Izumi found it hard to connect Clan Head Fugaku's stern, expression‑less face with the word "timidity."
After all, to her, Uchiha Fugaku still exuded an oppressive aura; you could feel the pressure just by standing in front of him.
"Jujiro, why does Clan Head Fugaku want to see Chizumi-sensei?"
Shaking off her odd thoughts, Izumi's sudden curiosity dispersed much of the killing intent that still lingered from her recent mission.
"Rookie, call me senpai, meow! I've been following Chizumi-sama for many more years than you!" Jujiro replied, clearly annoyed.
Then he added, "I'm not sure of the details—something to do with a case, I think?"
Izumi's heart skipped a beat.
Could Fugaku's intelligence network already know that Chizumi-sensei and she had barged into the Hokage's eldest son's funeral—and that she had executed a scumbag there? Was he summoning them to demand an explanation?
Izumi felt uneasy.
Unlike Uchiha Chizumi, who no longer cared about Fugaku's clan status, Izumi still harbored some fear and respect for Fugaku.
Before long they reached the Uchiha compound, where the steady drizzle had finally stopped. Izumi shook the water from her hair, anxiety mounting, and followed Chizumi-sensei into Police Headquarters.
She watched Chizumi push the door to Fugaku's office open without knocking, so she braced herself and went in too.
"Fugaku-sama," she greeted politely, noticing that Chizumi-sensei remained silent.
"Mm."
Fugaku nodded to Izumi, then looked at Chizumi, his stern face tinged with complexity. "Chizumi, bad news. You may need to prepare yourself."
"Speak," Chizumi said bluntly.
After a moment's hesitation, Fugaku asked, "Do you know Uchiha Oniwa?"
Chizumi lifted his eyelids slightly.
Fugaku sighed, a shadow falling over his features. "There's been an incident. A month ago, on a mission outside the village with two teammates, he was the only one who came back. His excuse then was that the other two were killed by enemies.
"But our investigation shows he killed them himself. It wasn't self‑defense; it was deliberate, sadistic murder born of some twisted malice.
"Because you're related by blood, I called you here to hear your opinion."
If this were any ordinary clansman, Fugaku could have handled it alone—but matters change when they involve Chizumi.
"Related to Chizumi-sensei…" Izumi was stunned; she'd always thought Chizumi was entirely without kin in the clan.
"Meow—only because Chizumi-sama can't be bothered to keep in touch," Jujiro saw through her puzzlement, leaping onto her shoulder with enough weight to make it sag.
Softly he explained, "Uchiha Oniwa is Chizumi-sama's late mother's younger brother. He isn't in the police force; like Uchiha Itachi, he's an Anbu operative. After that suspicious mission a month ago, he was suspended and under investigation."
Izumi suddenly understood—this ninja‑cat senpai knew a lot of strange secrets!
"Is the evidence solid?" Chizumi asked calmly, showing no hint of anger.
"That's what his own confession says," Fugaku replied.
"Then kill him."
"Alrigh— …what?!"
Fugaku finally reacted, an unusual flicker crossing his stony face. "Chizumi, he's your mother's brother. By seniority he's your uncle; you're his nephew."
"And what does that have to do with killing him?" Chizumi asked.
Fugaku faltered. "At least see him yourself to be sure there's no error?"
"If something this minor could be misjudged," Chizumi said, "the police force might as well disband."
Fugaku fell silent. Was Chizumi really so cold‑blooded toward family?
On reflection, Fugaku had never seen Chizumi interact with any blood relatives—there was no precedent to judge his stance. Now he understood: even toward kin, Chizumi would wield the blade without hesitation.
Then Chizumi added, "If I let him live just because he's close to me, Absolute Justice would become a joke in the shinobi world."
That unwavering belief in Absolute Justice again.
Fugaku was quiet for a while, then said, "Chizumi, you should still—"
—BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the police building, cutting Fugaku off.
His face darkened; Izumi almost lost her footing. A police officer burst in, breathless:
"Fugaku-sama! Emergency! Uchiha Oniwa killed one of his guards, smashed through the detention wall, and escaped!"
Fugaku sprang up, expression grim. A Uchiha who sadistically murdered comrades and now killed a police guard to flee—such extremity was rare even in this unstable clan. Worse, this act tore up all ties with both the village and the clan.
It meant—
Uchiha Oniwa intends to defect from Konoha!
At a time of serious mistrust between the village and the Uchiha, a single defection would damn the entire clan.
"Order every police unit to move out! Capture Uchiha Oniwa!" Fugaku barked. "Stop him before he leaves Konoha—at any cost!"
"Chizumi, you— …huh?"
Only then did Fugaku notice that Chizumi, who had been in the office seconds before, had vanished.
"Meow, Chizumi-sama left five seconds ago," Jujiro said, licking a paw.
~~~
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