[Read up to 69 Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Patriarch's Mansion, Uchiha Compound
Kanzou sat on the sofa, studying the small figure trembling before him. Mira stood silently, hands gripping the hem of her skirt, too afraid to meet his gaze. A short distance away, her mother watched with a face full of fear and worry; if Hazuki wasn't restraining her, she would have dashed forward to shield her daughter.
"Girl… raise your head," Kanzou ordered.
Mira flinched but didn't obey. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, shoulders quivering.
With an irritated purse of his lips, Kanzou reached forward, grasped her chin, and forced her face upward. The moment her tearful eyes met his, he was greeted with a whirlpool of emotions, fear, guilt, and overwhelming sadness in that face…
But most prominent of all, burning brighter than anything else—
Hatred.
Hatred directed entirely at him.
Kanzou wasn't surprised in the slightest. He had anticipated this the moment he forced her to spill her own father's blood. Still, he asked her calmly:
"So… you hate me, don't you?"
"N-no…" Mira whispered, voice barely audible, terrified of admitting the truth.
Cha!
A sharp crack echoed through the room as Kanzou's hand struck her cheek, snapping her head to the side. The force sent her small body stumbling, and she collapsed onto the floor. A red imprint bloomed across her face instantly.
Nashiko flinched as if she had been hit herself. Even Mikoto and Hazuki paused for a beat, momentarily shocked by the sheer force behind the blow.
Just then, the system's voice chimed inside Kanzou's mind:
[Ding! The host has slapped the innocent Uchiha Mira. Reward: +1,000 Evil Points]
Kanzou ignored it entirely. "Stand up," he ordered.
Mira pushed herself up on trembling legs, fear making her sway.
"Look at me."
Slowly, she lifted her tear-filled eyes, eyes soaked in terror and hatred. Far more than before.
Kanzou remained completely unmoved. "Answer me truthfully this time. Do you hate me?"
She wanted to lie again, she really did. But the burning sting on her cheek warned her what would happen if she did. Terrified, she gave a tiny nod.
"Y-yes…"
And then, instinctively, she dropped her gaze again, afraid of whatever would come next.
But instead of another slap… a gentle pat landed on her head.
Mira froze, stunned by the unexpected touch. Kanzou guided her chin back up, forcing her to look at him again.
"That's right," he said quietly. "You hate me. And honestly… that's only natural. Your hatred is justified. After all, I did make you kill Makoto-san with your own hands, didn't I?"
Mira's lips trembled. She didn't know how to respond.
Kanzou continued without caring for her silence. "But think about it, if you were in my position… what would you have done? Makoto-san was a traitor. He betrayed the clan… and he betrayed me. I treated him well. I respected him. And how did he repay that? With disloyalty."
His fingers remained under her chin, holding her gaze firm.
"If you were the patriarch… would you let a traitor go free? If someone you trusted betrayed you so deeply… wouldn't that anger you? Wouldn't you want justice? Wouldn't you kill them?"
So many questions at once made her small forehead crease. She tried to think through the pain in her heart. She was young… but not stupid.
After a moment of hesitation, she gave a tiny nod. "I-I would…"
Kanzou's eyes narrowed slightly, and he tilted his head. "Then tell me… shouldn't you hate yourself as well? So why do you hate me?"
She was stunned. "I…!"
But Kanzou didn't allow her to finish. He continued smoothly, his voice calm yet painfully persuasive.
"But think carefully… The one who is truly at fault here, who is truly hateful, isn't it Makoto-san? What I did… what I made you do… even what you said you would have done… all of it was the consequence of his actions. His betrayal. Had he not turned his back on the clan, on me, on you… things never would have come to this point, would they?"
Mira's lips trembled, but after a moment of silent thought, she slowly nodded. "R-right…"
"Then shouldn't your hatred be directed at the one who caused everything? The one whose choices ruined your life? Why hate me? Why hate yourself? The person most deserving of your hatred… is him. Isn't that so?"
