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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Mikoto blinked, stunned. "You're… really the strongest in all of Konoha? Even stronger than the Hokage?"
It was a bold claim. She knew Kanzou was powerful; she had seen his Mangekyō Sharingan and experienced the terrifying depth of his genjutsu, but she had never truly grasped just how strong he was.
Stronger than the Hokage?
Uchiha Madara had been monstrously powerful, too. If the rumours were true, he could cleave mountains and carve valleys with his strength alone. Was Kanzou on that level as well?
But even if he was that strong… stronger than the Hokage? How could that be?
Uchiha Madara had never surpassed the Hokage of his era. He had been defeated by Senju Hashirama, not once or twice, but repeatedly. And Sarutobi Hiruzen was said to be even stronger than the Shodaime Hokage.
Of course, Mikoto knew that was only said to be true.
Based on what her grandfather had told her, Hiruzen was neither as strong nor as great as the legends claimed. Her grandfather, an active shinobi during the Warring States era, had personally witnessed the strength of Madara and Hashirama. He would often scoff at Sarutobi Hiruzen being called the strongest Hokage.
From that alone, she knew those rumors were exaggerated.
Even so, her grandfather had never denied one thing: Hiruzen was likely the strongest ninja in Konoha at present.
And yet…
Kanzou was claiming to be stronger than even the so-called strongest Hokage.
Only now did she realise that it might actually be true.
Uchiha Kanzou, the man pinning her against the tree in a kabedon hold, might genuinely be the strongest shinobi in Konoha. Not just within the Uchiha Clan, but in all of Konohagakure.
The realisation sent a quiet shock through her.
"It's true," he said, affirming it again. "I am indeed the strongest in all of Konoha. Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, I could kill him in the blink of an eye."
Mikoto wanted to tell him not to exaggerate… killing Sarutobi Hiruzen in the blink of an eye? Isn't that saying too much? But when she looked into his eyes, she swallowed the words. She could tell that he wasn't boasting. This wasn't an overstatement; it was pure confidence.
Her throat went dry.
The man before her was terrifyingly powerful… and there was something bad in the way he looked at her. Could she resist someone like this?
It didn't seem possible. She felt like a helpless lamb before a wolf far too strong to escape. There truly might be no way out. Well, it's not as though she was looking for a way out and wouldn't resist being eaten by the big bad wolf with bad intentions towards her, but—
"If that's the case, and you aren't worried about assassination, then what's the real reason?" she couldn't help asking.
"Because my absence from the village creates opportunities for others," he replied casually.
She understood immediately. "Is it because of the people imprisoned in the jail cells?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "My presence in Konoha acts as a deterrent. People can't casually slip into the police station and try to free prisoners if they believe I'm still around."
He paused before continuing. "Most people don't concern me. Shin, Souta, Hazuki, and Satoru are more than capable of handling them. Even the Patriarch of most Clans can be handled by them… and by my Zodiacs if need be. But there are a few who are… problematic."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Someone like Sarutobi Hiruzen might not even be worthy of meeting my gaze, but against my subordinates, he'd be a serious obstacle. Not just because of his position as Hokage, but because of his strength as well. For them, Hiruzen would be a troublesome opponent, one they couldn't simply fight."
He added calmly, "Worse still, engaging him could lead to my subordinates being branded as traitors. That would be a problem."
He exhaled lightly. "As long as he believes I'm still here, he won't dare approach the police station with such intention. But if he learns that I'm absent… then he'll likely act."
"In other words," he concluded, "they could exploit my absence to free those prisoners. But if they think I'm still at the police station, they won't take that risk."
"I see…" Mikoto nodded, understanding.
She already knew, at least in part, why he kept them imprisoned. As much as he had told her, it had something to do with forcing a budget increase for the clan. Although she felt that there was more to it, she didn't ask.
Moreover, she understood that the clan's finances were genuinely strained and had been for many years. Their wealth had been steadily depleting, and there was a real need for an increased budget. Kanzou was addressing the problem in his own way, and she had no desire to tell him what was right or wrong.
After all, this was politics, and the Hokage's faction was not something to be taken lightly they have been pushing the Uchiha Clan into the corner for decades now… something really has to be done, lest the Uchiha Clan might perish.
So she chose to remain silent on that.
As she fell silent, looking up at him, her chest rising and falling softly, Kanzou leaned closer and spoke in a low voice. "But putting all of that aside… Mikoto… did I tell you that you look absolutely stunning right now? It's almost irresistible."
