Although the conversation between Heiji Hattori and Conan in the room was intentionally kept low, in the silent night, scattered words still drifted through the not-entirely-soundproof door and into the hallway.
Hattori Shizuka had originally intended to go to the kitchen to prepare some soothing drinks for Heiji, but as she passed her son's door with a tea tray, she happened to hear the heated discussion inside. She didn't intend to eavesdrop, but keywords like "Kanjuro," "evidence," "Chief Superintendent," and "Dad" pierced her eardrums like needles, causing her to freeze instantly, her heart skipping a beat.
She held her breath and quietly approached the door, pressing her ear to the crack. Although she only heard fragments, combining the scattered information was enough for her to piece together a shocking fact—Heiji and that child named Conan already viewed Kanjuro as an extremely dangerous enemy and planned to use Hattori Heizo's official power to investigate and deal with him!
A surge of icy fear instantly gripped Hattori Shizuka's heart.
(No! I can't let Heiji do this!)
(Kanjuro... although he... but if he's targeted by the authorities, especially someone like Heizo...)
She didn't dare imagine the consequences. No matter how bizarre Kanjuro's abilities were, how long could he hold out against the power of the entire state machine? She had only just rediscovered that distorted "sense of belonging"; was she going to lose it so soon? Furthermore, if Heiji and that child named Kudo got involved, would they also be in danger?
An immense worry and an instinct to protect (whether it was protecting Kanjuro or Heiji) made her reach a decision instantly.
Carrying the almost untouched tea tray, she stumbled back to her bedroom and locked the door. Leaning against the cold door, she panted heavily, her fingers trembling as she took out her phone and dialed the number she had recently saved, which seemed etched into her soul.
The call was answered almost instantly, as if the other party had been waiting.
"Shizuka?" Kanjuro's deep, steady voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of imperceptible laziness, as if he hadn't slept yet.
"Ye... Kanjuro..." Hattori Shizuka's voice trembled slightly with tension and fear. "Something's wrong... Heiji... Heiji and his friend named Conan... they... they plan to tell Heizo! They're going to use the power of the police to investigate you!"
She urgently blurted out the fragments of information she had heard, her tone filled with panic.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Hattori Shizuka's heart was in her throat, fearing she would hear Kanjuro's anger or panic.
However, Kanjuro's reaction was unexpectedly calm, even carrying a hint of... boredom?
"Is that all?" His voice remained steady, as if he had just heard a weather forecast about rain tomorrow. "I understand."
His composure only made Hattori Shizuka more uneasy. "Kanjuro! You can't be careless! Heizo is no ordinary man! He's the Superintendent-General of the Osaka Prefectural Police! If he uses all his power to investigate you, you..."
"Shizuka." Kanjuro interrupted her, his voice carrying a heart-pounding sense of control. "Calm down. I'm fine."
He paused, his tone even carrying a faint hint of guidance and approval. "You did well. Being able to tell me this news immediately proves that I am indeed in your heart."
This seemingly complimentary sentence acted like a shackle, further solidifying Hattori Shizuka's identity as an "informant" and her loyalty to him.
"However," Kanjuro's tone shifted, becoming deeper and more seductive. "Just knowing they 'want to investigate' isn't enough. I need more specific information."
His request was clear and explicit:
"Shizuka, listen. Don't stop them, and don't show any abnormalities. Just act as usual, be the Madam Hattori, and take care of your (step)son."
"What you need to do is keep a close eye on the specifics of their conversations with Hattori Heizo. What do they suspect me of? Where do they plan to start the investigation? What resources do they intend to use? Take this information and, as detailed as possible..."
He paused intentionally before slowly uttering the last few words:
"...convey it to me."
Hattori Shizuka's fingers tightened around the phone, her knuckles turning white. She knew what this meant—it would be her complete, irreversible betrayal. Betraying her family, betraying her nominal husband, and betraying the son she had raised for eighteen years.
On the other end of the line, as if he could see through her hesitation, Kanjuro added softly, like a demon's whisper:
"Don't forget, Shizuka. We are one. Only I am your true destination. Protecting me is protecting yourself, and... everything you care about, so it won't be shattered by unnecessary conflict."
His words were like the most lethal poison, a mix of threat and promise, precisely breaking down Hattori Shizuka's final psychological defenses.
Yes... she had no turning back. From the moment she sank into his embrace again, from the moment she agreed to spy on her family for him, she could only walk down this dark path.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, only a numb kind of obedience remained.
"...I understand." Her voice was as light as a sigh. "I will... keep an eye out."
"Good." Kanjuro's voice returned to its usual composure, even carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Rest early, my Shizuka. Don't worry, everything is under control."
The call was disconnected, and a busy signal came from the receiver.
Hattori Shizuka slumped weakly onto the floor, the phone slipping from her palm. She buried her face in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly, but there were no more tears. She knew that from this moment on, she had officially become the most hidden eyes Kanjuro had planted inside the Hattori family. And this silent war between her closest kin had quietly shifted because of her defection.
The night grew deeper, and the Hattori Mansion remained peaceful, but beneath this tranquility, undercurrents of loyalty and betrayal were surging violently under the guise of family ties. Kanjuro sat in the darkness, playing with his phone, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.
(Thinking of using official power?)
(A very interesting attempt.)
(Unfortunately... even if an ant brings reinforcements, how can it shake a giant tree?)
(The game is getting more and more interesting.) The next evening, the atmosphere in the study of the Hattori Mansion was solemn. Hattori Heizo sat behind a large desk, his resolute face appearing even deeper under the desk lamp, exuding authority without anger. Heiji Hattori and Conan Edogawa sat on the opposite sofa, both with expressions of grim determination.