"O-Otou-sama… is the most hateful?" Mira whispered, shaken and confused.
Kanzou then shifted his gaze to Nashiko.
"Isn't that right, Nashiko-san?"
"H-huh…?" Nashiko flinched, startled. But when she met Kanzou's eyes, she instantly understood the demand behind his question. Her heart ached, but she forced the words out for her daughter's sake.
"Y-yes… It's… It's Otou-sama who is the most hateful. Mira-chan… if you must hate someone… then hate him. Not yourself. Not the Patriarch…"
She understood exactly what Kanzou was doing. And she knew she had no choice but to cooperate. If she refused… she feared what might happen to Mira next.
"I… I see… It was Otou-sama who was the most hateful…" Mira murmured, her voice weak but accepting, as though the thought finally clicked in her mind.
After all, what Kanzou said did make a twisted kind of sense.
If her father hadn't betrayed the Patriarch in the first place, then none of this would have happened.
He wouldn't have been condemned to death…
She wouldn't have been forced to kill him with her own hands…
In the end, it really was as Kanzou said, the one she should hate was her father for choosing betrayal.
"That's right," Kanzou continued smoothly, "the person you should despise is Makoto-san. And instead of hating me… You should actually be grateful to me. I gave you the opportunity to punish such a hateful man."
Mira blinked, stunned. "G-grateful… to Patriarch…?"
"Isn't that obvious?" he asked, and said with a smile. "If I hadn't ordered it… could you have brought justice to such a man by yourself?"
Mira hesitated… then slowly shook her head, "N-no…"
Of course, she wouldn't have done something like that on her own.
"So…" Kanzou concluded calmly, "you should feel grateful, shouldn't you?"
"Y-yes…" she nodded hesitantly.
"Are you grateful?" he pressed.
Mira bit her lip, struggling for words… but the sting of the earlier slap still lingered on her cheek, it compelled her to speak only the truth, and her mind clung desperately to the logic he had fed her. Slowly, she nodded again.
"Yes… Kanzou-sama. I… I am grateful to you… for giving me the chance to kill that hateful Otou-sama…"
The sentence trembled out of her. It made her sad and guilty, but she still internalised it and didn't lie to him. She had accepted the twisted conclusion he placed in her hands.
"Good… I am satisfied that you are grateful to me for making you commit patricide," Kanzou said and patted her head. The cruel smirk on his lips made it clear just how pleased he was.
Mira squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. Yet… for some strange reason, that gentle pat made her feel a small flicker of warmth.
It wasn't difficult for Kanzou to steer her emotions this way.
After all, Uchiha Mira was still just a child. Clever for her age, yes, but nowhere near mature enough to realise how thoroughly she was being manipulated. Kanzou was redirecting all the hatred boiling inside her… away from himself… toward the father she had been forced to kill with her own hands.
Nashiko watched all of this with silent horror, but she didn't dare speak. If they wanted to live, this was the best outcome. Hatred toward a dead man was harmless. But if Mira kept that hatred aimed at Kanzou… then both mother and daughter would be finished.
Nashiko quietly let out a shaky breath of relief… but worry still clung to her expression as she asked,
"P-Patriarch… w-what will happen to us now?"
She truly didn't know, and the uncertainty terrified her.
Kanzou continued patting Mira's head for a moment, as though considering the answer. Then he turned his gaze toward Hazuki.
"Hazuki… take Mira with you. Train her… she'd join the zodiacs when she grows up."
At only seven or eight years old, the girl had already awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan. That made her worth grooming into a loyal asset, and the Zodiacs were the best path for that.
"Understood, Kanzou-sama," Hazuki replied with a nod. She stepped forward and held out her hand.
"Mira… come with me."
"Go with her," Kanzou ordered, removing his hand from the girl's head.
Mira nodded softly. "I… understand."
She reached out, taking Hazuki's hand. On the way out, she glanced back at her mother. Nashiko mustered a small, reassuring smile and a nod. That was enough for Mira to follow Hazuki out of the hall.
