Read ahead of public release on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley
Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv at unhinged_uchiha
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Morning of the Next Day, Patriarch's Mansion
While Kanzou was finishing breakfast, he suddenly said to Mikoto, "I might be home late tonight. I have to visit Sora-ku, so you don't need to wait for me. You can have dinner without me… and if it gets too late, you can go to sleep."
"You're visiting Sora-ku?" she blinked in surprise. Instead, she asked softly, "Kanzou-sama… may I come with you?"
Kanzou paused and looked up. "You want to come with me?"
Sora-ku was a city that had suffered devastating destruction during the First Great Shinobi War. Abandoned afterward, it eventually became a full-fledged black market hub. Illegal weapons manufacturing and transport, organ trafficking, bounty hunting, prostitution, drug trade, every kind of illicit activity thrived there.
Because of that, he was genuinely surprised that Mikoto wanted to accompany him to a place like Sora-ku.
"Yes… I'd really like to go with you," she said softly, then added shyly, "O-of course… only if you'd allow me to."
"Why?" he asked, not agreeing right away. "For me, it's simply a matter of meeting Neko-baa, informing her of a few things as the new Patriarch, handling some police-related matters, and placing an order for a few custom tools." He then looked at her and asked, "So, what reason do you have for wanting to visit Sora-ku?"
Beyond its many black-market facilities, Sora-ku was also home to the Cat Clan. The Uchiha Clan maintained a strong relationship with the Neko Clan, strong enough that the Cat Clan handled most of the Uchiha's weapon requests. As the new Patriarch, it was only natural for him to meet Neko-baa and discuss how relations between their clans would proceed going forward. His reason for visiting made perfect sense.
What he didn't understand was why Mikoto wanted to come along.
"I'm also on good terms with Neko-baa, and it's been a while since I last visited her," she explained. "Since you're going there anyway, I'd like to tag along."
She didn't have any hidden motive, she simply wanted to come with him.
"Hm… is that so?" he murmured thoughtfully, understanding her intent. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Very well."
Mikoto beamed at his approval and clapped her hands together. "Then… c-could it be a date?"
"A date?" He tilted his head, clearly amused. "You want to turn a trip to a place like Sora-ku into a date?"
After all, Sora-ku was a gathering place for ruffians and criminals not exactly a romantic destination.
Mikoto understood that as well, yet she hesitated only briefly before replying, "The rest of the journey would count too… right?"
"Would that really be enough for you to call it a date?" he asked.
"Ahem…" She looked away shyly. "I've heard it's not the destination that matters, but the journey, and who you're with…"
Her face warmed with embarrassment at how cheesy it sounded.
Kanzou blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Is that so… I see. Then I suppose you really do want to go on this date with me, hm?"
"I-if you don't mind me tagging along…" she replied, nodding shyly.
"Hmm… fine, then," he relented. "I have to handle some matters at the police station before I leave, so come to the police station at twelve. We'll leave from there."
"I see… I'll be there," she nodded, happy that he agreed.
With that, Kanzou quickly finished breakfast and stood to leave. Before going, however, he didn't forget to violate Mikoto a little, pulling her close and stealing a lingering taste of her lips.
"Kanzou-samaaa… wooo…" she panted, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rose onto her tiptoes, eagerly responding to his kisses.
Chu… slrrrpp… haaannn…
Only when he was satisfied did he release her and step back, leaving her disheveled and gasping, her face flushed.
"Don't be late," he reminded her as he opened the door. "Otherwise, I'll leave without you."
"I… I won't. I promise," she nodded, bowing slightly as the door closed behind him.
Turning back into the house, she gathered herself. 'I'll need to finish the housework before heading to the police station,' she thought, nodding to herself. There was plenty to do: laundry, cleaning, and preparing a meal for the two of them before their date.
…
At the Police Station
Shin greeted Kanzou the moment he arrived at the police station. "Patriarch."
"Patriarch?" Kanzou raised an eyebrow at the form of address.
"Ahem… since you're now the Patriarch, I thought it would be appropriate to use your title," Shin explained.
"Hm… the way you addressed me before was better," Kanzou replied. "Don't call me 'Patriarch' when you're speaking to me directly."
"Well… if that's the case, I'll go back to calling you Kanzou-sama," Shin said.
