Chapter 25: This Is Absolute Justice's Execution Night

Chapter 25: This Is Absolute Justice's Execution Night

Uchiha Mikoto recognized Uchiha Ikeizumi, not only because of his "notoriety" within the Uchiha clan, but also because he had a conflict with Itachi three years ago.

As far as she knew, if Shisui Uchiha hadn't been with Itachi at that time, Itachi might have been in serious trouble.

After a brief moment of shock, Uchiha Mikoto immediately reacted, pulling Sasuke up by the hand.

Her eyes instantly filled with a hint of detachment and vigilance.

"Ikeizumi, Sasuke was just a bit reckless; he hasn't violated any Konoha law." Uchiha Mikoto worried that this extreme clan member might harm young Sasuke.

However.

Uchiha Mikoto found that Uchiha Ikeizumi merely glanced at her indifferently, not even speaking, before walking away.

It was as if her vigilance and tension were self-important.

Hmm…

She also didn't sense a trace of hostility from Uchiha Ikeizumi.

"Senior Ikeizumi, wait for me." Izumi quickened her pace to follow.

"Mom, who was that? He seemed so cold," seven-year-old Sasuke's small face was etched with displeasure.

"He…"

Uchiha Mikoto thought for a moment before replying, "He's someone who doesn't fit in, Sasuke. Remember not to get too close to him."

Sasuke asked curiously, "Why?"

Uchiha Mikoto recalled Itachi's experience back then and mused, "I'm not entirely sure, I just know that person is very dangerous. If you really want to know, when Itachi comes back, you can ask him. Itachi… is quite familiar with Uchiha Ikeizumi, I suppose."

"Oh?"

Sasuke's attention shifted: "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."

But the smile on her face seemed a little forced.

It was certainly good that Itachi could return safely after completing his village mission.

However…

There was still Uchiha Ikeizumi in the village!

If the two of them happened to run into each other again, she didn't know what might happen.

Uchiha Mikoto felt a little worried.

....

Nighttime.

Izumi dragged her exhausted body home, the tight string she had been holding all day finally loosening. She weakly lay on the sofa, feeling completely drained.

The day's experiences had been too "exciting"; she felt her brain was having trouble processing it all.

She was just a freshly graduated Konoha genin, after all!

"Speaking of which, how did Senior get on this path of upholding [Absolute Justice]…"

Finally, with some free time, Izumi couldn't help but let her imagination wander.

"You're curious?"

"Hm…" Izumi responded instinctively.

"Huh?" She suddenly realized that wasn't her mother's voice.

It was…

Senior Ikeizumi's voice!

"Eek!!!"

Izumi shot up in fright, hurriedly looking in the direction of the voice—only to see Senior Ikeizumi half-crouching on the sill of her open window. His calm eyes, looking her way, were always unfathomable; at least, Izumi could never guess what Senior was thinking.

No!

Shouldn't the main point be why Senior was here?!

Uchiha Ikeizumi said, "Kikujiro found a new case. I happened to be passing by your place, so I brought you along. Besides, this should count as a rare practical exercise for you."

A large, round orange cat face appropriately poked out from the corner of the window: "Meow! Newbie! Hurry up!"

As expected of Senior's ninja cat, it was just as decisive!

Izumi hastily stood up: "Understood, Senior!"

She then rushed to the kitchen and shouted, "Mom, you don't have to make dinner for me! I'll eat out tonight!"

Izumi packed her ninja tools and decisively jumped out the window.

Only then did Izumi suddenly realize, and she couldn't help but freeze: "Prac… practical exercise?"

Uchiha Ikeizumi merely said concisely without turning his head: "Keep up. We're leaving Konoha Village this time."

Huh? Leaving Konoha?!

A myriad of questions swirled in Izumi's mind, but this didn't seem to be the time to ask them.

She could only exert all her strength to follow closely behind.

....

"Meow! Newbie, my kids found a secret base outside the village!" Fortunately, the ninja cat Kikujiro was explaining to Izumi: "It looks a bit like a research facility, probably about ten kilometers from Konoha."

Izumi followed Uchiha Ikeizumi and Kikujiro closely, constantly leaping and maneuvering across rooftops.

Panting slightly, she asked curiously, "Senior Kikujiro, how did you determine there was a case at that base?"

"Pure experience!"

The ninja cat Kikujiro's voice had a somewhat strange and sharp tone: "Newbie, I've been following Lord Ikeizumi for a full five years, meow! I've inherited at least one percent of Lord Ikeizumi's experience and skill! Of course, it's mainly because my kids found ninja dressed as ANBU going in and out of the secret base."

"These mysterious bases involving Root or ANBU usually aren't good places, meow."

Kikujiro declared confidently: "Because Lord Ikeizumi once said that there's hardly a single good person among Konoha's ANBU and Root!"

"If you killed them all, there might be innocent ones. But if you killed every other one, there would definitely be many who escaped!"

Izumi swallowed hard.

She vaguely realized what Senior Ikeizumi meant by "practical exercise."

Senior wasn't planning on forcing his way into a secret ANBU base, was he?

"Newbie, a word of advice."

Uchiha Ikeizumi's voice, carried by the night wind, wasn't particularly clear, but Izumi tried her best to listen.

"Don't assume that just because ANBU is the Hokage's secret force, they are a positive presence in Konoha. If you view ANBU through that filter, you'll have a very difficult time ahead. Whether it's Root or ANBU, they have always been among the greatest gatherers of 'evil' in the ninja world."

Izumi's heart tightened, and she hurriedly responded, "I understand, Senior Ikeizumi!"

She also subtly felt that Senior Ikeizumi's words likely held another meaning.

—Don't have a filter for the Hokage.

Izumi suddenly thought of a crucial point, and she blurted out in astonishment, "Senior Ikeizumi, tonight's 'case'… is it really within the Police Force's jurisdiction?"

Uchiha Ikeizumi replied without turning his head, "It is within [Justice]'s jurisdiction."

Hiss!

Senior Ikeizumi truly didn't care about the village's rules, nor the regulations of the Police Force.

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

"Wrong," Uchiha Ikeizumi's voice echoed faintly: "This is [Absolute Justice]'s execution night. Since you chose me as your adjudicator, you must learn to get used to it, newbie. There will be many such nights, and they will be long."

Izumi: "!!!"

Senior Ikeizumi can read minds, can't he?!

She felt a bit spooked.

"Meow, you're just too easy to read, girl. You can't hide anything; everything you think is written on your face and in your tone, meow," Kikujiro quietly added, rubbing salt in the wound.

Izumi: "…"

Even a cat could tell what she was thinking?

Izumi was greatly disheartened.

Lost in a haze of muddled emotions, Izumi suddenly realized that she had unknowingly followed Senior Ikeizumi out of Konoha.

Konoha Village was already hundreds of meters behind them.