness!" "They're Konoha ninja!" "I wonder when we can go home?"
The captives conversed in low voices, but not one dared to step forward and ask Ikeizumi or Izumi a direct question.