You Want to Die, Don't You?!

"The Feudal Lord won't be pleased."

A young, capable ninja.

Facing a man whose nonhuman, imposing physique couldn't be concealed, even with part of his body hidden behind a desk!

"Dodai! I'll say it again: this is a direct order from me, the Third Raikage!"

"Bring me that Uchiha Genmei brat's head. I'll use it to honor Kazunosuke!"

"Forget the Feudal Lord!!!"

Bang!

The desk split in two.

Watching the Raikage, who was already seeing red,

the young Dodai helplessly covered his face.

He sighed.

"Do as you please~"

He picked up the report in his hand, his spirits lifting.

"According to this report, that brat is leading a team to take over the Chinoike Clan's guard shift."

"His subordinates currently number eighteen regular officers, six patrol captains, three assistant police inspectors, two police inspectors, and one police superintendent."

"Add that brat, who leads them as a Police Superintendent, and that makes thirty-one in total!"

Hearing this, the Third Raikage said solemnly,

"They really are powerful."

"The Uchiha!"

"We can't underestimate that strength. Dodai, you arrange the ambush."

Dodai's expression turned serious.

"Let's schedule the ambush for after Dainagon leaves Hell Valley."

At the border between the territorial waters of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water.

Uchiha Genmei looked at the rolling hills around him.

Turning to a young ninja with refined features, he asked,

"Big Brother Yuta, according to the map, we should be getting close, right?"

Uchiha Yuta replied with a serious expression,

"Hell Valley is about forty kilometers ahead."

"Also, I'm not worthy of being called Big Brother!"

"I'm only a Police Superintendent, while your rank is Police Superintendent-in-Chief. You outrank me. Please use my title while we're working, Lord Genmei!"

Uchiha Genmei was beginning to get a headache. This Police Superintendent from the Military Police Force was young and promising.

He was just a little too stiff. Genmei had figured out his personality along the way.

He was an excellent work partner, but in private, he was as stubborn as a stone.

"Forty kilometers? Looks like we're almost there!"

A short while later,

they reached Hell Valley.

The shift change went smoothly.

Uchiha Genmei assigned everyone their duties, and everything proceeded as usual.

He returned to the rest area and sat cross-legged on the bed, frowning as he pondered.

Was my intuition wrong? The whole journey went smoothly.

He concentrated for a moment.

Forget it. I'll deal with whatever comes. I have more than enough confidence.

I just need to get through this month's guard duty safely.

Meanwhile, elsewhere,

Uchiha Yuta put away the scroll the Ninja Cat had just delivered.

He paced to the window, lost in thought.

The next day.

After getting up early and taking care of his work,

knock, knock, knock.

"Come in."

Uchiha Yuta opened the door, walked to Genmei's desk, and bowed as he reported,

"Lord Genmei, the Dainagon of the Land of Lightning has paid the commission into the warehouse."

"Good. Where is the Dainagon now?"

"Reporting to Lord Genmei, the Dainagon couldn't bear the barrenness of Hell Valley. He went sightseeing elsewhere and is expected to return to the Land of Lightning the day after tomorrow."

Uchiha Genmei felt relieved.

He'd been worrying about how to deal with nobles. This Dainagon had made things easy for him by going sightseeing. There was a good chance he wouldn't come back at all.

That saved him quite a bit of trouble.

Looking at the composed Yuta, Uchiha Genmei nodded.

"Good. Have a Ninja Cat take the commission back to the clan."

"My work here is all arranged. I'm going out for some air."

As he walked down the street in Hell Valley,

he remembered that he'd only arrived last night, when the place had seemed deserted.

Now, in the morning, smoke rose from every household's chimney.

There weren't many shops along the street, but they still saw some traffic.

Uchiha Genmei reflected on the Chinoike Clan, which had been mentioned in the original story.

He'd dismissed it as a pointless addition and hadn't paid much attention.

All he knew was that, like the Uchiha Clan, they shared a common ancestor.

Indra!

A hundred years ago, they'd taken part in political struggles at the Feudal Lord's residence in the Land of Lightning. After they lost, the Feudal Lord hired the Uchiha to defeat them.

They were exiled to Hell Valley and imprisoned there.

They were known for their Ketsuryūgan. Beyond that, he didn't know much.

He'd learned from relevant Police Force records that

the Ketsuryūgan was a dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai.

Its genjutsu was no weaker than the Sharingan's, and it could also control blood and turn people into human bombs.

Its perceptiveness was just a little inferior to the Sharingan's.

In every other respect, it was no weaker than the Sharingan. It might even be a little stronger.

Suddenly, a commotion up ahead interrupted Genmei's thoughts.

"Gabimaru, Gabimaru, Gabimaru the jinx!"

"Gabimaru, Gabimaru, Gabimaru who wails and bleeds!"

"Gabimaru, Gabimaru, Gabimaru the man-eating fiend!"

There,

a group of children surrounded a handsome, white-haired boy.

They chanted a mocking rhyme they'd made up for him.

But the despair and numbness clinging to his entire being ruined his appearance.

The Chinoike Clan members around him passed by with cold, disdainful looks.

As though he were something filthy.

Uchiha Genmei watched with interest and pulled a passerby over.

"How do you people treat that boy?" he asked.

The burly passerby he'd grabbed looked at Genmei's hand on him.

His face filled with disgust. "Go ask that jinx yourself. I've got nothing to say to you Uchiha!"

Genmei raised an eyebrow and said flippantly,

"Hoh~ I can understand why you'd hate me for being Uchiha, but I'm the Police Superintendent-in-Chief overseeing this place."

"In other words, I'm your current superior. Are you sure?"

At that,

the man's disgust faded, and he looked helpless.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you."

An empty, numb despair

filled Gabimaru Oyashiro from head to toe.

Gabimaru had been a gifted ninja. His life should have been a happy one.

But ever since he'd awakened those damned eyes,

his life had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

His parents had died of illness, which had hurt him deeply.

But with comfort from his childhood sweetheart and wife, he'd managed to pull himself together.

And yet!

Hardship had struck again.

His wife had contracted a strange illness. No matter what medicine she took or how much she took, nothing helped.

Her body grew weaker by the day.

She'd fallen unconscious the day before yesterday and hadn't eaten a bite for two whole days.

There was no telling whether she'd make it through today or tomorrow.

Yui.

She was about to die!

Was he supposed to watch Yui die with his own eyes?

Ignoring the noisy children around him,

Gabimaru walked home with the packet of medicine in his hands.

He couldn't accept it. He wouldn't accept it!

The closer he got to home, the more despair filled his heart!

I want to die!

I can't accept Yui dying right in front of me!

A vast emptiness

formed in his heart.

Ah~

His ocular powers were growing stronger.

He couldn't understand it.

His wife was about to die!

Were these eyes happy about it?!

Destroy them!

Yui's final moments.

Unbearable to watch, too painful to look at.

Gabimaru raised his hand, about to...

"Boy, you want to die, don't you?!"

"Want me to grant your wish?"