Once they were gone, Kanzou's attention settled on Nashiko.
"Now then… unlike your daughter, I'm not entirely sure what to do with you," he murmured.
Yes, Nashiko had awakened a Sharingan when she saw her daughter plunge a kunai into Makoto's heart; however, it was only a single-tomoe form. Of course, that on its own wasn't an issue; Sharingan could always develop further in time.
The real problem was her age and background. She was already in her early thirties and had never undergone Kunoichi training, which means even if she had awakened the Sharingan, she wouldn't be of much use in combat.
Teaching her now would be a waste of time, energy, and resources; once someone has passed their developmental years, gaining significant battle strength becomes nearly impossible.
He briefly entertained another possibility: 'I could still fuck her for some Evil Points…'
As such a thought clicked in his mind, his gaze travelled over her figure, but he dismissed the thought almost immediately.
Her face was certainly beautiful, typical of Uchiha women, but her body lacked the kind of build and allure he demanded from the women he fucked.
It wasn't that she was unattractive; far from it. For a civilian mother who had spent years focused solely on her home and family, her appearance was respectable. She is a Milf, no doubt about that… but in his eyes, she still wasn't a woman worthy of being fucked by him.
Moreover, considering the act of loyalty she has shown and the sacrifice she had made, he didn't want to assault her for some evil points…
"But I also don't want to waste you…" He murmured, tapping his fingers thoughtfully against the armrest. After a brief moment of consideration, he finally spoke, "There is an option for you. You might find it… unacceptable. But it is what I want you to do."
Nashiko's heart tightened. "W-What is it?" she asked nervously.
"Because of Makoto-san's actions… tomorrow morning, a great deal of blood will stain the halls of Naka shrine," Kanzou said flatly. "Many will die. Our forces will shrink… and that means women like you… Women who are fertile become useful, needed, even, to replenish our numbers." He paused only for a breath before stating it plainly, without the slightest attempt at subtlety: "In simple terms, I need you to bear children for the sake of the Clan."
Nashiko froze, stunned. "This…" she whispered, her voice trembling in disbelief, and she looked at Mikoto.
Mikoto herself had her chest tightened, fearing a possibility that she didn't want to imagine.
Kanzou continued, "I understand that you have made a great deal of sacrifice already… but… I still need you to contribute more…"
After all, the clan's population isn't infinite. If people die, their numbers must be restored. And for that to happen, children need to be born.
Healthy, fertile women like Nashiko who don't contribute to the Clan in any other way would naturally be expected to shoulder that responsibility. If she were a Kunoichi or something… he wouldn't have made her do this… but since she is only a civilian… this is the only thing she can do.
She stared at him in stunned silence, her mouth opening but no words forming. She understood exactly what he meant… but the timing, it hadn't even been an hour since her husband died, and now she was being told to bear children?
Accepting this was nearly impossible.
"I… I… Patriarch… this is…"
But she couldn't finish. The grief, shock, and humiliation lodged deep in her throat, making it difficult to breathe, let alone speak.
Kanzou shrugged lightly. "If you want to blame someone, then blame Makoto-san. If he hadn't led others into betraying me, things would never have escalated to this point."
Nashiko bit her lip and lowered her gaze.
She didn't deny Kanzou's accusation, but still...
She needed time, time to process her husband's death, time to adjust to this new, terrifying future, and perhaps only then she'd be able to make up her mind… But Kanzou's slowly tapping fingers on the armrest made it clear he wasn't interested in waiting for her feelings to catch up.
She also understood that while Kanzou appeared to be asking for her opinion, he wasn't actually giving her a choice. He was simply informing her of what she would do, and she was expected to accept it.
In this situation… what choice did she truly have?
Her voice trembled as she forced out the only answer she could give: "A-alright… Patriarch. I will… atone for my husband's mistakes and do what is necessary for the Clan in whatever capacity I can."
Kanzou's lips curled, satisfied. "Good."
