Execution Night Belongs to Absolute Justice

Uchiha Mikoto knew Uchiha Chisen, not only because of his "fame" within the Uchiha Clan, but also because he had once clashed with Itachi three years ago.

As far as she knew, if Uchiha Shisui had not been by Itachi's side that time, Itachi might have been hurt.

After a brief moment of shock, Uchiha Mikoto immediately came to her senses and reached out to pull Sasuke up.

Her eyes instantly took on a hint of distance and vigilance.

"Chisen, Sasuke was only a little reckless. He hasn't violated any of Konoha's laws." Uchiha Mikoto worried that this extreme clansman before her might target the young Sasuke.

However.

Uchiha Mikoto discovered that Uchiha Chisen merely gave her an indifferent glance. Without even saying a word, he left.

It was as though her vigilance and tension were nothing but self-indulgence.

Hmm...

She did not seem to sense even a trace of hostility from Uchiha Chisen.

"Senior Chisen, wait for me." Izumi quickened her pace to catch up.

"Mom, who was that? He looked so cold." Seven-year-old Sasuke's little face was full of displeasure.

"He..."

After considering her words, Uchiha Mikoto answered, "He's someone who doesn't fit in. Sasuke, remember not to get too close to him."

Sasuke asked in confusion, "Why?"

Remembering Itachi's experience back then, Uchiha Mikoto hesitated before saying, "I'm not sure about the details either. I only know that person is very dangerous. If you really want to know, you can ask Itachi when he comes back. Itachi... should be fairly familiar with Uchiha Chisen."

"Huh?"

But Sasuke focused on something else. "Big Brother's coming back?"

Uchiha Mikoto smiled and nodded. "Yes. His Ninja Cat returned to the village yesterday and told me he'd be back the day after tomorrow."

Yet the smile on her face seemed somewhat forced.

It was certainly a good thing that Itachi could safely return after completing the village's mission.

But...

Uchiha Chisen was still in the village!

If those two happened to run into each other again, who knew what might happen?

Uchiha Mikoto was worried.

Night.

Izumi dragged her utterly exhausted body home. The tightly wound string within her finally loosened, and she flopped limply onto the sofa, feeling as if every bit of strength had been drained from her body.

The day's events had been far too "exciting." She felt as though her brain could barely process it all.

She was clearly just a Konoha Genin who had only recently graduated!

"Come to think of it, how did Senior end up on the path of upholding [Absolute Justice]...?"

Having finally found some time to rest, Izumi could not help letting her thoughts wander.

"You're curious?"

"Mm..." Izumi instinctively responded.

"Mm?" She suddenly realized that was not her mother's voice.

It was...

Senior Chisen's voice!

"Eek!!!"

Izumi jolted upright in fright and hurriedly looked toward the source of the voice—only to see that Senior Chisen had somehow crouched on the sill of an open window in her home. Those calm eyes looking at her were always impossible to read. At least, Izumi could never guess what Senior was thinking.

No!

Shouldn't the important question be why Senior was here?

Uchiha Chisen said, "Kijiro found a new case. I happened to be passing by, so I brought you along. Besides, this should count as a rare opportunity for actual combat."

A big round orange cat face poked out appropriately from the corner of the window. "Meow! Rookie! Hurry up!"

As expected of Senior's Ninja Cat—it was just as decisive and efficient!

Izumi hurriedly stood up. "Yes, Senior!"

Then she quickly called toward the kitchen, "Mom, you don't need to make dinner for me! I'll eat outside tonight!"

After gathering her ninja tools, Izumi decisively jumped out the window.

Only then did Izumi suddenly realize something, and she froze. "A-actual combat?"

Uchiha Chisen merely said concisely, "Keep up. We're leaving Konoha this time."

Huh? Leaving Konoha?!

Question after question swirled through Izumi's mind, but this did not seem like the time to ask them.

She could only do her utmost to follow behind him.

"Meow! Rookie, my children found a Secret Base outside the village!" Fortunately, Ninja Cat Kijiro explained things to Izumi. "It looks somewhat like an Experimental Base, around ten or so kilometers from Konoha."

Izumi followed Uchiha Chisen closely as Kijiro continually leaped and darted across one rooftop after another.

Panting lightly, she asked curiously, "Senior Kijiro, how can you be sure a case occurred inside that base?"

"Pure experience!"

Ninja Cat Kijiro's voice was oddly shrill. "Rookie, I've followed Lord Chisen for a full five years, meow! I've inherited at least one percent of Lord Chisen's experience and abilities! Of course, the main reason is that my children discovered ninjas dressed as Anbu going in and out of that Secret Base."

"Secret bases involving things like Root and Anbu usually aren't good places, meow."

Kijiro declared with utter certainty, "Because Lord Chisen once said that there's almost not a single good person in Konoha's Anbu or Root!"

"If you killed them all, there might be innocents among them. But if you killed every other one, plenty would definitely slip through the net!"

Izumi silently swallowed.

She vaguely understood what Senior Chisen meant by "actual combat."

Senior was not planning to storm an Anbu Secret Base, was he?

"Rookie, here's a reminder."

Carried along by the gusting night wind, Uchiha Chisen's voice was not especially clear, but Izumi still listened intently.

"Don't assume the Anbu are a positive force in Konoha just because they are the Hokage's secret unit. If you view the Anbu through that filter, you'll have a very hard time next. Whether Root or Anbu, they have always been among the places where the greatest amount of 'evil' in the Shinobi World gathers."

Izumi's heart tightened, and she hurriedly replied, "I understand, Senior Chisen!"

She also vaguely felt there was another meaning behind Senior Chisen's words.

—Don't view the Hokage through a filter either.

Izumi suddenly thought of a crucial point and blurted out in shock, "Senior Chisen, is tonight's 'case'... really within the Konoha Military Police Force's jurisdiction?"

Without turning his head, Uchiha Chisen replied, "It falls within [Justice]'s jurisdiction."

Gasp!

As expected, Senior Chisen did not care about the village's rules, much less the Konoha Military Police Force's regulations.

Was tonight an execution night for Senior's own [Justice]?

"Wrong." Uchiha Chisen's voice drifted faintly over. "This is an execution night for [Absolute Justice]. Since you chose me as your examiner, you need to learn to get used to it, Rookie. There will be many such nights, and they will be long."

Izumi: "!!!"

Senior Chisen really could read minds, couldn't he?!

She felt a little horrified.

"Meow, you're just too easy to read, girl. You can't hide your thoughts at all. Everything you're thinking is written all over your expression and in your tone, meow." Kijiro quietly dealt the finishing blow.

Izumi: "..."

Could even a cat tell what she was thinking?

Izumi was deeply shaken.

With her mind in a muddled daze, Izumi suddenly realized that, without noticing, she had followed Senior Chisen out of Konoha.

Konoha was already several hundred meters behind them.