Chapter 27: Believer of Absolute Justice

Inuzuka Maki's mind drifted back to years ago—to the boy who turned Orochimaru-sama's research base into a sea of lava and fire.

Back then… many of Maki's comrades died at that boy's hands.

If the Hokage had not arrived in time to stop the young Uchiha, who wielded both Lava Release and the Sharingan, Inuzuka Maki would likely have perished that night as well.

Maki had thought he would never again meet that terrifying, almost demonic Lava‑Release ninja.

Yet—

Tonight, that very person now stood before him!

They had crossed paths once more!

Inuzuka Maki could swear he could never mistake that face—no matter that the boy had grown a few years older, his features more mature and far less youthful, the underlying contours had not changed.

Jolting back to his senses, Maki didn't even have time to wonder how the intruder had slipped in unnoticed. He lunged for the alarm switch on the wall.

"Huh?"

His vision blurred; an arm flew high, blocking his view—and the alarm.

It looked like…

His own arm!

As blood sprayed across his horrified face, a neat red line split his throat. Blood poured down his neck like an un‑plugged hose.

His head, its expression frozen, tumbled from his shoulders.

At some point, Uchiha Chizumi had already stepped over the headless corpse.

In a level voice he told Uchiha Izumi, whose pupils trembled behind him, "Rookie, this is the iron‑blooded method required to carry out absolute justice. You must harbor a killing intent even more resolute than 'evil' itself if you want to eradicate the evils of the shinobi world one by one.

"And you… must show no mercy."

With those words, Chizumi casually flicked a sharp kunai leftward.

The kunai hissed through the air and in an instant pierced the throat of a ninja who had come to investigate the noise.

"Ugh!!!"

Clutching his wound, the ninja's desperate choking filled him with paralyzing terror. He could not fathom why "enemies" had appeared tonight—nor why the Anbu guards outside had raised no alarm.

Chizumi paused and spoke again to Izumi: "Rookie, finish him. Let me see whether your resolve for justice is as firm as you claim. Remember, that man took part in inhumane human experiments and has the blood of war orphans on his hands."

Izumi's small, sweat‑soaked hand clenched her kunai.

She walked to the fallen, struggling ninja, biting her silver teeth. "Senpai… I was terrified of you at first—there are many ugly rumors about you in the police corps. When I first met you, I misunderstood you deeply."

Kneeling beside the ninja, her clear, bright eyes met his terrified, pleading gaze.

"But these past few days showed me you are nothing like the rumors. You are not the 'murder demon' they say—you do everything for justice."

Raising the kunai with both hands, her arms trembled slightly.

"The 'absolute justice' you believe in has let me see the true light of goodness in this world. Your justice is the justice I, Uchiha Izumi, wish to follow."

Her arms steadied; her pupils cleared.

Senpai had said this man's hands were stained with the lives of war orphans—had said he took part in cruel human experiments.

Therefore—

Before Absolute Justice…

He…

Must be purged!

Izumi drove the kunai hard into the ninja's forehead, the force piercing the thin metal of the Leaf forehead protector and thunking deep into his skull.

[Ding! The student you nurtured under "Absolute Justice" has slain a "red named" villain!

Your chakra increases slightly!]

[Congratulations—new skill unlocked: Dog Handling. Uchiha Izumi's chakra also rises slightly!]

Chizumi glanced in surprise at the panting girl's back.

It was the first unusual reaction his "cheat" had shown in years.

Had Izumi's resolve earned its recognition?

Or—

Watching her stagger to her feet and stare blankly at the blood on her hands, Chizumi had his answer.

"Uchiha Izumi."

"Here!!" she blurted reflexively, then blanched, realizing her shout might ruin Chizumi‑senpai's infiltration.

Yet—

Instead of the furious rebuke she expected, she heard his calm voice:

"Rookie, your stupidity alerted the enemy. Minus one‑thousand‑and‑one points."

Izumi went paper‑white.

Full marks were one thousand; she had once been given ten. A deduction of 1,001… that was negative!

Would negative points mean… senpai would kill her?

"Your score is now zero," Chizumi said as Anbu rushed in, drawn by the noise.

Izumi froze.

She watched, wide‑eyed, as Chizumi‑senpai—alone with one blade—charged straight at the three incoming Anbu, his earlier words of "zero points" still echoing in her mind.

"So… for a moment just now…"

"Was I full marks?!"

She felt the psychological shadow of her first kill vanish instantly.

…

"You—you're Uchiha Chizumi?!" One Anbu recognized the notorious Chizumi at a glance. Sensing danger, he drew his sword. "Why are you here? Stop immediately!"

Beside him, another Anbu's pupils shrank. "Careful! His blade's bloody! Don't look into his eyes!"

Too late.

Two of the three Anbu froze—the Sharingan's genjutsu had caught them.

The remaining Anbu paled. Elite though he was, he formed hand seals instantly, shouting, "Genjutsu: Release!"

He also hurled two shuriken at his comrades—not out of madness, but to inflict pain and forcibly snap them from the illusion.

It worked; the two blinked free.

But by then, Chizumi's scarlet eyes were already at arm's length, kunai flashing toward one Anbu's throat.

Clang—

A crisp clang rang out—the strike was blocked.

"Hah… hah…" The Anbu trembled, sweat pouring down his face. "Sharingan genjutsu… truly terrifying. But we're a tight‑knit trio—at least one of us can break it."

"Really?"

Chizumi's voice came from behind them. "What made you think the illusion was broken?"

What—?!

~~~

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