Just then, a knock came from the entrance. A Zodiac stepped inside, bowing. "Patriarch… forgive the interruption. Shin-sama, Souta-sama, and Satoru-sama have arrived."
"Perfect timing," Kanzou replied, almost sounding amused. "Send them in."
"As you command," the Zodiac nodded and left to send them in.
Kanzou shifted his attention back to Nashiko. "You may choose any one of them. They are all my loyal subordinates."
Nashiko's eyes widened.
She had only just agreed to bear children, and now the potential fathers were already waiting outside the door. It was as if fate itself was trying to breed her.
Her heart twisted in turmoil, nervousness filling every breath.
Nashiko instinctively looked toward Mikoto, silently begging for help…
But Mikoto quickly averted her eyes, refusing to get involved. She had no intention of interrupting Kanzou and, if anything, she was just content knowing that it was going to be one of his subordinates to breed Nashiko, not him.
When she first heard Kanzou saying Nashiko would need to bear children, she was genuinely worried he might decide to breed her himself.
'Thankfully… Kan-sama didn't choose that option…' she breathed inwardly, relieved.
Soon after, Shin, Satoru, and Souta entered the room. Shin and Souta looked as though they had just been dragged from bed, exhausted and clearly sleepy to be summoned at such an hour. It made sense; both of their shifts were in the daytime, and they should have been asleep by now. But a direct order from Kanzou could not be ignored.
"Patriarch…" all three said together, bowing respectfully.
"For you to summon us this late at night…?" one of them asked, unable to hide his confusion, the confusion shared by the other two. Their eyes then shifted to Nashiko, wondering what she was doing here.
Kanzou turned to Nashiko. "Well? Which one do you choose?"
"Choose…?" all three echoed, confused.
Nashiko's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't want to choose anyone; this entire situation made her heart twist, and also made her extremely embarrassed, but refusal wasn't an option. She scanned the three men, or more like one youngster and two teenagers, with hesitation before shakily lifting her hand and pointing toward the one on the right.
Kanzou raised an eyebrow. "Satoru? Huh. That's a surprise. I thought middle-aged women preferred them young…"
Among the three, Satoru is 23 years old, meanwhile Shin and Souta are only a little over fourteen. Kanzou fully expected Nashiko to choose one of them. But unexpectedly… she had chosen Satoru.
'Ah… but then again… 23 is still much younger than 33…' Kanzou thought with amusement. 'And, I guess, she isn't a Shota-con...'
Satoru, still clueless about the situation, asked hesitantly, "Uh… Patriarch… what exactly is going on?"
Kanzou didn't answer him immediately. Instead, he turned toward Mikoto.
"Mikoto, you can leave," he instructed calmly. "Take her with you. I'll explain everything to them."
"I understand," Mikoto replied with a quick nod. She placed a hand on Nashiko's shoulder and guided her toward the exit. Truthfully, she was relieved; she had no desire to remain in the room for whatever happened next.
Nashiko didn't resist and followed Mikoto out, though she looked utterly lost and hopeless.
With Mikoto and Nashiko gone, Kanzou began explaining the situation to Shin, Souta, and Satoru.
The three were understandably shocked, their expressions darkening with anger.
Especially Shin, who grit his teeth and said, "Fugaku… he should have been killed…"
In his mind, this entire situation existed only because Fugaku had been shown mercy. If Kanzou had executed him back then, none of this would have happened.
Kanzou simply shook his head.
"A traitor will always betray," he replied calmly. "Even without Fugaku, they would have found another excuse. If someone chooses disloyalty despite receiving fairness and benefit, then betrayal was always inevitable."
He was certain of this. After all, he hadn't mistreated the Uchiha clansmen, quite the opposite, he had treated his Clansmen well.
If their rebellion had been caused by oppression, then there would at least be some logic behind it…
But they had chosen treachery despite being given everything he could offer.
Which meant one thing: sooner or later, they would have turned against him, no matter what he did.
It wasn't surprising. The Uchiha had even dared to betray Madara, despite his clearly wanting to protect them. With that in mind, Kanzou wasn't particularly concerned.