He gently brushed her sidelock behind her ear and asked, "Did you dress like this on purpose, to tempt me?"
The blush on her cheeks deepened. His praise made her heart flutter, but she still tried to defend herself.
"W-what are you talking about? This is just a normal outfit I wear when I am working…"
"Hmm… is that so?" he mused. "Come to think of it, you haven't been active as a kunoichi for the past year, have you? But before that, during the five years you spent in the capital, did you wear outfits like this often?"
"Y-yes," she admitted shyly.
"Hmm… then a lot of men must have seen you dressed like this," he said softly. "That makes me jealous." His fingers traced lightly along the exposed skin between her shorts and stockings. "And seeing you dressed like this… so many others will see you," he said quietly. "The thought of other men looking at you like this only makes me more jealous."
The idea made her heart flutter. What woman wouldn't feel pleased knowing the man she desired felt jealous at the thought of other men seeing her? Some might dislike it and call it possessive, but Mikoto wasn't one of them. It made her happy.
Still, she hesitated. After a moment, she asked softly, "S-should I stop wearing clothes like this? Should I wear outfits that cover me completely instead?"
Kanzou blinked, surprised that she brought up such a thing, and he asked her, "You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, I would…" she nodded without any hesitation.
Although she was only revealing a small portion of her thighs, and even that was partially concealed by the hooded cloak she wore, she knew that if he didn't want other men to see her skin, she wouldn't show it at all. His jealousy pleased her, but she didn't want him to think she enjoyed displaying herself for others. She wasn't that kind of woman.
The only person she wished to reveal herself to was Kanzou, and him alone.
"Fufu…" He chuckled softly and kissed her on the cheek before smiling. "It's fine. You don't have to restrain yourself like that. Just don't dress like a slut or a whore, everything else is fine."
He was possessive, yes, but not in that way.
He knew that when she dressed beautifully and looked alluring, she would draw attention, especially from other men. They might stare. They might leer. But that didn't matter. They could look all they wanted; no one but him would ever touch her. And if anyone else dared to do more than look, that would be the end of it.
As the strongest shinobi in Konoha, if he couldn't even allow his woman to dress as she pleased, then what was the point of that strength?
Moreover, keeping such a beautiful woman by his side, one whom others could only admire from afar without ever touching, also fed his ego. Naturally, he had no problem with that at all.
Mikoto felt relieved and happy. She would have accepted it if he had imposed such a restriction, but the fact that he didn't pleased her all the more. She nodded softly. "I'll keep that in mind."
As for dressing like a slut or a whore, why would she ever do that? Kanzou didn't even need to say it. She wasn't that kind of woman. By nature, she was reserved and was very uncomfortable with the idea of dressing like that.
"Hmm…" he hummed, then stepped back and gently patted her cheek. "Come on, let's go."
"Hai," she replied with a nod and followed after him.
…
Sometime later, somewhere in the Land of Fire—
As Mikoto filled a bamboo water bottle with river water, Kanzou, who was casually sitting on a rock and chewing on a straw, asked, "By the way, Mikoto… what were those five years like that you spent in the capital?"
She blinked, surprised by his sudden interest in that. "What was it like? I'm not really sure how to explain it…"
"Just tell me what you did there," Kanzou said. "You were assigned to protect the Daimyō as part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, right? What was it like working in the capital and being referred to as a Guardian Ninja?"
Mikoto thought for a moment before answering. "Well… assassination attempts were fairly common, so the pressure was always intense. We had to stay on guard all the time. But Daimyō-sama was an eccentric man, so at times it was… fun, I suppose. And since there were twelve of us, each one of us being elite, it never really felt completely overwhelming."
"Hm… is that so?"
In canon, very little is explored about Mikoto. All that's known is that she was a jōnin with a three-tomoe Sharingan who later became a housewife giving birth to Fugaku and Sasuke. Kanzou, therefore, had no idea what kind of life she might have led before marrying Fugaku in that version of events.
But here, things were different.
Living in Konoha and being a member of the Uchiha Clan himself, Kanzou knew far more about her past. One such fact was that Mikoto had served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja for five years, from the age of thirteen to eighteen, before being relieved of duty about a year ago and returning to Konoha.
As for why she returned, it was largely because she had reached marriageable age and needed to be back in Konoha to prepare for it, though, in the end, things had turned out very differently.
"Do you miss it?" Kanzou asked.
