[Read up to 60+ Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Once Mikoto had left, Kanzou sat down on the sofa opposite the one where Kushina lay unconscious. He watched her quietly, a faintly amused smile tugging at his lips as his thoughts drifted.
'Hmm… she's right on the verge of breaking. If I don't give her something, she'll probably shatter completely. I suppose… I'll give her what she wants.'
Having made up his mind, he flicked his fingers.
Snap!
Instantly, Kushina's eyes snapped open. She coughed, a short, choking gasp escaping her throat.
Disoriented and confused, she tried to push herself up on trembling arms.
"Careful," Kanzou's calm voice reached her. "Your body's still soft."
That voice, familiar, terrifyingly so, made her blood run cold.
Her head whipped toward the sound, and there he was.
Kanzou sat on the opposite sofa, watching her with that same amused look, somewhere between mockery and amusement.
"You…!" Kushina snapped, the realization hitting her like a thunderclap. What had happened earlier wasn't a dream.
The cracks splintering across the floor were proof enough. It had all been real, her loss of control, her outburst of chakra, her desperate attempt to attack him… and her failure.
Rage flared in her chest, hot and immediate, as she tried to lunge at him again.
"Are you sure you want to do this again?" Kanzou chuckled, his eyes locking onto hers. Immediately, her body froze mid-motion.
'Dammit… move… attack him… kill him!' she screamed inside her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make her limbs obey.
Kanzou rose leisurely from his seat and stepped behind her, and hugged her. One arm coiled around her waist, pulling her flush against him, while the other slid up toward her neck, threatening to slide into her cleavage.
'G-get away from me…!' Kushina tried to scream, to wrench herself free, but not a single sound escaped her lips.
Kanzou rested his chin on her shoulder, an amused smile curving his mouth. "That was very foolish of you earlier, ya'know," he murmured. After a pause, his voice dipped lower, smoother. "Losing control in front of Mikoto and trying to attack me… If I hadn't cast a genjutsu on her, she might've realized everything that's been happening between us. Tell me, what were you planning to do if she'd found out?"
'It… it would've been better if she'd found out everything…!' Kushina screamed inwardly, though no sound left her lips.
"Oh, right," Kanzou said casually, as if remembering something trivial. "Let's give you your voice back."
He flicked her throat lightly. A pulse of chakra spread through her body, and Kushina coughed, breath returning in a ragged gasp. The first words she forced out were raw with defiance. "It… it would've been better if she'd found out everything…!"
"Oh?" Kanzou arched an eyebrow, the faintest smirk playing at his lips. "You really want her to know everything? Don't you care what'll happen when she realizes her dear friend has betrayed her?"
"I don't care anymore," she spat. "I don't care what she thinks. I just want to kill you. If I kill you, everything's solved. Minato-kun will be free. And even if Mikoto-chan hates me, even if she despises me, she'll be rid of you. She'll be saved. A man like you doesn't deserve her; she needs to be freed from you."
"Fufu, such noble thoughts. A pity you're not capable of killing me, don't you know that already?" Kanzou chuckled, squeezing her cheeks.
Kushina's eyes dimmed. He was right. No matter how much she raged, she wasn't capable of killing him. If she could, she wouldn't be frozen like this, held in his arms, stripped of agency, unable to speak without his permission.
That realization hit her like a blow again. Hatred welled up in her throat and spilled into the room like steam. She hated the way his gaze could stop her cold; hated him for stealing her strength; and hated herself for being nothing more than the sum of those weaknesses.
"Now, now, no need to spill all that hatred," Kanzou said, releasing his grip on her waist. He moved to stand in front of her, stopping only inches from her face; his voice lowered, suddenly intimate. "You know… I'm not opposed to releasing Namikaze Minato. I will release him — but I have a condition."
"Bastard. You really think I'll still fall for that?" Kushina snapped, fury flaring in her eyes.
Kanzou chuckled. "Haha… you don't have much choice, do you? Either you accept my terms, or you don't. Besides, this time, I'm not saying that I'll consider releasing him, I said I will release him. I keep my word." He shrugged, as if that settled everything.
