[Note: Read up to Chapter - 68 on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Yo, Fugaku-san—looks like you're healing up well."
Enemies really do tend to run into each other. Kanzou encountered Fugaku the moment he returned to the Uchiha compound.
At Kanzou's mocking words, Fugaku's wound throbbed dully.
Of course, he wasn't truly healed. Even with treatment from the medical team, it was impossible to recover so quickly
Kanzou's blade had nearly split him open.
"Kanzou, do you even realise what you've done?" Fugaku growled, clenching his jaw through the pain.
"Your actions have offended nearly every clan in Konoha! Do you understand the chaos you've brought upon the Uchiha?"
Kanzou's eyes narrowed. 'So this wasn't a coincidence,' he thought. Fugaku hadn't just bumped into him—he'd been waiting.
And it wasn't just Fugaku. Several other Uchiha clansmen stood nearby, watching closely.
"Offended them?" Kanzou scoffed. "Since when has the Uchiha clan ever been afraid of offending others?" Kanzou sneered.
"Our Uchiha clan should be standing above all others, shouldn't it? Even if I offend every clan in Konoha, who would dare point fingers at us?"
"Well said!"
"Kanzou-sama is right! Since when has the Uchiha clan feared offending others?"
That was the Uchiha nature—prideful, arrogant, and unyielding. What outsiders saw as sheer arrogance, the Uchiha saw as righteous confidence.
To others, Kanzou's words might have sounded reckless, but to the Uchiha, they made perfect sense. If they weren't afraid of the Hokage, why should they fear offending other clans?
It was exactly this attitude that had left the Uchiha clan isolated in Konoha, without allies or friends.
Fugaku's expression darkened. 'Are these people all brainless?'
He had come here, despite his injuries, and gathered the clan members on purpose—to undermine Kanzou's influence, hoping they would understand the foolishness of Kanzou's actions. If he could weaken Kanzou's popularity and reduce his support, then Kanzou's path to becoming clan head would be much harder.
It was a pity that, even as a member of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku still didn't understand how his own people thought.
The truth was, Kanzou understood the Uchiha better than Fugaku ever could.
Many of the clansmen who had originally supported Fugaku now found themselves agreeing with Kanzou's words.
With a cold snort, Fugaku turned and left in silence.
Kanzou looked disdainfully at Fugaku, who walked away with his plan having failed.
"Everyone," Kanzou declared, "I will lead the Uchiha clan to trample every clan in Konoha beneath our feet, and show the entire ninja world that the Uchiha are the strongest of all!"
His bold words stirred the hearts of the Uchiha, and even those who had remained neutral began to shift their support toward him.
'They really aren't the brightest.' As Kanzou walked away, he sighed inwardly.
'If I really do become clan head, the first thing I'll have to do is reform the Uchiha. No power, but full of arrogance—what a joke.'
'At least they have to be strong enough…'
If every Uchiha possessed the strength of Uchiha Madara, Kanzou wouldn't mind how arrogant they were—but the problem was, they didn't.
Instead of going home, Kanzou headed to the elder's residence.
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"You… why are you here?"
Mikoto's eyes flickered with unease when she saw him. Her expression was conflicted—she genuinely didn't know how to face Uchiha Kanzou.
"Of course, I missed you," Kanzou said with a smile.
Mikoto hesitated as Kanzou reached out to take her hand. Just as she was about to pull away, his next words froze her in place.
"Think about Tadayoshi-sama."
His voice slipped into her ears like a whisper from a devil.
The deaths of the two Elders not long ago were a stark reminder for her….
Although it was accepted that Uchiha Haruto was the murderer, Mikoto understood that the person responsible for their death was Kanzou.
If he dared to kill them, would he really hesitate to deal with her grandfather?
"I was originally planning to get rid of Elder Tadayoshi too," Kanzou continued. "But then I thought of you… and the time we spend together in your bedroom, in each other's arms. And I let him live. Congratulations… You saved his life."
Kanzou kissed Mikoto gently on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "Whether your Sofu-sama continues to live or die... that's entirely up to you, Mikoto-san."
