Chapter 36: Iizumi Senior Was Just Carrying Out Justice!

At this moment, no one—not even the Anbu—had yet fully tallied the number of casualties at the Secret Research Base tonight.

But Uchiha Iizumi did.

Sixty-three people dead.

The dead were split nearly evenly between Anbu Ninja and researchers.

In the scorching deluge of lava, half the base had been scoured clean—washed away like filth. Not a single Red Mark remained… except for those who arrived after him.

The “rewards” the researchers had left behind were nothing but knowledge—mostly about the Sharingan and Wood Release Cells.

There were also countless horrifying human experiment results that made Iizumi’s stomach turn.

He felt his mind had been tainted.

The rewards dropped by the Red Marked Anbu, however, were far more ordinary—scrolls of jutsu, training manuals for taijutsu.

“And Shintetsu-sensei’s ‘legacy.’”

“S-rank sealing technique… Three-Part Sealing Technique.”

Uchiha Iizumi’s face remained expressionless.

No matter how many times he took a reward from a Red Mark, he never felt surprise. He felt no joy.

The more Red Marks there were, the stronger his Justice grew.

But it also meant the Ninja World was growing sicker—deeper in decay.

He stripped off his clothes, stepped into the bathroom, and turned on the faucet.

The water poured forth—scalding, hot enough to blister ordinary skin.

It crashed over him, merciless and unrelenting.

His eyes remained open—piercing, crimson, the Three Tomoe Sharingan unblinking.

Even as the boiling water splashed into his eyes, it caused him no harm.

“Shintetsu-sensei… When Justice is limited to the stance of Leaf Village alone, it ceases to be Justice.

Only by purging the entire Ninja World with Absolute Justice can we prevent more people like you—trapped in darkness without realizing it—from ever rising again.”

He whispered.

…

The next morning.

Dawn.

Izumi awoke again from a nightmare.

This time, she dreamed of the Hokage issuing a command—hundreds, thousands of Anbu descending upon her and Iizumi Senior, dragging them both into custody.

The punishment awaiting her and her senior was the harshest in the entire village.

Even her mother—her only family—was dragged into prison, caught in the fallout.

Then—she woke.

Her first move: scramble out of bed, rush to the window, and cautiously peek outside.

No Anbu. No watchers.

She exhaled, trembling.

“It was just a dream…”

She slapped her cheeks, rushed through her morning routine—washing, changing, eating breakfast—then said goodbye to her mother, Uchiha Hazuki.

As she stepped out the door, she suddenly remembered.

“Damn!”

“Iizumi Senior didn’t say where we were meeting last night!”

Should she go to Ichiraku Ramen, like he’d mentioned a few days ago?

What if he wasn’t there?

Hmm…

“No, better go to his house.”

She decided to ask around the Uchiha Compound—some of the older cousins, uncles, aunts.

The Uchiha district wasn’t that big. Surely someone would know.

But then—something felt off.

The air was tense.

Even at this early hour, people were gathered in small groups, whispering fiercely.

Curious, Izumi crept closer.

“Did you hear? The Third Hokage’s eldest son is dead… Is it true?”

“Everyone’s talking about it this morning. And they say it was Uchiha Iizumi who did it!”

“Who knows? I just heard it myself.”

“Uchiha Iizumi… He killed Root ninjas before. Now he’s taken down the Hokage’s son. I think he’s on our side—supporting the Uchiha resistance against the village leadership.”

“But I heard the radical elders—led by Elder Setsuna—offered him a position. He refused.”

“…What if the village uses this as an excuse to strike at the Uchiha clan?”

“Tch. That damn troublemaker really knows how to stir the pot…”

Izumi’s skin prickled with sweat.

This can’t be right…

How did this news spread so fast?

Only one night—plus half a morning—had passed.

She sensed something was wrong.

It felt deliberate—like someone had leaked the story on purpose.

But she had no proof.

She walked slowly, pausing here and there, until finally—she found out where Iizumi Senior lived.

“This… is Iizumi Senior’s house?”

She looked up at the unassuming two-story house—plain, modest, almost too simple.

Then—

“Early bird today, new recruit.”

A sudden voice made her jump.

She spun around.

There stood Iizumi Senior—silent, calm, as if he’d been there all along.

Izumi stammered, “I’m already a zero in your eyes, Senior. If I’m late again, I’ll be in the negative. So… I wanted to leave early.”

Uchiha Iizumi nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Yes, Senior!”

She followed closely behind, heart pounding.

She worried—what if Iizumi Senior overheard the rumors?

Her fear came true.

As they passed a group of Uchiha ninja, the men were so engrossed in their conversation they didn’t notice them.

Their talk was all about last night’s rumors.

Izumi’s brows knitted.

She glanced at Iizumi Senior’s back, then—without thinking—she turned sharply and shouted:

“What are you all talking about?! Iizumi Senior didn’t kill the Hokage’s son for no reason! He’s not some murderer! He was carrying out Justice!”

Oh no…

Her breath caught.

She hadn’t meant to speak—hadn’t even realized she’d opened her mouth.

The moment she saw the Uchiha ninja turn, eyes wide with shock, she froze.

But—

They were even more terrified than she was.

Their faces went pale.

They finally realized—Uchiha Iizumi was standing right in front of them.

Izumi, now fully committed, pressed on.

“The Hokage’s son… He was in charge of a Secret Research Base. He conducted countless illegal experiments.

He killed volunteers—people who willingly joined the program!

He kidnapped war orphans—used them as test subjects!

His hands are soaked in blood. His soul is rotten with sin!”

“Good is good. Bad is bad. He’s bad.

Even if he’s the Hokage’s son—that doesn’t change the truth!

He admitted it himself!”

“Such a man has lived freely in Leaf Village for years—no one dared to stop him.”

“Isn’t that tragic?

And yet you’re accusing Iizumi Senior of murder?

What are you people doing?!”

…

Oh no. I’m done for.

Izumi realized—she’d just spoken without thinking.

She’d revealed secrets she shouldn’t have.

She’d just destroyed the reputation of the Hokage’s son.

And now—

What if this gets out?

What if this spreads across the entire Leaf Village in a matter of hours?

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end