Kanzou hummed in acknowledgment as he accepted the tea Hazuki offered him. After taking a sip, he asked, "So… do you have anything to report?"
He hadn't visited the police station the previous day, so he was unaware of what had transpired and wondered if anything noteworthy had occurred.
"Nothing major," Shin replied. "The protection fees from the Hyūga Clan and the Sarutobi Clan arrived, so I released Hyūga Hiashi and Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Only those two were freed, however. The remaining clan members, including Hyūga Hizashi, are still imprisoned."
"Hm… good," Kanzou nodded.
Shin had followed his instructions perfectly. Kanzou had no intention of releasing the other prisoners anytime soon, at least not until Hiruzen approved the annual budget of ten billion ryō.
"And… there's one more thing," Shin added. "Seiji-san submitted an application to join the police force."
"Seiji-san?" Kanzou raised an eyebrow. "He applied to join the police force?" The news clearly caught him off guard.
"Yes," Shin confirmed with a nod. "I haven't approved it yet. I thought you'd want to review it personally."
"Hm… I see," Kanzou murmured, nodding in agreement. It was for the best that Shin had held off on approving it; Kanzou intended to look into the matter himself.
As he turned the issue over in his mind, a knock sounded at the office door. A kunoichi stepped inside and bowed.
"Captain, I apologise for interrupting the briefing," she said. "But Seiji-sama is here and has requested a meeting with you."
"Well… speak of the devil. Send him in," Kanzou said, nodding to the kunoichi.
"I understand," she replied before leaving the room.
…
When Seiji stepped inside and stood before him, Kanzou raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're here to join the police force?"
"Yes," Seiji answered with a nod.
"Didn't you say you'd need Sarutobi Hiruzen's permission to transfer?" Kanzou pressed on. "You weren't even sure he'd allow it, thought he might refuse outright. So, how are you joining the very next day? Did you submit the request? Did he approve it?"
His curiosity was unmistakable as he waited for Seiji's response.
"Patriarch… You told me that the police force is short on manpower and requires the service of clansmen," Seiji explained. "And since you personally wanted me to join, I submitted a transfer request yesterday when I went to deliver the report from my last mission. I managed to convince Hokage-sama to approve it."
"Hm… is that so…?" Kanzou murmured, studying Seiji with a sceptical gaze.
Not for a moment did Kanzou believe it was that simple. He was well aware of Seiji's loyalty to the Hokage, and he strongly suspected this transfer was Hiruzen's way of placing a loyal agent close to him, someone meant to observe, report, and gather intelligence on Kanzou himself.
Kanzou neither approved nor rejected the request outright. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Fine. Since you managed to convince Sarutobi Hiruzen to approve the transfer, I'll accept it. You can begin working with the police force starting today."
He then added, "Shin, show him the ropes and get him accustomed to the work. He'll start at the bottom. Take him along for the collection of protection fees."
Naturally, Kanzou had no intention of making things easy for Seiji.
"I understand, Kanzou-sama," Shin replied with a nod. He narrowed his eyes at Seiji before gesturing toward the door. "Well then, Seiji-san, follow me."
Seiji hesitated. He already knew exactly what the so-called collection of protection fees entailed, and he wanted no part of it. No, more than that, he wanted to stop it. But having just joined the police force, how could he oppose it now? With no room to object, he could only accept the situation and follow Shin.
"Remember," Shin said sharply, issuing commands despite being barely half of Seiji's age, "don't speak unless you're asked. Don't act unless you're ordered to. Just follow instructions."
Every word grated against Seiji's conscience, but he had no choice. He nodded and complied.
…
After Seiji left with Shin to assist with the collection, Hazuki turned to Kanzou and asked, "Is it really all right to accept him into the police force?"
"What's the problem?" Kanzou replied, as if he genuinely didn't understand what she was referring to.
Hazuki rolled her eyes. "Kanzou-sama, I'm being serious. Seiji-san could become troublesome. His views clearly don't align with yours, and he's bound to resist. Not to mention… there's a chance Sarutobi Hiruzen sent him here to be a nail beside you."
As one of Kanzou's closest subordinates, Hazuki knew far more than most. She was aware that Kagami had effectively been a spy, or at least suspected as much. There was no concrete proof, but Kanzou was absolutely convinced Kagami had been a double agent, and he had never hidden that belief from her.
