Uchiha Ikeizumi walked down Konoha's main street, followed by a girl clutching a ramen box and chopsticks, slurping the now congealed noodles as she walked.
Most passersby visibly stiffened upon seeing Ikeizumi.
Some children playing were quickly pulled away and scolded by their parents.
Clearly, these people had heard of Ikeizumi's "fearsome reputation."
Perhaps their relatives or friends had suffered under Ikeizumi's special treatment—either dead by his hand or imprisoned in Konoha Jail.
"Y-You... hello!"
Ikeizumi paused as a Konoha villager suddenly ran up and blocked his path.
The man held a box and nervously offered it with both hands, bowing his head.
"Thank you for capturing the murderers of my fiancée three months ago! I have been despondent and have not had the chance to thank you. Please... accept this token of gratitude!"
Ikeizumi did not remember every Uchiha's name, nor did he deliberately recall who had died by his blade.
But he vividly remembered the victims harmed by "evil."
The man before him was a twenty-five-year-old Konoha civilian Genin named Takigawa Osamu.
Three months prior, his fiancée had been assaulted and killed by a drunkard.
Ikeizumi had found the three culprits.
"I did not capture them," Ikeizumi said calmly. "I killed them all."
The man bowed his head, "That is why I am even more grateful."
"Please..."
"Please accept my thanks!"
Ikeizumi shook his head and bypassed the sorrowful man.
As he passed, he said, "I am sorry this world, riddled with evil, has disappointed you. If you have truly decided, there is no need to give me thanks; give it to those who truly need it."
After a moment's thought, Ikeizumi added flatly, "If you hesitate, cherish your life. I will prove to you that this world can become better."
Izumi's slurping had long since ceased.
From Ikeizumi's words, she vaguely sensed something and looked shocked at the tearful man.
He murmured, "Thank you... thank you."
Izumi watched his staggering retreat.
For a moment, she hesitated to speak.
"Senior Ikeizumi, could it be that he...?"
"Not the first case," Ikeizumi replied. "Once you see enough, don't become numb. If you do, your [Justice] will rust. Rusted justice is a betrayal of justice."
Izumi was about to speak when suddenly something heavy struck her head.
At least ten kilograms!
She gasped, her neck bending from the impact.
At that moment, a strangely intoned voice sounded from above her head.
"Lord Ikeizumi, there is a situation. My children have found a buried corpse on the village outskirts. Judging by the soil disturbance, it was likely buried last night."
Izumi was startled.
The peculiar voice continued, "Many traces at the scene have been deliberately erased. The burial site was also tampered with, indicating professionalism. It is highly probable a ninja committed the crime."
Izumi watched as an orange figure leapt down from above her head, landing gracefully.
"Cat?" she suddenly realized. "A ninja cat!!!"
It was a plump orange ninja cat, astonishingly large, resembling a giant orange drumstick.
Izumi understood why it was so heavy.
Could this ninja cat be Ikeizumi's summoning beast?
"Lead the way," Ikeizumi said to the cat, then to Izumi, "New recruit, follow."
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The ninja cat and Ikeizumi vanished in a blur, leaving only two silhouettes.
Startled, Izumi hastily discarded her ramen into a nearby trash bin and hurried after them.
...
Izumi exerted herself to keep up. Though she only saw Ikeizumi's back, she managed to follow at a distance.
She guessed either the cat was too fat to run fast or Ikeizumi was deliberately controlling his speed to avoid losing her.
After all, Ikeizumi was a Konoha Jonin. How could she keep up if he sprinted at full speed?
Soon, Izumi arrived at a remote Konoha outskirts and entered a dense forest, where Ikeizumi and the orange ninja cat had already stopped ahead.
"Whew..."
She wiped sweat from her brow, feeling somewhat tired.
"Lord Ikeizumi, is this your new companion?" Izumi saw the cat licking its paws, speaking in human language. "Your previous two companions didn't last a day. I wonder how long this new one will last."
Izumi timidly interjected, "Today is only my second day as Senior Ikeizumi's apprentice."
"Meow? Huh?"
The ninja cat looked at Izumi in surprise and raised a paw, as if giving a thumbs-up. "You've lasted to day two? You have potential, girl!"
"Uchiha Izumi."
"Here!!!"
Ignoring the cat, Izumi quickly stood at attention and shouted.
Ikeizumi said, "Go down and bring the corpse out."
"Yes, Senior."
Izumi hurried over and found a large pit with many small claw marks on its edge, as if dug by a cat.
At the bottom lay a muddy female corpse.
The forehead was sunken, the face stained with blood, frozen in a terrified expression, as if disbelief filled her final moments.
Izumi jumped down and retrieved the body.
Having gained experience yesterday, this task was much easier.
"The female victim is unidentified, approximately forty to forty-five years old, died from a blunt force trauma blow. No additional marks indicate the perpetrator cleaned the body. The professionalism suggests a ninja."
Ikeizumi said slowly, "Kitsujiro."
"Meow!" the ninja cat responded.
"Take the corpse to the Military Police Force and have someone retrieve it," Ikeizumi ordered. "New recruit, let's go for a walk around the village."
"Yes, Lord Ikeizumi."
"Yes, Senior... uh?"
Izumi hesitated but swallowed her fear and weakly asked, "Senior, shouldn't we investigate?"
Ikeizumi replied, "Walking around Konoha is investigating. Check your ninja tools and be ready to execute justice at any moment."
Izumi: "???"