Chapter 8: Rusty Justice Is Betrayal of Justice (Please Keep Reading)

Uchiha Iizumi walked down the bustling street of Leaf Village, his back trailed by a girl clutching a takeout ramen box and a pair of chopsticks, slurping noisily at a soggy, clumped mess of noodles.

Most passersby, upon seeing Uchiha Iizumi, subtly shifted their expressions—uneasy, wary. Children mid-play were quickly yanked back by their parents, scolded for being too loud, too careless.

They’d heard of Uchiha Iizumi’s reputation. Or perhaps they’d lost someone—family, friends—caught in the crosshairs of his justice. Some had already fallen beneath his blade. Others languished in the grim cells of Leaf Village’s prison.

"Y-You… h-hello!" A villager suddenly darted forward, blocking Uchiha Iizumi’s path.

Holding out a small box with trembling hands, the man bowed deeply. "Thank you… for capturing the killers who murdered my fiancée three months ago! I’ve been broken ever since. I never got the chance to thank you properly… Please… accept this token of my gratitude!"

Uchiha Iizumi didn’t remember every name in the Uchiha clan. He didn’t keep track of who had died by his hand.

But he never forgot the victims of evil.

Before him stood Takikawa Haru, a twenty-five-year-old commoner genin. Three months prior, his fiancée had been raped and killed by drunkards. Uchiha Iizumi had found the three perpetrators.

"I didn’t capture them," Uchiha Iizumi said slowly. "I killed them all."

The man lowered his head. "Precisely because of that… I’m even more grateful."

"Please…" He pressed. "Please accept my thanks!"

Uchiha Iizumi shook his head. He stepped around the man, then paused beside him.

"I’m sorry," he said, voice calm, eyes unreadable. "This world, rotten with evil and decay, has let you down. If you’ve truly made your choice… the thanks don’t need to go to me. Give it to someone who needs it."

After a long silence, he added, his tone unchanged:

"If you’re still hesitating… cherish your life. I’ll show you this world can be better."

The slurping sound from Iizumi’s side—once so loud, so casual—had stopped.

Izumi, the girl trailing behind, finally understood.

Her eyes widened, staring at the man now trembling, tears streaming down his face.

"Thank you…" he whispered again and again.

Izumi watched him stagger away, her mouth open, words caught in her throat.

"Pool-—Izumi-senpai… d-do you think he…?" she finally asked.

"Not just him," Uchiha Iizumi replied. "There have been more. When you see enough of this… don’t grow numb. Once you do, your Justice will rust. And rusty Justice? That’s the ultimate betrayal of Justice itself."

Just then—thud.

A heavy weight slammed into her head.

Like a sack of bricks.

She gasped, neck bending sharply, nearly toppling over.

And then, a voice—odd, almost mechanical—spoke from right atop her skull.

"Pool-—Izumi-sama, urgent situation. My children found a buried corpse at the village outskirts. The soil marks suggest it was buried last night."

Izumi blinked.

The voice continued: "The scene’s been tampered with—most traces erased. The killer staged it carefully. Professional work. Likely a ninja."

Then—thump.

A flash of orange dropped from her head, landing with effortless grace on the ground.

"A cat?" she gasped. "Wait… Ninja Cat?!"

Before her stood a massive, plump orange feline—so thick it looked like a giant, fluffy chicken leg. Its fur was the color of ripe tangerines.

That’s why it felt so heavy.

Could this be Pool-—Izumi-senpai’s summon?

"Lead the way," Uchiha Iizumi said, turning to the cat.

Then, to Izumi: "Newcomer. Keep up."

Whoosh—whoosh—

In a blur, both ninja and cat vanished, leaving only two silhouettes fading into the distance.

Izumi didn’t hesitate. She tossed her ramen into the nearest trash bin and sprinted after them.

…

She ran until her lungs burned, barely able to keep pace. All she could see was Pool-—Izumi-senpai’s back, but she held on—just barely.

She assumed either the cat was too fat to run fast, or Pool-—Izumi-senpai was holding back, not wanting her to fall behind.

After all, Pool-—Izumi-senpai was a Leaf Village ANBU-level shinobi. If he’d gone full speed, she’d never have kept up.

Soon, they reached the edge of the village, diving into a dense forest.

There, they halted.

Uchiha Iizumi stood still, eyes scanning the clearing. The orange Ninja Cat sat beside him, licking its paws with casual elegance.

"Phew…" Izumi exhaled, wiping sweat from her brow. "I’m… tired."

"Pool-—Izumi-sama," the cat said, voice oddly human, "this is your new apprentice?"

It paused, then added, "The last two lasted less than a day. Wonder how long this one’ll hold out."

Izumi piped up weakly, "It’s only my second day as Pool-—Izumi-senpai’s trainee."

"Meow? Huh?" The cat tilted its head, then raised one paw—clearly trying to give a thumbs-up. "You lasted two days? Not bad, kid!"

"Uchiha Izumi!" she snapped to attention.

"Here!" she shouted.

Uchiha Iizumi turned. "Go dig up the body."

"Yes, sir!" She dashed forward—then froze.

Before him was a large hole, its edges marked with tiny claw scratches, unmistakably from cat paws.

At the bottom: a woman’s body, coated in mud, her forehead caved in, face smeared with blood, frozen in a final expression of terror—still shocked, still confused, as if she couldn’t believe it was happening.

Izumi leapt down, pulled the body out.

She’d done this before. This time, it felt almost routine.

"Female, unknown name. Age forty to forty-five. Died from a single, fatal blow by blunt force. No additional wounds—cleaned up deliberately. Professional. Likely a ninja."

Uchiha Iizumi nodded.

"Tachibana Jiro."

"Meow!" The cat responded.

"Take her to the Investigation Corps. Have them bring her back."

Then, turning to Izumi: "Newcomer. Let’s go. Walk through the village."

"Yes, Pool-—Izumi-sama."

"Yes, sir… uh… wait?" Izumi hesitated, swallowed hard, then asked, voice barely above a whisper, "P-Preceptor… we’re not… investigating?"

Uchiha Iizumi glanced at her, expression flat.

"In the village, walking… that is the investigation. Check your tools. Stay ready. Justice is always waiting."

Izumi stared. What?

…

…

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end