Chapter 40: The Hatred Toward Uchiha Iizumi

Izumi finally reached Uchiha Iizumi, her breath ragged and face flushed from exhaustion. She bent over, gasping for air, yet still managed to hurriedly thrust the file forward.

“P-Predecessor… this is the list of all missing persons from Leaf Village over the past five years. To this day, none of them have been found. A total of one hundred and seventy-six individuals.”

When she said the number, even she felt a chill.

This was only the officially recorded missing. There were undoubtedly others unaccounted for—especially among missing ninja, who might have carried secrets too dangerous to be listed. People with secrets rarely appeared on official missing reports.

Uchiha Iizumi didn’t take the file.

Instead, another voice rang out from afar, light and playful:

“Master Iizumi, found new bones, meow~ And this time, quite a few of them!”

Tachibana Jiro hurried over with his cats in tow—dozens of Ninja Cats, each carrying fragments of bones in their mouths.

“All pulled from the Sewers, meow!” Tachibana Jiro leapt nimbly onto Iizumi’s head with practiced ease. “But we’re not sure if they’re all from the same person.”

One by one, the Ninja Cats dropped their finds onto the ground.

Uchiha Iizumi crouched and picked up a shard of bone between his fingers.

“Newcomer, for now, exclude male victims.”

Izumi blinked. “You already know the gender of the victims?”

Uchiha Iizumi straightened. “This is the pubic bone. In males, the angle is typically less than ninety degrees—a narrow V-shape. In females, it’s wider—greater than ninety degrees, forming a broad U or V.”

He pointed to another fragment. “This is the brow ridge bone. In males, it’s thick, prominent, and slopes backward. In females, it’s flatter, with a more vertical or slightly inclined forehead.”

Izumi stared, stunned.

How many victims had her predecessor examined to master such precise, almost instinctual knowledge of human anatomy?

Then—she noticed it.

Iizumi’s brow furrowed.

As if something new had just clicked into place.

Without a word, he bent down again, picking up two bone fragments embedded with teeth. He studied them closely for a moment.

“Newcomer, narrow the age range to between five and thirty years old. Carefully examine the photos on the list—look for any missing women who appear to have a slight overbite.”

Izumi snapped to attention. “Yes, Predecessor!”

She flipped through the file frantically, then dared to ask, “Why…?”

Before she could finish, Iizumi cut her off with a calm, piercing gaze.

“Because there are two distinct sets of remains.”

He paused. “Also, pay attention to the surnames. I suspect these two were mother and daughter.”

He gestured toward the broken bones. “Judging by the cross-sections, the killer used the same tool to dismember them. Very likely the same person—and possibly the same day.”

He picked up a piece. “Based on the size of the fragments, their bodies were cut into over a hundred pieces. We’re lucky to have recovered even this much.”

Izumi’s hand trembled.

Two…?

Mother… and daughter…?

“Large and small. The older victim was likely between twenty and thirty. The younger, between five and eight.” Uchiha Iizumi stated calmly.

Izumi shuddered, flipping through the file with growing dread.

Following the clues Iizumi had provided, she quickly found two missing persons with identical surnames.

“Predecessor! I found them!” She forced her voice steady. “Yamada Ryōkiko, twenty-seven, disappeared four years ago. Husband deceased. Left behind a daughter. Yamada Shimei, four years old, also disappeared four years ago. Father deceased. Mother: Yamada Ryōkiko.”

Uchiha Iizumi studied her. “So, what should we do next?”

Izumi froze.

She hadn’t expected him to hand the decision back to her.

Right. This must be a test of my abilities.

She answered without hesitation:

“Find their last known residence. Investigate their relationships with neighbors and relatives. Examine their financial records. And most importantly—determine who inherited the Yamada family estate after their deaths.”

This was standard procedure from the Uchiha Police Force training manual. She’d memorized the basics.

“Let’s go,” Uchiha Iizumi said, then turned to Tachibana Jiro. “Bring the remains back to the Investigation Corps.”

“Yes, Master Iizumi!”

“Yes, Iizumi-sama!”

…

“Hey, Yamada—tomorrow’s the funeral for Hokage-sama’s eldest son. What’s wrong with you? You’re spacing out!”

“You’re supposed to make this ceremony flawless. Hokage-sama personally ordered it. We need to send these souls peacefully to the Pure Land of Peace.”

“If you’re not feeling up to it, just take leave. But if you mess up tomorrow, and something goes wrong at the funeral—what do you think ordinary people like us can do when the Hokage’s wrath falls?”

“Our funeral parlor’s reputation would be ruined!”

The man called “Yamada” jolted awake.

He shook his head, forcing a weak smile.

“Must’ve just slept poorly last night. I’m fine.”

But even he didn’t know why his chest felt so heavy.

Could it be…?

No. Impossible.

“I cleaned it up perfectly…” he whispered, barely audible. “It’s been years… how could they possibly find out?”

…

“Hokage-sama, tomorrow is Shintetsu’s funeral. As the leader of Leaf Village, you should at least show some strength.”

A masked female Anbu Ninja spoke softly behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen exhaled deeply.

He turned to face her, his expression clouded.

“You feel it too, don’t you? You and Shintetsu… you were married for many years. Your bond was strong.”

The Anbu’s voice cracked slightly.

“Sorrow won’t change what’s done. I can’t bring him back. All I can do is ensure he rests in peace… and in the future, protect Konoha Maru. And remember this hatred. That’s all.”

Hiruzen recognized the strain in her voice.

The daughter-in-law, who had lost her husband, had likely cried more than anyone knew.

After a long silence, Hiruzen said, “Fumiko… I know you hate Uchiha Iizumi.”

“I know.” Hiruzen Fumiko replied. “Hokage-sama, I’ll never let hatred blind me. I’ll protect the village’s peace. I’d like to take half a day off… to be with Konoha Maru.”

Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

“Go.”

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end