"Being part of the Guardian Twelve?" she echoed.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Don't you miss that time?" After all, she had spent five years serving as the Daimyō's guard, and Kanzou couldn't help but wonder if she longed for those days.
"I do miss those days a little bit… but not so much." She shook her head. "We were on edge all the time. There was never any real chance to be at ease. And while those battles gave me valuable experience as a Kunoichi and also helped me push my Sharingan to the three tomoe, I still prefer a peaceful life."
"Hmm… I see," he nodded, then asked, "But suppose you were given the chance to return, to become a member of the Guardian Twelve again. Would you go back?"
She blinked and looked at him. "Do you need me to?"
"Not really," Kanzou replied with a shrug. "I'm just asking in general."
"If you needed me to," she said softly, "then I'd try to go back. Otherwise, I'd rather stay with you."
"And if I weren't part of the picture?" he asked. "What would your decision be then?"
She frowned slightly. "What do you mean, if you weren't in the picture?"
"You know… if I hadn't coerced you and threatened you as I did, and then you were given a chance to return back to the capital and once again work as a member of Guardian Twelve, would you want to go back?" he said quietly, meeting her gaze.
She fell silent. Kanzou was speaking of a hypothetical world, one where he hadn't upended her life or shaped her into what she had become. She found it impossible to picture. Too much had happened. The idea of a life untouched by him felt distant, unreal. She could no longer imagine a world in which Kanzou had never laid his hands on her.
Still, she saw in his eyes that he was curious to know… and after a moment of thought, she finally answered, "That decision… wouldn't have been mine to make."
"I… see," he nodded, understanding her meaning.
Mikoto continued, "In the first place… the previous Patriarch and Sofu-sama sent me to the capital to gain the Daimyō's favor."
"I know," Kanzou replied, voicing what he already understood. "It was to secure the Daimyō's support when pushing Fugaku for the position of Hokage, right?"
She nodded hesitantly. "Yes…"
It was exactly as Kanzou said.
Douma, Tadayoshi, and other elders had understood that Sarutobi Hiruzen would never willingly allow a Uchiha to rise so high. Because of that, they had kept trying various things, and making arrangements to gain the Daimyō's favor was one of those decisions. Ensuring that Fugaku, who'd have become the next Patriarch, would have political backing when the time came to choose the Yondaime Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, of course, understood their intentions. Yet he allowed it to happen, or rather, he had little choice in the matter. At the time, the Daimyō himself had requested that an Uchiha be included among his Guardian Twelve, valuing the clan's strength. More importantly, Hiruzen needed the Uchiha Clan's support on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, where the situation had suddenly worsened for reasons beyond his control, and the Land of Wind's army was pushing against the Land of Fire's more strongly than ever.
Allowing one of their own to join the Guardian Twelve as per Daimyō's demand became Douma's condition, and Mikoto was chosen for the role.
"Originally… that incompetent man was supposed to go," she continued. "But the decision changed, and the task was given to me instead." After a brief pause, she added softly, "Well… it was because of you."
"Because of me?" Kanzou murmured, even though he already knew the answer.
"Yes," Mikoto said. "You were making a name for yourself on the battlefield. People in the clan were talking about you. Some were even saying you'd make a better patriarch. In that situation, he had no choice but to go to the battlefield himself, to lead the Uchiha forces joining the war and make a name for himself as well."
"So that's why…" Kanzou murmured.
"Yes," she nodded.
She had a refined upbringing, and as Fugaku's fiancée, she was a fitting candidate. Any favor she gained from the Daimyō would naturally extend to Fugaku after their marriage, and it would have given Fugaku a real chance to become the Yondaime Hokage, after all, Daimyō also has a say on the matter of who becomes the Hokage.
"In that case…" he began, jumping down from the boulder and landing beside her. With a laugh, he said, "Shouldn't you be grateful to me? After all, it was only because of me that you became a member of the Guardian Twelve."
She was momentarily speechless at his audacity to say that, considering all the things he had done to her, but she only smiled and nodded, playing along. "Yes… Kanzou-sama. I am indeed very grateful to you."
"Hmm… I'm glad you understand that," Kanzou said, patting her cheek. "Come on. We've rested long enough, let's get going."
"Hai," she replied. Securing the bottle back into her bag, she followed after him as they crossed the river and hurried toward Sora-ku.
…
Back in Konohagakure, Uchiha Seiji arrived at Elder Tadayoshi's mansion.