Still—
"It doesn't matter," Kanzou replied calmly. "Yes, keeping him around could be troublesome… but he could also prove useful."
"Useful?" Hazuki frowned. She couldn't see any value in Seiji at all.
"You'll see," Kanzou said with a faint smile. "Besides, just because someone might become a problem doesn't mean I can simply discard them or throw them in a cell. What kind of message would that send to the other clansmen?"
If he were to discard Seiji before he had done anything wrong, the other clans would lose trust in him as well. They would see that he could just as easily discard them, and that would only damage his credibility.
"I still think he'll only cause trouble," she insisted. "It would be better not to keep him in the police force at all."
"That's fine," Kanzou said lightly. "If he does betray me, I'm sure Kasumi-san won't mind paying the remuneration for her husband's mistakes. After all… she still needs to keep her son alive, doesn't she?"
Hazuki blinked.
Being all too familiar with Kanzou's methods, she immediately understood what he was implying. It dawned on her that Kanzou might be deliberately keeping Seiji close, waiting for him to betray him, so he could use it as a pretext to lay his hands on Kasumi.
"Kanzou-sama… you really do enjoy playing these games," she murmured with a sigh.
"Playing games?" Kanzou shrugged. "I'd call it ethics. I have no intention of ruining the life of a loyal subordinate."
If Seiji never betrays him, Kanzou would leave Kasumi alone. But if he did… Kanzou would make sure he regretted ever entertaining such a thought.
Hazuki only hummed in response, unconvinced. She knew far too well the kind of things he was capable of. In her eyes, he was definitely looking for entertainment.
…
Only an hour later, Shin and Seiji were standing in front of him…
Kanzou turned to Shin. "Who did you visit this time?"
Shin answered. "A shop owned by the Utatane Clan."
"Oh… from that old slut's clan?" Kanzou remarked casually, not bothering to censor himself.
"Yeah… it was her fourth son inside… The guy tried to use her name to intimidate me," Shin continued coldly. "I pinned him under my foot right after, and I would've handcuffed him, dragged him back here, and thrown him in a cell if not for his interference." He snorted and shot a sideways glance at Seiji.
"I see," Kanzou said with a nod, immediately grasping the situation.
It was simple enough. Shin had been carrying out his usual route, collecting, or rather extorting, protection fees as per his order. This time, the target had been a shop owned by the Utatane Clan. Everything would have proceeded as normal, but Seiji, who was supposed to assist him, had interfered and caused unnecessary trouble.
"Seiji-san… do you have something to say for yourself?" he questioned, turning to Seiji.
"Patriarch… this, this isn't right," Seiji protested, with a frustrated expression. "Threatening shopkeepers and confiscating their goods just to force them to pay protection fees… That's not law enforcement, that's deliberately provoking conflict. This goes against the very ethics the police force was founded. We're threatening the very villagers we're supposed to protect!"
He made no effort to hide his disagreement with Kanzou's methods.
"Hmm… is that what you think?" he murmured, turning back to Shin, "How much were we supposed to collect from that shop?"
"Well… since it belongs to the Utatane Clan, it should've been around five million or so," Shin replied.
"Hm… I see," Kanzou said calmly. He then turned to Seiji. "In that case, Seiji-san, you'll cover that amount out of your own pocket. Make sure it's paid by this evening; the books still need to be balanced."
"W-wait, Patriarch, what do you mean I have to pay that amount?" Seiji asked, completely taken aback.
"I thought you were smart, Seiji-san," Kanzou said, mocking him openly. "Or are you actually so foolish that you can't grasp something this basic?"
Seiji gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction, unhappy for being called a fool and having his intelligence questioned.
Kanzou didn't care that Seiji was riled up… rather, he was happy, and continued without pause, "Since you took issue with us collecting protection fees and chose to interfere with Shin's work, you'll compensate for the loss instead. That's only natural, isn't it?"
Shin snickered, barely holding back his laughter. 'Serves you right, you self-righteous sucker…'
On the other hand, Seiji was even more dissatisfied.
Even though Kanzou's logic sounded reasonable, it still felt wrong to Seiji. Especially the aspect of protection fees. He couldn't let it go. "Why collect protection fees at all?" he demanded.
"Why?" Kanzou echoed coolly. "Don't you want to receive a salary for serving the village as a member of the police force?"
