For some readers, the chief dismembering the kitten might be even more disturbing than Noboru murdering it. Of course, Mishima uses this scene to call attention to how most people’s actions and worldviews are constrained by their respect for the sanctity of life. But the boys don’t share this belief—instead, they worship death and destruction. In particular, the chief presents murder as a way to understand the true nature of reality: he says that the kitten’s organs represent the truth of its being, whereas its skin is just a misleading outer shell. This shows that he views people and animals as nothing more than biological machines, or collections of organs. In contrast, he views most of the features that people conventionally associate with identity (like the way people look, talk, and think) as mere distractions from the underlying reality. This is also why Noboru thinks the kitten is even more naked than his mother and Ryuji. Noboru’s remark about the kitten “finding wholeness and perfection” through death resembles Ryuji’s faith that he will achieve greatness through a glorious death. Finally, Noboru feels that killing the kitten makes him masculine and mature. Again, Mishima presents power—the ability to dominate others—as a key heroic virtue.