DING-DONG~
When he rang the doorbell, he expected Tadayoshi himself to answer. Instead, the door opened to reveal a young girl, no more than ten or eleven years old, dressed in maid attire.
Seiji froze, momentarily stunned. "Um…?" He had no idea who the girl was.
"You are… Seiji-sama?" the girl asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Seiji replied. "And you are?"
"I'm Suzume," she said with a polite bow. "I've been assigned to take care of Tadayoshi-sama's daily life while Mikoto-sama is away."
"Ah… I see," Seiji nodded in understanding. Since Mikoto had moved in with Kanzou, it made sense that someone else had been assigned to look after Tadayoshi in her absence.
Seiji hadn't expected a child to be handling the work. "Are you sure you can manage something like this?" he asked cautiously. "Aren't you a bit too young for it?"
Suzume immediately bristled at the doubt in his voice. She snorted, clearly offended.
"Is that why you're here? To question whether I can do the job I was assigned? Are you really so free that you'd waste your time, and mine, on something so pointless?"
Seiji was taken aback by the girl's sharp, cold reply.
Just then, Elder Tadayoshi's voice called out from inside the house. "Suzume-chan… who is at the door?"
"It's no one, Tadayoshi-sama," Suzume replied coolly. "Just a nosy person who doesn't know how to mind his own business and insists on troubling others."
She shot Seiji a cold look and said, "Now, if you're done questioning my capabilities, you may leave. I have many things to attend to." With that, she started to close the door in his face.
Before it could shut completely, Seiji hurriedly stopped it by placing his foot in the doorway. "Wait, that's not why I'm here. I apologize," he said quickly. "I'm sorry. Please don't take offense. I came to meet Tadayoshi-sama."
"As his caretaker, let me inform you that he's currently resting and has no intention of meeting anyone," Suzume replied flatly. "Come back with a prior appointment." She pushed the door harder, trying to close it.
Seiji still didn't budge. Holding the door open, he said, "He's clearly not resting, and this matter is important. I can't leave right now. Please, at least inform him that I'm here."
"No, I won't," Suzume snapped. "Especially not for someone so ageist! And urgent or not, are you planning to break into someone's home? I didn't realize Seiji-sama was the kind of person who forces his way inside. I should call the police and have you arrested!"
The struggle made Seiji frown, embarrassment creeping over his face.
At that moment, Elder Tadayoshi stepped out, drawn by the commotion. What he saw didn't look good at all.
A young girl was struggling to close her front door, while a man who appeared to have ill intentions was blocking it.
Of course, Tadayoshi recognized both of them and had a sense that the situation wasn't quite what it seemed. Still, judging by appearances alone, it was troubling.
"Uh…" he said cautiously, "what's going on here?"
"Tadayoshi-sama!" Both Suzume and Seiji spoke at once.
Suzume quickly stepped forward and said indignantly, "This ageist person was trying to force his way inside. We should call the police force and have him arrested!"
"That's not true at all," Seiji protested immediately. "I came here to meet you, Tadayoshi-sama, but this lit—" He stopped himself when he noticed the girl's sharp glare upon being called 'little' and corrected, "She wouldn't let me in and even refused to inform you that I was here."
Tadayoshi turned his gaze to Suzume. She avoided his eyes, which made the elder sigh softly.
"Suzume-chan," he said gently, "could you prepare some tea for the two of us?"
"I suppose I can," Suzume replied with a pout. She turned around and headed inside to make the tea.
Meanwhile, Tadayoshi led Seiji inside for their so-called discussion. As they took their seats, he asked calmly, "Well… what is it you wanted to talk about?"
Even as he asked, he already had a good idea of the answer.
"Tadayoshi-sama… I went to the police station today to join them, and—" Seiji began.
He went on to explain everything that had happened: being sent out with Shin for the so-called crowdfunding, the incident at the Utatane Clan's shop, Kanzou's response afterward, and the task assigned to him with a demand for an increased budget. One event flowed into the next as he spoke.
The more he talked, the more indignant he became. His words spilled out like a venting frustration; he simply couldn't accept how things had unfolded or how casually Kanzou treated it all.
Tadayoshi listened in silence. When Seiji finally finished, the elder spoke calmly, "I see…" and said nothing more.
That response made Seiji frown. "That's it?" he said irritably. "Is that all you have to—"
He stopped when there was a knock at the door.
KNOCK-KNOCK
"Tadayoshi-sama… the tea is ready," Suzume's voice came from the other side.