He continued, his tone measured. "Given how loyal and devoted you are, perhaps someone like you truly doesn't care about money. And that's likely because you're wealthy, you inherited Kagami-san's fortune and built your own wealth over the years through countless missions. Even without the meagre salary of a policeman, you and your family could live comfortably for a long time without worry."
He paused, then added firmly, "But not everyone in the clan is the same. Not everyone is rich."
His gaze shifted to Shin. "Shin is a perfect example. He was an orphan with nothing but his talent. He honed that talent into strength over the years and rose high enough to serve as deputy captain. So tell me, Shin, would you work for the police force and ensure the village's safety for free, or for pay that fails to match your skill and effort?"
"Of course not," Shin replied immediately. "I need a proper salary for my service, and it must match my skill level… I don't want to be underpaid."
"There, you see?" Kanzou said, turning back to Seiji. "If even someone as loyal as Shin wouldn't do it, and wouldn't even accept being underpaid, there are many others who wouldn't either. People need to eat, sleep, and live their lives. All of that requires money."
He finished calmly, "Which means they need salaries, compensation equal to their skill and service." He fixed Seiji with a steady gaze. "And that isn't possible unless we collect protection fees."
"B-but the village provides an annual budget for this," Seiji protested. "You don't have to collect these so-called protection fees—"
"Budget?" Kanzou scoffed, almost laughing. "It's not enough. The allocated budget is only five hundred million ryō per year. Do you honestly think the entire police force can operate for a full year on that?"
"But as far as I remember, Dōma-sama ran the police force with whatever budget the police force allocated," Seiji argued. "Before you became captain, there was no such practice, and yet the force functioned properly. The clansmen were paid their salaries."
"That's only because Dōma was draining the clan's resources," Kanzou replied flatly. "He funded the police force using the clan's own wealth, and he did it for years."
He opened a drawer, pulled out a diary, and tossed it onto the desk in front of Seiji.
"Look at this. Every year, the balance sheet was in the red. The clan's wealth steadily declined because he kept propping up the police force with the clan's own wealth. Moreover, the salaries paid were still not proper… not according to the service and skill level of his subordinates. The policemen were all underpaid… It's not as though he never applied to the Hokage for an increased budget, but the requests were always denied. Sometimes it was because of the village's financial strain, sometimes because of war, sometimes because of new construction projects, or some other excuse."
Kanzou's voice hardened.
"I can't accept that. I won't accept that. If Sarutobi Hiruzen is incapable of allocating a proper budget to the police force, then we'll rely on crowdfunding from now on."
It was the same conclusion he had already made clear to the Hokage.
Of course, the main objective remained the collection of Evil Points.
Seiji read through the diary and immediately noticed that the finances ended in the red year after year. He wasn't particularly knowledgeable about finance, but even he could tell the clan had been operating at a loss. From one perspective, it hadn't mattered; the village was safe. But as Kanzou had said, money was an essential factor. Shinobi provided their services in exchange for compensation, and if that compensation wasn't adequate, there was no reason for them to continue serving.
He understood now that the issue couldn't simply be dismissed.
Still, he couldn't accept the idea of extorting protection fees. Shaking his head, he said, "There… there has to be another way. A way that doesn't create conflict between the Uchiha and other clans. A way that doesn't involve threatening fellow villagers or imprisoning those who can't pay."
Kanzou nodded casually. "Of course there is."
"Then what is it?" Seiji asked quickly. "And if such a method exists, why aren't we using it?"
"I tried," Kanzou replied calmly. "But unfortunately, Sarutobi Hiruzen refuses to accept it."
"Hokage-sama refused?" Seiji murmured. If the Hokage had rejected it, then something about the proposal had to be wrong. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "What method?"
"Increasing the allocated budget," Kanzou said with a shrug. "If the allocated budget were raised, would we still need to rely on crowdfunding?"
Seiji fell silent.
Kanzou was right. If the Hokage approved a larger budget, there would be no need for crowdfunding at all. But if the Hokage continued to refuse… then—
"Tell you what, Seiji-san," Kanzou said, drawing Seiji's attention back to him. "Since you're uncomfortable with this crowdfunding, I'll assign you a different mission to help us solve this problem. Go to Sarutobi Hiruzen and convince him to increase the budget."
"You want me to take this request to Hokage-sama?" Seiji asked, not expecting him to say such a thing.