Then he let go of her and walked toward her room.
Watching Kanzou disappear inside, Mikoto hesitated for a moment, looked around to make sure no one was watching them, closed the door of the house, and then followed him.
"I'm sorry, Fugaku-san… but I don't have a choice," she murmured.
Though she was engaged to Uchiha Fugaku, the one person who meant the most to her was the grandfather who raised her.
After all, Fugaku was just a fiancé, not yet her husband. Because of the difference in their ages and the traditional beliefs of the Uchiha Clan, she hasn't had much contact with Fugaku outside of special events; therefore, it would be wrong to say whether she has any feelings for him.
If she were truly married to Uchiha Fugaku, she would rather die than betray him.
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[Ding, congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Fire Style – Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. +30,000 Evil Points]
Although the reward this time was far less than before, it was still more than anything Kanzou had earned in the past.
He stared at Mikoto—she was simply a treasure trove.
Now fully dressed, Kanzou once again looked like a respectable gentleman and passed Mikoto her panties so that she could put them on.
This time, he wasn't going to pocket it, after all, he wasn't some panty-loving pervert. The panties he had taken previously had fulfilled their purpose; there was no need to take more.
Mikoto looked at her panties and recalled how the ones he had pocketed previously were discovered in the cupboards of his home, becoming a matter of public discussion that she had heard about from a fellow Kunoichi of her clan.
She was really glad that no one knew that it was her panties and that Kanzou didn't reveal that they were hers either; otherwise, everything would have been over.
Heck, since that day, she didn't dare wear the same kind of panties… she had gotten rid of all of them, afraid that someone might catch on if they noticed.
Although the chance of that happening was negligible since there was no way anyone was going to see her panties, she didn't dare risk it out of shame and fear.
At the same time, she was also glad that Kanzou wasn't taking her panties this time… because if he was, it would have only made things more uncomfortable for her.
Shaking her head, Mikoto snatched them from Kanzou's hand and put them on with a distracted expression.
Watching her distracted expression, Kanzou was a bit curious and asked her, "What are you thinking?"
"Just lamenting my fate… I am wondering if I will ever be able to escape your clutches," answered Mikoto mockingly.
"Nope, there's no escape… this is your fate now," Kanzou said with a chuckle. "And you'll never escape—not even through death. If you try, I'll just bring you back to life and drag you right back into this mess of ours."
Mikoto wanted to scoff at the absurdity of it—Kanzou bringing her back to life just to trap her in this situation again.
Obviously, such a thing would be impossible… There was no way she was going to believe that he'd be able to bring her back to life should she commit suicide.
But when she looked into his eyes, she couldn't be so sure.
There was a confidence in his gaze that made her believe… he would do exactly that, and he would be able to do exactly that.
She had no idea how he could bring her back to life… but the confidence in his eyes made her believe he could—and would.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, unable to hold back her doubts. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"
She was certain—she had never wronged him. And yet, he treated her like this.
Kanzou answered plainly, "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why?" she pressed.
"Because I'm a bad person," he said with a casual shrug. "And bad people do bad things. I thought that was obvious?"
"Because you're… a bad person?" she echoed, barely a whisper. His words sank into her chest like a weight.
She lifted her head to look at him and murmured, "I respected you, you know… even admired you, albeit secretly, but I really did. I held you in such high regard… but to think…"
"You can still do all of that," Kanzou said, staring into her eyes. "Respect me. Revere me. Admire me. Obey me. Follow me."
Mikoto flinched, averting her gaze as she shook her head.
"How can I? After… after what you did to me!" she cried. "And you say this is my fate now? Is this really how it's going to be? Will I never be able to break free?"
"It would seem so," Kanzou replied with a faint smile. "You're my canary now—trapped in my cage, living and breathing according to my whims."
"It's suffocating…" she whispered, unable to hold back her tears.
"Have you ever heard the saying," Kanzou said calmly, "if you can't escape something… embrace it? It'll make things much easier and enjoyable."
"If I can't escape it… Then embrace it?" Mikoto repeated softly, trying to grasp the meaning behind his words.