In truth, Kanzou was serious about releasing Minato. He knew that if he kept pushing Kushina any further, she'd eventually break, and that wouldn't serve his interests.
So, this time, he had no intention of deceiving her. As long as Kushina gave him what he wanted, he was willing to let Namikaze Minato go. After all, he had already reaped plenty of rewards.
You don't shear a sheep all at once; you trim it slowly. Killing it outright only ruins the long-term profit.
"This is the last time," Kushina said coldly. "The last time I'll ever trust you. What's your condition?"
She had made up her mind: if Uchiha Kanzou betrayed her again, she would take him down with her—no matter the cost.
"Don't worry," Kanzou replied, calm and measured. "This condition is simple. It won't put you in a difficult position."
Kushina sneered. 'Simple?' She didn't believe a word of it.
"I want the Uzumaki clan's Scrolls of Fūinjutsu," Kanzou said evenly. "If you're willing to hand them over to me, I'll release Namikaze Minato immediately. How does that sound?"
The sealing arts of the Uzumaki clan had long been coveted by the Great Shinobi Villages.
In fact, the fall of the Land of Whirlpools was rumored to have been caused by that very mastery, knowledge too dangerous for others to ignore.
Kanzou certainly covets their Fūinjutsu… more so now that he has suddenly obtained knowledge of Fūinjutsu… Naturally, he wants to learn all the said Fūinjutsu that Kushina has access to.
"You… you want the Fūinjutsu of my clan?" Kushina's voice trembled with fury as she clenched her teeth, barely holding back the urge to strike him.
That knowledge was the very core of her clan's legacy. Even though the Uzumaki no longer had a nation to call their own, those techniques remained sacred, secrets she could never bear to surrender to the man she hates most.
"This condition is already quite simple," Kanzou said calmly. "Don't overestimate the exclusivity of your clan's Fūinjutsu. Even if you refuse, I have other ways to obtain them. For instance, the Scroll of Seals in Konoha holds several of your clan's techniques."
Of course, he knew acquiring the Scroll of Seals wouldn't be easy. It contained some of Konoha's most advanced and forbidden jutsu, guarded personally by the Hokage himself.
Even if someone managed to steal it, reading its contents wouldn't be so simple. The Scroll was heavily restricted; mere possession wasn't enough. Without knowing the exact sequence of hand signs to unseal it, the text would remain locked.
Forcing it open was equally futile; any attempt to break the seal would destroy the jutsu within, making it nearly impossible to steal its knowledge intact.
That was why Kushina became his best means of obtaining the Uzumaki Fūinjutsu.
"You release Minato-kun first," Kushina said at last, her voice cold but resigned. "Then I'll give you my clan's Fūinjutsu."
But this time, her resolve was unshakable.
'If he doesn't release Minato-kun,' she swore to herself, then no matter what happens, 'I'll never hand over the Fūinjutsu.'
"No problem. I'm sure you'll keep your word," Kanzou said confidently, his gaze fixed on her. "I trust you so much, and yet you don't trust me at all. Truly… it breaks my heart, Kushina-chan."
"Ha!" Kushina sneered, her glare cutting through his false sincerity.
Unbothered by her sneer, Kanzou snapped his fingers. The world around them shifted in an instant.
Kushina suddenly found herself seated on the sofa, with Kanzou lounging opposite her.
"Th-that was all Genjutsu?!" she gasped, eyes widening.
"Yup," Kanzou chuckled, clearly amused. "Didn't even notice, did you?"
Kushina's expression darkened. He was right; she hadn't realized it at all. Now it made sense why her body had frozen, why her voice had vanished and returned at his whim. It was all the effect of his Genjutsu… one she hadn't even sensed.
The weight of that realization hit her hard. Just how terrifyingly strong was Uchiha Kanzou?
"Come on, let's go release Namikaze Minato," Kanzou said, completely unfazed by her reaction.
At his words, a flicker of hesitation crossed Kushina's face. 'Damn it… this bastard took something I can never get back. How am I supposed to face Minato-kun now?'