Learning the ones leading the betrayal, Souta murmured in disbelief, "I always suspected Seiji-san might turn out like that… but Makoto-san too? For him to betray Patriarch after everything… he deserved what he got."
Based on various interactions Souta has had with Seiji ever since he started teaching Shisui, Souta understood Seiji's mentality quite well… so he isn't surprised in that regard at all… but the matter of Makoto is something that really stunned even him.
Satoru, however, was still stuck on the earlier part. "So… um… about Nashiko-san choosing me… what exactly does that mean?"
Kanzou continued the explanation.
"Uh… this…" he muttered awkwardly. "Patriarch… I'm still young. And while she is beautiful… she's a lot older than me. To marry someone already in her thirties… and with a daughter at that… I…"
He felt reluctant.
It wasn't as if he lacked options; with a handsome face like his, there is no shortage of women willing to date him or to be bedded by him… There are women his age, unmarried kunoichi, even civilian girls, so why would he willingly marry a woman with a child?
Kanzou waved a hand. "I'm not telling you to marry her. All I want is for you to father a few children. Two or three should be enough."
Satoru paused, thinking. 'Marriage was one thing… but if it was only about producing children for the clan…'
"…If it's just that… then alright," he finally said with a nod.
"Treat her with respect. Understood?" Kanzou added. He was hardly the most qualified to say such a thing, considering how he treats women, yet he still expected Satoru to be respectful toward Uchiha Nashiko, considering the sacrifice she had made. If not for that, he wouldn't have cared how Satoru treats her.
"I know, I know…" Satoru muttered.
Shin grinned at Satoru, "Looks like waking up in the middle of the night wasn't for nothing, Satoru-san…"
Satoru snorted, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Now he had something to look forward to aside from this whole mess they would be dealing with.
"Alright, enough of that," Kanzou cut in, drawing their attention back. "We need to discuss what comes next."
The atmosphere instantly shifted, tension tightening all three expressions.
Souta questioned, "It's going to be a purge… isn't it?"
"Not a single traitor will be allowed to escape," Kanzou affirmed with a nod.
"Considering their number… it won't be easy," Satoru cautioned. Nearly a hundred clan members… They would need to eliminate every single one, without letting anyone slip away. Clearly not an easy task.
"Don't worry," Kanzou assured them. "I've taken appropriate measures. It won't be as difficult as you think."
The three exchanged glances, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
When Kanzou finally revealed those 'measures,' they were left stunned, before nodding slowly. "If it goes as you've planned… then yes, it might actually be manageable," Souta admitted.
"Shin, Souta," Kanzou instructed, authority firm, "have your subordinates ready."
"We will," they answered in unison.
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"Mikoto-sama… I-is there no other way?" Nashiko asked the moment they stepped into the other room.
"This is Kan-sama's order," Mikoto replied calmly. "It's best if you follow through with it, Nashiko-san."
"B-but…" Nashiko's voice trembled. She wanted to argue, wanted to say something more, but the words stuck in her throat. "Otou-sama… h-he…" She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence.
Mikoto gently took Nashiko's hands and spoke softly, "Listen… you want your daughter to be safe, don't you? You did all of this, betrayed Makoto-san, for Mira-chan's sake, right?"
Nashiko nodded, trembling. "Y-yes…"
"Then keep thinking of it that way," Mikoto said with a reassuring smile. "Whatever you do now is for Mira-chan's protection. If you remember that, it won't feel as difficult."
She spoke from experience. She had done the very same, only in her case, the person she wanted to protect had been her Sofu-sama… but the principle remained unchanged.
"For my daughter's safety…?" Nashiko whispered. The realization struck her again: Mira had been taken away by Hazuki to join the Zodiacs, placed directly under Kanzou's control. If she disobeyed… if she failed to meet his expectations… Mira could be the one to suffer.
