Chapter 9: Guilt Level: Red Mark!

More than an hour passed, and Izumi still hadn’t shown any signs of the sharp investigative instincts she’d expected from a seasoned detective.

No meticulous search for clues.

No focused examination of evidence.

Just aimless wandering through Leaf Village—like a tourist taking in the sights.

Izumi had already circled the entire village, even strolled past the Uchiha district and lingered near the Hokage Tower.

Throughout it all, she remained utterly bewildered—motionless, expressionless, clueless about what her senior was doing, or what she herself was supposed to do.

Just as she was about to speak—

Izumi suddenly stopped.

Finally! No more wandering without purpose!

Izumi nearly choked back tears of relief.

"Senior… this is…" She started, but then paused. Something felt off.

Curious, she peered ahead.

Wait—wasn’t this the Tsukikage Clan’s residence?

Leaf Village was home to many ninja clans of varying sizes. The Uchiha were among the most powerful, elite families in the village.

But the Tsukikage Clan? A small, lesser-known clan.

Only about a dozen shinobi, descendants of a rare bloodline—Tou Dun, the ability to pass through solid matter.

"This is the last openly visible location we haven’t checked," Uchiha Izumi said coolly. "If the killer isn’t here… then it can only be one of two places."

"Which two?" Izumi’s eyes widened. How could idle strolling lead to such a conclusion? And what were these two places she couldn’t even imagine?

"Anbu. Root."

Uchiha Izumi’s words were crisp, simple—yet they left Izumi stunned, breathless.

"Wha—Uchiha Izumi! You monster! How dare you show your face here?!"

A thunderous roar split the air from the side.

Izumi turned.

Two Tsukikage clan shinobi—leaf headbands strapped across their foreheads, mid-rank uniforms—rushed toward them, their faces twisted with fury.

They halted directly in front of Izumi, glaring at her with burning hatred.

Izumi felt the tension spike.

"Senior… they seem to know you…" she murmured, uncertain.

But before she could finish, one of the Tsukikage shinobi bellowed:

"Uchiha Izumi! Stay away! We don’t want you here!"

Izumi’s right hand never left the hilt of her blade.

Her calm eyes swept over the two men.

"Justice Investigation Corps," she said, voice flat, emotionless. "This is a lawful investigation. Civilians, step aside. Resistance is obstruction. Obstruction leads to execution."

The words were calm—but the sudden wave of cold, lethal intent that radiated from her made Izumi’s skin crawl.

She saw it: Izumi’s thumb pressed firmly against the tsuba.

A centimeter of silver blade had already emerged from the sheath.

The two Tsukikage shinobi felt the pressure like a physical weight. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. Their fists clenched so tightly their knuckles turned white.

Yet—

They didn’t retreat.

If anything, their hatred burned brighter.

"Two years ago…" one of them gritted through clenched teeth, forcing himself to stand firm, "you said the same thing! You came in, claiming you were investigating—then slaughtered our clan head, Tsukikage Yuuichirou! And our two uncles!"

Izumi’s wide, luminous eyes widened slightly.

So this was the past…

Her senior—Uchiha Izumi—had a blood feud with the Tsukikage Clan.

This was no ordinary grudge… this was a death oath.

"Uchiha Izumi…"

"No memory," Izumi said, slowly drawing her blade. She walked forward with deliberate calm, her voice devoid of warmth. "I never bother remembering who I’ve killed. Those who stand in the way of Justice… they don’t deserve to be remembered."

Her gaze pierced through the gap between the two men, landing on a single figure inside the Tsukikage compound.

[Tsukikage Seizui — Last night, argued with mother over her favoritism toward elder brother Tsukikage Shinku. In a fit of rage, used a blunt object to kill her. Disposed of the body secretly at dawn. Guilt Level: Red Mark!]

The crimson box burned in Izumi’s vision.

This was one of the reasons she had drawn her blade.

"Three seconds," Izumi said, voice unwavering. "Step aside, or die. Three… two…"

"Damn you! You arrogant bastard! Do you think we—?"

She had already passed them.

With a flick of her wrist, she wiped blood from her blade.

"One."

Her eyes—cold, emotionless, like the gaze of a death god—locked onto the trembling figure before her: Tsukikage Seizui, frozen in terror.

And behind her, two thuds echoed.

Two bodies collapsed.

"Newcomer," Izumi said, stepping into the Tsukikage residence, her voice as cold as stone. "This is your second lesson: anyone who obstructs Justice is a dog of evil. A foe of Justice. After warning, they are to be executed without mercy."

Izumi stood motionless, blood dripping slowly from her blade.

Izumi stared at the ground.

Two severed heads lay beside their bodies. Blood sprayed across the earth—some of it splattered onto her shoes.

Her pupils trembled.

She raised her head—only to see her senior walking forward, blade still glistening, heading toward a young Tsukikage shinobi.

She didn’t know why.

But her feet moved on their own.

She stepped forward, across the wet ground, through a pool of blood, leaving behind a long trail of crimson footprints.

She followed Izumi into the compound.

A voice echoed in her mind—warning, relentless:

Once you step inside… there’s no going back. You can’t accept this kind of Justice.

But still… she followed.

And slowly, she reached into her pouch.

Her fingers closed around a kunai.

She gripped it tight.

…

"Phew… finally got half a day off from the Hokage’s orders. It’s been two weeks since I last saw Mother. Time to visit Father’s grave with her and Seizui."

Tsukikage Shinku—elite Anbu under the Third Hokage—carried a basket of offerings, walking toward his clan’s residence.

But when he arrived…

He froze.

The basket slipped from his hands, clattering to the ground.

Before him—

A crowd of villagers had gathered outside the Tsukikage compound, craning their necks, trying to glimpse inside. But they dared not come closer. They watched from afar, whispering in fear.

At the gate—two headless corpses.

Two severed heads lay nearby, their faces still locked in expressions of shock.

Whispers drifted through the air:

"...Uchiha..."

"...Investigation Corps..."

"...Uchiha Izumi..."

Then—

A name that made his blood run cold.

Uchiha Izumi.

His father’s killer.

The man who had destroyed his family.

…

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end