"I… I just want you to release him," she said quietly. "I don't need to go with you for Minato-kun to be freed. Once he's home… I'll give you the Fūinjutsu."
In the end, Kushina couldn't bring herself to face Minato yet.
Kanzou studied her for a long moment, as if reading every thought behind her eyes. Then, without a word, he called over one of his Zodiacs.
A masked kunoichi stepped forward and knelt before him. Kushina blinked in surprise at the sight.
This was the first time she had seen such a mask or such a Kunoichi.
From her experience, she knew of the ANBU, and the Kunoichi in front of her looked just like ANBU, but she appeared different from ANBU, which made her wonder, 'Uchiha Clan's special forces?'
She didn't know if the Uchiha Clan also had special forces… She wouldn't be surprised, considering just how big and powerful the Uchiha Clan is.
Even if she was filled with doubts, she didn't question anything and watched as Kanzou gave the simple order, "Kaede, go to the Konoha Police Force Office. Tell them to release Namikaze Minato."
"Understood, Patriarch," nodded Kaede as she disappeared from the room.
"You can go to the Police Force Office and check… he will be released," said Kanzou as he sent Kushina away.
…
After Kushina left with Kaede, Kanzou made his way to the kitchen, where Mikoto was preparing breakfast, her gaze slightly distant.
He slipped his arms around her from behind, pulling her close. Mikoto didn't resist; instead, she leaned back against him and asked softly, "Kushina-chan… did she leave?"
"Yup," Kanzou said, burying his face in her smooth hair to take in her scent.
"Kan-sama… how long are you going to keep toying with Kushina-chan?" Mikoto asked softly.
"I wonder," Kanzou replied, amusement in his voice. "Maybe I'll stop after today… or maybe I'll keep at it forever."
Mikoto fell silent for a moment, then spoke, her voice darker. "You know… Part of me wants to kill her."
"Is that so?" he asked, already aware of the desire suddenly taking root in her heart.
Mikoto nodded, "Yes… Just the thought of her touching you, of you touching her, of her serving you fills me with a jealousy I can barely control. Am I… am I losing my mind?"
Kanzou turned her to face him, studying her closely. "Those thoughts are normal," he said. "You're not losing your mind." Their eyes met, and he could see a sliver of madness spinning behind her black irises.
'Yandere,' he thought, smiling with a strange excitement.
"These thoughts... are normal?" Mikoto asked, her pupils darkening.
"Yes. It's natural for a wife to be fiercely possessive of her danna-sama," he replied, baiting her. "And it's not unusual at all to fantasize about hurting the woman your husband is having an extramarital affair with. You're not wrong."
"I see… these thoughts are normal," Mikoto murmured, her breathing quickening as she asked with some darkness in her voice, "Th-then… can I kill Kushina-chan?"
"No… You can entertain those fantasies as much as you like, I allow you to do it," he whispered darkly in her ears, "but don't ever do anything that would make me unhappy."
Her entire body froze, and her breathing stopped for a moment…
"Do you understand?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.
She was silent for a moment, but then, with a bright smile curving her lips, she nodded, "Hai, Kan-sama… I'll never do anything that would make you unhappy."
'Fufu~ Yandere indeed,' Kanzou thought, watching her. Her lips smiled warmly, but her eyes were darker, glinting with something far less innocent.
"Well then, Kan-sama, let's have breakfast," Mikoto said, changing the topic.
"Yup, let's," Kanzou replied, separating from her and taking his seat at the dining table.
"I've prepared larger portions this time, considering your appetite's been increasing. Please, eat as much as you need," Mikoto said as she served him.
Kanzou nodded with a hum of approval. "Hmm…"
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Training Ground
Kanzou made his way to the training ground with Mikoto following him.
After observing her complete a few techniques, Kanzou nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, you've improved a lot lately. Your Fire Style is far stronger than before."
Mikoto specialized in both Fire and Lightning Style ninjutsu, and on top of that, she possessed exceptional skill in Shurikenjutsu and Genjutsu.