"Bring it in," Tadayoshi replied calmly.
The door slid open, and Suzume entered, carrying a tray with two cups of tea.
She placed one cup before Tadayoshi and the other in front of Seiji.
"Thank you," Tadayoshi said. "You may leave us."
"Okay~" Suzume replied and withdrew, closing the door behind her.
Tadayoshi still said nothing. He simply lifted his cup and took a slow sip of tea, maintaining his silence.
"Do you really have nothing to say, Tadayoshi-sama?" Seiji asked, his frustration and anger finally breaking through.
Tadayoshi sighed. "I understand that you dislike what's happening," he said calmly. "But you must also understand that the clan's financial troubles have been going on for decades. Over the years, we tried many methods to convince the Hokage to increase the budget, but none of them worked. Now, this is the method the new Patriarch is attempting… and perhaps it will work."
"What he's doing is extortion!" Seiji snapped. "He's harassing other clans and villagers. He is imprisoning them and humiliating them. This will have serious repercussions for the entire clan because we are distancing ourselves from others and isolating ourselves. Are you seriously telling me you agree with this?"
He slammed his hand onto the table, his dissatisfaction unmistakable. The impact sent the teacup toppling over, spilling tea across the surface, but no one paid it any mind as he fixed his gaze on Tadayoshi.
"Whether I agree or not should be obvious from the fact that my granddaughter is living with the new Patriarch," Tadayoshi replied lightly.
Seiji was left speechless. He didn't know what else to say. Tadayoshi hadn't given a direct answer, but it was more than enough for Seiji to understand where he stood.
Still, he couldn't bring himself to accept it. A lingering doubt surfaced in his mind, and he voiced it at last.
"Tadayoshi-sama… tell me honestly. Is this truly what you agree with, all of this that's been happening? Or are you being threatened? Even Mikoto-sama… is she being threatened as well?"
Tadayoshi's hand paused at the question.
It was brief, almost imperceptible, but Seiji noticed it.
After a moment, Tadayoshi shook his head. "No." It was clear he had no intention of saying anything that might bring trouble to his granddaughter.
Seiji didn't believe him. That brief hesitation, however fleeting, only deepened his doubts. "Are you sure? If you tell me the truth… we can take this to Hokage-sama, and he would—"
Tadayoshi shook his head, cutting him off. "Seiji-kun… you are a good man. Kind, even. But you are also naïve. You place far too much trust in people who have been actively trying to weaken us for decades."
Seiji wanted to argue, but Tadayoshi continued before he could speak. "Your father was the same, naïve. And naïve people die young. You were very little when he died… nearly two decades ago now, wasn't it? Don't be like your father… don't die young…"
"My father died on a mission," Seiji said, clenching his fist. "He died for the sake of the village. He was a hero."
"Yes… Yes, he was," Tadayoshi nodded. "It's a tragedy that we never even recovered his body, never held a proper funeral. I can only hope he found peace, and that he died on his own terms."
Drip… drip…
The sound of tea dripping onto the tatami echoed through the room as silence settled between them. Tadayoshi continued sipping his tea, unhurried, while Seiji said nothing.
When the cup was finally empty, Tadayoshi set it down on the table and spoke.
"Seiji-kun… I must remind you that you are an Uchiha. Of course, you are also a shinobi of Konoha, and I won't deny that, but that is merely a title, an identity. Being an Uchiha is more than a name you carry; it is the blood in your veins, something you can never change."
He fixed Seiji with a steady gaze. "No matter where you go, you will always be an Uchiha first and a Konoha shinobi second. That is why the people you should place your trust in are those who share your blood. That blood will always protect you. And as an Uchiha, it is your duty to follow the will of the Patriarch and the decisions he makes."
"Even if that same Patriarch is quoting Madara, treating him as a hero and turning the Uchiha into enemies of everyone?" Seiji scoffed, clearly unwilling to follow the will of such a leader.
"Kanzou-kun may be young," Tadayoshi replied calmly, "but he is neither weak nor naïve. He went to the battlefield at a very early age and grew up in an environment where his life was constantly under threat. He knows how to survive. I believe he is someone who will ensure the clan's survival."
