Just as Ichiro was preparing to properly deal with Uchiha Daita and Uchiha Takeshi, the Great Elder suddenly called out to him.
"May I ask what guidance the Great Elder has for me?"
"They're still kin. I hope you'll show some restraint and not go too far."
The Great Elder gave Ichiro a complicated look. He hadn't expected this young man to be so ruthless.
First, he orchestrated the assassination of two elders. Now, he had arrested both Daita and Takeshi.
With Daita accused of murdering the two elders, his fate was grim. As for Takeshi, that would depend on how Ichiro decided to handle him.
If Ichiro could coldly send assassins after elders, Takeshi's outcome didn't look promising.
"I don't really understand what you mean, Great Elder. I'll be going now. The criminal who murdered two elders is still waiting for me to pass judgment."
Ichiro turned to leave, but after a few steps, he stopped and looked back.
"A word of advice, Elder. It's wise to look after your own safety. After all, staying alive means you can still protect those around you."
With that, Ichiro vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
"…Was that a threat?"
The Great Elder sighed. He was getting old. Perhaps it was time to start thinking about the future. He didn't have long left—but what about Mikoto?
He'd also noticed earlier that Fugaku's attitude toward him had changed.
He wasn't sure why, but he suspected it had something to do with Ichiro.
Inside the Konoha Police Force interrogation room, Ichiro arrived just in time to hear Uchiha Daita screaming in agony.
"Talk. Why did you assassinate the two elders?!"
Goro was interrogating Daita personally. All of Daita's fingernails had been ripped out, and his bloodied body was a horrifying sight.
"Goro, you lapdog of Ichiro—may you die a miserable death!"
Daita gritted his teeth and cursed at Goro.
Clap clap clap…
Ichiro walked in, slowly applauding.
"Impressive spirit, Daita. I admire that. How about you join me?"
"In your dreams! I'd rather die than follow you!"
Ichiro gave a thumbs-up. "A real man. I'll honor your wish."
A flash of his blade—and Daita's head hit the floor.
"Such a swift draw... I didn't even see Lord Ichiro move."
Goro was stunned. He hadn't seen Ichiro unsheathe his sword at all.
『Ding! Killed Uchiha Daita. Obtained: 10 Explosive Tags, Evil Points +2000』
"What? Only two thousand for killing an elite jōnin? Are you kidding me?"
『Host, no matter the target's strength, the Evil Points earned from killing remain fixed. Furthermore, the amount will decrease over time. Eventually, killing will only yield 100 Evil Points.』
"Damn. I was planning to rack up Evil Points during the Third Ninja War…"
If killing only gave 100 points in the end, then to afford the Rinnegan with Nine Tomoe Sharingan, Ichiro would need to kill over 100,000 people.
And that was just one of the things he wanted. There were too many tempting rewards in the system.
If he relied purely on killing to earn Evil Points, he'd turn into a demon. And Ichiro had no intention of becoming a mindless slaughter machine.
"From what I can tell, playing the scoundrel earns the most points—almost absurdly so."
"System, be honest with me. Shouldn't you be called the Scoundrel System instead of the Evil System?"
『...』
"Not denying it? Then I'll take that as a yes."
"Sigh. For the sake of Evil Points, I guess I'll have to make a few sacrifices…"
A wicked grin spread across Ichiro's face.
That entire inner conversation had only taken a few seconds. Goro was still reeling from Ichiro's sword skills.
"Spread the word—Daita committed suicide out of guilt. Dispose of his body. And don't forget to remove his eyes. He had a fully awakened Sharingan. Might as well transplant them to a clansman who can't awaken theirs. Let's not waste a good pair."
Even in death, Ichiro was determined to wring out the last bit of value from Daita.
"Lord Ichiro, what about Uchiha Takeshi?"
Daita had been charged with murdering the elders—his execution was justified. But Takeshi's only offense was attacking Ichiro. That didn't warrant death.
"If he knows what's good for him, he'll walk out of here alive. If not—cripple him."
Ichiro then made his way to where Takeshi was held.
"Judging by your expression, I already know what your answer will be."
Takeshi stared at Ichiro with pure hatred.
"But I'll still ask properly. Want to work for me? There's no future with Fugaku."
It wasn't a lie. In the original timeline, Fugaku became clan head, and the Uchiha clan was wiped out.
"Lord Fugaku saved my life. I'll never betray him."
"Just as I thought. A shame for an elite jōnin," Ichiro said, shaking his head. If Takeshi wouldn't cooperate, there was nothing more to discuss.
Crack!
A scream echoed from the interrogation room. When Ichiro walked out, Takeshi had been crippled.
『Ding! Crippled Uchiha Takeshi. Obtained: 50 Military Rations Pills, Evil Points +1000』
Takeshi was dragged out with both arms and legs broken. His career as a shinobi was over.
Ichiro hadn't killed him—but what he did was worse than death.
"I'm sparing your life this time. But if you ever oppose me again, not only will you die—so will your family."
"Oh, and by the way—if you can convince Tsunade to treat you, maybe you'll walk again."
But Tsunade had already left the village. Even if she were still around, she'd never heal a member of the Uchiha.
The Senju and Uchiha clans had a deep-rooted rift. Tsunade might not hate them, but she certainly didn't favor them either.
When news reached Fugaku that Daita had been executed and Takeshi crippled, he was so furious that his wounds reopened.
"He really is ruthless…"
Fugaku's heart bled.
He only had three elite jōnin who still supported him. Now one was dead, and the other was ruined.
The two elders were gone, and the Great Elder was likely a traitor.
What did he have left to fight Ichiro with?