Chapter 44: The Bloodline Relation of Uchiha Iizumi

Izumi found it hard to reconcile the stern, impassive face of the Fugaku Clan Head with the word “cowardly.” After all, in her eyes, Uchiha Fugaku still carried an undeniable aura of intimidation. Simply standing before him was enough to make her feel pressure.

“Tachibana Jiro,” she asked, shaking off the strange thought, “why did the Fugaku Clan Head summon Iizumi Senior?”

“Newcomer, call me Senior! I’ve been following Iizumi-sama for years longer than you!” Tachibana Jiro pouted indignantly.

Then, after a pause, he added, “Honestly, I’m not sure. Something about a case, I think?”

Izumi’s stomach twisted.

Could it be that the Fugaku Clan Head had already learned about her and Iizumi Senior’s unauthorized entry into the funeral of the Hokage’s son? That she’d executed a scumbag there?

Was the Clan Head summoning them to punish them?

Her anxiety grew.

While Uchiha Iizumi had long since ceased to care about the authority of the Fugaku Clan Head, Izumi still felt a lingering fear and respect toward him.

Not long after, they returned to the Uchiha district. The drizzle had finally ceased.

Shaking water from her hair, Izumi’s unease only deepened. She followed Iizumi Senior into the Investigation Corps Building.

Then she saw Iizumi Senior walk straight in without even knocking—pushing open the door to the Fugaku family’s Investigation Corps office.

She swallowed hard and followed.

“Fugaku-sama,” she greeted politely. But beside her, Iizumi Senior remained silent.

“Hmph.” Fugaku nodded at Izumi, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Iizumi, his expression unreadable. “Iizumi… there’s bad news. You might want to brace yourself.”

“Speak.” Uchiha Iizumi replied without hesitation.

Fugaku hesitated. “Do you know… Uchiha Oniwa?”

Uchiha Iizumi lifted an eyelid.

Fugaku sighed, his face darkening. “He’s in trouble. A month ago, he returned alone after a mission with two companions. He claimed they were both killed by enemies.”

“But the Investigation Corps investigation revealed the truth—he killed them. Not in self-defense. Not out of necessity. But with a twisted, sadistic intent.”

“I notified you because he’s related to you. I wanted to hear your thoughts.”

If it had been an ordinary Uchiha, Fugaku would have dealt with it himself.

But when it involved Uchiha Iizumi… things became complicated.

“Related to Iizumi Senior…?” Izumi blinked, surprised. She’d always assumed Iizumi Senior was completely alone in the Uchiha clan—no family ties at all.

“Mew,” Tachibana Jiro chimed in, leaping onto her shoulder. The weight made her left shoulder dip slightly. “Izumi-sama just never bothered to keep in touch with them.”

He leaned close, whispering, “Uchiha Oniwa was the younger brother of Iizumi-sama’s late mother. He wasn’t part of the Uchiha Police Force—he was an Anbu ninja, like Uchiha Itachi.”

“But after a recent mission, his two comrades died under suspicious circumstances. He’s been suspended and under investigation.”

Izumi suddenly understood.

She realized with a jolt that Tachibana Jiro, her Ninja Cat senior, knew far too many strange secrets.

Even this.

“Solid evidence?” Uchiha Iizumi asked simply—no hesitation, no doubt.

Fugaku shook his head slightly. “His confession was… damning.”

“Then kill him.”

“…Huh?!” Fugaku’s impassive face finally cracked. He stared at Uchiha Iizumi, stunned. “Iizumi… he’s your mother’s brother. By bloodline, he’s your uncle. You’re his nephew.”

Uchiha Iizumi glanced at him. “And what does that have to do with killing him?”

Fugaku paused, then said carefully, “At least… go see him. Make sure there’s no mistake.”

Uchiha Iizumi replied, “If the Investigation Corps can’t even handle a case like this without error, then they should disband.”

Fugaku stared. He was at a loss. Was this really how Uchiha Iizumi treated family?

But then he remembered—there had never been any record of Uchiha Iizumi ever clashing with any of his blood relatives. No precedent to guide his understanding.

Now, Fugaku understood.

Even when facing blood kin, Uchiha Iizumi would raise his blade without hesitation.

But then, Uchiha Iizumi added, “If I let him live just because of our blood ties, Absolute Justice would become a joke in the ninja world.”

Again… because of Absolute Justice?

Fugaku fell silent, then slowly said, “Iizumi, you should—”

—BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the Investigation Corps Building, shaking the very walls. Fugaku’s words were cut short.

Fugaku’s expression darkened.

Izumi nearly lost her balance.

Another Investigation Corps officer burst in, breathless. “Fugaku-sama! Something’s happened! Uchiha Oniwa killed one of the guards watching him, broke through the cell wall, and escaped!”

Fugaku stood up sharply.

His face was grim.

Though many Uchiha clan members had unstable minds, Oniwa was something different—someone who had brutally murdered his own Anbu comrades and then killed a guard just to flee.

Such a case was rare even in the Uchiha clan—something that happened once in a decade, at best.

And Fugaku couldn’t believe the audacity.

That act meant war.

It meant Oniwa had defected.

In a time when the village and the Uchiha clan were already at odds, one Uchiha ninja fleeing the Leaf Village would be catastrophic.

The entire clan would be blamed.

“Order all Investigation Corps members to move immediately! Capture Uchiha Oniwa!” Fugaku gritted his teeth. “No matter the cost—stop him before he leaves the Leaf Village!”

“Iizumi, you—”

Fugaku suddenly realized—Uchiha Iizumi was gone.

“Mew,” Tachibana Jiro said calmly, licking his paw. “Izumi-sama left five seconds ago.”

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end