Konoha Year 57 – One year before the "Night of the Clan Massacre."
Inside the Konoha Police Headquarters, Uchiha Fugaku held a roster in his hand. Wearing a stern expression, he swept his gaze across the assembled youths of the Uchiha clan.
These children, all between twelve and sixteen, were the clan's future.
Fugaku spoke in a low voice:
"Next… Uchiha Izumi."
"Huh? Here!!!"
The twelve‑year‑old Uchiha girl shot her hand into the air and answered in a hurry.
Fugaku fixed his eyes on the girl and asked,
"Have you resolved to take part in the Police Force recruitment exam?"
Uchiha Izumi replied solemnly,
"I'm fully prepared!"
Fugaku nodded.
"The assessment lasts one month. During that month, a full‑fledged member of the Police Force will act as your examiner."
"If he decides your performance passes, you'll be admitted to the Uchiha Police Force and become a law enforcer of Konoha."
He pointed to a wooden board behind him covered with names.
Many of those names had already been circled.
"You may choose your own examiner," Fugaku went on, "but only from the names that are not circled."
Izumi looked up at the densely packed list:
— Uchiha Shun, Uchiha Getsumu, Uchiha Chizumi, Uchiha Ishin…
She realized she didn't know a single one!
"Then… how about Chizumi-senpai?" she whispered timidly. She picked him only because his name looked almost the same as hers.
Uchiha Izumi — Uchiha Chizumi: just one character apart.
Fugaku paused.
"Chizumi…" A complicated look flashed in his eyes. He hinted, "Are you certain? Once you choose, you can't change."
Izumi missed the hint, thinking the clan head was simply pressing her.
"I'm certain."
She hammered down her choice.
Fugaku considered a moment and warned,
"Uchiha Chizumi is an elite officer. His standards will likely be harsher than anyone else's. Remember—do not defy his orders if you want to stay alive."
Izumi froze, swallowing hard.
The clan head hadn't warned anyone else like that. Did she just make a terrible mistake?
Panic began to well up.
…
When Izumi stepped out of Headquarters, she was still a little dazed.
In her hand was an Assessment Commission Letter. Once she delivered it to Chizumi-senpai, she would begin a month‑long hellish test.
If only Itachi‑kun were here, she muttered, I could ask him what kind of person this Chizumi‑senpai is.
She thought of asking other clansmen, but she barely knew them—Izumi was the lone oddball of the Uchiha. She never fit in with her peers.
Her mother was Uchiha; her father was a civilian shinobi. Until she was five, she bore her father's surname.
On the Night of the Nine‑Tails her father died protecting her. Her mother brought her back to the Uchiha clan, and she took her mother's name.
Calm down… As long as I'm polite, no matter how strict Chizumi‑senpai is, it shouldn't get too ugly.
Izumi decided to buy a small gift for their first meeting.
But—
Before she could move, a cry rose nearby:
"The Police Force is back!"
She turned.
A whole squad of Uchiha officers marched in, clad in battle gear and bristling with ninja tools—each radiating an intimidating aura.
No time for a gift. If Chizumi‑senpai was among them and she failed to greet him, she'd make a bad impression.
Izumi trotted up, gathered her courage, and asked, "Excuse me, which of you is Uchiha Chizumi-senpai?"
Nervously, she showed her commission letter.
"I'm a recruit for the Police Force exam. My name is Uchiha Izumi."
The officers halted.
Dozens of astonished eyes focused on her—as if she were a rare summon beast.
One female officer stepped forward, wearing an odd look.
"You picked Uchiha Chizumi as your examiner?"
"Yes," Izumi nodded.
"… Suit yourself." The woman patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"He's not here. If you want to find him, try the rowdiest streets in the village—he's usually there."
"Good luck. Sometimes, just staying alive is luck."
Izumi: "???"
Her face went pale. She blurted, "Senpai, is Chizumi-senpai really that harsh on rookies?"
The woman shook her head.
"Harsh isn't the issue. How to put it… he doesn't play well with others; even Fugaku-sama can't command him. My advice? Write your will first. Trust me—you'll need it soon."
Izumi: "…"
She realized every veteran was now looking at her with open pity.
…
Meanwhile—
On Konoha's notorious Bathhouse–Casino–Red‑Light strip, a young man in Police gear arrived.
The instant he stepped onto the street, everything fell silent.
Three full seconds later the panicked clamor exploded.
"Crap! That Uchiha Plague is back! Last time he stuffed over fifty people into Konoha prison! Hurry—tell the boss! Shut the casino doors!"
"Why's he here again? Has it even been a month?"
"Hey! Uchiha Chizumi! Don't push it! We run legal businesses—gambling and brothels aren't banned, and only a few drugs are restricted! Why are you always after us?"
"Shhh! Want to die? Cross that Uchiha reaper and you'll rot forever in a dark cell!"
"D‑don't look at me! I'm just passing by!"
…
Uchiha Chizumi rested one hand lazily on the hilt of his ninja blade. His gaze drifted, searching for prey his eyes could see.
Suddenly—
He stopped.
"Found a little rat."
In his vision a short man kept his head down, hiding in the crowd—seemingly unremarkable.
But to Chizumi…
The man glowed like a firefly in the night.
Floating above his head was a crimson frame, lines of blood‑red text inside:
[Akiyama Jirō — Two days ago, after losing at gambling, he got drunk and beat his four‑year‑old child to death. Crime Level: RED‑NAME!]
This—
Was Chizumi's "golden finger" in this life.
Expressionless, Chizumi walked toward the man. Bystanders scattered in terror, terrified the Uchiha reaper would choose them.
As the man tried to slip away—
Chizumi spoke:
"Akiyama Jirō, where do you think you're going?"
He looked down at the small man.
His eyes were utterly flat—as if staring at a dead man.
Just then—
"F‑finally found you!"
A breathless girl's voice rang out behind him.
"Excuse me, are you Uchiha Chizumi-senpai?"