Hattori Shizuka brought in tea and snacks like a most dutiful hostess, silently walking in and gently placing the teapot and delicate snacks on the coffee table. She kept her eyes down, her movements elegant and composed, as if everything were normal. Only she knew her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest. Using the opportunity of setting out the tea, she stayed in the shadows near a corner of the study, seemingly organizing a few books on the shelf, but in reality, she pricked up her ears, catching every word.
"Father," Heiji Hattori spoke first, his voice carrying uncontrollable urgency and anger, "we must talk seriously about Kanjuro! He is definitely no ordinary guy!"
He described the eerie events at Kiyomizu Temple, Ginshiro Toyama's bizarre "death from overwork," and how Kanjuro had quickly gained control over several girls, including Kazuha, Ran, and possibly Sonoko, as clearly as possible to his father. Conan supplemented at the right moments, using his childish but logically rigorous voice to point out the suspicion that the memory of the Kiyomizu Temple abbot was tampered with, as well as various aspects of Kanjuro's behavior that couldn't be explained by common sense.
Hattori Heizo listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the smooth tabletop, his sharp gaze moving between his son and the precocious young boy. Until the two finished speaking, the study fell into silence, with only the faint city noise coming from outside the window.
After a long time, Hattori Heizo finally spoke, his voice low and full of power:
"The massacre of the Suzuki Financial Group shook Kanto; naturally, I am aware of it." His gaze was distant, as if piercing through time. "And even earlier, eighteen years ago, the Yukinoshita Family was also slaughtered, with only a woman named Yukinoshita Yukino surviving. Coincidentally, according to old archives, that Yukinoshita Yukino, as well as the Kanjuro you speak of, were students at the same high school."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Heiji, whose expression changed slightly, and Conan, whose eyes became even sharper.
"Now, the Kiyomizu Temple abbot's confession and Ginshiro Toyama's passing are also involved... This Kanjuro seems to be accompanied by death and chaos every time he appears. Connecting all the clues, this person... is indeed extraordinary, definitely not someone easy to deal with."
Hattori Heizo's affirmation gave Heiji Hattori a boost, but Conan's next words made Hattori Shizuka's heart in the corner shrink.
"Inspector General Hattori," Conan looked up, his small face showing a level of calm and decisiveness extremely inconsistent with his age, "I believe that when we face an individual suspected of possessing supernatural abilities, and whose methods are so bizarre that the law finds it difficult to punish him, conventional investigations and chains of evidence may have already failed. To protect more innocent people, we must be decisive. Perhaps... we should consider using unconventional means to completely 'eliminate' him before he causes greater harm. Because for an existence like him, the law... may already be ineffective."
The word "eliminate" was like an ice pick, stabbing hard into Hattori Shizuka's eardrums. Her hand organizing the books jerked, almost knocking over a heavy law book. She quickly steadied her breathing and forced herself to continue her movements, but her heart was already in turmoil.
Heiji Hattori took a deep breath and followed up, his tone heavy but firm: "Father, Ku... Conan is right, though it's extreme. We also found that Kanjuro might have even been involved in a case of mass disappearance of teachers and students from an elementary school earlier; their whereabouts are still unknown. Such a demon who treats human life like grass and has unpredictable methods must not be left unchecked! We... we might just have to take necessary measures!"
(They want to kill him! They actually want to kill Kanjuro!)
Hattori Shizuka felt a chill rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, her limbs instantly turning cold. She didn't care if Kanjuro really killed the Suzuki Family, if he was related to the Yukinoshita Family tragedy, or even if he had really harmed elementary school students and teachers—to her, these were far less important than even a ten-thousandth of Kanjuro's safety. She loved that man blindly, loved him enough to ignore all morality and sin. At this moment, her heart and eyes were filled only with extreme worry and fear for the danger Kanjuro might face.
Hattori Heizo did not respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, hands crossed in front of him, his sharp gaze flickering in the halo of the desk lamp. The study fell into a suffocating silence again, as if a major decision were brewing.
After what seemed like a century, Hattori Heizo finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying unquestionable authority:
"I am aware of this matter. As for this Kanjuro, I will personally look into him."
He did not explicitly state support for "elimination," but the words "personally look into" already represented the highest level of attention and potential authorization for action.
"For now, stay still and don't alert him. Heiji, especially you, control your emotions. Little Conan, I appreciate your... sharpness, but leave the next steps to the adults."
His words brought an end to this secret meeting, but also signaled that a real storm against Kanjuro, led by the top official of the Osaka police force, was about to begin brewing.
Heiji Hattori and Conan looked at each other. Although they failed to get a clear "eliminate" order from his father, gaining such high attention from him was already a crucial step. The two stood up, bowed, and left the study.
After they left, Hattori Shizuka silently "organized" for a moment longer before walking out normally with the empty tea tray. As soon as she left the vicinity of the study, her steps became unsteady, and her back was soaked with cold sweat.
She hurried back to her bedroom, locked the door, and slumped against the door frame, her heart racing.
(No... I must tell Kanjuro immediately!)
(Heizo... he's really going to take action! And that terrifying brat actually suggested... killing him!)
With trembling hands, she took out her phone, eager to dial that number and convey everything she had just heard, especially keywords like "eliminate" and "personally look into," to the man who occupied her thoughts and filled her with worry.
In her heart, right and wrong had long been blurred, leaving only that twisted and burning love and protective desire for Kanjuro, enough to annihilate everything. The Hattori family's stance, her son's anger, and even the possible impending bloodbath were, in her view, far less important than that cold smile on Kanjuro's lips. She had completely become a follower of darkness, willingly acting as the demon's eyes and ears.
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