Kanzou didn't say anything… just sat there silently with a smile…
As those words echoed in Mikoto's mind, a voice suddenly called from outside,
"Mikoto… are you in your room?"
Since the door was left open, the voice drew closer—and soon, its source stepped into view, "Mikoto…" he began, eyes falling on Mikoto… but then froze as his eyes landed on Kanzou, seated calmly on her futon, "Kanzou-kun?"
Upon seeing the person enter, Kanzou rose from the futon and greeted the elder calmly, "Tadayoshi-sama…"
Indeed, it was Elder Tadayoshi. His brows were furrowed in suspicion. The scene before him was troubling—a grown man alone in Mikoto's bedroom, sitting on her futon.
Meanwhile, Mikoto looked up at her grandfather in panic, her heart pounding. 'Why is Sōfu-sama back this early…?' She froze, wide-eyed with dread.
"Kanzou-kun… what are you doing here?" Tadayoshi asked sharply.
Kanzou shrugged. "Just chatting about a few things."
"Just chatting?" Tadayoshi repeated, his eyes drifting to the futon.
Its presence in the room was questionable—after all, it was still the middle of the day. Mikoto wasn't the type to nap in the afternoon. Even if she had been tired enough to rest, she would've folded the futon and put it away, especially if someone was visiting.
And certainly, she wouldn't have allowed anyone—let alone a man—to sit on it.
Kanzou and Mikoto weren't that close.
Elder Tadayoshi was quite sure they hadn't had much contact before.
At most, they were mildly acquainted—and that level of familiarity was certainly not enough for Mikoto to allow Kanzou into the house in Tadayoshi's absence, let alone lead him into her bedroom and let him sit on her futon.
In fact, even if they had been very close acquaintances, it still wouldn't have justified her bringing him into her bedroom and letting him sit there so casually when no third person was around.
Tadayoshi was certain his granddaughter fully understood what such an action could imply.
Yet here Kanzou was, sitting calmly on her futon. It raised far too many questions in Tadayoshi's mind.
Not to mention the faint odor drifting in the bedroom… if it were an innocent child, they may not understand the meaning of that faint odor… but Tadayoshi was an elderly man who had lived his youth, and he understood everything perfectly…
He turned to his granddaughter, looking for an explanation, "Mikoto?"
Meanwhile, Mikoto had a look of horror on her face.
It felt like she'd been caught doing something shameful by her grandfather, which she really was…
She couldn't even open her mouth to say something…
Facing the questioning gaze of her grandfather, she wanted to hide…
Instinctively, she clutched the hem of Kanzou's shirt with both hands while turning her head to the floor in shame and fear as her body trembled.
Elder Tadayoshi's gaze narrowed as he noticed Mikoto's subtle actions—and the flushed colour in her cheeks.
Even if she didn't dare to give an explanation… the air around her and the room was enough of an explanation.
Tadayoshi's expression darkened. 'So that's it...'
This bastard Kanzou had really done something to his granddaughter.
No wonder Mikoto had been acting strange lately.
Kanzou, however, met the elder's stare with perfect calm. He'd already done so many terrible things that even getting caught red-handed with the old man's granddaughter didn't faze him in the slightest.
"Mikoto-san, I really enjoyed our conversation today," Kanzou said with a smile. "Let's talk again some other time, and I hope you'd put some thought into what we talked about…"
"I… I understand, Kanzou-sama," stuttered Mikoto instinctively as she pulled her cold hands back.
Kanzou then turned to the elder and spoke calmly, "Tadayoshi-sama, I'll be leaving now. I wish you a pleasant night."
With that, Kanzou walked out of Mikoto's bedroom and left the house, leaving Mikoto alone to face her grandfather.
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Inside the house, Mikoto remained standing and didn't dare lift her head, let alone meet his eyes.
Elder Tadayoshi's expression shifted, emotions flickering across his face.
He looked at Mikoto, who stood there like a frightened quail, not even daring to meet his eyes, and sighed deeply.
He understood—it couldn't have been her fault.
Knowing her character, Mikoto would never willingly do something like this.
Which meant only one thing: She had been forced.
She was the victim.
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 68 on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]