"Yes," Kanzou replied. "Didn't you say you wanted to mediate between the clan and the village? I'm giving you exactly that role. Mediate between us and secure approval for a higher budget." He continued calmly, "If Sarutobi Hiruzen agrees to allocate an annual budget of ten billion ryō to the Police Force, I'll put an end to the crowdfunding."
"Ten billion ryō?" Seiji exclaimed, stunned. "Isn't that far too much?!"
"It's appropriate," Kanzou said flatly. "It's what we deserve, and this still doesn't even account for the decades of losses we've already suffered. I fully intend to recover those as well. But for now, we'll start with ten billion ryō. That's the annual budget I'm demanding."
"Such a high budget will never be approved," Seiji said, his voice devoid of hope.
"Then I suppose we'll never stop crowd-funding," Kanzou replied with a casual shrug. He continued, "In that case, go back to the streets and start working the shops. Make sure you collect as much as you can. I want at least ten million ryō from you every day."
'10 million ryō every day?!' his eyes twitched. With some hesitation, he asked, "Is there no other way?"
"No!" Kanzou said flatly. "Ten million ryō every day, or ten billion ryō annually. The choice is yours."
'I don't want to choose either,' Seiji thought. Collecting ten million ryō meant threatening fellow villagers and doing exactly what Shin and the others were already doing, something that sat badly with him, especially if he had to do it daily.
As for ten billion ryō…
Even without being a finance expert, he knew it wasn't a sum the village would approve easily, if at all.
"I've already given you your choice," Kanzou continued coldly. "I don't care how you do it. Either bring me ten million ryō each day, or secure approval for a ten-billion-ryō budget from Sarutobi. Fail, and don't step foot in the police station again."
His gaze hardened. "I'm already displeased with your interference in Shin's work. I won't tolerate a subordinate who can't accomplish assigned tasks and only creates trouble. It's better to have no subordinate at all than a useless one."
With that, he dismissed Seiji.
Soon after Seiji left, Shin also left the office in order to continue the collection work.
…
Once Seiji was gone and it was just the two of them again, Hazuki immediately asked, "Is this what you meant when you said he'd be useful?"
Kanzou didn't bother denying it. He chuckled softly. "If that monkey thinks he can plant a nail next to me," he said, "he'd better be prepared to pay the price for it."
If the ten-billion-ryō budget were approved, he truly wouldn't mind keeping a troublesome figure like Seiji around.
As for the risk of betrayal… Kanzou wasn't concerned. As he had said before, if Seiji ever betrayed him, Kanzou would make Seiji's beloved wife, Kasumi, and perhaps even his son Shisui, pay the price.
The thought of the NTR scene he would make Seiji in case of betrayal made him chuckle, and the smile that followed immediately alerted Hazuki, 'he is definitely thinking something unpleasant'
Before she could ask what was on his mind, a knock sounded at the door. A kunoichi stepped inside and bowed.
"Captain, Mikoto-sama is here to see you."
Mikoto followed her in.
Kanzou blinked for a moment as he took in her appearance. She was dressed in her kunoichi attire. A faint smile curved his lips. 'She really is too beautiful…'
He had seen many beautiful women and even been involved with several of them, but Mikoto stood a cut above the rest.
Stepping fully into the room, she bowed politely. "Kanzou-sama." Then she turned to grey-haired Kunoichi and greeted, "Hazuki-chan."
"Mikoto-sama," Hazuki replied, returning the greeting. Noticing her attire, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you heading out on a mission?"
"A mission? Um… not really," Mikoto said, shaking her head. She then turned back to Kanzou and asked softly, "Shall we go… on the date?"
'D-date?' Hazuki's eyes widened in shock.
"It's almost time, huh?" Kanzou murmured, nodding as he rose from his seat. "Did you bring my travel cloak?"
"Hai," Mikoto replied, pulling a cloak from the bag she was carrying. "Here it is."
"Hm," he hummed as he draped it over his clothes. Turning to Hazuki, he added, "We probably won't be back until late tonight. Keep an eye on things in the clan while I'm gone."
"Kanzou-sama… are you really going on a date?" Hazuki asked, still stunned.
"I suppose I am," Kanzou said with a nod.
He took Mikoto's hand and led her out of the office, leaving Hazuki behind, staring after them in utter disbelief.
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
Read ahead of public release on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley
Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv: unhinged_uchiha