With that fear tightening around her heart, her resolve crumbled completely. She lowered her gaze and murmured, defeated, "I… I understand…"
Mikoto added softly, "Remember… if you can't escape something, then embrace it. Everything becomes easier that way." Those were the very words Kanzou had once given her when she had been caged in his prison like a canary and was finding it too suffocating. These very words had allowed her to accept the cage he had put her into, and now she passed them on to Nashiko, preparing her to accept that cage so that she doesn't suffocate.
"If I can't escape it… Then I should embrace it?" Nashiko repeated quietly, the meaning settling in.
"That's right," Mikoto replied with a gentle smile.
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Sometime later…
"Kan-sama… all the preparations at the hall of the Naka Shrine are complete," Mikoto reported.
"Good. I just need a little while to complete this thing," Kanzou said with a nod as he made strokes with the pen in his hand.
"It's alright. Take your time," Mikoto murmured, leaning against him from behind. "It's still early morning… we have quite a while before it's time for the gathering." She pressed a few soft kisses to his neck, then let her gaze drift to the intricate markings he was drawing.
This time, unlike before, she recognized one of the symbols.
"Isn't that the Caged Bird Cursed Seal from the Hyuga Clan?" she asked. She knew he had extorted it out of the Hyuga Patriarch and had even used its design as the basis for the Mark of Ownership he branded her with.
Yet now, seeing him incorporate it again, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly he intended to do with it.
"This Cursed seal… I might need to use it today…" he said, pausing his hand.
"Today?" Mikoto asked, puzzled at first. But as she remembered the purpose of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, a realization struck her. Eyes widening, she asked, "You mean… on the clansmen?"
As for the purpose… of course, she could guess… and to be honest, she also understood his intent behind using it. It's just that… she felt that this could cause problems in the long run, just like the case with the Hyuga Clan…
Kanzou didn't deny, and just said quietly, "I'm still not so sure… But if the situation really demands it."
Frankly, he had no desire to brand his own clansmen with a cursed seal like the Hyuga's Caged Bird. It would divide the Clan in the main family and the branch family in a way he didn't want… Yet the betrayal of more than a hundred Uchiha had forced him to rethink the matter, not for now but for the future.
He wasn't certain he would use it, but he intended to be ready, just in case.
"I understand…" Mikoto replied softly. She didn't question him further. Whether he chose to implement it or abandon it entirely, she would support him all the same.
"Since it'll take you a bit longer to finish that… I suppose I should work on something I want to create as well," Mikoto said softly.
Kanzou glanced at her with curiosity. "You want to create something? And what would that be?"
"Fufu…" Mikoto let out a dark, playful giggle as she leaned in close, lips brushing his ear. She whispered seductively, "It's a green ha—"
Kanzou blinked, briefly surprised, before an amused smile spread across his face. "Mikoto… you've grown very dark and cruel." But he didn't dislike it; in fact, the idea clearly delighted him.
"I should send it, right?" she asked. She already knew there was no need to seek his permission; he would agree without hesitation.
And just as expected, Kanzou nodded. "Yes. You have my full support." He looked thoroughly entertained.
Since Kanzou agreed, Mikoto didn't waste another moment. She immediately set to work. All she needed were a few simple materials, some straw, thread, and green dye, and fortunately, she had everything at home.
"Fufu… I'm certain that cuck will cough up blood the moment he receives this little gift," she murmured with a cruel smile as she began crafting it.
Meanwhile, still amused, Kanzou returned to the seal and focused on the final adjustments. He had redesigned it so it could be used on Uchiha clansmen, but he intended it only as a last resort, should no other option remain.
"I also need to test this technique," Kanzou mused coldly. "And as for who to test it on… there's Seiji-san, of course." A twisted amusement curled at his lips. "Come to think of it, there's still another way to force him into awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan…" He chuckled low under his breath. "Fufu… Seiji-san… it seems I'll have no choice but to NTR you to force you to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan before your death… If I fuck Kasumi-san before your eyes… you'd awaken them, won't you?"
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Read up to 69 Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]