Chapter 81: Are You Questioning Absolute Justice, Kakashi?

Kakashi froze the moment he saw a blazing flame stretching behind Uchiha Iizumi—a straight line of fire that had scorched the earth for dozens of meters. At the man’s feet lay a broken tanto, its blade severed in half.

It was undeniable: Uchiha Iizumi had just fought someone.

Wait—this location…

Kakashi’s breath hitched. Wasn’t this the site of Konoha Rin’s grave?

His gaze snapped to the stone beside Iizumi. The tomb was intact—unmarked, undisturbed. Relief washed over him… but then he paused.

A fresh bouquet of white flowers rested at the base of the grave.

Kakashi’s eyes lingered for half a second. A flicker of confusion passed through them. He turned back to Iizumi, his expression sharpening—like he’d just uncovered something impossible.

But that couldn’t be right.

Konoha Rin and Iizumi weren’t even in the same academy year. She was three years older. Kakashi had never seen any connection between them.

Before he could speak, Iizumi’s voice cut through the silence, calm and distant:

“The flowers were placed by Uchiha Obito.”

Kakashi’s mind reeled—then stopped.

His eyes darted toward another tomb, not far away.

Obito’s grave.

“Obito…?” Kakashi whispered, his voice cracking.

“Still don’t recognize him, huh?” came a sharp, mocking tone—Tachibana Jiro, Iizumi’s Ninja Cat, now perched atop a nearby headstone. “You two were both Fourth Hokage’s disciples, weren’t you?”

Kakashi knew that voice. He’d been on the receiving end of Tachibana Jiro’s claws before—his own ninja hounds had been thoroughly beaten by this feline menace.

But now, the moment Obito’s name was mentioned, Kakashi set aside his original purpose for meeting Iizumi. He stepped forward, voice tense:

“You’re mistaken. Obito died in the Third Ninja War. He was killed by enemy shinobi.”

Tachibana Jiro’s ears twitched. “Then tell me—was his body buried here?”

Kakashi hesitated. Then slowly shook his head.

The Tomb with Robes had long since been emptied. Obito’s remains—his ashes, his bones—had vanished without a trace.

“Hatake Kakashi.” The cat leapt onto Kakashi’s shoulder with a sudden, heavy thud. Kakashi nearly staggered.

—Damn, that cat’s fat.

He didn’t say it out loud.

Tachibana Jiro pressed one of its four Root-cat paws against Kakashi’s face mask, eyes narrowed into slits.

“Are you questioning Iizumi-sama?” it hissed. “Do you think he’d lie to someone like you? Are you really questioning Absolute Justice?”

Kakashi froze.

Then, slowly, it clicked.

The rumors. The whispers.

Uchiha Iizumi’s eyes—capable of seeing what others couldn’t. Not just past sins… but future ones.

And tonight, in front of countless witnesses, he had revealed the full horror of his Mangekyō Sharingan—its power, its precision, its terrifying clarity.

Now, the belief that his eyes could see evil wasn’t just plausible. It was undeniable.

Kakashi was stunned.

He hadn’t come here with a plan. No schemes. No hidden agenda.

He’d simply wanted to stand before this man… and thank him.

Even if it was too late.

But Iizumi had given him something far greater—truth.

The truth about his father’s death.

For years, Kakashi had lived in a fog—numb, closed off. He’d buried the name Hatake Shūmatsu so deep, he barely dared speak it aloud.

Yet in the back of his mind, doubt had festered. Conspiracy theories. Shadows.

But now—when Iizumi exposed Danzō’s crimes, and Danzō himself crumbled under the weight of the truth—Kakashi finally believed.

So why, when Iizumi said Obito was alive… did his instinct scream lie?

Was it really that hard to believe?

…Could it be?

Obito was still alive?

“Uchiha Obito is not dead,” Tachibana Jiro declared, its voice dripping with scorn. “And not only that—he’s become a monster. Iizumi-sama said his evil is so deep, it’s blackening.”

The cat’s tone was eerie, almost dreamlike. Kakashi could even smell the fish on its breath—Zetsu must’ve fed it again today.

“Oh, by the way,” Tachibana Jiro added, almost casually, “Iizumi-sama said Obito once raised a blade against the Fourth Hokage. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Fourth’s death… was connected to him.”

Kakashi’s blood ran cold.

“!!”

Like lightning striking his soul.

Outside the Leaf Village, Obito had already vanished into the night—but the unease he left behind refused to fade.

Kakashi stared at the missing third of his hand, the searing pain flaring with every breath.

“Don’t engage him yet,” Zetsu’s voice echoed from behind. “He’s strong. That Mangekyō… it’s unlike anything I’ve ever sensed. Without full intel on him, fighting is suicide.”

A White Zetsu Clone peeled away from Zetsu’s body.

Obito drew a kunai, slashed—cut off half the clone’s hand. Then, gritting his teeth, he tore open the charred, blackened flesh of his own wound. Blood poured out.

He pressed the clone’s severed hand to his own.

Under the healing power of the First Hokage’s Wood Release Cells, the wound sealed in seconds. No sutures. No fixation. The flesh and bone fused seamlessly.

Zetsu’s warning? Ignored.

One question burned in Obito’s mind.

How did Iizumi know all this?

Did he hear it from someone? Or did he see it… with his eyes?

His gaze flickered toward Zetsu.

“Hey, hey,” Zetsu snapped, instantly sensing his thoughts. “I’m not some traitor! I’m a unique being born from Madara’s will. And you’re a descendant of the Uchiha—his heir. Why would I betray you?”

“Hmph… I hope not,” Obito growled, his voice dark.

---

“Iizumi-sama,” Kakashi finally spoke, voice raw with tension.

He knew Iizumi was technically his junior. But calling him by name felt too bold—too unfamiliar.

He’d believed Tachibana Jiro’s words with 90% certainty.

And that was no small thing.

In the Leaf Village, among the Zetsu, Iizumi’s reputation for Absolute Justice made him the most trusted figure in terms of credibility.

Kakashi took a deep breath. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

The cat was silent now—but its words echoed in his mind like a drumbeat.

“Can you… tell me… about Obito’s crimes?” Kakashi asked, voice trembling with urgency.

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end