Naruto: Dual System Power At The Beginning

Thus, he was not afraid to come here at all.

As Hokage, his own son committed a crime, so he had to come and see. Moreover, he wanted to know how the Uchiha clan would handle his son and why his son acted so impulsively to attack someone from the Uchiha clan.

This was very strange. No matter how impulsive Sarutobi Asuma was, he still had some sense, right?

Uchiha Fugaku saw the visitor and quickly stepped forward to inquire.

"I wonder what brings Hokage-sama here."

In truth, he knew very well that the other party must have come because of Asuma.

The Third Hokage wasted no time and got straight to the point. "What do you intend to do with Asuma?"

Fugaku, knowing the future, felt full of confidence. The frustration of being humiliated in previous clan leader meetings was no longer there.

He replied calmly, "According to the Uchiha Police Force's regulations, attempted murder, endangering public safety, and injuring villagers warrant at least 10 years of imprisonment."

The Third Hokage was very displeased upon hearing this punishment.

"Fugaku-san, isn't that too harsh?"

Ten years? That would encompass the most critical period of Asuma's life. During that time, he could develop his strength and refine his character.

But if he spent it locked away in prison, he'd likely come out as a failure, completely detached from society.

Fugaku remained calm.

"I think this punishment is already lenient. Although my clansman, Uchiha Ryosuke, wasn't injured, we can't wait until someone is dead to take it seriously, can we? Moreover, Asuma caused significant damage to the streets and buildings, injuring many people. Without a severe punishment, how could we answer to the villagers?"

The Third Hokage inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that there were no casualties. This made him slightly more relaxed. Otherwise, even he, the Hokage, would be too embarrassed to speak here.

"I'll compensate for the damage to the villagers on Asuma's behalf. As for Ryosuke, since he wasn't hurt, I'll also offer compensation. Can't you reduce the sentence a bit? After all, Asuma is supposed to serve as the Daimyo's guard in the future."

Fugaku looked at the Third Hokage and smiled.

"Since Hokage-sama is willing to compensate for the losses, that's naturally good. I can consider reducing the sentence."

"Let's reduce it by one year. Nine years in prison will suffice."

On the side, Uchiha Hachiyo couldn't help but secretly laugh.

'Nine years and ten years—was there really a difference? Both were equally long.'

The Third Hokage's face darkened with displeasure. A mere one-year reduction? Clearly, the other party had no intention of sparing Asuma or showing any respect for him as Hokage.

By the time nine years had passed, Asuma would have missed the prime years for growth. He couldn't help but protest.

"Fugaku-san, this is still too long. This decision is highly unfair. As Hokage, I hope to take my son back and handle the matter myself."

Hearing this, Fugaku's expression turned cold.

"Hokage-sama, do you intend to interfere with the internal affairs of our Uchiha Police Force?"

"Our authority was granted by the Second Hokage. I hope the Third Hokage respects the will of his predecessors and refrains from meddling in Uchiha Police Force matters."

The Third Hokage felt a surge of anger. The other party had the audacity to invoke his late teacher to pressure him—how detestable this clan was.

At this point, he even felt that granting the Uchiha Police Force so much authority had been a mistake on his teacher's part.

Sigh. It was his son's recklessness that had led to this mess, leaving him in such an awkward position. He couldn't help but say,

"If the punishment could be further reduced, perhaps I could restore the Uchiha clan to its former treatment."

Fugaku and Hachiyo's expressions changed, showing some surprise.

The Uchiha clan's former treatment had been quite favorable. However, after the Nine-Tails' incident, the clan's territory was forcibly relocated, and even the Police Force's salaries were reduced.

Though the Uchiha clan had other sources of income, the remuneration from the village was still a significant part of their earnings.

With reduced pay, more and more clansmen felt resentment toward the village leadership, as it directly affected their livelihoods.

Restoring their previous salary would help the clan regain its former standard of living. This would be an acceptable compromise, and Fugaku believed even Ryosuke wouldn't object.

Fugaku replied, "Since Hokage-sama has made such an offer, let's reduce it further. Given that Ryosuke wasn't injured and Hokage-sama is willing to cover the villagers' medical expenses, I'll decide on a one-year sentence as a disciplinary action."

"Otherwise, the Uchiha clan wouldn't be able to explain this to the villagers, and Hokage-sama surely wouldn't want to face criticism from them either, right?"

The Third Hokage felt relieved upon hearing this.

A year wasn't too long nor too short. Moreover, as the other party pointed out, Asuma had indeed caused a serious problem with far-reaching consequences.

He deserved a lesson.

Even if he offered better terms, he couldn't go too far; otherwise, the villagers would notice that he, as Hokage, was blatantly favoring Asuma.

If the Uchiha spread this news, it could damage his reputation—an outcome neither side wanted.

The Third Hokage looked at Fugaku.

"This result is acceptable to me. Can I see Asuma now?"

Fugaku, hearing the Hokage agree to his terms, immediately said, "Of course."

"Idaka, take Hokage-sama to see Asuma."

The Third Hokage followed Uchiha Idaka to the temporary prison in the Police Force building.

Along the way, he felt both helpless and angry. It seemed his parenting had failed miserably—why had Asuma acted so recklessly?

He needed to get to the bottom of it.

After walking down a long hallway, they reached the temporary cell and saw his son, who still had traces of blood on his face and clothes.

The fire of his anger subsided slightly, replaced by a softening of his heart.

Idaka sensibly left, uninterested in the conversation between the father and son.

After all, they had already arrested the man's son, so expecting him to show a pleasant attitude was too much.

When Idaka left, the Third Hokage looked at his son.

"Explain yourself. Why were you so reckless?"

Asuma raised his head and angrily said, "That bastard Uchiha Ryosuke stole my woman, Kurenai Yuhi."

"Tell me, shouldn't I kill him? Too bad I wasn't strong enough."

Thinking of Uchiha Ryosuke made Asuma grit his teeth in hatred.

The Third Hokage's face turned grim. 'So that was the reason? Asuma acted like this over such a trivial matter?'

He couldn't help but feel even more displeased.

"You committed such a grave mistake just because of a woman? How foolish can you be? When your strength is sufficient, there's no shortage of women to choose from."

He recalled his wife, Sarutobi Biwako, who had died on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack while protecting Kushina Uzumaki, killed by that mysterious man in black.

Though he loved his wife deeply, he hadn't let his grief push him into reckless actions against the Uchiha clan, who were suspected of involvement.

Instead, he calmly used the incident to suppress their power. Otherwise, had the village gone to war with the Uchiha after the Nine-Tails' rampage, Konoha would have been utterly ruined.

How could his son, with such a capable father, turn out to be so impulsive?

Perhaps it was due to Biwako's death that Asuma lacked proper guidance.

The Third Hokage had been too preoccupied with village affairs, leaving no time to educate Asuma properly.

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