Hearing Kanzou's praise, Mikoto smiled softly, "Umm…"
She didn't ask for much; just his approval was enough.
"When you master all the ninjutsu I've taught you and elevate your chakra further," Kanzou said, "you'll be a proper Kage-level powerhouse."
Although Mikoto's current strength was at a quasi-Kage level, that was without using her Mangekyō Sharingan. If she activated it, she could definitely easily hold her own against a true Kage-level opponent.
"Next, I'll teach you an S-rank space-time ninjutsu," Kanzou said. "Try to learn it, if you can."
The technique he was referring to was none other than the legendary Flying Raijin Jutsu.
Thanks to the rewards provided by the system, Kanzou hadn't needed to study it in depth. He had acquired all the knowledge, and all that he needed to do was make use of that knowledge…
"This is the Flying Raijin, created by the Second Hokage," he explained, giving her a ser of notes.
Mikoto looked genuinely surprised; she couldn't imagine how Kanzou had acquired such a jutsu.
A technique like that should have been sealed within Konoha's Scroll of Seals. Given the strained relations between the Uchiha and the Hokage, there was no chance it would have been willingly shared with Kanzou.
Still, Mikoto didn't press him on how he'd obtained the Flying Raijin Jutsu. Instead, she turned her attention to the notes he had written and began studying them intently.
Comprehending the material wasn't easy, especially without a strong foundation in Fūinjutsu.
Fortunately, Kanzou had received the knowledge directly through the system, allowing him to grasp it as deeply as Kushina's mastery in Fuinjutsu allowed.
Kushina's current mastery of Fūinjutsu was exceptionally high, definitely surpassing Minato's. That wasn't surprising, considering she was the one who had taught him the art in the first place.
Because of that, Kanzou had no trouble understanding the knowledge he gained from the system. If not for Kushina's high level of comprehension and understanding, he might have struggled to grasp it as easily as he did.
Of course, knowledge and comprehension alone weren't enough; if they were, Kushina herself would have mastered the Flying Raijin. Another requirement was the need for a natural affinity for space-time ninjutsu, and that was the key.
In the canon, only its creator, Senju Tobirama, and the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had successfully mastered it… since its creation. Others like the Hiruzen, Danzō, Homura, Koharu, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and so on… probably couldn't. It's not that they never tried to master it… It was probably that they couldn't, as they lacked affinity for the Time-Space Ninjutsu.
Unlike them, Kanzou had an affinity for the Flying Raijin… His Amenotokotachi, which is a time-based Jutsu, seems to suggest that Kanzou definitely has an affinity for the Space-time Jutsu… which also played a factor in helping him learn it.
Though, of course, he had only learned it… not exactly mastered it.
Mastering Flying Raijin would mean becoming extremely proficient in it.
On the other hand, he hasn't even tried teleporting once. But of course, he is going to start doing that now, and murmured to himself. "Let's start mastering this Jutsu."
He took out a special kunai, etched onto it was a unique seal: his personal Flying Raijin Jutsu mark.
Every user's mark was different. Senju Tobirama's mark was a complex pattern related to the sigil of the Senju Clan, Namikaze Minato's mark was composed of written Kanji characters, and Kanzou's mark took the form of the Uchiha clan emblem mixed with a few characters.
'Still,' he mused, 'it might be better to create two distinct marks, one for the Flying Raijin technique, and another… a personal mark. A Mark of Possession.'
The standard Flying Raijin mark would serve for ordinary teleportation. The other, his so-called Mark of Ownership, would be reserved for the women who are owned by him.
'Yes… I'll make another mark,' Kanzou decided, a faint smirk curving his lips.
But not yet, first, he needed to refine the Flying Raijin itself.
With that in mind, he flicked his wrist and threw the kunai.
Just as it neared a target a hundred meters away, Kanzou vanished in a blur of light.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared, catching the kunai just before it hit the target.
Space-time ninjutsu… the ultimate life-saving Jutsu.
If you can't win, just escape. And now, Kanzou had one more trump card in his arsenal.
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Read up to 60+ Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]