He continued, his voice steady and deliberate. "That's why I advise you to bet on him, to support him rather than oppose him. If my years have taught me anything, it's this: when we Uchihas stop fighting among ourselves and stand united, there is nothing we cannot overcome. We have the talent. We have the strength. But with every generation, we end up divided," he went on. "This has become even worse since the founding of Konoha. Two decades ago… Your father, Douma-kun, and Naka-kun stood on opposing sides. And now it's you, Kanzou-kun, and, until recently, Fugaku-kun. If the three of you had stood together instead of turning against one another, the Uchiha Clan would never have been weak."
He paused. "Fugaku-kun has already been exiled, so there's no point speaking of him now. But you are still here. Work with Kanzou-kun instead of against him. United, the two of you can overcome anything. Divided… perhaps not." His gaze hardened slightly. "In the end, only those who share your blood will truly care for you and protect you."
"And what about Madara?" Seiji shot back. "He was an Uchiha too. Look at what he did, he abandoned the clan, betrayed the village, and the consequences of his actions are something we're still paying for even now!"
"Perhaps," Tadayoshi said with a sigh, "this is what we deserve."
"You can't be serious!" Seiji rose to his feet, anger spiking further.
Tadayoshi shook his head slowly. "I am. After all, it wasn't Madara-sama who abandoned us; it was we who abandoned him. And this… is the consequence of that betrayal."
Seiji clenched his fist. No matter what he said, it was clear that Tadayoshi had already made up his mind. Realizing that, Seiji no longer wished to remain there. He turned and headed for the door.
Tadayoshi didn't stop him, but he spoke from behind, his voice calm yet heavy with meaning. "Your son is still very young. Don't do anything that would leave him in the same situation you once faced."
Seiji paused. He understood the unspoken implication. His hand lingered on the door as he took a deep breath.
"My family is not something you need to worry about," he said firmly.
With that, he closed the door behind him.
Left alone, Tadayoshi sighed softly. "I only hope you don't do anything foolish… because Kanzou-kun would likely show no mercy."
…
On Kanzou's side, he remained unaware of the conversation Seiji had with Tadayoshi, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
After traveling for another hour or two with Mikoto, they finally caught sight of their destination: an abandoned city that had long since transformed into the black-market district known as Sora-ku.
"Well, we're here," Kanzou said, taking Mikoto's hand as he stepped toward the entrance. "Let's go inside."
"Hai," she replied with a nod, following him in.
…
At the same time, inside a certain building in Sora-ku—
An extremely tall, tan-skinned man stepped inside. He appeared to be in his prime, with a heavily muscular build, long dark-brown hair, green irises devoid of pupils, and blood-red sclera. His presence alone carried a suffocating pressure.
Seeing him, the boss behind the counter brightened immediately and greeted him with a pleasant smile.
"Well well well… If it isn't the King of Bounty Hunting… Kakuzu-san himself. I didn't expect to see you here. I heard you haven't been very active in the Land of Fire lately."
Indeed, this man was none other than Kakuzu, a Rank-S rogue ninja.
Kakuzu placed the corpse he had been carrying onto the counter and replied flatly, "That's because large nations like the Land of Fire are usually peaceful and troublesome to operate in. This time, however, the target happened to be traveling through this Country and didn't expect an attack here. It made the job much easier."
"I see… well, that's good," the boss said, nodding.
"Verify it," Kakuzu ordered. "Then process it."
"Of course, of course. Please wait a moment," the boss replied quickly.
As the verification began, Kakuzu flipped open his bingo book, scanning through pages in search of his next targets. He turned page after page, then paused.
His gaze settled on a familiar image.
"…Hmm? Uchiha Kanzou?"
It was Uchiha Kanzou's portrait.
"Only seventeen years old, yet his bounty is already five hundred million ryō?" Kakuzu muttered. "You must have offended someone very powerful to earn a bounty like this."
"I heard he's become the Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan," the boss said, raising his head. "That drastic number might be related to it."
"The Uchiha Patriarch… this kid?" Kakuzu blinked, studying the poster again.
The bounty tempted him; how could it not? Five hundred million ryō was a sum usually earned only after killing twenty or thirty elite jōnin, if not more. Yet here it was, placed on the head of a single boy.
For such a sum, he would even be willing to endure some trouble. Unfortunately, the boy lived in Konoha and belonged to the Uchiha Clan, rarely leaving the village. That alone made cashing in on the bounty nearly impossible.
'Don't you dare appear before me, kid,' he thought, shaking his head. 'Because if you do… I'm not sure I'd be able to resist.'
With that, Kakuzu flipped the page and continued searching for his next target.
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Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv: unhinged_uchiha